Geomicrobiologist
I'm afraid I have no consistent daily routine! I basically run a research laboratory, which means I do a lot of different stuff, from advising students and other researchers in my lab, to conducting research of my own when I get a chance! My favorite thing is to work on microscopes. I also teach, and last major activity I do is to write research grants - in order raise money to support our work. I have a serious love/hate relationship with this, because on one hand, it provides an opportunity for me to dream about what I want to do next, but on the other hand, I can't be doing experiments while doing it! But what I like best about my job is the independence that I have - nobody tells me what to do on a day to day basis, and nobody cares what kind of reserach we do, as long as it is interesting! Creative freedom is what draws alot of scientists into their fields; in that way it is sort of like art.

--pond scum

Biomedical Engineer
I work on an eye implant which can help people suffering from glaucoma (optic nerve damage). I spend most of my day meeting with a small group of engineers, brainstorming about our implant using our knowledge of math, science and anatomy. I also do a lot of FDA (Food and Drug Administration) testing so that one day we can sell our product in the United States. I use microscopes a lot, including one that is called a "SmartScope" and costs over $50,000.

-- Glaucomaguru

Evolutionary Biologist
I am a graduate student working on my PhD in Evolutionary Biology. My time is divided between lab work, teaching, taking classes, and attending seminars. My research is mainly focused on comparing DNA sequences so I do a lot of molecular biology and then analyze my results using computer programs. I really enjoy teaching; my responsibilities are usually concentrated on designing and organizing lab sections for students. Another part of being a graduate student is taking classes, generally related to your research, and attending seminars. At Harvard, there are seminars practically every day so I could probably spend all my time going to talks! Basically, my days are spent juggling the different aspects of being a student which keeps me excited about my work.

--Bathy

Biology Researcher
I spend most of my day doing scientific experiments. These include: doing surgery on mice, and measuring the levels of certain things in their blood. I am also working on growing cells collected from these mice "in vitro", which means in a culture dish instead of inside the mouse itself. Some days I spend reading papers so I can catch up on the latest research going on in my area. During other days I talk with other researchers so we can compare the data we collected and try to figure out what it means and what we have to do next. I enjoy being a researcher because I get a better understanding of how the different systems in the body work, and by understanding this, we can work on new treatments for human diseases.

--Researcher

BioTech Quality Manager
I spend most of my day analyzing data and writing proceduresand reports. I also get together with engineers and biologists to plan how to get our new medicines and medical devices to market through lab testing and hospital trials. Some days I spend the whole day trying to fix problems of things we already have in a hospital that may not be working or that the paperwork may be wrong or confusing. While research and manufacturing engineers and scientists do most of the science for our products, I make sure that we have tested and considered all the problems before we ship it out and that we have proof (things written down) that we have done this.

--BioEng

Click on "See Other Girls' Questions" below to find out what other types of scientists do each day!