DrawInScience

September is coming and with it, a new CELLTEMBER, the month of cells. For those who don't know, Celltember is a challenge I invented in 2017 in the interest of talking about cells, in all their declinations. I can't believe how time goes by, what started as a crazy idea to practice and improve my skills in illustration and scientific communication has already become a classic in this account. If you want to share, learn and/or participate, welcome to the #Celltember2022 challenge. When is it? Every September. During this month, we make daily posts (Monday through Friday) about something related to cells (Cell+September = Celltember). This September 1st is the beginning of the Sixth edition of #Celltember and this time the chosen theme is... (drum roll...) SYMBIOSIS!!! I'll come around soon to tell you more, but for now I'm finishing and revising this year's list. The idea is to discover some examples of symbiosis together and reflect on how hyper-connected and dependent we, the inhabitants of this planet, our only home, are. It really is wonderful! If you like Celltember and so as to not miss any posts, add this account to your favorites and if you are in an extra helpful mood and help me by sharing to reach more curious minds, thank you a thousand times! (And don’t forget to like and all that! 😀) Stay tuned! #science #scicomm #drawinscience

Everyone is talking about hantavirus, and although for many it may seem like just another exotic virus they had never heard of before, for Chileans and Argentinians it is something we are already somewhat aware of—at least in terms of prevention and protective measures. For me, it is also a familiar virus, since one of my colleagues and friends studied it during our thesis work. Many years later, she has become a world-renowned expert on these viruses, and it is precisely that kind of fundamental science that provides us with answers today. The first thing to understand is that hantaviruses (Orthohantaviruses) are a family of viruses that can be divided into two major categories: those endemic to Europe and Asia, and those endemic to the Americas. Among the American strains are New York-1, Sin Nombre, and Andes; the latter is responsible for the current outbreak and has a case fatality rate that can reach up to 40% of cases. The natural reservoir for these viruses is rodents, and transmission occurs through the inhalation of excretions or secretions. To date, person-to-person transmission has only been demonstrated for the Andes variant. Given the current situation, I cannot miss the opportunity to highlight a wider issue. Funding for research on these viruses—as with many other “low-incidence” diseases—is precarious, as is much of fundamental scientific research. In many countries governed by leaders who reject scientific evidence—of climate change, vaccine effectiveness, public health research, gender studies, and many other fields—science is being attacked and defunded. This is serious because, although we do not know exactly when or how, crises will continue to emerge, and we must be prepared not only to provide answers and solutions based on data and evidence, but also to understand them. Not knowing is not a sin, we learn. But glorifying ignorance is not only dangerous, it can be lethal. #Hantavirus #AndesVirus #PublicHealth #ResearchMatters #EvidenceBased #Virology #ScienceCommunication #OneHealth #FinanciamientoCientifico #DrawInscience

Hoy es #8M, Día Internacional de la Mujer, y como mujer de ciencias quiero compartir la historia de Hertha Ayrton (1854–1923): científica, inventora y ferviente defensora de los derechos de las mujeres. Hertha fue una matemática, física e inventora británica, quien no solo tuvo que enfrentar las dificultades de ser mujer en una época en la que poco y nada se nos reconocía, sino que también la falta de recursos económicos. Soñaba con ir a la universidad, pero para ayudar a su familia trabajó como institutriz. En ese período conoció a Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon, activista feminista que decidió apoyarla económicamente para que pudiera estudiar en el Girton College, el primer college femenino de la Universidad de Cambridge. Ese fue el inicio de su carrera científica. Sus investigaciones sobre los arcos eléctricos permitieron mejorar las lámparas de arco, produciendo una luz más estable, limpia y silenciosa. En 1899 se convirtió en la primera mujer en presentar un trabajo en la Institution of Electrical Engineers y miembro de pleno derecho (¡y fue la única hasta 1958!). También fue nominada para formar parte de la Royal Society, pero fue excluida porque en aquella época las mujeres casadas no tenían existencia legal independiente (!). Más tarde recibió la Hughes Medal de la Royal Society (1906). Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, inventó ventiladores manuales que ayudaban a dispersar el gas mostaza en las trincheras. Pero Hertha no solo hizo avanzar la ciencia: también fue sufragista y activista por los derechos de las mujeres. Participó en la fundación de la International Federation of University Women en 1919 entre otras asociaciones. Su historia nos recuerda que los avances científicos son el resultado de aportes de mujeres y hombres curiosos y motivados que recibieron el apoyo adecuado. Sociedades más igualitarias son un pilar fundamental para que esto suceda. #MujeresEnCiencia #WomenInSTEM #HerthaAyrton #WomenInScience

