ascb february 2020 | vol. 43 | no. 1
NEWSteam science highlightsLETTER of the 2019 this is your last issue of the 8 26 ASCB|EMBO meeting Newsletter if you haven’t renewed your ASCB membership
science Transition to a Biotech Career
Discover the business side of science, network, and learn interdisciplinary skills through a team project. Of the 182 attendees in 2014-2017, 67% now have jobs in industry, regulatory affairs, or tech transfer. Scholarships ranging from $200-$400 are available.
Biotech East: May 31–June 6, at Manning School of Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell 2019Biotech West: July 12–17, at Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA biotechApplication deadline for both course courses is March 31
Supported by More Info/Apply at ascb.org/career-development/biotech-course @ascbiology
newbiotechflyer2020.indd 1 2/7/2020 11:11:07 AM contents february 2020 | vol. 43 | no. 1 introduction member news president’s column prophase 3 4 5 24 47
Transition to a features 8 “not just a cog”: a q&a on team science 11 team science: experiences from the trenches Biotech Career in cell biology and why being canadian doesn’t hurt regular issue content Discover the business side of science, network, and learn interdisciplinary skills through a team ascb news changes to bylaws on the ballot for spring...... 14 minorities affairs committee (mac) project. Of the 182 attendees in 2014-2017, 67% matt welch takes helm of mboc...... 16 poster competition winners...... 38 now have jobs in industry, regulatory affairs, or the günter blobel early career award...... 16 corporate and foundation partners...... 39 apply now for prestigious ascb honorific awards . . . . . 17 tech transfer. Scholarships ranging from december council meeting targets bylaw updates, columns . publishing, and meeting programming...... 18 $200-$400 are available emerging voices...... 40 new ascb committee chairs, co-chairs, and committee diversity matters...... 43 members approved by the executive committee . . . . . 20 Biotech East: May 31–June 6, at Manning School of science and society...... 46 driving institutional change office hours with the education committee...... 48 Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell for research assessment reform...... 21 highlights from lse...... 50 Biotech West: July 12–17, at Keck Graduate Institute, ascb leads multi-society collaborative effort 2019to support public engagement...... 22 Claremont, CA careers science and career navigator...... 51 Application deadline for both technology dear labby...... 54 biotechsynthetic biology: beyondcourse the unified cell theory . . . . 24 courses is March 31 highlights from mboc ...... 26 members member profile...... 56 annual meeting in memoriam: shinya inoué...... 58 in memoriam: tracie moneice gibson...... 60 nation’s capital lively backdrop member gifts...... 62 for cell biology meeting...... 26 letter to the editor...... 63 Supported by annual meeting review in photos ...... 30 More Info/Apply at undergraduate poster competition winners ...... 38 ascb.org/career-development/biotech-course
@ascbiology ascb newsletter february 2020 1
newbiotechflyer2020.indd 1 2/7/2020 11:11:07 AM Teaching Tomorrow’s Scientists An ASCB Regional Meeting
May 30, 2020, Soka University of America, Aliso Viejo, CA Designed for a teaching-intensive audience, the day-long meeting will include education research and scientificplenaries, a poster session, networking lunch, afternoon workshops, and mixer.
Registration, workshop, and poster abstract submission now open. Cost: $40 ASCB members, $50 nonmembers
Deadlines
March 4 - Workshop Abstract Submission Deadline April 20 - Poster Abstract Submission Deadline May 24 - Registration Deadline
#ASCBEducates2020 For more information and to register visit ascb.org/event/2020-regional-educators-meeting
re ion led c tor flyer.indd 1 2/10/2020 11: : 7 AM ascb introduction NEWSLETTER A CERN for Biology? the american society for cell biology Not Yet, But... 6120 Executive Boulevard, Suite 750 Rockville, MD 20852, USA Tel: 301-347-9300 Fax: 301-347-9310 by w . mark leader, editor [email protected], www.ascb.org Erika C. Shugart Chief Executive Officer
There is no equivalent in biology to the 17-mile-long Large Hadron Collider officers (LHC) used by physicists at the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire Eva Nogales President (CERN) to test the fundamental tenets of their discipline. Cell biologists have Andrew Murray Past President yet to produce a paper with 5,154 authors like the 2015 Nature paper on the Ruth Lehmann President-Elect Gary J. Gorbsky Treasurer Higgs boson by two teams of scientists working with the LHC.1 Nevertheless, Kerry Bloom Secretary as advances in technology enable more and more ambitious approaches to cell councilors
biology questions, the need is growing for biologists to pool their expertise Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado Janet Iwasa and work in teams. Needhi Bhalla George Langford William Bement Karen Oegema The Feature articles in this issue focus on team science. Is a team different Mike Ehlers Omar Quintero from a group of collaborating PI-led labs? What kinds of questions require Stephanie Gupton Jordan Raff Anna Huttenlocher Julie Theriot teams? How do you create and manage a team? What are the obstacles to working in teams? In their interview with Rachel Tampa, Susanne Rafelski contributors/staff and Graham Johnson of the Allen Institute for Cell Science address these W. Mark Leader Editor Thea Clarke Director, Communications and Education questions and assure us that a scientist who is part of a team is not merely a Leeann Kirchner Marketing and Design Manager cog in a large machine (p. 8) Danielle Peterson Production Designer Mary Spiro Science Writer/Social Media Manager In his Feature article, Nevan J. Krogan discusses the advantage in working Kevin Wilson Director of Public Policy and Media Relations in teams to solve problems across different scales and resolutions (p. 11). He advertising likens a well-run team to a functional family, and notes that culture of science For advertising information, visit www.ascb.org tends to reward individual efforts more than team efforts. or contact [email protected] There’s more in the issue, of course: Eva Nogales’ President’s Column (p. 5), which offers a personal story about how meaningful ASCB can be in a ASCB Newsletter ISSN 1060-8982 scientist’s career; lots of ASCB news (beginning on p. 14); a review of the Volume 43, Number 1 2019 ASCB|EMBO Meeting (pp. 26–39); science news; career advice; and February 2020 more. We hope you enjoy it. © 2020 The American Society for Cell Biology. Copyright to the articles is held by the author or, for staff-written articles, by the ASCB. The content of theASCB Newsletter is available to the public under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike Reference Unported Creative Commons License 1 Castelvecchi D (May 15, 2015). Physics paper sets record with more than 5,000 authors. (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0). Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2015.17567 Postmaster: Send change of address to: ASCB Newsletter The American Society for Cell Biology 6120 Executive Boulevard, Suite 750 Rockville, MD 20852, USA “ASCB,” “The American Society for Cell Biology,” “iBioSeminars,” “DORA,” and “Molecular Biology of the Cell” are registered trademarks of The the ascb newsletter is published six times American Society for Cell Biology. “Cell Image per year by the american Library” is a common law trademark of society for cell biology The American Society for Cell Biology.
ascb newsletter february 2020 3 prophase members in the news
Stanford University has awarded Sandra Schmid the Arthur Kornberg and Paul Berg Lifetime Achievement Award in Biomedical Sciences. Schmid, an alumna of Stanford, is the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair in Cellular and Molecular Biology and professor and chair of the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Schmid is an ASCB Fellow.
Sandra Schmid
Andrew Campbell, Dean of the Graduate School of Brown University, was elected chair of the board of directors of the Council of Graduate Schools for 2021. Campbell will lead the board’s efforts to evaluate and improve graduate education. Campbell is an ASCB Fellow.
Andrew Campbell
Gerald P. Schatten of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, presented the Mendel Lecture organized by Mendel Museum and the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University. Schatten’s lecture, “Would Gregor Mendel Be Alarmed That Designer Babies Walk among Us?” was presented at Mendel’s Monastery in Brno, Czech Republic on November 19, 2019.
