Appachai posted:

We just finished interviewing candidates for COO of our company. Let me just give everyone in the thread a little advice: Don't be hostile during your interview. It doesn't make you seem like a good leader, it just makes you seem like you're going to make life a living hell for everyone.

Solkanar512 posted:

Please tell me you made fun of that jackass during the interview.

Appachai posted:

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, but good luck.

Sundae posted:

I've been messing with LinkedIn Jobs as it picks up steam, and it has one nifty feature that I haven't seen before: when the recruiter picks your application to read, it e-mails you and lets you know that (Company X) is viewing your application. Kinda cool!

Lyon posted:

That is an awesome new feature that they did not have when I used it during my job search in September of '10. I got 3 job offers using LinkedIn jobs, two on the same day, and one after I accepted my current position.

Granted, I am/was entry level and don't have an impressive skill set. Previously all I had going for me was proficiency with SalesForce.com and major experience in cold calling. For you science types with actual skills LinkedIn jobs might not be the best method but I had amazing success with it.

iloverice posted:

For every job I list on my resume, I also include my official title which I think clarifies things enough. As far as your employer, I would go with the CDC while also noting the lab you are in. Here is what I would do:

code:

Center for Disease Control - ATTC Cryogenics Laboratory          Nov. 2011 - Dec. 2011
Temporary Lab Monkey

If they want/need any more info, they'll ask in an interview.

Zenzirouj posted:

Yeah, this looks good. Mainly wanted to make sure that there wasn't some special resume protocol for that kind of thing.

Gimperial posted:

Anyone have any experience getting lab jobs in the UK with no experience per se? (Just graduated with an MSc)

quote:

Biophysics Research Associate

Emerald BioStructures is looking to hire a Research Associate for our Biophysics laboratory. The ideal candidate will have previous laboratory experience with NMR and small molecules, exemplary attention to detail, and the potential to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment.

Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in chemistry (organic, physical, analytical) or a related field, with advanced spectroscopy classroom training;

• 1 or more years laboratory experience, either in industry or in academia;
• Ability to rapidly determine small molecule structures from simple NMR data;
• Experience with binding assays by NMR, SPR, ITC and/or other biophysical methods strongly desired;
• Experience with database design/management and/or scripting would be an asset.

Key responsibilities for Biophysics Research Associate

• Structure determination of small molecules by 1D and 2D NMR methods;

• Experimental design, sample preparation and binding analysis by NMR, SPR, and ITC;
• Protein dialysis/buffer exchange;

• Inventory management and routine quality assurance of small molecule compound library.



Qualified candidates should send cover letter and CV to jobs@embios.com

Appachai posted:

majestic12 posted:

sent

I hate fun posted:

Hi Friends. Does anyone have any recommendations for good thermal cycler machines for genotyping? My lab has an MJ PTC-200 that we love. 15/15 of our protocols work on this machine. We also have a Bio-Rad C1000 that only works with 5/15 of our protocols and even then, only works 90% of the time. As far as the other 10/15 protocols, we have tried endless optimization experiments but have never gotten them to work on the Bio-Rad. Even optimization experiments with gradient programming produce variable results.

I've heard that Bio-Rad machines have inconsistent temperature profiles that isn't fit for amplification of shorter sequences. Unfortunately, Bio-Rad bought out MJ, so we can't purchase a new MJ machine. I'm not coming from a science background, so I'm not sure which other cyclers are popular. I've only ever seen Bio-Rad cyclers in any of the labs I've worked in.

Right now, we're thinking of purchasing a couple refurbished MJ PTC-200 from GMI (never heard of this company), but they want $5000 for each machine. And it only comes with a 90 day warranty. Seems incredibly sketch.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions. There's such a demand for the MJ machine in the lab that people have started coming in on weekends just to do genotyping.

I hate fun posted:

Cross-posted from the biology thread. Would appreciate the help!

Lyon posted:

Did Applied Biosystems separate from Life Technologies or is this just a branding thing? I thought AB and Invitrogen merged into Life Tech.

I guess I should just Google this, probably a branding thing.

Gimperial posted:

Anyone have any experience getting lab jobs in the UK with no experience per se? (Just graduated with an MSc)

plasmoduck posted:

I actually have the same question for the U.S., with the caveat that I'm a EU citizen (Germany) graduating this summer. My boyfriend and I have been planning to move together (he's American), but I'm a bit skeptical about job hunting, since industry employers will probably prefer an applicant without the visa hassle (especially at entry level). Would I have a better chance with university labs? Do they hire "research assistants" at all, or is it all done by grad student slaves+the resident technicians?

quote:

Membrane Protein X-ray Crystallographer and Project Leader position at Emerald BioStructures



Emerald BioStructures is an integrated gene-to-structure collaborative research organization specializing in drug discovery services. Our scientists provide integrated structural biology solutions to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and research institutions. We have become leaders in automated, full-pipeline, gene-to-structure crystallography services, and we are making significant investments in membrane protein services.



We are searching for an experienced X-ray crystallographer who can manage client projects and contribute to our growing offerings in the areas of membrane protein structural biology and biophysical screening services. X-ray crystallographers with experience expressing, purifying, and crystallizing or characterizing GPCRs are especially encouraged to apply. X-ray crystallographers with experience performing small molecule screening using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) are also encouraged to apply.



