Christmas pictures (VERY belated)

I just remembered I never posted any pictures from Christmas at Jillian and Brit's or Jacki and John's...or from our trip to Florida and the world of Coca Cola in Atlanta-guess whose idea that was ;) At Brad's urging, we also passed through Mt. Airy (Mayberry) NC :) Here are a couple pix. Click on a small picture below to see more Christmas or vacation pix.

by tmroth

by tmroth

BioArt 2007

"Windy starry night"










"Solar flares"












"Secret love"



















"Reach toward the light"












"Dark and stormy night"











"Cauda celeri"










I am preparing my submissions to be considered for this year's BioArt exhibit. I hope that one or two may be accepted. They are having an additional competition this year in which some graduate students or postdocs could win $250-$500 in travel funds, but only one picture can be submitted for consideration per entrant. Here are some low resolution versions of the pictures I am considering. Please comment on which of them you like best. I really hope to attend a meeting this summer and I could use the funding (wish me luck). The deadline for submission is not until March 31, so I do have some time yet to decide. Also let me know if you are interested in knowing more about the science behind the pictures. These are all cells that I have cultured and stained with various fluorescent colors as part of my research.

Beating cells

In my lab this week I had quite a surprise! I have been differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells into Schwann Cell-like cells. Schwann Cells insulate nerves in the peripheral nervous system. I tried a new experiment this week using different media components-imagine my surprise when some of the cell colonies on the plate started to spontaneously beat in rhythm. They may have differentiated into heart muscle cells! I am planning on testing them to see what is happening and if I can repeat these results. Usually cells are not visibly moving, so to see this is definitely eerie. Also click this link to another cluster with four sequential groups of beating cells.

Happy 50th BDay, Brad

Brad turned the big 5-0 on January 18th. I hope he had a great birthday. Caitlin made him dinner (it was delicious!) and I made scotcheroos.

I bought him an iPod that is capable of showing podcasts and pictures as well as playing music, and emailed all of the friends and family I could find addresses for- many of them responded with well wishes for him throughout the day. Jacki, John, and Jillian also helped me to put a picture of him in the paper and make a slideshow of pictures throughout his life so far. Check out a link to the slideshow and the newspaper picture on Jacki and John's blog

Oh, boy!

Jillian had an ultrasound Monday, and it's a boy! We are all excited that everything is progressing normally and she is feeling great. We can't wait to meet our new grandson.

Trip to Frankenmouth

Brad and I chaperoned Caitlin's Youth Group trip to Frankenmouth on Sunday. We were able to pick up some last minute Christmas gifts at Bronner's. We were going to check out other shops after lunch, but it took so long at Zehnder's that it was time to leave as soon as we finished eating. We went to the "Living Nativity" program at St. Francis that evening when we got back. It was very nice. There were even llamas there, and the fattest sheep I have ever seen-it was as big as the donkey!

WEBS cookie and gift exchange

The WEBS (Women Enjoying/Enduring Biomedical Sciences) group had our annual cookie and gift exchange last Saturday at Melissa's house. It was lots of fun and great to see each other. It is getting harder for us all to get together, with everyone so busy, but many of us were able to make it.
Melissa's son Henry was the token male there. What a cutie-I think he was mostly interested in trying to reach the cookies!

Science/Art class final project

I am taking a Science/Art class this semester, and I have just finished my final project. I just need to write an artist's statement to go with it for my presentation at the critique on Monday. In a nutshell, I basically am giving these cells "personality" by pairing microscopic cell pictures with macroscopic pictures. I am pretty happy with the results; here is a collage of what the grouping will look like.

