Scanning electron micrograph of a HeLa cell undergoing apoptosis
Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Agarose gel of bacterial plasmids
Undergraduate research bench
HIV-infected H9 T-cell
Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Welcome to Undergrad in the Lab!
Undergraduate research can be incredibly rewarding, but where do you start and how do you succeed? Navigating this unfamiliar territory is not easy. Here you will find advice on how to find a research position, and how to get the most out of your experience.
Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.
— Albert Szent-Györgi (1893-1986) U. S. biochemist.
As tempting as can be to end your search and accept the first research position you're offered, only do so if you are genuinely interested in the project, topic, or techniques. Equally important is only accepting the position if you can uphold the required time commitment without compromising you academics (and that you WANT to).
Both your happiness and success in the lab are tied to a genuine interest in the work, and having enough time to devote to the project.
When you apply to an undergrad research position, be honest about your career path. For most lab positions, it won't matter if you are premed, pregrad, or headed for the job market after graduation, or undecided.
If your career path matters to the lab, and you aren't on the "preferred" track for a position, then you won't want to join the lab anyway. You want to join a lab that will help you meet your personal and professional goals.
When you start a project in a research lab you’re bound to have a few hiccups at the research bench. Mistakes are an unavoidable part of learning something new or acquiring new skills. However, also keep in mind that how you react to failure will tell your labmates how easy you'll be to work with in the long run.
Your labmates will be much more willing to help you fix a problem or prevent one in the future if you stay positive. It's okay to be disappointed when something goes wrong --just develop a strategy to stay positive and be resilient.
To make the most of your interview for an undergrad research position, you need to ask the right questions to determine if the project is right for you. That might sound easy (and obvious), but if you haven’t held a research position how do you know what questions will give you the most meaningful information?
One of the differences between instructional lab classes and research in a professional lab is how feedback is given.
In an instructional lab, you have quizzes, lab reports, an attendance policy, exams, and possibly out-of-class assignments—all attached to a point system outlined in the syllabus. For most instructional labs, you can calculate your grade and therefore know whether or not you’re excelling.
Whether your poster is for an undergrad research symposium, or a professional meeting you should take it seriously. The poster you create represents you. Your best work, and your lab. The quality represents the value you find in your research project, and how much you appreciate your research supervisor’s efforts. The poster you create also sends a message to the PI about how much you value the research opportunity you’ve been given.