Imagine the scenario: The head of your department has approved the funds for your research project, you have your protocol set-up and you decide on an isolation kit. You’ve done the laborious task of collecting your samples and are excited to get your analysis moving along. In an ideal world, completing your laboratory work is a smooth process, with little to no errors or unexpected challenges. You follow the product protocol as written and you get the results you want in a short period of time.

The old saying, "do what you can with what you've got" certainly is inspiring. However, for scientists and researchers, sometimes you can't do anything with what you've got. The success of downstream applications in molecular biology is heavily dependent on rapid and efficient methods to extract RNA and DNA from virtually any sample type. Without the right tools, some sample types can be extremely difficult to obtain, and even once they are collected, it can be challenging to extract anything useful.

You have probably heard it on many occasions before: it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts. For researcher Dr. Partycja Skut, the scientific journey is no different and is one that she embraces with wholehearted enthusiasm. Her journey began with bacteria and single-celled organisms and led to the dynamic complexities of immunology.

With the acceleration of medical breakthroughs, it is easy to imagine that scientific advancements come into existence without much fuss. However, the reality is that much of the scientific discovery lies in the meticulous process itself. A journey of trial and error, hypotheses, imagination and of course, a question. We aim to shine a light on the scientific process and learn from the scientists themselves about what drives them and how they stay optimistic in a world full of dreary statistics.