Graduate Journal: At the crossroads
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270 NATURE | VOL 427 | 15 JANUARY 2004 | www.nature.com/nature As I approach the halfway point in my PhD, the question about what to do after graduate school is becoming more pressing. My decision is between pursuing my academic research further, or taking an entrepreneurial path. The choice may ultimately depend on the success of my research — altering the catalytic properties of enzymes, an important aspect in biocatalysis. If my experiments succeed, they may open academic doors; if not, there are other options that I would like to explore, such as founding a company. The entrepreneurial bug comes from friends and colleagues who have started their own businesses. This was particularly endemic before the bubble burst two years ago, but Switzerland still seems to have the right spirit and infrastructure for biotech to thrive. I can envisage setting up a company here with similarly motivated people. Starting a company requires further skills in addition to the chemistry and biology with aspects of physics that my research involves. So I have not only had to go back to school, but I am also learning to communicate with people from other disciplines who have expertise in different topics to me. I am sure this experience will be of use in the future — regardless of the choice I make when I finish my PhD. ■ Philipp Angerer is a second-year PhD student in biotechnology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland. GRADUATE JOURNAL At the crossroads Naturejobs Career View L ast month, what will become one of the largest environmental science centres in Europe opened its doors in Britain. When it’s fully staffed, the Lancaster Environment Centre will employ some 300 scientists, including graduate students and postdocs in five departments. The facility, costing £25 million (US$46 million), combines five environmental-science departments from Lancaster University with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, run by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The centre is designed to emphasize a multidisciplinary approach to environmental science, says its director, Bill Davies. For example, its five departments can approach different aspects of complex problems, such as how the genetic make-up of different plants can affect their nitrogen uptake, or how persistent organic pollutants — volatile compounds released by paints — build up in the atmosphere, move around the world and end up in humans’ fatty tissue. The project is noteworthy because of the way it combines both government and academic labs, takes a multidisciplinary approach to environmental science, with a strong social-science component, and creates a critical mass of environmental scientists. “We’re one of the biggest groups of its kind in Europe,” says Davies. The building, funded jointly by the NERC and Lancaster University, includes controlled environment facilities, 15 glasshouses and equipment to allow integrative studies of terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric systems. It is also taking the kind of computational approach to environmental science that has been the norm in physics and is becoming increasingly common in biology. Davies says that he is now recruiting a chair in informatics and wants to develop environmental informatics as a specific unit for the centre, with the possibility of adding a new wing to the centre later. Davies also envisages spinning out some businesses from the site, in much the same way that biotech companies spring from university life-science departments. For instance, scientists at the centre could do contract work on environmental chemistry, or computer modelling of regional environmental problems such as flood prediction.“We can see ways of building on that commercially,” explains Davies. ■ ➧ www.lec.lancs.ac.uk Paul Smaglik is editor of Naturejobs. & BRICKS MORTAR W hen Sixto Gonzalez left the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his native Puerto Rico midway through his undergraduate education, little did he realize that it would benefit his career. Gonzalez left, he says, because although he had little difficulty adjusting to a different language, he struggled with the heavy workload in a highly competitive environment — not to mention the long, cold winters, at odds with his native tropical climate. But a choice based partly on culture shock was served up with a healthy dose of serendipity. While at the University of Puerto Rico he was able to work at Arecibo Observatory, home of the world’s largest and most sensitive single-dish radio telescope — and he has remained there ever since. He says that if he had stayed at MIT, he would never have had the opportunity to work at the observatory. The opportunities were plentiful. As an undergraduate, he was able to present papers at international conferences based on his findings at Arecibo. As a graduate student, he was able to base his thesis on data he gleaned from a summer spent at the observatory. And as a postgraduate, his familiarity with the instrumentation at Arecibo led him to getting a job there — making him the first native-born Puerto Rican to become a staff scientist at the facility. His latest appointment extends that honour to the directorship of the observatory, although Gonzalez has mixed feelings about distinctions based on his nationality. On one hand, he is proud of his heritage and is happy to represent it. But on the other, being singled out by his nationality makes him uncomfortable. He is more excited about having two more Puerto Rican scientists joining him at the facility than about becoming the first director to hail from the country. Gonzalez says that he is enjoying being in a position to help others to deal with the difficulties he faced early in his career at MIT. Young scientists need a support network, mentoring, ideas for projects and help to bring projects into fruition. He sees his latest role as helping to provide all these things. “When you’re in a position to make a difference for people, you have to provide them with as many opportunities as you can give them,” Gonzalez says. ■ MOVERS Sixto Gonzalez, director, Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico 2001–2003: Assistant director of Space and Atmospheric Sciences, National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 1999–2003: Senior research associate, Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico 1993–1999: Research associate, Arecibo Observatory CV Lancaster Environment Centre ©2004 Nature Publishing Group
Transcript of Graduate Journal: At the crossroads
270 NATURE | VOL 427 | 15 JANUARY 2004 | www.nature.com/nature
As I approach the halfway point in my PhD,the question about what to do aftergraduate school is becoming morepressing. My decision is between pursuingmy academic research further, or taking an entrepreneurial path. The choice mayultimately depend on the success of myresearch — altering the catalytic propertiesof enzymes, an important aspect inbiocatalysis. If my experiments succeed,they may open academic doors; if not,there are other options that I would like to explore, such as founding a company.