Gerald P. Schatten
4 ascb newsletter february 2020 prophase president’s column ASCB Revealed the Cell Biology Universe to Me
By Eva Nogales
We all get into science and our specific fields through sheer determination I believe, to accept me as a different, sometime tortuous paths. My own career student under his guidance. He was a physicist turned trajectory is a bit unusual, and I’d like to share with biophysicist and I was to follow a similar path down you the important role ASCB played in it. that fortunate rabbit hole. I grew up in a family with no academic training (not even a high school degree) but with parents who From Physics to Biophysics were determined to see their children go to college. Working in the UK was a unique opportunity for me I studied physics at the local university, which was, and I remember those years as perhaps the happiest just by chance, arguably the best in Spain in that of my life. It was only after I became faculty at the area at the time. I was inspired by University of California, Berkeley, my high school physics teacher, that I realized what I had missed by Ana Cañas, a remarkable woman: [M]y encounter being far from a university campus smart, dedicated, and with endless with Ken [Downing] where I could have taken the biology enthusiasm. While it was rare then turned out to be courses that I so desperately needed. for students to leave their parents’ One of the most scientifically home, even during their graduate a winning lottery stimulating times of the year for studies, I was pretty determined to ticket for me and me was the annual “users meeting,” take off and go abroad. my future career! when scientists who had collected Opportunities for me were data at the synchrotron got together limited, but I was fortunate to for a day to present posters on their receive a special fellowship for students to do their findings. Those gatherings were relatively small and thesis work at a European synchrotron. The fellowship covered a lot of ground, from molecular physics to had been created by the Spanish government following material science and protein structure. I must admit the participation of our country in the European that the breadth sometimes meant that things went Synchrotron Radiation Facility. By chance (is it not way over my head. almost always the case?), I met the director of the After I graduated with what I would generously British synchrotron, Joan Bordas, at an international qualify as an unexceptional thesis, and not knowing course in the beautiful city of Santander, on the north what exactly to do moving forward, I decided to take coast of Spain. It was the summer after I graduated, a chance at a postdoctoral position. My husband (then and I managed to impress him somehow, just by boyfriend) was being considered for a senior position
ascb newsletter february 2020 5 prophase president’s column
at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) from those days would say if they could see me among and one of his physicist friends arranged a couple of all these scientists from all over the world, being one of interviews for me with scientists at Berkeley. One of them, “belonging.” them turned out to be Bob Glaeser, who I consider the I learned so much at that meeting. My somewhat grandfather of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). limited exposure, and my even more limited When I mentioned that I had worked on tubulin and conception of the context of my own work, changed at done some cryo-EM myself, he immediately advised that gathering. The experience showed me how big the me to talk to his colleague Ken Downing. cell biology universe is. It taught me how little I knew, I had been quite lucky till then, but my encounter and it made me thirsty for more. But most importantly, with Ken turned out to be a winning lottery ticket for it helped me feel that I was an active participant in a me and my future career! Four months later I joined much bigger story. From my small town, to the world! his lab at LBNL as part of an unusually small group I understood then that I had a purpose among many consisting of Ken, Sharon Wolf (also a postdoc), and others like me. That is how belonging to ASCB and myself. At LBNL the pace of work and the productivity rubbing shoulders with people like you at our Annual and progress were insane. Within little more than a Meeting made me feel then and still does. year I had material for a first paper and I was ready And here I am now. From those days as a naïve to start attending conferences. It was then that Ken postdoc, to President of ASCB, addressing the recommended that I become a member of ASCB, members of this Society in my first President’s attend the Annual Meeting, and present a poster. It Column. I must confess that I feel a little overwhelmed is not easy for me to explain what it meant when I by a mixture of responsibility, gratitude, and a touch first wrote in my short CV that I was a member of the of fear. By excitement, too. Seeing the inner workings ASCB. A MEMBER of a SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY! Did of a society like ASCB is a marvelous and humbling I deserve such a distinction? Was I worthy of being experience. I can only but recommend it to all of you. listed alongside other scientists? Did I belong? Join me with your participation—with your active engagement—in the many aspects of the Society’s My First ASCB Meeting activities, with and for scientists like you. You can And then the day came for me to go to the meeting. I do so at all stages of your career as a cell biologist. must say that I was simply blown away. The hustle and Whether you are a student, a postdoc, a junior bustle of all those scientists, the huge conference rooms or seasoned PI, ASCB wants to hear your voice and with mesmerizing speakers talking about the most to welcome you to share its goals and purpose. amazing science, the huge exhibit hall with a myriad of displays of the latest technologies and representatives About the Author willing to give me some freebies as a reward for Eva Nogales is a Howard Hughes Medical MY attention. And all those other young scientists Institute investigator; a professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology at the University presenting talks and posters, excited and proud. It of California, Berkeley; and Senior Faculty was like a whole new universe had opened up to me. I Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory . thought of my small high school, and what my friends
6 ascb newsletter february 2020 Ask us about advertising opportunities at the 2020 ASCB | EMBO Meeting!
ascb newsletter february 2020 7 feature
“Not Just a Cog”: A Q&A on Team Science in Cell Biology
By Rachel Tompa, with Susanne Rafelski and Graham Johnson
The Allen Institute for Cell Science was launched research projects, more and more labs are turning in 2014 with a lofty goal: to develop a holistic to interdisciplinary teams to tackle tough questions understanding of normal and diseased human in cell biology. Here Rafelski and Johnson answer cells—studying cells in their entirety, rather than questions about their experiences working with one molecular complex or process at a time, as interdisciplinary teams. While scientists have to work they transition from state to state. Thanks to the within the constraints of their own organization and forethought of the Institute’s founder, the late Paul funding structure, Rafelski and Johnson think there G. Allen, it is structured differently than a typical are lessons from working in a team-science–based research nonprofit. The nature of the Institute’s organization that could apply to any researcher who’s goal requires a team science approach, where all 70 interested in thinking outside the walls of their own lab. people work on projects that feed into that holistic understanding. This results in a level of large-scale, Rachel Tompa: What questions need a team interdisciplinary work not possible in the typical PI- science approach? led laboratory. Graham Johnson: Some questions require reproducibility As team directors at the Institute who both came and scale. For much of our work, the Institute conducts from academia, Susanne Rafelski and Graham methodical, highly reproducible image collection using Johnson have a unique perspective on team science 3D live cell microscopy to produce open datasets that in cell biology. In an era of big data and large-scale can address questions about variations in human cell
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structure and physiology, as well as changes between gold mine of information captured in this type of high- cell states. It requires meticulous, industrial caliber quality, high-replicate data. work to get at the subtleties in cells. RT: What are the challenges of team science? Susanne Rafelski: There’s work that, by its nature, SR: You don’t start a team science project with a full requires a scope beyond that of an individual lab. For team in place. You have to find ways to adjust the example, if the question requires data, experiment structure of your team at different stages of maturity types, or specialized knowledge that are beyond the of the project, and you also have to adjust how the general interest or expertise of individually funded team functions as it grows, because a small team grants or projects, you might need a larger team to inherently functions differently from a large team and tackle that question. The kind of work we do, where because individuals within the team grow and change. we are looking at subtle variations in many different aspects of cells as they differentiate and transition GJ: In hiring for our teams early on, we came across to disease states, might not by itself be suited to hesitation among some candidates that they’d just an individual academic lab, since it requires the become a cog in a machine. We all were trained in generation of cell lines, collection of large datasets, academia, and many of us came here directly from and new kinds of analysis and visualization methods. academia, where the emphasis is often on producing high-impact and numerous independent publications. GJ: Say you want to find out if a point mutation in There can be a fear that you won’t be recognized if a protein has an effect—there are many mutations you are not the first or last author on a high-profile where the cell doesn’t survive or exhibits some extreme publication. But we’ve found that our scientists and morphology, and that’s the kind of research individual engineers are still sought after just as much for their labs do very well. If the mutation makes a more subtle individual knowledge, and for their exposure to difference, and you need to see tens of thousands of cutting-edge approaches and team science, and they’re cells to understand how that affects the entire system, still asked to do just as many presentations, as that’s where large-scale team science can come in: to they would have in an academic lab. create and then help extract insight from the potential
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SR: It’s almost the opposite of being a cog in a machine RT: What do you like most about team science? if you do true teamwork. Everyone’s expertise is GJ: My career goal when I was in academia was the valuable and these big projects wouldn’t happen same as the mission of this Institute, to assemble data without each team member’s contributions. That feels to understand how whole cells work. I guess I’m lucky really meaningful to our researchers. to have found such a perfect match, but I find that I can do much more toward that specific goal here than RT: What’s the difference between I could have by continuing the trajectory of running collaboration and team science? my smaller academic lab, which required collaboration SR: There are a lot of different ways scientists can work with data generating labs that typically had many together and many different flavors of team science. other projects to worry about. I really like being able to The main differences I see between the type of team fully participate in all aspects of the science. Whether science we practice at the Allen Institute and large it’s planning the big goals, contributing to discussions consortia or smaller academic collaborations are that about methods of the data collection, or helping people we give our full-time effort to our team projects, we across any of the seven sub-teams to develop tools for are all under the same roof, and we are all dedicated analysis, modeling, publication, and outreach—it’s to a pre-planned set of activities that fall under one great to see how details are coming together to begin overarching goal. It’s fundamental to our work that it’s addressing our grand questions. well-planned, and everyone who works here accepts that major risk of putting all our eggs into one basket RT: What has surprised you about working in toward that holistic understanding. But the potential this team science model? pay-off is huge. SR: What surprised me is how fulfilling it is to work in such a dedicated team setting. In school, I hated it GJ: In academia, collaborations often happen fortuitously, when they put you into arbitrary groups to do group for example at scientific conferences. People meet who work, especially when I ended up having to do extra are on similar scientific paths but who might have work to compensate for other people. The reason I different skillsets, and they see an opportunity and decided to give up my own lab, my little agile sailboat, start working together. If you have the people who are to become part of this cruise ship is that it’s not a all experts in their fields under the same roof working randomly selected group of people where some are toward the same high-level goal, the nice part is that going to wait for you to float them. It’s a carefully instead of meeting once a year at a conference, we selected group of people who have all decided to be cross paths nearly every day in the hallways or at the part of something bigger. That doesn’t always make it coffee machines, so those fortuitous interactions happen easier, but it makes it very powerful. much more often.
About the Authors Rachel Tompa is Science Writer and Susanne Rafelski and Graham Johnson are team directors at the Allen Institute for Cell Science .
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Team Science: Experiences from the Trenches and Why Being Canadian Doesn’t Hurt
By Nevan J. Krogan
There are two things that are key to me as a person. I continue to find this the most rewarding, productive, One is being Canadian: in fact, if you walk by Byers and high-velocity way to conduct science. Hall at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and look up, you might be able to spot the Solving Problems across Scales Canadian flag proudly displayed in an east-facing or Resolutions window over 4th Street—that’s my office. The second I honestly think that scientific research can only key thing is being a passionate advocate for team benefit from the input of a diverse team. In my science. In my opinion, it’s the most fun way of doing experience, the scientific problems that require team science, and it helps rapidly narrow in on what’s most science the most, however, are those that need to be important. Being Canadian helps with that, too. solved across different scales or resolutions, often I first realized the value of team science when using highly specialized or costly technologies that I published my very first paper are unlikely to be available or as a graduate student. I see it as Frankly, some of mastered to the highest form of somewhat of a cautionary tale. Back art in a single lab. For example, the best science then, I did everything myself. It was the problems I’m interested in literally a two-author paper—me is done in bars.. stretch across structure, function, and the senior author, my advisor. and dynamics of pathways, many I had to painstakingly learn how to do everything, of which are involved in a variety of disease states. probably reinventing the wheel a few times over. This Understanding these systems can require everything certainly slowed down the pace of the work, and I from discovery via proteomic and genomic methods, promised myself that going forward, I would always functional validation using CRISPR, to biochemistry make more efficient use of the vast knowledge the and structure determination, sometimes coupled with science community has to offer. I think I’ve made good advanced computational techniques and iteration. In on this promise: I’ve now been a member or leader the best-case scenario, we don’t even stop there, but of over 25 large collaborative research efforts of try to push toward translation, requiring yet another 8–15 scientists each, including the Cancer Cell Map set of skills. Often, these studies are done in the most Initiative, which I launched in 2015 with colleagues challenging circumstances—with refractory cell types, at UCSF and the University of California, San Diego. transient interactions, or flexible/dynamic proteins.
