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‘Diversity in Microbiology’ collection is open for submissions

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‘Diversity in Microbiology’ collection is open for submissions

23 March 2023

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The Microbiology Society is pleased to open the call for submissions to its new collection, ‘Diversity in Microbiology’.

The Society President, Professor Gurdyal Besra, has commissioned a number of articles from under-represented groups, highlighting the talent we have within our Society, and where our members are producing cutting-edge research within microbiology. This collection is open for submissions across our journals portfolio from members of underrepresented ethnic and racial groups, people who are disabled, and of other marginalised backgrounds.

Authors wishing to submit to the collection should do so via the online submission system and note in the cover letter that their submission is intended for the ‘Diversity in Microbiology’ collection. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]. 

Greater diversity within all that we do will widen the talent pool available for the field of microbiology and create networks of ideas and collaborations, potentially leading to greater development and innovation. Working to be inclusive helps us ensure we have a thriving community, which in turn will pave the way for us to support microbiology into the future.  

The Microbiology Society is a not-for-profit publisher and supports and invests in the microbiology community. All surplus income is invested back into the Society, be it through providing grants, facilitating policy activities, conferences and other activities. All members receive a 30% discount on Open Access (OA) charges and all corresponding authors at Publish and Read institutions are entitled to fee-free Open Access. The Society also has an inclusive OA policy and any corresponding author from a country in Group A or B of the HINARI programme is automatically entitled to a 100% discount on OA charges. 

Image: iStock/Angelina Bambina.

Microbiology, News

Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Darya Chernikhova

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Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Darya Chernikhova

Posted on March 23, 2023   by Microbiology Society


Neurodiversity Celebration Week takes place 13–19 March 2023; it aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by organisations, while creating a more inclusive and equitable culture.

We spoke with Society Champion, Darya Chernikhova, about their experiences of working in microbiology as a neurodivergent person.

“You will contribute to the world. It might take longer, or it might not, but it’ll be awesome.”  Darya Chernikhova

Darya Chernikhova
© Darya Chernikhova

Could you tell us about yourself?

I’m a masters student and I am working towards cryopreserving biodiversity-related microbiomes. Just like humans have gut microbiomes, everything from wild animals to butterflies to plants and soils has microbiomes. Each microbial situation can have tens of thousands of individual species of bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, etc. We can’t protect or restore biodiversity without paying attention to the microbiomes that go with it. Right now, most microbiome work is limited to sequencing or to isolating select bacterial species.

I’d like to create frozen living archives of whole microbiome samples. Currently, I’m on an internship in Hawaii, learning cryopreservation techniques.

 

 

It’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week 13–19 March 2023; will you be doing anything to raise awareness?

I feel like my very person creates awareness the moment I walk into a room!

I’m an oddball and an acquired taste. I’ve started telling people I’m neurodivergent as early as reasonably possible in a professional relationship. It doesn’t help me succeed, but it does help me feel better about the process, and I do feel that announcing myself helps to normalise difference and makes the world a better place. I tend not to do special things for specific occasions, but I do appreciate those occasions refreshing awareness and strength in my person. 

As a neurodivergent person studying science, are there any challenges you have faced?

I was an undergraduate in the 1990s. Back then, you had to choose a path and walk it.  Maybe you became a cancer researcher, or maybe a field biologist, and you needed mentors to get you started. People grew and switched jobs, but it was difficult and not celebrated in society. I couldn’t find a mentor or a path. So I became a software developer, and now I’ve gone back to school.

In some ways it’s easier. Career changes are normalised and, after two decades of trying, I finally got the right diagnosis and medication. In other ways it’s still hard and sometimes harder. How do you ask for mentorship, when people don’t see you as a mentee? You’ve spent a lifetime studying people and relationships, and having diverse hobbies and interests so you know how to help the people around you and how to contribute to multiple projects. However, you’re still prone to burnout, and your colleagues aren’t always excited about you trying to do too much. 

There are pressures to ‘get it done’ within a shortened career span, whatever you decide ‘it’ is. You have the life experience to know where the right balances are and that helps, but you’re still human enough to not be able to reach them.   

There are also special challenges: I can be on time and I can work in the morning, but it takes a toll. Over the long term, going against natural circadian rhythms has been shown to carry health and longevity consequences. I have good days when I’m a productivity superhero and bad days when executive dysfunction reigns. I’m very sensitive to others’ feelings, but I can’t always react appropriately in real-time, and I definitely can’t represent myself in ways that generally get people accepted and promoted. Every professional field has its own social relationships and politics and I don’t fit. You kind of just have to be strong and find your personal path, even when you know you’re not likely to hit expected milestones.

The hardest part is knowing when to quit. I’ve internalised that walking away is shameful. However, when you clutch at something, giving it your all, you’re wasting your potential. Don’t be exhausted and dejected, life’s short, and you are enough. Find a place that makes you 5% happier and the next, and the next. You will contribute to the world. It might take longer, or it might not, but it’ll be awesome. 

