KamounLab – Medium

1 day ago

Three biologists and a social scientist go to Yellowstone…

…they ponder whether there are any moose in the National Park. The first, an ecologist, said: there are probably moose here because this ecosystem generally requires large herbivores to remain healthy. The second, an evolutionary biologist, said: fossil ungulates have been discovered in this area, and I expect their moose…

Science

1 min read

Three biologists and a social scientist go to Yellowstone…

Jun 27

Open science: a letter to a friend

I’m deeply touched and honored to be invited to write these few words on behalf of the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Alumni Association (IBGEAA) to celebrate the 12 years of professional life of Prof. Md. Tofazzal Islam at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU). My dear friend…

Science

4 min read

Jun 20

Worried about scooping? What scooping?

I’m surprised at how many in the biology community don’t seem to know about the “scooping Protection” policy that many journals have adopted. It’s the most progressive development in scientific publishing since preprints. Check it out. Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2022). Worried about scooping? What scooping?Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6667238 This summer I…

Science

8 min read

Jun 14

The knee that broke Neymar’s back — Is academia that harsh?

The chances of success in academia are definitely better than in elite sports. And there are many ways of having a satisfying and fulfilling career. Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2022). The knee that broke Neymar’s back — Is academia that harsh? Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6641767 Most of you have never heard of…

Science

6 min read

The knee that broke Neymar’s back — Is academia that harsh?

Jun 6

Time management for academics— forget about the Eisenhower method

I recently came to realize that I don’t follow the famed Eisenhower method for time management. Instead, I like to Shuffle. Let me tell you how. Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2022). Time management for academics- forget about the Eisenhower method. Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6616905 Time management is key to success and to…

Science

7 min read

Time management for academics— forget about the Eisenhower method

Apr 11

Ten things my lab learned in 2010–2019 (aside from everything else)

First posted on January 20, 2020 as Kamoun, S. (2020). Ten things we learned in 2010–2019 (aside from everything else). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3613856 He who has studied himself is his own master. –Sri Lankan proverb. By the time this gets posted, you’ll probably be sick and tired of all those retrospective…

Science

9 min read

Ten things my lab learned in 2010–2019 (aside from everything else)

Mar 13

Tales from the plague — more phylloxera anecdotes

Following the post “Death to the hybrids” on how technology saved the wine industry from an insect pest, here is some surprising phylloxera themed anecdotes that were brought to my attention by readers. Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2022). Tales from the plague — more phylloxera anecdotes. Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6350129 Van Gogh’s…

Biology

5 min read

Tales from the plague — more phylloxera anecdotes

Mar 7

Death to the hybrids — cancelling plant breeding technologies

Plant breeding has always been fraught with politics. But, it is still baffling to plant scientists why some technologies are readily adopted while others are rejected. Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2022). Death to the hybrids — cancelling plant breeding technologies. Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6334667 “I’m not a scientist, I’m a breeder.” Early…

Science

8 min read

Death to the hybrids — cancelling plant breeding technologies

Feb 22

What’s the point of publishing a resource paper if the biomaterial isn’t openly shared

Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2022). What’s the point of publishing a resource paper if the biomaterial isn’t openly shared. Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6227559 This has happened far more often than necessary. You read an interesting resource paper, write to the authors to request the biomaterial and then…nothing. Nada. Well, a few weeks…

Science

4 min read

What’s the point of publishing a resource paper if the biomaterial isn’t openly shared

Feb 7

ECRs, publish your datasets and methods as mini-papers

Do you have useful datasets and methods? Consider publishing them as “mini-papers” prior to formal publication in a journal. Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2022). ECRs, publish your datasets and methods as mini-papers. Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5997932 “Mini-papers” are the underrated scholarly outputs of academia. For many Early Career Researchers (ECRs), publishing a…

Science Communication

4 min read

ECRs, publish your datasets and methods as mini-papers