It's your first day in the lab, now what?

Welcome to the lab! Starting a new job is always stressful - Will I fit in? Will people think I’m competent? What if my project doesn’t work? Relax! You have been selected to join the lab because Pat and the rest of the group think you’re awesome. Before freaking out, be sure to read this blog post from Pat. Our group and the research we do is pretty unique and we don’t expect people to have all of the skills that are needed. That’s probably why you are joining us. Heck, if you had all of those skills, you should be the PI - he certainly doesn’t have all of those skills. Some people have amazing lab skills, others can take another person’s 100 line script and reduce it to a one-liner. The goal is that by the end of your time in the lab, you will have grown in your ability to design experiments, execute microbiome-based experiments, analyze cutting-edge data, and disseminate your research.

But first things first, let’s get you through your first week in the lab. Here’s a checklist and resources of things for people that are new (or not so new) to the lab…

• Lab address
  • We are here

    Department of Microbiology & Immunology
    1520A Medical Science Research Bldg. I
    1150 W. Medical Center Drive
    Ann Arbor, MI 48109

• Restroom
  • Our lab space is in MSRB I (Medical Science Research Bldg. I). The MSRB buildings are right triangles. There are restrooms at the right angle of the triangle on every floor
• Desk, bench space, tour
  • Talk to Pat
• Benefits enrollment
  • Talk to Carol Solomon in M&I main office
• Keys
  • Talk to Lisa who sits at the center desk outside of Pat’s office in 1520 MSRB I
• Email address
  • Talk to Carol Solomon in M&I main office
• Lab meeting schedule
  • Lab meetings are Tuesdays from 2:30-4:30 PM in 1530 MSRB I
• Familiarize yourself with the lab social contract
• Get on to Schloss Lab mailing list
  • Go to the Schloss Lab MCommunity Page and add your email to the mailing list.
• Get on to Schloss Lab google calendar
  • Get Pat or someone in lab to add you
• Get on to Schloss Lab Slack account
  • Get Pat to add you
  • You’ll definitely want to join the general, lab_meeting_materials, random, and lunch channels. Ask someone in the lab to suggest other channels to join
• MICRBIOL812 schedule
• Departmental seminar schedule
• Reimbursements
  • Talk with Sheryl Smith in the main office and see Pat for a ShortCode
• Computers:
  • The lab will buy you a laptop of your choice for working in the lab. Most people in the group use MacBook Pros or System 76 linux computers. Because we do a lot of work at the command line, it is often not super easy to use a Windows-based computer. The Medical School is in the process of trying to secure the network and will likely make it harder for you to use a personal computer or to use a computer the lab provides without installing their security software. If you get a Mac you might be able to pick it up on campus at the Computer Showcase stores. Talk to Pat or Lucas if you need help ordering. We can also get you a larger monitor to leave at your desk.
  • The wifi account you want to use is MWireless
  • Depending on how or where you connect, you may need a UM VPN to connect to university resources.
• Create a GitHub account and join the Schloss Lab group