The Lonely Pipette : helping scientists do better science

TLP #33 : The stories behind the retractions - Ivan Oransky Oct 29, 2024

This month Ivan Oransky joins us to talk about his work as a journalist and advocate for monitoring scientific misconduct.

Ivan confesses about his beginnings as a young playwright of the immune system
He discusses how and why he left medicine to become a journalist
Ivan’s mentors encouraged him to develop by getting experience as a journalist and editor
Ivan reflects on how his training as a physician was helpful and allowed people to trust him
He stresses how important it is to read in order to develop story-writing skills
Ivan explains that curiosity and attention can help to hunt for good stories
He thinks the trend to ‘weaponization’ is central to what’s wrong in science and science communication today
He suggests that going ‘upstream’ might help to explain the methodology and not just the results of science
Ivan describes the origins of Retraction Watch and looking for the stories behind the retractions
He also insists that we need to look upstream to understand what leads to the fraud (or sloppiness) behind the retractions
Finally, learning to say NO is an important skill to keeping focused

Ivan mentioned these scientists, writers and institutions
Harvard University : https://www.harvard.edu/
The Harvard Crimson https://www.thecrimson.com/
Yale University https://www.yale.edu/
The Scientist https://www.the-scientist.com/
Journal of American Medical Association https://jamanetwork.com/
New York University’s Carter Journalism Institute https://journalism.nyu.edu/
The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com
Lawrence Altman MD https://www.nytimes.com/by/lawrence-k-altman
George Lundberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_D._Lundberg https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1114712/
To find out more about Ivan and his work visit these links
at NYU https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/profile/ivan-oransky-md/
on Twitter/X https://x.com/ivanoransky
Retraction Watch https://retractionwatch.com/
The Transmitter /Spectrum magazine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transmitter
Ivan’s first play about the Immune System (aged 11) https://theoranskyjournal.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/immune-system-play.pdf

You want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee ! ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipette

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #32 - Storytelling : turn science into inspiring narratives - Arjun Raj Oct 01, 2024

This month we enjoyed talking to Arjun Raj about his interdisciplinary approaches to studying biological systems

Arjun shares how he almost became a truck driver and experimented with a career in an (unnamed) rock band
He tells us about his journey from mathematics to quantitative biology and he shares thoughts about comparing biology with physics and what they can learn from each other
He says we all struggle with how to teach creativity and how to evaluate the most promising ideas.
Arjun discusses how to improve mentoring and practical auto-mentoring. He gives specific examples about learning how to peer-review papers.
He recommends a narrative-based approach to science communication so that you can leave the audience with a feeling of wonder
He is inspired by Star Wars storytelling as a science communicator
He says it's important to go through a period of really paying attention to the small details
Arjun argues that scientists have become overburdened and that increasing scope creep creates a lot of pressure

He mentioned these labs, scientists and institutions
University of Pennsylvania https://www.upenn.edu/
UC Berkeley https://www.berkeley.edu/
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University https://cims.nyu.edu/dynamic/
Massachusetts Institute of Technology https://www.mit.edu/
Fred Kramer https://phri.njms.rutgers.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty/fred-russell-kramer/
Sunjay Tyagi https://phri.njms.rutgers.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty/sanjay-tyagi/
To find out more about Arjun visit these links
Raj Lab https://rajlab.seas.upenn.edu/
on Twitter/X https://x.com/arjunrajla
Random musings Blog https://rajlaboratory.blogspot.com/
Tools for Science resource https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jBGk-u5auVCvI5EMaQnptMWbxHHl3ncIhKgIgEzjylw/edit

You want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee ! ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipette

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #31 : A recipe for resilience - Alicia Rojas Araya Jul 30, 2024

This month Alicia Rojas tells us about her journey from Costa Rica to Israel and back, in search of pathogens and parasites

Alicia shares the personal difficulties of being far from home and how she missed family and food
She reflects on coming back to Costa Rica to explore its rich biodiversity
She recalls the challenges of returning from a luxurious postdoc at the Weizmann Institute to setting up her own lab in Costa Rica during a pandemic
She discusses the need to be resilient and creative and build collaborations
She is proud to be “doing the best we can with the limited resources we have”
As a mentor, she stresses that every student is different and she tries to keep a helicopter-view of everything that is going on
Alicia gets up really early to complete work and make time for her family in the afternoon
She recommends to finish one task before you start the next one

She mentioned these labs, scientists and institutions
University of Costa Rica : https://www.ucr.ac.cr/
Hebrew University of Jerusalem : https://en.huji.ac.il/
Neta Regev-Rudzki laboratory : https://www.weizmann.ac.il/Biomolecular_Sciences/regev/
Weizmann Institute of Science: https://www.weizmann.ac.il/pages/
Research Center for Tropical Diseases. : http://www.ciet.ucr.ac.cr/en/about-ciet
To find out more about Alicia visit these links
Alicia’s lab : https://www.thetropicalwormlab.com/
Alicia’s LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-rojas-30215b1aa/
On Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thetropicalwormlab_ucr/
On Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/thetropicalwormlabUCR/

You want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee ! ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipette

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #30 : Don't hypothesize, just observe - Hans Clevers Jun 25, 2024

This month Hans Clevers talks to us about his productive career and his pioneering work on organoid technologies.
Hans admits that he initially found biology frustrating and disappointing

But then he learnt to enjoy the rare spark of excitement from discoveries
He managed to get his PhD in just one year!
You need to trust yourself and learn to share with others
Hans warns new group leaders not to expect too much from younger colleagues
It’s important to give your students their own space
He paints a metaphoric image of research - Push against the dark wall until the window opens on a new valley
His search for stem cells in the gut led his lab to develop organoid approaches and 3D culture technologies
Hans describes his unexpected move to Roche and “large pharma”
He describes his role bridging the gap between scientists and industry leadership
Hans talks about the benefits of interacting with artists
He warns about being too attached to your hypothesis and the importance of being wrong

