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Search below to delve into the Bitesize Bio archive. Here, you’ll find over two decades of the best articles, live events, podcasts, and resources, created by real experts and passionate mentors, to help you improve as a bioscientist. Whether you’re looking to learn something new or dig deep into a topic, you’ll find trustworthy, human-crafted content that’s ready to inspire and guide you.
…the hard way! 1. Take Time to Write Your Log Don’t leave it until the last minute on Friday evening when you would rather be at the pub, beer in…
…time. Make sure you understand the statistical program you’re using, and that you are using the appropriate statistical test(s) for your dataset. If you’re not sure, seek advice. Exploratory analysis…
…Think, Then Write If you are trying to write a new paragraph right after you’ve read another research paper, your results will look like a crazy quilt. Gather information in…
…mentioned previously, you can add papers directly to your library using the enhanced PDF reader feature. You can also import papers using ReadCube Papers’ browser extension via Google Chrome, Mozilla…
…bands on your Western blots – useful for comparing protein expression. The “S” Word – Stats! If there’s one word that can strike fear and trepidation into the hearts of…
…place them in the appropriate place using the move tool. Once here you can resize the panel to better fit your space using the scale tool (Shift + T) –…
…gets hired. So I reiterate: companies love networking, and are actively using their current employees to fill empty positions. Refusing to use your network isn’t a sign of independence, but…
While reading different papers and during different discussions in the classroom (and several online forums), I’ve noticed that there exists some ambiguity about the different terms relating to homology. I’ll…
So you worked hard in the lab for all those years. You endured failed experiments, committees, over-bearing supervisors, thesis writing, and thesis defending. And for what? Well, who knows? But…
…information that’s easy to take for granted. A protocol may state, “perform the experiment using ten million cells, counted using a hemacytometer”. This may seem to give plenty of detail,…
…example, for using a liquid chromatograph, you could write something like Table 1. Table 1. Example risk assessment for using a liquid chromatograph. Hazard Consequence Control Electrical appliance Potential for…
…much easier. Don’t underestimate how long it will take to write up. However long you think it will take you to write up, double or even trebling it will be…
…10 Do’s and Don’ts for PhD Students Pointers for New Grad Students 10 Things you MUST Do Before Starting a New Project The Easier Way to Write a PhD Thesis…
…This is especially recommended if for PhD students as it will be much easier to write a thesis based on a group of monthly reports than from lab book notes!…
…together ten ideas you can do to progress your work. 1. Write a Paper (or Two!) If you are in the lucky position of having enough data to put together…
You should never completely rely on your spellchecker or grammar checker when writing your scientific manuscript, thesis, or presentation. I’ll talk more about exactly why in my next article, but…
…work – smarter spreadsheets & databases using VBA, advanced data manipulation using R, Matlab or SPSS, or revamp your blogs & webpages using JavaScript. Finally, just remember this: it’s software,…
…SNPs or an INDEL. There is a SNP BLAST search, however. In addition, if your query word “neighborhood” search includes too many three word combinations, you’ll end up with sequences…
…could write in space? It took them two years, but they did it. The ‘astronaut pen’ can write upside down, in zero gravity, and even underwater. The Russians used a…
The half-life of a protein is an important factor in many molecular biology studies. If your thesis has anything to do with proteins then your graduate advisory committee will ask…
…long strings of bold or italicized text, and you need one word or phrase within that string to be emphasized. One way to do that would be to write the…
…learn the grant writing process. The more grants you write, the better your skills become. Pre-doctoral You might find that your mentor requires pre-doctoral students to apply for funding because…
…publication; you can circumvent this by creating one large figure with several plots. You will also need to write a caption for your figure. Try to write one that’s simple…
…neater methods sections in your thesis or articles; you can confidently defend your methods to thesis examiners, reviewers or conference attendees. If you know why you did what you did,…
…and processes in a relatively simple and direct manner. I’m a firm believe in the power of putting ideas into diagrams and spent a considerable portion of my thesis write-up…
…heavy the scope is, you could use it as a doorstop- albeit a huge trip hazard. 4. Bookend! A cool bookend with which to prop up your thesis (see our…
…their preferred method. If you are using them in your thesis or presentations (poster or digital) speak to your supervisor or institution for their preferred layout and if they have…
…trying to locate in a tissue? PCRs and Western Blots looking a bit hazy? Want some pretty pictures for your thesis? Immunohistochemistry may be just the technique you’re looking for….
…to overcome these limitations. Ex-Vivo Editing of T Cells as a Therapeutic Strategy The primary challenge to using therapeutic antibodies is the constant deactivation of the immune response by cancer…
…familiar with them. Then make sure you are preparing your manuscript accordingly in terms of word count, layout, etc. NIH grants, for instance, have multiple sections, each with its own…
Some recent conversations I have had got me thinking about bioscience students and their first encounter with the word and the world of ‘histology’. In pursuing the study of biology…
…a solution-state technique, it’s performed on frozen samples. Eh? The word “frozen” is a misnomer, and we shouldn’t use it when describing cryo-EM samples. The correct word is vitrified. Cryo-EM…
…what about the corresponding author role? During your Ph.D tenure, you will be encouraged to compile your data and write manuscripts based on your results. However, you will generally only…
…but don’t limit yourself to using only that method. Use what’s out there and ask for help! What’s your experience of using university career services? It will perhaps be interesting…
…Final top tips When you write up the tender invitation make clear what grounds you are using for the evaluation and insist on treating all the tenders on equal grounds….
…to label the nuclei, you can count them using fluorescence microscopy or an automated cell counter. Calculate the nuclei extraction efficiency using the following formula. 100 x (nuclei per mL)…
…c(x1, x2, x3, x4, …, xn) to concatenate all the x’s into a variable using the equal sign, like: x = c(1,4,2,-3,4.6) and recall that we put that code into…
Cover letters are possibly the most important documents you will write in your career because they can open or close the door to your dream job. But, surprisingly, people often…
…commonly used in business and other fields. People comfortable using Java may find that BioJava best meets their needs. You can find a description of the modules currently available here….
…what to avoid. Pencils You may have heard the old story about NASA spending millions of dollars to develop a pen to write in space when the Russians just used…
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