Do you think more needs to be done to support neurodivergent people working in (or hoping to work in) science?

Gosh yes! There is so much intersectionality too; I try to build up understanding that accommodations aren’t handouts to ‘special’ people. Rather, they are things that you can do to make your own environment function better.

Take the example of ageism: neurodivergent people; women; people of colour and those from working class backgrounds are all groups more likely to enter academia later in life. Many grants  and scholarships for early career microbiologists carry a maximum age requirement. Trust me, I’m just as broke and enthusiastic. When your group/department/university/company sees an announcement of funding that carries an age limit, please respond back to the granter and gently and kindly let them know that you understand they’re a programme manager and don’t set the rules, but could they pass it up the chain to eliminate age requirements. There are groups that define early career as ‘X number of years of work in this field or after graduation, excluding the years taken off for family or personal obligations’.  With enough supporting voices, things will change.

Let’s talk advice. Try not to give unsolicited common sense advice. We’ve tried it. But it’s wonderful to offer mentorship. Give all accommodation requests that you’re able to give, and don’t compare individuals’ accommodations or disabilities. Ask community-run support groups for advice. They have the context to suggest productive solutions. Implement diversity consultants’ suggestions. When you step back and reassess how a person might work better in your environment, what you’re actually doing is figuring out how your environment could work better. Be flexible and innovative, and you’ll be getting the best from all of your colleagues.

Communication: in a homogenous culture, people sometimes struggle to communicate with ‘outsiders’. This can lead to neurodivergent people, or those from other cultures or classes, being pushed away and the creation of ‘in’ groups. Neurodivergent people are used to code-switching; we adapt and translate. Trust us to show you how to share.

Be uncomfortable. Every day. Get a calendar and put checkmarks on the days when you’ve made yourself uncomfortable on behalf of a minority. Don’t wait until you’re secure enough in your position to really make a difference, you’ll never get there. By the time you get to Principal Investigator level, you’ll have leapfrogged all of the people you didn’t speak up for. We don’t have that choice of distancing, or stopping to rest, available to us. We are fighting hard for our place in the world every single day. To be an ally, be active in deed, as well as words.

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© Darya Chernikhova

Do you have any role models, if so, who?

I don’t have heroes, but I do admire aspects of certain people. If I see someone being inventive or kind, I’ll want to be like them in that regard. I met Glenn Seaborg once (a physicist who discovered many new elements and isotopes, and has element 106 named after him). He gave a talk to our student group, and he was so kind. It postponed my undergraduate burnout by a year. I also met Eartha Kitt after a concert (a brilliant performer and US Civil Rights activist). She was powerful and magnetic. Dr David Vaughan got me into corals and is a force of nature and can-do action. My friend Carrie Hawks makes animated short films that talk so well about difficult topics. My friend Sky develops software for good causes. People in citizen science; people who do wonderful things without institutional support – I’d like to be like them.

 

Could you tell us why you decided to join the Society and become a Champion?

I was looking for mentors, and I wanted to contribute to diversity initiatives. The Society accepts people from all over the world, and everyone is so kind in emails and chat; I’ve been made to feel welcome. I’m glad it exists, and I’m glad to be hanging out with the Champions.

If you would like to get involved with Society activities, or become a Champion, you can find out more via our Get Involved webpage.

 

 

 

 

 

Microbiology, News

Abstract submissions now open for anaerobe 2023

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Abstract submissions now open for anaerobe 2023

20 March 2023

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We are pleased to announce a call for public abstracts for Anaerobe 2023, taking place 12–14 July 2023, at the Leonardo Hotel Cardiff.
 

Submissions are now open and will close on 12 May 2023 23:59 GMT.

 

Submit abstract now

 

This meeting will provide scientific insights into the future impact of anaerobic bacteria on human health and disease, foster interactions amongst Biomedical Scientists, Clinicians and Scientists and encourage engagement of early career microbiologists with established faculty in informal settings and through offered oral, flash poster and poster presentations. The meeting will take a hybrid format with all presenters attending and sharing their posters in person.

 

To learn more about the meeting and for abstract guidance, please visit the event webpage.

 

Updates on the meeting can also be found on our Twitter @MicrobioSoc using #Anaerobe23.

 

Microbiology, News

ASM Statement in Response to COVID-19 Hearing

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ASM Statement in Response to COVID-19 Hearing

Statement from the American Society for Microbiology 
in response to the 
House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Hearing: 
“Investigating the Origins of COVID-19” 
 
March 8, 2023 

On behalf of our 30,000 members in the United States and around the world, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) shares the following points in response to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic’s hearing to discuss the origins of COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.     

ASM supports a science-based, open and comprehensive inquiry into the origins of the pandemic. We are encouraged that government and intelligence agencies continue their due diligence in the investigation.  The conclusions we draw about the origins of COVID-19 will inform the future of high-consequence pathogen research around the world and pandemic preparedness here in the U.S., so it is crucial that we conduct a free, open and complete inquiry and do not draw premature conclusions. Because pathogens know no borders, we also urge international collaboration, to the extent possible, in the search for evidence and answers. 

