Thursday, July 29, 2010
Graduation party
Yesterday, two of my students submitted their thesis and we celebrated the event with a dinner party. It was also a sort of surprise farewell party for Pravin who graduated earlier this month. Here is the photo:
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The new academic session
Officially classes start tomorrow. However, our M.Sc semester students have not joined as those classes will start sometime in August.
This year I have been inundated with PhD applications. The applications started coming even before our M.Phil/Ph.D interviews were held. Only one set of results have been declared and the other set is yet to be declared. Meantime, I am being forced to take decisions.
I understand chromatin remodeling/epigenetics is the new "in thing". Just like molecular biology and stem cell and all the other fancy terms. Everyone wants to work on it. Unfortunately, the reality is different from the glamour. Really speaking my lab also does those very boring things like purifying plasmids and running agarose gels. The experiments fail, even the most perfectly designed ones. There is more sweat than anything else.
This year four of my senior most students have or are graduating. It is little poignant because the first students always remain in one's memories. They either make or break labs. Mine were fantastic bunch of students who helped build my lab up. If my lab is doing well then all the kudos goes to them. I sit in my office in front of my computer. They are the ones who have to deal with the vendors, failed experiments, and M.Sc project students and all the other load that I dump on them.
This week we are going out to celebrate their graduation. As I took a head count of the members I realized that we will be at least 15 of us. It shook me a little bit-that number. As a post-doc when I was dreaming of my own lab, I remember telling Brad, a graduate student in Charlie's lab that I wanted a small lab. Couple of students whom I would teach. We would do good work of course. There was to be no compromise on that because of my Phd and post doc advisors. Brad was a dreamer too and he dreamt big. My small lab idea appalled him. I wonder what he would say now if he were to see my lab.
This year I have been inundated with PhD applications. The applications started coming even before our M.Phil/Ph.D interviews were held. Only one set of results have been declared and the other set is yet to be declared. Meantime, I am being forced to take decisions.
I understand chromatin remodeling/epigenetics is the new "in thing". Just like molecular biology and stem cell and all the other fancy terms. Everyone wants to work on it. Unfortunately, the reality is different from the glamour. Really speaking my lab also does those very boring things like purifying plasmids and running agarose gels. The experiments fail, even the most perfectly designed ones. There is more sweat than anything else.
This year four of my senior most students have or are graduating. It is little poignant because the first students always remain in one's memories. They either make or break labs. Mine were fantastic bunch of students who helped build my lab up. If my lab is doing well then all the kudos goes to them. I sit in my office in front of my computer. They are the ones who have to deal with the vendors, failed experiments, and M.Sc project students and all the other load that I dump on them.
This week we are going out to celebrate their graduation. As I took a head count of the members I realized that we will be at least 15 of us. It shook me a little bit-that number. As a post-doc when I was dreaming of my own lab, I remember telling Brad, a graduate student in Charlie's lab that I wanted a small lab. Couple of students whom I would teach. We would do good work of course. There was to be no compromise on that because of my Phd and post doc advisors. Brad was a dreamer too and he dreamt big. My small lab idea appalled him. I wonder what he would say now if he were to see my lab.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Biotechnology-the bane of Indian education
We are very fond of fancy words. It took me two years of M.Sc to realize that I should have never done biotechnology because I did not learn anything and forgot everything about chemistry. It took me one year of hard work before I was confident to appear in subject GRE. It is a different matter that I did manage to get 98 percentile and that UVa offered me a PhD seat based solely on that score.
As I sat through one more year of PhD interviews and listened to students telling us that they had done biotechnology in B.Sc and M.Sc, I felt throttling the person who dared to perpetrate this bad joke on the Indian Universities. Every one offers Biotech and all possible variations of Biotech. In addition, there is a B.Sc Biochemistry, B.Sc Microbiology and all other sorts of fancy courses. These students know nothing of biochemistry, or chemistry, or physics, or math, or biology. In fact they know nothing!
Today I was at National Institute of Plant Genome Research (some time later I will spew out my rants on Institutes)as an external examiner. The objective was the same- select candidates for PhD program.
