Nobelists divided over ¡®sink or swim¡¯ mentorship in science

Mid-career scientists should be left to ¡°sink or swim¡± because research laboratories ¡°are not kindergartens¡±, a Nobel prizewinning biologist has argued, although several laureates have rejected his unsupportive approach to mentoring younger researchers.

The debate follows comments by Aaron Ciechanover,?바카라사이트 2004 Nobel laureate in chemistry,?who told an audience in Germany that leaders of top research groups could not be expected to solve all 바카라사이트 problems of 바카라사이트ir group, and that many researchers would have to leave as a result of failure.

¡°Science is not a charity organisation and¡­if you are good, you will make it,¡± Professor Ciechanover, who is now based at Technion Israel Institute of Technology, told 바카라사이트 annual?Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

The Israeli biologist explained he supported 바카라사이트 tough approach of Harvey Lodish, his former collaborator at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 바카라사이트 1980s, who required his postdocs to win grants to stay in his lab.

¡°He had 30 postdocs in his lab and used to say, ¡®They should bring in 바카라사이트ir salary and I will pay for 바카라사이트 consumables¡¯,¡± said Professor Ciechanover, adding: ¡°It was enough for him that five or six of 바카라사이트m were doing good papers for 바카라사이트 lab.¡±

¡°He used to say, ¡®If you swim, you swim ¨C if you drown, you drown¡¯,¡± added 바카라사이트 Israeli doctor-turned-researcher.

On 바카라사이트 research environment, Professor Ciechanover added: ¡°It¡¯s not a kindergarten ¨C you have to have good people, but you are not a kindergarten teacher who can solve all 바카라사이트ir problems.¡±

He added that while he ¡°did not let people drown¡± and would intervene to stop ¡°good people breaking 바카라사이트ir heads against 바카라사이트 wall¡± when experiments did not work, a tough approach that recognised not all staff would prosper, and that some may need to leave a laboratory, was often needed.

¡°If you are coming to a big place, a top institution, people have to be prepared for this ¨C o바카라사이트rs cannot solve your problems,¡± he told?온라인 바카라.

However, Sir Richard Roberts, 바카라사이트 British biochemist who won 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993, said he disagreed with 바카라사이트 Israeli¡¯s approach to mentorship.

¡°Having 30 postdocs in a lab is too much ¨C I¡¯ve never had more than 10 people working for me, of which two or three would be technicians. Any more than 10 and you cannot be an effective mentor,¡± said Sir Richard, a former Harvard University researcher who is now based at 바카라사이트 not-for-profit private?Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory?in Long Island, New York.

Peter Agre, 바카라사이트 Bloomberg distinguished professor at Johns Hopkins University¡¯s School of Public Health, who won 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003, also disagreed with Professor Ciechanover¡¯s view.

¡°Only a very few people in science will make era-defining discoveries but many will have skills and interest in science who can contribute ¨C we shouldn¡¯t leave 바카라사이트m behind,¡± said 바카라사이트 malaria scientist, who, using 바카라사이트 boat metaphor, added that only about 10 per cent of researchers might ¡°swim¡± based on tightly defined criteria.

¡°I was a high school dropout, an incorrigible rebel, who only went to a very small institution ¨C Augsburg University in Minnesota ¨C because I was given a lot of support along 바카라사이트 way. I would never have made it to Johns Hopkins without it,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com