Gayatri was invited to give a talk at a research day largely themed around eco-toxicology. Which we had to look up. But it turns out, that’s what we’re doing all along… so it was a good fit. Gayatri was great, as always!

We only did a “mini” cleanup in January, but, surprisingly, that didn’t create too much backlog. Maybe it was our second “mini” cleanup a month back in anticipation of a Povost visit. That said, we’re back on schedule; some good down-on-our-knees scrubbing, spicy food (click through for the image), and a thorough tossing out of old stocks. The result? Well, in Ayesha’s words, here’s the picture Rabia made her take.

At today’s FHS Plenary award, Gayatri was awarded an Outstanding Graduate Student Award, and Ayesha took a prize in the Pecha-Kucha competition! I think that might make us the only lab ever to win twice in the latter… 2 points is a trend, right?

After a round 1 presentation I didn’t get to see at this year’s FHS plenary, Ayesha was invited to the finals - and that I could attend, and boy am I glad I did - she did superbly!

While Dr. Al-Anany came back to Hamilton for a visit, bringing her little one (and future little one) in tow, Christine brought one (hers, I have it on good authority). I really should have brought mine, but then the booking would have been too big for the place…

For the second time this week, we all donned our SciComm hats, and strutted our stuff. Jordan gave a stellar talk, both Sayna & Eve presented their first ever posters (wee!), Ayesha lost her voice answering so many questions, and Rabia snatched up a prize for best poster.

Today was the MedSci Research Day, and both Gayatri and Ayesha gave talks on either end of the morning session. With one opening the session on the subject of induction, the other on supressing induction… I couldn’t have asked for a better narrative structure. And it certainly helps that they both nailed their talks…

So, in mirroring the session itself - the picture here is of Gayatri’s talk, and click through for Ayesha’s!

MSc students have to present once at the Biochem Seminar Series… and it’s been a while since I’ve had an MSc take the stage! Jordan put together a great talk, really highlighting how dangerously close to graduating he is… we’ll be left in the lurch.

We braved the polar vortex (not really), to head out to an Escape Room as a lab. The picture you see is ‘how it started’ (not pictured, Eve or Ayesha), and… for how it ended, you’ll have to click through.

Apparently, we made it out with 5 minutes to spare. Which confuses my lab philosophy of failure somewhat…

Rabia’s mBio paper - long held up due to genbank shenanigans, finally hit print today. I won’t recap the whole impressive piece of work, but I think it’s worth highlighting two surprises hiding in there that aren’t necessarily the focus of the work; 1) How broadly effective Piperacillin is at synergizing with temperate phages. Maybe a reason PTZ is so effective clinically? (2) Our inability to correlate any likely predictors of tPAS to actual synergy. Check out the paper at this link

Always a touch anticlimactic, given the conclusion - when a student is this good - has been forgone for ages, and yet… still a lot of “feels” - far more than I expected, the third go around. I do get asked if in handing them a warhammer, I fear they might use it against me. Obviously not - not in public, anyway. My graduates are far too smart to get caught.

Yup, 7 years running now. Obviously, a completely different team, but a wonderful one. The usual potluck, eggnog, the usual secret santa, the usual “Alex is the worst at guessing who got him a gift”. The kids look forward to it so much, this year they were rehearsing greeting people at the door (and this year, E & A made the main!). But this year is definitely unusual for those who aren’t there; that first wave of PhDs that have all left the lab… and in a week, Rabia will be done too! Next year is going to be very different.

It’s IIDR Trainee Day time! This year, we had three poster presenters (click through), but plenty of particpation, as three of the organizing committee were the Hynes Lab’s own. The event went off without a hitch, well done, guys!

This year’s festivities marked the continuation of a trend; we’re the only team that places on the podium in both the costume AND pumpkin carving contests. A first place for our Deadpool & Wolverine (w/Dogpool) - click through, setting us up as repeat champions. We slipped a place in the costume contest to third, despite our oh-so-clever trick to mimick the Li Lab’s winning costumes from the last 10 years. Honestly, we think it has to do with the new judges, Lisa would definitely have given us the win :P.

In a Farncombe Research Day she helped organize, in the middle of preparing for a committee meeting, and just weeks after her RIP, Gayatri delivers a talk that earns her a 1st place presentation award. How’s that for grace under pressure! We also had fantastic posters by Rabia, Jordan, and Ayesha… a great lab showcase.

Long overdue for a lab photo, living in a place that has truly beautiful falls... we scheduled a lab hike. Then I had to start using crutches... but aside from my palms chafing a bit, I think we managed pretty well! Look, Rabia's eyes are open, my eyes are open, and so are little L's!

In a delightful surprise, we had an unexpected visitor (and his mother) stay for all of lab meeting (!). For about half the meeting, he paid rapt attention. Clearly objected to the lactose depletion slide - so he was paying attention too. Had some trouble articulating his questions, though...

What do you do when the monitor doesnt work, the podium mic fails, the wireless hand-mic is going to die in 5 minutes, and you have a talk to give? You give the best talk you’ve given, apparently. I know the coordinators are supposed to show the new students how it’s done… but Gayatri took that to a whole new level.

In today’s RIP “wrap up” for last year, I performed passably at recognizing people’s fun facts, and I was delighted to see Jordan awarded a prize for his fantastic talk last year. I had to leave before the cake was served… but there was cake!

Instead of an after-the-fact picture, a picture of the cleanup crew in action (click through for those of us gathered for lunch). A long-time tradition inherited from the Moineau lab - starting every semester with a full-lab shutdown, full “on-hands-and-knees” scrubbing, sorting, etc. Always pays off!

Missing; Rabia, who had to TA, and Bailey, who had class over lunch.