WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A POST-DOC RESEARCH SCIENTIST | My PhD and Me

TL;DR

A lab researcher documents their week at work, which includes training as an auditor, conducting experiments, and troubleshooting methods.

Transcript

Hello friends and welcome back to my channel apologies for the noise because I am sitting right next to the lcms and it makes quite a lot of noise but I have been off of work for one week because I have been decorating my new house so if you haven't seen my announcement video please do click up here and you will see a little sneak preview of my hou... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥼 The researcher's week involves a combination of administrative tasks, training, and conducting experiments in the lab.
• 💦 Method development is a significant aspect of their work, as they strive to optimize analysis techniques for specific compounds.
• 🥼 Troubleshooting is a common occurrence in the lab, and researchers must have the ability to adapt and find solutions to problems that arise.
• 👨‍🔬 Continuous learning and staying updated with research papers are essential for researchers, especially in new research fields.
• ❓ Cleaning up samples is crucial to ensure accurate and reliable results in environmental analysis.
• 🥼 Collaboration and communication with colleagues, both within and outside the lab, are important for sharing knowledge and problem-solving.
• 🤩 Time management and planning are key skills for researchers, as they juggle various tasks and experiments throughout the week.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the researcher's role in the lab this week?

The researcher is mainly focused on method development for analyzing specific compounds, which involves conducting experiments, troubleshooting methods, and reading research papers.

Q: What does the researcher do during their training to become an auditor?

The researcher learns how to audit accredited methods in the lab to ensure they meet the necessary standards. This involves reviewing and evaluating the lab's processes and procedures.

Q: What is the purpose of cleaning up samples in the lab?

Cleaning up samples is crucial to remove any substances that could interfere with the analysis. It ensures that the results obtained are accurate and reliable.

Q: Why is the researcher troubleshooting their method for analyzing specific compounds?

The researcher is experiencing issues with excess fat in the samples, which interferes with the analysis. They are reading papers and evaluating different methods to find a solution to this problem.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The researcher has just returned to work after decorating their new house and begins their week by catching up on emails and reading research papers.

• They are involved in training to become an auditor for accredited methods in the lab.

• The researcher spends time in the lab, performing extractions, cleaning up samples, and troubleshooting methods for analyzing specific compounds.