December 15, 2014

A farewell to Lab Rat

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

When I first started a science blog, back in the summer of 2008, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from it. It was started mostly for me, to encourage me to read more papers and write about science. It was gratifying and exciting to find that people enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and travelling from Field of Science all the way to Scientific American, not to mention getting paid for writing posts, was a huge benefit when it came to taking the leap from laboratory work to science writing.

In the years since I started writing I’ve gone through some fairly major life changes; getting my masters in biochemistry, getting married, having a baby, getting my first job as a science writer, and moving across the country to a new home. When Lab Rat started I was completely enmeshed in lab work and research, the blog provided a view on science from the perspective of a scientist excited by the work she was doing. Now both the baby and my job take up most of the free time and energy I have left. Over the last year I’ve had less and less time to spend on writing and researching blog posts, and yet the further away I get from lab work and microbiology, the more research each post requires.

So, unfortunately, this post signals the end of Lab Rat. Who knows, I may start another blog in the future, but for now I’m content to put the microbiological research side of my life to rest. Writing for Scientific American has been a wonderful opportunity, and I’ve gained a huge amount from being surrounded by such a talented and awesome community of bloggers. I’ll still be around on twitter, sharing new articles and posts by friends, but the Lab Rat will no longer be blogging.

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Many thanks to all my readers for their support over the years and for tolerating the occasional mistake and typo (oxgyen anyone?). I’ve enjoyed blogging and the blog community, but right now life, work and caring for a baby is leaving me without the time and energy to give the blog the attention it needs. Goodbyeeeee!

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