The Lonely Pipette : helping scientists do better science

Jonathan Weitzman & Renaud Pourpre

The Lonely Pipette is a podcast where scientists share tips to help you do better science. The episodes include conversations with researchers around the world. Renaud Pourpre and Jonathan Weitzman will talk to inspiring people to learn about their habits and recommendations for all scientists. Don’t stay alone, come join The Lonely Pipette community!

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Episodes

TLP #25 : Excellence at the ERC - Maria Leptin
Jul 25 2023
TLP #25 : Excellence at the ERC - Maria Leptin
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 wayAgainst 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 journalistsAfter a lie-in, Maria starts the day with a coffee and a cookie in the officeMaria 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 researchersUniversity of Bonn : https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/universityUniversity of Heidelberg : https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/enBasel Institute of Immunology : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basel_Institute_for_ImmunologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology : https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology : https://www.mpg.de/151769/biology-tuebingenEuropean Molecular Biology Organization : https://www.embo.org/ European Research Council (ERC) : https://erc.europa.eu/homepageFritz Melchers : https://www.tbvi.eu/team/prof-georg-friedrich-fritz-melchers/To find out more about Maria visit her websites or follow her on TwitterWebsite : https://erc.europa.eu/erc_member/maria-leptinWikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_LeptinORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7097-348XMaria on Twitter :https://twitter.com/mleptinYou want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee !  ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipetteTo 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
TLP #24 : The untold power of philosophy - Thomas Pradeu
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 biologyHe 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 scienceThomas 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 environmentHe gives lots of specific examples, from immunology and beyond, where philosophers made an impact on science by intervening upstreamThomas stresses the importance of challenging the foundations (in the lab and at home)He also stresses the importance of reading every dayThomas talks honestly about the difficulties of improving life-work balance and gender balance in academiaThomas is proud of his success in creating examples of the Philosophy IN Biology networks as a model for interdisciplinary collaboration He mentioned these researchers/philosophersJean Gayon : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_GayonEdgardo Carosella : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgardo_D._CarosellaDavid Hull : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hull_(philosopher)Elliott Sober : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_SoberErnst Mayr : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_MayrRichard Dawkins : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_DawkinsStephen Paget : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_PagetLucie Laplane : https://www.cnrs.fr/fr/personne/lucie-laplaneFrancis Bacon : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_BaconDick Lewontin : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_LewontinTo find out more about Thomas visit his websites or follow him on TwitterWebsite : https://www.u-bordeaux.fr/universite/espace-presse/repertoire-dexperts/thomas-pradeuImmunoConcept 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=enYou want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee !  ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipetteTo 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
TLP #23 : Letting go of perfection - Elphege Nora
This week, Elphege Nora shares personal thoughts on his journey from Paris to CaliforniaElphege 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 trajectoriesFrom his earliest research experiences, Elphege was intrigued about the sociology of the lab and it’s unusual social etiquetteHe shares his memories of working with Edith Heard and what she taught him about mentoringHe claims that personality tests can be useful for understanding how to interact with colleagues and team membersElphege recommends that it is good to present your work early at conferences in order to gain visibility and attract recruitsHe shares thoughts about the different scientific approaches he has encountered in Europe and the United StatesElphege shares how his interaction with his (famous) father pushed his to think about the abstract and conceptual impacts of his workHe had to learn when it’s important to strive for perfection and when it is notHe stresses the importance of trust in mentoring relationshipsHe concludes ‘You need to understand what you're good at and what you suck at’He mentioned these institutions, researchers and resourcesCurie Institute : https://institut-curie.org/Gladstone Institute : https://gladstone.org/Edith Heard : https://thelonelypipette.buzzsprout.com/1356877/11387623-tlp-12-science-without-frontiers-edith-heardMax Greenberg : https://thelonelypipette.buzzsprout.com/1356877/5520439-tlp-1-navigating-the-path-to-team-leader-maxim-greenbergBenoit Bruneau : https://twitter.com/benoitbruneauMoshe Yaniv : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosh%C3%A9_YanivFrancois Jacob : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_JacobPierre Nora (Elphege’s father) : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_NoraTo find out more about Elphege visit his websites or follow him on TwitterLab website : https://noralab.ucsf.edu/index.php/the-team/Twitter : https://twitter.com/elphegenoralab?lang=enYou want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee !  ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipetteTo 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 18 2023