He mentioned these labs, institutions and companies
Roche Pharma R&D (pRED): https://www.roche.com/innovation/structure/pred
Utrecht University : https://www.uu.nl/en
Dana Farber Cancer Institute : https://www.dana-farber.org/
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences : https://www.knaw.nl/en
Cox Terhorst : https://immunologyphd.hms.harvard.edu/people/cox-terhorst
To find out more about Hans visit these links
X-Twitter https://x.com/hansclevers?lang=en
Hubrecht Institute
https://www.hubrecht.eu
https://www.hubrecht.eu/research-groups/clevers-group/
Wikipedia page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Clevers
Utrecht University
https://www.uu.nl/staff/JCClevers
Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jTAHhTQAAAAJ&hl=en

You want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee ! ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipette

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #29 : Advocating for women’s health - Nour El Houda Mimouni May 28, 2024

Today we chat with postdoc Nour El Houda Mimouni about her passionate commitment to improving womens’ health.

Nour urges young scientists to get themselves a support group from the beginning
She also insists on the importance of developing interests outside of the lab
Addressing womens’ health issues is ‘not just a job’ for Nour
She recommends students to not alway blindly follow other people's advice
She discusses her advocacy work at the European Health Parliament
She thinks that every scientist should play a role in public outreach, from a young age

She mentioned these labs, scientists, institutions and companies

Cité des sciences et de l'industrie https://www.cite-sciences.fr/fr/accueil
Zuckerman Institute https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/
Columbia University https://www.columbia.edu/
Bianca Marlin Jones https://www.biancajonesmarlin.com/
L'ORÉAL-UNESCO Programs for Women in Science https://www.forwomeninscience.com/
European Health Parliament https://www.healthparliament.eu/
Collectif de Femmes de Santé https://www.femmesdesante.fr/
Joëlle Cohen-Tannoudji https://bfa.u-paris.fr/equipe-3/team-members/?lang=en
Simone Veil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Veil
Jacinda Ardern https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacinda_Ardern

To find out more about Nour visit these links
X-Twitter https://twitter.com/NourMimouni5
Nour’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nour-el-houda-mimouni-2b9933a4/
Nour in the lab https://www.biancajonesmarlin.com/nour-mimouni

You want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee ! ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipette

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #28 : Curing with a Community - David Fajgenbaum Apr 30, 2024

In this episode, we kick off our Season 3 guests with David Fajgenbaum who shares his extraordinary journey to cure himself from Castleman disease.

David shares his very personal story of searching for a cure to his own disease
He describes how having a vision for the future helped him to survive
He insists that patients can be part of the process and can be active collaborators in the search for cures
He pleads for a shift from an Investigator initiated model to a Community initiated model involving collaboration between researchers, clinicians and patients
David also insists that approved drugs could be used to treat additional diseases
He tells us about why and how he wrote a book, “Chasing My Cure” about his journey
He describes the value that good mentors bring
He advises to keep focused, surround yourself with good people, learn to delegate and to take important recruitment decisions
David recommends getting as much feedback as you can from many people

He mentioned these labs, scientists, institutions and companies

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine : https://www.med.upenn.edu/
Georgetown University : https://www.georgetown.edu/
Castleman Disease Collaborative Network : https://cdcn.org/
Castleman Disease : https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/castlemans-disease/
University of Oxford : https://www.ox.ac.uk/
National Institutes of Health (NIH) : https://www.nih.gov/
Janet Woodcock from the FDA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Woodcock
Brian Wallach : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Wallach
I am ALS : https://www.iamals.org/
Frits van Rhee : https://cdcn.org/leadership-team/frits-van-rhee/ | https://uams-triprofiles.uams.edu/profiles/display/127377
Sharon Terry : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_F._Terry
Arthur Rubenstein : https://www.med.upenn.edu/endowedprofessorships/arthur-h-rubenstein-university-professorship.html
Benjamin Castleman : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Castleman

To find out more about David and Every Cure visit these links
X-Twitter : @DavidFajgenbaum
Every Cure https://twitter.com/EveryCure
David’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfajgenbaum/
Every Cure’s LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/every-cure/
David’s Book “Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope Into Action” : https://chasingmycure.com/

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #27 : Time to refill the tip box ! Mar 26, 2024

In this episode Renaud and Jonathan share their excitement about the launch of Season 3 of The Lonely Pipette podcast. BUT this time, they are not the ones asking the questions.
💌 Subscribe and receive the next season in you mailbox

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP#26 - Season 2 wrap-up - Jonathan & Renaud Aug 22, 2023

Dear Lonely Pipetters,
Season 2 has been an amazing journey, BUT Season 3 will be awesome. We are so proud to be still here, with you supporting us. Thank you! In this final episode, we take the chance to give you untold stories about Season 2 making-of, personal stories and what you can do to help us build Season 3. Don’t miss it out !
Subscribe to be updated when Season 3 starts : https://bit.ly/NLTLP

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #25 : Excellence at the ERC - Maria Leptin Jul 26, 2023

This week, we talk to Maria Leptin about her path to the head of the European Research Council

Maria claims she didn’t receive any formal mentoring advice, but rather absorbed and learnt along the way
Against the perceived wisdom, Maria warns against the advice to be continually networking. She advises to listen to what others say and then add your own thoughts.
Maria is sure that if you really enjoy the stuff you're doing, then you will do it well and you'll get something out of it.
She says that sabbatical breaks can be good to ‘put your brain to air a little bit’
She says the ERC aims to select the very best researchers across Europe, across all disciplines, and allow them to make wonderful discoveries.
To attract ERC funding, organizations or countries or regions need to create an environment where researchers are happy to work and have good conditions.
Maria makes a passionate plea for fundamental research and better access for science journalists
After a lie-in, Maria starts the day with a coffee and a cookie in the office
Maria likes our question “if you had $100 million or euros to spend in science, how would you spend it?” She uses it herself in interviews.

