Done with the Bench?

Done with the bench…or do you just need a change of scenery instead?

At the end of graduate school, I remember thinking, “I am tired of doing research; can I really handle a postdoc?”  My graduate work entailed using the model plant Arabidopsis to investigate the molecular cascade of events that occur after the plant produces the hormone ethylene.   I enjoyed learning molecular genetics while studying this system, and I loved my grad school advisor.  However, I was tired of “beating my head against the wall” on a problem that, to me, seemed so far removed from practical application.

So, when the postdoc position opened up with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture at Fort Detrick, I spent a few days deciding whether I really wanted to apply and risk committing myself to the lab bench for another two years.  Then, using the “it never hurts to apply” philosophy, I decided to send in my application.  

Ultimately, I am glad that I did.  Over the last two years, I have learned that I still enjoy working at the bench, I just needed a change from the grad school scenery.  Basic research, like the work I did for my dissertation, is very important, and I am thankful that we have scientists who enjoy this line of work.  However, I am not wired like that and have found much more professional success in my postdoc.  

During this time, I have been able to employ my basic molecular biology research skills in studying a more applicable problem, the relationship between a fungi and soybean that leads to the disease Asian soybean rust and threatens the worlds’ soybean crop.  Being able to see the implications and potential applications of my research help to keep me motivated at the bench.  Thus, if you are at the point where you think you have to leave the bench, I’d encourage you to reevaluate and determine why you are tired of it before turning away from lab work completely.