The history of science is filled with extraordinary women, and Sophie Germain (1776–1831) is one of them. Sophie was a French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher, and here is her story in broad strokes. She lived at a time when women were denied access to higher education, so she was largely self-taught. She was only 13 years old when the French Revolution broke out and, taking refuge in her father’s library, she discovered her passion for mathematics. Since she was not allowed to attend classes at the newly founded École Polytechnique, she obtained lecture notes and began submitting her work under a male pseudonym: Antoine Auguste LeBlanc (1794–1807). She knew that if she signed her real name, she would not be taken seriously. Under this pseudonym, she corresponded with leading mathematicians such as Carl Friedrich Gauss (yes, the Gauss curve, among many other things) and Joseph-Louis Lagrange, who would later become her mentor. Her contributions were fundamental to number theory (including what we now call “Sophie Germain primes”) and to the study of elasticity. For this work, she became the first woman to receive a prize from the Paris Academy of Sciences (1818) for her research on vibrations in elastic surfaces. This work laid early foundations for modern mechanics of materials. Despite her achievements, for many years she was not allowed to attend sessions of the Academy simply because women were not permitted. Sophie Germain’s story reminds us that talent has never belonged to one gender; what has been unequal is access to opportunity. And yet, despite the barriers of her time, she left an indelible mark on mathematics. #SophieGermain #Mathematician #WomenInScience #DrawInScience #SciComm #SciIllustration

Today I want to tell you the story of another scientist who remained invisible for decades: Marthe Gautier, the French physician who discovered the cause of Down syndrome. Marthe (1925–2022) was a brilliant student and one of the first women to successfully complete a pediatric cardiology residency in Paris hospitals. As part of her training, she spent a year at Harvard, where she learned cell culture — a revolutionary technique that allows scientists to study living cells in the lab. When she returned to France, with remarkable determination, she managed to build a small laboratory almost from scratch. There, while observing cells from patients with Down syndrome, she noticed something extraordinary: instead of two copies of #chromosome 21, there were three. For the first time, there was a clear explanation for this condition. Only one thing was missing to publish the finding: a picture. Marthe did not have the necessary equipment. As often happens in science, a colleague, Jérôme Lejeune, helped by taking the images. The discovery was published in 1959. The problem: Jérôme was listed as first author, while Marthe was pushed into a secondary position. For decades, he received the recognition, awards, and fame. And in a symbolic — yet very telling — detail, Marthe’s name was even misspelled in the article. Many years later, when laboratory archives were reviewed, what is no longer disputed today became clear: it was Marthe Gautier who cultured the cells, performed the chromosome counts, and essentially made the discovery. Her story is not unique. For a long time, women were underestimated, their abilities questioned, and too often their findings were only recognized when validated by a more prestigious male figure. Today, fortunately, many things are changing. Women have proven our capabilities again and again. But the system that allows these injustices has not fully disappeared: misused hierarchies still produce abuse — regardless of gender. And believe me, that is something I know quite well. #WomenInScience #SindromeDown #MartheGautier #DrawInScience #SciCom #ScienceIllustration

It’s been a while since I last wrote here — life, I suppose — but this #11F feels like a good reason to get back into it. And given the current political, social, and environmental climate, bringing #EuniceFoote into the conversation feels especially timely. Do you know who Eunice Newton Foote was? Probably not. In fact, I only discovered her recently. And it’s not that she’s a rising star in today’s scientific community — no. She was a pioneer and, once again, one of the women history nearly forgot. Eunice Foote (1819–1888) was nothing less than the first person, back in 1856, to hypothesize about climate change. Using a fairly simple experimental setup, she discovered that carbon dioxide (CO₂) heated up more and retained heat longer than “ordinary air,” concluding that even moderate increases in atmospheric CO₂ could lead to significant rises in the Earth’s temperature. This was the first experimental demonstration of the greenhouse effect, three years before the Irish physicist John Tyndall published his better-known studies on the subject. We have known about the consequences of the greenhouse effect for 170 years, and since then hundreds of studies have confirmed and deepened this understanding. And today, irresponsible politicians (everyone can name their own “favorite”) not only deny it, but actively push against the evidence. As if that were not enough, Eunice Foote was also a suffragist and advocate for women’s rights. She reminds us that science may be done in the laboratory, but as citizens, we cannot disengage from politics, from our rights, or from our responsibilities. Today more than ever, we must defend science and the hard-won rights that so many fought to secure. Science helps us understand the world, anticipate risks, and propose solutions. Ignoring it does not make it disappear — it only leaves us less prepared. Because recognizing women like Eunice Foote is not just an act of historical justice; it is a way of defending the future.

