NileRed

Nigel Braun, known online as NileRed, is a Canadian chemist and YouTuber who has built one of the most technically detailed chemistry channels on the platform. He holds a BSc in biochemistry with a minor in pharmacology from McGill University, where he also worked as an organic laboratory technician and undergraduate teaching assistant. He began a master's programme in chemistry at McGill but left to focus on his channel, which by then had grown into a significant educational resource.

NileRed's approach is distinguished by genuine laboratory practice. Unlike many science entertainers, Braun conducts real multi-step synthesis projects in his own lab, documenting failures and setbacks alongside successes. His videos on synthesising perfume compounds, turning plastic bags into diesel fuel through pyrolysis, and making transparent wood have attracted tens of millions of views while accurately representing real organic chemistry. The channel demonstrates that legitimate chemistry—complete with safety protocols, analytical verification, and honest discussion of what went wrong—can be as compelling as any entertainment content.

Braun also operates the NileBlue channel for longer, more experimental projects and has been open about the challenges of performing serious chemistry outside a formal research institution. His work has been cited as evidence that public engagement with real laboratory science can thrive on YouTube without sensationalism or misrepresentation, and he has contributed to broader discussions about chemistry content moderation on the platform.