TLP #22 : Interdisciplinary freedom as a recipe for success - Christophe Lavelle
This week, Christophe Lavelle shares his double passion for science and for cookingChristophe left engineering studies for the freedom of research science. And then he jumped from physics to biology for his PhD studiesHe thinks science makes him a better cook and cites lots of specific examplesHe describes his very free mentoring style and questions what makes a good mentorHe describes his chaotic ‘schizophrenic’’ interdisciplinary interestsWhat has to be done has to be well done - else don’t bother doing itHe 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 resourcesNational Museum of Natural History : https://www.mnhn.fr/enHandbook of Molecular Gastronomy : https://www.routledge.com/Handbook-of-Molecular-Gastronomy-Scientific-Foundations-Educational-Practices/Burke-Kelly-Lavelle-Kientza/p/book/9781466594784Je Mange donc Je Suis : https://www.museedelhomme.fr/fr/je-mange-donc-je-suisTo find out more about Christophe visit his websites or follow him on TwitterFood Lab 2.0 : https://food20.fr/chercheur/christophe-lavelle/Lab website : https://biophysique.mnhn.fr/fr/annuaire/christophe-lavelle-9027Twitter : https://twitter.com/kristoflavYou want to support our work ? Buy us a coffee !  ==> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonelypipetteTo 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
TLP #21 : Find your own way - Ana-Maria Lennon-Dumenil
This week, Ana-Maria Lennon-Dumenil tells us about her passion for science interfacing with physics and her journey from Santiago to ParisAna-Maria was inspired from a very young age by her namesake Ana-Maria LenonShe 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 othersAna-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 expectationsShe learnt the hard way that ‘management is not natural’Ana-Maria laughs about the fact that she was too short to be a chemistShe describes the challenges of finding a common language in interdisciplinary research collaborationsShe also insists on the role of parents in giving confidence to girls at an early age to become scientistsShe mentioned these institutions, researchers and resourcesPasteur Institute : https://www.pasteur.fr/enHarvard University : https://www.harvard.edu/Curie Institute : https://institut-curie.org/European Research Council (ERC) : https://erc.europa.eu/homepageHidde Ploegh : https://www.childrenshospital.org/research/labs/ploegh-lab-research/hidde-ploeghCatherine Alcaide : https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-alcaide-5b165856/Matthieu Piel : https://curie.fr/personne/matthieu-pielGuillaume Dumenil : https://research.pasteur.fr/fr/member/guillaume-dumenil/If you are interested in buying a “zester” : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZesterShe is currently reading “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl,_Woman,_OtherTo find out more about Ana-Maria visit her websites or follow her on Twitter : Lab website : https://institut-curie.org/personne/ana-maria-lennonAn interview with Ana-Maria in JCB : https://rupress.org/jcb/article/215/1/2/38770/Ana-Maria-Lennon-Dumenil-A-dynamic-careerHer Wikipedia page : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana-Maria_Lennon-Dum%C3%A9nilon Twitter @LennonLabTo 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 7 2023
TLP #20 : Have you tried multi-plexing ? - George Church
In this episode, we talk to George Church about his successful career in DNA repair and his entrepreneurial adventures translating research findings into biotech companiesGeorge proudly describes himself as a biologist-engineerHe ponders whether his dyslexia may have helped him by making him realize he was different from others when he was growing upHe 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 revolutionsHe emphasizes the important of considering ethics, safety and security at the outset of ambitious science projectsGeorge remembers how he reacted to having his genome sequenced and speculates about the future of digital genomics and NFTsWhen recruiting, he looks for people that are ‘nice’ and have deep knowledge in at least two different fieldsGeorge gets up at 4:30 a.m. and his head is immediately whizzing with new ideasHe tells us how much he learns from his grandchildren (and even mends their party dresses) He mentioned these projects, institutions, companiesHarvard 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-ScienceWyss 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._MartinTo find out more about George :Church Lab Website : https://arep.med.harvard.edu/George on Twitter : https://twitter.com/geochurchTo 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
TLP #19 : “Should I stay or should I go?” - Jenny Rohn