Novel pathogens with the ability to infect humans have emerged at an increasing rate over the past twenty years. Many threaten global health, but none more so in recent memory than SARS-CoV-2. In addition to novel pathogens, we must address seasonal threats with pandemic potential such as influenza, and recurring epidemic threats such as Ebola. Whenever such threats emerge, questions arise as to how the event happened. Understanding how an epidemic or pandemic starts helps us better prepare for future pandemics. It is essential to lead with science in order to achieve the most complete and accurate understanding of how infectious diseases emerge and spread.  

As such, we offer the following points for consideration: 

  • The United States is the world leader in life sciences research, including basic, clinical and translational research focused on pathogens and infectious diseases. Congress must continue to support the U.S. research ecosystem through a strong federal funding commitment, coupled with policies that enable innovative public private partnerships. By doing so, we can continue promising research to understand how viruses emerge and are transmitted; how they can be prevented, detected, and monitored; and, when they cause disease, how they can be diagnosed and treated. Without continued research in these areas, we will not be able to prevent or even prepare for future pandemics.

 

  • When this work involves working with enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (ePPPs), it must be accompanied by safeguards and conducted under strict biosafety and biosecurity measures in laboratories at the appropriate biocontainment safety level (BSL).  The American public can have confidence that research conducted on ePPPs in the U.S. adheres to the highest standards that set the bar for countries around the world. We have an impeccable track record in this country and recognize the need to continually refine and update standards. But for this leadership to continue, Congress must invest in the network of high containment laboratories to ensure that the infrastructure is sound, laboratorians are appropriately trained, and the work is conducted with minimal risk to both those working in the lab and to the general population.

 

  • Research on disease-causing microbes is necessarily international. As we have seen all too clearly, viruses know no borders. Many of the viruses emerge at the animal-human interface outside of the U.S., so the health and security of the American public depends on transparent research collaborations and sharing of samples and genomic sequencing information with other countries. Work outside the U.S. needs to occur at a biosafety level comparable to that which is applied domestically to reduce risk of lab accidents. With diplomacy and American leadership, ASM believes it is possible to both protect national security and work with governments and researchers in other countries to ensure that this work is being conducted safely. We all want the work to protect people throughout the world, and we need the information to anticipate and detect threats. 

We thank the Subcommittee for consideration of our views. ASM is committed to assisting the Committee, its members, the Congress, and the Administration as the U.S. continues to recover from and consider lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.  

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The American Society for Microbiology is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of 30,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM’s mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.  

ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences. 

Microbiology, News

Study Shows New York City Rats Carry SARS-CoV-2

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Study Shows New York City Rats Carry SARS-CoV-2

Washington, DC – A new study has demonstrated that rats are susceptible to infection with Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 and wild rats in the New York City municipal sewer systems and elsewhere in the city have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The study was published in mBio, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. 

“Our findings highlight the need for further monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in rat populations for potential secondary zoonotic transmission to humans,” said study principal investigator Henry Wan, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Center for Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Missouri. “Overall, our work in this space shows that animals can play a role in pandemics that impact humans, and it’s important that we continue to increase our understanding so we can protect both human and animal health.” 

Rats are widely distributed in urban communities in the United States. For example, New York City alone has approximately eight million wild rats. These wild rats have ample opportunities to interact with humans. Two previous studies suggested that rats in Asia (Hong Kong) and Europe (Belgium) were exposed to SARS-CoV-2; however, it is unknown which SARS-CoV-2 variant these rats were exposed to in both studies.  

In the new study, the researchers set out to determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus in humans has been transmitted to the rat population in urban areas of the United States, specifically New York City, and if so, which SARS-CoV-2 variant caused those infections. The researchers also set out to determine whether (and which) SARS-CoV-2 variants in NYC can cause infections in rats. 

“In Fall of 2021, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) sampled Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) in New York City to look for evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said study coauthor Tom DeLiberto, D.V.M., Ph.D., SARS-CoV-2 Coordinator at USDA APHIS Wildlife Services. “Two trapping efforts were conducted during September and November with permission from the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in and around locations surrounding wastewater systems. Most of the rats were trapped in city parks within Brooklyn, although some were captured near buildings outside of park boundaries.”  

Biologists collected and processed samples from 79 rats for virological studies and genomic sequencing. The researchers found that the rats were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and showed a possible link to the viruses that were circulating in humans during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, 13 of 79 rats (16.5%) tested positive. “To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to show SARS-CoV-2 variants can cause infections in the wild rat populations in a major U.S. urban area,” Dr. Wan said.  

To further investigate rat susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 variants, the researchers conducted a virus challenge study and showed that Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants (variants found in humans) can cause infections in rats (wild-type Sprague Dawley rats), including high replication levels in the upper and lower respiratory tracts and induction of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Susceptibility to infection varied by type of variant. 