She mentioned these institutions and researchers

University of Bonn : https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/university
University of Heidelberg : https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en
Basel Institute of Immunology : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basel_Institute_for_Immunology
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology : https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/
Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology : https://www.mpg.de/151769/biology-tuebingen
European Molecular Biology Organization : https://www.embo.org/
European Research Council (ERC) : https://erc.europa.eu/homepage
Fritz Melchers : https://www.tbvi.eu/team/prof-georg-friedrich-fritz-melchers/

To find out more about Maria visit her websites or follow her on Twitter

Website : https://erc.europa.eu/erc_member/maria-leptin
Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Leptin
ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7097-348X
Maria on Twitter :https://twitter.com/mleptin

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #24 : The untold power of philosophy - Thomas Pradeu Jun 14, 2023

This week, we meet our first philosopher guest - Thomas Pradeu tells us what scientist can learn from philosophers

Thomas shares his journey navigating from philosophy to immunology and biology
He explains the difference between ‘philosophy IN biology’ compared to ‘philosophy OF biology’
He mentions ‘mutual ignorance’ - that scientists often don’t know about philosophers who would be interested in their science
Thomas argues that philosophers should be brought in at the beginning of a project rather than at the end. He describes his model for embedding philosophers within a biology research environment
He gives lots of specific examples, from immunology and beyond, where philosophers made an impact on science by intervening upstream
Thomas stresses the importance of challenging the foundations (in the lab and at home)
He also stresses the importance of reading every day
Thomas talks honestly about the difficulties of improving life-work balance and gender balance in academia
Thomas is proud of his success in creating examples of the Philosophy IN Biology networks as a model for interdisciplinary collaboration

He mentioned these researchers/philosophers

Jean Gayon : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Gayon
Edgardo Carosella : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgardo_D._Carosella
David Hull : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hull_(philosopher)
Elliott Sober : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Sober
Ernst Mayr : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Mayr
Richard Dawkins : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins
Stephen Paget : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Paget
Lucie Laplane : https://www.cnrs.fr/fr/personne/lucie-laplane
Francis Bacon : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon
Dick Lewontin : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lewontin

To find out more about Thomas visit his websites or follow him on Twitter

Website : https://www.u-bordeaux.fr/universite/espace-presse/repertoire-dexperts/thomas-pradeu
ImmunoConcept Lab : https://immunoconcept.cnrs.fr/conceptual-biology-medicine/
PhilInBioMed: Institute for Philosophy in Biology and Medicine : https://www.philinbiomed.org/
Thomas on Twitter : https://twitter.com/pradeu?lang=en

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #23 : Letting go of perfection - Elphege Nora May 17, 2023

This week, Elphege Nora shares personal thoughts on his journey from Paris to California

Elphege discovered at an early age that the best way to explain who we are is to look back at where we come from and our evolutionary trajectories
From his earliest research experiences, Elphege was intrigued about the sociology of the lab and it’s unusual social etiquette
He shares his memories of working with Edith Heard and what she taught him about mentoring
He claims that personality tests can be useful for understanding how to interact with colleagues and team members
Elphege recommends that it is good to present your work early at conferences in order to gain visibility and attract recruits
He shares thoughts about the different scientific approaches he has encountered in Europe and the United States
Elphege shares how his interaction with his (famous) father pushed his to think about the abstract and conceptual impacts of his work
He had to learn when it’s important to strive for perfection and when it is not
He stresses the importance of trust in mentoring relationships
He concludes ‘You need to understand what you're good at and what you suck at’

He mentioned these institutions, researchers and resources

Curie Institute : https://institut-curie.org/
Gladstone Institute : https://gladstone.org/
Edith Heard : https://thelonelypipette.buzzsprout.com/1356877/11387623-tlp-12-science-without-frontiers-edith-heard
Max Greenberg : https://thelonelypipette.buzzsprout.com/1356877/5520439-tlp-1-navigating-the-path-to-team-leader-maxim-greenberg
Benoit Bruneau : https://twitter.com/benoitbruneau
Moshe Yaniv : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosh%C3%A9_Yaniv
Francois Jacob : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Jacob
Pierre Nora (Elphege’s father) : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Nora

To find out more about Elphege visit his websites or follow him on Twitter

Lab website : https://noralab.ucsf.edu/index.php/the-team/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/elphegenoralab?lang=en

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #22 : Interdisciplinary freedom as a recipe for success - Christophe Lavelle Apr 19, 2023

This week, Christophe Lavelle shares his double passion for science and for cooking

Christophe left engineering studies for the freedom of research science. And then he jumped from physics to biology for his PhD studies
He thinks science makes him a better cook and cites lots of specific examples
He describes his very free mentoring style and questions what makes a good mentor
He describes his chaotic ‘schizophrenic’’ interdisciplinary interests
What has to be done has to be well done - else don’t bother doing it
He tells us that the ‘wow’ in the lab is when you finally understand something, but the ’wow’ in the kitchen is when you don’t understand something.