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Putting together these complex, nuanced pictures of with the team help keep overall lab spirit high). Also, difficult systems would be too much for any single PI everyone on the team has to be open to trying new or lab. In these cases, team science really comes to the things—sometimes the crazy idea that comes out rescue, and shines the brightest. of cross-pollination of ideas is the one that works. In terms of getting things started, team science A certain amount of patience is also required. You can either be serendipitous (as when people come can’t really fire your aunt—even if she’s a die-hard together organically to collaborate) or highly directed Calgary Flames fan—and in the same way, I believe (as when large team research efforts are nucleated you should give team members another chance if by a particular problem or collaborative funding they are not pulling their weight or are disrupting mechanisms like U01s or U19s). However, they almost the team for whatever reason. In addition to all these always require some kind of catalyst. Often, people factors, it helps to have strong support staff. Team are not talking to one another, and the work is siloed. science—particularly across country borders—can For this reason, I believe team science rests firmly require additional paperwork and documentation, on a foundation of relationship building. Frankly, for example MOUs. There is also extra administrative some of the best science is done in bars. I’ve had a effort to manage the large group coordination, which few great conversations and aha is why I understand my support moments there that have led to real [E]veryone on the staff to be part of the team and progress forward in the field through also encourage admins without a collaborations. If you don’t like team has to be background in science to participate bars, don’t be discouraged, though. open to trying in lab meetings and attend science Any relaxed atmosphere with other new things…. talks they are interested in. scientists can be just as effective—I I rely on a bunch of non-science am thinking beach walks, eating tools to enable team science. To oysters together, or watching an Edmonton Oilers make rapid progress, I’m a firm believer that it’s game. So a key to team science is simply getting always better to stop by someone’s office or do a the right people in the room together and kind of video or phone call than send an email. The human catalyzing the reaction. touch matters, and technology can enable that at times. I also travel a great deal, so good old-fashioned Teams Are Like Families airplanes are part of my tool arsenal. I traveled about I am often asked what makes for success in team half of the days last year, mostly in the service of team science. Many organizational leaders and educators science spread across about 10 different countries. more expert than I have written volumes on this While being away from the lab (actually also while at topic, but what I’ve found in my personal experience UCSF), I rely heavily on my phone to communicate and practice is that it can be boiled down to what with everyone—often via text, but when possible I makes a functional family. Trust is at the top of the prefer a quick call to get on the same page. When list, followed by good communication, positivity, writing papers or grant proposals, I am slightly old- and generosity—especially in terms of credit and fashioned and prefer to read the drafts as print-outs. authorship. It’s also important to be a team player and However, my and my lab’s productivity would take a pull your own weight. Team scientists also need to be big hit without collaborative (editing) tools like track- positive, not negative, which is why I sometimes act changes, Google Docs, or version control on Dropbox as a cheerleader in addition to being a PI (fun outings and the like.
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Challenges effort toward empowering the So far I’ve painted a rosy picture It’s critical for younger scientists, in terms of giving of team science. But I must admit the established credit and authorship. Another there are aspects that are not for the investigators to challenge is the fear around getting faint of heart. Among the biggest scooped. It can be hard for people to challenges is that the underlying make a conscious have a comfort level with the wide culture of science traditionally has effort toward degree of data sharing that team rewarded the individual. The Nobel science involves. In the end, I believe empowering the Prize is given to no more than three it boils down into taking a “long people, not a giant team. Thus, in younger scientists…. view” rather than a short-term view. a Darwinian way, the system itself After taking reasonable safeguards selects against team science. This (regarding unpublished data, for can make it particularly hard for young investigators example) you have to take a leap of faith that no who have more to lose, but also everything to gain, by matter what happens, a more open and collaborative partnering with others. I personally believe it’s critical approach will be the most rewarding—and that it will for the established investigators to make a conscious ultimately advance the field and help humanity. Of course, that is a scary thing when tenure and funding Low-Noise Ultra-Fast are on the line. So, it’s a tricky balance, and that can be Digital Patch Clamp Amplifier System a lot of responsibility as the leader of such groups. Despite the challenges, however, I believe there is no • Now with Dynamic Clamp! better way to advance the science of complex problems • High bandwidth for fastest signal characterization • Single-channel and whole-cell patch clamp recordings than team science. It brings out the best and the worst • Digital compensation circuitry for precision and signal fi delity in people at times, but when it works well, it brings • Quick and easy setup • Bundled SutterPatch® software built rapid progress on difficult problems. And all this while on Igor Pro platform being a lot of fun! So, how does the Canada thing come in (other than in hockey examples)? Well, what do we Canadians have a reputation for? No, not poutine (though it’s tasty). What Canadians, of course, have a reputation for is “being nice.” I’d like to think that dPatch® if we can all just try to be as Canadian as possible in team science, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. The next generation Digital Patch Clamp Amplifier System. Combining high-speed, high-resolution digital processing, precision A/D circuitry, integrated data acquisition and bundled SutterPatch® software, the dPatch system provides capabilities previously out of reach for the electrophysiologist. Available in either a single- or double-headstage configuration, the dPatch meets the requirements of today’s experiments and anticipates the demands of tomorrow’s. About the Author Nevan J . Krogan is a professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular PHONE: +1.415.883.0128 | FAX: +1.415.883.0572 Pharmacology at the University of California, EMAIL: [email protected] | WWW.SUTTER.COM San Francisco .
ascb newsletter february 2020 13 ascb news
Changes to Bylaws on the Ballot for Spring
By Erika Shugart
The ASCB Council approved moving forward a new Article 2, Membership set of bylaws for vote by the members in the spring One of the goals of the changes is to make the governance election. Bylaws are “the rules and regulations enacted structure more inclusive and transparent. To that end, by an association or a corporation to provide a changes were made in the definitions of membership framework for its operation and management. Bylaws to enable more types of members to vote and to be may specify the qualifications, rights, and liabilities of eligible for Council service. The new bylaws will: membership, and the powers, duties, and grounds for • Eliminate the need for a vote by Council the dissolution of an organization.”1 ASCB’s bylaws to approve new members, which has added can be changed only if approved by the majority of significant administrative burden for ASCB staff voting members. and delays the start of new memberships. Staff There are several reasons that the Council would will continue to vet all members like for the members to approve the new bylaws. • Eliminate the multistage nomination and approval Foremost is to help the Society achieve the strategic process for citizen members goal to “further democratize the society by ensuring • Expand who can hold office from Regular leadership and decision making reflect the broad range members only to Regular, Educator, Postdoctoral, of membership and their interests and priorities.” and Graduate Student members Specifically in ASCB’s strategic plan, which was • Give Educator members the right to vote. This approved in 2017, two of the key actions under the goal was missed when the Educator class was created of Promotion of Inclusiveness and Transparency are to several years ago. • Change nomination and committee recruitment process to increase transparency, member Article 3, Council involvement, and inclusiveness, and A number of changes enable the governance structure • Revise ASCB bylaws to enable structures and to support strategic planning. Currently the Council processes that are open, transparent, and increase meets twice a year and has two brief informational opportunities for member involvement. phone calls, which has not been sufficient to have Councilors involved in the creation of the budget and Additionally, a number of new laws in the state of New in providing strategic guidance to committees. York, in which ASCB is incorporated, require changes • The Council will now be required to meet three to the bylaws to align with the law. times annually rather than two. This is more in Following are some of the proposed changes. line with standard practice in the association world and will help ensure that the Council is meeting its fiduciary responsibilities.
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Article 6, Committees Article 10 and 11, Indemnification The ASCB committees work well, but it is difficult and Miscellaneous to start a new one when needed. There have been a • These items were added to bring the bylaws number of instances when we have needed to form up to modern practice and in alignment with ad hoc groups but have not had a mechanism to do New York law. so. Additionally, the committees have been somewhat divorced from the strategic plan and its priorities. There are additional minor changes in other items as • Committees listed in the bylaws will be limited to well. All of the changes will be discussed in greater Executive, Nominating, and Finance & Audit. All detail and members will be able to ask questions other committees will be established in policies during a webinar that will be held on April 1 at 1:00 approved by Council. This means that the Council pm ET. The webinar will be available for viewing by can create and disband committees without going members on the website after the presentation. Both to the full membership for approval. the current bylaws and the bylaws to be voted on will • To ensure that committees focused on diversity, be available on the ASCB website. equity, and inclusion always exist within ASCB, the The process of revising the bylaws was led by a new bylaws require the existence of those committees. Governance Taskforce, which was formed at the • Set the minimum term for committee members to request of the ASCB Council. The members of the one year. Taskforce are: • Gary J. Gorbsky (Chair), Oklahoma Medical Article 7, Nominating Committee Research Foundation During the process of analyzing the governance • David J. Asai, Howard Hughes Medical Institute structure, the lack of transparency and requirements • Jennifer G. DeLuca, Colorado State University around nominations was cited as a major weakness of • Mary Munson, University of Massachusetts the current system. The changes in the bylaws begin Medical School to address this. Further refinement will be needed and • Scott Wilkinson, National Institutes of Health will be in the form of policies approved by Council. • Linda Wordeman, University of Washington • Add language noting that “views of key stakeholders within the society be represented” on the Also on the Taskforce are ASCB staff members Azra nominating committee Chugtai, Thea Clarke, Erika C. Shugart ex( officio), • Note that this committee will select its own chair Brian Theil, and Kevin Wilson. • Note that Council will develop and publish selection criteria and procedures to determine candidates Footnote 1 • Note that the candidates should “reflect as much https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Bylaws. as possible the diversity of the membership.”
