The Post-Doc Experience at a Research University in a Large Lab*

What to expect when joining a big research lab as a post-doc? Are there advantages of choosing a big lab over a smaller one? What are the possible disadvantages? How can one make sure to get the most out of such an experience?
I joined my current lab in 2017, a relatively big group at Harvard University. Although my background is in Microbiology, I have been working in Soft-Matter since grad school. At Harvard, I found myself surrounded mostly by physicists working in multidisciplinary areas. My project involves the production of artificial cells, focused mostly on the development of an artificial nucleus. I have been able to combine what I learned from Biology with new techniques from the Physics of colloids to obtain interesting results.
In retrospect, I can say that joining a multidisciplinary group has been a key factor in developing my own research body, as I always have had to consider what aspects of it are relevant for people from other disciplines, particularly Physics. From my perspective, that is one of the best outcomes about joining a big lab as I can always count on getting my ideas challenged by colleagues with different approaches to Science.
A couple of aspects that most early-career scientists can expect are communicating with a busy PI and mentoring students. I will share a few tips from my own experience and colleagues in similar situations.