via The Science Jazz: Episode 6 – What do laboratory scientists do?
Today, the question is why do I say laboratory scientists are crucial people for research?
Last week I left us with the laboratory technologists, who I see almost in every research setting collecting all sorts of biological data.
In the second article of these series I also said that the research I’ve mostly been involved in aims to understand immune responses to different infections. How do you do that? By collecting data on the humans as well as on the pathogens.
So then, what data is this and how do we collect it? how do we detect the infections? How about measuring the immune response? Here are some laboratory methods and this is not an exhaustive list.
Microscopy:
There are a number of different types of microscopes. Some just magnify and enable visualisation of small objects. with more elegant microscopes, you could image cells, atoms, small molecules to study their structure and formation.
PCR:
You detect the DNA of the pathogen in blood or other tissue from the body. Mostly used for Virus detection. We also use it as a confirmatory test for some infections.
Flow cytomety
This method helps us study each immune cell type and what it does during a state of diseases.
Blood and cell Cultures
Here, essentially you try to recreate in the laboratory what happens in the body during infection. It helps us to study immune responses in real time.
ELISA
Based on what I shared in the immunology post. Every pathogen gets a specific immune response. So this test helps us measure the amounts of antibodies and other “immune systems chemicals” in the body in response to a specific infection.
Microarray
This one I will spare us the details but it enables us to measure immune responses to multiple pathogens at the same time.
Sequencing
Used to study relatedness, origin and differences between genomes (genetic material and its arrangement) of organisms at all levels.
There are other fancy laboratory methods that I won’t discuss here.
But bottom line is all these manipulations, setting up and optimizations, generating and curation of the data is done by the…. drum roll please.🤗 Laboratory Scientists.
#Let’s Talk
PS: Those graphs are PCR outputs. Just for showing off cute things🤩
At the start of these series, I shared how I get all these questions about medical research that finally led me here.
I’m glad that this sharing is answering some of those questions. Today’s piece is inspired by conversations that go something like this:
“So…🤔, if I take an infected person’s blood and look at it in the microscope, will I see the HIV”?
Or statements like, “She said that the malaria virus is carried and transmitted by the mosquito.”
I see you.😉
Yes the malaria-causing parasite is carried by a mosquito BUT it is not a virus. And, no, ideally you can’t see the HIV virus or any virus in that case with the normal light microscope.🤗
You know, these statements are said innocently. So, let’s get some basics about microorganisms or pathogens.
Welcome back from the weekend friends. I hope you had great ones.
We’re back! A few of my friends couldn’t wait for this piece. Here we are.
a) Viruses
These are usually so tinny. You can’t observe them under a normal light microscope. If someone is infected, you could test for an immune response to the virus, or detect the virus’s genetic material in the host. Examples of viruses are HIV, Influenza virus, Polio virus, Measles virus, Ebola virus, Corona virus.😅 some people are thinking don’t mention that ka word, it has kept us at home for months.😂😂😂 It is alright. moving on…
b) Bacteria
These are bigger, they can be seen under the normal light microscope when stained. These include the pathogens that cause TB, Cholera, Tetanus, Diphtheria.
c) Fungi
These are also relatively large. I should say I’ve not worked with these before. However they cause infections on the skin, feet etc. They cause diseases such as Candida, ringworm infections, athlete’s disease, yeast infections.
4) Worms
I think these are the largest. Examples include Hookworms, Worms that cause Bilihazia, etc. These also can be seen under a normal microscope.
5) Protozoa
Also big enough to be viewed under a light microscope. Here is where the malaria parasites fall. Hahaha… I have some friends who had never thought of this.😅 those friends included me at some point of my life.🤪 Ok but now at least you know it’s not a virus.
All these basically turn on different parts of the immune system and we can measure what response a body gives to each of these.