Candidates must hold a PhD in structural biology or closely related field. The successful candidate will collaborate with a diverse group of scientists in a dynamic, fast-paced environment requiring exceptional organizational and communication skills. In addition to driving the scientific progress of structural biology collaborations, the successful candidate will be responsible for managing project costs and timelines to ensure profitability within our contract research environment.



We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package. Emerald BioStructures does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, or status as a disabled, Vietnam-era, or other eligible veteran. Qualified candidates should send a resume and cover letter to jobs@embios.com.



Please visit our website: https://www.emeraldbiostructures.com

plasmoduck posted:

I actually have the same question for the U.S., with the caveat that I'm a EU citizen (Germany) graduating this summer. My boyfriend and I have been planning to move together (he's American), but I'm a bit skeptical about job hunting, since industry employers will probably prefer an applicant without the visa hassle (especially at entry level). Would I have a better chance with university labs? Do they hire "research assistants" at all, or is it all done by grad student slaves+the resident technicians?

Solkanar512 posted:

For the love of god, please learn your (very limited) rights as a visa worker in the United States!

First of all, there's no way you should be hired for basic lab work, because H1-B visas are supposed to be only for "jobs where they can't find anyone else to fill the unique needs". So if you do get an offer for a basic lab job, watch the gently caress out, especially in industry.

I can't tell you how many times I saw H1-B visa holders from the hellholes of the earth have to work six or seven days a week and maybe 10 or 12 hours a day. They were frightened of being sent back home so no one ever complained and sometimes they would even undermine each other. Safety was a loving joke as well.

Also, they lived in apartments owned by the guy who also owned the lab.

Sundae posted:

In Sciencey Pharma news, PFE has finally announced their intent to ditch their pact with Medivation after yet another failed attempt at Dimebon clinical trials. For anyone who was following this about two years ago, PFE joined forces with a company called Medivation over developing a Russian off-market antihistamine which showed promise for reversing Alzheimer's dementia in some bullshit, statistically-incomplete phase II trials.

(http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?NewsEntityId=246380)

The first PhIII trial in 2010 showed it completely ineffective for everything under the sun and resulted in MDVN's stock price dropping over 70% in a day. Apparently sinking $1B into this worthless drug wasn't enough for either of them, and the two companies tried again with a joint-dosing Dimebon + Donepezil HCL treatment.

Of course, Dimebon still doesn't do anything. Finally getting the message, PFE cuts ties to Medivation. I have always loved this particular line when it comes up: "Dimebon was generally well tolerated in the study." It's a fancy way of saying "Well, it does absolute jack poo poo, but at least there were no side effects either!"

At the time of the first clinical trial, I remember the company putting literally 100% of my department to work developing Dimebon. They were putting all their eggs in this basket for some reason. We had about ten different versions of it in the works. (IR, CR, patch, sachet, etc.) The fervor with which they were pursuing dimebon was unreal. It hadn't even been tested in a large-scale trial yet. Hundreds of millions of dollars were thrown at developing something which had no large-population data. Counting eggs, hatching, so on and so forth.

quote:

(In job hunt news, I have an offer coming today from E.L and an on-site at BMS being scheduled hopefully for later this week. Hooray!)

quote:

So at this point you're all, "told you so, let the motherfucker burn" at this point?

Sundae posted:

Actually pretty much the second I posted that previous one, the offer came. They offered me a shitload of money. Holy gently caress. After annual bonuses are taken into account, I'm looking at anywhere from a 24% to 36% raise over PFE.


More or less. That IP was so awful. I really don't understand why they kept chasing it. It was like taking the metaphorical 'chasing rainbows' but expecting to find not only a pot of gold at the end, but a platinum-making GBS threads unicorn too. Oh, and you were chasing a smog trail, not a rainbow.

Solkanar512 posted:

Even though I don't work there anymore, I think I finally have Sundae beat.

1. The lab has decided to start using mice for testing. Without the appropriate measures or controls that normally go along with testing. No logs, no proper care, nothing. This resulted in two male mice to be injected with PCP (they're testing drug detection tools) to be left in the same cage overnight.

Yes kids, PCP. I don't think I need to go into detail as to what was found the next morning.

2. So the H1-B visa holders who work as researchers have been started on an incentive plan. They get a bonus if and only if they create something that the owner can patent. This has led to at least one researcher injecting herself with an untested drug on a regular basis to show how safe it is for humans. No, it hasn't been tested anywhere else, that would waste time. But apparently lots of folks knew about it.

Time to shut this fucker down if you ask me. Who would I go to outside of the local papers? A friend of mine has suggested the FDA for the mice issue, but what about allowing employees to become test subjects? Isn't this poo poo regulated?

Gimperial posted:

Anyone have any experience getting lab jobs in the UK with no experience per se? (Just graduated with an MSc)

Tommmmm posted:

Don't expect any difference in pay with a Masters.

Scientastic posted:

This has not been my experience. In my lab, and all the labs in my institute, a masters gives you a slight pay boost.

quote:

You Pharma/bio guys sound like you're working in a personal nightmare - sounds like I could never do that. I work for a very large engine manufacturer in the failure/investigation lab and my enjoyment swings at times. It's a good job, but at an absolute dead end in terms of advancement. Comparatively it's extremely laid back compared to what I've read here.

Tommmmm posted:

You Pharma/bio guys sound like you're working in a personal nightmare - sounds like I could never do that. I work for a very large engine manufacturer in the failure/investigation lab and my enjoyment swings at times. It's a good job, but at an absolute dead end in terms of advancement. Comparatively it's extremely laid back compared to what I've read here.