People Behind the Science Podcast

By Dr. Marie McNeelyScience

People Behind the Science Podcast episodes

November 28, 2022 684: Dr. Ohara Augusto: Accumulating Evidence on the Contribution of Free Radicals in Protein Aggregation
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Dr. Ohara Augusto is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Institute of Chemistry at the University of São Paulo. In addition, she is the Director of a network studying the redox process in biomedicine. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry and her PhD in Biochemistry at the University of São Paulo. Afterwards, Ohara conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley and at the University of California, San Francisco before returning to the University of São Paulo to join the faculty. She has received many awards and honors for her work, including being named a Fellow of the Oxygen Society, as well as a Member of the Academy of Sciences of the State of São Paulo, the World Academy of Sciences, and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Ohara is also the recipient of the Silver Medal for Biology and Medicine from the International Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Society and has been named Commander of the Order of Scientific Merit by the Presidency of the Republic. In this interview, Ohara shares more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:44)
When she’s not working in the lab, Ohara loves attending concerts, art expositions, movies, and theatre plays. She also enjoys listening to music, reading, and cooking. Some of Ohara’s favorite recipes to prepare are a Brazilian meat and bean dish called feijoada and a rice dish called paella.
The Scientific Side (4:23)
Ohara seeks to understand how free radicals and related oxidants are produced in organisms and how they affect an organism’s physiology. Free radicals are continuously produced in organisms during metabolism and through interactions with the environment, and they play crucial roles in physiological and pathophysiological processes.
A Dose of Motivation (6:41)
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.” – Confucius
What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:18)
Ohara grew up in Brazil in a lower middle class family where she didn’t have any exposure to science and didn’t realize you could have a career doing research. She attended a technical high school and planned to be a chemical technician because she believed it would lead to good job opportunities. Because she loved working in the lab, Ohara decided to pursue a BS in chemistry afterwards. In order to make enough money to support herself during college, Ohara had to work at night as a high school teacher which meant she didn’t have a lot of extra time to spend in the lab. Ohara’s passion for research was rekindled by a friend who recently finished his PhD and shared with her the book The Principles of Biochemistry. After that, she was on her way to earning her own PhD and embarking on an exciting career in science.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (17:46)
It can be difficult when a project returns negative results or an experiment doesn’t work as expected, but some of the most frustrating challenges Ohara faces are related to doing science in an emerging country that is still developing in some parts. As a result, it can take 2 months sometimes for critical reagents to arrive for time-sensitive, competitive research she is doing. In contrast, those supplies could often be obtained in 2-3 days in a country like the US.
A Shining Success! (19:38)
Ohara shares two stories of thrilling moments in her own research. In one, she stumbled upon an interesting finding when she noticed that one of her reactions turned red instead of the normal green color. When she repeated the experiments in two different conditions (one in the presence of oxygen, and the other without), she realized an important feature of how that chemical reaction worked. The other exciting scientific moment she describes is when her team was the first to detect the carbonate radical in a reaction under physiological conditions using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.
Book Recommendations (23:00)
Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge by E.O. Wilson, The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell
Most Treasured Travel (24:28)
Ohara traveled to Kyoto, Japan for a scientific meeting during the cherry blossom season, and she stayed in Kyoto for an extra week afterwards for vacation. Experiencing the sense of Asian tradition was remarkable, and it was delightful to spend time laying down in the park contemplating the beautiful cherry blossom trees.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (26:27)
It was the early 1970’s when Ohara was working on her PhD. In the lab, there was a tradition where one of the technicians would make coffee every morning and every afternoon. Many professors would come through the lab to get coffee and gossip about everything that was happening in the institute. It was entertaining to see everyone gathered together and hear their stories.
Advice For Us All (31:10)
Don’t give up. Sometimes things are difficult due to money or other challenges. If you enjoy science, keep going because it is worth it. If you like science, enjoy it and pursue it.
Guest Bio
Ohara obtained her BS in Chemistry (1971) and her PhD in Biochemistry (1975) from the Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil. To learn to detect free radicals by EPR, she did PD work in Lester Packer´s laboratory at UC Berkeley. After a year, Ohara moved to Paul Ortiz de Montelano´s laboratory at UC San Francisco to apply EPR to drug metabolism. These studies contributed to uncover the mechanism by which some drugs are metabolized by hemeproteins to carbon-centered radicals that attack the heme, inactivating the proteins. In 1982, Ohara resumed her position as Assistant Professor at the same University of her graduation. There, she continued to explore the production of radicals during drug metabolism, and she teamed with Shirley Schreier to create an EPR facility. Their facility attracted researchers from across Brazil and Latin America. Ohara collaborated with many of them, including with Rafael Radi´s group from Universidad de La Republica, UY. Sharing their expertise, they demonstrated the formation of radicals from proton- and carbon dioxide-catalyzed decomposition of peroxynitrite. The discovery of nitric oxide as a signaling radical had a major impact in the redox field bringing in the concept of redox signaling and new reactive species, such as peroxynitrite, nitrogen dioxide and carbonate radical. Ohara contributed to open some of these avenues and continue to explore them. She became Full Professor of Biochemistry in 1993 and received several scientific honors and awards. Since 2013, She is the coordinator of the Research Center for Redox Processes in Biomedicine-Redoxoma.
This episode was originally released on Nov 21, 2016.
The post 684: Dr. Ohara Augusto: Accumulating Evidence on the Contribution of Free Radicals in Protein Aggregation appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
34 min
November 21, 2022 683: Dr. Melik Demirel: Synthesizing Self-Healing Materials Using Squid Proteins
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Dr. Melik Demirel is a Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at The Pennsylvania State University. He received is B.S. and M.S. in Engineering from Boğaziçi University in Turkey and was awarded his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Afterwards, Melik conducted postdoctoral research at Los Alamos National Laboratory and was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship in Molecular Biology at the Max Planck Institute in Gottingen, Germany. He accepted a faculty position at Penn State in 2003. Melik was a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research within the Department of Defense, was selected as a Wyss Institute Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, and was awarded the Outstanding Research Award from Penn State, among other honors during his career. In this episode, he tells us about his experiences in life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:17)
Melik likes listening to music to engage the creative aspects of his mind. Some of his favorites are composers like Beethoven and Rachmaninov. Melik’s wife plays piano, and his son plays piano and cello, so music is a big part of their lives.
