The Immune System – A Battle Royale Within Your Body!

Have you ever wondered why you get a cold in winter? Or why you got so many vaccines when you were younger? Did you know that some cells in your body are called natural killer cells because of their ability to fight germs? Everyone is talking about vaccines, but do you really know what they are? You will find the answers to these questions in this Curious About live session! Here is a sneak peek…

Our immune system is a complex network that destroys and protects us from germs like viruses, bacteria or pathogens. When your body detects something that does not belong to you, white cells present in your blood produce little fighters called antibodies. These soldiers will glue themselves to the germs and will help the body to destroy them. Moreover, they will stay with you after getting sick, so that if you ever get invaded by the same germ, they will immediately get rid of it, and you will not even notice!

In this live session, you will learn about how you can make your immune system stronger, what is a vaccine and how they work, and how this all links to Alba’s job at Merck Glasgow.

About Alba Urena Rusillo

My name is Alba Urena Rusillo and I work as a Scientist 1 in the Analytical Chemistry Department of Merck Glasgow. I was born in Granada, Spain, but I have been living in the UK for four years. I studied Biochemistry at university in my hometown and I did a masters in Food Safety in Queen’s University Belfast before joining Merck. I love films (The Lion King is my favourite), going for long walks in the countryside and reading novels. Here is an interesting fact about me and the GSC: in the Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History station, I discovered that my surname Rusillo was originated and can be found almost exclusively in my parents’ hometown, Bailen, where Napoleon lost his first battle!