2020 ASCB Election The 2020 ASCB Election takes place from April 1 to April 30 . Cast your votes for President, Treasurer, and Council and vote on the proposed changes to the bylaws . Eligible members will receive voting instruction by email on April 1, 2020 .
ascb newsletter february 2020 15 ascb news
Matt Welch Takes Helm of MBoC
By W. Mark Leader
Matthew D. Welch became Editor-in- journal’s partnership with Science Sketches Chief of Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) to offer video abstracts of MBoC articles. on January 1, 2020. In an editorial in the Welch told readers to expect innovations January 1 issue, he discussed the journal’s in peer review, such as participation strengths and outlined his plans to tackle in Review Commons and increased some of the challenges it faces. transparency of the review process. And to Welch acknowledged the capable and help readers who can become overwhelmed visionary leadership of his predecessors with the volume of scientific articles and said, “MBoC is highly respected for Matt Welch available to them, MBoC will experiment with its dedication to serving the scientific ways to highlight the impact of individual community and facilitating the communication of MBoC articles as well as with new approaches to work that significantly advances knowledge in cell curating the literature. biology.” Noting that it is the editorial board that Welch emphasized the symbiotic relationship establishes the culture and maintains the quality of the between MBoC and ASCB and pledged to work journal, he announced plans to ensure that the board with the cell biology community to “create a vibrant reflects the highest standards of quality and diversity platform for facilitating the publication of work that by rotating its membership on a regular basis. significantly advances knowledge in cell biology.” To help authors communicate the value of their You can read Welch’s complete editorial at work to a wider audience, Welch announced the www.molbiolcell.org/doi/10.1091/mbc.E19-09-0502.
The Günter Blobel Early Career Award
ASCB is pleased to introduce the Günter Blobel Early scientists who served as the 1990 ASCB President Career Award. The award, formerly known as the and throughout his career had a strong commitment Early Career Life Scientist Award, is being renamed to mentorship of younger scientists. See p. 16 for in honor of GÜnter Blobel, a Nobel Prize-winning information about how to apply for this and other ASCB honorific awards.
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Apply Now for Prestigious ASCB Honorific Awards
Self-nominations by ASCB members/applicants are permitted for all awards. Unless otherwise indicated, deadlines are May 15, 2020. Apply online for all awards at www.ascb.org/ascb-awards starting March 15.
EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS Sandra K. Masur Senior Leadership Award Günter Blobel Early Career Award Who is eligible: A woman or man at a later career stage (generally full Who is eligible: An outstanding life scientist who has served as an professor or equivalent) whose outstanding scientific achievements are independent investigator for no more than seven years as of May 15. coupled with a record of active leadership in mentoring both men and Winner receives: Plaque, $1,000, meeting registration, economy women in scientific careers. airfare, up to four nights’ hotel, up to four days’ per diem, and gives a Winner receives: Plaque, $1,000, meeting registration, economy airfare, Minisymposium talk at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting. and up to three nights’ hotel to attend the ASCB|EMBO Meeting.
WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research Who is eligible: A woman in an early stage of her career (within seven years Mentoring Keynote of appointment to an independent position at the nomination deadline). Who is eligible: An individual who exemplifies mentoring by their Winner receives: Plaque, $1,000, meeting registration, economy impact on the training of scientists and scholars who belong to airfare, up to four nights’ hotel, up to four days’ per diem, and gives a underrepresented groups. Minisymposium talk at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting. Winner receives: Plaque and meeting travel expenses, and gives the Mentoring Keynote MID-CAREER SCIENTISTS WICB Mid-Career Award for Excellence in Research GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS Who is eligible: A woman at the mid-career level (7–15 years in an ASCB Porter Prizes for Research Excellence independent position at the nomination deadline). Who is eligible: Graduate students and postdocs. Winner receives: Plaque, $1,000, meeting registration, economy Winners receive: $2,000 for outstanding predoctoral research and $4,000 airfare, up to three nights’ hotel, and gives a Minisymposium talk at the for outstanding postdoctoral research, plaque, dinner with the Porter ASCB|EMBO Meeting. lecturer, travel costs of up to $1,000, and give Minisymposium talks at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting. ESTABLISHED SCIENTISTS Deadline: July 15; abstract submission required first. ASCB Fellows Who is eligible: All Regular and Emeritus members may nominate two Merton Bernfield Memorial Award of their colleagues or self-nominate. Fellows must have been an ASCB Who is eligible: An outstanding graduate student or postdoctoral fellow member for at least 10 of the past 15 years and a scientist whose research (at the time of nomination) who has excelled in research. has had a significant and sustained impact on the field of cell biology. Winner receives: Plaque, $1,000, meeting registration, economy Winner receives: Plaque and pin and acknowledgment before the airfare, up to four nights’ hotel, up to four days’ per diem, and gives a ASCB|EMBO Meeting Keynote. Minisymposium talk at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting. Deadline: July 15; abstract submission required first. E.B. Wilson Medal Who is eligible: An individual who has demonstrated significant and UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES far-reaching contributions to cell biology over a lifetime in science. E.E. Just Lectureship Winner receives: E.B. Wilson Medal, meeting registration, economy Who is eligible: An underrepresented minority scientist who has airfare, up to four nights’ hotel, and up to four days’ per diem, and gives demonstrated outstanding scientific achievement. the E.B. Wilson Lecture at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting. Winner receives: Plaque, medal, and up to $1,800 to attend the ASCB|EMBO Meeting and gives the E.E. Just Lecture. ASCB Prize for Excellence in Inclusivity Who is eligible: An individual who has made an impact by encouraging EDUCATORS a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment through Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education mentoring, cultural change, outreach, or community service. Who is eligible: An individual who has demonstrated innovative and Winner receives: $5,000 to further inclusion activities, is featured in a sustained contributions to science education, with a priority on national video at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting Keynote, is featured in an article in impact of the nominee’s activities. the ASCB Newsletter, contributes an essay in MBoC, and receives up to Winner receives: Plaque, meeting registration, economy airfare, up to $1,300 for meeting-related expenses. three nights’ hotel, and gives a talk at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting.
DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE ASCB Public Service Award Who is eligible: An individual who has demonstrated outstanding national leadership in support of biomedical research. Winner receives: Certificate and is featured in a video at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting Keynote.
Letters of support should explicitly address whether a nominee's professional conduct over his or her career embodies the principles and expectations noted in ASCB’s Mission Statement, the Anti-Harassment Policy, and the Workforce Diversity Statement. ascb newsletter february 2020 17 ascb news
December Council Meeting Targets Bylaw Updates, Publishing, and Meeting Programming
By Mary Spiro
Spirited discussions surrounded the topics of bylaw list lacked racial diversity. The Council voted to and policy updates, publishing, and meeting programming approve the program with the proviso that the Program during the December 6, 2019, meeting of the ASCB Council Committee seek ways to include African American in Washington, DC. The Council voted to approve the scientists in the slate of suggested speakers and on the 2020 budget, a slight increase in meeting registration list of alternates. The Council requested that future fees, and, with modifications, the Cell Bio 2020 meeting Cell Bio meeting proposals be available for review program. (From 2020, the ASCB|EMBO Meeting has one month before the December Council meeting. been rechristened Cell Bio–An ASCB|EMBO Meeting.) Additionally, they asked that the Program Committee should seek co-chairs for the Minisymposia with Bylaws minority representation that reflects the U.S. population. Gary Gorbsky, who serves as the chair of the Taskforce on Governance, led the conversation about proposed Publishing changes to ASCB policies and bylaws, which have ASCB Publications Director Mark Leader led a been developed in a year-long process. The Council conversation about the financial future of the Society’s approved the bylaws to move forward to a vote by journal Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) in light of ASCB membership in spring 2020 (see p. 14). the changing nature of scientific publishing including increasing demand for open access, the proliferation Meetings of new journals, and new developments like bioRxiv. Director of Meetings Alison Harris reviewed the David Drubin was given an ASCB Distinguished registration and response to the Doorstep Meeting Service Award for his 10 years of service as Editor-in- since its inaugural year in 2016. Due to revenue Chief (EIC) of MBoC, and Matt Welch was introduced challenges, Harris recommended that this pre- as the journal’s incoming EIC. Welch reported that 17 ASCB|EMBO Meeting event be discontinued after new associate editors have joined the journal’s editorial 2020. After discussion, however, the Council chose board. He also described the journal’s partnership to delay a vote on discontinuation and ask potential with Science Sketches, whereby authors create a short organizers to seek external sponsorship opportunities whiteboard animation to accompany their published to support Doorstep events for 2020 and beyond. paper. The Council also discussed Review Commons The Council had a lengthy discussion about the as a new way of streamlining the peer-review process proposed draft of the program for Cell Bio 2020, with and offering authors more options in publishing. some members remarking that the suggested speaker
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Membership has been planning. Co-chair Erin Dolan said the Director of Membership Brian Theil reported that from Committee’s collaborations with MAC and with ASCB’s January 1 to September 30, 2019, although overall professional development director to develop a membership declined, new membership was up 2% over statement on the Declaration on Effective and Inclusive the same period the previous year. Telemarketing efforts Undergraduate Biology Education should help “move the to reach lapsed members helped bring some former needle” to maximize effective and inclusive education. members back in, and the Member-Get-a-Member and Lee Ligon, co-chair of the Public Information free t-shirt with renewal campaigns were also successful. Committee (PIC), noted the success of the Green Looking forward, ASCB will invest in reaching out to Fluorescent Protein Image and Video Contest, the groups outside the cell biology community for potential online outreach toolkits, and the Elevator Speech members. Theil also mentioned ASCB’s new Mentor Contest. PIC has also created a subcommittee to solicit Match program, which will launch through the Online people to write science outreach blog posts. Community platform in early 2020. Co-Chair Alyssa Lesko reported that this year the Committee on Postdocs and Students (COMPASS) Committees created a special panel on mental health at the annual The Council heard reports from the Public Policy meeting, and that COMPASS continues its science Committee. Chair Connie Lee reported that the outreach through ASCB Post blogs and a science Committee remains focused on advocating for science storytelling workshop. Co-Chair Scott Wilkinson funding during Hill Day, on concerns about research- announced that COMPASS was able to fund 16 related espionage, and on the shifting landscape on different small-scale science outreach projects across federal immigration policies. Lee mentioned that the the country through its grants program. Committee had formed a taskforce to begin work on a Chair Mary Munson shared that the Women in new white paper on “Second Acts”—or how to transition Cell Biology Committee tradition of the mentoring your career after shutting down a research laboratory. theater continues. This year their panel discussion at Incoming Chair Holly Goodson reported that Jim the annual meeting was on self-advocacy. They are Deatherage, retired National Institute of General partnering with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to Medical Sciences branch chief, would receive ASCB’s update and expand the women speakers list. Public Service Award. Ashley Lakoduk stated that the LGBTQ+ Diversity XueBiao Yao, co-chair of the International Affairs Taskforce completed seven blogs for Pride Month Committee (IAC), said IAC had established a joint Special that appeared on the ASCB Post. Lee Ligon noted that Interest Subgroup with the Chinese Society for Cell some of the efforts of the Taskforce are subtle, such Biology and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz. The Committee as the gender-neutral bathrooms and the rainbow is also working on a joint session about organoids. stickers or preferred pronoun stickers, which were Minorities Affairs Committee (MAC) Co-Chair available at meeting registration. Ligon also reported Michael Boyce gave an overview of the programs how challenging it is to raise funds for the travel grants supported by the MAC, including those funded by the that the Taskforce offers each year and asked for ideas NIH R25 IPERT program grant called Improving for sponsorships. Diversity and Career Transitions through Society Support The Council meeting concluded with a workshop and the MAC’s professional development programing. led by Nat Kendall-Taylor from the Frameworks Co-chair George Risinger reported on some of Institute and the presentation of certificates to the regional meetings that the Education Committee outgoing Council members and committee chairs.