“Our findings highlight the need for further monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in rat populations to determine if the virus is circulating in the animals and evolving into new strains that could pose a risk to humans,” Dr. Wan said. “SARS-CoV-2 virus presents a typical one-health challenge which requires collaborative, multisectoral and transdisciplinary approaches to fully understand such challenges.” 
 

###
 
The American Society for Microbiology is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of 30,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM’s mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.  
 
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.  
Microbiology, News

Transformative Agreement Signed between the Microbiology Society and Indian Institute of Science Bangalore

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Transformative Agreement Signed between the Microbiology Society and Indian Institute of Science Bangalore

16 March 2023

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The Microbiology Society and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore are thrilled to announce a transformative Publish and Read agreement starting in 2023. This marks the Microbiology Society’s first agreement of its kind in India, continuing its goal to support Open Access (OA) publishing for microbiologists across the globe.

Publish and Read is designed to boost opportunities for researchers and institutions alike, with no author fees and minimal administration. Affiliate authors at the IISc Bangalore will be able to enjoy full read access and unlimited OA publishing in all six Society titles. What’s more, Publish and Read supports the work of the Microbiology Society, a not-for-profit with an international membership.

Peter Cotgreave, Chief Executive of the Microbiology Society:

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership with the IISc Bangalore, empowering its scientists to share internationally important research more widely than ever with uncapped OA. At the Microbiology Society, we’re proud to be growing the Publish and Read model into new regions, offering a simple, sustainable solution in an increasingly Open global scientific community.”

Francis Jayakanth, Scientific Officer at the IISc Bangalore:

“Implementing a Publish and Read license agreement in support of Open Access publishing is a win-win situation for our Institute and researchers. It promotes knowledge sharing, enhances the visibility and reputation of our researchers, and saves costs while providing access to the latest research.”

Affiliated researchers at Publish and Read institutions are entitled to:

  • Unlimited OA publishing: papers with a corresponding author from a Publish and Read institution will be OA by default.
  • Unlimited usage: full access to the entire archive of Society content, back to 1947, for reading and for text and data mining.

Authors can check if their institution is eligible here.

Publish and Read covers the complete Society portfolio, including fully OA titles Microbiology, Microbial Genomics and Access Microbiology and hybrid titles Journal of General Virology, Journal of Medical Microbiology and International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

Microbiology Society

The Microbiology Society is a membership charity for scientists interested in microbes, their effects and their practical uses. It is one of the largest microbiology societies in Europe with a worldwide membership based in universities, industry, hospitals, research institutes and schools.

Contact: Valida Delalic, Renewals and Retentions Manager – [email protected]

Indian Institute of Science Bangalore

The IISc, founded in 1909, is a leading research institution in India known for its world-class facilities, exceptional faculty, and innovative research in various fields of science, engineering, and technology. The Institute is dedicated to promoting scientific research and education and has played a significant role in shaping the scientific and technological landscape of India. With state-of-the-art research facilities and a vibrant academic community, the IISc is a hub for cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Contact: K. Nirmala Devi, Officiating Librarian – [email protected]

Microbiology, News

Thank you to reviewers for Microbiology Society publications in 2022

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Thank you to reviewers for Microbiology Society publications in 2022

13 March 2023

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Microbiology Society publications rely on the efforts of reviewers to ensure that we continue to publish high-quality articles. Peer reviewers play a key role in the publishing process by donating their time and expertise to the community, allowing us to further advance the understanding of microbiology.
 

The top reviewers in terms of number of reviews completed, will receive a certificate to give recognition for their significant contribution. For the full acknowledgements please view this list.



Reviewer Acknowledgement List

 

We would also like to thank our authors, readers, and editors for their continued support.

If you would like to become a reviewer for our publications please contact [email protected] with details of your research interests and an up-to-date CV. Reviewers are selected for their expertise and experience by editors and need to:

  • Be qualified to PhD level (or equivalent) or above in a relevant subject.
  • Be an active researcher.
  • Have one or more recent publications in peer-reviewed publications of most comparable impact and reputation to our publications.

 

We have only published the names of reviewers who have agreed to have their names listed.

 

Image: Society logo .

Microbiology, News

Reviewers for Microbiology Society publications in 2022

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Reviewers for Microbiology Society publications in 2022

13 March 2023

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Microbiology Society publications rely on the efforts of reviewers to ensure that we continue to publish high-quality articles. Peer reviewers play a key role in the publishing process by donating their time and expertise to the community, allowing us to further advance the understanding of microbiology.
 

The top reviewers in terms of number of reviews completed, will receive a certificate to give recognition for their significant contribution. For the full acknowledgements please view this list.



Reviewer Acknowledgement list

 

We would also like to thank our authors, readers, and editors for their continued support.

