Efi Tsouri, BSc Molecular Life Sciences In October of 2020, the first Dutch patient was infected with the West Nile virus (WNV) in Utrecht [1]. Subsequently, five additional cases of WNV infection were reported in the Netherlands [1]. What did these patients have in common? They were all previously stung by WNV-carrying tropical mosquitoes. Such mosquitoes are not commonly found in the Netherlands, raising concerns about the spread of tropical diseases in Europe. WNV belongs to … [Lees meer...]
“The cat is out of the bag: unravelling Impostor Syndrome”
Harshitha Ramu, BSc Biotechnology Have you ever felt like the perfect score you got on your recent test was because you had sheer good luck? Or that sometimes you find yourself wallowing in misery because your experiments did not work, and you feel like you are not meant to be a scientist? Although you may seldomly feel fully confident and feel like you truly belong in your professional landscape, psychologists have described what you feel as a common experience amongst many people … [Lees meer...]
Registration closed for this year’s masterclasses!
This year’s registration for RAMS masterclasses has been an overwhelming success. Thank you all for signing up! Unfortunately we had to disappoint some of you, since all masterclasses are full. If you are on the waiting list we will inform you when a spot is available. If you have signed up and are suddenly unable to attend a masterclass, please email us (vice-voorzitter.rams@ru.nl), so we can give your spot to someone else. Were you too late to sign up for this series of masterclasses? No … [Lees meer...]
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY OR A BROKEN HEART?
Anne Valk1 1BSc Biomedical Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands The 14th of February. The restaurants are fully booked for romantic candle light dinners, loving couples give each other sweet presents, and some daredevils even send roses to someone they have a secret crush on. Valentine’s day: a day to celebrate love and romance. At least, for some of us. For others it is the perfect day to stay inside under a blanket with a big tub of Ben & Jerry’s … [Lees meer...]
From sepsis to a paralysed immune system
Kavita Lips, BSc. According to the World Health Organization, 49 million people are affected by sepsis yearly, causing 11 million deaths each year [1]. In short, sepsis can be described as a life-threatening organ dysfunction due to a dysregulation in the host response to an infection [2]. This dysfunction is characterised by the presence of a pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine storm [2]. Nowadays, due to the advances in medical healthcare, a major part of septic patients can survive … [Lees meer...]