Aaron Swartz:Open Access

I really feel sad that we have a second post on loss of another precious life at a very short interval. I trust that knowledge of any individual is an accumulation of experiences, learning's, discoveries of many others of own and that of earlier and next generations. One can enrich this world by sharing it. Hope the life of Aaron Swartz inspires us to carry forward his vision. To know more on Aaron Swartz, please visit the following link (thanks to Prof. Jonathan Eisen, UC Davis)

The Tree of Life: RIP: Aaron Swartz (collection of news stories, articles, etc)

Respectful Adios

(photo credit to the web page of Dr. Carl Woese, The school of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
I feel as if I have lost a long known friend, but really Dr. Carl Woese is a teacher (like Dronocharya to Ekalavya in Mahabharata) not only to me, but to many microbiologists around the world. I do not know him personally, but that does not diminish my anguish at this moment. He was a pioneer who saw more than what others were seeing into the microbial world. Though i am aware that none and nothing can prevent the functioning of kalachakra, i wish that his inquisitive mind motivate us to continue the exploration into the unseen and unknown microbial world.

¿Progreso?

Iba caminando algo cansado por el tercer piso de mi escuela cuando, justo antes de dar vuelta para tomar el elevador, volteo a ver el pizarrón que frecuentemente es abusado por quien sea que tenga manos y un gis al alcance. En esta ocasión estaba una pregunta interesante que me gustaría compartir con vosotros (diría mi tatara-tatara-tatara-abuelo):

-¿Qué significa progreso?¿Cómo sabemos?

Tomenlo como pregunta de ciencia y/o filosofía, pues en repetidas ocasiones la frontera no es clara entre ciencia y filosofía, además de que afortunadamente respuestas de un ámbito sirven para responder las del otro campo.

Congrats Melisa & Emilio

 

Emilio Nafarrate & Melisa Hermosillo, first batch of graduate students of our lab successfully defended their thesis today. One more milestone for our lab. I am confident that many more are to come. But the work of a graduate student is not finished until he/ she get the work published in a journal. I am hopeful that both Emilio and Melisa will do it and set example for others to follow.Our hearty congratulations to both. Our best wishes to both of them for a challenging and successful career.

Branching Out for Training & Collaboration

Salvador and Sara, who left today early morning (8th October) to the lab of Dr. Umesh Reddy and Dr. Padma at Department of Biology, West Virginia State University, USA to attend a training on Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization technique (FISH). Thanks to Dr. Umesh and Dr. Padma for giving this opportunity to Salvador and Sara. 

Raul and Edith reached today the lab of Dr. Teodoro Espinosa Solares y Dra. Guadalupe Hernandez Eugenio, Departamento de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Universidad Autonoma Chapingo for initiating collaborative work between both of our labs. Thanks to Dr. Teodoro and Dra. Guadalupe for this opportunity to Raul and Edith. 

Hope our colleagues make use of this opportunity to update their skills and knowledge and our best wishes are with them for a happy and successful experience.

¿En qué momento?

Contento porque estoy en una computadora con acentos (espero los use bien) empezaré a exponer mis ideas.

No logro concebir la idea de un exceso de gente estudiando, yo lo supondría una meta a lograr, me parece imposible coincidir con quienes afirman que no es bueno hacer un doctorado, aunque a la vez que escribo esto y cada que discuto esto con alguien pienso que quizás tengan algo de razón. Es decir, un estudiante se las ve negras en cuanto a sueldos, estudiar duro, visas, idiomas ajenos, no tiene trabajo estable (desgraciadamente quien sabe si encontrará alguno que le remunere cómodamente para mantener a su familia y dar educación a sus hijos), no hay horarios de trabajo en lab, es duro ver pasar el tiempo y ver que en 2-5 años habrá que empezar de nuevo a buscar otra escuela, nuevo laboratorio, tal vez nuevo país, en fin. Pero al final... ¿me ira bien?¿Iré por el camino correcto?

Otro aspecto de mi desconcierto es sobre la desigualdad sobre algunas regiones del mundo. ¿Cómo es posible que algunos países tengan problemas por tener demasiados PhDs y al mismo tiempo hay otros países que viven con un PhD por cada 10,000 habitantes? ¿No sería tiempo de que los países desarrollados exportaran gente capaz? ¿Será que el problema de exceso de PhDs no nos concierne a los mexicanos?

Por favor lean esto. Alguien expliqueme por Dios

Consolidating Collaboration with WVSU

Thanks to Dr. David Huber's acceptance, Inty Omar, graduate student of our lab has left today morning to West Virginia State University, USA to carry out part of his research work. We are positively hopeful that he makes use of this stay in learning new skills, updating his knowledge on molecular analysis of biodigestors and consolidate our collaboration with Dr. David Huber's lab. Thanks are also to Argelia, Emmanuel, Natalia, Ale and Aldo for extending their support to Omar for this stay.

One More Step Forward - Ale

Ale, one of the important pillars of our group has left Torreon today morning to West Virginia State University, Institute, WV, USA for her Masters degree on Biotechnology. One more step forward by our lab due to the efforts of Ale, who showed youngsters in our lab by her personal example that it is only efforts that will take people to higher levels in their life and not just dreams and/or goals.
We are confident that she will do her best and her lab at WVSU too will gain a lot with her work. Our best wishes are with her for a bright professional and personal future.

non-existing persons

hello

please read the following article of many of our fellow human beings, who do not exist for any governments of the world

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/without-birth-documentation-in-mexico-illegal-immigrants-struggle-to-live-normal-lives-in-us/2012/07/10/gJQAy5DuaW_story.html

naga

Vacations time???

In order to have some mind-stimulating activities for these vacations, besides of my regular work, I made this list:

- Watch TED lectures, "ideas worth spreading" (www.ted.com)
- Take some on-line lectures from Harvard, MIT, UCLA, Caltech... (www.lecturefox.com)
- Blog-gossiping in some interesting topic... #arseniclife #higgsboson #neoevolution 
- Read some sci-fi book // or any book
- Watch full operas #traviata #carmen #norma #tosca #pagliacci #turandot #rigoleto // or just some arias
- Improve your 2nd or 3rd language
- Write #poems #diary #short-stories #songs //whatever
- Practice yoga


Maybe you can tell us what are you gonna do to keep your mind working...


ahhhh by the way, let's start with Aldo's idea of a monthly debate... any interested?