Boldrini, a neuroscientist at Columbia University, studies the biology of suicide and the physiological markers of resilience in brain tissue. One of those places is the olfactory bulb, which can be reached through the nose — a fact that could explain why so many COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell. It's eerily similar to what many COVID-19 patients face — and she doesn't think that's a coincidence. Next, she slices off pieces that are a mere 50 microns thick — just wide enough to contain a single layer of brain cells. This slice of brain tissue resembles a galactic crush of stars stretched across a darkened sky: The scattered blue stars are glia, the brain's protective cells.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 12, 2021 15:11 UTC