Our bones are hard and strong because of a substance they contain called collagen, so when they have too little or poorly formed collagen, they break very easily. Laura Gorrell, a graduate student in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, studies the cells that make collagen and build bone. Her research could eventually help lead to new medicines that strengthen the bones of the elderly and people with diseases that weaken their bones. To learn more about the research being done in Laura's lab, visit https://irp.nih.gov/pi/sergey-leikin Interested in finding out for yourself what it's like to do research at NIH? Check out our training opportunities to learn about the IRP's programs for students, recent graduates, and postdoctoral fellows: https://irp.nih.gov/research-training/training-opportunities The SciBites video shorts are produced by thehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk4l5fGbJmFhN3QJVgvwa9w. Check out their YouTube channel and visit their website at https://irp.nih.gov/ to learn more about the NIH IRP.