Some of the students who attended the interview had done biochemistry and knew about enzymes. Now enzymes are catalysts. They bind to a particular compound called substrate and help it to be converted into a product. The affinity of an enzyme for a particular substrate is constant. However, the rate of reaction is altered. So my question was very simple: If you keep the enzyme concentration constant and vary the substrate concentration, you will get saturation at a particular point. From this graph, you can calculate the affinity of the substrate for the enzyme. Next, what will happen if you increase or decrease the concentration of the enzyme.
Not a single student knew what would happen.
We are mean at times. We take pot shots at them. We expect them to know the very basics like how to make solutions. What is 1M solution and how will you make it? What is a buffer?
The student knows all about hi-fi techniques- the latest in the field. But none of them know what is a buffer, the very basis of a laboratory reaction.
What does one do?
As I sat through one more year of PhD interviews and listened to students telling us that they had done biotechnology in B.Sc and M.Sc, I felt throttling the person who dared to perpetrate this bad joke on the Indian Universities. Every one offers Biotech and all possible variations of Biotech. In addition, there is a B.Sc Biochemistry, B.Sc Microbiology and all other sorts of fancy courses. These students know nothing of biochemistry, or chemistry, or physics, or math, or biology. In fact they know nothing!
Today I was at National Institute of Plant Genome Research (some time later I will spew out my rants on Institutes)as an external examiner. The objective was the same- select candidates for PhD program.
Some of the students who attended the interview had done biochemistry and knew about enzymes. Now enzymes are catalysts. They bind to a particular compound called substrate and help it to be converted into a product. The affinity of an enzyme for a particular substrate is constant. However, the rate of reaction is altered. So my question was very simple: If you keep the enzyme concentration constant and vary the substrate concentration, you will get saturation at a particular point. From this graph, you can calculate the affinity of the substrate for the enzyme. Next, what will happen if you increase or decrease the concentration of the enzyme.
Not a single student knew what would happen.
We are mean at times. We take pot shots at them. We expect them to know the very basics like how to make solutions. What is 1M solution and how will you make it? What is a buffer?
The student knows all about hi-fi techniques- the latest in the field. But none of them know what is a buffer, the very basis of a laboratory reaction.
What does one do?
Friday, June 25, 2010
Key to the city
This is a project currently initiated in New York. The project, started on June 3rd, is an attempt to give the key to 24 places in NY that are usually off-limits to unauthorized people.
As I read the article, the concept was first explored in Sao Paulo, I wondered what if it was transplanted into India. What are the places that people should have access to? Since Delhi has the unique distinction of being constructed by CPWD, there is really no limits to the architectural wonders. But let us just make a list for the heck of it. So here is mine:
1. Mayur Bhawan. This houses the income tax department, a place to visit every year to deposit your income tax returns. It is dingy, with broken down staircase, and walls liberally sprinkled with paan stains. One visit is sufficient to know that getting a refund is a miracle in making.
2. Passport Office. Located in the South Delhi, near Bhikaji Cama Place, the entry is through a narrow gate which is opened only sufficiently to allow one person to enter. To enjoy the office and to admire the workings, one needs to visit it on a full working day in the peak of summer when the A/C is not working. That is when the officials manning to desk go on sudden strike and allow the crowd to simmer and smother in the heat. As an aside: My passport still has not arrived even though it is more than 45 days.
3. CPWD Service center: A marvel in itself. Visit any one that is not located in Pandara Road or Lodi Estate or Rabindra Nagar or Bharti Nagar. These venues serve the high and mighty and do not really depict the beauty of a normal CPWD service center. The normal one will be empty save for a wooden desk. The almirah will have some broken down tools. The men will be sitting outside smoking a beedi especially on a cold winter day.
4. New Delhi Railway Station: This is being currently renovated. But no amount of renovation will help this place. Not when there are plenty of people to spit on the floors and the walls, to urinate, and to throw garbage around. A visit to the pre-paid auto rickshaw stand is a must. None of the auto-rickshaw wallahs like the pre-paid scheme so they tend to avoid the place like the plague. Generally, a police man stands on the road to catch hold of a hapless auto driver and to arm twist him into taking the passenger who has purchased the ticket to his/her destination. It is an enjoyable sight as long as you are not the passenger. Currently, after the last stampede, the place is out of bounds for people who are not bona-fide passengers.
