Original post: https:/doi.org/10.1126/science.caredit.adj4668
Soon after I took my first steps into a research lab as a bright-eyed, first-year college student, things went awry. I left all the enzymes at room temperature overnight, not knowing they needed to be stored frozen. This setback could have discouraged me from performing solo experiments. But it didn’t, thanks to the kindness of my mentor. Saurja, who was a postdoc, didn’t respond with anger or disappointment after I ruined all the newly ordered enzyme stocks. Instead, he patiently guided me through the principles of enzymatic activity and how they vary with temperature, turning my mistake into a teachable moment.
I went on to work with Saurja for four more years, helping him with his experiments and also carrying out my own. After graduating with plans to pursue research, I reflected on all the ways in which he nurtured my abilities and set me up for success in science. Here are the lessons he taught me.
UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE. In my first few weeks in the lab, I shadowed Saurja, following him around from the gel running rigs to chromatography machines to group meetings—always with a notebook and pen in hand. He struck me as an energetic postdoc whose brain seemed to spin at twice the usual speed, generating outside-the-box questions. He explained how RNA could act like an enzyme if it folds in specific ways, much like proteins do. I had never considered such an idea; it seemed to break the rules I learned in biology classes. I found his enthusiasm and curiosity infectious, and I appreciated that he took the time to explain to me what we were doing and why. By understanding the overarching question, I was better able to plow through the day-to-day disappointments of failed experiments and troubleshoot problems on my own.