ascb newsletter february 2020 19 ascb news
New ASCB Committee Chairs, Co-Chairs, and Committee Members Approved by the Executive Committee
By Mary Spiro
With the exception of members of the Nominating Committee, who serve one-year terms, the other committee members will serve three-year terms beginning in 2020.
Committee for Finance & Audit Nominating Postdocs and William Bement Bob Goldstein (Chair) Students Derek Applewhite Caitlyn Blake-Hedges (Co-Chair) International Affairs Prachee Avasthi Matthew Akamatsu Celia R. S. Garcia (Chair) Brian Lewis Vladimir Botchkarev Steven Fliesler Rodrigo Maillard Joleen Cheah Keigi Fujiwara Avital Rodal Jami Conley Calderon Sandhya Koushika Shirley Tilghman Tim Fessenden Pascale Leroy Scott Wilkinson Amanda Meyer Yujie Sun Natalya Ortolano Kyoko Yokomori Public Information Ankita Patil Committee Kristen Skruber Membership Joseph Glavy Sumana Sundaramurthy Ryan Petrie Ana Kasirer-Friede Joseph Varberg Jenifer Prosperi Gang Ning Byeongwoon Song Education Committee Public Policy Alison Dell Minorities Affairs Holly Goodson (Chair) Jayme Dyer Lina Dahlberg Saidie Wignall Adam Gromley Leticia Vega Kim Kandle Women in Cell Biology Yinghui Mao Debra Baluch
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Driving Institutional Change for Research Assessment Reform By Anna Hatch
On October 21–23, 2019, the San Francisco Declaration for Research Assessment (DORA) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute convened funders, university administrators, faculty members, early career researchers, librarians, culture change experts, scientific society staff, and representatives from other nonprofit initiatives to consider how to improve research assessment policies and practices. required.” Understanding the ecosystem can identify Participants heard from a panel that highlighted leverage points for change too. Lou Woodley from the innovative research assessment practices for hiring, Center for Scientific Collaboration and Community promotion, and tenure. Needhi Bhalla explained how Engagement explained that systems thinking can be her department at the University of California, Santa used to determine what assumptions and beliefs are Cruz, includes untenured faculty in its departmental keeping traditional models of research assessment in tenure decisions as a way to increase transparency place. It can also identify underlying structures and and consistency. Another strategy for faculty patterns that are barriers to change. searches that Omar Quintero pointed out was to de- DORA is currently developing resources based on identify candidates at specific points in the search to what we learned from the meeting to help departments encourage evaluators to focus on the desired qualities and institutions review and revise their own research for the position rather than on personal favorites. assessment policies and practices. But new policies will And to promote balanced discussions during hiring only change research assessment culture if they are deliberations, the Charité Universitätsmedizin adopted by the community, so DORA is also working Berlin includes an independent staff member who to identify community engagement strategies that participates without a vote. encourage implementation. For true culture change in research assessment, Recordings of the webcast, additional resources, stakeholders will need to work together. To and information about the meeting are on the DORA get started, human design expert Ruth Schmidt website (see https://sfdora.org/assessingresearch). suggested dissecting similar, successful culture change movements to understand what resonates with their approach. The Center for Open Science has launched a bottom-up strategy to increase the About the Author Anna Hatch is DORA Program Director . adoption of open practices. “Make it possible, make it easy, make it normative, make it rewarding, make it
ascb newsletter february 2020 21 ascb news
ASCB Leads Multi-Society Collaborative Effort to Support Public Engagement
By Rose Hendricks
Many of the most complex and Association for the Advancement important problems we face— [A] culture of of Science (AAAS), American from climate change to antibiotic “civic science” Geophysical Union (AGU), and resistance to gene editing—require Research!America. Since the scientists to work with diverse [is one] in which initiative was launched in the fall stakeholders to find, discuss, and scientists are active of 2019, a total of 55 organizations implement scientific insights and have become involved in varying citizens and create solutions. When these science– capacities. society relationships are strong, we opportunities for Through this initiative, we are see increased public interest in and all members of the laying the groundwork for more support for science, the uptake of cohesive efforts among societies, as public to engage scientifically sound practices and we work toward influencing long- policies, and the promise of a diverse with science. term culture change within the and competent scientific workforce scientific enterprise to increase value for years to come. Fortunately, many scientists and support for meaningful civic science engagement. already recognize the importance of engaging with To this end, we started by examining scientific diverse audiences, as evidenced by their commitment societies’ current civic science efforts by documenting to science communication, advocacy, outreach, and common ways that organizations aim to equip, public engagement. These activities contribute to a empower, and reward scientists who engage with culture of “civic science,” in which scientists are active broad audiences (the full report is available at www. citizens and create opportunities for all members of informalscience.org/scientific-society-civic-science- the public to engage with science. landscape). This landscape assessment provided As the linchpins of the scientific enterprise, insights into key opportunities for scientific societies scientific societies have a key role to play in to make a greater collective impact in this area. From cultivating a culture of civic science. Recognizing there, the group developed a collective vision and a need, the Kavli Foundation has provided funding goals, which include: for scientific societies to collaborate to advance their collective support of scientists’ civic science • Creating opportunities for collaboration among efforts. ASCB is leading this work—the Society Civic societies to scale up effective civic science programs Science Initiative—in partnership with the American • Expanding the number and influence of incentives
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of civic science, another is focused on establishing channels for society staff to learn from each other, and additional committees are assembling resources on engaging with specific audiences, namely local policymakers and community groups. As these projects expand and gain momentum, we will continue to monitor and measure our progress and seek ways to connect scientific societies’ civic science efforts with relevant social The Society Civic Science Initiative encourages broad engagement science research, diverse practitioner at the many intersections between science and society. expertise, and other emerging efforts (for examples, see more on civic science from the Rita Allen Foundation: to increase scientists’ prioritization of civic science http://ritaallen.org/civic-science). and encourage more scientists to engage; We are optimistic that this new collaboration will • Encouraging more universities to offer greater create valuable opportunities for ASCB to advance a support and rewards for scientists engaging in culture of civic science, in which societal needs and civic science; and diverse perspectives shape science, and scientific • Supporting more scientists in engaging more discoveries inform public understanding, decisions, often and more effectively with policy makers and and policies. members of the public.
