10 Feb, 2019

Crocheting the mitoribosome - a combination of a hand-drawn illustration with a real structure of the human mitochondrial ribosome. Ribosomes are giant machineries composed of protein and ribosomal RNA that synthesize proteins encoded by the genome. The genes within mitochondria are synthesized by their own specialized ribosomes - the mitoribosomes, represented by the crocheted structure in the drawing. Unlike other ribosomes, mitoribosomes are highly variable across species, yet the reason for

06 Dec, 2018

My new cover for EMBO Reports - illustrating how editing of RNAs prevents autoimmunity! Our immune system is extremely efficient in protecting us from foreign pathogens, yet at the same time requires self tolerance. A new paper shows that the protein ADAR1 is required for editing the sequence of RNAs to prevent them from being recognized as foreign by the immune system. When this process is perturbed, unedited RNAs inhibit the elimination of T cells that recognize self antigens, leading to

29 Sep, 2018

I designed a patch for a worm space mission!  The Molecular Muscle Experiment will be sending worms into space to study the negative effects of spaceflight on the body, and to help discover therapies to enable long-distance space exploration and treatments for muscle loss. The worms will be flown to the International Space Station, grown for several generations, then analyzed in the lab. The launch is scheduled for a SpaceX mission in November 2018! You can read more about the experiment here.

26 Aug, 2018

It's a wonderful honor to present my new drawing for this year's ASCB|EMBO meeting! The intricate patterns of our night sky have inspired many ancient cultures who connected the stars to create constellations portraying myths and legends. This 'modern' star map is a scientific take on zodiac signs - showing constellations that form some of the most widely used model organisms and cell types. These model systems have greatly facilitated research and allowed us to discover much of what is known