Week 2.1: The Research Ecosystem#
In this quarter we will journey through the implicit skills and knowledge that scientists need to know to do research projects. The fundamentals that apply in almost every scientific setting including lab safety, budgeting, data management, making mistakes, and much more. These are fundamental skills and concepts necessary in research. We will take a reflective approach to the topics—how do we do them, why do we do them, what can we be doing better. Not all of these topics will be used in every student group project, but all scientists should be aware of them and consider them in making research decisions.
This quarter will also be when students learn to turn their ideas and questions into methods and answers.
This week is the first week of quarter 2 and will thus include a lot of “Getting Started”. Some of the most basic fundamentals. Students may have new groups and new projects, and will have a greater focus on creating something new (new results, policy, algorithms, methods) than in quarter 1. The components of this week are:
Welcome Lecture (Monday)
Lecture: Sustainability in the Lab (Monday)
Lecture: Research Group Roles (Tuesday)
Workshop: Groups and Projects (Tuesday)
Lecture: Budgeting in the lab (Wednesday)
Workshop: Microscopy Lab Safety (Wednesday)
Lecture: Drug development process (Thursday)
Workshop: Making and Addressing Mistakes (Thursday)
Symposium—new teams on the projects
Lecture: Welcome#
Overview of the plan for Q2 including what’s included in assessments, structures and what they can expect.
Talk about the programme of this week and how it is relevant specifically to Q2 (why are we doing this now as opposed to Q1? How does this quarter differ from Q1?)
Lecture: Sustainability in the Lab#
Doing biological science uses a LOT of resources from plastics for sterility to freezers running all the time to computers for large data analysis. What issues are there with sustainability in the lab? Sterile pipetting tips etc. Vs sustainability; energy and resource intensive processes in the lab. As scientists how do we consider this and take it into account when making decisions. What other sustainability issues should we be considering?
Key Concepts#
Sustainability
Resource usage
Relevant Learning Goals#
Process of science
Ethics and reflection
Lecture: Research Group Roles#
Collaborative research groups have certain roles within them which change and flex as the project proceeds. But within a research lab there are a whole set of very formal research roles including PIs, postdocs, technicians, core resources, lab manager. Understanding these, how they work together, the varied responsibilities, and what to expect when joining a new lab can greatly improve your effectiveness when joining a lab.
Key Concepts#
What are the different roles in a research group?
What are the strengths and weaknesses in this structure?
What are the assumptions?
What are the needs of the various group members?
Relevant Learning Goals#
Research Process
Career planning
Workshop: New Groups, New Projects#
A guided discussion on the projects and modifying teams. Teams must stay about equal size but students will decide who can best work on which project based on skills, desires and aptitudes with an overall goal of making all projects successful.
Teams can pick a new name and will develop their plan for the full 10 weeks.
Key Concepts#
Time management
Resource allocation
Making teams
Relevant Learning Goals#
Collaboration
Research
Critical thinking
Lecture: Budgeting in a Lab#
In the world of scientific research, budgeting is an essential skill that ensures the smooth operation and sustainability of your laboratory. This lecture is tailored to equip you with the knowledge and strategies necessary to effectively manage finances within the scientific setting.
Successful research often hinges on prudent financial management. Budgeting in the lab involves allocating resources efficiently, prioritizing spending, and ensuring that the lab’s financial health aligns with research goals.
Throughout this lecture, we will explore the intricacies of laboratory budgeting. We will discuss how much research actually costs on a yearly basis, what is the price of a research paper and what you can do with a 1.5M grant. Who pays the salary of a researcher? What are the costs of chemicals? What are the costs of plasticware? Who pays for conferences that scientists attend?
Key Concepts#
Budget: Understanding how to distribute your budget across research projects, personnel, equipment, and supplies is vital for achieving research goals efficiently.
Cost Control: Learning to monitor and manage ongoing expenses, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and avoiding financial pitfalls are essential skills for maintaining a balanced budget.
Financial Planning: Developing a clear financial plan that includes short-term and long-term financial goals will help labs secure funding, make informed financial decisions, and ensure sustainability.
Relevant Learning Goals#
Student will understand the basic principles and concepts of budgeting as they apply to laboratory management, including the creation of a budget, revenue sources, etc.
Student will learn how to effectively allocate resources and prioritize spending to align with research goals and ensure optimal utilization of funds.