The Scientific Side (3:41)
Scientifically, Melik is fascinated by complexity in living and nonliving systems. He works at the intersection of biology, materials science, and computational science to understand whether patterns in living and nonliving systems follow mathematical and statistical rules, to determine the underlying physical basis of these patterns, and identify relevant mechanisms.
A Dose of Motivation (5:48)
“Do what you like, like what you do.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:09)
Melik’s mother was a biochemist and his father was an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, but his parents didn’t push him to pursue a medical degree. His interest in science really started when he was in college. As a kid, Melik remembers his mom teaching him about biological molecules, and he was fascinated to learn in college that proteins could also be polymers. Melik had the opportunity to work with a top polymer scientist as an undergraduate, and this faculty member encouraged him to go to graduate school.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (15:10)
Failure is a normal part of life as a scientist. Melik describes a recent experience where he was using a solvent in an experiment to try to design a particular protein. He thought the solvent would help stabilize a virus, but it turned out to actually destroy the protein shell (capsid) of the virus. This was an experimental failure, but also a completely unexpected result where they learned something new.
A Shining Success! (16:50)
Recently, Melik and his colleagues discovered a new way to screen protein sequences using an ultrafast laser spectroscopic technique. Using a laser allows you to look at the nanoscale refractive index of a material, but it also changes the temperature of the material. Materials typically expand as they heat up, and Melik’s group found a way to use ultrafast lasers to probe a material quickly without changing the volume. This has important applications for screening the genes that make proteins, including potential applications in neurodegenerative diseases where detrimental protein aggregates form.
Book Recommendations (20:22)
The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
Most Treasured Travel (21:33)
One of the structural proteins Melik and his colleagues study comes from the tentacles of squid. They traveled along the U.S. East Coast, in the Mediterranean, and in the Sea of Japan to collect samples of squid. This was a particularly memorable travel experience. Unfortunately, after about three hours on the boat Melik realized he suffered from motion sickness, and he spent most of the trip hoping they could get back to land soon.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (23:17)
One of the great things about working in the lab is that there is a constant influx of new, skilled, and enthusiastic students. Melik admits that it can be difficult sometimes to keep up with the students’ speed, accuracy, and skill in running experiments. He finds it humorous that his students are often trying to lure him out of the lab with bureaucratic responsibilities and tasks to keep him from doing the hands-on work at the bench.
Advice For Us All (26:34)
Academia is a small world, don’t create waves. Also, keep exposing yourself to different ideas and different perspectives.
Guest Bio
Melik is a scientist at Penn State with expertise in biotechnology, nanotechnology and materials science. He is well known for his ground-breaking work on bioinspired nano-engineered materials. His new approach bridges the interfaces among molecular biology, genomics, biotechnology, mechanics, large-scale computation, materials science, engineering design, and manufacturing. He joined the College of Engineering at Penn State University as the Pearce Development Assistant Professor in Fall 2003, following completion of the Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (2002) and a one-year appointment as a post-doctoral scientist in the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He was granted early tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2008, and received early promotion to the rank of Full Professor in 2013.
*This episode was originally released on August 29, 2016.
The post 683: Dr. Melik Demirel: Synthesizing Self-Healing Materials Using Squid Proteins appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
29 min
November 14, 2022 682: Dr. Rosie Alegado: Examining How Microbes Shape Our World by Influencing Evolution and Ecology
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Dr. Rosie Alegado is an Associate Professor of Oceanography and Sea Grant at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa where she is Director for the Center of Ulana ‘Ike Center of Excellence and a member of the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education. She is also Director of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology Maile Mentoring Bridge Program, Chair of the City and County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission, and a Member of The National Academy of Science and Engineering and Medicine Ocean Studies Board. This Board serves as the U.S. National Committee for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2020-2030 Initiative. Rosie received her B.S. degree in Biology with a minor in Environmental Health and Toxicology from MIT. She was awarded her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Stanford University. Afterwards, Rosie conducted postdoctoral research in evolutionary biology at the University of California, Berkeley before joining the team at UH Mānoa. In this interview, she shares more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:43)
When she’s not working, Rosie loves learning about the natural world, and she has lately been re-connecting with her cultural heritage as a native Hawaiian. She and her daughter practice hula, and she also engages in formalized chant training. When she is overloaded and needs a break, Rosie enjoys reading romance novels and other books.
The Scientific Side (5:13)
She studies microbes, the smallest living organisms who do a lot of the unseen work in our world. Rosie is particularly interested in understanding how microbes have shaped our world.
A Dose of Motivation (6:36)
“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” – Alfred, Lord Tennyson
What Got You Hooked on Science? (7:34, 13:33)
Rosie’s interest in science started with a love of nature. Her parents were both professors in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, so she got a sense early on that she could be a scholar too and that an academic environment was a place where she could thrive. In ninth grade, Rosie had an excellent honors biology teacher, and Rosie really enjoyed the experiments they did in class. She realized that she wanted to be the one coming up with scientific questions and doing the work to answer them. Rosie then began participating in local science fairs, investigating topics ranging from naturally occurring compounds that could be used as hair bleach to the evolutionary history of a flightless Hawaiian bird. She fully immersed herself in each project, and when she went to MIT for college, Rosie fell completely in love with microbes.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (20:07)
When doing science outside of a lab, there are a lot of factors that can’t be controlled. For Rosie, there have been a lot of challenges related to weather events. Rosie is working on a project in partnership with a Native Hawaiian organization to restore an 800-year-old fish pond on the island of O’ahu. One day, they were at the pond collecting data and taking samples when a hurricane warning was issued. They knew a storm was on the way, but it had started to dissipate, so they thought they might be in the clear. However, it suddenly started to get really windy, and they had to abandon the field site and all of their equipment. There were torrential rains, and it was a little scary. Everyone made it to safety, and they were surprised to discover after the storm that their equipment was still there and collecting data. This allowed them to record valuable information about the storm. A similar situation occurred working on another project on the island of Moloka’i. The largest storm the island had seen in years arrived right when they were trying to collect baseline data. Rosie has developed a mindset that they have to be prepared for everything and have extras of all necessary supplies and equipment because you never know what is going to happen in the field.
