19 till I die

I’m a Post Doc from the National Center for Biological Sciences at Bengaluru in India. I’ve been looking for faculty positions in Biology within India because I sense my talents, motivation and training can make an impact on many students’ lives and research here. Elsewhere, I’d be more replaceable than I am here. Also, the need for committed trainers in India is much greater at this time. The Covid crisis precipitated in March and we are in August. So to speak, the crisis has disrupted many hiring and funding decisions. However, my peers and I have been applying for positions since July 2019. I’d like to share my experiences first and share inferences after. In my opinion teaching and research go hand in hand. The thrill of finding things out must be supplemented with the ability to train others to formulate original questions, using methods and techniques, analysis, critical thinking and communication skills. For that reason I chose IITs and IISERs as my first choice as host institut...

Witches of Yore: Biologists and Medics today There were witches then, who used bat ears pickled for thirteen days in lizard blood with armadillo's nails and Lion's ear wax, stirred nine times on full moon days with the left hand to the right hand side and on new moon days, six times with the right hand to the left hand side to create a cockroach with dragon's wings, bad breath and (reference unavailable). We now have biologists growing human stem cell lines that lie submerged in fetal bovine serum over mouse embryonic fibroblasts, infected with virus (grown in cancer cells, again feeding on cow blood extract) that has in it genes from a fluorescent seaweed (put there with the help of the juice of bacteria that were grown on ferment and rotting meat, and molecular scissors from Escsherichia coli), injected into an embryonic mouse's brain to create a mouse with 10% human brains!(Muotri et al 2005) Come to think of it, the way genetic material is being cut, pasted and str...

A Responsible Scientist To the vast majority of of the Indian Public (maybe others as well), the person in a white coat pouring a lustrous green clear fluid from one raised test tube to another raised test tube containing a bright scarlet fluid, is a scientist! In rural areas where literacy equals education, the concept of a scientist might be a little alien. In urban centres, where in some select schools and colleges, select Science educators work passionately, the notion of science and and a scientist is a little clearer. What makes a scientist a responsible one? The view of a practising scientist or student is likely to differ from what the society thinks. It should be rewarding to examine both perspectives. A web dictionary search for the word 'scientist' yields definitions like "an expert in science, esp. one of the physical or natural sciences". The layman's picture of a scientist is critical. It determines the aspirations of the next generation of kids taki...

Published in the IIS Newsletter Jan 2006 A Graduate’s anguish As the nation marches towards vision 2020, the scientific community in India is impeding its own progress. The Intelligentsia of India bears the sacred task of furthering knowledge and learning. A better job can be made of it is a prevalent feeling. The situation is likened to a racer who just can’t utilize the abundant fuel available to it. The student component of an educational institution is as important as any other. Being among students here, one easily realizes the tremendous potential that lies in our human resources. The fact that Indian students contribute majorly to the world economy speaks volumes about our potential. Unfortunately, these diamonds in the rough aren’t quite being polished. It must be acknowledged that primary and secondary education in India can do a lot better than it is doing now. However, the importance of higher education can’t be neglected. Denying training to virtuous students can be quite a...