Being at Work

I’m reluctant to write this, for fear that it will come across as whingeing (pronounce “whingeing”, with a hard H and a hard G – they’re very hard on their H’s and G’s here - interpret as “whining”), but I am only intending to paint an accurate portrait of my working conditions. If it seems that I am complaining, trust that I am not. These words are written with affection. Know that affection does not exclude annoyance (as any married person can tell you).

My ‘new’ lab is located on the ground floor of the Blackburn Building at the University of Sydney. I have no doubt, that upon it’s dedicated in the midst of The Great Depression, the Blackburn Building was considered a shining jewel, once boasting the ultimate in modern research facilities. Scientific methods have advanced considerably in the last 80 years, but alas, the moldy red brick walls and asbestos tile lined halls of Blackburn Building have not. Air conditioning is supplied by a hodge-podge of portable units placed willy-nilly through out the windows facing dreary interior courtyards. Network cables to support the now-crucial internet infrastructure are strung like multi-colored garlands along the walls whose drab paint is hidden beneath posters containing scientific presentations and images of native wildlife, both failing in their endeavor to bring cheer to the gloomy walkways. I’ve been told that the only reason the building is still standing is that the university is waiting for the last of the Blackburn family to keel over.

The labs themselves were renovated a few years ago thus possess fairly modern bench tops and cabinets surrounding antiquated plumbing fixtures. As with most Australian buildings, there is a distinct shortage of electrical outlets, which by the way, are all located about 5 feet off the ground, thus the walls and counters are tangled with extension cords and power strips. The lab faces a large wall of cracked wood framed windows whose grime so filters the light that one is fooled into believing the sky is eternally overcast. I am often surprised to walk outside into glaring sunshine. At various spots along the sills, there are piles of black wood shavings across which traverses a procession of very busy ants. The ants have developed a taste for agar, and should I leave a bacterial plate unattended for any length of time it is soon lost beneath a squirmy red cloud.

Speaking of agar plates, I have a new appreciation for just how spoiled I was at Amgen. Not only do I have to pour my own plates, I am responsible for making all my own buffers, washing my own glassware, and re-loading and autoclaving tip boxes - which in some ways makes me feel better about the effect I have on the environment, but also feels like mindless busy work…which isn’t all bad. I’ve worked in a university setting before, so I certainly knew there would be differences in the way the lab is run compared to the excessive opulence (not to mention wastefulness) of a corporate lab, but I don’t think I was fully prepared for just how poorly funded my current lab is…at least I don’t have to wash out and re-use falcon tubes or pipets. The entire lab shares one and a half sets of shabby, un-calibrated pipetmen (that leak). This wouldn’t be so awful, if there weren’t a very well-funded lab right next door. I peek into their bays with covetous envy, and frequently “borrow” items that are clearly underutilized or otherwise unappreciated…like a stray and lonely Sharpie marker, which NO lab should be without.

Aside from the facilities, and having to stomp on the occasional elephant-sized cockroach crawling across my desk, the environment is pleasant and forgiving. My lab skills have returned with surprising alacrity, reminding me of all the reasons I didn’t like lab work. Specifically, the myriad of daily failures seem catastrophic and the sparse successes miniscule and insignificant. The twenty or so people who inhabit the office space (at least I have an actual desk) comprise a veritable United Nations, and there is an investigative enthusiasm that is both refreshing and pitiable. There is some surprisingly good research being conducted at the university, and the investigators are keen to apply their findings to the development of viable therapeutics for serious diseases. At a departmental seminar last week, the presenting scientist mentioned that he was going to approach “a major biotech company in southern California” with a promising drug candidate that would cure a hideous degenerative disease that effects about 14,000 people world-wide. I winced at the thought of how his beautiful data would be dismantled by the bureaucratic machinery of finance and stock holder responsibility. But I make a concerted effort to keep my jaded opinions to myself.

If you'll excuse me, I am going to go clean the lab.