Welcome to the LMB

This website has been compiled entirely by LMB students to answer some of the questions you might have about the LMB and give you a flavour what to expect as a graduate student here.

The PhD is always a formative period for scientists, and for many it is also their first real experience of scientific research. As a PhD student, you will likely find a much greater emphasis on independance and self-motivation that in your undergraduate years. In addition to the contrast between a PhD and undergraduate degree, you will find that your experience at the LMB differs from that of a student in a university department. Those departments focus on teaching as well as research, but the LMB is primarily a research institute populated mostly by postdoctoral scientists. This means that you will ahve an extraordinary wealth of knowledge to tap, but you mustn't be afraid to be proactive, asking questions and looking for help when you need it.

Thirteen Nobel prize-winners have hailed from the LMB, and it has been steadily producing world-class scientists scince its seminal role in establishing the field of molecular biology. There are now 61 group leaders at the LMB, as well as 200 other scientists and 128 support staff.

In addition to the range of work and expertise at the LMB, you will have many opportunities to hear a range of other leading scientists speak as part of LMB talks and symposia, and you will ahve the opportunity to interact with them individually. Attending talks is one of many things that will help you grow scientifically and intellectually while away from the bench when you are a student here, and we will discuss others in this booklet.

The three years or so that you spend at the LMB may be the most challenging and, hopefully, rewarding ones you spend in science. By the time you finish, you will probably have a clear idea of whether you want to stay in science or not. Whatever you decide, make the most of your time in Cambridge and at the LMB!

Good Luck!
The Insider's Guide Team