English presentation skills: seminars in chemical biology

1. English presentation skills:seminars in chemical biology

2. Tell me and I'll forgetShow me and I may remember Involve me and I'll understand Chinese proverb

3. Overview of the course 1st lecture: General information Literature search & information selection 2nd lecture: How to prepare for a lecture Communication (verbal & non-verbal) 3rd lecture Powerpoint use Questions about chemical biology 4th lecture Video presentations + How to give comments

4. Overview of the course • Seminar 5: flash presentation (molecule) (3 min) • Seminar 5-7:short presentation (scientific paper) • Seminar 8-end: long presentation (topic/subfield in chemical biology) • Presentations: • Restricted to chemical biology • Paper free to choose • A list of topics + authors given in syllabus

5. Overview of the course • After every talk: • Comments about presentation style: negative AND positive • ~12 minutes (paper); ~ 20-25 minutes (topic) • Q&A • Input on presentation • lectures: recorded on video

6. Overview of the course • Presenter: gives presentation • Chair: introduces speaker + handle Q&A

7. Evaluation • Verbal communication • Non-verbal communication • Powerpoint slides • Content & explanation of presented topic • Handling of Q & A • Chairing a session • Participation in class

8. Attending the class “Seventy percent of success in life is showing up” Woody Allen “90% of success in this class, is showing up!” (max 1 lecture not present  otherwise extra assignment)

9. E-mail • verhelst@wzw.tum.de

10. English presentation skills: seminars in chemical biology Giving talks:Literature search

11. This section’s content • Flash presentation: what & why? • Short lecture: looking for a paper • Example: how to select information from paper? • Long lecture: how to choose a topic?

12. Short & sweet • Shortest ‘talk’: elevator pitch • Presentation of grant proposal • Show: essence + enthusiasm

13. Urea & the Beauty of Synthesis CH4N2O

14. Practical uses • Laboratory: denaturing agent • Medical/cosmetic: rehydration of skin • Agriculture: fertilizer

15. The first organic synthesis • Before 19th century: vitalism • 1828: 1st ‘organic synthesis’ by Friedrich Woehler: urea ‘I can make urea without the use of kidneys, either man or dog. Ammonium cyanate is urea.’ - Letter to Jakob Berzelius

16. Implications of the urea synthesis • 1838: Liebig & Woehler: Organic chemicals, like morphine, salicin, will be made in the laboratory. • Nowadays: complex molecules made Urea Taxol Woehler & Liebig, Ann. Pharm. 1838 Nicolaou, KC, J. Org. Chem. 2005

17. Information about molecules? • Use any source: • Textbooks • Scientific papers • Internet • … • Choose molecule by next week • Next week: schedule for talks will be provided

18. This section’s content • Flash presentation: what & why? • Short lecture: looking for a paper • Example: how to select information from paper? • Long lecture: how to choose a topic?

19. Chemical Biology Journals • ACS Chemical Biology • ChemBioChem • Several RCS (Royal Chemical Society) journals • Chemistry & Biology (older than 12 months) • Nature Chemical Biology (personal access: ask me) • Current Opinion Chemical Biology (reviews only) • See: www.wzw.tum.de/verhelst

20. Biochemistry journals • Biochemistry • Journal of Biological Chemistry • Biological Chemistry • Bioconjugate Chemistry • Etc.

21. Proxy server • http://pac.lrz-muenchen.de/ • Or go to www.ub.tum.de and click • ‘Elektronische Medien’ for more info

22. Searching for research papers • Browse the journals

23. Searching for research papers • Under ‘communication’, ‘letters’, or ‘full paper’ • NOT: • Review • Commentary • News & Views • Highlights

24. ACS Chemical Biology website

25. Scroll down ‘ASAP’ or ‘Early view’: papers not yet in print

26. Current Issue

27. Scroll down Reviews Letters

28. Likewise for other journals ChemBioChem Review/Highlight Communication

29. Find papers by topic/author • Use search engines: • PubMed • Web of Knowledge • Google Scholar

30. PubMed Search Advanced search

31. PubMed

32. Example: search on ‘Ting AY’ Direct link to paper

33. Reading the paper • Put in your presentation: • What is the hypothesis/goal? • How do they test this? • What are the results? • Why is it important? • (what is your opinion?) Make a good selection!

34. This section’s content • Flash presentation: what & why? • Short lecture: looking for a paper • Example: how to select information from paper? • Long lecture: how to choose a topic?

35. Site-specific labeling

36. Goal + short summary • Investigation of protein function, localization • Drawback of GFP: • Large tag (238 aa) • Used only for fluorescent imaging • Alternative: peptide tags  small molecules • Goal: specific introduction of small molecule tag

37. Goal + short summary • Tag recombinant proteins with small fluorophore using enzyme

38. Exercise • Which figures would you show and why? (restrict yourself to as few figures as possible)

39. Which results to show? • Personal interpretation • Make sure to show: • Concept of the approach • Not too many results

40. General comments • Advise: choose short paper • Make ~ 10 slides • Only show relevant information

41. This section’s content • Flash presentation: what & why? • Short lecture: looking for a paper • Example: how to select information from paper? • Long lecture: how to choose a topic?

42. How to choose a topic? • Review articles • A few related papers: • Same author • Different author, but similar (or contradicting) research • List of topics provided • You may choose other topic

43. Let me know your paper/topic • Prevent duplicate topics/papers • Allow yourself enough time

44. Questions?

45. English presentation skills: seminars in chemical biology Giving Talks:Preparing for a lecture

46. I'm not a teacher: only a fellow-traveller of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead - ahead of myself as well as you. George Bernard Shaw Irish Playwright

47. Why are talks important? • YOU are going to be judged on talks • Labmeetings • Job talks • Meetings/conferences

48. Top 10 fears 1. Public speaking 2. Death 5. Heights 7. Flying

49. Speaking in public • How do you think about giving a presentation? • Makes me feel nervous • How do you think about other people’s presentations? • Boring

50. What is a good talk? • Easy to understand / more advanced? • Entertaining / serious? • Lots of data / explain one example? Depends on the audience!