school copy and X-ray film

This is one of my ‘additional’ biology notebooks from my school days: attachment to detail apparent from early days!

X-ray film is used in the lab to detect proteins moving into different compartments of the cell. This film was from research conducted in 1992 and revelation of the outcome of  the experiment, as captured on the film, took 6 days. In 2022 results are apparent in minutes.

mother’s day gift

This was a mother’s day gift from one of my kids capturing several scientific motifs including a conical flask in the middle of the U

microscope slides

These are slides of paraffin embedded kidneys from diabetic and non diabetic mice. The kidneys were immersed in liquid paraffin and then ultra thin slices/sections were made and mounted on glass slides. The very thin sections can be investigated under the microscope to see the effect of diabetes on the kidney

vial, papers, microscope image

The glass bottle contained samples of lipoxins which we study in our lab. These are special messengers produced in the body at the peak of inflammation which act to damp down inflammatory responses. 

science papers

Papers from scientific journals are shown. These publications describe investigations carried out in USA and also in UCD.

microscope image

Using fluorescence we can follow the activity in cells following the introduction of lipoxins. In this image a macrophage cell has ‘eaten’ or engulfed two other cells in a process of cleaning up at the site of inflammation. The three blue circles are cell nuclei; one belonging to the macrophage cell itself; the other two are the two cells it has engulfed.

books

I still pick up my English poetry book from school occasionally and am fascinated by the contents.  The Double Helix by James Watson is a book that I read in 1980 and was intrigued by the arrogance of the author, the snide remarks about Rosalind Franklin and the competitiveness between the Cambridge and the King’s College scientists. 

Researcher Profile

catherine godson

Catherine grew up in Dublin and after years in San Diego, Geneva and Boston, now lives in Dun Laoghaire. Catherine is mentor to many, sister to four, Mum to three, daughter to two and wife of one

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catherine godson

Catherine grew up in Dublin and after years in San Diego, Geneva and Boston, now lives in Dun Laoghaire. Catherine is mentor to many, sister to four, Mum to three, daughter to two and wife of one

Find Out More