BioArtography pictures

Here is a link to the BioArtography site at the U-M's Center for Organogenesis:


http://www.bioartography.com

The 2 cell pictures I took that were selected to be sold at the art fair this summer (see my July 26 blog), along with many others, are available on the site. Check it out :)

Thoughts of Thanksgiving

I have been thinking lately about my life and how different it is than I imagined even 5 years ago. I am incredibly lucky. I have a loving husband, 3 wonderful daughters, 2 great sons-in-law, a grandchild on the way, 1 crazy dog, and I am studying Cell & Developmental Biology at one of the best research universities in the world. My research is going well, my first paper is in revisions, and I hope to graduate in perhaps another year. One of the best aspects of my studies has been the variety of people I am able to meet.
Through the course of my research, I have been mentored by, been a mentor to, worked with and become friends with people from England, the Philippines, Trinidad, Russia, India, China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, Thailand, Lebanon, Korea, Uzbekistan (I will have to check the spelling of that with Leonid), Vietnam, Liberia, Puerto Rico, Turkey and of course all across the USA. Meeting and getting to know each of these people has been an incredibly enriching experience. It is almost like being able to travel and experience their culture first-hand. I have visited several other countries (the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Canada, England, Spain, Portugal), but actually getting to know the people is so incredible. I hope someday to be able travel to many more countries. I am so glad that Jillian was able to spend a semester in Spain during her college career.
I just wanted to say I am so thankful for what everyone has brought to my life, and I am looking forward to the future. I feel truly blessed.

Happy St. Nick's Day!

Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care...St. Nick came last night and we found our usual assortment of fruit, nuts, candy, a shiny penny and small presents. Caitlin and Buddy got some ornaments, but Buddy was more interested in the food treats in his stocking:) This is the first year that stockings were not filled for Jacki + John and Jillian + Brit, but we still kept their stocking holders on the mantel. I hope they will start their own traditions soon. We always had a lot of fun. Brad was gone this week, but returned tonight and emptied his stocking-snickers bars shaped like nutcrackers are his favorites :)

Messiah concert

Yesterday Brad and I went to a concert of "The Messiah" at Hill Auditorium, which is supposed to have some of the best acoustics possible.It was very enjoyable, but, at almost 3 hours, a very long time to sit in their small seats with one short intermission.

Thanksgiving

We had a fun Thanksgiving at Ron and Donna's house. I got some good pictures of John and Jacki's godson Connor, whose dad Ryan is my godson. Connor's twin sister Kylie was fun, too, she is very on-the-go.

I need a new computer :(

My computer died on me-the power box and the CD drive are both shot. I am now dragging the lab laptop back and forth every day so that I can get my work done. It is no fun, but I am going to wait until the new Vista OS comes out in February to get a new computer. Maybe I will get a laptop-any suggestions?
Anyway, Here are a few pictures I have not had time to post lately.

Kevin Roth's daughter Lauren and her skating partner were in Ann Arbor for a skating competion this fall and we were able to visit with Lauren and Robin and see the competition. It was a lot of fun-they did a great job!



Brad and Caitlin went out on a fishing excursion last summer. Caitlin had a rough time, I guess she is getting a little of my lack of "sea legs" but they had fun and caught some fish. They bought a may fly lure in honor of Jillian, who is completely unnerved by them (to put it mildly).

The November U-M vs. OSU game was exciting, even though U-M lost :(
We saw the game with Jillian and Brit at their house. I got a great picture of Brad between Jillian and Caitlin, the Michigan side on the left and the Ohio State side on the right. At least Caitlin was happy.

Also this fall, The Royal Shakespeare Company from England was in residence in Ann Arbor for three weeks. We were the only American venue, so people came from all over to attend the shows. They put on three shows-Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and The Tempest. Patrick Stewart was the lead in The Tempest and Antony and Cleopatra, both of which I was able to see. The were both incredible shows! I enjoyed Antony and Cleopatra better, though, because I was more familiar with the show and I had a seat in the second row about eight feet from the actors. Not much chance of getting distracted from the show there! I don't have any pictures, but if I can find my program later, I will scan some and post them.
I also have some pictures from Thanksgiving, but I will add a new post for those.

Preggos (funny picture)

Could this be a preview for Jillian and Brit in a few months?

Halloween

Caitlin carved a pumpkin with the SADD logo on it this year. She just organized and started a chapter at Huron High School, we are so proud of her. They just had their first meeting.
She and Buddy put on Halloween costumes so I could get a picture. Buddy made a pretty good Devil dog, his eyes are even glowing in the pictures. We didn't get any Trick or Treaters this year, I didn't see any at all last night anywhere down the street. It was disappointing, but we did get 3 medical students collecting nonperishables, so I gave them some candy, too.