He mentioned these institutions, researchers and resources

National Museum of Natural History : https://www.mnhn.fr/en
Handbook of Molecular Gastronomy : https://www.routledge.com/Handbook-of-Molecular-Gastronomy-Scientific-Foundations-Educational-Practices/Burke-Kelly-Lavelle-Kientza/p/book/9781466594784
Je Mange donc Je Suis : https://www.museedelhomme.fr/fr/je-mange-donc-je-suis

To find out more about Christophe visit his websites or follow him on Twitter

Food Lab 2.0 : https://food20.fr/chercheur/christophe-lavelle/
Lab website : https://biophysique.mnhn.fr/fr/annuaire/christophe-lavelle-9027
Twitter : https://twitter.com/kristoflav

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #21 : Find your own way - Ana-Maria Lennon-Dumenil Feb 22, 2023

This week, Ana-Maria Lennon-Dumenil tells us about her passion for science interfacing with physics and her journey from Santiago to Paris

Ana-Maria was inspired from a very young age by her namesake Ana-Maria Lenon
She quickly left genetics because ‘DNA doesn't move enough’
She stresses that every Principal Investigator needs to find their own way and warns against trying to imitate others
Ana-Maria feels that the biggest mistake is to think that everyone in the lab is like you (instead of appreciating how different they might be)
She stresses the need for optimized communication in the lab and the need to clearly articulate expectations
She learnt the hard way that ‘management is not natural’
Ana-Maria laughs about the fact that she was too short to be a chemist
She describes the challenges of finding a common language in interdisciplinary research collaborations
She also insists on the role of parents in giving confidence to girls at an early age to become scientists

She mentioned these institutions, researchers and resources

Pasteur Institute : https://www.pasteur.fr/en
Harvard University : https://www.harvard.edu/
Curie Institute : https://institut-curie.org/
European Research Council (ERC) : https://erc.europa.eu/homepage
Hidde Ploegh : https://www.childrenshospital.org/research/labs/ploegh-lab-research/hidde-ploegh
Catherine Alcaide : https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-alcaide-5b165856/
Matthieu Piel : https://curie.fr/personne/matthieu-piel
Guillaume Dumenil : https://research.pasteur.fr/fr/member/guillaume-dumenil/
If you are interested in buying a “zester” : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zester
She is currently reading “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl,_Woman,_Other

To find out more about Ana-Maria visit her websites or follow her on Twitter :

Lab website : https://institut-curie.org/personne/ana-maria-lennon
An interview with Ana-Maria in JCB : https://rupress.org/jcb/article/215/1/2/38770/Ana-Maria-Lennon-Dumenil-A-dynamic-career
Her Wikipedia page : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana-Maria_Lennon-Dum%C3%A9nil
on Twitter @LennonLab

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #20 : Have you tried multi-plexing ? - George Church Feb 07, 2023

In this episode, we talk to George Church about his successful career in DNA repair and his entrepreneurial adventures translating research findings into biotech companies

George proudly describes himself as a biologist-engineer
He ponders whether his dyslexia may have helped him by making him realize he was different from others when he was growing up
He looks for projects in ‘exponential fields’ that combine pure scientific interest, technology breakthroughs and bring societal benefit.
George cautions against using the word ‘impossible’
He talks about how he has contributed to scientific and technology revolutions
He emphasizes the important of considering ethics, safety and security at the outset of ambitious science projects
George remembers how he reacted to having his genome sequenced and speculates about the future of digital genomics and NFTs
When recruiting, he looks for people that are ‘nice’ and have deep knowledge in at least two different fields
George gets up at 4:30 a.m. and his head is immediately whizzing with new ideas
He tells us how much he learns from his grandchildren (and even mends their party dresses)

He mentioned these projects, institutions, companies

Harvard Medical School : https://hms.harvard.edu/
Duke University: https://duke.edu/
Harvard University : https://www.harvard.edu/
NIH Brain Initiative : https://braininitiative.nih.gov/
NIH Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS) : https://www.genome.gov/Funded-Programs-Projects/Centers-of-Excellence-in-Genomic-Science
Wyss Institute : https://wyss.harvard.edu/
Personal Genomes : https://www.personalgenomes.org/
TIME 100 Most Influential People : https://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4742749/george-church/
Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves : https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/george-m-church/regenesis/9780465038657/
Nebula Genomics : https://nebula.org/george-church/
23andMe : https://www.23andme.com/
Biogen : https://www.biogen.com/
Gail Martin : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_R._Martin

To find out more about George :

Church Lab Website : https://arep.med.harvard.edu/
George on Twitter : https://twitter.com/geochurch

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #19 : “Should I stay or should I go?” - Jenny Rohn Jan 24, 2023

In this episode, we talk with the multi-talented Jenny Rohn about her journey zig-zagging from academia to a biotech-startup, to science publishing and then back into academia.

She tells us about her unconventional path and how she decided to go to a start-up and then come back to academic research
She made long, agonizing lists about pros and cons of leaving or staying in academia
This period of indecision led her to start writing novels
Jenny admits that it was not easy to get back on to an academic path
She warns people against giving negative advise and she always tries to be honest, but positive feedback
Jenny says that In the ‘old days’ there used to be a myth that there was only one way to do science. She says that somewhere in the ‘90s there was a shift but it took a while for the old-guard to notice.
“Do not ever turn away from an opportunity to network. You need to get out and talk to people”
She tells us how she came up with the idea of ‘lab-lit’ and recommends some of her favourites
“If you want to be a writer… you need to write a lot and read a lot”
Jenny shares her thoughts about the place of narrative in scientific writing

She mentioned these labs, resources and lab-lit authors

University College London (UCL) : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/
The Lab Lit website : http://lablit.com/
Science is Vital : https://scienceisvital.org.uk/
Jenny’s blog ‘Mind The Gap’ : https://occamstypewriter.org/mindthegap/
White Coats At Dawn on the Cosmic Shambles network : https://cosmicshambles.com/words/blogs/jennyrohn
Her first novel ‘Experimental Heart’ : https://jennyrohn.com/exheart
Her second novel ‘The Honest Look’ : https://jennyrohn.com/honestlook
Her third novel ‘Cat Zero’ : https://jennyrohn.com/catzero
Barbara Kingsolver : http://barbarakingsolver.net/books/
Carl Djerassi : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Djerassi
Allegra Goodman : https://allegragoodman.com/
John William Waterhouse : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Waterhouse

To find out more about Jenny visit her website or follow her on Twitter

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #18 : Why do we go to conferences? - Jean-Léon, Rita, Mariaceleste, Tim Jan 10, 2023

Get ready for 2023 ! In this special episode, we're going to change the narrative. We're going to dive into this original narrative-interview with 4 scientists who experienced an original meeting with us. Invited by Jean-Leon Maître in the south of France at the fondation Les Treilles, are you ready to ask yourself why you go to science conferences?