A Shining Success! (23:16)
Rosie likes to celebrate successes of all sizes early and often. In addition to celebrating big grants and papers, she gets excited every time a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reaction successfully amplifies their DNA of interest. It is a basic lab technique, but there are so many different ways it could go wrong that it’s always a relief when it works. Mentoring students is also very rewarding for Rosie, and she feels amazing when a student is able to successfully solve a problem they have been working on for a long time. For example, one of her students was struggling for many months with tracking a particular microbe in the fish pond they are restoring. However, the student didn’t give up. After a lot of trial and error, they finally got it to work. These kinds of successes really affirm the value of not giving up.
Book Recommendations (25:47)
The Properties of Perpetual Light by Julian Aguon and Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery
Most Treasured Travel ( 27:50)
During high school, Rosie was a member of the school’s hiking and environmental science club. Their advisor was a big thinker who thought it was important to do science in Hawai’i but also to connect with other Indigenous People of the Pacific. Since they were doing research on a bird that migrates between Hawai’i and Alaska, he arranged for the group to go on a trip to Alaska. In addition, they traveled to New Zealand to meet with avian biologists and paleontologists to look at bird bones. The group also went to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in homage to the sea-faring ways of their Hawaiian ancestors. These travel experiences were meant to inspire them, support their research, celebrate their heritage, and connect them with scientists and Indigenous Peoples in other places.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (31:15)
As a postdoc working with Dr. Nicole King, Rosie enjoyed how the lab was dedicated to working hard, having fun, and eating well. Nicole frequently hosted lab dinners at her house, and the group got to hang out and eat in the backyard. As an early pioneer in the use of microbes called choanoflagellates as both an evolutionary model and a cell biological model system, Nicole had a need to bring people together to advance work in this area. As a result, the lab hosted regular gatherings of scientists working on choanoflagellates. It was fun to be surrounded by people from all over the world who were united in thinking about a really cool microorganism. Before these meetings, the students and postdocs would have a flurry of activities to get everything ready. This often involved trips to Costco to get supplies and try to figure out what food they should serve.
In addition, as a high school student doing research, Rosie often had to compromise and use less convenient but safer methods in lieu of easier and faster methods that may have had more risk. Needing to find alternatives forced her to think creatively and come up with unique solutions. When she was working on a project investigating the evolutionary history of a local bird, she convinced her now-husband (then-boyfriend) to have his family save all of their chicken bones so she could use them for her project. They got really gross, but he still helped her isolate DNA from the bone marrow of these chicken bones. Rosie took a picture of him during the process, and she keeps this picture on her desk and looks at it every day.
Advice For Us All (37:01)
Remember that no one can care more about your research and making progress in your career than you. Your mentors and colleagues are there to help and support you, but you are ultimately in charge of your work. For Rosie, accepting this sense of responsibility and accountability in graduate school was really important, and she applies it now even more broadly to think about her ethical responsibility as a scientist. Are we doing the best we can for the environments we study and the people in those environments? Keep in mind that the field sites where scientists do their research are important places worth studying because of the lives that have lived there.
Guest Bio
Rosie ʻAnolani Alegado was born and raised in Kaʻiwiʻula Oʻahu, and lives with her family in Āhuimanu, Kahaluʻu. Her work focuses on investigating how microbes shape the adaptive potential of their ecosystem across a broad range of biological and temporal scales. In partnership with Paepae o Heʻeia, her group has tracked the influence of restoration, storm,s and multi-annual climate patterns on the health of Heʻeia Fishpond since 2014. Together with the non-profit Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo and Hawai’i Sea Grant, she is involved in developing kūlana noiʻi, a process wherein researchers build and sustain equitable partnerships with community. She is deeply committed to increasing participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM and is the Director of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology Maile Mentoring Bridge Program, providing individualized mentoring and peer support for undergraduates transitioning from community colleges to Mānoa. In 2018, she was confirmed to the City & County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission.
*Photo credit: Rosie Alegado
The post 682: Dr. Rosie Alegado: Examining How Microbes Shape Our World by Influencing Evolution and Ecology appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
41 min
November 07, 2022 681: Dr. Haley Oliver: Food for Thought: Research to Reduce Foodborne Disease and Improve Food Safety
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Dr. Haley Oliver is an Associate Professor of Food Science at Purdue University, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Texas Tech University. She received her B.S. in Microbiology and Molecular Biology from the University of Wyoming, and she was awarded her PhD in Food Science from Cornell University. Next, Haley received a postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research in food science at Cornell University. Haley is the recipient of the New Teacher Award and the National Early Career Teaching Award from the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as the Outstanding Academic Counseling and Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards from Purdue University. In this interview, Haley discusses her journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:18)
One thing Haley loves to do in her spare time is hit the road to visit the important people in her life.
The Scientific Side (3:07)
The overall goal of Haley’s research is to reduce foodborne disease. She studies bacteria that make people sick and is working to understand where these bacteria may be introduced to food and how they persist on food at every stage of the food system, including in places like grocery stores. Her research aims to improve the safety of foods before they reach consumers.
A Dose of Motivation (4:14)
“Bring me solutions, not problems.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (7:26)
As a kid growing up on a farm in Wyoming, she never dreamed of going to graduate school, becoming a professor, or doing research that would have a big impact in the world. In college, Haley planned on majoring in agriculture communications, but didn’t enjoy the early coursework in her major. She happened to take a course on microbiology to fulfil her science requirement, and she loved it. It was the hardest class Haley ever took, but she was really motivated by the challenge. She soon switched her major and began her research career.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (15:00)
Running a lab is like running a small business, and getting grants is critical to the lab’s success. Currently, only about 5-10% of grants are funded. Constantly getting grants rejected is frustrating. This is particularly difficult when you know you have students and staff working in the lab who depend on you for their livelihood. It is hard to keep work-life balance when it comes to grant-writing because it seems like you can never pass on an opportunity to submit something because this could be the one that gets funded.