5. Munirka: Though one does not require a formal key to this place, a sort of map would be nice but I doubt if any map can be created of this congested, filthy, mosquito-infested place. Houses and shops sprout with a delightful lack of any orderliness. The houses are a marvel. A key to one of them should be provided to know how not to build a house. You wonder how people live in it as they would not be getting any air or light. This, in case any of you is wondering, is made possible by the simple expedient of removing windows during the construction. The staircases in each house (all are multi-storied) are steep without railings. All in all an experience for a life time.
That reminds me. I have a veenai class. More architectural marvels later.
As I read the article, the concept was first explored in Sao Paulo, I wondered what if it was transplanted into India. What are the places that people should have access to? Since Delhi has the unique distinction of being constructed by CPWD, there is really no limits to the architectural wonders. But let us just make a list for the heck of it. So here is mine:
1. Mayur Bhawan. This houses the income tax department, a place to visit every year to deposit your income tax returns. It is dingy, with broken down staircase, and walls liberally sprinkled with paan stains. One visit is sufficient to know that getting a refund is a miracle in making.
2. Passport Office. Located in the South Delhi, near Bhikaji Cama Place, the entry is through a narrow gate which is opened only sufficiently to allow one person to enter. To enjoy the office and to admire the workings, one needs to visit it on a full working day in the peak of summer when the A/C is not working. That is when the officials manning to desk go on sudden strike and allow the crowd to simmer and smother in the heat. As an aside: My passport still has not arrived even though it is more than 45 days.
3. CPWD Service center: A marvel in itself. Visit any one that is not located in Pandara Road or Lodi Estate or Rabindra Nagar or Bharti Nagar. These venues serve the high and mighty and do not really depict the beauty of a normal CPWD service center. The normal one will be empty save for a wooden desk. The almirah will have some broken down tools. The men will be sitting outside smoking a beedi especially on a cold winter day.
4. New Delhi Railway Station: This is being currently renovated. But no amount of renovation will help this place. Not when there are plenty of people to spit on the floors and the walls, to urinate, and to throw garbage around. A visit to the pre-paid auto rickshaw stand is a must. None of the auto-rickshaw wallahs like the pre-paid scheme so they tend to avoid the place like the plague. Generally, a police man stands on the road to catch hold of a hapless auto driver and to arm twist him into taking the passenger who has purchased the ticket to his/her destination. It is an enjoyable sight as long as you are not the passenger. Currently, after the last stampede, the place is out of bounds for people who are not bona-fide passengers.
5. Munirka: Though one does not require a formal key to this place, a sort of map would be nice but I doubt if any map can be created of this congested, filthy, mosquito-infested place. Houses and shops sprout with a delightful lack of any orderliness. The houses are a marvel. A key to one of them should be provided to know how not to build a house. You wonder how people live in it as they would not be getting any air or light. This, in case any of you is wondering, is made possible by the simple expedient of removing windows during the construction. The staircases in each house (all are multi-storied) are steep without railings. All in all an experience for a life time.
That reminds me. I have a veenai class. More architectural marvels later.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
First Prize-Children Book Trust
Last June Children Book Trust announced a writing competition. The results were supposed to be announced in October but it took them till May to announce them. I saw it in the web today. My story has been awarded the first prize in the Get Ready for Magical Time.
Not bad!
I screeched of course with joy and our maid took fright. She thought something had happened to my father for he has not been feeling well. My mother took it in her stride. Her rationale was that I always screech so she is used to it.
Meantime, I am waiting from JBC for they said that they are processing our rebuttal letter.
Not bad!
I screeched of course with joy and our maid took fright. She thought something had happened to my father for he has not been feeling well. My mother took it in her stride. Her rationale was that I always screech so she is used to it.
Meantime, I am waiting from JBC for they said that they are processing our rebuttal letter.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Getting a paper published
Our paper was returned back from JBC with a comment:
The experimental work appears solid but incremental.
