The Polished Pipette

I've been wanting to try my hand (get it? get it?) at this galaxy nails thing. The basic idea is that you paint on a background color, then, using a sponge, dab on other colors creating a swirly, celestial motif. Then you go back in with dots, rhinestones, etc. to create stars. This look relies heavily on glitters, so obviously I'm all in.     First I started out with a base of Zoya's "Ki" which is a shimmery gunmetal shade with an oilslick effect that goes from purple to green to blue, depending on the light. Here's what this looks like with two coats: Then, I dabbed on random lines/swirls/blobs of Essie's "Butler Please," and Julep's "Allona," "Ayonna," and "Magdalene." Using a dotting tool, I added some little stars, and popped a couple of rhinestones on there for good measure, too. Finish off with a coat of fine silver and gold glitter (LA Colors' "Pink Di...

For my first science-related post, I want to introduce you to exosomes. Exosomes are small (~30-100 nanometers) spheres that are produced by cells. Many different kinds of cells can produce them, and they can do all kinds of things, including carrying proteins, DNA, or RNA to neighboring or distant cells. Think of them basically as cell mail, carrying important messages between cells. The cargo of the exosome differs depending on what kind of cell the exosome came from, and what kind of cell its target is. For example, exosomes from cancer cells can contain enzymes that break down the surrounding environment and make it easier for cancers to spread. (1) While exosomes from other cell types carry signals that stoke the immune system in response to diseases like sepsis (2). Now that we have the understanding that cells use exosomes to affect the behavior of other cells, researchers are trying to utilize the exosome system to affect cell behavior. Because exosomes are made by our cells ...

Thanks for coming to visit the Polished Pipette! It's about time that I found a space for writing about two of my favorite things: science and manicures. I intend this site to be somewhere where you can check in and learn what's new in the worlds of biomedical research and nail polish. Somewhere where I can tell you about important strides researchers are making in understanding human disease, and pictures of my bomb-ass manicures. I hope you enjoy! So, first, I'll share my current mani. I've been hearing great things about Zoya polish, and decided to place an order for myself. Pictured is Zoya's "Beth" with an accent nail of "Brighton" Beth is a champagne polish, but in different lights looks purple-gray, with gold shimmer. Brighton is a gold holographic polish. When I saw swatches of Brighton online, I thought it would be just like any other gold glitter polish - I was wrong! It's opaque in two coats and with the holo flecks, it looks al...