Chloe and Karen are ambitious and independent-minded young scientists both trying to make
their mark in the competitive world of biomedical science. They work in Tom Palmer's lab at a
top-tier research institute in the US. Life in the lab is full of excitement and passion but
also frustrations jealousy and the fear of being scooped. When honesty and scientificintegrity
are questioned in the context of a paper accepted at a prestigious journal all are deeply
affected and everyone must decide what actions to take to save their careers. The primary
intent of this novel is to draw the reader into the lives of scientists and show what makes
people of this profession - or vocation - tick. Full of smart driven enthusiastic and yet
fallible individuals the story portrays the fascinating world of top-level science. It
illuminates motivations behind disastrous events that can emerge when ambitions clash with the
way science is supposed to work. The novel is complemented by an extensive interview with the
author on defining features of contemporary bio-medical research: the challenges of turning
discovery into publications (publish or perish) peer review women in science and of course
scientific misconduct. The latter has garnered growing attention lately including high-profile
stories in the popularpress and is a source of concerns for scientists funders and publishers
alike. About the author: Pernille Rørth holds a PhD in cell biology and genetics. She has led
research labs at top institutions in the US in Europe and in Asia including the Carnegie
Institution for Science (Dept. Embryology) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory
(EMBL). With 25 years as an active scientist she is senior author of numerous research
articles including some in the most prestigious journals in biology. She also served as
Executive Editor (Editor-in-Chief) of The EMBO Journal for 5 years. This is her first novel.
She now lives in Copenhagen with her husband also a scientist.