Workshop: Microscopy Lab Safety#
Overview#
Building your own microscope and dive into Bionanoscience: exploration on (im)possibilities. The teacher will walk you through the design considerations and share detailed real-life examples of home-built microscopes used at Bionanoscience. Together, we’ll delve into the technical intricacies, safety measures, and personal insights necessary for this fascinating, and challenging, microscope (and optical lab) development.
Key Concepts#
Microscopes
Lasers
Relevant Learning Goals#
Understanding a microscopy lab environment.
Lecture: CNS Drug Development Process#
Not all projects have a drug development component, but if working in biomedical research, it’s important for a researcher to understand what the process is in new developments. This can help you develop that long term vision of how this might turn into something which could be treated. It can be important in funding decisions, prioritizing research questions and approaches.
It’s also just useful in society for people to understand how development happens, the time frame, costs and access. This lecture is done by a representative of a pharmaceutical company to include that perspective and partnership.
This lecture will particularly focus on Central Nervous System drug development which has many unique aspects to it and considerations. Below you will find some further specifications by the lecturer:
Title: From Lab to Patient: The Journey of Medication Development in a Clinical Development Program
Introduction: The development of medication from its conceptualization in the laboratory to its eventual administration to patients is a complex and multifaceted process that involves rigorous scientific research, meticulous testing, regulatory approvals, and careful consideration of patient safety and efficacy. The trajectory consists of 4 phases, which will be explained by our clinical development program on esketamine nasal spray:
Phase 1: Laboratory Research and Preclinical Studies: extensive laboratory research, where scientists identify potential drug compounds and conduct preclinical studies to assess their safety and effectiveness. These studies involve cell cultures and animal models.
Phase 2: Clinical Trials – Establishing Safety and Efficacy: Here, the drug’s safety, dosage, and efficacy are tested in a small group of patients under controlled conditions.
Phase 3: Large-Scale Clinical Trials – Confirming Results: large-scale clinical trials with diverse patient populations. These trials aim to confirm the medication’s effectiveness, monitor long-term safety, and compare it with existing treatments or placebos. Upon the completion of Phase 3 trials, the medication’s developers submit a comprehensive dossier to regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States or the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Europe.
Phase 4: Post-Approval Monitoring and Pharmacovigilance: Even after regulatory approval, the medication’s journey does not end. Ongoing post-marketing surveillance, known as pharmacovigilance, involves continuous monitoring of the drug’s safety profile. Adverse events, drug interactions, and long-term effects are meticulously tracked to ensure patient safety and update medical professionals and patients accordingly.
Conclusion: The development of medication from lab to patient in a clinical development program is a meticulous, scientifically rigorous, and ethically responsible process. Through the collaboration of researchers, clinicians, regulatory agencies, and pharmaceutical companies, innovative therapies are brought to the market, improving the lives of patients worldwide. This comprehensive journey underscores the significance of careful planning, ethical considerations, and continuous vigilance in the pursuit of advancing medical science and healthcare.
Key Concepts#
Research process of drug design.
Relevant Learning Goals#
Understanding processes of different kinds of research.
Workshop: Making and Addressing Mistakes#
No one likes making mistakes, but they are a fact of life. And spending some time thinking about how you make theym and what you should do when you make them is an important skill in becoming a better scientist.
Key Concepts#
Mistakes happen
Developing self-understanding of your response to mistake making
Things to think about when addressing them
Relevant Learning Goals#
Mistakes are part of collaboration, skilled collaboration involves being skilled at addressing them.
Group Activity of the Week#
This week groups will move quickly to adjust their groups and select their focus project. Students and supervisors will discuss the projects and how best to allocate resources (students and supervisors) to ensure that all projects are successful. Multi-center collaboration if you will.
With your team, make research plan and new or updated team contract.
Discussion Questions#
How does your new group contract differ from the one with your old group?
Why do you think these differences are there?
Is your role in this new group different from before? How?
Which experiences from the past groupwork are you going to use to improve collaboration with your group?
What drew you to wanting to work on this project?
How will you work together?
What are you excited about in this next stage of the project?
Weekly Submitted Assignments#
Group#
Submit team name and project plan draft.
Individual#
What are your learning goals for the next 10 weeks? What skills do you hope to improve?