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In the realm of biological and biochemical research, solutions play a pivotal role in various experimental procedures, from cell culture to molecular biology assays. Among the plethora of solutions utilized, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and Dulbecco’s phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) stand out as crucial components. While both solutions share similarities, they possess distinct compositions and applications that merit exploration and understanding.Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS): A Versatile SolutionPBS, a staple in laboratories worldwide, serves as a fundamental isotonic buffer solution utilized across diverse applications. Its composition typically consists of sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), sodium phosphate dibasic (Na2HPO4), and potassium phosphate mo …

Social media has become a powerful tool for science communication, and Instagram is no exception. The platform is home to a diverse array of science influencers, ranging from PhD students to established researchers and science communicators. From immunology to ecology, genetics to neurology, there's an Instagram account out there for every science enthusiast. In this article, we've curated a list of 43 science Instagram accounts that you need to follow to stay informed and inspired. Key Takeaways: Discover groundbreaking insights from 43 science influencers on Instagram. Delve into diverse research areas, including neuroscience, ecology, and biochemistry. Gain educational content, advice, and updates from PhD students to expert researchers. Find Instagram accounts for every …

Revolutionizing Research with AI Abstract Generator Explore how GPT can help in generating scientific abstracts based on figure legends and data. Discover the potential of AI in scientific literature. window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS = window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS || new Array(); window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS.push({ uuid: 's-4e5ca018-4e14-4841-83e7-262611034802' }) window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS = window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS || new Array(); window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS.push({ uuid: 's-544e2b54-75c1-4b0c-a3ae-8ed4d3e1f80d' }) AI Abstract Generator in Action, example of an abstract in PNAS and a version generated by the AI tool. In a world of ever-expanding scientific literature, staying abreas …

Making the switch! This article provides some help on CV writing tips for scientists for PhDs and PostDocs looking for jobs outside of academia and what they might need to add to their CV to improve it for a business orientated position. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.assaygenie.com/blog/cv-writing-tips-for-scientists/" }, "headline": "CV Writing Tips for Scientists", "description": "Assay Genie's CV (resume) writing tips for scientists looking to leave academia & more into a different career or looking for that new post-doc. CV template for scientists looking to move out of academia.", "image" …

Stress and anxiety are a normal part of our daily lives and impact everything we do from our relationships with loved ones to our performance in the laboratory. Like any scientist, I experienced stress during my graduate degree, PhD and post-doctoral research. However, as CEO of Reagent Genie, I had to learn new techniques which have helped me to not only deal with stressful situations but also to increase my performance. I have personally gained a great deal from my daily meditation practice which has become part of my morning routine. Therefore, I would like to illustrate how mindful meditation can work not only to improve your personal well-being but also your relationships and performance in the lab. { "@context": "https://sch …

Since I am from Ireland I thought I would give as comprehensive view as possible for Research Universities in Ireland. By now you are probably considering looking for a PhD or PostDoc position in Ireland which is a great start. Known as the Land of the scholars,there are 10 international standard Research Universities in Ireland and colleges that focus on a range of life science, chemistry, physics and engineering research. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.assaygenie.com/blog/research-universities-in-ireland/" }, "headline": "Research Universities in Ireland", "image": "", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sea …

Introduction to Sci-Hub In the realm of science and academia, one name has been echoing in every corner of the globe, Sci-Hub. Created by Alexandra Elbakyan, a Kazakhstani computer scientist, Sci-Hub is considered the most controversial yet revolutionary project in modern science. Since its inception in 2011, it has become a beacon of hope for millions of students, researchers, medical professionals, journalists, and curious minds across the globe​1​. window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS = window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS || new Array(); window.SHOGUN_IMAGE_V2_ELEMENTS.push({ uuid: 's-84b23fdd-a706-4847-b3a8-8ebed2d21066' }) The Mission of Sci-Hub Sci-Hub emerged as a protest against the high prices of academic journals and books locked behind paywalls. Its m …

Objectives & Key Results Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) is a framework for setting and tracking goals. At Assay Genie, we've tailored this approach to suit research. Explore our OKR for Researchers presentation, get practical advice from our video, and apply this framework to your research with our downloadable OKR worksheet! OKR Pack! Download …

PhD Interview Presentation Dos and Don’ts It is becoming increasingly common for master's and undergraduate students to present data they produced during their research as part of the PhD interview process. This may involve presenting to the potential lab, professor, or department interview panel responsible for evaluating candidates. The aim of this is to understand what basic skills and understanding the potential PhD candidate already has about the field or a scientific topic in general. For many this is a great opportunity to impress and may allow applicants to rise above competing applicants that may have the grades on paper but do not have the drive, experience or skills to carry out a PhD in a specific l …

