Scientific research is also a carnival of chasing hot spots.

This is how Li Zheng talked with Zhou Yi and Shi Yang at lunch.

Outsiders don't care, but for insiders, especially those in the biosphere, cryo-EM has been a super hot spot that has been chasing for many years.

With the Nobel Prize for cryo-EM technology three years ago, this hot spot has reached its peak.

In human terms, the biggest feature of this technology is that it is easy and simple to obtain 3D holographic images of macromolecular structures, thus completely "eliminating" structural biology, just as point-and-shoot cameras "wipe" old-fashioned film studios.

In the face of this attractive technology, domestic universities immediately followed up with the introduction of cryo-EM, and the initial feeling was as sacred as welcoming the "lithography machine", and whether or not to have their own cryo-EM has become a core indicator to measure whether the biological research institute is top-notch.

In recent years, with the decline in the price of cryo-EM, although this equipment is not so sacred, it is still a big guy who burns money.

Its acquisition cost of 5 million to tens of millions of yuan may not seem so exaggerated, but a device like this often requires several operation and maintenance personnel, and they are researchers with top education who have mastered this technology.

Scientific research is a matter that does not necessarily have results, but money burns all the time.

There are only two such devices, even if they are thistle, a high-end version of the hospital, and a relatively early ordinary version of the hospital.

Because of its scarce characteristics, it is necessary to make an appointment before use, and the appointment time is accurate to the hour, if several groups make an appointment at the same time, then who to use or not to whom, often can only rely on the subjective judgment of the big man in the hospital.

According to Zhou Yi's meaning, it is basically impossible for Li Zheng's group to use the high-end cryo-electron microscope of the hospital, and there is hope for him to apply for the institute in person, but it will not have too long to use, and it must be used under the monitoring and guidance of operation and maintenance personnel.

Inadvertently, this also leads to a dilemma in domestic scientific research.

If you want to get results, you have to buy high-end equipment.

It takes a lot of money to buy high-end equipment, but the total budget is limited, and more money will be given to units with better results in the past.

Ordinary units have no money, so they can't afford to buy equipment and produce results.

If you want to get results, you have to buy high-end equipment......

In addition to this cycle, the advantages of studying abroad research are also clearly demonstrated.

In some developed countries, such equipment is not very expensive or scarce, and it is often frequently accessed when you are in graduate school.

On the contrary, even at the University of Thistle, most graduate students in related fields do not even have the opportunity to take a look at such equipment from afar.

This layer of logic is like a nesting doll, which is connected to the dilemma of biochemical ring materials.

It is impossible for top-notch biochemistry graduate students who are proficient in using techniques such as cryo-EM to find jobs, and all major universities are rushing to send them to the establishment.

But most of the remainder often have very little chance of even touching it, and they are trapped in low-tech mechanical repetitive experiments all day long, gradually wearing out the world-changing ideals in the tedious and exhausting subject.

In the restaurant, Zhou Yi said to the end, and it was inevitable to lean on the back of the chair and sigh.

"Hey, the situation is much better now, when the equipment was first introduced, in order to grab a researcher with experience in the use of cryo-EM abroad, several major universities in China are eager to send a house, and now it would be good to send a household registration......

"Oh?" Shi Yang's wild hand suddenly stopped, and after chewing and swallowing it quickly, he asked Lehehe, "Then Lao Zhou, if I mix it up for a while, will there be a bunch of colleges and universities going to poach me?"

"That's pretty much it. Zhou Yi smiled and sighed, "You may think that if I say a few words casually, you can go to cryo-EM casually, but this feeling is one-sided." In fact, the reason why the project is so smooth and I support it so much is because you have already proven yourself in your studies and proved that you are one in a million, one in a hundred thousand, and one in a million. If you don't have this level of understanding, you may not have such an opportunity to graduate from graduate school. ”

I believe that. Shi Yang said to Li Zhengnu, "Boss Zhou is really interesting, it has always been, as long as I perform enough, Boss Zhou is willing to give any resources." ”

Li Zheng immediately raised the teacup: "Yes, I don't know how to thank Teacher Zhou anymore, try to speak with results." ”

"Just do your best. Zhou Yi raised his glass and smiled, "Although this topic is very interesting, I actually don't have much expectations, don't have pressure, exercise-oriented, it's good to be able to produce an experimental report that you can read, don't take it to heart if you fail, my request is just one point - don't break the machine!"

"Speaking of machines...... Li Zheng took a sip of tea, slowly put down the cup, and frowned slightly, "Is it so expensive?"