A Shining Success! (18:50)
Any time one of Haley’s students graduates and gets a good job, it is a big success. So much hard work goes into students’ projects, and it is wonderful to see them go on to positively contribute to the food industry, government, and academic research. It is amazing to have people calling her to ask when her students will be graduating so they can hire them.
Most Treasured Travel (25:20)
Traverse City, Michigan is one of Haley’s favorite places. She loves the cherries that are grown there, and it is such a peaceful city in the wine region in Michigan. Haley has also really enjoyed her travels to Turkey. Her last trip was a few years ago, and she remembers the food was excellent, the culture was amazing, and the people were so welcoming. It was fun to travel to Turkey with a good friend who was from there and knew all the best places to visit, including the remarkable region where agriculture began.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (28:07)
Sometimes there are molds that you feel like you are expected to fit into as a scientist, but Haley decided early on in her career that there were some things she wasn’t going to compromise on. One of these was wearing her favorite bright orange lipstick. Haley also loves sports cars, and she drives a Corvette which she knows doesn’t exactly fit the stereotype of a scientist.
Advice For Us All (32:37)
It is important to listen when people ask you questions. Sometimes a question someone asks you can change the way you think about your life and open your mind to possibilities you may have never considered. Also, there is no substitute for working hard for achieving success.
Guest Bio
Haley received her PhD in Food Science, with minors in Epidemiology and Microbiology, at Cornell University under Dr. Kathryn Boor and Bachelor of Science degrees in Molecular Biology and in Microbiology at the University of Wyoming. Her dissertation focused on the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to survive stress and subsequently cause disease in humans and animals. Prior to joining the Department of Food Science at Purdue University as an Assistant Professor in the fall of 2010, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University with Dr. Martin Wiedmann where she began investigating L. monocytogenes contamination patterns in retail deli environments. Dr. Oliver’s current research focuses on prevalence, persistence, and transmission of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella in retail food systems as well as development of practical and feasible control strategies aimed to reduce cross-contamination. She has been working to develop food safety capacity in Afghanistan since 2012. Dr. OIiver and her Purdue colleagues are developing a food technology program at Herat University in Afghanistan aimed to improve food safety, quality, and security sponsored by USAID. In addition to her research program, Dr. Oliver teaches Food Microbiology, Food Plant Sanitation, and Graduate Food Microbiology courses at Purdue University. She received the USDA Food and Agriculture Science Excellence in Teaching Award for New Teachers in 2014 and the International Association for Food Protection Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award in 2016.
Photo by Mark Simmons, Purdue University
*This episode was originally published August 8, 2016.
The post 681: Dr. Haley Oliver: Food for Thought: Research to Reduce Foodborne Disease and Improve Food Safety appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
36 min
October 31, 2022 680: Dr. Greg Petsko: Bringing a Structured Approach to Our Understanding of Degeneration in the Aging Brain
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Dr. Greg Petsko is the Arthur J. Mahon Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience and Director of the Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College, as well as the Tauber Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Emeritus, at Brandeis University. He received his PhD from the University of Oxford and worked at Wayne State University, MIT, and Brandeis University before joining the faculty at Cornell where he is today. He has received numerous awards and honors during his career, including the Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry of the American Chemical Society and the Max Planck Prize. Greg is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He is the Past-President of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and is President of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He has also written a column on science and society that is available as a book entitled Gregory Petsko in Genome Biology: the first 10 years. In our interview, Greg shares stories from his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science
Writing about science and society is something Greg enjoys and is passionate about.
The Scientific Side
Greg is a structural biologist and biochemist by training, but he has entered into a new research field where he is working to find cures for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
A Dose of Motivation
“Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done.” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in Ulysses
What Got You Hooked on Science?
As a kid, Greg was excited about dinosaurs and loved to read books by Roy Chapman Andrews who was the real-life basis of the character Indiana Jones. Greg was interested in an academic career, but planned to study classical literature. In college, he planned to study literature abroad in Europe, but this plan was interrupted by unforeseen circumstances which resulted in Greg’s introduction to a faculty member who would become an important scientific mentor to him.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges
In the early 80s, Greg’s lab went through a long dry spell of about 5 years where the whole lab had no meaningful successes on any of the half dozen projects they were working on. This was the longest Greg had ever gone without success, and it was frustrating to push on for so long without anything panning out.
A Shining Success!
Greg’s biggest successes have been the 150 or so postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates he has trained during his career. His students have gone on to pursue a wide variety of different careers in teaching, research, and industry. Regardless of the careers they choose, Greg considers each student who has gone on to have a happy and productive life a major success.
Book Recommendations
Gregory Petsko in Genome Biology: The first 10 years by Gregory Petsko, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson.
Most Treasured Travel
One of Greg’s favorite places is Australia. He has been there over a dozen times now for science and has just fallen in love with the country. Greg describes the people as warm, friendly, and down-to-earth and has been fascinated by the geography and ecology there as well.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories
Talking to scientists and collaborating internationally in various research groups has been really eye-opening for Greg. One thing that stood out was comparing work styles across countries. For example, when he worked in Europe, the group traditionally worked from 9am-5pm. They were incredibly productive during those hours but tended not to stay late. This differed from what he was used to in the United States where people worked longer hours but took more breaks in the day.
Advice For Us All
You are what you do. The kind of person you are is really determined by what you do and how you conduct yourself in terms of your work and how you treat other people.
Guest Bio
Greg is the founder of several publicly-traded biotechnology companies and is one of the founding editors of the PLoS family of journals. His research interests include protein structure and function and the development of methods to treat age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS (Lou Gehrig’s), Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
His public lectures on the aging of the population and its implications for human health have attracted a wide audience on the Internet (one of his TED talks, for example, has been downloaded over 600,000 times). For the past twelve years he has also written a widely-read and much reprinted column on science and society, the first ten years of which have just appeared in book form. Greg admits, however, that the columns guest-written by his two dogs, Mink and Clifford, are much more popular than those he writes himself.
Besides his family, teaching and his work, Greg says there are only a few things that he really loves: dogs; hiking through deserts, mountains and rain forests; good writing, and single-malt Scotch. He also states that his greatest accomplishment is, and always will be, the more than 100 graduate students and postdocs that he has helped to train, a list that includes five Howard Hughes Investigators, two members of the National Academy of Sciences, and the second woman ever to head a Max-Planck Institute in Germany.