Writing a Thesis Statement Writing a thesis statement can be a frustrating task, whether you're working on your undergraduate, master's, or PhD degree. Unfortunately, many teachers and professors don't provide clear examples of what a good thesis statement looks like or what elements it should include. If you're struggling to write your thesis statement, this blog post offers some helpful tips to consider. Plus, we've included a worksheet to help you improve your skills. Whether you're just starting out or finishing up your thesis, these resources can help you craft a strong and effective thesis statement. …

Explore 29 essential tips for crafting a compelling and well-structured PhD thesis, blending effective writing practices with time management and academic rigor for a successful dissertation journey. Be sure to check out some of our other PhD/Post Doc related resources. Key Takeaways: Incorporate 29 effective strategies for efficient and impactful PhD thesis writing. Embrace practical tips like writing drafts, managing time, and utilizing technology for smoother writing. Understand the importance of regular breaks, setting goals, and seeking feedback for continuous improvement. Recognize the value of maintaining academic rigor and clarity throughout the thesis. 29 PhD Thesis Writing Tips 1. Write Now, Edit Later Putting words on paper and not editing them …

Before I even started my PhD I was already thinking about carrying out PostDoc in a foreign country and had my sights set on going to the US. I had previously carried out a degree in Genetics at Trinity College Dublin and now I was starting a PhD just across the city at University College Dublin. Like most scientists I loved to travel, I had already been to the US to carry out undergraduate research at the University of California, Davis so I decided looking for a postdoc position in the US would be the goal.However, like everything in life nothing is certain and when I saw an advertisement come up for a postdoc position at the department of genetics in the University of Cambridge focussing on the cell cycle I knew I had to apply for it. Luckily I was from Ireland, so had a good g …

Writer’s block can be a big stumbling block when trying to write your PhD thesis, grant or a paper you are trying to get publish. During the early stages of writing my PhD thesis I suffered a lot from writer’s block; however, as soon as I got into a rhythm of writing, writer’s block was a thing of the past as I zoomed through page upon page of my introduction. Looking back on it now I realize what elements resulted in me having writer’s block and how I overcame it. Therefore I thought I would write this article to talk about some of the elements that stopped me putting pen to paper and provide tips for writer’s block. Not knowing enough about a topic For me and for most people this is the main reason why people ge …

What do scientists consider their skill set when looking for jobs outside of academia? Mine where hard to sum. I was a PhD in cell biology. I could Western Blot, I had used thousands of antibodies. I could present data. But outside the traditional ABCs of cell biology I had no further experience. Laser focused, academic, scientific, but show me where I can provide value to a business? Being mindful of your CV skill set It was 2012 when I realized this. I had just submitted my PhD in 2011 at University College Dublin and was now working as a Post-Doc in Cambridge University on kinetochore-microtubule interactions. However, what I did realize at the time was the importance of the internet, yes it was 2012, but as a scientist with no coding skills, …

During my PhD I knew how networking was important, it helped me source reagents off other labs, get the best advice and helped me land a post doc at Cambridge University. Its not what you know, its who you know! Following my PhD I targeted a lab that I knew I wanted to research in. I didn’t have the publications to get me in the door, so I knew I had to meet the professor and make a great impression to make sure I landed the job. Don’t just email your CV and hope! I could have emailed them with my CV, like the 300+ other applications they get a week, or I could fly over to Cambridge, call in, introduce myself and make sure they knew how good I was before the interview. Pick up the phone But befo …

Our Cancer Research Club symposium series continued on Wednesday afternoon, at Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI), Dublin, Ireland. The Bouchier-Hayes lecture theatre was at maximum capacity with over 60 scientists from all major universities and Institutes in Ireland coming together to network around the theme of “The Tumor Microenvironment”.This event was organised by Dr. Tríona Ní Chonghaile & Dr. Helena Bonner from RCSI who provided a great series of lectures and invited guests.Our first speaker was Alessandra Di Grande who is a PhD student in Tríona Ní Chonghaile’s group in RCSI. Alessandra was our chosen PhD award winner. Alessandra provided a great insight into BH3 mimetics and expression levels in the spleen and as potential targets for cancer therapy.Second up was Dr. …