PS: I hope you’re enjoying the reading as much as I’m the writing.. hihihi.🤗
#Let’s talk
First, I am really happy for you my friends.🤗 You’ve been such awesome students… hahaha. But seriously I know some questions are getting answered. As for some of my people that are asking for certification especially after the immunology piece.🤣🤣. It is well…
In case you are new here, You’re very welcome. You might want to check out the previous articles on this same page to follow this piece nicely. And, for the “always here” please welcome the rest.🤗
Alright… We were still getting familiar with what different scientists. Today, I will share briefs about Chemists, Phamacists/Pharmacologists, Social Scientists and Data Scientists. We will still use the HIV example introduced earlier in this piece.
Setting Scenario 2:
Remember, we now have an idea about how the body responds to pathogens and how pathogens try to escape the system. With this information, we can start to think of designing a drug against our target pathogen as well as it’s cycle.
With no scientific jargon briefly for HIV, the cycle looks like this in steps: 1. HIV enters the cells (one of those group-2 ones) called CD4 cells. 2. Hijacks the cell system. 3. Then the virus makes the cell’s system to make copies of viral genetic material and proteins. 4. Then the infected cell divides creating more copies of the virus which infect other cells and the cycle continues.
After knowing these details, the next mountain is finding “molecules” that can interrupt any of or all the steps of the cycle. Please note that the approach usually differs for each pathogen. This one is for the HIV example.😊
Any phamaceutical drug is really made up two basic groups of components; the active and inactive ingredients.
6. Chemists
These deal with understanding compounds, atoms and tiny molecules. How do they appear, how do they behave, what makes one compound attracted to another, how can they be modified for use. Using our scenario case, in early development, the chemist will analyze and understand the ingredients needed to interrupt the cycle. And how to package these into a tablet/pill that is palatable. He will make sure that the different components of the pill can exist in the same space without reacting with one another unless desired so. He will optimize the contents of each component of the pill.
7. Pharmacists
Many people tend to think a pharmacists only dispenses medicines and most times I wish more pharmacy students can Major in Pharmacology. So friends in the pharmacy field please explore the research field🤗. Anyway so, using this scenario, A pharmacist may be interested in understanding the pharmacokinetics of the drug. That is, how much of it gets to the desired target, how much stays in the body, for how long? Endless questions. I hope you get the picture. But all to understand the dynamics of the drug and also optimize dosage.
8. Social scientists
Social scientists, some of my much loved talks are from these guys.
In this case, yes you have designed the drug, yes it helps people, we know it works and people need it. But all the science we do is to better the community. How do we get the community’s response and impacts of the drug on especially the social life of the people. In otherwards it’s effects in the community? How do people perceive it, do they use it, if yes- why and if not- why not? What other ways do people treat the illness? Which group of people need the drug most etc. In addition, if there are measures of prevention, are they being implemented, if not why not. I hope you can imagine this.
9. Data analysts
This group of scientists deals with data that is collected for any purpose in the field. They convert numbers or values of measurement into interoperable, story telling figures or pictures. Well most times being able to analyze summarise and interpret your data as a molecular biologist, epidemiologist or chemist or any other category of scientist is necessary. However, these data guys are a “must have” for literally every research group. As we will see later, you can have many GBs of data, and tens/hundreds of datasets from your research over a period of time. This person will make statistical analysis neat and also they do software development. They are the gurus of data visualization.
10. Laboratory technologists
These I usually like to say a pivotal people in medical research. They collect most if not all the data that the rest of other guys need! However we will understand these better after I share about the components of research and what kind of data we might collect during laboratory work. These people are almost in every research sector! So cool.😎
Awesome!
Tomorrow and Sunday, we will rest and chill. No articles but rest.
So, see y’all Monday. Enjoy the weekend.
#Let’s Talk
PS: What I might do for the weekend.
photo credit: I bought them already🤣
Hey people, let’s continue with our adventure into Medical Research.
Where we stand now, the epidemiologists, immunologists, molecular biologists, microbiologists and virologists have made their critical search and we have some information about these questions.😊
Who is infected, how, when, how many?
Are some people resistant or susceptible and why? What does the Virus look like? Which parts make it able to enter the body cells, which cells does it infect? Why does the human body fail to clear it?
These answers usually feed into a start of the journey toward drugs and vaccine discovery and development.✨
However I think, we need to have an idea of how the body and pathogens interact for us to connect this data from yesterday’s scientists’ work to the next journey. This journey will be our scenario2 that we will use to describe work by another group of scientists.
