In the world of academia, the stakes are high when researching a hot topic. Everyone knows this, yet we pursue the science anyways.
Being a 3rd year Ph.D. student, I feel the pressure to have a clear research story, something, anything that will lead me to my dissertation defense. I thought I discovered that missing piece in my project when I stumbled upon an unknown gene that regulates my protein system of interest. I had stopped all other avenues to chase this uncharacterized gene, knowing it would lead to something exciting.
From June 2021-Feb. 2022, I spent hours trying to delete this gene, to measure its growth dynamics, find out what it is sensitive to, and ultimately, try to uncover its connection to my protein system. Right when I started getting reproducible data, every academics' worst nightmare occurs. I got scooped.
scoop /sko͞op/
verb
gerund or present participle: scooping
1. pick up and move (something) with a scoop.
"Philip began to scoop grain into his bag"
2. publish a news story before (a rival reporter, newspaper, or radio or television station). "time and again we have scooped our rivals with the top stories and pictures"
My PI's postdoc lab at Harvard also discovered this cool, unknown gene, and posted on biorxiv on Feb 4th their findings. It is a beautifully written article that eloquently demonstrates this unknown gene to be one of the last missing bits of information on peptidoglycan synthesis and will soon be published in Science Magazine.
I am honored that I was also working on something so pivotal to the microbiology world, however, I can't help but mourn my past project. It has taken some time to feel motivated in lab again and to start chasing the next big idea. I will be honest, for a week or so I heavily considered Mastering out of my Ph.D. program. It is hard to have something you worked so hard on, be taken from you. More so, it is difficult to once again see what path my dissertation research will take, and how long it will take to get there.
I can only trust the process and keep showing up. As my lab mates ensured me, the Ph.D. track is not a linear path with consistent growth, but one that is exponential, with growth that rapidly develops towards the end.
To all other academics out there that have been scooped, what are some words of wisdom that help you keep moving forward?