*This episode was originally published June 15, 2015.
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41 min
October 24, 2022 679: Dr. Neil Kelleher: Pioneering Advanced Mass Spectrometry for Proteomics and Metabolomics
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Dr. Neil L. Kelleher is the Walter and Mary E. Glass Professor of Molecular Biosciences, Professor of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Medicine (Hematology & Oncology) in the Feinberg School of Medicine. Neil is the Director of the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and Director of Northwestern Proteomics. He is also a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. Neil received his B.A. in chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Cornell University. He conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. In 2010, he joined the faculty at Northwestern University. Neil has received numerous awards and honors over the course of his career, including the Biemann Medal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the Cottrell Scholars Award, the Burroughs Wellcome Award in the Pharmacological Sciences, a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, and others. In addition, he has received the Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award, the Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry, and the A.F. Findeis Award in Measurement Science from the American Chemical Society, Division of Analytical Chemistry. Neil was also a Becman Fellow, a Sloan Fellow, a Packard Fellow, a Searle Scholar, and a Fulbright Scholar. In our interview, Neil shares more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:41)
When he’s not doing science, Neil likes to play basketball, and he has been an avid golfer since he was young.
The Scientific Side (3:32)
Neil is a protein biochemist. He weighs and analyzes proteins found in the human body, and he develops technology that allows scientists to measure new things.
A Dose of Motivation (5:14)
A sense of competitive spirit motivates Neil both in sports and in science. He coined the term “cooperatition” that encompasses both cooperation and competition, and this is something he keeps in mind in his work.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (7:11)
Neil’s grandfather was an engineer, and Neil recalls him demonstrating how to generate static electricity by combing his hair, and then using the static to bend water as it poured out of the faucet. That feeling of wonder and curiosity has stayed with him over the years, and science has given Neil an opportunity to apply himself 100% to solving difficult problems. As an undergraduate student, he became interested in chemistry. During a regional conference of the American Chemical Society, Neil won an award for the best presentation, and this helped boost his confidence and reinforce that he could incorporate his personality in his science communication. Later when he attended his first larger conference in 1994, Neil realized that there were other scientists working on similar projects, and this sparked his competitive nature. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, Neil has been enjoying a successful scientific career.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (17:50)
Even as an established researcher, failures like getting grants rejected are still common. This is key for early-career scientists to keep in mind, and it’s important not to suffer in isolation. During the early stages of his own career, Neil found it helpful to go around his department and talk to other scientists. Being social helped him solve problems and keep his science moving forward. Make sure to take advantage of any formal mentoring programs your institution may offer, and don’t be afraid to reach out and asks colleagues for help.
A Shining Success! (21:30)
Neil is very excited to be working on an initiative called the Human Proteoform Project. Like the Human Genome Project, the long-term goal is to sequence the entire collection of proteins produced within the human body. Proteins play important roles in human health and disease. Sequencing the genome transformed biology and medicine, and taking the next step of sequencing the proteome has enormous potential for advancing precision medicine. This project is in its very early stages, but it is exciting and rewarding to be part of this effort that will represent a tremendous leap forward for the field.
Most Treasured Travel (24:09)
One of Neil’s favorite places that he has visited for science is Germany. He traveled there for a Fulbright Fellowship to study chemistry. While there, he took advantage of the excellent rail system and planned a trip where he went to twenty different major European cities within 30 days. It was an amazing experience to be immersed in the culture and wrap his mind around the different cities. Neil was also in Germany in 1990 when West Germany won the FIFA World Cup, and it was cool to be part of the celebrations. In addition, Neil has been able to meet with people from great companies in Northern Germany that build some of the best mass spectrometers in the world.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (29:52)
Science is a human endeavor where personalities and ambitions sometimes clash, and it’s important to have empathy and be strategic about the battles you choose to fight. Neil has benefited from his ability to look at the bigger picture and sometimes make concessions or accept small losses that ultimately lead to larger wins. As a postdoc, Neil worked in an intensely competitive lab at Harvard Medical School with one of the best mentors in the field, and he began to clash with another postdoc on project investigating an exciting new antibiotic. They were really struggling with determining who should be the first author on the paper for this project. This caused a lot of tension in daily work, and they eventually forced their boss into a meeting. The other postdoc began making their case, and as they were talking, something clicked for Neil. He looked at his mentor and realized that this situation was getting in the way of them moving the science forward. When it was Neil’s turn to respond, he conceded to being second author. Neil realized this would make his boss’s job easier, and that was the right thing to do at that moment. He gained so much more by letting that one first-author paper go.
Advice For Us All (36:23)
Persistence and flexibility are important in science. On one hand, you need to be able to endure the many challenges you will face, but you also need to be flexible enough to realize that you can go around some barriers rather than through them. Stick with it, and don’t be afraid to follow a non-linear path. Also, don’t suffer in silence if you find yourself in an environment that isn’t working for you. Get the support you need, or make a change that will allow you to keep moving forward. It is an amazing thing to be able to push the boundaries of our knowledge in science.
Guest Bio
Dr. Kelleher and his team drives both technology development and applications of very high performance mass spectrometry in proteomics and metabolomics. For bacteria and fungi, new platforms now feed compounds from the natural world into pharmaceutical pipelines. In proteomics, Kelleher has emerged as a leading voice in a calling for an analogue of the Human Genome Project applied to human proteins. This effort is called the Human Proteoform Project and has recently been endorsed by research consortia.  Neil is a serial entrepreneur with experience in spinning up four small companies, including a software shop providing the leading search engine used in more than 1,000 labs for “top down proteomics”. His contributions to the fields of proteomics and natural products chemistry have been recognized by multiple awards, including the Biemann Medal from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, the Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, a Searle Scholar Award, a Packard Fellowship, and the Allen Distinguished Investigator Award.