If you would like to become a reviewer for our publications please contact [email protected] with details of your research interests and an up-to-date CV. Reviewers are selected for their expertise and experience by editors and need to:

  • Be qualified to PhD level (or equivalent) or above in a relevant subject.
  • Be an active researcher.
  • Have one or more recent publications in peer-reviewed publications of most comparable impact and reputation to our publications.

 

We have only published the names of reviewers who have agreed to have their names listed.

 

Image: Society logo .

Microbiology, News

Lab coats – the discrimination we don’t see

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Lab coats – the discrimination we don’t see

Posted on March 10, 2023   by Clare Baker

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Have you ever thought that your lab coat isn’t made for you? Has it affected how comfortable you feel in a lab?

On this episode of Microbe Talk Clare speaks to Derek Miller, founder of Genius Lab Gear, about all things lab coats, from impostor syndrome to safety issues. And how he is hoping to produce a lab coat that is designed with the diversity of scientists in mind.

Music: pixabay Chill Abstract (Intention) Coma-Media

Lab coats – the discrimination we don’t see

 

Transcript

 

00;00;04;21 – 00;00;24;24

Clare

Hello and welcome. I’m Clare and you’re listening to Microbe Talk, the podcast by the Microbiology Society. In this episode, I was inspired by Zero Discrimination Day and International Women’s Day, to talk about the discrimination that we don’t always see. I spoke to Derek Miller about his work creating a lab coat that doesn’t discriminate. Derek called into the podcast from Ohio and I chatted to him over zoom.

 

00;00;27;22 – 00;00;52;02

Derek

My name is Derek Miller. I am the founder of Genius Lab gear, which is a small business that’s really focused on fixing a lot of the smaller the little frustrations in day to day laboratory research. And most recently, what we’ve been working on is a project called the Lab Coat Project. And the goal of this project is to solve all those frustrations that have been lingering for what I would say, decades.

 

00;00;52;13 – 00;01;20;27

Derek

In lab coats, these things with fit and function and the sleeves are too short and the coats too big and the nothing quite works the way it should. It almost seems like they haven’t been designed really well for scientists for a long, long time. And the point of this project is to gather as much feedback by actually listening to the scientists that use them and to take their feedback and to create a design that works for as many scientists as possible.

 

00;01;21;18 – 00;01;28;26

Derek

And so I really like to call it a lab coat that’s designed by a thousand scientists, and that’s how many survey responses we have so far.

 

00;01;29;00 – 00;01;40;27

Clare

Yeah, it’s good that you mention the survey, because I think that was probably the thing that I was most intrigued by on your website. Yeah. Are you able to talk a little bit about that?

 

00;01;41;11 – 00;01;58;07

Derek

Sure. Yeah, we launched it about a year and a half ago with the goal of getting a thousand responses, and we said, if we can get a thousand responses, then that means there’s a real problem here. And people, people need this, and we’d have enough momentum to go forward with the manufacturing. And so now we’re up to almost 1400 responses.

 

00;01;58;19 – 00;02;18;26

Derek

And when we got to 1000, I did a big data summary. I spent like hours and hours and hours digging through this data, reading every single comment. And I learned so much, and I can’t imagine anyone’s ever learned this much about lab coats from the users ever before. And so I pulled out a lot of quotes. I pulled out a lot of data.

 

00;02;19;16 – 00;02;56;18

Derek

I wrote an article about it talking about more of the fit and function that people and those kind of problems that people had. And then recently just wrote another article that really focuses in on what seems to be the biggest problem, which is especially for women in the workplace, where the lab coats tend to be designed more for men or for unisex – which a lot of people would say is for men – and and that it just it leads to kind of a systemic problem of more frustration, more barriers, more friction in the work that women are doing in the laboratory.

 

00;02;57;13 – 00;03;04;25

Derek

And so I wanted to focus in and write a separate article just about that, because I think it’s it’s such an important point from all the feedback that we got.

 

00;03;05;00 – 00;03;22;05

Clare

Yeah, definitely. One of the bits of feedback that came up from your article I read on your website was his idea of lab coats being representative of this imposter syndrome that lots of people feel in the field of science. Yeah. Did you get any more interesting responses?

 

00;03;22;20 – 00;03;42;25

Derek

Yeah, definitely. It’s it makes I would say it it makes a lot of women especially feel like they don’t belong there. They feel like scientific research wasn’t meant for them, wasn’t designed for them. And I guess some quotes that can illustrate this pretty well. If you want me to read a few.

 

00;03;42;25 – 00;03;43;14

Clare

Yes, please.

 

00;03;43;23 – 00;04;02;08

Derek

Because, you know, coming from me, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. But reading the quotes directly is probably a better way to go. Yeah, go about it. For instance, one of the quotes said every lab coat I’ve had has somehow been both too big and too small and horribly uncomfortable. It frustrates me to see others wearing coats that make them look cool and professional.

 

00;04;02;23 – 00;04;06;17

Derek

Meanwhile, I’m over here looking like an ancient Roman who got kicked out of the fashion show.

