YouTube producer/host and genetics researcher Alex Dainis holds one of the tools of her trade.
In this series of articles, Live Science focuses the spotlight on some of YouTube's most popular science channels. Their creators weave together graphics, footage, animation and sound design in videos that can be as whimsical as they are informative, employing a range of techniques and styles. Yet all of them share a general curiosity and enthusiasm for the unexpected and fascinating science stories that exist in the world around us.
If you've ever wanted to peek behind the scenes at the day-to-day activities in a genetics laboratory there's a YouTube channel for that.
Vlogger and doctoral candidate Alex Dainis invites YouTube audiences into her lab at Stanford University, offering an insider's view of her journey as a graduate student training to work in the field of genetics.
Dainis who told Live Science that she loves talking about science "to anyone who will listen" uses her videos to share her affinity for cool science stories, to express her own considerable sense of wonder and excitement about all things related to genetics, to show how experiments are conducted in a lab, and to introduce scientists as real people, presenting "what we do and what our daily lives are like," she said. [The Most Interesting YouTube Science Channels]
Storytelling and science both hold equal fascination for Dainis, who worked in film production before attending graduate school at Stanford. But as much as Dainis enjoyed the moviemaking process, "I missed talking about science," she said. YouTube provided an outlet where she could bring the two together, and in 2012 she began posting short explainer videos describing interesting science stories and "fun facts," she told Live Science.
Her "Bite-Sci-zed" video nuggets of science are short each just a few minutes long and delve into diverse topics such as the spectrum of egg colors, what naked mole rats can teach us about cancer, periodical cicadas and their exoskeletons, and the genetics of seedless watermelons.
However, once Dainis began her graduate studies, she decided to take her YouTube channel in a more personal but still science-infused direction, producing videos that would share her daily experiences in the genetics lab as a doctoral candidate.
In the video series "What Is This Thing?" Dainis acquaints her audience with the common tools of her trade and a few uncommon ones. These laboratory items, which many non-scientist viewers are likely seeing for the first time, are an intrinsic part of genetics research, and Dainis' straightforward descriptions dispel some of the mystery surrounding how scientists sequence DNA and make the science more accessible.
She cheerfully introduces pipettes (syringe-like tools used to measure and move liquids), a hemocytometer (used for counting cells) and ethanol lamps a heating alternative to gas-powered Bunsen burners; Dainis said in the video that using them "makes me feel like I'm doing science on an old-fashioned whaling ship."
Another recent video documented something a little out of the ordinary in the life of a graduate student analyzing DNA with an astronaut, and exploring how NASA scientists can use genetic sequencing to monitor astronauts' health in space, and to search for extraterrestrial life.
"Sometimes it's really exciting and sometimes it's monotonous this is what science is, and I want to show a realistic picture of that," Dainis said.
And sometimes while making the videos, Dainis herself learns a thing or two. The chance discovery that nectarines were actually a type of mutant peach inspired Dainis to take a closer look at the genetics of the two fruits, resulting in "one of the coolest videos I did," Dainis told Live Science.
"Peaches and nectarines are actually the same fruit but with a single recessive allele difference," she said.
"I got to use some techniques in the lab that I use every day, and I got to show something very cool about a fruit that I had never considered before. That was so exciting. I was eating these fruits for years, and I had no idea they were the same thing!"
Her videos attract viewers representing a range of ages and professions, but the common threads running through all of them are fascination with science and curiosity about how it's done.
"I get comments from people all around the world; from middle-schoolers, from people thinking about careers in science, people who've been scientists for decades, and some people who're not in science but are interested in the process. They're in different stages of their careers, different walks of life I think it's very exciting that this community of science nerds has bloomed around these videos," she said.
Got a favorite science channel on YouTube that you think we should feature? Tell us about it in the comments or on Twitterand Facebook!
Original article on Live Science.
