Modern Boffin

October 3, 2015October 13, 2015Leave a comment

I am so excited to announce my collaboration with Modern Boffin! Modern Boffin is a new clothing line inspired by all things STEM! Mari, Modern Boffin Founder, is currently a doctoral candidate where her research interests include the retention and persistence of women and minorities in STEM education. Mari is increasing awareness for the need for underrepresented groups in STEM! Besides from creating super fashionable designs, Mari is donating a portion of her proceeds to STEM educational programs! She is a role model for girls everywhere pursuing careers in STEM. Check out modernboffin.com to shop the looks and follow @modernboffin on social media! I had so much fun shooting pieces from the collection.

Astronaut Selfie Tee

This is my favorite shirt from MB! I love how you can see the astronaut’s perspective.
Love Tee

I styled this tee with a denim jacket. I love how Mari shaped the L with a space shuttle.

Boffin Definition Tee

This tee is the ultimate MB tee! A Boffin is a scientist, engineer, or other person engaged in technical or scientific work.

Xoxo

Thank you so much Mari and Modern Boffin for letting me collaborate!

L’Oreal Workshop Day 5

August 15, 20151 Comment

I can’t believe today is the final day of the workshop. This week has been packed with super exciting projects and I would love to stay to learn more techniques. Unfortunately, Jamese and I have reached the end of our Madison stay for the summer, but we look forward to coming back to the Weibel Lab soon! Enjoy the final workshop recap!

xoxo

Autumn

DAY 5

Day 5 began with a trip to Promega, a world-renowned biotechnology company; right here in Madison! Promega applies biochemistry and microbiology to basic research, drug discovery, forensics, and diagnostics. Promega’s DNA forensic kits are used in the same way they are represented on crime shows on tv! I am a Law and Order SVU Diehard fan, so that was super interesting for me! Our tour guide, Laura F. began the session with a clear powerpoint explaining the mission and future plans for the company. The facility is centered around nature and natural sunlight is often the center of many of the workspaces. I loved the relaxed vibe of the research center. We ate a tasty lunch at the Promega cafe before heading back to the UW Biochem Lab!

Photo by promega.com

Back at the lab, we began the diaper diagnostic intro. Katie gave us a background lession and illustrated her early, non-invasive infection diagnostic technique on her powerpoint. This technique works by identifying metabolites, chemicals in the urine that can tell us if a baby is at risk for an infection. Jamese and I got to test the detection method using actual, de-identified samples! After we learned the fundamentals for the technique, it was time to go LIVE ON L’OREAL’S PERISCOPE! Special thanks to everyone who tuned in! We had such a fun time explaining the process to over 200 live viewers. Here are some screenshots of the post:

After we wrapped up this session, we said goodbye to all of the biochemists in the Weibel lab and headed back to the hotel to get ready for the dinner cruise. The food was amazing and it was a perfect end to an unforgettable week.

Outfit Details:

Dress- Divided by H&M

Bag- Rebecca Minkoff Black Mini Bucket Bag

L’OREAL DAY 3/4 RECAP!

August 14, 2015August 14, 20152 Comments

Days 3 and 4 were super packed in the Weibel Lab! Katie organzied many interesting sessions, so read below for an inside look!

DAY 3

Wednesday began with a literature review meeting. In the Weibel lab, scientists are selected to present a research paper that has either provided foundation for research that is currently being conducted in the lab or a groundbreaking paper. You can read this week’s paper here! After our meeting, we began an introduction to microfluidics with Matt. Microfluidics is the control of small volumes of fluid to be applied in a practical manner. DNA chips, inkjet printheads, and other micro-chip technological devices are developed using microfluidics! Imaged below is a photo of a device we tested out with food coloring!

After we wrapped up microfluidics with Matt and had lunch, we met up with Linda. During our time with Linda, we selected individual bacterial colonies to culture overnight! We also prepared samples using our own saliva to determine the efficacy of standard mouthwash!

Controlled Volume of Mouthwash

Samples before incubation

After a long day of science we stopped at Babcock Dairy, a famous dairy shop in Wisconsin! Jamese, Linda, Zoe, Katie, and I shared a brownie boat; a Babcock Dairy Special!

DAY 4

Day 4 began with a group lab meeting! Katie H. presented her research regarding the destruction of the bacterial membrane. After the group discussion, we met with Bradley, who helped us with biofilms earlier in the week. We used confocal microscopy to visualize E. Coli and pseudomonas. We also quantified the cell flourescence!

