The more interesting question is: who are the non-molecular people out there?

n = Mol (mol)
m = gramm (g)
M = molar weight of a substance (g/mol) -> this is also MW
c = concentration (mol/l)
V = volume (l)

n= m/M


c = n/V


For example: to make 400 ml of a 1.5 M Tris- base solution:

First look up the molecular weight on the bottle, for Tris- base this is: MW = 212.14 g/mol

n (Tris – base) = 1.5 M * 0.400 l = 0.600 mol are reqired

g = 0.600 mol * 212.14 g/mol = 127.28 g

Weigh out 127.28 g, dissolve in (almost) 400 ml, adjust the pH and then fill up to 400 ml.


To work out dilutions:

V = volume
C = concentration

C1 * V1 = C2 * V2 , or: V2 = C1 * V1/C2

Look out for a book called "molecular cloning" by Sambrook and Russel- every lab I've been in has one! Often refered to as the "Sambrook". Comes in three pretty volumes (blue, red & gree), and you'll soon find that all those usefull tables about how to make a gel are copies from it.
The Sambrook will faithfully tell you what's dangerous to handle and, rather helpfully point out that EDTA will only go into solution if you change the pH- while your collegues just grinn and watch you swear, because it hasn't gone into solution for the last three hours!

If not, the library should have it- don't try to buy it yourself- its a bit on the expensive side.

Otherwise- just ask specific questions here in the forum- laugh we will not.

Who - after a while - found out that two of them where secretly selling their mooncups on e-bay and buying chocolate boxes with the money. The outraged 8 stormed the room of the mooncup selling two - only to find out that they had to sponging, chocolate gorging transvestites amongst them! The ensuing rage of mooncupped woman left the two transdressing transvestites .... to be continued.

The question is not so much how much you work as how good are you organized? What percentage of experiments goes wrong and why? How concentrated are you when you are working? Have you read enough literature to really know what you are doing? How good are you/the people in your lab at trouble shooting.

Our other PhD student is working her ass off (can I write that?), but it is getting her nowhere, because she won't take advice from the postdocs (who are getting royally annoyed after answering her questions- just to find out she's not listening to their advice anyway), she changes methods without any reason- although the original method works fine, and generally makes many mistakes.

My supervisor (who's over 60) use to wear the infamous Bunny jumper- untill someone told her why everyone was grinning in her company. For a conference she wore a 20 years old dress wich had faded considerably because she'd lost enough weight to fit into it again. So, if your dress sense is better than that you should be fine.

Open sandals and liquide nitrogene are also a big no no, as getting cold feet takes a totally new meaning here! Watches are not always a good option in tissue culture, as they seem to be one of the main sources of contamination.

As I'm from Germany: "I've been looking for freedom, since I lost my home town" from David Hasselhoff, what a man!

Write somewhere, where there is no distraction (TV)and there's someone else to see you being lazy- ie a library, office, whatever.

Don't watch any TV (hard one, this) as TV does not really make you happy- and you need all the happiness now.

Make a pact with your family/friends- for now you are allowed to be as sloppy as you want- when it's all over you'll compensate by- helping renovate something, clear out the garage....

Stick to a dayly routine- ie start at 10, lunch from 1-2, finish at 7. Stick to it as much as you can, get a good nights worth of sleep.

Finally if you are feeling down- get somene to slap you with a wet towl, read through the log book of what you've done - and the next big mile stone present to yourself.

Jupp, I want to be finished by the end of the month. My supervisor is loosing her patience (she had estimated 2 months in total, now it's more like 5 months!) and may not support me if I take any longer.

Anyway, here are some (usefull??) tips on getting on with it.

Use a timer and work for 45 minutes, then have a break for 15 minutes (also timed). Write down after the 45 minutes what you've accieved (short version) ie. checked all references, finished remarks on cell cylce phase of cells ... or whatever it is you're doing.

Plan a big reward for every mile stone (but just the mile stones! ie finished chapters) such as buying a bonsai at a bonsai farmer, planing a meal with friends, doing a day trip .... whatever rocks your boat!

Plan your exercise times wisely- a dose of happines always does good. Eat healthy buy buying fruit, yoghurts and brainfood- keep off the chocolate. Feeling bad about your writind AND eating isn't that helpful.

I like impeccable.

H- you want to share your future house with goats???? Well, lets hope your future garden is big enough for your boyfriend, goats can be smelly and bossy- just like Men. And they don't wash.

Oh, and LAMBS ... ah, now they're cute!

How about sending a woman with a mooncup for a change???

watching it : nope

playing it : only non-competetive, with choosing teams according to what you are wearing & being allowed to change teams at any given time.

I'm sharing a write u p area with several others. On the desk are: 6 dirty mugs + one spoon, a timer clock counting down from 3:46 and 53 sec, a calculator, 5 000 staples packet, opened, "the original MARVEL dried skimmed milk" carton containing pens, Wiley catalogue, seminarlist 2006, marker pen (yello) two pencils, a strip of lable stickers (uncurled), empty tin of " Allinson dried active yeast" 128g, two lab books, several post its, copy of Nature Methods, unopened, a MWG oligo synthesis report, none of which belongs to me.


.... and the papers I'm reading through.

Well, 404, biring your cat along to the jacuzzi party- the more the merrier. I also have cats, so they are more than welcome to my commune.

Let's be cheecky together- and don't forget to write down your saucy dreams before breakfast- a little bit of inspiration never hurts (as long as we can release them in Bedford, once we're done).

p.s. Cats are not the only toe nibbling things in my commune.