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 researchShe made long, agonizing lists about pros and cons of leaving or staying in academiaThis period of indecision led her to start writing novelsJenny admits that it was not easy to get back on to an academic pathShe warns people against giving negative advise and she always tries to be honest, but positive feedbackJenny 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 authorsUniversity 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/jennyrohnHer first novel ‘Experimental Heart’ : https://jennyrohn.com/exheartHer second novel ‘The Honest Look’ : https://jennyrohn.com/honestlookHer third novel ‘Cat Zero’ : https://jennyrohn.com/catzeroBarbara Kingsolver : http://barbarakingsolver.net/books/Carl Djerassi : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_DjerassiAllegra Goodman : https://allegragoodman.com/John William Waterhouse : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_WaterhouseTo find out more about Jenny visit her website or follow her on Twitterhttps://jennyrohn.com/https://twitter.com/jennyrohnOrcid : https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8766-6056https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.rohn.3/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
TLP #18 : Why do we go to conferences? - Jean-Léon, Rita, Mariaceleste, Tim
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, FranceRita 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/LePourpreLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/To find out more about Jonathan :Twitter : https://twitter.com/EpigenetiqueLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20To learn more about the soundtrack :Music by Amaria - Lovely SwindlerTo 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 6 2022
TLP #17 : Brothers in arms : building a collective grant-writing community - Matthew Weitzman
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 scienceMatt compares the joy of running a lab to cooking in the kitchenHe loves the flexibility of science and constantly stimulated by interactions with colleagues and young scientists and new ideasMatt makes a strong argument for peer-to-peer mentoring, cascade mentoring and seizing constant casual mentoring opportunitiesHe 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 relationshipMatt 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 forHe suggests that staggering projects and having work at different stages can help to integrate life and manage the labHe 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/WeitzmanLabhttps://www.chop.edu/doctors/weitzman-matthew-dhttps://pathology.med.upenn.edu/department/people/517/matthew-d-weitzman30 Second Genetics : https://www.amazon.com/30-Second-Genetics-revolutionary-discoveries-explained/dp/1782405097To find out more about Renaud :Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpreLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/To find out more about Jonathan :Twitter : https://twitter.com/EpigenetiqueLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20ToTo 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
TLP #16 : Campaigning to change the culture - Ashani Weeraratna
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 needsAshi believes that diversity of thought needs diversity of population and stresses the importance of welcoming different groups into the labFor her, representation matters and it is key to achieving full equityShe also comments on the importance of the microenvironment (for cancer cells and for researchers)She shares her thoughts about juggling a life in two citiesAnd she encourages us to remember that “the most important trait is kindness”And Ashi concludes by telling us to enjoy the journeyShe mentioned these institutions, people and resourcesSt. Mary's College of Maryland : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_College_of_MarylandGeorge 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-patiernoJeff Trent : https://www.tgen.org/faculty-profiles/jeffrey-trent/National Cancer Advisory Board : https://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/ncab/ncab.htmTo find out more about Ashi visit her websites or follow her on Twitterhttps://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/3918/ashani-t-weeraratnahttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/ashani-weeraratnahttps://research.jhu.edu/members/ashani-weeraratna/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashani_Weeraratnaon Twitter : @AshaniTW“Is Cancer Inevitable?” by Ashi : https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12767/cancer-inevitableTo find out more about Renaud :Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpreTo 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 8 2022
TLP #15 : Enjoy the journey - André Choulika
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 clinicAndré shares his fascination about the logic of biological systems and his admiration for experimentalists“You can always do something else if it fails” insists AndréAndré 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 companyHe 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 allocatedHe mentioned these labs, scientists, institutions and companiesRichard Mulligan : https://genetics.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/richard-charles-mulliganInstitut Pasteur : https://www.pasteur.fr/enMaxime Schwartz : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxime_SchwartzMargaret Buckingham : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_BuckinghamHEC Business School : https://www.hec.edu/enNew England Biolabs (NEB) : https://international.neb.com/Steve Jobs : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_JobsBernard Dujon : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_DujonTo find out more about André visit his website and his companies :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Choulikahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/choulika/Cellectis : https://cellectis.com/enCalyxt : https://calyxt.com/To find out more about Renaud :Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpreLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/To find out more about Jonathan :Twitter : https://twitter.com/EpigenetiqueLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20To learn more about the soundtrack :Music by Amaria - Lovely SwindlerTo 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 24 2022
