Research Update / Showing Data

[PagingDr.F]

So - I work in a mosquito lab where we are trying to develop synthetic attractants to create these novel traps...turns out, our synthetic attractant wasn't working out at all - it seemed as if it was actually repelling the mosquitoes. Ok, it didn't "seem" like it was, it totally was.

So we decided to use a widely universal arthropod attractant, honey. However, this is also proved not to work very well. The preference index for gravid female mosquitoes to lay eggs in the honey traps vs control traps (w/ mineral oil) was just around 50/50.

If I were to send an update on my research, would including two data tables (the honey and our synthetic blend) be appropriate? Because I'm starting to think my lab (and my project in general) may have found the world's newest and effective mosquito repellent...lol

Is this even worth an update? And if it is, should it be done in writing only or are the graphs appropriate to include? Am I breaking some type of rule here?

Also - would updating a school on an oral presentation made at your current school's undergraduate conference be considered pointless?

Thanks for the advice! (Sorry if this is a dumb question - desperate to get off the WL!)

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[Frogger27]

So - I work in a mosquito lab where we are trying to develop synthetic attractants to create these novel traps...turns out, our synthetic attractant wasn't working out at all - it seemed as if it was actually repelling the mosquitoes. Ok, it didn't "seem" like it was, it totally was.

So we decided to use a widely universal arthropod attractant, honey. However, this is also proved not to work very well. The preference index for gravid female mosquitoes to lay eggs in the honey traps vs control traps (w/ mineral oil) was just around 50/50.

If I were to send an update on my research, would including two data tables (the honey and our synthetic blend) be appropriate? Because I'm starting to think my lab (and my project in general) may have found the world's newest and effective mosquito repellent...lol

Is this even worth an update? And if it is, should it be done in writing only or are the graphs appropriate to include? Am I breaking some type of rule here?

Also - would updating a school on an oral presentation made at your current school's undergraduate conference be considered pointless?

Thanks for the advice! (Sorry if this is a dumb question - desperate to get off the WL!)

I wouldn't recommend sharing unpublished data that could potentially be the world's newest mosquito repellent...

actually, send it over my way when you have a chance

 

[PagingDr.F]

I wouldn't recommend sharing unpublished data that could potentially be the world's newest mosquito repellent...

actually, send it over my way when you have a chance

hahaha you have no idea what's in the synthetic blend though! I realized the question was a bit silly but desperate times call for desperate questions sometimes =/

 

[PagingDr.F]

What I really wanted to express in the update was that science is unpredictable at times, and there's a beauty to that. I plan on doing research in medical school so I guess I just wanted to have my own "omg we discovered penicillin" moment...

total fail? lol

 

[efle]

I would not send this as an update

If you're going to send a letter to the places you are waitlisted, it should be reiterating reasons you feel the school would be a great fit for you, and mention ongoing activities like research or volunteering. But just mention that you're continuing XYZ research. Don't include data tables about how terrible your attractant was!

 

[Endoxifen]

I would not send this as an update

If you're going to send a letter to the places you are waitlisted, it should be reiterating reasons you feel the school would be a great fit for you, and mention ongoing activities like research or volunteering. But just mention that you're continuing XYZ research. Don't include data tables about how terrible your attractant was!

If you bug them too much with tables, they might think you're a pest and swat you.

JK... still wouldn't send it.

 

[Medic741]

God no. Your pi would find this very uncool.

 

[PagingDr.F]

God no. Your pi would find this very uncool.

he'd kill me for sure. 100%.

well - thanks for answering the dumb question, folks. I just saw the preference index today and I was like...........is this real?????