So how do pathogens and the body interact? Get some popcorn🍿
I once sat in a lecture by one great immunologist and he likened the immune system to an army and an immune response to a fight by the army against the enemy.
Immune system = An army
Pathogen = Intruder or enemy
Immune response = A fight
I will borrow that analogy for us today.
The immune system is made up of two parts- groups of fighters: Group 1: Officially called the innate system. and Group 2: Official name adaptive system.
Group-1 soldiers
The soldiers in this group are quick to respond, they recognize the “physical features/patterns of the enemy”. They also help make the enemy’s invasion process slow giving time for Group 2 fighters. They also release alarms to alert Group 2 guys of the danger and “open cold showers on them to wake them up from sleep”.
Troops in Group 1.🤺🏇
Troop a) They are vampires hahahah. We call them macrophages, they “eat” intruders. They also take pieces of the pathogens let’s call these intruders IDs, to Group-2 cells.
Troop b) These are information processors aka Dendritic cells.
These guys process and present invader IDs “personally” to Group-2 cells.
Troop c) These are the alarm sounding and “cold shower opening cells” . They produce chemicals that activate and recruit other cells and some of these chemicals also kill invaders.
These cells however, are said to have no ability to remember the intruder the next time he comes back. Which is why we need…
Group2 soldiers – The adaptive system
These have just 2 troops
The T-cells and B-cells. These two words are easy to remember. So, once they receive IDs from Group 1 guys, they know who they are fighting. They are specific for each intruder. And also they remember him whenever he comes back. They produce chemicals that kill the enemy themselves, trap the enemy for “vampires to eat” and also to wake up other cells/multiply them.
When an infection is cleared, some of these group 2 cells keep surveilling the body, on guard for any second/next invasion by this enemy. Some are kept somewhere in a reserve barracks(this sounds so bad! hahahahahaha.) as start up stock for a similar fight in future.
On the other hand, The pathogens/intruders also know how to escape this organized system.
They could change their IDs which is called antigen variation, or could hide in some cells of the body, or pretend to be dead: scientifically called dormancy, they may build a wall of resistance around them, or send false “seize fire messages” to the immune cells, or enter and kill off immune cells.
Now, this is the kind of detail that the former group of researchers: specifically the Immunologists, Molecular Biologists, Microbiologists and virologists gather.
This information then feeds into thoughts of designing drugs and Vaccines. Don’t worry if you can’t tell the real difference between these two, we will describe them as we go on.
#Let‘s Talk
PS: Making Immunology simple to understand is NOT simple.🙆♂️
PS 2: Bow when you meet an Immunologist.🤣🤣🤣
PS 3: All ye my friends MUST, HAVE TO, SHOULD now understand some of the scientific memes I shall post henceforth.🤨😒
From yesterday’s piece, we got a short list of people that make up a medical research team that contribute to answering scientific questions.
As promised, today I will briefly describe what they focus on.
If you get intrigued by any of these, feel free to ask follow up questions or read more about their fields of expertise. I will give scenarios of health problems and questions that each aims to adress just to aid our imaginations. Let’s get started.
Scenario 1: Imagine HIV has just showed up in the population. No one knows about it at all, what it is and how it looks like, how it behaves in the human body. We just know someone becomes very sick, loses much weight and all other diseases can easily infect them.
However, some people, even when they are infected, they take long to become sick or do not become as sick.
What is at play here is we need to understand this pathogen, how does the human body fight it, how does one get infected, how does the virus enter the cells or whatever organ they invade. Answering these questions will help us then know how to devise ways of killing it (ie develop a drug against it, control its spread etc).
- Epidemiologist
This person aims to understand: What is the infectious agent of this disease, where does it come from, which other agents does it look like, who is infected, who is not, where are the infected people in a specific population, when were they infected? In otherwards what is the origin and patterns of spread of HIV? - Immunologists
Now, I think we know or at least we all suspect(in which case I say the suspicions are true)- that our bodies are wired with “fighting equipment 🤣” that they need to clear any invaders or intruders (infections).
