'Bring Some Data'

At many universities, graduate students rotate through a number of labs before settling on one, and the Genomic Repairman has advice for students as they work their ways through the department. First, he says, don't forget to study for classes. "If you fail out you are worthless to the labs, plus you undergo extra scrutiny when you have a less than stellar academic record," he says, though he adds that students should be careful not to spend time studying that they should be in the lab. Further, he says to be on time and to respect the lab technicians. "Let's face it, most of them have been doing science longer than you and at a higher level than you ever have," the Genomic Repairman says. And, he says, if you want face time with the PI, bring some data.