The post 679: Dr. Neil Kelleher: Pioneering Advanced Mass Spectrometry for Proteomics and Metabolomics appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
40 min
October 17, 2022 678: Dr. David Stern: Growing Our Understanding of Photosynthesis to Improve Plant Metabolism
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Dr. David Stern is the President of the Boyce Thompson Institute and Adjunct Professor in the Plant Biology Section at Cornell University. He conducted his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, received his Master’s degree in Biochemistry from Cambridge University, and was awarded his PhD in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. Afterward, David conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley before accepting a position at the Boyce Thompson Institute where he is today. David has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science as well as Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists for his distinguished and long-term contributions to plant biology. In this interview, David discusses his research and his journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:03)
David and his wife acquired a farm about 12 years ago. Currently, they farm about 175 acres and raise sheep, cattle, and chicken in addition to growing fruit. When David’s not doing hands-on work on his farm or selling produce at the farmers market, you can find him playing goalie on a local ice hockey team or hanging out with his five year old son.
The Scientific Side (2:58)
David and his colleagues study how plants use light to make the basic building blocks of life through photosynthesis. He also has a leadership role running a plant research institute that focuses on addressing society’s need to have a stable supply of food by better understanding how plants work and “think”.
A Dose of Motivation (5:29)
“A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.” by Robert Browning
What Got You Hooked on Science? (9:05)
David’s dad was an academic botanist, so he was exposed to research at an early age. Though David and his siblings weren’t particularly interested in science as kids, their parents emphasized the importance of developing one’s intellect. When David went to college, he didn’t know what he wanted to do, so he started off as a pre-med major. However, David met an influential and inspirational professor in one of his courses and soon turned his career plans towards research.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (15:36)
As a scientist, you face a lot of rejection in the form of manuscripts, grants, and fellowships that get turned down. Through experiencing these over and over again in his own career, David has learned to have a sense of humor and take these things in stride. The challenge now is helping other people around him get through their own discouragements and disappointments. Not everyone bounces back quickly, and it is important for him to help others find their path through these tough times.
A Shining Success! (18:25)
Recently, David’s group had a journal article accepted for publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The journal named their submission paper of the week which meant it was is in the top 2% of papers received. He was particularly excited about their results in this paper because what they found was not what they expected. David has also had tremendous success in working to unify the plant science community in developing common goals. A few years ago, he was involved in the publication of a document that laid out a vision for the direction of the plant research community. It was a big accomplishment to achieve consensus across a really large and diverse community of scientists.
Book Recommendations (22:17)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and Bad Dirt by Annie Proulx
Most Treasured Travel (24:34)
David was able to take a one year sabbatical in Paris, and it was a great experience. While there, he had an opportunity to learn some hands-on genetics techniques and met his now-wife. He also fondly remembers the markets and bakeries of Paris, as well as the many wonderful art museums and famous sites.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (26:24)
When David was working in the lab in Paris, there was a post-doc who made the best Tiramisu he ever had. It became a tradition in the lab that any time there was a celebration, it started with Tiramisu and ended with wine. At the Boyce Thompson Institute, they have an annual ice cream social where David and the other leadership team members scoops ice cream. It’s a fun event for everyone.
Advice For Us All (29:52)
Don’t try to change people. Everyone has different innate qualities, strengths, and desires. We need to appreciate people for who they are not who we want them to be. Also, do what you love, and love to do lots of different things.
Guest Bio
Stern joined the Boyce Thompson Institute in 1989 and in 2001 became the vice president for research. In 2004 he assumed the position of president and CEO, and he has served the Boyce Thompson Institute in that capacity for more than a decade. Stern is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and teaches a graduate course on the molecular biology of plant organelles. He maintains an active research program that focuses on gene expression and regulation in plant organelles, and has supervised 35 postdoctoral researchers and 13 graduate students. In 2015, Stern co-founded the Plant Science Research Network (PSRN), a collective of twelve professional scientific societies aligned by the goal of advancing plant science research, education and training. Additionally, he and his family operate Windsong Farm, in the Finger Lakes region of upstate NY, home to grass-fed Belted Galloway cattle as well as Wensleydale and Cotswold sheep.
*This episode was originally released on August 15, 2016.
The post 678: Dr. David Stern: Growing Our Understanding of Photosynthesis to Improve Plant Metabolism appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
34 min
October 10, 2022 677: Dr. Tamara Bogdanović: Studying Signatures of Supermassive Black Holes
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Dr. Tamara Bogdanović is an Assistant Professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Physics, as well as a member of the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics. She received her B.Sc. in Astrophysics from the University of Belgrade in Serbia and her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Pennsylvania State University. Tamara conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland, where she received a NASA sponsored Einstein Postdoctoral Fellowship as well as an Astronomy Prize Theory Postdoctoral Fellowship. She has also been named an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, a Cottrell Scholar, and a Cullen-Peck Fellow in recognition of her research and teaching. In this interview, Tamara shares stories from her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:07)
Free time for Tamara is spent outdoors hiking in the woods or strolling around the neighborhood with her husband. She also likes participating in group yoga classes and immersing herself in different worlds through reading.
The Scientific Side (4:07)
Tamara is a theoretical physicist who studies some of the largest black holes in our universe, known as supermassive black holes. She investigates observational signatures associated with the interactions these supermassive black holes have with gas and stars. Her group works to develop theoretical models to predict signatures of supermassive black hole interactions that can potentially be identified in observational astronomical data.
A Dose of Motivation (5:21)
“A true Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” -Yoda from Star Wars
What Got You Hooked on Science? (6:43)
Growing up in a small town in Serbia, Tamara had a wide variety of early career aspirations, spanning from ballerina to architect. She recognized early on that she enjoyed solving challenging problems, but it wasn’t until high school that she became aware of astrophysics as a potential career field. Astrophysics was appealing because it incorporated challenging problems, the adventure of discovery, and many of the elements she enjoyed about math and physics. Though there were points where others questioned her career choice, but Tamara’s family was very supportive, and she knew this was the kind of work she wanted to do.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (17:02)
When Tamara started applying for faculty positions in a variety of countries, the astronomy job market was grim. The onset of the global economic crisis resulted in many institutions initiating a faculty hiring freeze, which meant the few highly competitive positions in her small field became even more competitive. She was also faced with trying to find a place where she and her husband (also a scientist) could both find jobs, the need to maintain employment to be allowed to stay in the country, and that nagging voice of her high school teacher telling her she should have pursued engineering instead.
