Hi all,
I started a biology PhD over 3 months ago and since then I have started no cell work and have only seen my supervisor say 4 times. My supervisor arranged for postdocs to help me with the cell work but in the last month, I have only seen the person once as they are very busy.
I have no problem reading papers on my own and conducting my own literature research but I feel that as I have not started any cell work which is an integral part of any biology PhD-I am just wasting my time. With a biology PhD-does one spend a lot of time reading-how much time??Should I get more support from my supervisor or is this the norm with PhD supervisors, that you are on your own!!!

Thank you in advance

I think maybe you should try and arrange a meeting with your supervisor and tell him your concerns. Maybe your supervisor thinks that the post-docs are overseeing all your work and doesn't realise this isn't the case. I'm doing a biology PhD and I have been "assigned" a post-doc and don't have much to do with my supervisor really. I think definitely say somehting sooner rather than later.

Thank you for your advice. I do feel that I should talk to my supervisor but having got a degree that is a little different to my PhD, I am always afraid of asking stupid questions-believe me I have asked many already. Also I am afraid too that my supervisor feels they made the wrong decision in taking myself on. Can they fire me

My undergrad degree is also different to my Phd (BSc in Pharmacology, PhD Molecular Biology) and a lot of the "basic" techniques are completely new to me. I ask *a lot* of questions, but then I figure my supervisor knew what degree I had so it must be expected for me not to know a lot of stuff.

My undergrad is different too (BSc Neuroscience, PhD Cardiovascular)

You have to ask questions, you really do. No matter how stupid they might seem they probably aren't. You'll look more stupid if you do something you're not supposed to do, or if you do something wrong.
Speak to your supervisor

katq - My PhD has given me a crash-course in molecular biology. My undergrad was an applied science, and my PhD is in the same industry, but now has a molecular/biochemistry approach.

From experience, molecular biology learning is exponential. You start off knowing nothing (I was googling "restriction enzyme" for a definition when I started!) but very quickly (just a couple of months) you learn A LOT. Then it seems you have a broad basic knowledge and it becomes easier to grasp the harder stuff. Just give yourself time.

I got a notebook separate from my lab/experiment books and just wrote down everything - notes, definitions, advice from postdocs. I never look at it now, but as a beginner, the act of writing it all down made it clearer and easier to remember. Good luck and may the PCR bands be with you!