Before diving fully into 2026, I’d like to share some of the collaborations from the year that just ended. I’ll start with these three illustrations I created for the website of the @institutcerveau in Paris. Thank you for your trust and support in my work. I must admit that neuroscience is an area I’m truly passionate about and that holds a special place in my scientific heart, because it was precisely in a neuroscience lab where I took my first steps as a researcher. There are so many fascinating questions I don’t yet have answers to, but they fill me with curiosity and excitement to think that, one day, we might discover them. You probably already know that the human brain has around 86 billion neurons, forming trillions of connections that allow thought, memory, learning, movement, and countless other functions. Or that, although it represents only about 2% of total body weight, it consumes nearly 20% of the body’s energy — it’s quite the glutton! But have you ever thought about the fact that, although the brain itself doesn’t have pain receptors, it processes all the signals — both internal and external — that not only make us feel pain, but also aware of it? And I don’t mean only physical pain, but emotional pain as well. It’s fascinating how a collection of well-organized cells, with connections unique to each of us, stores knowledge and emotions that shape our awareness and make us who we are. #DrawInScience #brain #cerveau #neuroscience #science #SciComm #ScientificIllustration #IllustrationScientifique #IlustraciónCientífica

Hace unas semanas, mi querido amigo @jordigoya de @culturaltraslahuella me invitó a reflexionar sobre la inteligencia artificial (IA). Un temazo con múltiples facetas y desde el cual comencé a escribir como ilustradora y científica, pero al final terminó siendo algo mucho más general, porque como están las cosas, ya no se puede separar ni de lo laboral, social, económico ni del lado que se le mire. Le di varias vueltas, maceré las ideas y me "demoré". Ciertamente con la ayuda de la IA habría sido más “eficiente”. Pero ¿es realmente un problema tomarse un tiempo?, ¿necesitamos, queremos ser instantáneos? Si todo se puede lograr de un modo “exprés”, ¿dónde queda el valor de aprender, de crear, de imaginar? ¿Dónde queda nuestra visión, nuestra sensibilidad, nuestra motivación, nuestra voz? Sin duda, la IA aporta herramientas que ayudan a resolver problemas de alta complejidad, pero también abre una tensión entre el avance tecnológico y el quehacer humano. Me preocupa que, con el abuso de estas tecnologías, perdamos la capacidad de reflexionar, de maravillarnos, de frustrarnos y perseverar. Porque no solo importa a la velocidad a la que vamos, también hacia donde vamos y el camino que recorremos. Quizás la cuestión central no es solo el rol de la IA en el arte o la ciencia, sino nuestro propio rol y el valor de lo humano en el mundo que estamos construyendo. El artículo completo lo pueden encontrar aquí 👇/inteligencia-artificial-lo-que-nos-pertenece/ ( y en mi bio) #sciart #ÉticaDigital#ProcesoCreativo #IlustraciónCientífica #TransformaciónDigital #Tiempo #CambioCultural

Did you know bacteria can “swap” genes with each other? Horizontal Gene Transfer is a key driver of microbial evolution. Through it, fragments of “foreign” DNA get inserted into microbial genomes via mobile genetic elements like transposons, viral infections, or DNA shared between microorganisms. These fragments can give microbes amazing advantages, like antibiotic resistance or new metabolic pathways. But this evolutionary advantage can also turn into a real puzzle — and quite a headache — for scientists trying to study and classify these elements. To better understand this process, a multidisciplinary research team created MOBHunter, a bioinformatics tool that identifies, delimits, and classifies the different elements that make up microbial genomes. As part of publishing our article in Nucleic Acids Research, and as a joint effort to explore new ways of communicating science, we — together with Raquel Quatrini, Ana Moya-Beltrán, and the whole research team — designed a cover proposal for this Web Server issue. We didn’t get selected this time, but we’re really proud of the result and wanted to share it with you! Check the second image for some clues to decode the illustration. 👏 Huge congratulations to the team for this amazing work! If you’re curious, you can explore the platform here: 👉 https://informatica.utem.cl/mobhunter And read the article here: 👉 /nar/article/53/W1/W398/8131113 @rquatrini_lab @fundacioncienciavida @usansebastian @utem.cl #Microbiology #Genomics #Bioinformatics #Science #MOBHunter #SciComm #SciArt #ScientificIllustration

