Last year, when I founded NeuroBead, I based it on the idea that scientists like myself would want to see beautiful images from their research commemorated as pieces of art, that they could display on their walls. Many academic institutions, especially neuroscience departments, decorate their hallways with enlarged photos of cells that were taken under... Continue Reading →
It has been a while since I have given an update on my beadwork. While I was working on the hair clips I have described in my previous posts here, here and here, my older daughter suggested a new idea. She has all of the symptoms of a child raised by scientists. Her most recent... Continue Reading →
Here is the next piece in the series. It was inspired by the following image, which unfortunately did not have a description. While I cannot say for sure, the filaments labeled in yellow reminded me of stress fibers. Stress fibers consist of actin microfilaments and act like tiny muscles inside the cell, allowing the cell... Continue Reading →
Here is my 2nd creation for the girls' hair clip series. It is a simplified version of a beautiful image of mouse fibroblasts that made it on the list of "35 Years of the World’s Best Microscope Photography" While I could not recreate the whole glory of these cells in a small hair clip, I... Continue Reading →
I have recently received a suggestion from a fellow scientist to try making biologically inspired hair clips for young girls. This idea combines a few passions into one. First and foremost, it gives me a new avenue to explore in my artwork. Second, it allows me to makes smaller projects that will be easier to... Continue Reading →
In October I wrote about a short getaway that brought me some peace. I wrote about the way I enjoyed that mini-vacation. The part I omitted however, was the highlight of my stay. It was right around the time that I started to spread the news about NeuroBead. I thought I had nothing to lose... Continue Reading →
This Tuesday I published my next blog post about Sholl analysis. Crickets. For some strange reason it only got one view and no likes. I guess people are taking off for their holiday break already and/or are busy with last minute gifts. I also tried out the "Get followers" app, which sort of made me... Continue Reading →
I have always been attracted to symmetry. Ever since childhood, symmetry and equilibrium have always put me at ease and gave me a sense of aesthetic satisfaction. In graduate school, I studied the process of differentiation (read "development") of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons have beautiful architecture, but are never actually symmetrical. Yet they still... Continue Reading →
When I made the decision to start NeuroBead, I began to browse the internet for some inspiring images of neuronal cells in culture. The perfect picture had to meet several criteria. It had to be colorful, bright and vibrant, scientifically accurate and detailed, and yet simple enough to make in my first attempt. For my... Continue Reading →
Last week, I wrote about pushing the limits of science by thinking outside the box. In that sense, "thinking outside the box" is used quite figuratively to indicate how traditional thinking will not lead to new ideas, and constant innovation is necessary to achieve breakthroughs. In this post, we will examine the same concept in... Continue Reading →
SciArt that’ll make you feel Smart 