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Asked by laurabutler123 to MarkF, Mark, Michael, Panos, Sarah on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: Scientist.
Question: What has been the highlight of your weeks/months/years of being a scientist?
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Mark Fogg answered on 17 Jun 2010:
Every time I see or understanding something new, or for the first time, I get excited by it, so any highlight can depend largely on what I am working towards at the time.
My biggest discovery was published in ‘Nature Structural Biology’, one of the top scientific journals in my field. I discovered a new type of molecular ‘activity’ for a protein from a group of bugs called the Archaea. They use this protein (called a ‘DNA polymerase’) to replicate (make copies of) their DNA. The activity I discovered stops the protein making a ‘mistake’ during DNA replication that causes a mutation.
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Mark Travis answered on 17 Jun 2010:
Highlight was discovering a novel protein that is important in keeping the immune system from attacking the gut and causing inflammatory bowel diease (and getting the findings published in one of the world’s top scientific journals, which is what every scientist is aiming to do!).
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Panos Soultanas answered on 18 Jun 2010:
Laura,
I have very many small highlights throughout my career. Each discovery we make and each paper we publish is a highlight. each student that graduates from my lab is also a highlight. various events we do like this one is also a highlight.
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Michael Loughlin answered on 18 Jun 2010:
to be honest getting a permanent contract….meant i could plan research over longer periods, apply for better grants, devise teaching and improve on previous years…and of course it meant far less stress than just 2-3 years contracts then being out of work
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Sarah Burl answered on 18 Jun 2010:
cloning a sheep and working with a great community of people in the Gambia!
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