Torfinn Nome - Life as a …

So. I’m installed in the lab. I’ve done my initial share of mixing up buffers and LB media for the E.coli bacteria (the ever-present lab workhorse). I’ve created a (tiny) stock of vectors (pRSET based), and should work out the primers for PCR amplifying the two chitin binding proteins I will work on. Trying not to drown in protocols and all kind of information these first weeks, I’ve set up a wiki, and I think it will be quite useful. Actually, I think the whole lab should switch to the OpenWetWare system. My supervisor seems to like the idea, at least. But I guess the management is sick and tired of this happening every year, with new students trying to change the lab… (I know I would!) Today, I spent most of the day playing around with PyMOL, which provides “real-time visualization and rapid generation of high-quality molecular graphics images and animations“. It will definitely help trying to understand the chitin binding processes. Oh, and by the way: PubCrawler. “It goes to the library - you go to the pub(TM)”. You gotta love it.

I had a meeting with my supervisor today. He gave me a “tour de labs”, and got me installed. Immediate plans involves setting up an array of useful buffers. I will also have to design primers for a couple of potentially interesting genes that codes for proteins involved in chitin degradation. When the constructs (vector with the interesting gene) are integrated into the new E.coli strain, those cute bacterias will hopefully spew out plenty of the two proteins I’m interested in. I might have to use two methods for collecting/purifying these proteins. One is by using an affinity column coated with chitin. Another way is to add a his-tag to the protein, which binds to a metal ion column. Anyway, this is what is scheduled to be finished before easter. But, as Gustav (my supervisor) puts it; “it all depends; if you have green fingers or not”. Oh, and he was kind enough to hand me at least one kilogram of relevant articles. So if you need to contact me, you’ll probably find me at some machine trying copying them…

edit: Easter, not summer.

Nettopp tilbake fra noen særdeles avslappende dager på hytta (i Valdres, Aurdalsåsen). Dagene (fredag-onsdag) ble stort sett benyttet til skigåing og lesing. Det var dessverre begrenset med snø der (ca. 25cm), så få langrensløyper var kjørt opp. Men siden jeg kjøpte nye ski i fjor hadde jeg ikke mye valg; daglige turer ble utført. Tirsdagen ble brukt i alpinanlegget. Jeg står såklart telemark. Og det var såklart digg! Selv om kun én av bakkene var åpnet. (Og jeg inrømmer at jeg dagen etter såvidt kom meg opp fra senga. Jepp, rimelig støl.) I alle fall. Jeg fikk en hyggelig overraskelse tirsdagskvelden, etter å ha ligget på sofaen og lest om Don Quijote de la Manchas utrolige eventyr: 22:00 skrur jeg på P1 for å høre nyhetene, og jaggu er det ikke 10-års jubileumssending for Herreavdelingen! Herreavdelingen er nok det første radioprogrammet jeg begynte å høre fast på, den tiden jeg jobbet i Telenor Bedrift, og de hadde sendinger på PeTre midt i lunsjtiden… Finn Bjelke, Marius Müller, Glenn Rodney Skog, Janne Rønningen, etc. Men aller best husker jeg nok Arve Fuglums cricket-nyheter. (Dette må ha vært i 1997.) Sukk… Etter at de hoppet til P1 og kveldssendinger har jeg ikke hørt mye på det. Mest fordi det vanskelig lar seg gjøre å unngå å ikke minst én gang vekke hele huset med lattersalver.

I want an alternative way to sort my music. When I choose what to listen to, my mood decides. If it’s music that I relate to the mood I’m in. Or a mood I would want to be in. A combination would be great. Guess I have to compile a heavy list of playlists to achieve this. Or find me a new player supporting these tags.

After buying the iPod 3G a couple of years ago, I have for a while been planning on getting a pair of in-ear plugs. I had a hard time deciding what to go shopping, but ended up with the Shure e2c. I’m definitely no audiophile, but after using them rather frequently for the last four months I have to say I’m satisfied. It’s a new world compared to the original iPod phones (surprise…). I use the foam plugs. They seal out most of the external noise, to the point where streetwalking can turn dangerous. Good thing I live in a small town, with plenty of sidewalks. This article sums it all up.