Down the Rabbit Hole

I was invited to assist in laboratory activities in the Mycology unit of the Public Health Microbiologist Training Program (PHM). I'm excited to pay it forward because I know how challenging the program is. The trainers were hoping that I could help the current cohort while they figure out the best way to study concepts in Mycology. I am no subject-matter expert (i.e., my graduate degree was on something else). However, I retained many concepts for about two decades because the foundational courses at UPLB helped me understand how to study instead of just memorising key points. Also, my instructor in PPTH 104 (Introduction to Mycology) is one of the best mycologists in the Philippines, Dr Teresita Dalisay. After some thought, I list some tips for studying for a Mycology exam: Tip #1: Draw as many observations as you can Don't limit yourself to circles. Try to draw your observations as accurately as possible. I do this by shading my drawings to add texture and dimension. I'm...

I realise that real-life forensics laboratories differ depending on the expertise available, the facilities in place, and the most practical set of tests that forensics scientists can do feasibly (what tests can be performed over a long time rather than what is trendy). I also know that crime TV shows like Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) and its different variants (for example, CSI: NY and CSI: Miami) have forever shaped what I imagined a forensic laboratory would look like: dramatic lighting, gleaming glassware, and giant LCD screens. Reality set in when I visited a county forensics laboratory. Friendly chemists (not the socially awkward ones typecast in TV shows) welcomed me and other visitors on a facility tour. Pieces of fancy equipment were not in shortage, as we were shown mass spectrometers attached to gas or liquid chromatography instruments. Old-school chemistry tests showing colour reactions for positives and negatives were demonstrated, just like the ones shown on TV sans t...