Our special guests are :

Jean-Léon Maître, the organizer of the meeting, CNRS research director at the Institut Curie, at Paris, France
Rita Mateus, group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics and the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (TUD) in Dresden, Germany.
Mariaceleste Aragona, associate professor and group leader of the tissue architecture lab at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Tim Saunders, associate professor and group leader of an interdisciplinary group of the Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology at Warwick University in England.

This episode is linked to an article published by Jean-Léon Maître on The Node : https://thenode.biologists.com/present-and-future-of-quantitative-developmental-biology-in-les-treilles/events/

Note : The constraints of this episode allowed us to focus only on small-scale conferences. It goes without saying that none of the guests, nor we, think that this format should replace the classic meeting format which has other advantages. This episode only aims to bring a new perspective on how we interact as scientists. Small-scale formats are a way to inspire other ways of connecting the scientific community.

We thanks Jean-Léon Maître and the Fondation Les Treilles for the invitation.

To find out more about the guests :

Jean-Léon Maître : https://institut-curie.org/team/maitre
Rita Mateus : https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/rita-mateus/research-focus
Mariaceleste Aragona : https://renew.ku.dk/research/reseach-groups/aragona/
Tim Saunders : https://mechanochemistry.org/Saunders/MainSite/Saunders_lab_v4_3.htm

To find out more about Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

To find out more about Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #17 : Brothers in arms : building a collective grant-writing community - Matthew Weitzman Dec 06, 2022

This week we have a surprise treat - a conversation with Jonathan’s twin brother, Matt. He discusses his energetic commitment to mentoring and grant-writing workshops. They share their genetics, but also a desire to “help scientists do better science”

Matthew comments on the usefulness of healthy competition in science
Matt compares the joy of running a lab to cooking in the kitchen
He loves the flexibility of science and constantly stimulated by interactions with colleagues and young scientists and new ideas
Matt makes a strong argument for peer-to-peer mentoring, cascade mentoring and seizing constant casual mentoring opportunities
He comments on the advantages of going to a small lab for graduate school and he advises students to look carefully at the type of scientific questions, the environment of the lab and the chemistry of the PI/mentor relationship
Matt describes his pioneering Grant Proposal Success (GPS) grant-writing program and the importance of collective, grant-writing communities. Matt dissects the grant structure and tells us what funding committees are looking for
He suggests that staggering projects and having work at different stages can help to integrate life and manage the lab

He mentioned these institutions :

University of Leeds, UK : https://www.leeds.ac.uk/
University of Pennsylvania : https://www.upenn.edu/
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) : https://www.chop.edu/
National Institutes of Health (NIH) : https://www.nih.gov/
Salk Institute for Biological Studies : https://www.salk.edu/
University of California San Diego : https://ucsd.edu/

To find out more about Matt visit his website or follow him on Twitter :
https://twitter.com/WeitzmanLab
https://www.chop.edu/doctors/weitzman-matthew-d
https://pathology.med.upenn.edu/department/people/517/matthew-d-weitzman

30 Second Genetics : https://www.amazon.com/30-Second-Genetics-revolutionary-discoveries-explained/dp/1782405097

To find out more about Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

To find out more about Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

To

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #16 : Campaigning to change the culture - Ashani Weeraratna Nov 22, 2022

This week, we talk with Ashani Weeraratna about her inspiring path from apartheid South Africa to director, professor and activist.

Ashi cites good advice that she remembers “ read voraciously … and be engaged with the literature”
She insists that mentoring is all about the trainees and hearing their individual needs
Ashi believes that diversity of thought needs diversity of population and stresses the importance of welcoming different groups into the lab
For her, representation matters and it is key to achieving full equity
She also comments on the importance of the microenvironment (for cancer cells and for researchers)
She shares her thoughts about juggling a life in two cities
And she encourages us to remember that “the most important trait is kindness”
And Ashi concludes by telling us to enjoy the journey

She mentioned these institutions, people and resources

St. Mary's College of Maryland : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_College_of_Maryland
George Washington University : https://www.gwu.edu/
Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center : https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/
National Institutes of Health : https://www.nih.gov/
Wistar Institute : https://wistar.org/
University of Pennsylvania : https://www.upenn.edu/
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health : https://publichealth.jhu.edu/
National Cancer Institute : https://www.cancer.gov/
Steven Patierno : https://medicine.duke.edu/profile/steven-patierno
Jeff Trent : https://www.tgen.org/faculty-profiles/jeffrey-trent/
National Cancer Advisory Board : https://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/ncab/ncab.htm

To find out more about Ashi visit her websites or follow her on Twitter
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/3918/ashani-t-weeraratna
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/ashani-weeraratna
https://research.jhu.edu/members/ashani-weeraratna/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashani_Weeraratna
on Twitter : @AshaniTW
“Is Cancer Inevitable?” by Ashi : https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12767/cancer-inevitable
To find out more about Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #15 : Enjoy the journey - André Choulika Nov 08, 2022

In this episode, we speak with André Choulika about his exciting journey from a bench scientist to a biotech entrepreneur taking genomic engineering to the clinic

