Nigel Braun

Nigel Braun is a Canadian online content creator and chemist who produces educational videos centered on chemical reactions and various chemical compounds. Performing under the online moniker NileRed, he has built a substantial media presence centered on performing scientific experiments and explaining complex chemical processes for a general audience.

Braun was raised in Montreal, Quebec, by his parents, Dorian Braun and Jody Tanaka. He pursued his higher education at McGill University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry alongside a minor in pharmacology. Prior to focusing fully on content creation, he worked professionally as a laboratory technician in an organic chemistry lab. He subsequently enrolled in a master's degree program in chemistry at McGill University, though he ultimately chose to leave the program to manage his digital media work full-time.

Having produced instructional videos as a hobby during his mid-teens, Braun officially established his primary YouTube channel in March 2014. His early uploads featured projects conducted during his time as a lab technician and in his parents' garage. Over time, he moved his operations into a specialized industrial-grade laboratory. The name NileRed was selected alongside a college peer by searching through a chemical index for terms starting with the letter N; they chose nile red, a staining dye used in biochemistry and microbiology, because the name was accessible without sounding excessively technical.

To expand his media output, Braun launched a secondary channel called NileBlue in 2016 to showcase more informal scientific projects. In 2021, he introduced another channel focused on short-form videos, initially named NileRed Shorts and later renamed NileRed 2. His operations are supported by a small team that includes two family members—including his younger brother, Corey, who assists with management—and two hired friends.

Throughout his media career, Braun's content has received coverage from various news outlets and digital publications. In 2018, several of his videos were removed during a broader platform cleanup affecting chemistry-focused channels. The technology publication Hackaday highlighted his work in 2019 and 2020, focusing on his projects involving bismuth extraction from Pepto-Bismol, aerogel production, and the creation of superconductors. In 2021, mainstream outlets such as Newsweek and The A.V. Club reported on a viral video in which Braun demonstrated the dissolution of a hot dog using piranha solution.