I need some advice. I discovered a new Hep B epitope that is going to be on a paper soon to be submitted to an okay journal, probably JVI. But because this is not a huge discovery, and it is not the focus of the paper, I'm not going to be on the paper or credited for the discovery in any way.

I feel there's something wrong there, because I did carry out the experiments.

but the idea behind the experiments was taught to me by my PI. The design of the experiment is a pretty standard design that we all use in the lab.

and so, am I simply lusting after something that I don't truly deserve? Like, some recognition for the work I did. After all, it is for sure a new discovery, and who knows, it may come in useful in the future for new vaccine development.

I am troubled by this. Because I feel cheated. Should I go and talk to my PI? I'm kind of afraid that he will laugh and say, what, you expect to be given credit for that little bit of work? Also because the cells I mucked up (those precious ones) were the clones that recognized this new epitope...

=(