How to diagnose viral infections | 2 methods which one is best?
Reading Time: 10 minutes I was about to write another type of post for today, but people keep requesting the answer to one question above all this week. “How do we test for viral infections, and which method is the best?” To satiate your hunger for answers, in particular during these times when the world tries to battle the…
Coronavirus by age group | COVID-19 splitting generations
Reading Time: 10 minutes So much information about who’s affected by the coronavirus and COVID-19 that you ultimately feel like you know even less. Let’s divide the situation with the new coronavirus by age group and explain why we see symptomatic differences, and why everybody needs to participate in the recommended safety measures. The new coronavirus took the world…
Why keeping the cure for cancer secret is implausible and dumb
Reading Time: 7 minutes “Is it true that Big Pharma hides the cure for cancer?”, “Are conspirators keeping the cure for cancer secret?” You cannot imagine how often you get to answer these types of questions once you reveal yourself as a scientist, especially if you work with cancer. I’ve learned to see these questions coming from kilometers (miles)…
Biology vs. Trump: do we need a wall? | Liquid–liquid phase separation
Reading Time: 5 minutes In a world where walls seem to be the next big thing, science shows us this might not be the answer. It seems that our cells have a new superpower: they can control the function of specific molecules by “freezing” them, without having to confine them. This superpower is also known as liquid–liquid phase separation,…
The R0 of COVID-19: Dealing with the misconceptions
Reading Time: 7 minutes This post will try to rip apart some misconceptions around the basic reproduction number of an infection defined as R0 and, more precisely, the R0 of COVID-19, the new Coronavirus disease first identified in Wuhan, China. You’ll learn to debate my imaginary nemesis Chad who has no clue about R0 and COVID-19 but likes to…
How we deliver scientific thinking | The Ivory Embassy in 2019 and 2020
Reading Time: 4 minutes We know it’s too late to say it, but what the heck! Happy new year, fam! Lovers, haters, and in between, all of you. “Why the sudden good mood?” you ask. Because 2019 treated us well, 2020 looks promising already, and we’re now psyched to share our accomplishments of the past year and our plans…
Are CRISPR designed babies the future? Update 1 year after birth
Reading Time: 6 minutes The German news site n-tv.de interviewed me about a week ago about the possibilities and risks of the CRISPR gene-editing technology. The reason for this piece was the first anniversary of the CRISPR designed babies, the twins (with the pseudonyms Lulu and Nana). In short, a Chinese researcher and former associate professor at the Southern…
Creating better scientific stories. Should we fight fake fire with fire?
Reading Time: 7 minutes Using anecdotes in a scientific context may be a double-edged sword. Still, we need captivating strategies to replace pseudoscientific stories with better ones without losing accuracy and trust. The time my niece got a triple vaccine shot Let me tell you about the time my niece received a triple vaccination shot. She was about a…
Can we treat diseases with Cas12a (CRISPR)? Modifying multiple genes.
Reading Time: 4 minutes A Swiss team figured out how to modify multiple genes in one cell using the gene-editing CRISPR-system Cas12a. What do the findings mean for disease treatment strategies? Can we now treat diseases with Cas12a? In May, during our Amsterdam S.H.I.T. Show, we talked about the gene-editing CRISPR-Cas systems and how they enable you to cut…
Sex and gender | Blue is for Girls, Pink is for Boys
Reading Time: 6 minutes “Is it a boy or a girl?” The first question we ask about a new baby. But can we honestly answer it? Or is this distinction between male and female sex or gender trickier than we think? In our society, we accept that genitalia determines our sex and gender: if you are born with a…