In the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada

We enjoy breathtaking scenery visiting an organic farm.  The mountains ensure the weather is never predictable and provide a dramatic backdrop to the fields of young Rosmarinus officinalis.

Windswept and happy to be clutching leaves of what I consider to be one of the most important plant genera on the planet - one of the species of the genus Thymus. 

Perhaps the earliest recorded known ethnobotanical use of Thyme goes as far back as the Ancient Egyptians who famously used thyme for embalming.  The Romans brought Thyme to Europe and it has been used both medicinally and culinarily ever since.

Some of the oils are distilled on site, but most are distilled in their state-of-the-art facilites. Although I quite enjoy the quaintness of the open air distillation!

I have been doing a lot of research into inhibiting NF- κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) with specific plant extracts. NF- κB activation leads to increased tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α attracting neutrophils which increase oxidative damage through their production of free radicals. The crosstalk of NF- κB with redox signaling is critical for cellular fate under oxidative stress. Therefore inhibiting NF- κB and using SOD (superoxide dismutase) mimetics to attenuate ROS-related (Reactive Oxygen Species) cell injury would lead to an extremely effective dermal active. I'm currently testing one I have developed and the results are amazing so far!

And you heard it first!  I've decided to apply to graduate school at The University of Oxford.  There is so much research that I want to do and I can think of no better university on the planet that would be the ideal place to study with the absolute best professors to support me in these innovations.