André shares his fascination about the logic of biological systems and his admiration for experimentalists
“You can always do something else if it fails” insists André
André stresses that the boss has to take responsibilities for decisions
“You don’t hire people to tell them what to do, but they should tell you what needs to be done”
“Cash is more important than your mother”(we hope Andre’s mother isn’t listening)
“Success has thousands of fathers but failure is lonely” (lonelier than a pipette!)
André is modest about success; “None of us are VIPs” and he insists that the people who wash the dishes are as important as the CEO of the company
He describes the collective contributions and the shared success that characterize the biotech industry
For André “Leadership is more important than management”
He insists that a successful meeting is one than lasts less time than allocated

He mentioned these labs, scientists, institutions and companies

Richard Mulligan : https://genetics.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/richard-charles-mulligan
Institut Pasteur : https://www.pasteur.fr/en
Maxime Schwartz : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxime_Schwartz
Margaret Buckingham : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Buckingham
HEC Business School : https://www.hec.edu/en
New England Biolabs (NEB) : https://international.neb.com/
Steve Jobs : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs
Bernard Dujon : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Dujon

To find out more about André visit his website and his companies :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Choulika
https://www.linkedin.com/in/choulika/
Cellectis : https://cellectis.com/en
Calyxt : https://calyxt.com/
To find out more about Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

To find out more about Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #14 : How to get good at failing - Jen Heemstra Oct 25, 2022

In this episode, we step beyond the life sciences to talk with Jen Heemstra, a professor of chemistry who brings much energy to thinking about mentoring and improving academic culture

Jen tells us how early failures drove her to strive for success in science
She shares how she overcame early doubts about an academic career
She talks about how different students need different mentoring styles and how important it is to adjust each time
She admits that she is so excited about all her roles that she struggles with focusing and setting priorities
Great teams are made up of people with different perspectives and different ways of seeing the world - and they are a group of equals
Jen has a lot of thoughts about how to embrace failing and taking comfort from failures
She thinks it’s important to recognize cognitive distortions to overcome imposter syndrome narratives
Jen shares personal thoughts about her approach to self care practices and to improving academic culture for others
Don’t make your decisions based on other people’s expectations

She mentioned these institutions, people and resources

Washington University in St Louis : https://chemistry.wustl.edu/people/jennifer-heemstra
Emory University : https://www.emory.edu/
Jen’s Blog - Things that change the way I think : http://thingsthatchangethewayithink.blogspot.com/
Lynn Hill : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Hill

To find out more about Jen visit her website or follow her on Twitter
https://chemistry.wustl.edu/people/jennifer-heemstra
https://www.heemstralab.com/
https://twitter.com/HeemstraLab
https://twitter.com/jenheemstra
To find out more about Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

To find out more about Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #13 : Translating knowledge towards society - Steve Jackson Oct 11, 2022

In this episode, we speak with Steve Jackson about his successful career in DNA repair and his entrepreneurial adventures translating research findings into biotech companies

He remembers his early passion for innovation and for dark heavy rock
He was even turned down by the University of Cambridge when he first applied
Steve reminisces about the serendipity that led him into the DNA repair field
How important it is to create a collaborative, cooperative and fun lab environment
“The highs become higher… and the lows become higher”
Steve speaks openly about the importance of honesty and trust and how he establishes his key lab values
He tells us how he chose the names for his biotech companies and what drove him to become an entrepreneur
A hot tip from Steve: “Never be afraid to ask for advice”
Steve thinks it might be good not to have TOO much money in the lab
Another hot tip “The enemy of the best is the good”
Steve’s work has led to the treatment of tens of thousands of patients

He mentioned these labs, scientists, institutions and companies

To find out more about Steve visit his website and look for him in the bar at meetings

To find out more about Renaud :

To find out more about Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.c

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #12 : Science without frontiers - Edith Heard Sep 27, 2022

In this episode, we were honoured to kick-off Season 2 talking to Edith Heard about her journey to become the first woman to lead the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
She tells us about her early experiences of patients with diseases
Edith emphasizes the importance of doubt for a scientist
She says “mentoring is about caring” and mentions TLP guest Susan Gasser
She stresses the importance of changing environments (like taking a sabbatical) and stepping out of your comfort zone
She lays out her version for running a lab and encouraging collaboration
Edith tells us why she moved to the EMBL in Heidelberg - the challenges and the self-doubts
There is something magical about bringing researchers together from such different backgrounds and origins to serve European science
She gives us lots of insights that she has never shared before
She tells us about the importance of stepping out to disconnect and have time to think
Edith tries to put herself in other people’s position to become a better leader
And she shares how important her husband Vincent has been during their scientific journeys together

She mentioned these labs, institutions and scientists
University of Cambridge
Institut Curie
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
College de France
Susan Gasser
Mike Fried
David Spector
Christine Petit
Daniel Louvard
Vincent Colot

To find out more about Edith visit her website or follow her on Twitter
https://www.embl.org/groups/heard/
https://www.college-de-france.fr/chaire/edith-heard-epigenetique-et-memoire-cellulaire-chaire-statutaire (in French)
https://twitter.com/heard_lab?lang=en
Edith Heard is a laureate of the 2020 For Women in Science Award

To send us feedback, comments & ideas :
https://bit.ly/TLPVoice
https://twitter.com/LonelyPipette

To find out more about Renaud
https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
https://twitter.com/LePourpre

To find out more about Jonathan
https://linktr.ee/epigenetique

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #11 : We are back! Sep 13, 2022

In this episode Renaud and Jonathan share their excitement about the launch of Season 2 of The Lonely Pipette podcast

They look back at Season 1 and what they learned from the tips of the TLP guests
Renaud and Jonathan share their thoughts about science communication
They update The Lonely Pipette community about what we have been up to over the last year
Renaud describes his Cell Worlds immersive cell biology show
Renaud explains how important it is to be persistent in science communication
Jonathan talks about the challenges of mentoring and student supervision
Renaud and Jonathan share some teasers and hopes for Season 2

