On November 5, some of the UWIP members were able to tour Dr. Jun’s biophysics/molecular biology lab on campus. In Dr. Jun’s lab they study the how basic quantitative principles govern the fundamental biological processes during the cell cycle (if you would like to read more on Professor Suckjoon Jun’s research check out his website here: http://jun.ucsd.edu/index.php). The tour was led by a fellow undergrad who described the goal of the team’s project and the various jobs assigned to people working there so those on the tour could see the kind of work researchers at various levels do. They had a general tour of the  lab’s facilities along with the descriptions of their applications in the research process so they ended up getting a very detailed picture of the daily work and hands-on challenges that the members of the lab deal with. One interesting aspect noted by members of the tour group was the variety of educational backgrounds of all those working at the lab. Not only were there molecular physicists, but also bio-engineers,  condensed matter physicists, chemists, and many other specializations from within the physics field. Overall, combined with some input form graduate students, those who took the tour were able to see the kind of work and effort required in a research job and the importance of collaboration between members in achieving the project’s goals.