A Shining Success! (20:43)
A very important component of an early faculty member’s job is to assemble a laboratory and a team of students, postdocs, and/or staff members who can quickly get up to speed and start making important contributions to the field. About a year or two ago, Tamara’s research group reached this threshold, and they have begun making important contributions to various research topics. This was really rewarding, and it was also exciting to have her research efforts recognized this year through receipt of the Cottrell Scholar Award and Cullen Peck Fellowship.
Book Recommendations (2:44)
The Autobiography of Mark Twain edited By Harriet E. Smith, et. al
Most Treasured Travel (24:09)
In 2010, Tamara traveled with her now-husband to the Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Hawaii. Tamara enjoyed presenting her research and re-connecting with colleagues. In addition, she and her fiancé decided a week before the conference to get married in Hawaii while they were there, and they had a beautiful small ceremony on the beach. After this trip, they traveled to different cities to celebrate the momentous occasion with friends and family all over the world.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (28:03)
A group of astrophysics faculty members at Georgia Tech started a tradition of holding a series called “Faculty on the Hot Seat” where faculty members candidly answer questions from students, postdocs, and other faculty in the audience. The questions can be about their research or their lives in general. It is a fun and funny way to get to know each other and show students a different side of their teachers and mentors.
Advice For Us All (32:12)
Always look on the bright side of life. There will inevitably be times when things don’t go your way. With a lot of patience, belief in yourself, and a pinch of luck, you can make it through anything.
Guest Bio
Tamara Bogdanović is a theoretical astrophysicist whose research interests include the ins and outs of some of the most massive black holes in the universe known as supermassive black holes. She investigates the physical processes that arise in accretion flows around supermassive black holes and uses them as luminous tracers of these otherwise dark objects. Some of the scenarios she and her colleagues study include the accretion of gas by the single and binary supermassive black holes as well as the accretion of stars that happen to be disrupted by the black hole tides in galactic nuclei. Tamara’s goal as a theorist is to predict the signatures of these interactions which can be searched for in observations, as well as to provide interpretation for some of the puzzling astrophysical events seen on the sky.
*This episode was originally released on October 10, 2016.
The post 677: Dr. Tamara Bogdanović: Studying Signatures of Supermassive Black Holes appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
35 min
October 03, 2022 676: Dr. Thomas Brück: Using Algae to Capture CO2 and Create Foods, Biofuels, Chemicals, and Pharmaceuticals
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Dr. Thomas Brück is the Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich in the School of Natural Sciences. He received his B.Sc. in chemistry, biochemistry and management science and his master’s degree in molecular medicine from Keele University. He was awarded his PhD in protein biochemistry from Greenwich University. Next, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Center of Excellence for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at Florida Atlantic University, where he subsequently served on the faculty as an assistant professor. Thomas then accepted a position in industry at the chemicals company Süd-Chemie In Munich, and he worked there for about four years before joining the faculty at the Technical University of Munich. Thomas’s research group was cited in the IPCC world climate report 1.5 for their work on industrial routes for a permanent CO2 sink. In addition, the European Business Council for Sustainable energy recognized Thomas with the e-ward in 2018 for this work. Further, Thomas was the inaugural recipient of the Technical University of Munich’s sustainability award in 2019. He has also been elected as a member of the German Bioeconomy Council, where he provides advice to the federal government on sustainability matters. In this interview Thomas shares more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:58, 27:01)
Outside of science, Thomas is an active scuba diver and enjoys exploring the underwater world. He also likes to spend quality time with his family and educate the next generation about current global challenges surrounding climate change and sustainability.
The Scientific Side (5:11)
Thomas uses biotechnology methods to more efficiently bind CO2 from the atmosphere using plants and algae, and he also uses biomass to create value-added products that we can use in daily life. Some examples are carbon fiber materials that can be used in production of cars or proteins that can be used in foods.
A Dose of Motivation (6:09)
Providing a livable planet for future generations motivates Thomas every day.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (12:16)
From an early age, Thomas was exposed to and became fascinated by science. His father was a commercial chemist and his grandfather was founder of an engineering school in Germany. Thomas fondly recalls his family taking him out in nature and teaching him the names of plants, rocks, and minerals, and he received his first microscope from his grandfather when he was six years old. When he went to away to college, Thomas quickly realized that he wanted to study biochemistry to better understand the molecular workings of life. This brought him to England and launched his career in biochemistry and biotechnology.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (22:13)
After seven long years, Thomas and his colleagues will soon publish a method for genetically engineering a type of yeast, called oleaginous yeasts, to make tailor-made fats that can be substitutes for palm oil and cocoa oil. This work has the potential to transform the food and biofuel industries. The project passed through the hands of three different graduate students over the years, and it took time to troubleshoot and to find the right person to do the work.
A Shining Success! (23:50)
They were able screen their algae database and strain banks to quickly find an algae that produces 70% of proteins. This discovery has the potential to solve a critical global food security problem because protein-deficits are a dire issue in developing and emerging countries. Beyond the research successes, Thomas feels happy and accomplished every time a student graduates from his lab. It is really rewarding to guide and advise students to help them launch their independent research careers.
Book Recommendations (26:48)
Short Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
Most Treasured Travel ( 27:36)
While his work has taken him to many fantastic places over the years, Canada, Florida, and Australia are some of his favorites. In Canada, he really connected with the people there. Thomas spent several years in Florida for his postdoctoral training and the early part of his faculty career, and he formed strong personal ties and great friends there as well. Visiting Australia has also been an excellent experience, both scientifically and personally. Thomas has fantastic collaborators in Australia, and he has enjoyed going on trips to the rainforest, seeing the wildlife on Kangaroo Island, and traveling by river to tour downtown Brisbane.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (32:17)
Thomas and his colleagues have gone on numerous research expeditions to the Bahamas to collect coral samples for their work. They have been studying the enzymatic pathways that lead to production of an anti-inflammatory drug in these corals for about fifteen years now. The group developed a ceremony on these trips for all new members. They would dive for conch shells for the group to eat for lunch, but the new initiates each get to eat the particularly phallic looking part of the conch. In the lab, Thomas also gifts each graduating student an engraved pen set, a watch, and a bottle of their choice of drink. These items have special significance as a reminder that time is precious, and sometimes you need to let go and unwind to generate innovative ideas.