Most recently, staff from a wide range of societies About the Author convened to kick off specific projects toward those Rose Hendricks is the Kavli Civic Science Fellow for the Society shared goals. For example, one group is developing Civic Science Initiative . materials to help make the case for the importance
Volunteer to Review CVs
Give back to your cell biology community by signing up to help younger ASCB members with online CV review . We are always looking for more volunteers, including ASCB members in academia and industry, to help review cover letters, CVs, and resumes of young ASCB scientists . We will match you, and will only ask you to review two or three times a year . If you can help, please contact Thea Clarke at tclarke@ascb .org .
ascb newsletter february 2020 23 science and technology
Synthetic Biology: Beyond the Unified Cell Theory
By Mary Spiro
The unified cell theory states that all living things are composed of one or more cells; that the cell is the basic unit of life; and that new cells arise from existing cells. Petra Schwille of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry thinks that cell biologists should push beyond these assertions: that even if today’s cells come only from preexisting cells, then there must have been a first one. In synthetic biology, soap bubble–like lipid vesicles are And if so, where did that proto-cell come from and used as models to imitate cellular compartments. Very few what were the functional units that comprised it? components are required to induce division-like shape “It’s the ‘chicken or the egg’ question” Schwille deformations of these vesicles. The computer rendering remarked in her subgroup presentation “Life Without shows vesicles at various stages of their deformation cycle. Image: Thomas Litschel Ancestors” at the 2019 ASCB|EMBO Meeting in Washington, DC. For this foundational cell biological ability to self-organize, because she said, “in living systems, work, Schwille has looked to the principles of physics self-organization beats entropy.” In her talk, she referenced as well as to the ideas of English mathematician and the 1952 article by Turing, “The Chemical Basis for computer scientist Alan Turing. Morphogenesis,” on how living systems create patterns “Understanding that the hydrogen atom has been from initially homogeneous distributions of molecules. tremendously important for physics and chemistry,” In the article, Turing discusses the mathematics behind how Schwille said, “Is there something like the hydrogen organisms develop complex structures from something atom in biology—the smallest unit of living matter?” that begins with little structure at all—the fertilized egg. In a world where cell biologists can focus down below “We would like to build a minimal system that is subcellular units, she admits that this is not a question able to autonomously divide,” she said. “Can we devise that many researchers are thinking about, but she does something mimicking this very feature of life, starting want them to be more sensitive to it. with a membrane compartment that is at first nothing “The way we understand our bottom-up cell biology else than a bag of molecules but emerges into something is that at some point, functional parts must have come that shows the life-like potential to self-replicate?” together, and we don’t even know what those parts were,” The early phases of this work involve building model Schwille said. “From single atoms and their assemblies, membrane-transforming protein systems from parts ever more complex molecules emerged and interacted of the cytoskeleton, lipids, and select transmembrane until it became something that was able to live. If we proteins. Remarkably, the group found that very few would try to build a living system, when would we be functional components were actually needed to convinced that it had met the criteria of a living system? self-organize and establish local cues to divide a Most people would think this was not even something membrane compartment. Although she says she would we should try. But I think it is a good question.” never refer to such a structure as “alive,” she hopes Toward the long-term goal of understanding what it would answer many of the basic questions of cell came before the cell, Schwille has been working on biology about the origins and development of “life functional subunits of the cell membrane that have the without ancestors.”
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Highlights from
www .molbiolcell .org
Some recent MBoC Features Articles
Reviewing papers as you would like your The Eighth Day of Creation: looking back papers to be reviewed across 40 years to the birth of molecular Buzz Baum (December 1, 2019) biology and the roots of modern cell biology Mark Peifer (January 15, 2020) Twenty-five years after coat protein complex II Charles Barlowe (January 1, 2020) Investigating eukaryotic cells with cryo-ET Cai Tong Ng and Lu Gan (January 15, 2020) Here are some important recent papers that the MBoC Editorial Board has selected for highlighting:
Septin 2/6/7 complexes tune microtubule A mechanism for how Cdr1/Nim1 kinase plus-end growth and EB1 binding in a promotes mitotic entry by inhibiting Wee1 concentration- and filament-dependent Hannah E. Opalko, Isha Nasa, Arminja N. Kettenbach, manner and James B. Moseley (December 1, 2019) Konstantinos Nakos, Megan R. Radler, and Elias T. Spiliotis Cells require mechanisms to inhibit Wee1 for entry (November 1, 2019) into mitosis. This study defines how fission yeast Cdr1/ Knowledge of septin (SEPT) roles in microtubule (MT) Nim1 inhibits Wee1 and demonstrates the in vivo dynamics is poor and confounded by knockdown relevance of this mechanism. studies. Here, in vitro reconstitution assays show concentration-dependent effects of SEPT2/6/7 on Activity of a ubiquitin ligase adaptor is MT plus-end growth, pausing, and EB1 tracking. We regulated by disordered insertions in its show that plus ends pause and end-binding protein 1 arrestin domain dissociates more readily at intersections with septin Matthew G. Baile, Evan L. Guiney, Ethan J. Sanford, than actin filaments. Jason A. MacGurn, Marcus B. Smolka, and Scott D. Emr (December 1, 2019) Phosphorylation of nephrin induces phase Alpha-arrestins (ARTs) mediate selective ubiquitin- separated domains that move through mediated endocytosis. Here, we show that the ARTs actomyosin contraction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae contain multiple disordered Soyeon Kim, Joseph M. Kalappurakkal, Satyajit Mayor, loops inserted within its arrestin domain. Using Art1 as and Michael K. Rosen (November 15, 2019) a paradigm, we demonstrate that these loops regulate Phosphorylation of nephrin at the plasma membrane Art1 activity, in part via phosphorylation from induces formation of phase separated nephrin/Nck/N- multiple signaling pathways. WASP clusters. These clusters move across the plasma membrane through actomyosin contraction. Thus, multivalent interactions can produce micron-scale organization at membranes, producing structures that interact with the actin cytoskeleton.
ascb newsletter february 2020 25 annual meeting Nation’s Capital Lively Backdrop for Cell Biology Meeting
By Mary Spiro
The microsporidium Nematocida parisii (labeled in red) is spreading intracellularly throughout the C. elegans intestine (labeled in green). DNA is labeled in blue. Image: Keir Balla, Emily Troemel
Nearly 6,000 scientists from around the world gathered The Genome Holds the Key in Washington, DC, in December for the 2019 Both the topic of the Doorstep Meeting and the subject ASCB|EMBO Meeting to hear talks and see poster of the general meeting’s Keynote Address touched on presentations on the latest life science research, to the continued importance of studying the genome. participate in panel discussions, to gain professional The Doorstep Meeting, a smaller, more intense, day- development skills, and to network and socialize. long session, provided a deep dive into research on Topics ranged from genetics and metastasis; to new genome instability and potential disease therapies. For imaging and single cell analysis techniques; to cell example, Michael Yaffe spoke about an inhibitor for migration, RNA and DNA biology, and computational an isoform of the bromodoman protein Brd4 (which biology; to more esoteric discussions about cellular protects chromatin from DNA damage signaling) that origins and the recognition of historical milestones could help improve immunotherapy for cancer. This in the use of green fluorescent protein for biomedical could lead to a personalized treatment by removing investigation. some cancer cells, injuring but not killing them, and Although no one topic can be singled out as then reintroducing these “tortured” cells back into the the focus of the largest cell biology meeting in the body where they would work to enhance the immune world, certain themes emerged organically as one response to disease. Serena Nik-Zanial from the traveled from lecture room to poster exhibit hall. University of Cambridge talked about how machine These revelations reflect current trends in biomedical learning could be used to classify breast cancer tumors research interest and discoveries. based on imprints of DNA damage and repair in cell
26 ascb newsletter february 2020 Human breast cancer cells (blue) in the vasculature (gray) of the larval zebrafish brain and caudal brain plexus (CVP). Image: Colin Paul, Kandice Tanner
samples. She said potential clinical applications are The Power of Special Interest being developed. Subgroups Bruce Stillman, president and CEO of Cold Spring Special Interest Subgroups are organized by members Harbor Laboratory, offered up a Keynote Address and allow them to drive the discussion and showcase “Copying the Genome in Eukaryotic Cells: Insights work from diverse contributors. The bulk of the into the Evolution of Origin Specification and Its Subgroups were held on Saturday before the formal Relationship to Gene Silencing Mechanisms” to start of the meeting and then one a day took place kick off the formal start of the meeting. He gave a through Wednesday. comprehensive retrospective of the work from his lab The reverse engineering of the cell and how the and from collaborators on the discovery and functions subcellular components of the cell interact with one of the origin of replication (ORC) in the eukaryotic another continue to fascinate researchers. In the genome and the elegant and sequential way DNA is Subgroup called Building the Cell, work from the transcribed. He then presented a brief overview of his Gaudenz Danuser lab at the University of Texas lab’s recent findings using the power of cryogenic electron Southwestern Medical Center explored how factors microscopy to study the structure of the ORC complex. such as surface-to-volume ratio and the nonlinear
ascb newsletter february 2020 27 annual meeting
molecular interactions that take place in narrow machinery, genomics, cell migration, intracellular spaces between neighboring cells can impact cell trafficking, and cell shape and signaling. During signaling, particularly oncogenic signals. Using 3D Symposium 2, “Attack of the Killer Bugs: the cell light-sheet microscopy, the Danuser lab showed how biology of infectious disease,” Emily Troemel of the blebs in the lamellipodia can create microdomains University of California, San Diego, spoke about the where septins assemble. These tight spaces can make intracellular pathogen response (IPR), a set of genes cells resistant to cancer drugs, as well as increase that kicks into action when Caenorhabditis elegans cancer cell signaling. are infected with microsporidia or Presentations in the Subgroup The Doorstep the Orsay virus or even when they called Bottom-Up Cell Biology Meeting…provided experience stress. In addition to focused on breaking the cell down resistance to pathogens, triggering to its basic parts and trying to a deep dive into IPR results in increased RNA, slowed reassemble it. Allen Liu from the research on growth, and increased proteostasis University of Michigan, for example, genome instability capacity. explained his work to elucidate Symposia 4, “21st Century some of the mechanics of the linker and potential Machinery: the structure, function, of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton disease therapies. and evolution of protein machines,” (LINC) complex. The LINC complex allowed presenters to approach cells is made up of an inner and outer like tiny gadgets. Andrea Musacchio’s membrane composed of SUN and lab at the Max Planck Institute of The reverse KASH proteins. Liu’s research Molecular Physiology has attempted showed the first in vitro assembly engineering of to unravel the mysteries of a key of LINC complexes through the the cell and how player in cell division—the kinetochore. creation of an artificial nuclear The lab is attempting to reconstruct membrane (ANM). This ANM the subcellular the kinetochore in vitro using the was built using SUN1 and SUN2 components of approximately 35 core subunits that proteins situated in a lipid bilayer the cell interact comprise it. So far in this long-term that were able to bind synthetic project Musacchio’s lab has been KASH peptides, thus reconstituting with one another able to build two rather large subunit the order of the LINC complex. Also continue to complexes and the component that during this subgroup, Petra Schwille fascinate signals for the spindle assembly of the Max Planck Institute of checkpoint. By building these Biochemistry explored the question researchers. substructures, his lab hopes to “Life without Ancestors?” (See p. 24 understand how the kinetochore for more about this presentation.) manages cell division and chromosome fidelity. With 22 Minisymposia and 18 Microsymposia, one Symposia, Minisymposia, would be hard pressed not to find a topic of interest, Microsymposia but it would also be difficult to get around to them Eight Symposia, this year given playful titles by 2019 all. Lipid regulation and transport in membrane ASCB President Andrew Murray, covered topics such remodeling was the focus of Minisymposium 8. as computational biology, disease modeling, cellular Francesca Giordano from the Institut de Biologie
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NPC structure and function, while others are not. Microsymposia presentations are so fast—just 10 minutes including time for questions—that speakers have only enough time to tease listeners to visit the speaker’s poster or to follow-up via email. However, these rapid-fire sessions are not without significant content. Colin Paul of the National Cancer Institute explained how the zebrafish is a terrific model organism in which to visualize the early stages of organotropism. Using the zebrafish, Paul has been able to determine that initially vascular architecture influences to which organ cancer cells are likely to Dividing HeLa cells stained for their mitotic components: spread next. But if the cells stop in the vasculature, spindle (yellow), DNA (blue), centromere (red). there are specific integrins that signal which organ Image: Stefano Maffini they should invade next—the brain or the bone.
