Here & There

Working with sequencing data is a lot like opening a mysterious treasure chest; there is the thrill of discovery, but also the risk that what is inside might not be as valuable as you hoped. Hidden within those files could be the genomic equivalent of gold or just a lot of noise. This is where  Quality Control (QC)  becomes indispensable. In my recent learning from NASA's Genelab On-demand course, we focused on S equencing data QC,  the crucial first step before diving into analysis. No matter how advanced your downstream methods are, poor-quality input will always produce unreliable output. In bioinformatics, the saying  “garbage in, garbage out”  couldn’t be more true. Why QC Matters? When we get raw data from sequencing machines i.e. FASTQ files, it is not perfect. Errors creep in due to base-calling mistakes, adapter contamination, overrepresented sequences, or even leftover PCR duplicates. If we skip QC, we might spend hours or days analyzing flawed da...

A man once placed a bird in my hands, Saying, “You might save a life.” With a heart full of hope, And a will to do good, I gently took it in. The moment I held that fragile form, It no longer felt like a bird But a bond, A life entrusted to me. I named it Sky, A name that whispered freedom, That spoke of soaring heights. I asked, I learned, I did everything I could. Food, warmth, care, Prayers whispered like lullabies, Under sleepless stars. All I wanted was to see it fly, To see it live like it was meant to, Free and fearless. But as dawn approached, So did the truth. Fate had a different plan. Sky took its last breath, Cradled in its so called "home" A silent goodbye. In that moment, I broke Not just in grief, But in understanding. Responsibility is heavy When a life depends on you. And sometimes, Even love isn't enough To change what’s written. Still, I hope Hope that in another life, Sky will fly Higher than ever before. Stronger. Bri...

Hello Everyone! As a Master's student in Bioinformatics, now stepping into my third semester, I have realized just how much hands-on practice matters in this field. Whether you are new to bioinformatics or somewhere along the way like me, I want to share something that really boosted my learning this summer: the  NASA GeneLab On-Demand Course . It's a fantastic, self-paced program that introduces core bioinformatics tools using real-life space biology data. And yes it’s completely beginner-friendly. Why I Chose #GL4U? Even as a graduate student, it’s important to keep refreshing the fundamentals especially when dealing with Unix, R, and data analysis environments. What stood out to me about the #GL4U course is: 1. It breaks down big concepts into approachable lessons. 2. It uses actual NASA datasets, which makes the learning feel meaningful 3. And best of all, it now offers  GL4U Office Hours  every  Monday and Thursday  for extra help! 🧑‍🏫 If you're just gett...

For the longest time, I never explored anime. I assumed it just wouldn’t be my thing. But today, that changed. I finally gave anime a shot—and now I truly understand why anime fans are so devoted. The plots, the stories, the characters... everything is just amazing. My appreciation has grown for the writers and creators who bring these worlds to life. To mark the beginning of my anime journey, I chose  One Piece —one of the most famous and longest-running anime series, as many fans have told me. From Doubt to Dedication: At first, I doubted myself. Could I really commit to watching such a long series, one with over a thousand episodes and counting? But after watching just the first episode, my doubts vanished. I am now certain that not only will I continue watching  One Piece , but I will also stick with it until I reach the very latest episode—no matter how long it takes. The Story That Hooked Me: The first episode introduces Monkey D. Luffy, a confident young boy with dreams...

We are contradictions wrapped in skin.   We crave adventure but seek comfort.   We chase happiness but linger in sadness.   We long for connection but fear being seen.   Our minds are tightrope walkers, balancing reason and chaos.   Our hearts, restless acrobats, leaping between love and loneliness.   We wear masks—smiling when we’re breaking, laughing when we’re lost.   And the world applauds, as if pretending is part of the act.     We tell ourselves, “It’s fine.”   But sometimes, it’s not.    We should be strong, but not too strong.   We should speak up, but not too loudly.   We should dream big, but not too wild.   We should be enough—   But what is enough?     They hand us a script at birth,   Scribbled with rules we never agreed to.   Be this. Do that. Don’t stray.   But what if we want to impr...