The End

Yes, as I mentioned in my last post, yesterday was my final day as a pharmer. Though I was only there for two months, I am glad to set aside that title, hopefully exchanging it for something more interesting. Perhaps the "pharmer" might head to space with NASA as well! :)

Stud Bunny

Well, I have resigned from pharming. More on that later... For now, I must relate the funniest of my supervisor's stories! She tells supurb stories with aplomb, but this one trumps them all. My supervisor had three rabbits (Bun-Bun, Silly-Willy, and Cookey-Lookey). Bun-Bun is too mean to reproduce, while Silly-Willy is really large. Cookey-Lookey, however, it quite small and cute. She wished to breed Cookey to have small bunnies to give away as presents. So, she called up a man that she knew sold rabbits. He answered her questions, saying that yes, he had a male rabbit of the same breed as Cookey. Then she asked if this rabbit was a stud bunny. Pause. Pause. She repeated her question, asking what his stud fee was. The man finally found his voice, "Uh, ma'am, we don't really do that." When asked why, he replied that most people just purchase the rabbit, and if they don't want him afterwards, they kill him. My supervisor was shocked! Then, she concluded that she had been raising racehorses too long. :)

Just last week, as an Easter gift, her boyfriend bought her a little male rabbit of the same breed as Cookey (Dweeble-Weebles). Yes, Cookey finally found her stud bunny.

Anecdotes

With the start of a new week, I suppose I should record some anecdotes from "pharm" life. Number one I shall entitle "Safety on the Job". My boss has her EMT license, which is qualification enough in our industry to warrent her appointment to the safety staff. She has been enlisted to monitor fire extinguishers, difibrillators, etc., as well as to administer first aid when necessary. The difibrillators have presented an interesting conundrum though, since the only one available in our building is located in "Steve's office". "Who is Steve?" one asks. Apparently no one knows, since the difibrillators office residence is vacant, implying that "Steve" has moved out and moved on. Some speculate that "Steve" now presides over another building, while others say he left years earlier. Regardless, our one means of defining the location of this life-saving device is by a moniker that is at best outdated. My boss was beside herself. "How is anyone to know where 'Steve's office' is, if no one knows who 'Steve' is?" No appropriate answer was given. She is still resolving this issue...

Number two is "The Hostage". Pipettors come in many shapes and forms. They are the "measuring spoons" (albeit expense ones) of the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and research fields. They are extensions of our hands, but they must be kept in precision shape in order for them to remain useful. One of the micro lab's new pipettors was held hostage by a chemistry laboratory technician who claimed she could not release it to us until the SOP (see Day One) was changed from "Eppendorf pipettor" to simply "pipettor". You guessed it. Our new tool is not made by Eppendorf and so was out of specification for this "pharming" industry! Instead of paying the required ransom (obsequious groveling at said lab tech's feet), we daringly air-lifted the captive pipettor from its prison and began using it again. We can hear the storm brewing...

Week Three

Well, week one was survived, and melted into week two in a blur of liquids finished products testing. I have certainly learned much about pharmaceutical microbiology and reincarnated some once-known methods and assays. I find myself to be much like I imagine weather people to be - bored most of the time, until something "goes wrong". For the general populace, it's severe weather or bacterial growth in a medicinal product. For those studying weather or bacteria, it's a flurry and frenzy of excitement and activity as our minds are finally allowed to engage a project!

Now into week three, and the working conditions have not improved. If anything, they've worsened slightly. But as long as I am learning, enjoying my lab mates, and feel that I may have some small skill to offer, I'll stay on a little while longer. Plus, where else would I get to isolate Gram positive, catalase positive bacilli? Let alone quantify them!

Since I'm afraid the tenor of some of these communications has been sardonic and jaded, I MUST state that I really am VERY grateful for this opportunity to learn some new techniques, to be back in the lab, and to meet great new colleagues! I do hope that it becomes even more interesting when I take over preservative testing or when I start antibiotic testing. :)

Background

Well, day two on the job. So, a little about my background...I have spent much of my adult life in the laboratory and REALLY enjoy lab work. I have a Master's degree in Molecular Microbiology, having first entered a Ph.D. program and transitioned to the Master's. My graduate school lab uncovered an amazing story that was recently published in a top tier scientific journal (Science magazine), and resulted in two other papers. So cutting edge research is something I know that I enjoy.

The transition to the pharmacological world was stark. Not sure what life is like at Pfizer, but I hope it's not like this. "Routine" and "oppressive" are the words that spring to mind, for the working environment is subpar, certainly. However, bright points do exist - my co-workers are quite fun, and the benefits are nice. We'll see how long I'll be "pharmer"! :) As long as the Lord wishes, for I do desire to do His will above all else!

Note: Please do not judge NASA by the recent soap operatic publicity coming from Florida.

First day

While "pharming" - the title I am now using for working in the pharmaceutical industry - one must quickly learn the acronyms. And since my husband works for NASA (hence the title of the blog), acronyms are, well, like my middle name...or my initials! TAC - total aerobic count, TYM - total yeast and mold. And my favorite, or at least one that y'all will be hearing much about in the future, the SOP - standard operating procedure. More later, must run to arrive at work on time!