Cryo Mariena

About the only thing I feel like celebrating right now (well, along with doing a semi flawless cryo insertion)

National Academy of Engineering Elects 130 Members and 28 International Members The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) today announced the election of 130 members and 28 international members to its Class of 2026, said NAE President ...

Many congrats to our fearless leader @davidamuller.bsky.social www.nae.edu/19579/31222/...

I still got it. Doing a cryo insertion for the first time this year and it went beautifully. 22yrs and it's still there *chef's kiss.*

"Let's align our coordinates" valentine with Oxytocin receptor ("love hormone") aligned with vasopressin receptor

Use RCSB PDB's Pairwise Structure Alignment tool to compare existing PDB structures or Computed Structure Models (or upload a local file) #LoveDataWeek
www.rcsb.org/alignment

Bad Bunny in a field Light poles behind him

For those unaware about the significance of the light poles during the song El Apagón it’s because of the Puerto Rican power system and the constant black outs. There have been a lot of protests on the island over this.

Elmo @elmo · 1h That Bunny was AMAZING. Elmo thinks he should be called Good Bunny! Elmo loves you, Mr. Good Bunny! ❤️🎶🐰 Based Yankee @thebasedyankee You and Bad Bunny should be deported

It's not even midnight and we're already at "Deport Elmo."

The end of DOE’s grid work in Puerto Rico The Trump administration has canceled all eight of the remaining awards devoted to distributed energy on the island.

Just a few weeks ago, the administration cancelled all remaining department of energy grid resilience projects in Puerto Rico. All of them. www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-end...

I identify more with Gen X and I agree with this message

Like any good puertorrican, I've spent Bad Bunny eve cleaning the house, mopping floors, and threatening my family with hell if they step on said freshly mopped floor 😬

Ugh, that was me 2 weeks ago. Sending healing wishes your way.

Lastly, this one is for all of my fellow microscopists. Of all realms/modalities. A friend of mine wrote this a decade ago. She's a magnificent microscopist and I love her to pieces.

It's part of my job, young Padawan. Not only are we tool managers, we're finders of things, fixers of stuff, and sometimes we make magic happen 😬.

When one of your students asks that you keep an eye out for something and, so that you don't forget, send pics of when and where you found the something. Then they see you down the hallway and say thanks for finding the thing 😊

Honoring immigrants in research: The Vilcek Prizes in Biomedical Science Diverse voices overcome scientific challenges

Honoring immigrants in research
www.science.org/content/arti...

friends (and total strangers) ask how and/or why we do this. I always answer that we do serious microscopy in a very fun way. We know what it is to spend hours fine tuning or fib-milling a sample. We want to provide a safe (and hilarious) environment for all, saints included

On a lighter note, since Our Lady of Perpetual Stigmation was permanently relocated to Duffield Hall, we have a new Mary in the basement. For protection of the scopes, detectors and operators 😝

Mazel tov! This looks like a great set up!!

On happier or perhaps sillier notes, the Boss and my office mate (and a few coworkers) have survived my baking!! If funds for microscopy ever go poof, I may open a bakery 😝😝👩🏻‍🍳🍪🍞

It is when I remember those things that I still find joy. That I smile at the memories. And that it helps gives me strength when things get hairy or something acts up. It's those promises I hold on to when crap hits the fan.

And you know, the coolest part is that she didn't lie. She said the reason the scope was naked was because things would be coming off and on a lot (they did). That it would set records (it did). That it was hella high res (yup). And that wonderful things would be discovered (yes, again).

And it makes it bittersweet too. Because we didn't have enough time to see it all and celebrate.

But then I see things with my own two eyes. Discoveries, methods, microscopes, detectors that truly prove that and I say: I am a believer. It's so cool to see the ideas that were just that, ideas, become a reality, be talked about and published.

When I started working at the center, I remember being both surprised and a bit in disbelief about some of the things being proposed. Not because I didn't think the bosses in charge couldn't do them, but because I knew they'd be difficult, cutting edge, and would challenge our understanding

WEBINAR: Dr. Danielle Grotjahn, Scripps Research discusses how #cryoET shapes our understanding of cellular architecture, and analyzing data to extract quantitative insights: 10 Feb, 5 PM CET | 11 Feb, 5 AM CET

Register here: ter.li/zfiv48

#CellBiology #StructuralBiology #ElectronMicroscopy

And also for the random discussions (in person and online) that help shape who I am as a scientist. The people who encourage questions, however random, and who take time and diagram stuff on your whiteboard for future reference

These random thoughts are brought to you by the kindness of the users who notice the small things (like a note saying: stay away from this box or that menu, they're acting Satanic today) and they both thank you for the note and for being a good mama who babysits the tools when they need it

It is in those moments that you remember why it is that you do what you do.

And even when equipment draws blood or tears (or anger, and the wish to take a bat to it), you sit down, think through the problem, and craft a solution.

or you consult your (VERY random) mental Rolodex and remember this very random info or trick, and it helps solve an issue or point the way to a solution. Or you've been doing stuff long enough that you develop institutional memory/history

but there are days when one of the students or postdocs will have a rather obscure or esoteric question/idea, and they discuss it with you, and you explain the physics or biology of the issue and work on a solution