The entrepreneurial bug comes fromfriends and colleagues who have startedtheir own businesses. This was particularlyendemic before the bubble burst two yearsago, but Switzerland still seems to have theright spirit and infrastructure for biotech tothrive. I can envisage setting up a companyhere with similarly motivated people.
Starting a company requires furtherskills in addition to the chemistry andbiology with aspects of physics that myresearch involves. So I have not only hadto go back to school, but I am also learningto communicate with people from otherdisciplines who have expertise in differenttopics to me. I am sure this experience willbe of use in the future — regardless of thechoice I make when I finish my PhD. ■
Philipp Angerer is a second-year PhD student in
biotechnology at the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland.
GRADUATE JOURNAL
At the crossroads
Naturejobs Career View
Last month, what willbecome one of thelargest environmental
science centres in Europeopened its doors in Britain. When it’s fullystaffed, the LancasterEnvironment Centre willemploy some 300 scientists,including graduate students and postdocs in five departments.
The facility, costing £25 million (US$46million), combines fiveenvironmental-sciencedepartments fromLancaster University withthe Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, run by the Natural EnvironmentResearch Council (NERC).
The centre is designedto emphasize amultidisciplinary approachto environmental science,says its director, Bill Davies.For example, its fivedepartments can approachdifferent aspects ofcomplex problems, such as
how the genetic make-upof different plants canaffect their nitrogen uptake,or how persistent organicpollutants — volatilecompounds released bypaints — build up in theatmosphere, move aroundthe world and end up inhumans’ fatty tissue. Theproject is noteworthybecause of the way itcombines both governmentand academic labs, takes amultidisciplinary approachto environmental science,with a strong social-sciencecomponent, and creates a critical mass ofenvironmental scientists.“We’re one of the biggestgroups of its kind inEurope,” says Davies.
The building, fundedjointly by the NERC andLancaster University,includes controlledenvironment facilities,15 glasshouses andequipment to allowintegrative studies ofterrestrial, aquatic andatmospheric systems.
It is also taking the
kind of computationalapproach to environmentalscience that has been thenorm in physics and isbecoming increasinglycommon in biology.
Davies says that he isnow recruiting a chair ininformatics and wants todevelop environmentalinformatics as a specificunit for the centre, with the possibility of adding a new wing to the centrelater.
Davies also envisagesspinning out somebusinesses from the site, inmuch the same way thatbiotech companies springfrom university life-sciencedepartments. For instance,scientists at the centrecould do contract work onenvironmental chemistry,or computer modelling ofregional environmentalproblems such as floodprediction. “We can seeways of building on thatcommercially,” explainsDavies. ■
➧ www.lec.lancs.ac.ukPaul Smaglik is editor of Naturejobs.
&BRICKS MORTAR
When Sixto Gonzalez left theMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) for his
native Puerto Rico midway through hisundergraduate education, little did herealize that it would benefit his career.
Gonzalez left, he says, becausealthough he had little difficulty adjustingto a different language, he struggled with the heavy workload in a highlycompetitive environment — not tomention the long, cold winters, at odds with his native tropical climate.
But a choice based partly on cultureshock was served up with a healthy
dose of serendipity. While at theUniversity of Puerto Rico he was able towork at Arecibo Observatory, home ofthe world’s largest and most sensitivesingle-dish radio telescope — and hehas remained there ever since. He saysthat if he had stayed at MIT, he wouldnever have had the opportunity to workat the observatory.
The opportunities were plentiful. As an undergraduate, he was able to present papers at internationalconferences based on his findings atArecibo. As a graduate student, he wasable to base his thesis on data hegleaned from a summer spent at theobservatory. And as a postgraduate, his familiarity with the instrumentation at Arecibo led him to getting a job there— making him the first native-bornPuerto Rican to become a staff scientist at the facility.
His latest appointment extends that honour to the directorship of the
observatory, although Gonzalez hasmixed feelings about distinctions basedon his nationality. On one hand, he isproud of his heritage and is happy torepresent it. But on the other, beingsingled out by his nationality makes him uncomfortable. He is more excited about having two more Puerto Ricanscientists joining him at the facility than about becoming the first director to hail from the country.
Gonzalez says that he is enjoyingbeing in a position to help others to deal with the difficulties he faced early in his career at MIT. Young scientistsneed a support network, mentoring,ideas for projects and help to bringprojects into fruition.
He sees his latest role as helping toprovide all these things. “When you’re in a position to make a difference forpeople, you have to provide them withas many opportunities as you can givethem,” Gonzalez says. ■
MOVERS Sixto Gonzalez, director,Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico
2001–2003: Assistant director of Spaceand Atmospheric Sciences, NationalAstronomy and Ionosphere Center,
Arecibo, Puerto Rico1999–2003: Senior research associate, AreciboObservatory, Puerto Rico1993–1999: Research associate, Arecibo Observatory
CV
Lancaster Environment Centre
15.1 Jobs Career View MH 12/1/04 10:27 am Page 270
© 2004 Nature Publishing Group
© 2004 Nature Publishing Group