Immunologists study that part of the human being. In this case they will investigate what happens when one gets HIV, which equipment does the body engage in the fight, what makes it fail to clear the infection, how can we help it to fight better? and many other questions. Generally they will try understand the body’s “disease fighting troops and equipment” against any pathogen. So cool right.😍 - Microbiologists
Just like the name, these people aim to understand all there’s to know about microbes. Ok, roll not your eyes… Microbes are microorganisms or “tiny organisms” that cause diseases. They range from bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists to… well there’s a debate about whether viruses are microbe or not (This discussion, unless you want to go there!) I like saying they are microbes too. So these microbiologists dissect all details about microbes. - Virologists
I will talk about these next because they relate to the former group but, their focus is entirely on viruses.
They in this case will try figure out, what does the HIV look like, what parts allow it to enter the cells, how does it reproduce, does it evolve? (evolving is “changing in characteristics over time”), why does it evolve, what protects it from the immune system? because ideally, the system should clear it, why does it fail? I know we are together.
Ok, we can’t do all of them today. I will share just one more. Then let’s carry over the other research people to tomorrow.🤗
- Molecular biologists
These people in our settings, examine genetics of humans and pathogens. They mostly work with genetic material that is DNA and RNA, but also with proteins sometimes. They want to know, how organisms genetically different from each other. In this case how is HIV different within itself? What are the different strains/groups and subgroups. Are some more dangerous than others? What about people? Are there genetic differences between them that makes some of them resistant or susceptible(“easy prey”) to HIV?
Using our scenario, all these are working together towards understanding HIV in different angles. More tomorrow.
Let’s Talk!
PS: Sometimes I can’t sit the office the whole day. Outside let’s me see people walking around.🙈
What is Medical Research? — Team Work.
If I were to describe the medical research field with short words: Teamwork, Dream, Imagination, Passion, Empathy, Staying-Power, Dare, a little bit of more hours-just like all other fields really, But, at the axis is CURIOSITY.
This I write to say therefore that anyone with those qualities can absolutely enjoy this field. YOU MUST BE CURIOUS enough to keep understanding and discovering. That’s where the fun is.💃
Today I will share about how I view my field as a piece of team work.
The Team.
Where I work, we study mostly about how the body responds to, infection, Vaccines and drugs. #BigSummary! #NoScienceJargon!
As you can imagine this would involve people who can answer bits of it in a neat way until you have a full picture of the question.
I cannot in any way exhaust the list of people involved but this is an attempt.
Immunologists
Microbiologists
Chemists
Molecular biologists
Epidemiologists
Computational Biologists
Mathematicians
Social scientists
Data scientists
Physicists
Virologists
Clinicians
Laboratory technologists
Pharmacists
Physicians/Clinicians
All these people focus on different aspects of research and depending on the question to be answered or the kind of research, different categories of people from this list will be involved.
You’re probably thinking “Anha, now where does she fall!”
Let us first describe what each of these people do in tomorrow’s piece!
Let’s Talk
Hey people, I have a fun and cool thing I want to do. I have worked in the field of Medical Research for *many years now (well currently in school for my MSc) but I count that time as work time too.😎
Before I name the cool thing I want to do, let me tell you how I got here.
- I absolutely love what I do.
- Many people however can’t quite fathom what it is about.
Well I understand where they are coming from. A research scientist is not one of those careers that people are told about during the famous “career days” in school.
Many of my colleagues and I often get questions such as?
- Wait, sooooo.. are you a doctor or a nurse?🤔
- Do you work in the hospital?
- But What really happens in that fence where you work?
I often say “Noo! it’s a research centre! We research/study about diseases, pathogens and how the human body/drugs fight off these pathogens”
- But how do you do that?
- How do you people discover a drug that cures something?
- But is a vaccine the same as a drug😎
- So is malaria caused by a virus?
- Oohh But can you see HIV through a microscope?
- Some young people have asked me about, what subjects, university degree etc do you need to do what you do?
Many Many questions we have had to answer so often. So I thought, How about I share basics about this field!
