背景提升|在哈佛做6个月的科研，是怎样一种体验？

　　X来自985大学，生物工程专业，梦想着进入美国名校读研究生。为此，参加美国名校科研，增加学术背景，开拓视野，获得真知。

　　通过美国名校科研老师的指导，在2017年的暑假申请到了哈佛大学医学院的科研机会。下文是学生在哈佛科研学习的过程中所写。供学生家长参考。

　　中文译文是编辑进行的整理，英语能力较好的学生和家长建议直接阅读英文。

　　Summary of Summer Research at Harvard

　　During the summer vacation, I got a wonderful opportunity to take part in research program in Harvard University, Harvard Medical School. It’s a wonderful experience deeply etched in my mind. So, subsequently, I want to focus on what I truly feel during this unforgettable two months.

　　暑假期间，我得到了一个极好的机会。参加哈佛大学的研究项目，哈佛医学院。这是一次深刻的体验。铭刻在我的脑海里。所以，接下来，我想关注一下什么，我真的感到这难忘的2个月。

　　Firstly, during this 2-month, I got my own task, study of DNA methyltransferase in D. Melanogaster.

　　During the work, I have learned many cutting-edge technology and skills, including CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out specific gene in the fly, PCR and NGS to authenticate it, UHPLC-MS to detect the methylation level and rearing the flies to test the behavioral difference between mutant and wild type, etc.

　　During the training, I have enriched my knowledge and skills in the tract of biology, which enormously compensate for my shortage of biological research experience since I major in chemistry.

　　This is of great help to allow me possessing a strong background of interdisciplinary research, inspiring new ideas as well as giving new thinking of how to bring the chemistry and biology together during subsequent studying, especially in my forthcoming PhD.

　　首先，在这一个月，我有我自己的任务，研究DNA黑腹果蝇核酸甲基转移酶。工作期间，我学习了许多尖端技术和技能，包括CRISPR-Cas9等技术手段，PCR和NGS鉴定，检测方法甲基化水平与饲养蝇试验突变体与野生型等的差异训练，我丰富了我在这方面的知识和技能。

　　生物学方面，这大大弥补了我的不足我主修化学以来的生物学研究经历。这对我有很大的帮助是很有帮助的。跨学科研究背景，激发新思路以及给化学带来新的思考。和生物学一起在随后的学习，特别是在即将到来的博士学位。

　　Moreover, in this two months, I not only did my own research, but also had several splendid chances to participate in the lab meeting of the Harvard research group.

　　I strongly feel the great difference between the American University and Chinese University. “Free for all” is the thing I mostly feel. In the lab meeting, you are permitted to do anything you like, talking, asking, even eating.

　　Though everyone can do anything they like, it doesn’t jeopardize the process of the presentation, the concentration of people, the stringency of the talking. All these things seen to be incompatible just join harmoniously in Harvard.

　　In sharp contrast, during lab meeting in China, everyone sits gravely and keep silent listening to the person who do the presentation on the podium without even a question to ask.

　　Maybe is that very ethos in American University giving them endless ideas to overcome one and another scientific conundrum. In that way, I think we should be more active and free during the lab meeting in order to generate more innovative idea.

　　To ask more, to talk more, so that to get more. But I don’t think in China we should allow eating and drinking during lab meeting because it seems a little chaos when someone speaking and someone eating and chatting in the meantime.

　　而且，在这两个月里，我不仅做了我自己的工作。研究，也有几次精彩的参与机会。在哈佛研究小组的实验室会议上。

　　我强烈感受美国大学的巨大差异中国大学。“自由”是我最喜欢的东西。感觉。在实验室会议上，你被允许做任何事情。

　　虽然每个人都可以做任何他们喜欢的事，不会影响到会议的严肃性和讨论的时效性。所有这些都被认为是不相容的。

　　哈佛和谐相处，在实验室里形成鲜明对比会议在中国，每个人都是严肃而沉默听做演示文稿的人讲台上连一个问题都没有问。

　　也许那是非常美国大学的精神给他们无尽的想法克服一个又一个科学难题。那样，我认为我们应该在实验室里更加积极和自由。会议，以产生更多的创新思想。问多说，多说，多争取。但我不认为中国应该允许吃喝在实验室开会，因为似乎有点混乱，当有人说话，还有人一边吃饭一边聊天。

　　What’s more, I always think that the strength of study of United States surpass China because of the cutting-edge instruments and enormous support of grants.

　　However, the truth is the instruments in China are no more obsolete than in US, the amount of grants in China is no less than in US, but why we can’t make much more breakthrough and cultivate much more Nobel Prize-level scientists in China.

　　Besides the less accumulation of experience in research since we start to study much more later than western world, another reason is the people, we lack high-active, self-discipline, self-pushing and innovative people.

　　In Harvard, post-doc fellows compose the most part of the lab members, while master students and PhD students compose the most part of the lab members in China, for example, my university, NJ University.

　　While the post-doc in Harvard are all mature and high-skilled scholar, students are immature and fledgling rookies. Moreover, when just look at students, the students, who already know what they want to do and can motivate themselves to achieve they wish, in Harvard are more diligent and hard-working than students, who mostly still need to be pushed forward by professor, in our University.

　　These differences talked above make our university less competitive than American University. If we want to match and even eclipse American University, we should more focus on the people, the pivot of research. We should think about how we can attract more innovative professor and high-motivated students to our university.

　　更重要的是，我一直认为，美国研究的力量，超越中国因为尖端仪器巨大的赠款支持。然而，事实是中国的仪器是没有比美国更陈旧，补助金额在中国没有比美国少，但为什么我们不能取得更大突破，在中国培养出更多的诺贝尔奖的科学家。

　　此外，由于我们开始学习的时间比西方世界晚得多，所以研究的经验积累较少，另一个原因是人，缺乏主动、自律、自我激励、创新的人。在哈佛，博士后是大部分人的组成部分。实验室的成员，而硕士生和博士生组成的中国，实验室的成员大部分为例子，我的大学，NJ大学。

　　而在哈佛的博士后都是成熟的和高技能的学者，学生是不成熟的和初出茅庐的新手。而且，当你看到学生时，学生们已经知道他们想做什么，并且能够激励自己去实现他们。希望，在哈佛，学生比学生更勤奋，更勤奋，而大多数学生仍然需要教授的推动。

　　上述差异使我们的大学竞争力低于美国大学。如果我们想匹配，甚至Eclipse美国大学，我们应该更加注重人民，研究的支点。我们应该考虑怎样才能吸引更多的人，创新型教授与高层次学生。

　　Last, in this two months, I developed friendships with a lot of post-doc fellows, including L, Z, A, Y, B. They gave a lot of help during my research and shed an insight to the puzzle, what I should do, what direction should I go during my PhD. I really acknowledge them for their cordial help and precious advises.

　　最后，在这两个月里，我与很多博士后研究员，友谊包括L, Z, A, Y, B。他们给了很多在我的研究过程中提供帮助，让我对这个难题有所了解，我应该做什么，在博士期间我应该去什么方向。我真的真的感谢他们热诚的帮助和宝贵的建议。

　　2-month summer research is over, but my research has just begun. I got an opportunity to do my bachelor thesis in Harvard Medical School and I will find more in the subsequent work. I can continue to fulfill my wish and make up my regret in Harvard, to say more, to express more, to contribute more.

　　2月的夏季研究结束了，但我的研究才刚刚开始。我有机会在哈佛医学院做我的学士论文。学校和我会在以后的工作中找到更多的工作。我可以继续履行我的愿望，在哈佛大学弥补我的遗憾，更不用说表达更多，更多的贡献。