Biophysical Society Bulletin | December 2021

Career Development

Is Teamwork a Critical Determinant of Academic Success? Dear Molly Cule ,

possible because people with different expertise work together. This is perhaps especially true for our line of work, as biophys- ics is by its very nature at the interface of biology and physics (often with quite a bit of chemistry in the mix as well). So, if you look in the biophysical literature in your research area, you will likely encounter many papers in which physicists, chemists, and biologists work together, or papers where different types of biophysicists work together. For example, computational and experimental researchers can together answer more questions than they could by themselves. So, there are also those “scien- tific” reasons to approach science in a way in which you do not close yourself off from working with others, both inside your research group and outside of it. Perhaps this kind of answer feels a bit too “big picture” for someone who is still finding their footing in their graduate research project. You might not really be thinking about how to integrate your results with those from other techniques or approaches if you’re still working on getting your project off the ground. Still, there is another pragmatic consideration that you should think about at this stage of your career and training. As you move on in your career you will likely consider applying for such things as travel awards, fellowships, postdoc positions, and other jobs. You will quickly find that these often demand reference letters from people who know you and your work. Likely this was already true for your application to graduate school! Therefore, it is useful to your own future if there are ad- ditional scientists (beyond your direct advisor) who see what it is like to work with you and who can write an informed opinion on your approach to research. Thinking about this only at the end of your graduate training might be too late. I have provided some reasons to support the idea that team- work is pragmatically beneficial. I would also add that you will spend considerable time in the lab (COVID permitting) and that working with others can make the scientific process not only more effective but also much more enjoyable. Science comes with ups and downs, and both are improved if you can share them with others. One final thought: there is a significant push in the wider sci- ence community for “team science” across disciplines. None- theless, high-quality modern science still is based on the work of individual scientists each with their own expertise and expe- rience. Of course even if teamwork is integral to science, you do need to find your own niche and focus (built up with individual effort) while you work as part of a research team. Probably the best answer is also the predictable one: that you should try to find a healthy balance. Still, don’t underestimate the benefit of balancing to the side of constructive and complementary teamwork with others! — Molly Cule

I am a graduate student interested in experimental biophysics. I have joined a research lab recently, where I am seeing people take quite different ap- proaches to their research. Some peo- ple like to work alone (myself included) but others tell me that is not a good approach to take for my PhD. What

do you think? I feel like it is nice to try to figure out scientific questions myself and to take responsibility of all aspects of my experiments. Is that wrong? Sincerely, A Biophysics Graduate Student Dear Reader, The question of how to incorporate collaboration and team- work in science is always an interesting one, without a very simple answer. There are several different angles that you might consider. First of all, there are different types of “team- work.” Probably you are thinking of working together with others in your group. I will discuss that aspect first, but will also touch on the concept of modern science more broadly turning into “team science.” To start with the issue of how to work within a certain research group: like most graduate (PhD) students, you will likely be in a pre-existing research group with a supervisor (advisor/PI) along with one or more undergraduate/graduate students, postdocs, and others. During much of your prior training you might have been encouraged to work independently, to think for yourself, and to “do your own homework.” Of course, at its core much of science (and graduate school) depends on people becoming ex- perts in a technique (or research topic) by developing individual skills. This will depend on a lot of individual work and personal drive. However, you will also discover that it is not so easy (or efficient) to master all possible skills you need for your project, or to learn them by independent study. At the very least, there is much more to most experiments than a protocol—so the best way to really learn how to do something is to learn it from someone else. Be sure to ask questions! If you don’t talk to others and don’t ask questions, you can waste a lot of time on things that others may have already figured out. Naturally, if you learn from someone, you’ll be expected to also be there to help others. In other words, in-group teamwork is important to expedite and enable your biophysical research. You probably also realize that much of modern (biophysical) science is interdisciplinary and collaborative: projects become

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