TLP #14 : How to get good at failing - Jen Heemstra
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 cultureJen tells us how early failures drove her to strive for success in scienceShe shares how she overcame early doubts about an academic careerShe talks about how different students need different mentoring styles and how important it is to adjust each timeShe admits that she is so excited about all her roles that she struggles with focusing and setting prioritiesGreat teams are made up of people with different perspectives and different ways of seeing the world - and they are a group of equalsJen has a lot of thoughts about how to embrace failing and taking comfort from failuresShe thinks it’s important to recognize cognitive distortions to overcome imposter syndrome narrativesJen shares personal thoughts about her approach to self care practices and to improving academic culture for othersDon’t make your decisions based on other people’s expectationsShe mentioned these institutions, people and resourcesWashington University in St Louis : https://chemistry.wustl.edu/people/jennifer-heemstraEmory 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_HillTo find out more about Jen visit her website or follow her on Twitterhttps://chemistry.wustl.edu/people/jennifer-heemstrahttps://www.heemstralab.com/https://twitter.com/HeemstraLabhttps://twitter.com/jenheemstraTo find out more about Renaud :Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpreLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/To find out more about Jonathan :Twitter : https://twitter.com/EpigenetiqueLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20To learn more about the soundtrack :Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindlerhttps://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/https://twitter.com/amariamusiqueTo 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 10 2022
TLP #13 : Translating knowledge towards society - Steve Jackson
In this episode, we speak with Steve Jackson about his successful career in DNA repair and his entrepreneurial adventures translating research findings into biotech companiesHe remembers his early passion for innovation and for dark heavy rockHe was even turned down by the University of Cambridge when he first appliedSteve 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 valuesHe tells us how he chose the names for his biotech companies and what drove him to become an entrepreneurA 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 labAnother hot tip “The enemy of the best is the good”Steve’s work has led to the treatment of tens of thousands of patientsHe mentioned these labs, scientists, institutions and companiesUniversity of CambridgeCancer Research UK (CRUK)Gurdon InstituteJean BeggsRobert TjianRon LaskySir John GurdonKuDOS PharmaceuticalsMission TherapeuticsAdrestia TherapeuticsTo find out more about Steve visit his website and look for him in the bar at meetingshttps://www.stevejacksonlab.org/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Jackson_(scientist)To find out more about Renaud :TwitterLinkedInTo find out more about Jonathan :TwitterLinkedIn To learn more about the soundtrack :Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindlerhttps://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/https://twitter.cTo 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 26 2022
TLP #12 : Science without frontiers - Edith Heard
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 diseasesEdith emphasizes the importance of doubt for a scientistShe says “mentoring is about caring” and mentions TLP guest Susan GasserShe stresses the importance of changing environments (like taking a sabbatical) and stepping out of your comfort zoneShe lays out her version for running a lab and encouraging collaborationEdith tells us why she moved to the EMBL in Heidelberg - the challenges and the self-doubtsThere is something magical about bringing researchers together from such different backgrounds and origins to serve European scienceShe gives us lots of insights that she has never shared beforeShe tells us about the importance of stepping out to disconnect and have time to thinkEdith tries to put herself in other people’s position to become a better leaderAnd she shares how important her husband Vincent has been during their scientific journeys togetherShe mentioned these labs, institutions and scientistsUniversity of CambridgeInstitut CurieEuropean Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCollege de FranceSusan GasserMike FriedDavid SpectorChristine PetitDaniel LouvardVincent ColotTo find out more about Edith visit her website or follow her on Twitterhttps://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=enEdith Heard is a laureate of the 2020 For Women in Science AwardTo send us feedback, comments & ideas :https://bit.ly/TLPVoicehttps://twitter.com/LonelyPipetteTo find out more about Renaudhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/https://twitter.com/LePourpreTo find out more about Jonathanhttps://linktr.ee/epigenetiqueTo 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 12 2022
TLP #11 : We are back!
