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From Pipettes to Code: My Journey from Wet Lab to Dry Lab

Mansi Rana, THSTI

After years spent in the lab pipetting, running experiments, and troubleshooting everything from failed PCRs to stubborn gels. I started to wonder what else was out there. The idea of bioinformatics, working with data and code instead of chemicals and pipettes, felt both exciting and a little intimidating. So, I decided to make the switch from wet lab to dry lab.

In the wet lab, my days were filled with handling liquids, following strict protocols, and waiting for experiments to finish. The lab was full of equipment centrifuges, freezers, and biosafety cabinets all designed to keep things safe and controlled. But I wanted to try something new.

Switching to the dry lab meant trading lab coats for sweatpants and benches for laptops. Instead of running experiments with physical samples, I started working with data files and writing code. Mistakes in the code, like missing a colon or a comma, could bring everything to a halt, just like forgetting a key ingredient in the lab.

At first, the transition was tough. I spent weekends fixing code instead of cleaning up lab equipment. Sometimes, I felt isolated, staring at my computer screen instead of chatting with lab mates. Imposter syndrome was real, I often worried I didn’t belong in the world of programming.

But I soon realized that many of my wet lab skills were actually useful in the dry lab. Being precise and careful with measurements translated well to writing and tweaking code. Troubleshooting experiments became troubleshooting code. My obsession with controls and replicates found a new home in train/test splits and parameter sweeps.

Instead of leaving my wet lab background behind, I found ways to combine both skills. I learned version control, started attending biology seminars, and kept learning more about coding. Now, I can design experiments in the lab and also build the analysis pipelines to make sense of the results.

Moving from test tubes to data pipelines isn’t just a change in tools, it’s a whole new way of doing science. If you’re thinking about making the switch, know that it’s possible, and your lab experience is a huge asset. Whether you’re analyzing DNA sequences, proteomics data, or building new software tools, the journey from wet lab to dry lab is full of new challenges and exciting opportunities