I have been a bit blocked recently when I’ve tried to write
my blog. I think it’s because I’ve been so busy over the past few weeks. I’ve
been to a convergence workshop, a STIS seminar on Syngenta, the Innogen coffee
morning, a Changing World lecture, an anthropology seminar on sperm banks in
China, I’ve been reading a lot and trying to participate as much as possible.
Now the challenge is to wade through all this new-found information to find some
clarity and focus. Yet the more I discover the more I need to know, and the
research phase of my residency could easily continue exponentially. I
sympathise with the scientists working on the ENCODE Project. How do you know
when to stop searching for new information and start to process the raw data?
While carrying out my research, I’ve become as fascinated by
academia as I am with all things genomics, and surprisingly I’ve realised there
are so many similarities between university life and the film and TV industry.
For example, there is the constant pressure to seek funding, produce new work
and keep on top of new developments and technology; the uncertainty about where
your next project or commission will come from or where it will be based; there
is a need to network and make contacts both locally and internationally; and
there are lots of opportunities to travel and work with new partners and
collaborators.