In this episode Renaud and Jonathan share their excitement about the launch of Season 2 of The Lonely Pipette podcastThey look back at Season 1 and what they learned from the tips of the TLP guestsRenaud and Jonathan share their thoughts about science communicationThey update The Lonely Pipette community about what we have been up to over the last yearRenaud describes his Cell Worlds immersive cell biology showRenaud explains how important it is to be persistent in science communicationJonathan talks about the challenges of mentoring and student supervisionRenaud and Jonathan share some teasers and hopes for Season 2We mentioned these projectsSeason 2 Trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTjPXEhnfOoCell Worlds website : https://www.cell-worlds.com/enCell Worlds immersive exhibition : https://www.bassins-lumieres.com/en/node/1145Cell Worlds the documentary : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3tXKHE6-ALa 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-6103875Renaud is reading ‘Atomic Habits’ : https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsJonathan is reading ‘Being Mortal’ : http://atulgawande.com/book/being-mortal/Jonathan mentioned ‘Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting’ : https://www.calmerparenting.co.uk/calmer-parenting-book.htmlSubscribe and receive the next season in you mailboxTo send us feedback, comments & ideas :https://bit.ly/TLPVoicehttps://twitter.com/LonelyPipetteTo find out more about Renaud https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/https://twitter.com/LePourpreTo find out more about Jonathan https://linktr.ee/epigenetiquehttps://twitter.com/EpigenetiqueTo learn more about the soundtrack :Music by Amaria - Lovely SwindlerTo 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
TLP #9 : Telling compelling stories - Magdalena Skipper
Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailboxTell us your thoughts  about this episodeLast 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 scienceMagdalena 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 isWe discuss a metaphor for the publishing process in which the author feels like a Medieval knight throwing the manuscript over the castle wallMagdalena sees herself more as a facilitator and reminds us that every stakeholder in the process is humanShe stresses that editors and publishers need to work to make the publishing process more transparentShe 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 dataWe discuss how impact factors can be mis-used and what alternative metrics existMagdalena tells us how she feels as the first woman editor at Nature and about prizes for women scientists. She mentions these journals and institutions :MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCancer Research UKNature journalNature Research    Mentoring in Science AwardTo find out more about Magdalena and her journalNature editors150 years of Nature: A century and a half of research and discovery.Magdalena on WikipediaMagdalena on TwitterTo find out more about Renaud :TwitterLinkedInTo find out more about Jonathan :TwitterLinkedIn To learn more about the soundtrack :Music by Amaria - LoTo 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
TLP #8 : The art of NOT planning - Oded Rechavi
Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox Tell us your thoughts  about this episodeIn 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 wormsOded 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 canOded has a deep commitment to challenging established dogmasHe tells us about why he spends so much time on Twitter and his use of the #physiologicallyrelevant hashtagOded tells us about the origins of the unusual “Woodstock of Biology” meetingHe mentions these labs and events :Tel Aviv UniversityColumbia UniversityThe Woodstock of Biology“Transgenerational biology” Oded’s talk at TEDxTo find out more about Oded visit his website or follow him on TwitterTo find out more about Renaud :TwitterLinkedInTo find out more about Jonathan :TwitterLinkedIn To learn more about the soundtrack :Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindlerhttps://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/https://twitter.com/amariamusiqueTo 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/