Ah, I see you have stumbled upon my profile page — lovely to meet you! I am not (as the picture above might suggest) a miniature woman with plastic hair. I am, in fact, a real human (see my profile picture if you’d like proof). I do have freckles and…

Why do we need them and how do they work? — How do you feel about oxygen? Well, if you’re a fellow Earth-dweller, I’m assuming pretty good. Cast your mind back to high school biology: oxygen is needed for respiration, which is the process used by our cells to release energy from the food we eat. …

What do those DNA ancestry tests mean, exactly? — Fairly recently, I wrote an article about cilantro. Actually, more specifically, I wrote about the genetic basis for its divisiveness. To cut a long (but interesting) story short: some people have differences in their DNA which means coriander tastes like soap (or, for some people in my family, like tin…

Or, why you adore It, like me — Cilantro, or, as some of us call it, ‘coriander’, is the herb of the Gods. At least, it is to me. I can’t get enough of the stuff; I devour those emerald green leaves every day. ‘Why?’, you might ask. Why not? Who wouldn’t want that hit of fresh, citrusy-ness…

Hint: it’s not just so they look super cool — We finally did it. We got on a plane and flew somewhere tropical: a land of swaying palm trees, delicious tropical fruit, stunning beaches and warm smiles. My husband and I finally took our belated holiday to Mauritius — all the travel anxiety post covid was worth it — we…

No, you’re not imagining it — alcohol can make you smell bad — It’s been a while since I wrote, I know. Have I suddenly lost my love of science or cooking? Or both? No, heaven forbid. Exciting life-stuff has been distracting me, but here I am, back at my desk, mulling over science and foody-type things whilst my cat lolls in a…

We can thank our atmosphere for those beautiful colours — I had started my week well: I dragged myself out of bed pretty early, and, as is my habit, I started writing first thing (coffee in hand of course). As my favourite ‘writing playlist’ gently played, I felt a real sense of peace and inspiration, and that wasn’t just the…

Mustard spice is meant to deter hungry animals; doesn’t seem to be doing a great job with us humans, does it? — How do you like your hotdogs? Tomato sauce? Onions? Either way, one thing is universal — hot dogs need mustard. Admittedly, I’m a Brit, so what the heck do I know, right? I don’t even eat hot dogs very often. …

But, unfortunately, the moon doesn’t smell like cheese — I’m a huge space nerd. But, I’m not an astronomer, or even a physicist, only a ‘lowly’ biochemist that knows more about protein molecules than is healthy. When I wrench myself away from those proteins, I think about space. When we get a clear night, my short-sighted eyes squint through…