 

00;04;06;24 – 00;04;07;16

Clare

Oh, gosh.

 

00;04;08;10 – 00;04;32;19

Derek

Another one. Another one from someone who identified as petite said being swallowed by a giant lab coat makes you feel like you’re dressing up in a costume. It creates a strange imposter syndrome that whispers in your ear. You’re not a real scientist. And that’s just two of dozens of quotes along the same theme. Yeah, that really resonate. And I think it’s definitely a big problem that we need to fix.

 

00;04;33;03 – 00;04;59;12

Clare

Yeah, definitely. I think it’s great that you’ve done a survey for this because quite often a lot of these things go unseen and you don’t get asked because there’s quite often very obvious barriers. Diversity within science. Mm hmm. And I think it’s interesting because obviously the lab is something that doesn’t necessarily automatically come to mind, which is why I was really, really interested in in speaking to you.

 

00;05;00;17 – 00;05;08;12

Clare

So I wanted to ask as well about the maternity coats. That was something really interesting that came up. Tell us a little bit more about that.

 

00;05;08;14 – 00;05;30;17

Derek

Yeah, well, that’s still an early development right now. I have a through the survey, actually, I’ve in some of the comments, I’ve found several women already that have just recently been through maternity without a specialized lab coat. And they were kind of talking about some of the problems they had. And so were putting together kind of a small group to help design a maternity lab coat.

 

00;05;31;00 – 00;05;53;15

Derek

And it’s it really just boggles my mind that there’s nothing really out there. If you Google maternity lab coat, you’ll see other lab coat companies advertising on that search. But without an actual maternity lab coat, they’re trying to kind of repurpose whatever else they already have. And these are big companies that, you know, a minimum run of lab coats is usually about a thousand.

 

00;05;53;27 – 00;06;16;09

Derek

You would think that one of the bigger companies could make a run out of a thousand maternity lab coats and sell them. Some quick calculations. I did show there had to be at least 30,000, 40,000 women in STEM who are pregnant every year. And so it seems like a market that’s totally underserved. And it’s and I have to say it’s been done before.

 

00;06;16;10 – 00;06;34;18

Derek

There’s been three or four other very small companies that have tried to make maternity lab coats before. But I found the websites are no longer active, their businesses are no longer active. So I have to be careful, you know, and make sure we do this the right way so we don’t end up just, you know, another another failed attempt and then we can actually make something that works well.

 

00;06;35;00 – 00;07;02;21

Derek

And but I think the way we do that is by listening. And that’s kind of how this whole project has gone and how I try to run this business in general is listening to what the scientists actually want and what they need. And so getting some of these women who have been through it, they know the struggles. And then when we get to the prototyping and sizing phase, we find actual pregnant women who are pregnant and doing laboratory research to test them out and make sure everything is where it needs to be and make sure it works well for them.

 

00;07;02;21 – 00;07;08;12

Derek

And then, you know, get that out there and available in the world. And I think that will be a huge help.

 

00;07;08;21 – 00;07;15;29

Clare

Yeah, definitely. It seems so crazy that you said that, that it just isn’t one for pregnant women. That’s absolutely insane.

 

00;07;16;01 – 00;07;35;13

Derek

Yeah, it’s just the companies just don’t want to take the risk that they’re not going to sell them. And for them, it’s really it’s not a huge risk. It’s maybe a tens of thousands of dollars type number to to create the first maternity lab coat for women. And so I’m personally, you know, we’re we’re willing to take that risk.

 

00;07;35;18 – 00;07;57;26

Clare

That’s good to hear. That’s good to hear. It’s it’s this kind of idea, isn’t it? Of I keep wanting to say like citizen science, but it’s not quite that. But it’s this kind of built by them for them kind of stuff, which I quite, quite like. Exactly. Yeah. And I mean, it sounds like something that would get big community buy in.

 

00;07;58;11 – 00;08;09;25

Clare

I don’t – I know a lot of female scientists and there are lots of barriers and it sounds like something they get involved in because it’s not just a representation issue, it’s also a safety issue, isn’t it?

 

00;08;10;13 – 00;08;26;29

Derek

Yeah, Yeah. And the safety issue is something that’s it’s come up a bunch of times. So many people in their in their feedback, we ask them just to rant about their lab coat. A lot of them say they just don’t wear it very often because they hate it so much. And that was my experience and that’s why I started this this whole project in the first place.

 

00;08;27;22 – 00;08;56;01

Derek

I would only put mine on when I was working on, like with the very dangerous materials and chemicals in my lab. I didn’t wear it day to day if I was just, you know, in there doing some other things. And so to me, the safest lab coat is the one that you actually want to wear. And so we’re starting with kind of that approach of what would make you love wearing this and what would make you feel great when you put it on, because there are very few people that responded in the survey that they actually feel good putting on their lab coat every day.

