A week in the life of a chemistry/microbiology PhD student | My PhD and Me vlog

TL;DR

A PhD student documents their busy week in the lab, dealing with bacterial cultures, conducting experiments, ordering supplies, and analyzing data.

Transcript

hello good morning happy monday i am very tired today typical monday feeling i'm in the lab today i'm going to be here for most of the day i think this morning i just put some things to sterilize in the autoclave and now i'm sitting down doing a little bit of computer work and preparing for a meeting with my supervisor at tapas 10. then at 11 i hav... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 The life of a PhD student often involves a busy and varied schedule, filled with lab work, meetings, and planning.
• 🥺 Issues with bacterial cultures can arise, leading to replating and a delay in experiments.
• 👨‍🔬 Collaboration with colleagues, both locally and internationally, is an essential aspect of research.
• 🧑‍🎓 Ordering supplies is a regular task for a student, ensuring that the lab is adequately stocked.
• ❓ The toxicity of chemicals and solvents can impact experiments, requiring alternative approaches.
• ❓ Data analysis can be challenging and frustrating, requiring careful planning and troubleshooting.
• 🧑‍🎓 PhD students experience a mix of motivation, demotivation, and exhaustion throughout the week.

Questions & Answers

Q: What tasks did the student have on Monday?

On Monday, the student sterilized equipment, attended meetings with their supervisor and an undergraduate student, and plated bacteria for future use.

Q: What issue did the student face with their bacterial cultures?

The student noticed that their bacterial cultures were not growing as expected, with smaller colonies than usual. They had to replant the bacteria to investigate the issue further.

Q: What did the student do on Wednesday instead of testing their samples?

The student had to change their plans for the week due to the toxicity of a solvent. They decided to run an assay using different concentrations of the solvent to determine its effects on bacteria.

Q: Did the student face any challenges during data analysis?

Yes, the student mentions that their data does not make sense and their head is "frazzled." They express the need to make a plan for the following week to try and understand the data better.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The student starts the week by sterilizing equipment, meeting their supervisor and an undergraduate student, and plating bacteria.

• They encounter problems with their bacterial cultures, replating them for further observation.

• The rest of the week involves planning work, recording a secret collab video, ordering supplies, and conducting experiments.

• The student deals with the toxicity of a solvent, plans for future research, analyzes data, and feels exhausted by the end of the week.