Natural Habitat
Fridge of the week
Fridges reveal much about their owners, and laboratory fridges are no different. But who owns a lab's fridge? With this important question in mind, we begin our journey through the natural habitats of laboratory scientists.
In all labs, someone's the boss...
...and everyone has their place
Ever wondered how they learn all those long words?
Featured laboratory or science humor links:
Bacterial star signs
"A long dark stranger may be swimming into your life..." Are you a melancholy microbe? Are your flagelli a bit flacid? It might be time to see how your horoscope could help. Read all about it here!
Blood sugar crash
Some scientists need (or feel compelled) to work long hours. In such cases, when the urge to re-fuel hits at 3 AM, what are the options? As a community service, one researcher rated all the vending machines in his building (keep scrolling down when you get to this very entertaining site, and don’t be deterred by the digression on Pot Noodles).
Spurned cover art
It’s hard enough to get your research paper accepted by a scientific journal – just try getting your work featured on its cover! Curing diseases is all very well and good, but making the cover of a high-profile journal is nearly as satisfying. One lab is keeping a running gallery of stunning images that have been rejected from the covers of various journals. They’ll even take yours!
The phosphate fan club
You’ve heard of taking your work home with you, but how about wearing it? This lab is so proud of its research that it issues a new T-shirt about it every year.
Keep it in the Family
Apparently the Cell Biology Mafia is alive and well in the wilds of Scotland – view the evidence here.
Is there something amusing or notable in your lab or on its website? Please send us your links; if you have images for consideration in Natural Habitat, use the same form to let us know and we’ll tell you where to deposit them.