 

00;08;56;11 – 00;09;17;18

Clare

Yeah, Yeah, I’m, I suppose, drawing on my own experience as well as when I was at school. Gosh, like the lab coats we had were just disastrous. They were massive and yeah, they were dangerous. And we used to have sleeves getting caught in Bunsen burners and God knows. Well, do you have any plans to maybe reach out into sort of education at all?

 

00;09;18;03 – 00;09;43;04

Derek

Yeah, a lot of the respondents were teachers or professors and even some of our beta testers. We just finished assembling a group of about 30 beta testers that are all going to get an early prototype of the lab coat and for fit and function, both for measurements and for testing it in their lab for for feedback. Before we go to manufacturing and I’d say at least two or three of those are also one or two are high school teachers and one or two are professors.

 

00;09;44;05 – 00;10;01;16

Derek

And so we we really want I think a big part of this is also getting that like introductory chemistry lab. Yeah, everybody goes and buys their first lab coat from the university bookstore and those are the worst lab coats. Yeah, the people are usually everywhere is like the $20 one you get from your bookstore.

 

00;10;01;17 – 00;10;13;19

Clare

Yeah, I think definitely getting in there early and making younger people who are new in their careers and science feel comfortable in a lab as comfortable as possible is so important.

 

00;10;13;28 – 00;10;28;23

Derek

Yeah, and really a lot of people one of the biggest problems I found is it’s not necessarily that something else out there won’t solve their problems. It’s that they don’t even know to look for it. They think this is a lab coat, this is what it’s like. And I don’t feel good in it. I don’t feel good in the lab.

 

00;10;29;03 – 00;10;35;21

Derek

Maybe I shouldn’t do science. Maybe I should, you know, switch majors and do something else. And that’s definitely the type of response we want to avoid.

 

00;10;35;22 – 00;11;02;14

Clare

Yeah, 100%. That happens across sort of lots of different areas as well, because it is designed in a certain way and that’s how it always has been. You almost don’t know any different. And I think lab coats maybe are the first step and things that are perhaps not built with women in mind in a lab, there’s lots of things like equipment that are too big for women’s hands, that kind of thing.

 

00;11;02;26 – 00;11;09;16

Clare

And do you have any plans in the future for perhaps accessing those markets within science?

 

00;11;09;24 – 00;11;34;03

Derek

That would be yeah, that would be fantastic. I mean, the whole but my kind of my dream vision for the company as a whole is to be able to go into labs and spend time, you know, watching people work and finding these problems, these little these little things that this and that manufacturer probably don’t normally worry about. But it’s something that comes up every day as a small frustration in going in and fixing those.

 

00;11;34;03 – 00;11;59;13

Derek

And and we did that once with one product already. I was in a lab at the University of North Carolina. They invited me in to to come do this type of thing. And I saw there was a woman in a fume hood and she was propping up a cell culture dish with some like Styrofoam blocks from the old freezer, you know, And that was so that so that the media would drain to the corner so she could pipette it up more easily.

 

00;11;59;22 – 00;12;22;02

Derek

And I said, you know, does this ever spill often? Oh, yeah. Spill spills it all the time. This isn’t very stable. It’s just the best thing we have. And that was a really easy thing to design a product around. So I went and I designed a product. These little stands for these they call them petri dish holders, or I call them culture caddies, and they’re little angled metal stands that are, you know, U.V. stable.

 

00;12;22;02 – 00;12;40;12

Derek

You know, you can sterilize them, no problem. And they hold the pitcher dishes up perfectly. So that’s that’s like one micro example of doing exactly that. And by going into the labs and just kind of watching every one work and asking them about why did why did you do that that way? That doesn’t seem like the way it should be done.

 

00;12;40;12 – 00;13;03;19

Derek

And oh, we do it because of this other thing that almost bothers us. And so we don’t do it that way. And those are the things that don’t get back to the manufacturers normally. And we think we can make a big difference on. And even if it’s not modifying the, you know, $200,000 piece of equipment to fit, we can make smaller products that, you know, kind of accessories that work with those things to make it easier for people to use.

 

00;13;03;22 – 00;13;14;09

Clare

I’m amazing. I mean, that’s great. And one thing that does come to mind if there are listeners who perhaps want to get involved, Answer the survey? Is that something they’re able to do?

 

00;13;14;11 – 00;13;40;11

Derek

Yeah, definitely. We’re going to keep this survey open probably forever so that we can get as much feedback as possible for future lab coat launches. The best place to go for that is on our website Genius Lab gear dot com slash LCP for lab coat project. That’s the landing page for everything. The survey is right there and then the preorder for the first round of lab coats should start sometime in late March, maybe early April.

 

00;13;40;24 – 00;13;49;19

Derek

And if you go to that website, drop your email, you’ll get notified when the preorders open and you can help us reach this goal and make this project a reality.