We mentioned these projects

Season 2 Trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTjPXEhnfOo
Cell Worlds website : https://www.cell-worlds.com/en
Cell Worlds immersive exhibition : https://www.bassins-lumieres.com/en/node/1145
Cell Worlds the documentary : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3tXKHE6-A
La Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale : https://www.frm.org/
Jonathan on RadioFrance (in French) : https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/la-methode-scientifique/une-these-le-debut-de-la-fin-6103875
Renaud is reading ‘Atomic Habits’ : https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Jonathan is reading ‘Being Mortal’ : http://atulgawande.com/book/being-mortal/
Jonathan mentioned ‘Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting’ : https://www.calmerparenting.co.uk/calmer-parenting-book.html

Subscribe and receive the next season in you mailbox

To send us feedback, comments & ideas :

To find out more about Renaud

To find out more about Jonathan

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #10 : A season has ended - Renaud & Jonathan Feb 09, 2021

In this episode Renaud and Jonathan share their tips and thoughts about the first season of The Lonely Pipette podcast.

Renaud and Jonathan tell their own ‘origin stories’
And we discuss the origins of the podcast and what we have learned
We talk about non-linear careers in science
We discuss the #HSDBS mission and how we are both committed, in our own ways, to helping scientists do better science
We talk about highlights from Season 1 and share some of the joys of listener feedback
And we make some promises for Season 2

Subscribe and receive the next season in you mailbox

To send us feedback and ideas for season 2 :

To find out more about Renaud

To find out more about Jonathan

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #9 : Telling compelling stories - Magdalena Skipper Jan 25, 2021

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Tell us your thoughts about this episode
Last summer, we were honored to host Magdalena Skipper, Editor of Nature, to share her tips with the community. When Nature announced its new Open Access policy in November 2020, we asked her to come back for another interview in January 2021, to discuss these specific issues. This episode is in two parts: the classic interview with Magdalena sharing her stories with the community and a second part with an extended discussion on the recent announcements made by Nature. As a consequence, this episode is longer than usual, but we believe that it includes enriched content that you will appreciate.

In this episode Magdalena Skipper tell us about her role at Nature and her personal thoughts about editing, publishing and communicating science

Magdalena offers tips to authors, including thinking about why you want to share your story, what the message of the paper is and who the audience is
We discuss a metaphor for the publishing process in which the author feels like a Medieval knight throwing the manuscript over the castle wall
Magdalena sees herself more as a facilitator and reminds us that every stakeholder in the process is human
She stresses that editors and publishers need to work to make the publishing process more transparent
She makes the point that the objective of peer review is to make the paper better and we talk about new models for publishing and sharing data
We discuss how impact factors can be mis-used and what alternative metrics exist
Magdalena tells us how she feels as the first woman editor at Nature and about prizes for women scientists.

She mentions these journals and institutions :

Mentoring in Science Award

To find out more about Magdalena and her journal

To find out more about Renaud :

To find out more about Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lo

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #8 : The art of NOT planning - Oded Rechavi Jan 11, 2021

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Tell us your thoughts about this episode
In the first episode of the new year we talk to Oded Rechavi about his unusual way of doing science and new ways of sharing science.

He tells us about his meandering path from painting in Paris to studying epigenetics in worms
Oded repeatedly highlights the importance of not over-planning one’s career or path in science
He stresses that it’s important to keep encountering new ideas, testing and failing and reacting with spontaneity. Like Maria-Elena told us, he says “sometimes you have to just go for it”
He advises young scientists not to wait until you are completely ready but to apply for new jobs as early as you can
Oded has a deep commitment to challenging established dogmas
He tells us about why he spends so much time on Twitter and his use of the #physiologicallyrelevant hashtag
Oded tells us about the origins of the unusual “Woodstock of Biology” meeting

He mentions these labs and events :

To find out more about Oded visit his website or follow him on Twitter

To find out more about Renaud :

To find out more about Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #7 : It's okay to be wrong - Wendy Bickmore Dec 14, 2020

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Leave us a voice message about this episode
In this episode Wendy Bickmore shares her personal thoughts about mentoring, recruiting, publishing and making mistakes

We discuss about establishing and maintaining relationships with mentors
Wendy offers thought about how to recruit members to your team
She also comments on the craziness of the current models of scientific publishing and peer review
Wendy says sometime you just have to learn to ‘wing it’ and accept compromises
She tells us how she chooses priorities that will make an impact
We discusses how she became the institute director and her leadership vision
Wendy also tells us about her need for quiet time and learning to be a better listener

She mentions these labs and institutions :

To find out more about Wendy visit her lab website and her Twitter account

To find out more about Renaud :

To find out more about Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #6 : Just go for it! Following your curiosity and excitement - Maria Elena Torres-Padilla Nov 30, 2020

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In this episode we talk to Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla about how she followed her dreams from Mexico to the Pasteur Institute and then to direct a new institute in Munich.

She tells us about how she followed her dream to come to work in Paris
She discusses how she chooses scientific questions and which model to work on
Maria Elena was always driven by her passion and curiosity which helped her to overcome risks and doubts
She stresses the importance of attracting and recruiting people who are better than you
We discuss the benefits of moving to different countries and living in different cultures. Maria Elena also comments on diversity awareness and inclusiveness in science
She shares her thoughts about ethics, responsible research and leaving an imprint
She admits that she has two paces; one high speed at work and a slower one at home at breakfast time. And she tells us how she deals with stress, tiredness and striking the right personal life balance

Maria Elena mentioned these institutions and resources

Maria Elena at the World Economic Forum

To find out more about Maria Elena visit her website or follow her on Twitter

https://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/ies/about-us/people/staff-detail/ma/4842/-Torres-Padilla/index.html

To find out more about
Renaud :

Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #5 : Striking the right balance - Robert Weinberg Nov 16, 2020

In this episode Bob Weinberg discusses his long career in cancer research and offers tips about recruiting and mentoring.

