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RealScientists | Rukmani Profile picture
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22 Mar, 5 tweets, 2 min read
I'm also in awe watching people handling the pandemic their own ways. Some are working midnights and weekends to manage kids at home, some are taking a step back and taking a break, some are learning new things and some are even changing careers.
One thing in common is ALL of us are struggling somehow. I've seen comments on how parents are struggling more than single people and I understand it's easy to come to those conclusions (being a parent myself) but everyone's struggles are their own.
I am not diminishing the horrors our healthcare workers and countless others are facing, we owe everything to them, but this is such a unique situation that even the person in the cushiest position with no responsibilities has their ground state changed and is coping.
It took me a while to realize that, and once I did, I started opening up to the idea that we have this unique opportunity to connect with countless people on things we care about. Its an opportunity to forget what's going on and just enjoy the science for a second.
And that's what sci-comm is to me right now. Connecting. That satisfaction that someone, if only for a moment, shares your excitement about something. It really is like watching someone watch the red wedding, the look on their face and you being in the know is...priceless!

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More from @realscientists

RealScientists | Rukmani Profile picture
24 Mar
CRISPR is the coolest thing you’ll learn about today. Let’s dive into the science first, look at some actual applications and finally discuss the ethics and how far are we from a genetically engineered future.
The technology has been in the making for nearly 20 years, and many scientists have played a role in understanding of key steps in the process that eventually led to the nobel prize winning discovery. Here’s a handy guide on the timeline
bitesizebio.com/47927/history-…
To understand gene editing with CRISPR, we need to first appreciate the beauty of the bacterial immune system. Just like us, they have a way to remember attacks by viruses, so that they can fight off the virus next time they get attacked.
Read 18 tweets
RealScientists | Rukmani Profile picture
23 Mar
When people hear the words ‘lab-grown meat’, their reaction is – but is it meat? Meat is defined as animal flesh consumed as food. The definition doesn’t really say it needs to be from a live/dead animal or from a lab.
The process starts with a biopsy taken in a harmless manner from a cow/chicken or any other animal– this consists of millions of cells of different types and also has special muscle stem cells, that are not yet full, mature muscle cells and have the capacity to divide infinitely.
These cells are converted into cell-lines, that can divide and be stable for multiple generations. The cells are like clones of themselves, and you can build an army starting with just one. This is how scale-up becomes possible. Each stem cell can produce thousands of burgers.
Read 12 tweets
RealScientists | Rukmani Profile picture
22 Mar
It's such a unique opportunity to talk to over 90k of you who are interested in science and scientists. It's such a broad term isn't it? I spent over 15 years actively studying science but I almost cringe to say I'm a scientist now because it's been a year since I left academia.
The idea that academia is the be all and end all of a scientist is so drilled into our heads that leaving the system feels like a failure. I know the system is rigged against a lot of people who leave, but some of us leave because our passions lie somewhere else.
There are a lot of reasons people aren't recognized as scientists, academics who aren't in STEMM fields like the social sciences & environmental sciences, people who move to industry, heck people who give up science to be stay-at-home moms or dads. WE WILL ALWAYS BE SCIENTISTS.
Read 4 tweets
RealScientists | Rukmani Profile picture
22 Mar
Thank you everyone for taking the time to vote on my first poll. Of course the mighty macrophage wins! It is probably the coolest cell type I’ve encountered, and even after being obsessed with it for 7 years, I still don’t know it well enough!
Macrophages are white blood cells, they circulate in our blood and reside in pretty much all our organs. They are omnipresent and have adapted themselves too well to each environment. The blood macrophage looks completely different from those in the brain or the bone.
The first thing I learnt about them was that they are phagocytes. They can eat an insane amount of stuff! Phagocytosis literally means ‘to eat cells’, so our first thought is this is the macrophage’s destiny!
Read 6 tweets
RealScientists | Rukmani Profile picture
21 Mar
Hi all,
I’m Rukmani and I am thrilled to curate for Real Scientists this week! I am a freelance science writer and editor with a background of over 10 years in bioengineering focused on different aspects of wound healing.
Up until last year I was a full-time hands-on postdoc and I’ve been so privileged to work on some cool branches of bioengineering (that I can’t wait to share with you all)!
I left the lab to venture into science communication because this is where I felt most natural - it’s still early to call it my true calling because I’ve not done it long enough, but if this past year has taught me anything, it is to go with the flow!
Read 7 tweets
RealScientists | Rukmani Profile picture
20 Mar
Probably my last thread on RealScientists (but hmu if you’d like to hear more about anything).

*Personal* observations between academia (physics, astro) and the tech industry (data, product).
1. Job scarcity & security.

I often compare early careers in academia to professional sports, specifically minor league baseball. They’ll take a look at the schools you played at, your overall stats, maybe they’ve seen you give a talk or two.
If you had a good year or two, maybe people talk about you. Just had a bad year? Pass.

A handful of people will get the “golden ticket,” a stable, long-term arrangement. Most will get a string of 2-year deals, shuttle to-fro between “big leagues” and “minors” before leaving.
Read 21 tweets

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