Advice For Us All (38:11)
If you fall, dust yourself off and carry on. Never give up. Also, think about what you can do in your daily life to reduce consumption and contribute to a sustainable future.
Guest Bio
Thomas’s interests revolve around aspects of sustainable bioprocess development to establish a globally connected circular bioeconomy. His main expertise is in biocatalysis, encompassing both whole cell systems as well as designed enzyme cascades, that enable the molecular-selective and energy-efficient conversion of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, as well as residual biomass from agricultural, forest, and food sectors into value adding products for the chemical, bioenergy, food, and pharmaceutical sectors.
Translation of fundamental scientific knowledge to industrial processes and products is very important to Thomas‘s research interactions. His motto is: Scientific Innovation that is not turned into real world products does not exist and hence cannot contribute to enable a transition to a sustainable society. Outside work Thomas enjoys hiking in the Bavarian Alps, diving in the Mediterranean Sea (or anywhere else), and being with his family. In his rather limited spare time Thomas reads non-scientific literature with a philosophical touch. Two of his favorite books are “Siddhartha” from the German author Hermann Hesse and “Short Answers to the Big Questions” by the late Stephen Hawking. Thomas lives in rural Bavaria, with his wife, two daughters, three guinea pigs, and an aquarium full of tropical fish. The surrounding agricultural activities, lakes, and forests are inviting for long walks with the family in the countryside, providing relaxation and a clear mind to all.
The post 676: Dr. Thomas Brück: Using Algae to Capture CO2 and Create Foods, Biofuels, Chemicals, and Pharmaceuticals appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
41 min
September 26, 2022 675: Dr. Gemma Reguera: Harnessing the Power of Microbes to Clean Up Toxins and Recover Energy from Wastes
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Dr. Gemma Reguera is an Associate Professor in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, as well as Plant, Soil, and Microbial Science at Michigan State University. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Oviedo in Spain and received her PhD in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Afterward, Gemma conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst before joining the faculty at MSU where she is today. In our interview, Gemma shares fantastic stories from her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:01)
When Gemma wants to disconnect from her scientific side, she likes exercising at the gym, doing Zumba, reading, and cooking. Gemma also enjoys spending free time with her family, and she often hangs out with her 11 year old son and goes on walks with their adorable rescue dog.
The Scientific Side (3:37)
As a microbiologist, Gemma studies small organisms like bacteria. Most people are familiar with bacteria that cause disease, but Gemma studies the ones that help us by cleaning up wastes and pollution. She learns about what these organisms do in the environment, figures out which ones can be brought into the lab, and finds ways to use these microbes to solve real-world problems.
A Dose of Motivation (4:51)
“You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.” – Albert Einstein
What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:22)
When Gemma was 6 years old, she watched a documentary about Louis Pasteur and decided she wanted to be a microbiologist. She was mesmerized by images of Pasteur working with his petri dishes of bacteria and fungi. In addition to being a microbiologist, she also entertained dreams of becoming a dancer, a singer, a painter, and a physicist, among other things. However, Gemma’s high school biology teacher was instrumental helping her realize her passion for biology and microbiology. At the time, there were high unemployment rates for biologists, and there was a lot of pressure to pursue a medical degree instead. Gemma’s fascination with biology persisted, and she switched out of the medical program and into the biology program at the last minute.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (21:41)
In science, you have to contend with a steady stream of negative results, exposure to criticism through peer review, and rejected applications for funding. The funding situation for science has been particularly challenging lately, which makes it hard to provide support for talented students and postdocs. Gemma has been able to diversify her funding sources by applying for commercialization grants. This has been really rewarding, but it has also taken a lot of time and required her to learn a lot more about industry and business.
A Shining Success! (26:27)
For Gemma, her biggest successes in science are the students and postdocs she is able to mentor. Each person comes into the lab with a different background, and it is exciting to watch them develop into independent scientists. Mentoring is a big priority for Gemma, and she is able to leverage both the positive and negative experiences she has had in different labs to shape her own lab environment and mentorship style.
Book Recommendations (28:05)
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Ron Johnson.
Most Treasured Travel (29:47)
Last January, Gemma was invited to present at a Gordon Research Conference on Metals and Biology in Ventura, California. Most of the audience members were chemists, so she spent a lot of time beforehand preparing herself to answer questions from a chemist’s perspective. This was an exciting opportunity to participate in stimulating conversation with people coming in with different experiences from a different field and also to share her perspective as a microbiologist with them.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (33:55)
Gemma used to invite all the lab members to a big Thanksgiving celebration at her home. She worked hard to accommodate the different dietary restrictions of all of the lab members. One year, Gemma was proud of her efforts to ensure dairy-free and Kosher meal. When she opened the oven to show off her turkey, they all had to laugh because her prized turkey had been wrapped in bacon. The humorous story of her culinary slip-up has been passed down through multiple generations of students now. She and her colleagues actually have a tradition of sharing photos of their bacon wrapped Thanksgiving turkeys each year.
Advice For Us All (38:31)
One of Gemma’s mentors told her there is no such thing as luck. What you call luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Be the best you can be, and opportunities will arise. Remain open-minded in your research and your life. If you become narrow-minded, you may miss what science is really about.
Guest Bio
Gemma is an environmental microbiologist who became a Spartan in 2016. Her research focuses on investigating the energy conversion reactions catalyzed by microorganisms in natural and anthropogenic systems. Her interests go beyond the basic research and seek to develop sustainable technologies that harness the natural processes for bioenergy and bioremediation applications. Of particular interest is the coupling of carbon cycling to metal reduction by microorganisms, which the Reguera lab is harnessing to develop technologies for the environmental remediation of environments impacted by toxic metals and energy recovery from agricultural and industrial wastes. At the core of these projects is the development of genetic engineering approaches to understand the biological mechanisms underlying microbial functions and to manipulate their properties for biotechnological applications.
*This episode was originally published on October 16, 2016.
The post 675: Dr. Gemma Reguera: Harnessing the Power of Microbes to Clean Up Toxins and Recover Energy from Wastes appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
44 min

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