Integrative de la Cellule in France spoke about lipid Green Fluorescent Proteins, Oh My! transport at membrane contact sites between the Among the most beautiful and engaging presentations mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). during the meeting was the lecture on the history of She reported that oxysterol-binding proteins ORP5/8 green fluorescent protein (GFP) given by Jennifer mediated transport of phosphatidylserine from the Lippincott-Schwartz of the HHMI Janelia Research ER to the mitochondria, but that only ORP5 imports Campus. This satellite event, which included a calcium into the mitochondria. In Minisymposium 17, showcase of the #GFP25 image and video contest “Nucleus Structure and Dynamics,” Saroj Regmi award winners, allowed Lippincott-Schwartz nearly from the National Institutes of Health explained how a full hour to recount her own personal experience of malfunctions of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) are using GFP as a bioscience marker. From her earliest hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, such as black and white micrographs and videos, which amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Regmi is investigating showed faint blinking spots of GFP, to her more recent the roles of certain NPC components, called Nups. He 3D and live cell imaging accomplishments, she was tagged Nups using CRISPR/Cas9 and, by depleting able to demonstrate the power and versatility of this some of them, found that certain Nups are critical to stalwart of the cell biologist’s toolbox.
The Newsletter Welcomes Letters to the Editor
Have thoughts you’d like to share with your colleagues? We’d be happy to consider your Letter to the Editor for publication in the ASCB Newsletter . Write to the Editor at mleader@ascb .org .
ascb newsletter february 2020 29 annual meeting ANNUAL MEETING REVIEW IN PHOTOS
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1. James Deatherage (left), winner of the 2019 Public 3/4. (Two photos) Attendees participating in the Meet Service Award, with ASCB President Andrew Murray Your Match contest. Each attendee had to find five attendees with their same number. 2. Attendees at the science discussion tables in the Exhibit Hall
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5. Mentoring Keynote Award 6. Julie Theriot, 2020 Porter 8. Bruce Stillman delivered winner David Asai (center) with Award lecturer, with her lab a captivating Keynote. Latanya Hammonds-Odie and Michael Boyce 7. A crowded poster session 9. Lee Ligon presented a certificate on Sunday in the Exhibit Hall to Ayokunle Olanrewaju, a winner of the 2019 ASCB Elevator Speech Contest. ascb newsletter february 2020 31 annual meeting
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10. A bustling Exhibit Hall 12. Congratulations to all the 2019 ASCB Fellows
11. The International Training and Research Exchange Fair
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13/14. A speaker gives a talk; an attendee asks a question 16. Career coaching at the Career Center at a popular Minisymposium 17. Mary Pat Wenderoth, winner of The Bruce Alberts 15. Representatives from Science Sketches Award for Excellence in Science Education, with demonstrated how to create a video about your Malcolm Campbell research to submit to MBoC.
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18. Peter Devreotes, winner of the E.B. Wilson Award, 20. ASCB President Andrew Murray passed the gavel with Carole Parent, who introduced the awardee to his successor, Eva Nogales
19. A crowded Keynote kicked off the 2019 meeting. 21. Cato Laurencin, 2019 E.E. Just Lecturer, with Sandra Murray
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WICB Awards
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22. Peter Devreotes, Sandra K. Masur, WICB Sandra K. 24. Exhibitors talking with attendees Masur Senior Leadership Award Winner Rong Li, and Mary Munson 25. EMBO President Maria Leptin (center) with 2019 EMBO Gold Medal Award winners Paola Picotti and M. 23. Jean Schwarzbauer, WICB Junior Awardee For Madan Babu Excellence in Research Sabine Petry, and Mary Munson 26. One of the many popular talks at the Saturday Doorstep Meeting “Cancer: From Genome Instability to Therapy”
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27/28/29. Poster sessions 30. Tech Talks are a popular way for industry reps to connect with attendees about new technology.
31. Attendees networked and enjoyed food and drinks at the Opening Night Reception.
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The ASCB wishes to express deep appreciation to all the exhibitors who attended the 2019 ASCB | EMBO Meeting and helped ensure its success .
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Undergraduate Poster Competition Winners
Congratulations to the following undergraduate students who took part in the Judged Poster Session
organized by the Minorities Affairs and Education Committees at the 2019 ASCB|EMBO Meeting.
1st place (tie) 3rd place (tie) Ononnah Ahmed - Stony Brook University Morgan Buckley - Butler University Rishi Misra - High school student Caroline Lehman - Eastern Mennonite University Emily Kounlavong - Vanderbilt University Jeeyoon Na - University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Shelby Phillips - University of Massachusetts, Amherst Sena Sarikaya - University of Texas at Austin 2nd place Grace Solini - College of William and Mary LeAnn Lo – College of William and Mary Josephine Thestrup - Butler University
Minorities Affairs Committee (MAC) Poster Competition Winners
Back row (left to right): Benjamin Kirk, undergraduate special recognition; Latanaya Hammonds-Odie, MAC co-chair; Mike Boyce, MAC co-chair; Ariana Sanchez, graduate special recognition; Tama Hasson, session co-organizer; Paulo Caceres, postdoc special recognition, Leticia Vega, session co-organizer. Front row (left to right): Rachel Flores, graduate 1st place; Stephanie Leal, undergraduate 1st place, Antoineen White, graduate 2nd place; Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava graduate 2nd place; Amara Pang, undergraduate special recognition; Yasmarie Santana Rivera, undergraduate special recognition; Christopher Samuel Vazquez, undergraduate 2nd place.
Not pictured: Victoria Balise, postdoc 1st place; Guillermina Ramirez-SanJuan, postdoc special recognition; Mazvita Maziveyi, postdoc special recognition.
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ASCB is grateful to its Corporate and Foundation partners for their generous support in 2019.
