IRP Life

Prevailing in Science

Ever since studying transposons (mobile genetic elements) in graduate school, I’ve been fascinated by DNA and the many natural ways DNA moves and recombines within genomes. Transposons are responsible for multidrug resistance in bacteria, and the major players in V(D)J recombination in humans were derived from transposons. Now, as a postdoctoral fellow in the National Cancer Institute of the NIH, I conduct research focused on gene therapy strategies for hematologic malignancies and immunodeficiencies, because I am interested in the clinical application of basic biology.

Jeanelle Spencer in the lab

Why Study Vitamin A Deficiency?

Widely acknowledged as a key to overall health, the food we eat affects our bodies in ways that are not always clear, all the way down to the molecular level.

Careers in Science Series: Finding Academic Research Positions

One big question that I think people have when applying for jobs is, “How many applications should I submit?” I know people who have submitted anywhere from five to 100 applications! I submitted about 20 applications.

Science That Changes Lives

You only have to glance at the mainstream news – never mind the scientific press – to know that the 21st century is biomedical science’s most exciting time ever.

Collins and Gottesman

The “I am Intramural” Series

In 2010, the Intramural Research Program (IRP) launched an initiative to better understand what being part of the IRP means to our community of scientists, support staff, and trainees.

Stickies for blog

Careers in Science Series: Preparing for Academia

If you are planning on going on the academic job market, there are several things you need to prepare before putting together your application packet. First, you need to make sure you are ready. This is a discussion that you need to have with your PI and not just the month before you start submitting applications!

It Is A Luxurious Time To Be A Biologist

Discovery was always fascinating to me. The curiosity of how a cell looks under the microscope and how a volcano erupts under the earth’s crust has led me to pursue a career in science. I still remember how excited I felt after my first experiment in a lab class where we had to touch an LB-agar plate with our fingers before and after we wash them to see what grows on it. I still hold on to the feeling of surprise when I saw mold growing because of my dirty fingers.

Yannis Grammatikakis and team

The Cave of Wonders: My Life As A Microscopist

As a postdoc in the Membrane Transport Biophysics Unit at NINDS, I’ve spent the past several years studying lysosomal pH. For me, that means spending a lot of my time in a pitch-black room, a room that I refer to as my cave.

U-2 OS lysosomes scale bar