New Lows in Ergonomics

After months of procrastination, new research into the least comfortable of all possible work environments has begun. What we have here (on the right) is an anaerobic chamber. Inside is an atmosphere of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. On good days, not enough hydrogen to make the thing an explosion hazard. Note the large, thick, clumsy rubber gloves. I spent today setting up protein crystallization trays in there, which involves lots of fine manipulation of coverslips and pipeting of microliters of liquid. My wrists feel like I just played the Moto Perpetuo on the mandocello and my neck is considering taking out a restraining order. Blegh.

On the plus side, I have some crystals already, which is promising... I also seem to have screwed up the reduction of my flavins, from which we learn that the semiquinone of FMN is red and that dithionite needs to be buffered. You live and learn.

Snow!

Whew. No need to go to the gym today. We got about a foot of heavy, wet snow last night, and I just finished shoveling out our sidewalk, which (being a corner lot) is about fifteen miles long. Not a huge snowfall compared to you New Yorkers, but plenty for me.

On the plus side, hot chocolate with Chinese five-spice powder is really, really good.

At last!

Well, it won't be in a physical journal for a month or so, but my paper's out online! Woo! That's Gray & Escalante-Semerena (2007) PNAS 104(8): 2921-2926, if you're looking for the reference... :-)

A couple more like this and they'll let me graduate!

Enormous squid!

So, what you need to do is click on this link and check out the super-awesome video of a 7-foot Taningia danae squid attacking an underwater camera at 500 meters or so deep. Way cool.

Courtesy of New Scientist.

Drinking Beers For Justice!

Went down to the High Noon Saloon last night with a few folks from lab to catch the Asylum Street Spankers. They do put on a good show. A couple of new members have joined since we saw them last. I don't know where they find these people. Dobro / mandolin / banjo / harmonica-playing, Tuvan throat-singing, sideburns-and-mustache guys don't exactly grow on trees...

They've apparently been getting a lot of attention (on YouTube and the like) for their anti-war song, which is great. Good to know that the 60's doesn't have a complete lock on the excellent protest song.

Global warming, eh?

Hey, all you New Yorkers, how are you faring with the snow? It's not often I see pictures of my home territory heading up the news sites... We've still got bitter cold (all the way up to 14° F today!), but hardly anything for snow. The graduate student in my lab from Ecuador hasn't stopped complaining for a week. You wouldn't think you could fit so many layers on such a small person.

Brrr.

Well, after a long warm spell, Wisconsin winter has decided to happen after all. High of 5 above today. I haven't checked the wind chill. I do have to go into the lab today, unfortunately. I wonder if Kaiyo would make a good sled-dog.