Science communication (Scicomm) is currently on the up. As rebellion against the increasing distrust of science stemmed from bigoted and ignorant leaders, scientists are turning to social media – the real voice of the people. It is a great space to educate and enthuse about science, especially to the younger generation who are growing up with social media as a huge influence. However, with great power comes great responsibility. As your following grows it is important to stay true to your message and not just “do it for the likes”. With Instagram and its changing algorithms it is a constant battle to stay “visible”. It’s also extremely hard to not become solely focussed on numbers (followers, likes etc) and release posts that are not t …

Over the past few years I have traversed through academia in a few different guises, first as a PhD student for about 5 years, then onto the traditional route of a post-doc, followed by a sales representative for a life sciences company and finally as the co-founder of ELISA Genie. It’s been a great journey and I’m constantly learning as I move through different facets of working with academics.Currently I’m in year 3 of running my own scientific start-up, it’s a blast, I travel the world, work on new projects every week, attend conferences, but the most interesting part is where we help people with their research. To take a few steps back, I was extremely chatty during my PhD, having a semi-outgoing personality helps, but what I also discovered, was how chatting to other scientists …

Like needles in a haystack, interesting speakers that bring charisma and rock n roll to their talks are hard to come by. No matter what the research interests of the audience, these speakers hypnotize the audience with their funny analogies and the confidence in their data. Leaving the audience inspired to run back to the lab, read more papers, carry on into post-docing or become a PI. Below I discuss how to be a confident speaker. Preparing scientific talks For these speakers, research can appear stress-free, with negative data some of their most interesting slides, and when they have no answers for their data, they blame serendipity on how they make some of their greatest discoveries which results in their string of Nature, Science and Cell papers. O …

After probably a round or two of interviews and a PhD in your pocket you would think that proving yourself in your new lab would not be an issue. After all, they did hire you because you were the best candidate for the position and you published some seminal papers on the topic in the months prior. However, from day one as a new post-doc in a lab you have something to prove. Whether it’s getting the first experiment right or it’s presenting at your first lab meeting, not making an initial good impression in the lab can lead to some painful experimental scrutiny and hardship in the months to come. It might not help that you have just inherited a project from the previous post-doc that just walked out the door or that your lab has not published in the past year or two and your PI has …

When PhDs and Post-Docs start in new lab they have the best intentions to keep their lab books up to date with notes, new research methods, data, and protocol information. These best efforts usually last for about a week, or for as long as they can see their professor walking about the lab. However, sooner or later diligence is lost and maintaining up to date notes on research methods and protocols happens once every blue moon. Suddenly, stacks of western blots and PCR print-outs build up in drawers, lab books and lab benches, with barely legible labels, saved only by the dates from the PCR print-offs. Eventually, a random inspection from your professor or a looming lab meeting inspires you to dust off you lab book, get out the glue and fill in it in.Therefore I thought these few pi …

We know it gets tiring being in the lab every day, especially with the evenings getting darker and gloomier. So, to get you in the festive spirit, we're holding a competition to win money to throw a Christmas lab party! We have two prizes - one of €300 and another of €150. All you have to do to enter is write us an 800 word blog post on one of the following topics: Cell metabolism Immunology Signalling Cancer research The submissions will be posted on our site with credit. Some examples of previous submissions can be found here: Auto-inflammatory diseases and genetics Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors NLR inflammasomes, the enigmatic drivers of Inflammation Entries can be sent to social@reagentgenie.com and the competition ends Friday 7 December. Best of luck, and get writing! …

The lab can be one of the greatest places in the world to make live long friends. Spending countless hours in a tissue culture room late into the middle of the night, sharing similar frustrations when experiments don’t work or talking about how your PI does not have a clue what they are talking about can really bring people together. This is also compounded by the fact that you will spend some of the most formative years of your life with these people. They’ll be the first people you see in the morning, the last people you see at night, and the people that you will spend most of your time socializing outside of the lab with, bullying in the Laboratory and workplace can however change this. Pressure and bullying in the lab However, pressure in every pro …

I'll start this post off with a story. When I was half way through my PhD and I had found my passion for science communication, I approached my supervisor for the first time to ask “Can I have this day off to go do this science outreach event?” And this was the first time I had the reply “But don’t you think you should be in the lab rather than doing that?”Now I know I am not the only one in this situation - wanting to do some public engagement but being told by their supervisors that it isn’t important. So, I thought I would share 10 reasons that you should do an outreach event this year - or any year! - so you can justify it to your PhD supervisor the next time that they try to stop you. 1. Funding Any funding grant that your supervisor …