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Is PCR fun?
Today I got an offer for an undergrad research position (or the equivalent thereof in my country). It's a project with the goal of finding good primers for a certain type of HPV. I would be doing some desk work and lots of PCR for about eight weeks during the next summer.
Should I do it?
The alternative is looking for another reasearch project but most of them are just deskwork. It's also probably the only time in my life I would be working in a lab, so it'd be a new experience.
>>7722305
It's an interesting concept. but doing the reaction is not fun. you're going to be doing the exact same thing many many times.
>>7722305
That being said if you're in your undergrad, doing lab monkey work is really good for your career.
>>7722308
Exactly. As an undergrad, though, it might be fun at first, but it'll quickly become dull.
But I prefer doing it over desk work, for sure.
>>7722308
>>7722311
>>7722319
Thanks!
Well, I sorta figured it would be monkey work. But this way I get to switch it up between desk monkey work and PCR monkey work.
Is it generally okay to listen to music while doing this sort of repetitive work in the lab? I think that would actually make a huge difference as to how enjoyable of an experience those eight weeks would be.
>>7722360
yeah, lots of people have headphones on in the lab. I mean it depends on what youre doing a bit, like if youre working with really hazardous stuff I might not want to be wearing them, but shouldnt be an issue with PCR stuff
>>7722305
first year molbio mayor (or the equivalent thereof in my country), just did this lab yesterday, I have to say it was quite fun to do
not much of a contribution, but if it means anything do it, it cant hurt. if i may ask, where are you located? just out of curiosity
>PCR
>fun
Jesus christ as a /bio/logist i'd rather do lab reports then to do that shit for 8 weeks. It's fun the first day of postdoc and then you try to hang yourself every day after that
>>7722568
It's definitelly not fun (at least not after the first week or so) but OP said it's for an undergrad research project, any research experience you can get in your undergrad is valuable
>>7722531
Neat.
>>7722557
Near Basel, Switzerland.
I'm a med student (would be premed in US). In order to graduate here you have to help out in a science project for about 450 hours of work. You're basically free labour for them, so it's easy to find a position but they are all pretty boring because at this point you haven't learnt any practical skills.
This project also has the advantage that it's very close to where I live and I might be able to sneak by with less than the 450 hours suggested.
>>7722305
>Is PCR fun?
If you're autistic. If you don't enjoy dull repetitive tasks (pipetting) and lots of waiting then you won't enjoy it.
It's easy money though. You get a lot of time to just dick around while you wait for the reaction to complete and still get paid. So you should go for it.
>>7722305
yes PCR is loads of fun.
you sit around and wait for it to finish all day
>>7722919
ETHZ here brah, last yr of interdisciplinary sciences undergrad
Would go for it if I were you
