Featured image: Chimera of Arezzo, Etruscan bronze statue. Image by I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 Chimera is a well-known creature from Greek mythology. If you are unfamiliar with chimera, imagine a fire-breathing monster that is part lion, part goat, part snake (and sometimes also part dragon). Pretty hard to picture, right? Other than in Greek … Continue reading Chimeras: the biology, not only mythology
Epigenetics 101 and the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)
As you might know, DNA is the genetic material that allows for life as we know it to exist. If you want to know more about what DNA is made of or how was it discovered, check out our previous posts "It's in your DNA" and "The secret to life past and present" by Siobhan … Continue reading Epigenetics 101 and the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)
What hides in your dinner?
You might not know that when you eat a 200-gram burger, you are also consuming 3,000 liters of water (around ten full bathtubs of water) and 5 kg of grains. That doesn’t literally mean you are drinking this water or eating that amount of grains, of course; otherwise, you wouldn’t feel the thirst to order … Continue reading What hides in your dinner?
Microglia: the nostalgic handymen of the brain
Ok, it is finally time to talk about my favorite cells, which have been the focus of my research for as long as I can remember: the cute little cells in our brains called microglia. If you didn’t know that we have many different cell types in our brain besides neurons, check out my previous … Continue reading Microglia: the nostalgic handymen of the brain
Vaccines (part 2): how they are developed and why it takes so long
Featuring Siobhan Brushett Featured image by Arek Socha from Pixabay If you haven't read the first part, check out our previous post - Vaccines (part 1): how vaccines work in your body If you are interested in attending a free, online virtual meeting focused on COVID-19 and hosted by the European Society for Clinical Virology … Continue reading Vaccines (part 2): how they are developed and why it takes so long
Vaccines (part 1): how vaccines work in your body
Featuring Siobhan Brushett While many vaccine trials against COVID-19 progress around the world to ensure their safety - and soon their efficacy - we have recently seen that Russia has become the first in the world to approve a COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use. Russia has dangerously rushed this approval since it has not completed large … Continue reading Vaccines (part 1): how vaccines work in your body
Our current scientific system is unsustainable!
Before being part of the scientific community, I had a very idealistic view of how science works. I had no idea that there are inherent problems in our current scientific system, issues of which many scientists aren’t even aware. It is crucial to think about how to solve such potential problems that can threaten scientific … Continue reading Our current scientific system is unsustainable!
Is your brain 90% glue?
I bet you have already heard that humans only use 10% of their brain. This has even been theme for many movies and series in which super humans or drugs are able to unlock the full potential of the human brain, granting amazing abilities (yes, I am referring to the movies Lucy and Limitless). I’m … Continue reading Is your brain 90% glue?
SciFact 