Being a mass spec postdoc
Filed in: People
“A day in the life of…” A nice article by Stephen on being a postdoc, published in Mass Matters, the BMSS house magazine. Stephen writes:
My career in mass spectrometry begun during my undergraduate studies when I conducted a research project at HFL Ltd. (now part of the LGC group). Following a summer job there after I graduated from my Bachelor's degree, I went on to read for a PhD at the University of Southampton in the group of John Langley. Under John's tutelage, I learned much about the theory and practice of mass spectrometry. I enjoyed the challenges of academic research and the excitement of discovering something new (when the experiments, and the mass spectrometer, worked!) and decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the field. I went about looking for postdoctoral positions in mass spectrometry, and was fortunate to secure a position at the Michael Barber Centre for Mass Spectrometry at the University of Manchester in the laboratory of Claire Eyers. Some five-and-a-half years later, and a relocation of Claire's lab to the University of Liverpool, I am still enjoying postdoctoral work as a member of the Centre of Proteome Research.
My primary role as a postdoc is to conduct research on a specific project that is in-keeping with the theme of the research group of which I am a member; namely the application of mass spectrometry and proteomics techniques to biological questions. This involves designing experiments, preparing samples (by a variety of different strategies) and analysing them by LC-MS. Many efforts have been made to automate data processing and interpretation of peptide mass spectra in recent years, but I still spend a good proportion of my time looking at raw data. There really is no substitute for looking at the instrumental output to help understand the outcome of the experiment! I also spend a lot of time reading new papers to stay abreast of developments in the field, and get ideas for new directions in which to take my research.
Communication is a vital skill for any scientist, and I often spend parts of my day working on a presentation, either for internal group meetings, project team discussions or external conferences, or a paper. For me this is a really enjoyable part of the job, as it often represents the culmination of a successful piece of work. Oftentimes though it is a lab meeting talk asking for help from colleagues with experimental problems that I’m having! These interactions with other group members are another major aspect of my job, and one that I find very rewarding. I am frequently involved with the lab supervision of bachelor’s and master’s students, demonstrating wet lab techniques, guiding them with experimental design and helping with data interpretation. I also chat with the PhD students in the lab about their projects, offering advice if I can. I enjoy these activities as it enables me to contribute to the development of others, which is very fulfilling. However, this is by no means a “one-way street” as I learn an awful lot about mass spectrometry, analytical chemistry, and science in general, by talking through thoughts and ideas with colleagues. Discussions and critiques of recent papers of interest also present an opportunity to learn from others and expand my knowledge, and our weekly paper discussion is a highlight of my week!
Some of my time is also spent on activities to develop my career, such as attending courses and reviewing papers for journals. I have also recently become a STEM ambassador, and I hope that I can convey my enthusiasm for science to others!
My career in mass spectrometry begun during my undergraduate studies when I conducted a research project at HFL Ltd. (now part of the LGC group). Following a summer job there after I graduated from my Bachelor's degree, I went on to read for a PhD at the University of Southampton in the group of John Langley. Under John's tutelage, I learned much about the theory and practice of mass spectrometry. I enjoyed the challenges of academic research and the excitement of discovering something new (when the experiments, and the mass spectrometer, worked!) and decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the field. I went about looking for postdoctoral positions in mass spectrometry, and was fortunate to secure a position at the Michael Barber Centre for Mass Spectrometry at the University of Manchester in the laboratory of Claire Eyers. Some five-and-a-half years later, and a relocation of Claire's lab to the University of Liverpool, I am still enjoying postdoctoral work as a member of the Centre of Proteome Research.
My primary role as a postdoc is to conduct research on a specific project that is in-keeping with the theme of the research group of which I am a member; namely the application of mass spectrometry and proteomics techniques to biological questions. This involves designing experiments, preparing samples (by a variety of different strategies) and analysing them by LC-MS. Many efforts have been made to automate data processing and interpretation of peptide mass spectra in recent years, but I still spend a good proportion of my time looking at raw data. There really is no substitute for looking at the instrumental output to help understand the outcome of the experiment! I also spend a lot of time reading new papers to stay abreast of developments in the field, and get ideas for new directions in which to take my research.
Communication is a vital skill for any scientist, and I often spend parts of my day working on a presentation, either for internal group meetings, project team discussions or external conferences, or a paper. For me this is a really enjoyable part of the job, as it often represents the culmination of a successful piece of work. Oftentimes though it is a lab meeting talk asking for help from colleagues with experimental problems that I’m having! These interactions with other group members are another major aspect of my job, and one that I find very rewarding. I am frequently involved with the lab supervision of bachelor’s and master’s students, demonstrating wet lab techniques, guiding them with experimental design and helping with data interpretation. I also chat with the PhD students in the lab about their projects, offering advice if I can. I enjoy these activities as it enables me to contribute to the development of others, which is very fulfilling. However, this is by no means a “one-way street” as I learn an awful lot about mass spectrometry, analytical chemistry, and science in general, by talking through thoughts and ideas with colleagues. Discussions and critiques of recent papers of interest also present an opportunity to learn from others and expand my knowledge, and our weekly paper discussion is a highlight of my week!
Some of my time is also spent on activities to develop my career, such as attending courses and reviewing papers for journals. I have also recently become a STEM ambassador, and I hope that I can convey my enthusiasm for science to others!