The Efforts of a Scientist and Compulsive Crafter

I’m going to have two posts today, but I have been too eager to post this progress not to get this up. (For the before pictures of these, I think it’s post 2 or 3?)

Last night I finished the black wrapping, but I still need to finish the piping, and figure out what to do for a clasp. So they’re not done, but I like their direction. 

I know I said these were going to be pink, but my husband very graciously reminded me that I actually look horrible in pink, so I got a new dress in the same size for 14 dollars that needs some repairs, but is black with red highlights. I’ll post that one as progress starts with that. The next post will happen tonight, when I don’t look like a stressed-out MCDB student.

Also, I did change the name of this blog. I realized that not only do I have to make things, I HAVE to make things. If I don’t create something on a regular basis, I think I’ll go crazy. When my lab work is progressing, I need to make jewelry less, but right now is the waiting part of the cycle. I’m not posting half of what I have made in the last week. 

I am much less a celebrant of Valentine’s Day, vastly preferring Darwin’s day two days earlier, which seems to me more like a celebration of the pure amazing unlikelihood that we were born as us, let alone capable of speaking, understanding, or even communicating with other people. If you are able to find someone compatible enough to even elicit the emotions necessary to spend time with you, not to mention the amazing happening of emotions themselves… Okay, I ramble. This, though, is why I am an atheist, making clear this statement is about me only with no judgement of anyone else in the world, evolution and the amazing development of our species and all other species without any guiding hand save chance and animal nature, makes me tingly. 

Anyway, celebrate that you are alive and unlikely but real, and that you share this planet with billions of amazing and unbelievable creatures

Either way. Here is a head bandana and heart necklace I made, I am a romantic, just a realistic romantic.

Really quick upload. I am working on homework for my last semester, and the GRE which I am taking waay too soon. But to make myself feel like I am doing SOMETHING I made this is just under an hour. I love being smaller than my extremely attractive, fashion-savvy, world traveling sister-in-law. It means I get hand-me-downs! I got this skirt and immediately got it caught in the chain of my bike. I am a genius like that. So I fixed it. I will show it on me when I have time to actually set up a shot. Not now. Biochemistry now.

This is my *finally* completed first knit sweater ever. I actually crocheted a sweater a few years ago, which I will post another day, but this is my first knitting project, which I am pretty pleased with. 

This is my favorite piece I have made so far. This is also why I have had a delay in posting, in that I have been memorizing the structure and function of all 20 of the amino acids.

Right, by the way. This is all 20 of the amino acids and their codons. The amino acids being the building blocks of proteins and the mRNA sequences which code them for production by ribosomes. I made this for translation week, and my question was: “What is the difference between transcription and translation?” and “Does the protein contain a Stop sequence?”

The beads are made of sculpey, and painted with acrylic paint. They are each connected by wire. 

This is my Doctor Who scarf. It’s a few meters long, and I thought it would be a good post on freak snowstorm day. Additionally, though slow going, the shoe project continues with interruptions by Biochemistry and Neurobiology. My drawings are not my strong point, but this is the design I settled on for the shoes. And of course, the naked shoe, waiting for me to get a break in my homework.

This is the necklace I made for independent projects week. It is a very artistic rendition of the protein which I work on in my lab. This is LMP-1 an oncogenic protein in the Epstein-Barr Virus. Oh-ho! You say. Epstein-Barr causes Mononucleosis and nothing more serious than that, surely. I mean, over 90% of the population has it! And that is why it is hard to get funding to study. In fact, Epstein-Barr is an oncogenic gamma herpes virus, which has been linked to several different cancers including Burkitt’s Lymphoma and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. These are gross and horrible. Google them if you don’t believe me. So this, my dear readers, is not a broken choker, it is a six transmembrane domain protein which I cut into pieces, ligate to various GFP derivatives, and insert into human epithelial cells. Science is pretty much the coolest thing ever.

I’m not sure if everyone knows what this is, but this is both a genius and heinously evil device. It is an excellent way for 300+ classes to interact with the teacher, give feedback and check understanding of complex topics. On the other hand, if left in a backpack, without a case, it can cost an unimaginable amount in replacement batteries. So I made a case. It’s only paperboard, but it’s kept up with me through a few semesters, which I think is fair, I am betting on it lasting to graduation… fingers crossed.

Brief delay due to the freak flu going around. It seemed to have cycled my husband’s office, and my lab before finally finding me. Luckily, I have a magical new immune system since I finally got tested for allergies, and quit everything that was keeping me sick for most of my life. Garlic chili, eight gallons of water, and some video games, now I am back to the Neuro biology and Biochem mines. 

I present to you here three pieces, from three separate weeks. An animal cell with the accompanying question: What are three organelles in an animal cell, and what do they do? A plant cell: What is the key difference between plant and animal cells? And do plant cells have mitochondria? And mitosis, with the obvious question: What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Ah, the obligatory Caffeine and Serotonin. The Caffeine picture was taken eons ago, apparently after I had had too much caffeine… Sadly, I lost that particular piece, and haven’t had a chance to make a new one. The Serotonin was made in a series for some friends, first being my mother-in-law, who needed it most of all. So I generally call it “Susan’s Serotonin” for her. These were early on in my science learning, so I didn’t differentiate between Nitrogen, Carbon, and Oxygen, but my more recent pieces make a significant effort for that.