More here:
YouTube's Alex Dainis: Blending Filmmaking and Genetics - Live Science
- 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 Review: Bold But Beholden to Its Genetics - Newsweek - October 2nd, 2024 [October 2nd, 2024]
- Myriad Genetics Announces Third Patent Granted for Molecular Residual Disease (MRD) with Early Priority Date - GlobeNewswire - October 2nd, 2024 [October 2nd, 2024]
- Digbi Health Launches an SEC-regulated Offering, Giving Millions the Opportunity to Invest in Groundbreaking Genetics and Gut Microbiome-based Care... - October 2nd, 2024 [October 2nd, 2024]
- The role of genetics in depression | Second Opinion - KCRW - September 23rd, 2024 [September 23rd, 2024]
- Tilapia genetics company Spring Genetics teams up with UK data firm to improve fish welfare - SeafoodSource - September 23rd, 2024 [September 23rd, 2024]
- Picky eating in kids is mostly due to genetics, study says - Motherly Inc. - September 23rd, 2024 [September 23rd, 2024]
- Research Shows That Fussy Eating In Children Is Mainly Influenced By Genetics - RTTNews - September 23rd, 2024 [September 23rd, 2024]
- Genetics colloquium: Chris Hittinger on the genomic making of metabolic niche breadth Sep. 11 - University of WisconsinMadison - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- NIH Recognizes Yales Expertise in the Genetics of Rare Diseases - Yale School of Medicine - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca Collaborate to Further Expand Global Access to Liquid Biopsy Testing - PR Newswire - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Medicines race dilemma: What science says about genetics and health [PODCAST] - Kevin MD - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Researchers want to unlock genetics of the worlds tiniest animals - Popular Science - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Sophia Genetics and AstraZeneca collaborate to expand liquid biopsy test rollout - Medical Device Network - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- From farm to future: Technology in genetics - National Hog Farmer - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Editorial: Plant biotechnology and genetics for sustainable agriculture and global food security - Frontiers - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- NSF Grant Brings Genetics Opportunities to Students in Alabama - Government Technology - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- SBUs Ben Luft brings Lyme expertise to seminal paper on bacterial genetics and evolution - TBR News Media - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- SOPHiA GENETICS to Present at the 22nd Annual Morgan Stanley Healthcare Conference and 9th Annual TD Cowen FutureHealth Conference - PR Newswire - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Singapores National Precision Medicine (NPM) Programme Engages Oxford Nanopore to Advance Understanding of the Genetics of Singapores Multi-Ethnic... - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Fulgent Genetics Second Quarter 2024 Earnings: Beats Expectations - Yahoo Finance - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Stopped clinical trials give evidence for the value of genetics - Nature.com - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- What is DSD? Sex genetics and Olympic boxing controversy - Washington Examiner - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Fulgent Genetics Q2: Core Revenue Grows, but Profitability Is Still an Issue - The Motley Fool - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Viewpoint: Challenging yet another scientifically silly article claiming Black domination of sprinting and long distance running has nothing to do... - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Texas Company Trying To Resurrect Woolly Mammoths To Improve Genetics Of Bison - Cowboy State Daily - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Genetics confirms Berbers reached North Africa over 20,000 years ago; Arabs came in 7th Century CE - Down To Earth Magazine - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Unlocking plant genetics with telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies - Nature.com - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Carlo Ancelotti claims Jude Bellingham's 'genetics' are main reason behind Real Madrid & England superstar's meteoric rise to the top - Goal.com - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Genetics-based modeling estimates Idaho's wolf population was 1,150 in summer 2023 - Idaho Fish and Game - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Lung Cancer Research Foundation Joins Lung Cancer Advocacy Organizations and 23andMe to Launch Lung Cancer Genetics Study to Advance Research - PR... - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Fulgent Genetics (FLGT) Scheduled to Post Earnings on Friday - Defense World - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- SOPHIA GENETICS Announces Expanded Relationship with Canada-Based OncoHelix - Financial Times - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- LG Household & Health Care publishes research into the genetics of skin tone - GlobalCosmeticsNews - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Estonians gave their DNA to science now they're learning their genetic secrets - Nature.com - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Genetic clues to depression revealed in large study - PsyPost - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Move Over, Genghis Khan. Many Other Men Left Huge Genetic Legacies - Smithsonian Magazine - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- 3X4 Genetics Selected as Partner for Preeminent Cancer Research and Treatment Nonprofit, The Metabolic Terrain ... - BioSpace - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- NIFA Invests $6M in Animal Breeding, Genetics and Genomics | NIFA - National Institute of Food and Agriculture - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Arbel Harpak: Pursuing the Next Frontier in Genetics | Dell Medical School - Dell Medical School - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Coffee habits are partly linked to genetics, UC San Diego researchers say - NBC San Diego - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Advanced genetic tools help researchers ID new neurodevelopmental syndrome - Yale News - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Nutritious diet may protect against type 2 diabetes, regardless of genetics - News-Medical.Net - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Genome-wide association study identifies host genetic variants influencing oral microbiota diversity and metabolic ... - Nature.com - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Unlock the Secrets of Your DNA with Advanced Genetic Testing - North Forty News - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Modern and precise: Using gene editing to change the blueprint of an organism - Beef Magazine - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- The 'gene deserts' unravelling the mysteries of disease - BBC.com - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- UGA plant geneticists are tackling the climate crisis - Longview News-Journal - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Genetic Tests for Predicting Clopidogrel Response Gain Traction: AHA - TCTMD - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Bringing Gene Therapy to the Brain - The Scientist - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- The importance of the paradise fish in evolutionary and behavioral genetics research - Phys.org - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- What Is Fulgent Genetics, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:FLGT) Share Price Doing? - Yahoo Finance - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- UW initiative aims to bring together social sciences and genetics - Wisbusiness.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Women have a higher genetic risk for PTSD, according to study by VCU and Swedish researchers - VCU News - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genetics study points to potential treatments for restless leg syndrome - University of Cambridge news - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- deCODE genetics: The rate, nature and transmission of mitochondrial DNA mutations in humans - PR Newswire - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genetic association mapping leveraging Gaussian processes | Journal of Human Genetics - Nature.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Minimally destructive hDNA extraction method for retrospective genetics of pinned historical Lepidoptera specimens ... - Nature.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Restless legs syndrome tied to 140 'hotspots' in the genome - Livescience.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Paired tumor-germline testing can enhance patient carewith guidance from genetics specialists - The Cancer Letter - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Improved functional mapping of complex trait heritability with GSA-MiXeR implicates biologically specific gene sets - Nature.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genetic Risk Score Revolutionizes TNBC Prediction in Black Women - Targeted Oncology - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Gene variants and breast cancer risk in Black women - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- GSA-MiXeR: A powerful tool to improve our understanding of heritable traits and diseases - News-Medical.Net - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Understanding the effect genetics have on Alzheimer's - Buffalo News - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- 'Fossil viruses' embedded in the human genome linked to psychiatric disorders - Livescience.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Profile: Ardoin's genetics provided gift for writing, and his versatility made him legendary - crescentcitysports.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genes Link Sleep Patterns to Autism and Bipolar Disorder - Neuroscience News - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Tilapia genetics: a comparative trial between two strains in Brazil - The Fish Site - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- New genetic cause of intellectual disability potentially uncovered in 'junk DNA' - Livescience.com - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Scientists identify gene that could lead to resilient 'pixie' corn - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Veritas Genetics at the forefront of genomic screening with new studies presented at the European Society of Human ... - PR Newswire - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Alzheimer's study suggests genetic cause of specific form of disease Harvard Gazette - Harvard Gazette - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Researchers Discover Genetic Underpinnings of Inherited Condition Often Misdiagnosed as Hypothyroidism - InventUM - University of Miami - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Too much or too little: The impact of protein dosage on development - EurekAlert - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Hussman Institute Celebrates National DNA Day with Frost Science Museum - InventUM - University of Miami - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- International treaty agreed on handling genetics in patents - Research Professional News - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Nebraska team identifies new genetic defect impacting cattle morbidity and meat quality - Beef Magazine - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Exploring the wonders of molecular biology - Drug Target Review - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- 30 Years After Genetic Discovery, Huntingtons Patients Still Waiting - BioSpace - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Arn Anderson Bron Breakker Has Got His Dads Genetics, Will Be A Big Star - eWrestlingNews - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]