The typical day in the Pickup lab begins at around 10:00 AM. I usually check in with Dr. Pickup and our lab tech Nicole to see how they’re doing and make sure I know what to plan to work on for the day.
Every other day we split our cell lines and transfer them to new flasks so that they aren’t too confluent; if that is on the list for the day, then I’ll bring our cart of supplies to the tissue culture room on the floor and work with the cells. Otherwise, I typically will run experiments with DNA (minipreps, ethanol precipitations, restriction enzyme digests, gel electrophoresis, etc). Usually these experiments have some wait-time associated with them as they run to completion, so in between I tend to read papers, plan future experiments to run, or eat lunch. I’ll also check back in with Dr. Pickup to make sure I’m on the right track and to get more insight into the details of the project and experiments I’m involved with.
Each day in the Pickup lab is enjoyable and is typically complete by about 6:00, so if an experiment can’t be left overnight we tend to plan it to be finished by then. It’s very nice to be in a smaller lab, in that I have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Pickup daily about his work and my project. It’s fantastic to get that insight frequently and has been very valuable to my research experience.