Therefore, it cannot be published.
Never mind that we showed a paradigm shift by our experiments, mapped the interaction region, used thermodynamics to show one path is preferred over the other! The reviewer is convinced that is just incremental.
I guess I had would not have been annoyed if the reviewer had pointed out the flaws or if the editor had said it was beyond the scope of the journal and suggested where we can submit the work. To dismiss the entire work as just a teeny bit incremental (which by the way is such a subjective term) is annoying least to say.
The only recourse I have is to submit the paper to another journal and write a rebuttal letter to the editor of JBC.
The experimental work appears solid but incremental.
Therefore, it cannot be published.
Never mind that we showed a paradigm shift by our experiments, mapped the interaction region, used thermodynamics to show one path is preferred over the other! The reviewer is convinced that is just incremental.
I guess I had would not have been annoyed if the reviewer had pointed out the flaws or if the editor had said it was beyond the scope of the journal and suggested where we can submit the work. To dismiss the entire work as just a teeny bit incremental (which by the way is such a subjective term) is annoying least to say.
The only recourse I have is to submit the paper to another journal and write a rebuttal letter to the editor of JBC.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The superiority complex
I spent a tiring half hour trying to explain to a colleague why it is better to avoid confrontations. Alas, without success.
It is a syndrome with us in India. We always have to feel superior. My caste is better than yours. My religion is better than yours. My gender is better than yours. I am your employer therefore...I am senior to you by few seconds so you better... constantly we hammer this into the other person.
So my colleague wants to show that he is Da Boss. Go ahead. Show it. But do not expect the people working under you to have any respect for you or work properly for you.
The other faculty are amazed that my Lab attendant does actual work for me. I have been very lucky. He is amazing. Of course there are times when I get angry with him but since he ends up doing all the paper work, I usually forget to remain angry with him. He got promoted and was moved away from my lab but he still does all my paper work. He also ends up fighting on my behalf. On one memorable occasion, when the project cell was making my life miserable as usual and refusing to pay my air fare for a conference, he told the project cell section officer that as I had paid the fare out of my pocket, he better be ashamed of himself and reimburse me pronto. Needless to say the section officer called me up, apologized and reimbursed the entire amount pronto. And after that incident he has never harassed me and my bills do get paid sooner or later.
But I cannot explain this to others. Just treat the other person as a human being. Why can´t you?
The same phenomenon holds for interviews too. The committee sits grim faced, ready to show that the candidate walking into the room knows nothing and then proceeds to grill him/her on all that they have memorized. For heavenś sake, why can´t we simply talk to them, try to figure out their interests and ask them questions that they can answer?
Oh well, one cannot change the leopardś spot.
It is a syndrome with us in India. We always have to feel superior. My caste is better than yours. My religion is better than yours. My gender is better than yours. I am your employer therefore...I am senior to you by few seconds so you better... constantly we hammer this into the other person.
So my colleague wants to show that he is Da Boss. Go ahead. Show it. But do not expect the people working under you to have any respect for you or work properly for you.
The other faculty are amazed that my Lab attendant does actual work for me. I have been very lucky. He is amazing. Of course there are times when I get angry with him but since he ends up doing all the paper work, I usually forget to remain angry with him. He got promoted and was moved away from my lab but he still does all my paper work. He also ends up fighting on my behalf. On one memorable occasion, when the project cell was making my life miserable as usual and refusing to pay my air fare for a conference, he told the project cell section officer that as I had paid the fare out of my pocket, he better be ashamed of himself and reimburse me pronto. Needless to say the section officer called me up, apologized and reimbursed the entire amount pronto. And after that incident he has never harassed me and my bills do get paid sooner or later.
But I cannot explain this to others. Just treat the other person as a human being. Why can´t you?
The same phenomenon holds for interviews too. The committee sits grim faced, ready to show that the candidate walking into the room knows nothing and then proceeds to grill him/her on all that they have memorized. For heavenś sake, why can´t we simply talk to them, try to figure out their interests and ask them questions that they can answer?
Oh well, one cannot change the leopardś spot.
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