- Just so a lay man can have an idea🌞
- As well, a number of young people may be inspired to join the fun field.♥️
That is the fun thing.👌
Throughout the next two weeks, I will attempt to condense basics of medical research and share some of my experiences so that everyone out there gets a glimpse of this fun world in a series of short easy to read articles.
Feel free to tag all curious minds… that like knowing about things outside of their field of operation and all your young brilliant minds that love science.
Let’s Jazz!
Categories
A call to Worship
Almost a year later!
I see that look!!
Yes it’s been a while. Anyway, I have always wanted to share this story, so here it is!
My journey of leading worship or singing.
Hopefully someone will be encouraged or have a good laugh or learn a thing or two.
“My singing career started…” hahaha. OK. Sounds cool when celebrities say that. Moving on…
When I first was part of a singing group was in high school. It was a catholic school and we had, still have the winning choir in equal voices at every year’s competition.
I joined the school in Form two in the second term but didn’t join the team until the following year. I really loved to sing but I didn’t have the confidence to do it before crowd and also, I was not sure I had the voice worth listening to.
I remember when I went for auditions, the choir master played some notes alone the keyboard scales as I sang them, he looks at me and says “join any voice you want” The choir was divided into 4: soprano 1, 2, and alto 1,2. Well I chose soprano 1 because I liked still do love singing high notes. Though a debate went on in my heart about why the guy didn’t just choose for me where to go like he did others.
Anyway, life goes on I enjoy all the trips to different places for the competitions and the late-night rehearsals, I could sing the whole night and never get tired. Here in the choir is where I learnt basics of music. I loved every bit of my life in the choir.
I join university and joined no music team. Why? I felt like all the teams I tried to join were jokers, being a perfectionist then, I wanted people to know songs beforehand which the case wasn’t, I really had little patience for bad singing or slow learning of songs before rehearsal. I was also used to having a “serious” team leader, so I found the leaders of the choirs at campus to be unserious. I decided that I would do my books and have peace learning songs and singing in my room.
While at campus I joined worship harvest ministries. If you have encountered this place, you know being a pew warmer is not your option for a long time. Before long worship harvest Entebbe was planted, meaning I could not go to the Kati Kati location during holidays anymore since home was in Entebbe, that’s how I join the worship team at Entebbe. Please note, there is a fat difference between a catholic choir and a contemporary team where when you are the worship leader you have the loudest microphone.
Some people love those loud microphones from when they are you, I HATED it. It freaked me out hearing my voice not just through the monitor but louder than any other person’s voice. I was so self-conscious that it paralyzed my whole being. I was used to “sing loud enough but soft enough to hear your neighbor”. This was all new and frightening. I still loved sing but dreaded the microphone. I was fully convinced that I wanted to be a backup forever, don’t push me to lead.
My leaders on the other hand, had seen something that they were not going to have chills for even if I cried. The put me on the rota to lead worship for months. For many weeks the congregation didn’t know who led worship because I refused in fear to take charge and lead during the sessions! How selfish!! Anyway, since my leaders had their decision made and I couldn’t leave the team, I allowed to fail until I learn.
Every Sunday I led worship, I didn’t listen to the word because I was busy beating myself up on what I missed to do, how I didn’t sing as well as I want to, wondering whether I obeyed God in the session, were people ministered to, did they meet God. And soon God started to address all my issues, one by one. Training me to trust Him, to love my voice, challenging me to grow it, to learn music, to prepare the best way I can beforehand, to learn His voice, how does he communicate to me. Soon I started to grow as a worship leader and started loving it.
I started to see what God was doing in me. I started to learn to let go of me and embrace God working in me. I am still on this road of discovering this ministry through music. What does it mean “to minister unto God”, What does it mean “to be at the forefront ushering people into the presence of an awesome God”, what does “worshipping God with all I am” mean to me?
Last year I moved to Kenya to pursue my masters and this year I joined the worship team at Trinity chapel Kilifi. I am learning among all things “surrender and humility”. I am learning what it looks like to take my best and give it to God and then receive whatever He does with what I have given Him.
