This past Thursday, I received an email from Substack. This tiny slice of the internet that I call my writing home just touched 100 subscribers! 🎉 I follow many science communicators on Substack who have some 10k+ followers, and little did I know that I would get an email with graphics and all from Substack for a mere 100 subscribers. It’s always the little things that make us feel special.
Off late, I have been rewiring myself to be more actionable. Less talk, more outcomes. My past default would be to read tons of blogs and watch YouTube videos about productivity, and not really get anything done. Hence before I even figured out every single in-and-out of Substack, I went ahead and posted my first article on March 26, 2026 on the elegant structure of Antibodies. Thereafter, I kept coming back to the platform to see what else is out there. In just a month and a half, I have fallen in love with the science community on Substack.
The number of scientists fighting against this plague of abundant misinformation and focusing on putting out evidence-based content is what truly made me keep coming back to Substack each day.
It’s these scientists who made me think about ‘The Binding Site’ and what I want it to stand for. At this stage, I know I want ‘The Binding Site’ to be a place where I can translate my antibody expertise into practical knowledge for the next generation of researchers. Having just finished my PhD and getting into the professional world, I have a steep learning curve ahead of me. As I learn new things, I’d like to take my readers too on that learning journey with me, and pick up more experienced researchers on the way to collectively learn and grow in this field.
To that end (and to celebrate my 100 subscribers), it only felt only appropriate to launch my newsletter: The Binding Brief.
The Binding Brief, a weekly newsletter will drop every Wednesday in your inbox and will have a lot of scoop and sections about the world of antibodies.
1. Raw Data
Scientists are also humans and we often forget that. We are ‘raw data’ versions who come with feelings, emotions, thoughts, reflections, and so much more than just the papers we put out. The newsletter will start off with a personal musing.
2. This Week’s Deep Dive
Worry not, I will not stop writing the long form content that I do. I loved writing the piece on how antibodies get their names, and such informative pieces shall continue. I learn a lot while I research for the writing and it would still remain the bread and butter of this site.
3. Bench Notes
During the course of my PhD, I had lab mates introduce me to so many research protocols — the experiments that actually give us answers. I would love to be your digital lab mate giving you protocols and tips on how to carry out a science experiment from start to end, along with annotated cheat sheets.
4. Antibody Spotlight
Antibodies are forever in journal articles and news now! So much new and exciting work is being carried out, and I'd love to curate some of the most interesting antibodies of the week for you and explain why they're worth watching.
5. In Silico
In this world of Generative AI, we have a parallel stream of antibody development happening. It is still quite early to tell the impact this field will have on speeding up antibody and drug development, but if it does, I'd love for my readers to be up to date on all this information.
6. Paper Worth Reading
There have been some cool papers associated with the field — true game changers that changed the course of our thinking and pivoted the course of research and discovery. This section will feature my favourite reads of the week.
That's it from me for now. I shall add in more sections as they come along.
If there is anything you’d like to see on ‘The Binding Site’, let me know! 🙃
This site is free and I intend to keep it that way for as long as I can because good science communication should be accessible, especially for students. If you enjoy what you read and feel like buying me a coffee along the way, I won't say no. ☕ And if you're not a student, consider paying it forward to one who is.
Can’t wait!!!
Let's go!! CONGRATULATIONS for 100 subscribers🎉