Zhou Yi spread his hands and said: "No way, there are no domestic ones, and it is unlikely to be available in five years, most high-end instruments are in this situation." ”

"What are the technical difficulties?" Li Zheng asked subconsciously.

"This is not my major anymore, but the teachers of the School of Physics and Engineering should know a little bit about it. Zhou Yi shook his hand and counted down, "Do one thing well and then think about the next, don't come here with me, these things in the manufacture of sophisticated instruments, it doesn't work if Da Vinci comes, give me a whole experiment, don't think about it." ”

"Yes, yes, pure curiosity. Li Zheng laughed.

If it weren't for the fact that he was identified as a disabled person by the Demon Learning System, he would have opened the engineering interface to study it.

......

On the other hand, Mr. Zhou Xiao, who was very interested in the topic of Li Zheng's group at the inquiry meeting, also went directly to the side of the student institute and found the old classmates who used to be the head teacher together.

It was also a simple meal in the cafeteria, and after Zhou Xiao explained the situation, the old classmate put down his chopsticks and explained to Zhou Xiao one by one.

"Zhou'er, how are you ......doing this?"

"If you want to push it down, it's not a matter of process. ”

"It's got to be a heavyweight. ”

"Either you Dean Niu Gang, go directly to our dean. ”

"Or persuade Professor Bing of our institute to make her desperate and must do it. ”

"Scientific research is like this, and in the end it is a struggle for resources between several big bosses. ”

"Cryo-EM is the most sought-after resource in our hospital. ”

"Zhang Shandong's judgment is right, there's nothing wrong, let's not get involved in this matter. ”

"Especially if a few undergraduates are messing around, and then there are some accidents, equipment damage, etc., they will be punished, not that the students will be punished, it is us. ”

"You listen to me, don't worry about it, it's useless to take care of it. ”

Zhou Xiao heard that in the end, the food tasted tasteless, so he simply put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.

"I just think...... This subject is really tackled. ”

"And Li Zheng's level can't be measured by the level of ordinary people. ”

"Take a step back and say, he can touch the Yellow River No. 2 with tens of billions, but he can't touch tens of millions of electron microscopes?"

"At this point, the recommendation letter from the old aerospace is very revealing. ”

"How much is a letter of recommendation worth?" the old classmate laughed, "What's the matter, something happened to hold the people in their space system responsible?"

"Li Zheng's level will not be wrong. ”

"You dare to pack a ticket?"

"I dare. ”

"Okay, even if you dare, and the leader believes it, and gives you the opportunity to take responsibility, but even if nothing happens, so what?" the old classmate clapped his palms, "Not counting the purchase price, do you know how much the maintenance cost of such a cryo-EM microscope is?"

"How much?"

"I don't know, but I just look at the operation and maintenance lineup and the consumables in and out, I have to eat at least tens of thousands of dollars a day, Li Zheng and they just occupy the resources, not to mention how much money is burned in vain, how to calculate the time to delay other topics? Who is not racing against time? Who doesn't have a big boss behind him?"

“......”

"Mature up, Zhou'er. The old classmate patted Zhou Xiao and said, "I know that you went to Yingpei to teach, you really recognize that concept, and you really want to make a name for yourself, but we can't risk our lives, and moths are not to fight fires." ”

"Why are you putting yourself at risk? Zhou Xiaoqiang smiled and pushed away his old classmates, "It's my duty to serve students, and I didn't think about how big things I did, I just felt that Zhang Shandong should at least reflect the situation to Dean Niu, we are not qualified to judge this level of subject, and should be handed over to the dean." ”

"Huh. The old classmate waved his hand and smiled, "I don't know what Dean Niu's reaction is, anyway, if you do this, then Zhang Shandong won't hate you to death, and it's hard to know that Dean Niu already knew, but he deliberately pretended not to know." ”

"Why do you deliberately pretend not to know?" Zhou Xiao asked incomprehensibly, "Our Dean Niu is not that kind of person!"

"Alas......" the old classmate shook his head and got up, "You're not too young, you're missing roots......"

Zhou Xiao followed and got up: "No...... We're teachers, aren't you complicating things?"

"It's very simple, talent is complex, and where there are people, it's naturally complicated, and it has nothing to do with identity and work. The old classmate picked up the plate and nodded and smiled, "But you have always been this kind of virtue without heart, so be it, I am just a greasy experience, not necessarily right." ”

The old classmates left, and Zhou Xiao stood in the bustling cafeteria, his thoughts becoming a mess like those leftovers.

