Lab Life

It's Saturday afternoon, and I get a 2 hour lunch today while I wait for my samples to heat to the proper temperature, thus it seems the perfect time to share a little bit about life in the lab. The lab is where I spend 8-12 hours of my day, everyday, including weekends. I had to get permission last weekend to leave the lab for Beijing. The students arrive to the lab at 8:30 am, take half an hour to an hour for lunch, an hour for dinner, and they don't leave until 10 pm. They even stay in the lab until 10pm when they don't have work to do; they sit there on the computer or chatting, just so that they feel they're in the lab doing something. I assume this has something to do with the competitive nature of academia here; no one wants to be the first to go home for the evening. Well, I do! Luckily, I've been finishing my work around 8 or so and have been able to leave when I finish.

Another major difference in the lab here is the level of efficiency with which things get done. In any lab setting, there will always be a certain amount of downtime, while waiting for samples or solutions or for things to bake in the oven, but here, the amount of time lost increases exponentially due to a lack of equipment. There is only one scale and before you weigh anything from the oven, you must first let it sit in a covered glass container, of which there is also only one, for half an hour to prevent contamination. There is a constant battle to use the scale; if you miss an opening, you have to wait at least 45 min before you get another chance. Also, there is only one sink and not nearly enough bottles and pipet tips; they rewash the disposable plastic ones. A large portion of experimental prep is attributed to scrubbing bottles and plastic tips.

The major difference though is the way in which they help newcomers, or rather don't help them. I started my experiment this week, and while I was familiar with how to use some of the equipment, I had never done any of the experimental procedures before. When I asked the girl who has done all of the same experiments that I will be doing how to start and if there was a written copy of the procedure; she told me, "of course, but it is in Chinese." To this, I asked if there was anyway she could translate it or give me oral instructions. She told me that I had helped her with some experiments last week and thus should be able to use my brain and figure it out. Of course, the experiments I helped with last week were very different from the ones that I was supposed to do, so finally she gave me some very weak instructions. After completing the tasks, I checked with her to see what i should do next, and she tells me that I did it all wrong. I showed her that I followed her instructions step by step, and she goes, "O, I told you wrong. It's ok though, it's only the first experiment so it doesn't matter if it's wrong. I did it wrong the first few times, too." Rather than just admitting she told me wrong, she justified it by the fact that she did it wrong at first too. In GA Tech labs, students help one another so that previous mistakes are not repeated. Here, it seems as though they don't want you to get it right the first time. It can be a bit frustrating, as when I help this girl with her experiments, she gives perfect instructions and literally watches over my shoulder to make sure that I don't do anything wrong. The lab culture is a bit selfish to say the least.

Lab safety and cleanliness is another major difference. At Georgia Tech, we take an OSHA safety course every year and have a Lab Safety Director that is constantly inspecting labs and on call in case of any problems. Closed toe shoes and long pants are always required, and the labs are kept extremely clean. Here, anywhere near the windows, there is a film of dirt covering the equipment. Bottles are everywhere; some labeled and some not. People wear shorts despite working with chemicals and sewage sludge.

There are lots of differences, and while different isn't necessarily bad, I have a whole new appreciation for the lab facilities that Georgia Tech offers.