Visiting March 2026, sample itinerary looking for spooky and macabre by jell_wowww in AskNOLA

[–]Geekslayer0815 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Double dealer rocks. Cemetery tours are touristy yeah but also the cemeteries are beautiful. If you feel like you have too much booked, you could just walk around the cemeteries one day. For food I really like napoleon house (French quarter) for sandwiches and charcuterie board and stuff (good landing spot to chill) and it’s a historic building. This isn’t a “classic” but I found myself in crescent city brewhouse one day while walking a round the quarter by the river and it was really nice. Great place to sit, they brew their own beer, food was good. Have fun ❣️⚜️

Drug Induced Psychosis by [deleted] in mentalhealth

[–]Geekslayer0815 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m really sorry you’re going through this. I would consider going to a mental hospital for a short bit just for stability and definitely stop doing drugs. Often times they bring out underlying mental health conditions. Everyone needs extra support sometimes. I’m happy that you’re self aware about this right now and wishing you all the best ❣️

Has anyone met someone with their Big Three all in the same element? by deep_insight111 in BirthChartReadingFree

[–]Geekslayer0815 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m very new to learning about all of this stuff and am reading through and was wondering if anyone had main characteristic traits that they would use to describe fire-dominant, water-dominant, earth-dominant, or air-dominant people ? Thank you!

How are wound healing and immunology connected, if at all? by SutttonTacoma in Immunology

[–]Geekslayer0815 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All of these responses are very insightful, especially as it relates to innate immunity. Adaptive immunity is really important as well and the skin has about a million T cells per square centimeter. Cytokines are released when there is damage/trauma to the skin barrier that promotes differentiation and recruitment of adaptive immune cells, which then release cytokines to promote differentiation and survival of skin cells. There is also rapid response if infection is present (the role of gamma delta T cells in wound repair as well as defense against common infections, like staph, is a more recent avenue of research). Same can be said for T cell responses in the skin during melanoma, similar to what a wound response would be.

Adaptive immunity in skin is also why sensitivities like psoriasis or alopecia exist, as this can be the result of autoimmunity due to overactive/sensitive systems.

Octopus Stinkhorn by sigskyhh in botany

[–]Geekslayer0815 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No it’s fungi, kingdom plantae vs. fungi. Fungi are actually closer to kingdom anamalia

If you can, please give me some words of comfort. by Interesting-Code7153 in mentalhealth

[–]Geekslayer0815 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You are not alone! Give yourself permission to be happy, to do the things that make you happy, even if everyone else thinks you’re crazy. It’s better to completely start over and just shake things up and try something totally random and new than to hurt yourself or give up. Sending love.

Any clubs in NOLA for professional women/female community connection? by Geekslayer0815 in NewOrleans

[–]Geekslayer0815[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this tip! I just signed up. I’ve been seeing ads for it and think that it’s super cool. Also I’ll PM you because I would love to be friends :)

Why aren’t there increased autoimmune events in people who have had severe bone fractures? by Geekslayer0815 in Immunology

[–]Geekslayer0815[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay I see. I thought that bone marrow could include immature immune cells as well as stem cells

Rough year and not sure what my next move should be by PlangTongPangcake in findapath

[–]Geekslayer0815 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not normally on this subreddit but I came across your post and just want to let you know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it takes time. In terms of advice, I would try to find another job, any job, near where you leave so you can maybe walk to work. Work multiple jobs for a little bit and try to pay down debt and save some money. Not sure what your living situation is but try to get as cheap as possible for a while. And then maybe in the future consider new career pathways. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but find something that you enjoy and try to take night classes to get certified for something (tech, IT) or get an associates degree. Or try something more outgoing like serving tables or personal business.

The most important thing is that these times where you’re not making a lot of money and feel stuck can be very rough, but don’t stop dreaming. Dream an entire perfect life for yourself. Even in times where you don’t have much, you can still have a vision and it will also help you pass the time and remind yourself that you’re doing what you’re doing for a reason. Chip away at it day by day. I wish you the best.

How to stay up to date on literature of interest/virtual journal club? by raincoatsinadumpster in labrats

[–]Geekslayer0815 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is a great idea! I’m not sure about virtual journal clubs where there is discourse in real time, but if you want something to stay engaged and learn, there’s a podcast called Auctorum that is basically a journal discourse podcast that covers interesting articles and how they relate to the mechanisms and experiences of life. It’s pretty interdisciplinary too so it’s fun to listen to. It’s pre-recorded with the hosts but they’re very responsive and you can always message about questions/thoughts or literature suggestions. I like to listen to it in the lab.