After our flourescent quantification,we toured the NMR-FAM. The National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison uses biomolecular NMR spectroscopy to advance research in structural biology, small molecules, high-throughput methods, and protein production. Jamese and I are identifying different compounds using magnetic resonance in the image below.

After the tour and info session, we followed up with Linda and transferred our colony cultures to Petri dishes for further testing. Transfer pictured below:

Day 4 culminated with a trip to the Wisconsin Union Terrace where we enjoyed food, music, and a beautiful view.

Outfit Details:

Top- Abercrombie & Fitch

Skirt- Hollister

Thank you L’Oreal for supporting girls in STEM! I am having an incredible time here in Madison. STAY TUNED FOR DAY 5!!!

L’Oreal Science Workshop in Wisconsin!

August 12, 2015August 14, 20151 Comment

Hey everyone! I am currently studying new techniques in the Weibel Lab located in Madison, Wisconsin! After meeting Dr. Katie Brenner at the L’Oreal For Women in Science Ceremony enabled by Teen Vogue ( 1st blog post on scistrut!), I followed up with her via email to arrange a potential internship or research project in her lab at UW-Madison! Katie was recognized for her innovative work to detect neonatal infections early! A video of her work can be found here: L’Oreal For Women in Science Fellows. Katie’s research inspired me to explore biochemistry and encouraged me to major in biochemistry in the future. After months of email correspondence and extremely generous support from L’Oreal, we developed an outreach science workshop in Katie’s lab! So here is my Day 1/ Day 2 Recap:

DAY 1

Katie organized a meeting with Dr. Doug Weibel, the principal investigator of the Weibel Lab. Dr. Weibel was super friendly and shared his STEM background. Next, Jamese ( fellow teen scientist) and I were introduced to biofilms! A biofilm is any group of microorganisms where cells stick to each other on a surface! Biofilms are everywhere! This introduction and inoculation demo lead perfectly into our specimen collection, which was broadcasted on the L’Oreal USA Periscope! Our goal was to collect samples from different locations near water or actual water samples and visualize antibiotic resistance within these biofilms! Thank you to everyone who tuned into this special broadcast, we will be posting another livestream later this week!

DAY 2

Day 2 consisted mainly of exciting chemical reactions. We synthesized aspirin and connected what I learned in AP Chemistry this year to reactions in the lab!

Photo By UW Biochemistry

After a delicious lunch, we headed over to a scientific glassblowing demonstration with Tracy. Tracy explained to us his role in the development of innovative research at UW-Madison. His ability to translate ideas into glass apparatuses for the lab is super cool!

After our day of science was complete, we enjoyed a theatre production of Pride and Prejudice!

Photo: ( left to right) Autumn, Katie, Jamese

Outfit Details:

Dress- H&M

Mini Bucket Bag- Rebecca Minkoff

Shoes- Target ( not visible)

THANK YOU SO MUCH L’OREAL FOR FUNDING THIS AMAZING EXPERIENCE

3 STEPS TO FLAWLESS SKIN!

June 1, 2015June 1, 20152 Comments

1. TRY A CHARCOAL BASED SKIN CLEANSER

Charcoal based products naturally purify your skin by deeply cleaning your pores. I generally have oily skin and after using Biore’s Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser 2x a day, my unwanted shine has been reduced tremendously! I’ve tried scrubs and salts, but nothing has compared to this cleanser. I highly recommend it!

2. ELIMINATE DAIRY FROM YOUR DIET

In the end of January, I made the switch from dairy to almond and soy based products. After a few weeks, my skin was less oily and my acne cleared! Casey Ho (a.k.a. Blogilates) also has a dairy sensitivity associated with acne. Your dairy consumption may be causing your breakouts. Take a break from the tempting cheese, yogurt, milk, and ice-cream. You may be surprised to see a beautiful and clear complexion within a couple of weeks!

3. EAT MORE OMEGA-3S

Omega-3s have been shown to control the production of leukotriene B4,a molecule associated with inflammatory acne. Omega-3s decrease inflammation which will reduce redness associated with acne! Omega-3s are found in many foods such as salmon, walnuts, avocado, and chia seeds!

FLAWLESS SKIN INSPO- ELAINE WELTEROTH, TEEN VOGUE’S BEAUTY AND HEALTH DIRECTOR

Elaine’s glowing and healthy complexion is amazing. I had the pleasure of talking beauty with her at the Sephora X Lancome USA X Teen Vogue event on Saturday. Her inner beauty matches her outer beauty. Here’s a pic ( or 3! :D) from the event: