I’m seeing many lists of COVID-19 responses and resources (like
this and
this) go by in my Twitter feed and email inbox. Biotech labs in California are shuttering or slowing down R&D, but re-tooling spaces and volunteering to host reagent prep and
scale up of new diagnostics.
Calls have gone out to donate reagents and personal protective equipment. These are unprecedented times as we all adjust to COVID-19-associated realities.
The adjustments faculty and students are making is breath-taking in scope. Not only is the CSU faculty redesigning in-person courses to go online, mentors are talking students and researchers through shutting down their wet-lab projects and figuring out how to keep projects alive by working remotely. Those same students are facing relocation, loss of jobs, and a re-framing of life trajectories. Likewise, faculty are grappling with giant disruptions to experiments, tenure clocks, and grant timelines. The advice I keep seeing from
organizational experts is to avoid panic-working and to “forgive yourself and give yourself a break.” I hope you have safe shelter, stay healthy, and find work that helps.