 

00;13;49;19 – 00;14;05;16

Clare

Amazing. Amazing. Thank you. And I’ll be really looking forward to hearing more as you get more results. And yeah, the survey was just so interesting to me and it just actually blows my mind that this isn’t something that hasn’t been done before. It’s so strange, isn’t it?

 

00;14;05;29 – 00;14;29;02

Derek

I know I find myself spending several hours a night sometimes looking through these details of these sizes and adjusting the size charts and reading comments about pockets. And I think I don’t think anyone else has ever done this before. Right. All of the designs right now are so basic and nobody has this much data to work from to really make a lab coat that people are happy with.

 

00;14;29;12 – 00;14;38;17

Derek

And so that’s what I get excited about, that I have this this collection of people’s stories and people’s problems that we can work work to solve.

 

00;14;38;21 – 00;14;57;03

Clare

Yeah, it’s great. It’s great what you’re doing. I’m really pleased to be able to have spoken to you about it. What a great thought to end the podcast with, creating something so simple that can make a huge difference to scientists lives. Thank you for listening to microbe talk. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment wherever you are listening.

Microbiology, News

Bacterial jousting among squid symbionts

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Bacterial jousting among squid symbionts

Posted on March 10, 2023   by Dr Kirsten Guckes


Dr Kirsten Guckes takes us behind the scenes of her and her colleague Dr Tim I. Miyashiro’s latest publication in Microboiology, ‘The type-VI secretion system of the beneficial symbiont Vibrio fischeri’.

Can you introduce yourself, your role and your research area?  

I am Dr Kirsten Guckes, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr Tim I. Miyashiro, who is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State University, USA. As a molecular microbiologist, I study how bacterial cells control the genes they express and the impact that has on the physiological traits that they exhibit. More specifically, I study how bacterial cells regulate the traits that enable competition with other cells to successfully establish symbiosis with a host.  

Miyashiro Lab.jpg

The Miyashiro Lab – Dr Guckes is second from the right, Dr Miyashiro is behind her.

What is your research about and why is it important? 

The health of most animals is affected by their interactions with microorganisms. Despite the historical focus on harmful interactions caused by pathogens, interactions between bacteria and their animal host are often reciprocally beneficial. They form what is known as a mutualistic symbiosis. The bacteria, or symbionts, express the genes necessary to establish a healthy relationship with their host partner. Once the symbiosis is established, the bacteria are able to enjoy shelter and nutrients from the host. In return, they provide benefits such as proper development, protection from pathogenic microbes, and effective digestion. 

The sites where bacteria colonize on or within the host are often densely packed with competitor cells that would also benefit being part of a symbiotic relationship. Therefore, bacteria have evolved weapons to cause direct damage to these competitors, and one such weapon is the type VI secretion system (T6SS). The T6SS is a nanomachine that works like a molecular lancet to puncture adjacent cells and deliver toxins that often adorn the spiked tip of the apparatus.   

Investigating how the T6SS is regulated and how it functions is important to understand how symbioses are established. Bacterial cells that wield this weapon have the opportunity to kill their competitors and prevent them from associating with a host. There are many different types of bacteria that can be part of a symbiotic population, and the composition of those populations have massive impacts on the physiology and/or development of the animal host. The T6SS is one competitive mechanism that can shape symbiont populations, and thereby alter host health.  

What inspired you to write this paper? 

Because most symbioses involve drastically diverse bacterial symbionts, it can be difficult to tease apart how the T6SS affects symbiotic populations. Consequently, I investigate competition between symbionts in the context of a simple symbiosis between the Hawaiian bobtail squid and the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. V. fischeri provide light in the form of bioluminescence that the squid use as camouflage. This symbiosis occurs naturally between a single animal host and a single bacterial species, but each animal harbors multiple strains of V. fischeri.  Not all V. fischeri strains have been shown to express a functional T6SS, but those that can have the ability to kill cells of competitor strains. This provides a platform to investigate how the T6SS affects which bacterial cells successfully establish symbiosis. 

Multiple groups have been able to leverage the power of the squid-vibrio symbiosis to ask important questions about the T6SS in bacterial symbionts. This effort has produced many foundational observations that have been reported in a number of publications over the last 5 years. The Microbiology Society review enabled us to integrate and highlight these important findings, which will hopefully facilitate progress in the field. 

V. fischeri.jpg

Symbiosis establishment between Euprymna scolopes and V. fischeri .

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

As a postdoc, I have participated in apprenticeship-style training to gain experience that I need to become a productive independent scientist and an effective scientific educator. The best part about my experience in the lab has been working with talented and enthusiastic undergraduate students. It has been a privilege to introduce students to scientific research and watch them develop skills and confidence as they gain ownership of their own scientific inquiry. Some of these students have made significant contributions to the work highlighted in the Microbiology Society review, which demonstrates the importance and capability of junior members of the scientific community. 

You can read the paper ‘The type-VI secretion system of the beneficial symbiont Vibrio fischeri.’ in Microbiology.

Microbiome: From Research and Innovation to Market