He originally wanted to understand the situation, and then go to Dean Niu to report.

But now, he's starting to get uncertain.

In a moment of confusion, the phone rang.

"Hey ......"

"Yes, what about the cafeteria, Director Zhang. ”

"On a business trip?"

"Oh...... Okay, no problem. ”

"Okay, I'll go find him right away......"

Putting down the phone, Zhou Xiao sighed, and after repeatedly correcting the wording for a long time, he sent a text message out.

[Li Zheng, I'm Zhou Xiao, Zhou Xiao at the inquiry meeting. 】

[I asked the School of Biology, but it was difficult to get the equipment conditions. 】

[I also suggest that you come up with some topics that require relatively low resources. 】

[If you have to insist, I'm afraid you can really only use your personal resources.] 】

[Recently, I have been on a business trip for two months, whether it is persistence or new questions, you can find me for any questions. 】

After sending, before he could put away his mobile phone, Li Zheng had already replied in seconds.

[Thank you, Mr. Zhou, you did the right thing, I have my method, you don't have to regret it. 】

You must be a good teacher. 】

[Li Zheng. 】

Seeing this reply, Zhou Xiao finally squeezed out a smile.

It's probably because of this sentence that I stayed in school.

......

Zhou Yi not only looks like a prosperous boy, but even does things very prosperously, and the experiment has been finalized in just three days.

From September 8th, a week's time, 7-11 o'clock every night, 4 hours of use, plus a number of consumables.

It was only 28 hours a week, which was undoubtedly a far cry from the 45 days he had originally judged, but according to his intentions, he could continue to apply as long as the experiment went smoothly and showed even the slightest chance of producing results.

Of course, Li Zheng was grateful and used all possible ways to prepare for the experiment.

The marginal group of science then entered the preparatory phase.

It felt like a bunch of people who wanted to drive a car but couldn't afford it, only to have one chance to test it and prove to Ferrari that they could do it.

So, before the test drive, they desperately took every possible way to simulate driving.

Just like memorizing every turn of the track, hard memorizing every experimental link.

It's like learning from the experience of a good driver, and devour every lab paper and extremely limited video from home and abroad.

In the end, even Lin Moming shouted-

"No one knows cryo-EM better than I do!"

The reason why I really shouted it out was mainly to vent.

In the past few days, she has been in the underground discussion room, and Li Zheng has been translated and vomited by Li Zheng!

The main reason is that Mo Nian's English level is too poor, because of the escort, his English is still at the level of junior high school.

And in this frontier field, as the main force of experimentation, it is impossible to do it without gnawing English materials.

Why?

Because even the top papers in China are only available in English.

In this endless translation work, even Lin Moming completely understands this thing.

This can be regarded as science learning in disguise, and the growth of Kobayashi's academic ability is visible to the naked eye.

As for the leader, he has also been developed with even more magical functions.

That is the assembly simulation test bench.

According to these legends of cryo-EM, he searched for materials everywhere, and built a set of similar simulation equipment in the basement, and even got liquid nitrogen.

After a lot of hard work, I finally waited for the day of September 8th.

As the sky gradually darkened, the members of the science marginal woke up one by one.

No way, only these 4 hours at night.

You can only get enough sleep during the day to make the most of this limited time.

18:40, at the entrance of the chemical courtyard.

A lonely fat house has been waiting for a long time.

Shi Yang and the others were here, and they wanted to pretend to be forced.

But as soon as he saw Lin Moming, he was not good.

"Who is this? no matter what, you can't bring your children here!"

Lin Moming glared at her with hostility and said the mantra she used to vent during this time: "No one knows cryo-EM better than me!"

After some explanation, Shi Yang quickly returned to his original state.

I just didn't dare to speak, my face was completely red like Wangwang, and I kept peeking at the same time.

I was nervous and went to the toilet.

Fortunately, at 18:58, I rushed back to the door of the cryo-EM laboratory in time.

Here, a group of six people is ready to go.

Although the heart was beating wildly, it was still under control.

Even if they have never seen the real thing, no one knows cryo-EM better than them.

This small experiment, which is not complicated, has been silently honed for hundreds of hours.

Especially Mo Nian.

He was experimenting in his dreams, and he was dreaming when he was awake.

The practice of the power of meditation has found such a breakthrough for the first time.

Looking at such a person, Li Zheng finally glared.

"Don't grind, fuck it!"