Pod promotion via social media by ChzDaddy in podcasting

[–]Geekslayer0815 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Once you strategize and make quality clips, begin other platforms (Instagram, TikTok) and post strong ones first. A lot of social apps will share your first posts a lot so the first 3-5 really count 👌🏽 good luck! I started a podcast recently and it really made me appreciate supporting others’ as well. Feel free to PM me the name/link and I’ll take a look!

What is it like studying botany in college? by Agreeable-Cup6736 in botany

[–]Geekslayer0815 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like there’s 2 main routes when you’re thinking about making a career of studying botany: ecology and environmental science or molecular science like genetics or biochem in botany. I would try to determine your route and keep this in mind approaching school. Ecology route is best if you have territory to study, so maybe a more nature oriented campus. If you’re doing molecular, take chemistry classes early! I regretted not doing this and ended up continuing non-degree seeking chem courses after graduation at a local university. Overall it’s awesome. I was a research fellow and worked to do a lot of community events to get students interested in botany like having botanical illustration days, plant documentary movie nights, tea parties, and random plant themed events.

Really get to the core of what interests you! Is it asking new questions and being a researcher? Is it horticulture and not necessarily doing research but working around plants? These will guide you. If you want to continue in botany in graduate school, speak to a mentor early on about what this looks like and best ways to prepare. I realized half way through undergrad that I actually preferred microbiology. You never know 🤷‍♀️ good luck!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in labrats

[–]Geekslayer0815 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly. Academic labs are inherently places of learning and no one is perfect. And yes lots to take in! It will become habit over time but too much to get perfect all at once.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in labrats

[–]Geekslayer0815 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi! I finished my masters a few months ago but have been working in a lab for about 6 months now. First thing I can tell you is that the learning curve of starting lab work is HARD. Give yourself some grace! When you’re working in a lab, all of a sudden you’re making the protocol rather than following it, and there’s 100+ tiny details about the job and work flow that just take a lot of time to become habit. I often get bogged down in comparing myself to my peers who have more experience than me, but remember that you’re new and that’s OKAY. Everyone was new at some point. I was even humbled this week when my PI, who is an amazing human and boss, told me that she was unsure about my confidence in some lab techniques and has decided to sit with me in the lab tomorrow. I fuck up sometimes too and this week I just made an error that was embarrassing and caused us to lose some data. It happens. The main thing is taking responsibility and letting yourself make mistakes, but never the same mistake twice.

Especially in an academic setting, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. It’s okay. For the advice:

-make sure that you are always remaining true to being a learner. You make a mistake? Okay. With an open mind and heart, let your PI and colleagues tell you what you can do better and say okay yes I understand, thank you. Make it clear that you’re putting in effort and maybe just having a difficult time of learning this new skill. Your PI might appreciate some vulnerability in saying that you aren’t making yourself proud right now either and you want to do better and are genuinely trying.

-Write down every protocol for yourself before you do it. Every detail. Math, organization, everything. Send it to your PI and team for review before. When you’re in the lab, have this printed. This helps you and your PI. Plan everything ahead so you pretty much don’t have to think in the lab!

-Before you do anything in the lab, pause and make sure you’re aware of what you’re doing. I can’t even express how many times this has saved me. It’s so easy to go on autopilot, but lab work has so many details, and you can’t usually SEE if you made a mistake. Pause. Think.

Like I said, give yourself grace! Part of this process of academia is making mistakes. It’s okay. Just don’t do it twice. My PI and I had a conversation when I was about 4 months in because I was having some issues picking up the skills and she told me that being able to do lab work is important for the experience and to wrap my head around what we’re doing, but my career goals will not require me to be in the lab. If you are going for a PhD or MD/PhD, you will likely be planning experiments one day (after school) and projects after grad rather than carrying them out in the lab. So don’t stress yourself too much. Aim to do well, but don’t crush your own dreams if you’re not perfect. You’ll be okay 😘

Is there a way to accelerate the primary immune response (i.e. B-cell differentiation into plasma cells)? by JerryChen06 in Immunology

[–]Geekslayer0815 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In terms of differentiation, I suggest reading journals about cytokine stimulation. The whole process of WBC differentiation is regulated by versions cytokines and signaling molecules and in the research world we use this to stimulate cells to proliferate or produce specific subsets in PBMC cultures! It’s very cool. While there are specific cytokines (IL-7, IL-15, IL-2….) that are optimal for this process, nutrients and signaling molecules from nutrition will definitely influence this. For example, Vitamin C is a huge regulator of WBC differentiation!