I am hungry to see the kind of worship where we behold God in His full splendor, where it’s not about the worshiper but the worshipped. Where hearts are mended, miracles happen, where as we worship blind eyes are opened, disease flee, lame limbs walk, and His kingdom comes. I look forward to the time where we worship God in spirit and in truth. The kind that brings walks down. Hahaha. For real. I believe if we can fully give ourselves to God, we will see HIM.
That’s my story. Still being written. Still learning stuff. Not where I dream to be but not where I used to be. If you are a worship leader, embrace the journey, embrace God and take a walk with Him. Also answer these questions for yourself.
1. What does it mean “to minister unto God”?
2. What does it mean “to be at the forefront ushering people into the presence of an awesome God”?
3. What does “worshipping God with all I am” mean to me?
4. Am I giving God the best of me right now?
It is Monday, the hype is on. I mean everyone is talking about #Wakanda, mwana Black Panther, others “Buraka Pansa”. Where is Joy in all this? But of course that is the plot. We are all going to watch THE MOVIE. Missional Community (my extended church family) members alerted. Check, Usual Monday-movie gang informed. Correct. Announcement made to colleagues at work. Perfect. All set, ready to hit the cinema at Victoria Mall. What’s the plan: Get there by 6pm, book my ticket, read my Harvest Institute book as the clock moves to reading 8pm and the movie starts. I did not want to take any chances lest the seats be fully booked and I miss.
Exactly what happened. I missed the movie. Why? Ordinary tickets were done. No way, I could not pay 30,000UGX yet Monday would find its way back a week later and the same movie will still be 10,000UGX.
Alright, plot postponed.
By the time I got home, I was actually feeling sick. Muscle pain, high temperature, it’s suddenly abnormally cold, I as if have lost my balance, and an unsettling headache has kicked in. And in less than 3hrs I have switched from hype to pain. I hold on. Till the morning comes.
Enter, a certain hospital (that I won’t mention). I can assure you it’s one of those top ones. Insurance billing processed, out patient registered and I’m finally seeing the Doctor (Consultant)
Hello Joy, a calm voice from tall-ish medium bodied gentle man welcomed me into the room, directing me to the seat opposite him.
Hi, thank you, as I made myself comfortable
So, how are you feeling today? He asked.
I narrate the whole story to him (not the Black Panther plot). Lol. Headache, fever etc.
So he sends me to the laboratories. These guys hire one of the best diagnostics laboratories in the country. I was impressed. I was very excited. I should say the technician there is a good person. That’s a story for another day.
Anyway, laboratory results are out in a few, a full blood count has been done.
All the cell types in my blood are counted and referenced against a normal range.
It turns out that my lymphocytes (part of the crutial cells that fight infections) were abnormally low.
For such a result, the assumption is that I have a viral infection. And this is where my puzzle and questioning about this doctor and/or hospital begins.
Joy you see, your lymphocyte count is very low, you have a viral infection, and what you need is an Antihistamine. The “expert delivers his verdict”
Now, may be I missed it or I got it twisted or my other friends (medical doctors) were taught differently but honestly are antihistamines for treating viral infections. Google please help.
I look at him with this face of what did you say? Then I ask “so this viral infection, won’t you be more specific as to what exactly it is”.
No. He replies.
I had promised myself not to even write about it. But I can’t let it just pass. It’s discomforting to know that these are the hospitals that many of us go to. We trust that we will get proper diagnosis and treatment but it’s not what I found. I was not satisfied “mazima”.
1. We’re these people just lazy to do all the necessary tests and find out exactly what viral infection I had?
2. We’re the laboratories not well equipped to do it? Money was not the problem, I had an insurance card that has a big load on it.
3. Ok let it be a viral infection, let’s get a general viral treatment, why is it an Antihistamine? How do you treat a viral infection with a drug for allergies? Are viruses the new allergens?
4. Is this how it is and I only just noticed?
5. Is there a piece of information I need to know as a scientist that I have missed?
If you are a doctor, or medic and you are reading this please share what your analysis of this is.
If you are not a medic, you’ve been to hospital, what’s your experience?
I would really like to hear from you all. Let’s talk.
Life and Living 