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What is your profession? (reddthat.com)

submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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My profession is in programming. Initially, my dad tried to teach me Javascript. It was a struggle and couldn't get it.

A few years later, I took up computer science in college and that's where it all clicked: I can imagine the end result. It's a matter of being curious and finding (or I daresay... hacking) my way to that conclusion. Programming languages have a very funny way of allowing you to do just that. In studying computer science, I discovered the art of engineering all kinds of software-based solutions.

Because my way of solving problems is more deductive than inductive, I have to consciously build foundational knowledge and routines. Constant learning and insatiable curiosity is required for me to identify when my hunches are wrong and discard them accordingly.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Manager in the neuroscience lab where I did my PhD. Actually pretty nice because I know the lab and everyone so we'll I can often do the management in a few hours and then just focus on my research (finishing my thesis because behavior plus in vivo neurophysiology takes more like 7 years instead of 4 lol). Although, there can be some very stressful moments, big grants or so (and my boss is one of those breathing-science profs that will msg on WhatsApp on the weekend or days off lol, but yeah fuck that). I learned that I'm not good enough/invested enough to actually become a PI or prof, so this management stuff is pretty nice on the edge. I don't have the responsibilities but my opinion is often respected due to my research experience in the lab. Pay is shit tho.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I manage an infectious disease monitoring lab in industry. Pay's a whole lot better out here, and my team is amazing and self-driven so I can do minimal people managing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh that's sounds nice. Not sure how to word it well, but: is that a bit interesting to do long term? Is it following the advancements in science in a nice tempo? Do you have room for innovation yourself?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

What I do specifically is called wastewater based epidemiology. While the term has been around for a few decades, it really took off in concordance with COVID. Previous PCR techniques like qPCR are heavily inhibited by co-elutors from wastewater extract. We use digital PCR which is way more resistant to inhibition due to the partitioning. We are using cutting edge technology and our R&D dept is constantly looking into additional targets we can test for. As a company we also do some non-pcr-based wastewater testing (drugs of abuse by LC/MS is a big one).

Additionally we also do next gen sequencing to track the COVID variants in communities.