In this edition of #whyIcellbio interviews Anup Parchure, a post-doctoral scholar in Julia von Blume's lab.
How did you end up in the Cell Bio dept?
I was a postdoc at UMASS medical after doing my PhD in India. I was looking to move to Yale for family reasons. My mentor Vivek Malhotra recommended me Julia's lab where I interviewed and joined her lab after that.
How/When did you discover you like science?
I don't unfortunately have a very fancy story like I was always passionate about Science as kid. I accidentally landed in Science because I could not get admission for medicine and I must say that was a blessing in disguise in the hindsight. My love for science is an ongoing process and it started with few great teachers during my Bachelors and Masters who actually taught me about the process of doing Science (experimental design and controls). That was the beginning of my love affair with Science.
What is your favorite Organelle/Macromolecule/method and why? (you can answer one or all!)
Favorite organelle: Membrane less organelles or Liquid condensates..... (Of course that is the answer to all answers in modern-day Cell Biology.... isn't it? On a serious note, it is very fascinating to study these especially when it describes the mechanisms underlying a cellular process and also because there is so much more to uncover. I like microscopy for making observations and then combine it with biochemistry for providing mechanistic insights to substantiate the microscopic observations.
What is special about your lab culture?
A bunch of fun-loving, collegial and hardworking individuals constitute our lab and are supported by a wonderful PI in all aspects. But since we are part of the 4th floor, the culture actually extends to all the members on this floor from different labs making the environment very enjoyable, which translates to scientific productivity.
What would you like to do if you had more free time?
Travel, Play Squash, Play Board Games