Bob talks about his motivation to simplify the complexity of cancer biology by distilling out a small set of rules
We discuss the virtues of being a ‘scientific gypsy’ and Bob stresses the importance of getting the right balance between a narrow focus and a broad interest in different areas of science
We talk about different mentoring styles and get useful tips about how to recruit the right people to build a culture of mutual cooperation
Bob insists on the importance of talking to people at scientific meetings and asking provocative questions
Finally, Bob describes how he achieves a balance in his life by alternating between the lab and doing handyman jobs in his log cabin or the garden

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Leave us a voice message about this episode : https://www.bit.ly/TLPVoice
He mentions these labs and institutions :

To find out more about Bob visit his website : http://weinberglab.wi.mit.edu/

To find out more about
Renaud :

Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #4 : Championing diversity in research - Fiona Watt Nov 02, 2020

In this episode we talk to Fiona Watt about her career moves and her journey to become the first woman to lead the Medical Research Council (MRC).

She tells us about her early experiences with crocodile hunting
She talks about how she chooses scientific questions to work on and looking for new challenges
She tells us about how she made her career moves and how she created collaborative environments
Fiona talks about her experiences as a journal editor and shares her thoughts about scientific publishing and new publishing models
She talks about how to promote gender equality and cultural diversity in the scientific enterprise and how to counter bad behaviour
We discuss how to get the right work-life balance and respecting other people’s work habits

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
Leave us a voice message about this episode : https://www.bit.ly/TLPVoice
Fiona mentioned these labs, institutions and journals :

To find out more about Fiona visit her website or follow her on Twitter

To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To learn more about the soun

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #3 : The power of Mentoring - Harmit Malik Oct 19, 2020

In this episode we talk to Harmit Malik about his origins in India and his path to develop his own mentoring style.

He tells us how he made the switch from chemical engineering to molecular biology thanks to an inspiring teacher and mentor
Harmit tells us lots of stories about how chance encounters with colleagues and mentors have influenced his career and work
He talks about how to search out mentors and how to adapt mentoring styles to the diversity of mentees
Harmit discusses what to look for at interviews and how to discover creativity in the ‘hidden diamonds in the rough’
Harmit describes how he found an international community of scientists on Twitter and how it improved his own mentoring style
He also shares his thoughts about scientific publishing, peer-review and good writing in science

He mentions these labs and institutions

“The Hutch” - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

https://www.fredhutch.org/

Indian Institute of Technology

http://www.iitb.ac.in/

University of Rochester, NY

https://www.rochester.edu/

Steve Henikoff Lab

https://research.fhcrc.org/henikoff/en.html

To find out more about Harmit visit his website or follow him on Twitter

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #2 : Challenges of an institute director - Susan Gasser Oct 05, 2020

In this episode we talk to Susan Gasser about her journey to institute director and how she dealt with the challenges of the job.

We discuss about how to choose a good project and to focus on the scientific question
Susan stresses the importance of building a lab culture based on collaboration and teamwork
She shares her advice how to manage conflicts and provide criticism without it getting personal
We talk about Women In Science awards and the future of European science
Susan shares some personal advice about the importance of coaching and self-awareness
She also gives tips about getting balance right between work and family and between Science and administrative responsibilities

She mentions these labs and institutions

Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI)

https://www.fmi.ch/

Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research

https://www.isrec.ch/

University of Geneva

https://www.unige.ch/

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)

https://www.novartis.com/our-science/novartis-institutes-biomedical-research

She also paid tribute to her mentor Gottfried (Jeff) Schatz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Schatz

And the Lee Hartwell paper in Science 1974

“Genetic control of the cell division cycle in yeast”

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/183/4120/46

To find out more about Susan visit her lab website or follow her on Twitter

https://www.fmi.ch/research-groups/website/gasserlab/
https://twitter.com/susan_gasser

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/a

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #1 : Navigating the path to team leader - Maxim Greenberg Sep 20, 2020

In this episode we talk to Maxim Greenberg about his transition from US graduate student to Parisian postdoc, and then the move to young team leader.

We discuss about how to choose a postdoc lab and the importance of a generous and supportive mentor
Max shares some personal experience of how he juggles family, two scientific careers, as well as kids and schooling
We also talk about how you know when you are ready to launch your own lab and how to choose a research question for your lab
Max gives advice about strategies for growing your team and recruiting students
He also offers some practical tips about how to deal with anxiety, insecurity and self-doubt

He mentions these labs and institutions

The Jacobsen Lab at UCLA

https://research.mcdb.ucla.edu/Jacobsen/LabWebSite/P_Index.php

Institut Curie

https://institut-curie.org/

The Bourc’his lab

https://science.institut-curie.org/research/biology-cancer-genetics-and-epigenetics/developmental-biology-and-genetics/team-bourc-his/

Institut Jacques Monod (IJM)

https://www.ijm.fr/en/3/home-page.htm

Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS)

https://www.ens.psl.eu/en

Institut Cochin

https://www.institutcochin.fr/?set_language=en

To find out more about Max visit his website or follow him on Twitter

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

TLP #0 : What is The Lonely Pipette ? Jonathan & Renaud Sep 20, 2020

This episode is an introduction to The Lonely Pipette podcast. We explain the origin story of this project. You will learn :

What is the purpose of this podcast and why we created it.
What kind of content and conversations you will find
Why you are an essential part of this project
Reasons to share it

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/

The Lonely Pipette Trailer Sep 16, 2020

Discover and enjoy the trailer of our podcast. We have put our hearts and energies to make it sound great. Special thanks to the French artist Amarià who gave us the opportunity to play his song : Lovely Swindler.

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :