#scienceblog

The deep ocean is one of Earth’s final frontiers… but it’s also one of the most extreme environments for the human body. 🌊 From crushing pressure to endless darkness, your body would struggle to cope even a few meters below the surface.

This article breaks down the science behind extreme pressure, why humans would be harmed by it, and what it teaches us about life in the deep sea.

👉 Read the full post here:

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease, and ALS are some of the most heartbreaking conditions out there. They slowly rob people of memory, movement, and independence. What makes them even harder to fight is that, by the time symptoms appear, the damage in the brain has already begun years earlier.

Click Here to Access Full Article

So how do we catch these diseases before it’s too late? That’s the question we explored in our new review article published in Neurological Sciences:

👉 “MicroRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases: from molecular mechanisms to clinical biomarkers, detection methods and therapeutic strategies — advances and challenges.” 🔗 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-025-08419-w

🧠 What Are microRNAs (miRNAs)?

Think of microRNAs as tiny molecular switches 🧩 short RNA strands (about 22 nucleotides long) that help cells decide which genes to turn on or off. They’re incredibly powerful: a single miRNA can regulate hundreds of genes involved in neuron health, inflammation, and stress responses.

When these miRNAs get out of balance, they can drive the processes that lead to neurodegeneration.

🧪 What Our Review Found

Our article dives into how miRNAs are being used in three major ways:

1️⃣ As Biomarkers: Because miRNAs circulate in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, they could make early detection as simple as a blood test instead of invasive brain scans.

2️⃣ For Detection Technologies: We highlight cutting-edge tools like RT-qPCR, NGS, and biosensor platforms, showing how close they are to point-of-care diagnostics 🧫💡.

3️⃣ As Therapeutics: Scientists are now designing miRNA mimics and inhibitors that can correct abnormal gene activity — like silencing harmful proteins in Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. The biggest hurdle? Delivering them safely across the blood–brain barrier 🧱.

🚀 Why It Matters

MicroRNAs could be the missing link between molecular biology and real-world medicine. If validated, miRNA-based tests could: ✅ Detect neurodegenerative diseases years before symptoms appear ✅ Monitor disease progression non-invasively ✅ Open the door to personalized RNA-based therapies

But for that to happen, we need better standardization, larger patient studies, and smarter data analysis

💬 Final Thoughts

Science is moving faster than ever. What excites me most is how tiny molecules like microRNAs are helping us see the brain’s molecular “whispers” long before it screams for help.

If you’re a neuroscientist, molecular biologist, or just curious about the future of medicine, check out our full paper here 👇

Azam H.M.H. et al. MicroRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases: from molecular mechanisms to clinical biomarkers, detection methods and therapeutic strategies—advances and challenges. Neurological Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s10072-025-08419-w

2. Azam HMH, Rößling RI, Geithe C, Khan MM, Dinter F, Hanack K, Prüß H, Husse B, Roggenbuck D, Schierack P, Rödiger S. MicroRNA biomarkers as next-generation diagnostic tools for neurodegenerative diseases: a comprehensive review. Front Mol Neurosci (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1386735

Welcome particle enthusiasts! In our last post, we introduced the elusive Higgs boson and its importance in the world of physics. Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and get into the nitty gritty of how this tiny particle does its thing. Get ready to unravel the mysteries of the Higgs mechanism! The Higgs Field: The Universe’s Cosmic Molasses Remember our Hollywood party analogy from the last post?…

January Spread is Done! 

I’m really happy with the orgo doodles and color scheme for January (: 

A question many people ask me, and one that I frequently ask myself, is why attend graduate school? There are many different reasons to pursue a graduate degree; to be qualified for your dream job, to learn more about a field of interest, or to change focus areas from your bachelor studies, just to name a few! Regardless of what reason you choose to pursue a graduate degree, I cannot stress how important it is to have a specific motivation to pursue your graduate degree!! Graduate school is extremely challenging both mentally and physically, so it is critical to know specifically why you will dedicate your whole self to obtaining an advanced degree.

For me personally, my motivation to pursue graduate school was a combination of all three of these things. Although I knew I had to work hard in my Chemistry courses, my passion for the subject and interest in a biotechnology career in high school drove me to study Chemistry (on the Biochemistry track) in college. I enjoyed Introductory Chemistry but when it came to Organic Chemistry, I realized for myself  the challenge that came with the dreaded O.Chem. After pushing through a year of O. Chem, I continued my in-major course work with Physical and Inorganic Chemistry courses. These courses were no doubt academically challenging, but the greatest challenge for me was the loss of the spark of my interest in the subject. During the time when I felt I had lost my passion for chemistry, I took a genetics course and found my perspective was opened to the world of biology. The more biology courses I took, I realized that my passion was in the “Bio” side of Biochemistry; however, I was too far along in my undergraduate career to formally switch majors. Therefore, I applied to a Master’s program with the intention of making an academic pivot to engage in my newfound passion for biology. 

In conjunction with finding this new passion in my academics, I had the opportunity to learn more about the biotechnology industry by interning at a large diagnostics company. In this role, I not only experienced biology research in the industry space, but also had the opportunity to network with individuals in the organization both with and without advanced degrees. Through  my position and these career conversations, I found that my dream career would be as a member of a Research and Development team at a healthcare focused biotech company. As I met more and more employees in these positions, I found that to pursue my career of interest, a graduate degree would be necessary. To pivot academically as well as gain the qualifications for my dream job, I enrolled in a Masters of Science in Biotechnology program. 

About half way through my Masters program, I began to think about my next step academically and professionally. Being exposed to so many graduate students on route to their doctorate in my Masters, I considered continuing my graduate school journey and applying for a PhD program. The summer after my first year in my Masters program, I had the opportunity to gain work experience at a start-up company and was really able to see the job opportunities for someone with a PhD. I realized then that I would love to combine my passion for scientific research with my leadership skills as a means of one day managing a Research and Development team. However, for this career path, I felt my independent research skills and management skills needed development. Therefore, I decided to apply for a second graduate degree by pursuing a doctorate in Cellular and Molecular Biology. 

February Spread is Done!

Sorry it took so long to get this done. It’s been a hectic past few weeks. I’ve had 3 interviews this past month. I’m coming up on the last few so I’m excited to start narrowing down my schools! 

I hope you guys enjoy the spread! I went back to the minimal bullet journal monthly spread just because I’m super busy and felt the calendar was just not working for me. Any cool ideas for monthly spreads?? Let me know!