Welcome to Molino

A molino is a mill—a machine that transforms raw material into something nourishing. This project is my digital molino.

I am a mixed-race scientist, Mexican-American and born in the Seattle area. My ancestors come from both the Old World and this continent—predominantly from Jalisco, Mexico, and Spain. Like many in my position, I am deeply displaced from the mother cultures of my ancestors, tethered instead to the predominant cultures of this specific moment in history.

This project is my attempt to bridge that distance. It takes raw, often suppressed or inaccessible information and processes it into something useful as my elders from both continents processed corn or wheat into sustenance. Along the way, I hope to re-center Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge, re-examine our collective history, and imagine a future rooted in environmentalism, compassion, and curiosity.

Below is a summary of pages you will find in development.

📅 Custom Almanac Generator

Description:

This interactive tool generates a personalized 260-day Tonalpohualli calendar starting from any date the user chooses. It’s designed to encourage observation, reflection, and connection with the ancestral timekeeping traditions of Mesoamerica.

What Users Will Find:

• A date input field to select any starting date
• A beautifully formatted 260-day calendar grouped into 13-day trecenas (weeks)
• Each day showing its Tonalpohualli number (1-13) and day-sign (e.g., Cipactli, Ehecatl, Calli)
• A notes area for each week to record personal observations
• A print-friendly version for physical use
• A CSV download option for digital record-keeping or analysis

How It Encourages Observation:

• Prompts for reflection ("What did you notice in the sky today?" "How does this week's energy feel?")
• Space for personal notes on natural phenomena, dreams, or synchronicities
• A tool for active engagement, not passive consumption

Note: This project is currently in development. Bolded items are completed.

🧬 The ERAP2 Odyssey

Description:

This page tells the story of the ERAP2 gene—a gene that saved lives during the Black Death, shaped human migration across continents, and now influences modern autoimmune diseases. It’s a journey through time, geography, and human survival, told through interactive visualizations and compelling narratives.

What Users Will Find:

📖 The Story

• The Plague Survivor: How a specific ERAP2 variant (rs2549794) provided a ~40% survival advantage during the Black Death
• The Global Journey: How the gene migrated from Africa, through Europe, to the Americas
• The Trade-Off: How the same variant that protected against plague now increases risk for Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune conditions
• The Iberian Link: Replicating the original findings in Iberian populations
• The Neanderthal Connection: Evidence of Neanderthal DNA sequences in ERAP2

🧪 Interactive Tools

• Plague Survival Calculator: Simulate how the protective variant affected survival in different populations
• Haplotype Journey Visualizer: Click through populations to see how haplotype frequencies changed over time and geography
• 10,000-Year Timeline: Drag a slider from the Neolithic era to today to watch allele frequencies evolve
• Global Frequency Map: Explore allele frequencies across five major continental populations
• The "What If" Simulator: See how different ERAP2 genotypes affect immune response and disease risk

📊 The Data

• SNP-specific data (rs2248374, rs2549794, rs72773968, etc.)
• Ancient DNA evidence from medieval Europe
• Modern population frequencies from the 1000 Genomes Project
• Disease association data from GWAS studies

Note: This project is currently in development. Bolded items are completed.

📰 Project Updates

Description:

This page documents the ongoing development of the Molino project. It serves as a public research log, sharing progress, findings, challenges, and reflections as the work unfolds.

What Users Will Find:

• Development Milestones: Key accomplishments and releases
• Research Notes: Discoveries, data analysis, and interpretations
• Technical Updates: Code improvements, new features, and bug fixes
• Reflections: Personal thoughts on the project's evolution and meaning
• Future Plans: What's coming next
• Community Contributions: Acknowledgment of collaborators, feedback, and ideas

Note: This project is currently in development. Bolded items are completed.

👤 About Me

Description:

This page provides a deeper look at the person behind the project—the researcher, storyteller, and mixed-race scientist whose personal journey inspired this work.

What You'll Find:

Bio

• Personal background: Mixed-race, Mexican-American, born in Seattle
• Ancestral heritage: Jalisco, Mexico and Spain
• Academic and professional background (scientist, researcher)
• Connection to the molino metaphor and the stories that inspired it

Why This Project Matters

• A personal statement on displacement, identity, and belonging
• The vision for re-centering Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge
• Commitment to environmentalism, compassion, and curiosity

Connect

• GitHub profile link
• Academic/research profiles (if applicable)
• Contact information or a contact form

Note: This project is currently in development. Bolded items are completed.

Last updated: 2026