So happy to share this new illustration I created with the Virology Department of @institut.pasteur — and even happier to reconnect with former colleagues and the institute where I once worked. It’s a visual snapshot of what they study, the viruses they track, the people behind the science — plus their efforts in training, collaboration, and sustainability. Turning complex data into an image that’s clear, engaging and true to the spirit of the team was such a rewarding challenge! 👉 See the full article here: /jmcb/article/16/12/mjae052/7984505 #SciArt #ScientificIllustration #Virology #ScienceCommunication #ArtAndScience Muy feliz de compartir esta nueva ilustración que realicé junto al Departamento de Virología del @institut.pasteur — y más feliz aún de volver a colaborar con antiguos colegas del instituto donde alguna vez trabajé. Es una mirada visual a lo que estudian, los virus que investigan, las personas detrás de la ciencia — y su trabajo en formación, colaboración y sostenibilidad. Convertir datos complejos en una imagen clara, atractiva y fiel al espíritu del equipo fue un desafío muy gratificante. #IlustraciónCientífica #Virología #ComunicaciónCientífica #ArteYCiencia Très heureuse de partager cette nouvelle illustration réalisée avec le Département de Virologie de l’ @institut.pasteur — et encore plus heureuse de retrouver d’anciens collègues et l’institut où j’ai eu la chance de travailler. Un aperçu visuel de ce qu’ils étudient, les virus, les équipes derrière la science — et aussi leurs actions en formation, collaboration et durabilité. Transformer des données complexes en une image claire, engageante et fidèle à l’esprit de l’équipe a été un défi passionnant ! #IllustrationScientifique #Virologie #CommunicationScientifique #ArtEtScience

Last week we talked about our long history with the different types of variola viruses... viruses that were originally animal viruses and that, over time and under fortuitous circumstances, managed to pass to humans. While it is true that these events depend on a variety of factors, the destruction of ecosystems and the organisms that are part of them is a relevant factor. Today, I want to talk about an important concept for the control of these infectious diseases that have passed from an animal to humans (zoonoses). The concept is “One Health”, have you heard of it? By now it should be a no-brainer, we are just one of the millions of species that cohabit this planet. Our health and well-being depend on the health and well-being of the existing ecosystems. This is what “one health” is all about, it tells us that human, animal and environmental health must be seen as an integral part of the same problem, with global and permanent consequences and solutions. It is important to keep in mind that the concept of “one health” implies not only avoiding new epidemics, but also includes other serious public health problems, such as, preventing the return of old bacterial diseases that for some time we had at bay, but that with the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are once again becoming a cause of great concern. One health reminds us that ecosystems are interconnected networks, it reminds us of something as basic as the fact that we are all part of the same system, a single beautiful planet. To know more about www.efsa.europa.eu/es/plain-language-summary/european-union-one-health-2022-zoonoses-report doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2018.06.001 doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.771510 #OneHealth #unaSolaSalud #SciComm #SciIllustration #IlustraciónCientífica

In August this year, the WHO declared monkeypox (renamed mpox) a “public health emergency of international concern”. This is not the first time; another similar alert had already been issued in 2022, when more than 100,000 cases were reported. But our history with this viral family is much older. It is estimated that about 10,000 years ago, the smallpox virus was transmitted to man by an animal, but to date we do not know the species. Recently it happened again, this time with a mpox. The first record we have of monkeypox comes from Denmark, in 1958, when it was found in monkeys imported from Asia (at that time monkey kidney cells were used in to manufacture polio vaccines). These monkeys would have been infected during transport, being in contact with monkeys coming from Africa. Twelve years later, we had the first official case of mpox in humans. In 1970, in the small village of Bolanda, in the heart of the equatorial forest of Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, the youngest of 11 siblings showed signs similar to smallpox. As the days went by, his condition worsened, and he was hospitalized. After several tests, it was confirmed that it was smallpox, but further analysis revealed something surprising: it was not human smallpox, but mpox. Between 1970 and 1979, 54 new cases of mpox were identified in humans, mainly in forested areas of West and Central Africa. Since then, the number of infected people has continued to increase. Mpox is yet another case of a virus whose natural hosts are wild animals and which, thanks to close, repeated contact and the high capacity to produce variants, eventually and randomly manages to break the inter-species barrier and infect us (zoonosis). But this time we have a head start: the virus is relatively well known, and vaccines are available. We cannot waste this advantage, and we have to work together in its control and prevention. To learn more: DOI:10.1097/QAD.0000000000003684 www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mpox #mpox #monkeypox #virus #viruela #drawinscience