Friday, May 20, 2011

Recommendation: bring a shotgun to the interview

From ACS Careers:
Brains for chemical biology - tenure track position
Job description The Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and behavior (DI) at Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands) is pleased to offer a tenure track position in the field of Chemical Biology. Chemical Biology is one of the top research priorities in Nijmegen and the DCN. This highly collaborative environment offers exceptional research opportunities to independent, motivated and gifted scientists. 
You are encouraged to launch your own independent research programme within the DI, which should be in line with one of the research themes listed below. Furthermore you are expected to publish in high-profile journals, attract your own external funding, and contribute to the teaching programmes of the Faculty of Science.
Within the DI’s chemical biology initiative one tenure track position is vacant on the following theme: 
Probing of cellular processes is highly relevant in the field of neuroscience. Chemical biology tools need to be constructed to image these processes on a cellular, and even molecular level. Smart viral delivery systems for genes that code for ion-specific proteins will thus enable the expression of channels and pumps in neuronal cells, which can be switched on and off with a tunable laser and thereby utilized in optogenetics studies.
I mean, sure, this could be the Netherland's most prominent universities with an excellent quality of life. Or, it could be a secret hideout of zombies and their human collaborators. Anybody that's advertising for braaaaaaaaains is subject to suspicion in times like these. 
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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 20, 2011 at 4:27 PM

    @CJ: Have you played "Plants vs. Zombies" yet?

    ReplyDelete
  2. milkshakenMay 20, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    A breakfast plate of scrambled brains can be prepared much in the same way like scrambled eggs - and they do taste like scrambled eggs in fact (but with a somewhat sour-metallic lingering aftertaste). Personally I would not serve brains pure but rather mix them with ground meat, and use them in meatloafs, soup dumplings and taco fillings.

    Brains do not keep well and easily develop an unpleasant taste unless they are very very fresh. As the apocalypse scheduled for May 21st will probably make the refrigeration unavailable to most of us, I would recommend to stay away from store-bought brains. (Harvesting fresh brains is not any more difficult than opening a coconut).

    ReplyDelete
  3. ChemjobberMay 20, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    @A127a: Sadly, no.

    @milkshake: that's funny.

    ReplyDelete
  4. J-boneMay 20, 2011 at 6:42 PM

    Regarding the impending apocalypse, the CDC has issued a survival guide. Yes, the real CDC.

    http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp

    ReplyDelete
  5. milkshakenMay 20, 2011 at 6:54 PM

    This whole brain-eating issue became a right-wing populist rallying point because of misguided cultural diversity policies of the current administration. I think we failed to fully integrate Zombies into our society.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 20, 2011 at 7:24 PM

    CJ, have you ever partaken in a fried brain sandwich? I heard it's popular in parts of the Midwest.

    Milkshake, perhaps Pfizer can extend the patent life of Lipitor. Brains are high in cholesterol and triglycerides; perhaps zobie hyperlipidemia is a novel indication worth addressing.

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  7. TMay 20, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    Brains ARE high in cholesterol, as evidenced by this picture:

    http://c.cslacker.com/1395l.jpg

    Delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ChemjobberMay 20, 2011 at 7:48 PM

    A4:24a: Sadly, no. I confess that I am quite fond of all regional US delicacies (beef-n-noodles being a Midwestern favorite of mine), but I have not had that one in particular.

    Would I chance the very-slight-but-non-zero chance of prion transmission for one? Maybe, maybe.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You're PfizeredMay 23, 2011 at 8:57 AM

    Brains and eggs was a very common meal for my grandparent's generation. Must be an eastern European type of thing.

    I'm a fairly adventurous eater, but I'd have to pass on the brain dishes. In general, I steer clear of organs as food....

    ReplyDelete
  10. ChemjobberMay 23, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    I don't think there are very many people in the US who still voluntarily eat organ meat on a regular basis. Let's see:

    Tongue: regular basis, on tacos.
    Brain: never tried it.
    Lungs: nope
    Heart: once a year?
    Liver: once or twice a year (turkey, etc.)
    tripe: once a year?
    Sweetbreads: Nope.
    Kidney: Once; it's all right.

    Yeah, I guess I don't eat them a lot either. (Is the tongue an organ? Probably not.)

    ReplyDelete
  11. milkshakenMay 23, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    Dont you forget blood. Blood is an organ too. I had blood sausages many times and they are delicious.


    http://366weirdmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/gummo.jpg

    ReplyDelete

looks like Blogger doesn't work with anonymous comments from Chrome browsers at the moment - works in Microsoft Edge, or from Chrome with a Blogger account - sorry! CJ 3/21/20