RNA

I snuck into the lab like a Science Ninja. I forgot my ID, and they lock all sorts of doors around here after dark. Fortunately, stressed-out zombie dental school students wander the halls at night, so I just slipped into the Tupper building behind one of them.

I squirted interleukins onto some IMR90's and disappeared into the shadows. Today, precisely 12 hours later, I whacked those cells and took out all their RNA. I'm spinning down the pellets right now. I performed a little RNA dance to insure a high yield.

It's a good thing I came in last night. Somebody left the scale, the water bath, and the biosafety cabinet on. Friggin' doctors. I hope they get all their absentmindedness taken care of in the lab, before they head to the clinic to see patients. o_0

So far so good.

Getting RNA is easy, but it's still a relief to see the tiny opaque pellets sitting in the tubes.

***

No progress on the Fluffarium front. I'm about to perform the weekly Want Advertiser ritual.

I'm meeting with JD tonight. I'll write down a quick outline or something. This is something of a fishing trip, but I can't possibly lose anything here. Whatever I learn today will be useful. I get the feeling JD is looking for a fellow prospector anyway, so the worst I could do today is strengthen a business contact.

I could really use access to the Dun and Bradstreet database right now. Maybe it's time to call my ancient career advisor. Mister FG, could you pass me a pass for the D&B? I'm trying to get rich, here.

Good

meeting. Worcester felt farther away than usual today. I bet it was the traffic and torrential rain.

JD's lab is one of many built up by retrofitting an old morgue in a dead hospital. Down the hall, you can see the abandoned part of the building -- the rest of the hospital. It's so Session 9, I was actually a little creeped.

I'll need more equipment than anticipated. JD's stuff is all GMP, while my work would be really dirty; that means no shared biosafety cabinets, no shared incubators, and so forth. On the upside, certain aspects of the project would be cheaper than expected, and JD is more forthcoming than I expected him to be.

I need a better estimate of my cost per unit, and I need a crash course in establishing brand recognition without breaking the bank. Cost per unit first. Wonder how much a tank of liquid nitrogen costs.

I told JD he should watch "Session 9."

more car pretend

My poor car is falling apart (this part isn't pretend). The engine and transmission are immortal, but the body is expiring. Today I put my left rear bodyside moulding on the back seat, next to the driver's door trim, the mysterious sunroof seal, and the even-more-mysterious plastic part of unknown origin (I know it's from inside the car somewhere). Pieces just keep jumping ship, as though they were afraid to get compacted with the rest of the Brick.

When did Subarus get so expensive? I can't get a sedan for less than $19K MSRP? And Christ! Who broke the ugly stick on the 2003/4 Accents? They look like coffee turds.