Blog

  • How can I use my BibTeX library in MS Word?

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    by: in: Protocols, Researchon November 21, 2016

    The goal of any research is to extend the knowledge about something. However, it would be stupid and infeasible to start from scratch in every research project. So, what we usually do to create something new is to combine our own thoughts with what was previously discovered and published by others. Therefore, an important element of any scientific text are citations of previous publications.

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  • About wise people and their footsteps

    by: in: Musings, Researchon November 16, 2016

    In my last blog, I have been writing about my first steps as an engineer in a biolab. Well, quite some time has passed since then and things have changed. In the meantime, I feel rather comfortable handling «my» cells and was able to establish a number of collaborations that keep information and inspiration (and blood) running.  

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  • Whether to stay in academia or leave it, that is the question.

    by: in: Education, Musingson October 28, 2016

    The challenging question arises right after or few months before PhD graduation: whether to stay in academia or leave it for an industrial career. The answer obviously depends on the personal attitude and the opportunities available at the time. However, as a PhD student you have to foresee certain points in order to make an appropriate career decision.

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  • The spirit of self-efficacy: origins, roles and real life performances!

    by: in: Musings, Philosophyon October 26, 2016

    You might remember the famous children’s story The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper.

    “As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, “I–think–I–can, I–think–I–can.” It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, “I thought I could, I thought I could.”

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  • Capillary effects: from garden to lab applications

    by: in: Education, Researchon October 24, 2016

    As part of a project-based course, we are initiating students to micro-fluidic devices for medical diagnostics. The underlying principle is to automatize a diagnostic procedure typically done in a specialized laboratory and bring it to the point-of-care. Beyond automation, miniaturization offers a number of advantages including low fluid volumes (implying smaller patient sample, less waste and lower reagent costs), faster analysis and potential for highly compact systems, all of which make these so called “lab-on-a-chip” approaches ideal candidates for the development of point-of-care diagnostic devices.

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