Research Problems

[zora]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am doing research as part of my senior thesis in a laboratory where things are suddenly turning very sucky. What do I do? The story is that I attempted a Cesium Chloride DNA isolation(for the first time)which didn't work and the PI is so angry that he told the post-doc I work with that its either I get it right or I leave his lab. I am not worried about getting it right, because I've identified the source of error that the lab tech (the guru of the technique)missed. He basically told me I could stop the proceedure at any point and go to class if I had to. Current literature as I find out does not echo what I was told.Anyway, the big question is should I go talk to the PI or just get it right and shutup? I have completed the bulk of my research and I am really focusing on the write -up. That's not to say I'm not interested in sequencing the targeting constructs that my research has been based on. I have been really upset since I heard this story and really don't know what to do? I know the lab has financial problems and cannot afford to use the QIAGEN kits anymore. The lab tech is apparently the only person in the lab who does this technique--even my post-doc has no clue about it!Should I just suck it up and not say a word? I want to play my cards right and not screw up my relation with the lab.

 

[Ben01]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by zora:
•I am doing research as part of my senior thesis in a laboratory where things are suddenly turning very sucky. What do I do? The story is that I attempted a Cesium Chloride DNA isolation(for the first time)which didn't work and the PI is so angry that he told the post-doc I work with that its either I get it right or I leave his lab. I am not worried about getting it right, because I've identified the source of error that the lab tech (the guru of the technique)missed. He basically told me I could stop the proceedure at any point and go to class if I had to. Current literature as I find out does not echo what I was told.Anyway, the big question is should I go talk to the PI or just get it right and shutup? I have completed the bulk of my research and I am really focusing on the write -up. That's not to say I'm not interested in sequencing the targeting constructs that my research has been based on. I have been really upset since I heard this story and really don't know what to do? I know the lab has financial problems and cannot afford to use the QIAGEN kits anymore. The lab tech is apparently the only person in the lab who does this technique--even my post-doc has no clue about it!Should I just suck it up and not say a word? I want to play my cards right and not screw up my relation with the lab.•••••Your PI sounds like a pretty lame person. I'm not sure I even understand why he is so mad.....surely you are not the first person to get something wrong on the first try. I think you should go give him a piece of your mind.

 

[sundevil1]

I don't know what protocol you are using but I know Cesium preps can be tempermental, I would give it another try. You can' argue with the quaility of DNA from cesium preps, much better than all the crap Qiagen kits leave around. The only thing I would do is talk to the PI about why you think it went wrong and how you plan to correct it for the next time. He will appreciate the fact that you are thinking about what you are doing and not just following the cookbook. When things don't work it is frustrating for the PI as well, his job depends on the productivity of the lab. I've never heard of a PI threatening to kick somebody out because they make a mistake. There are many failures in research and this is just a minor one, so if he can't accept it, you're probably better off elsewhere.

 

[dirtyone]

look, people have no right to be dinguses!!! Especially PI's, they exist partially to teach and understand lab work, especially for students, is a learning process. **** them if they have "mood" problem -- it is super innapropriate and unprofessional. I just quit a yearlong fellowship at the NCI largely because my "boss" seemed to forget that I was there as a learning/growing experience, not to be her little lab tech bitch. So I took off, gave 1 months notice -- the hell with her reference. NEVER take ****, if you do it now you will do it your whole life!!! Besides, where the **** are you that they can't afford Quiagen preps and instead choose to use valuable man-hours and brain power to prep DNA!! This sounds like you are getting really USED and RIPPED off in terms of your experience. How much are you willing to take for a reference and an experience that you will have to lie about to adcoms so that it seems like it was a "real beneficial one". My advice, it is not your fault? don't take ****.