Leadership Circle ($50,000+) Advocates Circle Supporters Circle Biogen ($6,500 to $12,499) ($3,750 to $6,499) EMBO Abberior Instruments America American Association for Cancer Research Howard Hughes Medical Institute ABclonal Science Inc . ALVEOLE Anatomical Record/American Nikon Instruments Inc . Association of Anatomists Applied Biological Materials Inc . Simons Foundation Axiom Optics Baker Ruskinn The Kavli Foundation Biochemistry (ACS Journal) BioLegend, Inc . Chinese Society for Cell Biology Bio-Techne Cornerstone Circle ChromoTek GmbH Cell Press ($25,000 to $49,999) Cytoskeleton, Inc . Allen Institute for Cell Science Cellecta, Inc . Double Helix Optics Burroughs Wellcome Fund Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Fluigent DeNovix Inc . Genentech Ambassadors Circle Getson & Schatz, P .C . ($12,500 to $24,999) DRVision Technologies LLC iotaSciences Ltd . 3i Intelligent Imaging Innovations Electron Microscopy Sciences Life Science Alliance, LLC Agilent Technologies, Inc . Ibidi USA, Inc Lumencor, Inc . Andor Technology & Bitplane, Inc . Lipotype GmbH Lumicks B .V . BioTek Instruments Mad City Labs MDPI AG Bruker Corporation Miltenyi Biotec Mizar Imaging Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC MIMETAS B .V . Molecular Devices Chroma Technology Corp . Mirus Bio LLC NanoSurface Biomedical GE Healthcare Nanolive SA ONI Genetics Society of America OviGenex Science/AAAS Hamamatsu Corporation PCO-TECH Inc . ScienCell Research Laboratories Illumina, Inc . Peprotech, Inc Sino Biological, Inc . Leica Microsystems Inc . PHC Corporation of North Amer- ica W .W . Norton MilliporeSigma Rockefeller University Press Ximbio Olympus America Inc . Sartorius Stedim Biotech Springer Nature Synthego Sutter Instrument Company The Company of Biologists Tecan The Porter Foundation Thermo Fisher Scientific TOKAI HIT Co ., Ltd . Thorlabs Worthington Biochemical Corporation Yokogawa Electric Corporation
ascb newsletter february 2020 39 columns A column by the Committee for Postdocs Emerging Voices and Students (COMPASS) Staying Positive about Negative Data
By Natalya Ortolano
The next time you are considering taking time off, contains seven detailed figures, described in 14 pages. remember that if Alexander Fleming hadn’t taken With the explosive growth of scientific techniques and a two-week vacation he wouldn’t have discovered knowledge, science has become easier to do in many penicillin. When Fleming returned from his vacation, ways, but much harder to publish. he realized he had forgotten to place his Staphylococcus culture in the incubator and had left it at room What If Your Data Are Negative? temperature. Under these less than ideal conditions, Stringency in publishing isn’t a bad thing. A higher the plates became infested with various molds. But he standard for publishing increases the likelihood that noticed that one mold was clearly causing a colony the scientific findings are rigorous and reproducible. of Staphylococcus to lyse, as the colony appeared But what if your science is good, your methods are transparent. He described this observation in a sound, and you’ve proven your hypothesis wrong? publication in 1929 that detailed his initial accidental What if all of your data are negative? finding and his attempts to isolate and characterize A recent article in the Nature Career Column this unique mold. highlighted one researcher’s struggle to publish his Fleming’s 1929 publication contained four figures group’s failed experiment.1 While their work was (half of which were of the infamous accidentally ultimately published in Genome Biology, they were met infected plate) and four references and was about 10 with unexpected pushback due to the lack of positive pages long. This was commonplace results. The author, Devang Mehta, for groundbreaking papers back points out that there is a disturbing in the day. Consider Watson With the explosive preference to publish positive results. and Crick’s paper describing the growth of scientific In fact, one study demonstrated that structure of DNA. It was published in 2007, 85% of papers highlighted in Nature in 1953 and consisted of techniques and positive findings.2 Anyone who’s ever only two figures summarized in two knowledge, science worked in a lab knows that nowhere pages. has become easier near 85% of experiments yield But scientific publishing has positive results. Most of us come changed. Shinya Yamanaka to do in many ways, back from two weeks of vacation to published his Nobel Prize–winning but much harder find our culture infected, without the discovery of induced pluripotent reward of discovering penicillin. to publish. stem cells in 2006 in Cell. Excluding the supplementary figures, this paper
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Easing the Pressure to Publish broader scientific narrative.” These papers undergo the There are many reasons to support the publication same stringent review process that any other would, of negative data, many of which Mehta beautifully without the bias toward positive data. laid out in his recent article. One that should not Additionally, the advent of bioRxiv provides a new be overlooked is that allowing graduate students outlet for publishing negative data. Maybe you only to publish their negative findings could not only followed a project yielding negative results for a short strengthen their training but reduce the time to time, and don’t quite have a full story. bioRxiv may be graduation, ultimately increasing retention rates. a good place to communicate your negative findings in Decreasing the time to degree can benefit universities a more informal way. Freely available preprints open and government funding agencies alike. Graduate up the evaluation of research and allow others to begin school is a long, hard, and costly building on results, even negative endeavor (even if graduate students In the end, your ones, before they go through lengthy aren’t paying the bill), and evidence negative result… review. In fact, research that is first shows that shorter time to degree published on bioRxiv has 36% more results in higher retention rates.3 is likely important citations than articles published In 2017, the National Institutes of to someone…. only in scientific journals.4 More Health reported that among F31 importantly, others may be able to NRSA recipients, the median time to degree was 6.2 provide insight or perspective to your negative data years. The median age of PhD recipients was 30, and that may lead your research in a new direction. 38.6% of those graduates had definite plans for a Just because you publish negative data as a preprint postdoc, meaning they will likely spend an additional does not mean that it cannot be peer-reviewed. Review five to six years before they are able to start their Commons is a resource where you can submit your independent careers. By redefining a successful manuscript for “journal-independent peer review.” scientific study as one that includes methodically Without the concern if your research is a good fit for tested negative results and unanswered questions a specific journal, reviewers can focus on suggesting rather than defining success only by positive data, we ways to improve your methodology or add additional can likely reduce the time to graduation. Postdocs, too, experiments to provide further insight into the would be able to advance more quickly in their careers question your study seeks to answer. After the review if they were able to publish sound negative data. process, your publication, the reviews you received, and your responses can be published on bioRxiv. In Where to Publish Negative Results this way, your research is openly available, but still In an ideal world, if a negative finding were impactful stringently reviewed by other scientists. You may to its relevant field, respectable scientific journals also submit the paper with the reviews directly from would accept it. However, this may not always be Review Commons to one of its affiliate journals. the case. If you are struggling to publish due to the In the end, your negative result, even if it’s only one negative nature of your results, you can publish in figure’s worth, is likely important to someone and may several places. In 2015, PLOS One launched Missing save another researcher time, money, effort, and (most Pieces, a collection of publications containing importantly) heartache. negative, null, or inconclusive results. Another journal Providing an outlet to communicate negative or called microPublication Biology publishes “brief, novel inconclusive findings, as well as viewing these rigorous findings, negative results, and results which may lack a studies as successful, is imperative for the progression
ascb newsletter february 2020 41 columns Emerging Voices
of scientific knowledge. An environment in which References 1 researchers are unable to publish negative data (which Mehta D (October 4, 2019). Highlight negative results to improve science. Nature www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019- will affect their success in the scientific field) leads 02960-3. to the temptations of data manipulation and false 2Fanelli D (2012). Negative results are disappearing from most reporting. Such an environment ultimately creates disciplines and countries. Scientometrics 90, 891–904. unrealistic expectations for dissertation projects, 3National Research Council (US) (2011). An assessment of inevitably leaving some graduate students stuck. When research-doctorate programs: panel on the biomedical sciences. a graduate student or postdoc feels that their only Washington,DC: National Academies Press. www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/books/NBK82480. escape from quasi-adulthood is if their experiments 4 render positive results, we are setting them up for Fu DY, Hughly JJ (2019). Meta-Research: Releasing a preprint is associated with more attention and citations for the peer- 5 issues like imposter syndrome. In fact, feeling stuck in reviewed article. eLife 8, e52646. graduate school is likely a major contributor to the 5Woolston C (2016). Faking it. Nature 529, 555–557. mental health crisis many graduate students face today.6 6 As scientists, we understand the importance of Puri P (January 31, 2019). The emotional toll of graduate school. Scientific American blogs. https://blogs. remaining unbiased. Let’s try and apply that to our scientificamerican.com/observations/the-emotional-toll-of- own data and start reporting all of those scientific graduate-school. studies that resulted in inconclusive or negative results. This will not only reduce the amount of time and money spent on false leads but help to redefine About the Author success in scientific research, likely improving the Natalya Ortolano is a PhD candidate in Vivian mental health of researchers at all career levels. In the Gama’s laboratory at Vanderbilt University . end, you never know where your data can lead you.
42 ascb newsletter february 2020 A column by the columns Minorities Affairs Diversity Matters Committee Why I Believe That White Faculty Need to Practice Self-Reflection
By Lina Dahlberg
The responsibility for creating an inclusive environment lies with those who teach, mentor, manage, recruit and hire the scientific workforce, and learning the skills of inclusivity demands opportunities to make emotional connections. —David Asai1
...[B]eing an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination. —Ibrim X. Kendi2
I help run workshops on inclusion and equity for inclusive environment in science takes on people of faculty and staff in STEM fields. I see these workshops color on our campus; the impacts of our workshops as a way to help faculty and staff make the “emotional on participants and our institution; the fight against connections” that David Asai highlighted in a 2019 a culture of “checking a box” by taking a workshop essay in Nature1 and that underlie a more inclusive to consider oneself “fixed” or “not racist.” Instead, STEM community. My co-facilitators and I specifically I choose to focus this column on what—for me— focus on race, perceptions of race, and how individual is the most difficult portion of our workshops, and lived experiences affect the ways in which faculty my continued journey toward anti-racism in science and staff interact with a student body whose racial and beyond: self-reflection. demographics are changing quickly. We are not the Our first workshop culminates in our asking a first scientists to see a need for these workshops; mostly white, very well-meaning group of faculty we are not the first scientists to run workshops for and staff from STEM departments to write a scientists. We are certainly not the first facilitators statement of their own identity. Of course, mine to address the four main themes of our sessions: changes depending on the circumstances, but 10 self-reflection and identity, experiences of others, years ago I would have started my own identity bystander training, and action planning. However, we statement with “I am a cell biologist” or “I am a are, in our own, local way, taking responsibility for mother/sister/wife.” Now, I lead with what I believe creating a more inclusive environment in science. to be the source of most of my privilege, although I This column could discuss a range of topics: can go days or weeks without having people around the toll that the responsibility for creating a more me notice it: I am white.
ascb newsletter february 2020 43 columns Diversity Matters
Here is a current self-reflection on my own identity: I am a white, cis-gendered, able-bodied woman, and I move through my city, my campus, my classroom, and my laboratory with the privilege and the power that comes from being a member of the majority. I care deeply about my students, and I work hard to be intentionally inclusive with my words and my examples when I teach and mentor. I use student-centered practices in my courses and workshops to put the power of learning into my students’ hands. I want Regina Barber DeGraaff, Lina Dahlberg, my students to be inspired and to be the and Robin Kodner next generation of scientists. I am a white woman, and I launched my successful career from a family background and experiences or identities.3 After I saw Peggy educational experience that positioned me McIntosh speak as part of my postdoctoral training, high in the hierarchy of academia. While I focused on “unpacking” my knapsack of privilege.4 my life seems typical to me, my identity However, the physical act of walking forced a new, and my experiences are not typical for my and powerful, self-reflection. I ended the walk at the students. farthest-forward end of the field, and noted that I would have been at the very front if I had been, or I reflect on my own identity and experience because been identified by society as, a man. Acknowledging I know it is so different from those of many of my my identity made me feel uncomfortable and at students. My co-facilitator, Regina Barber DeGraaff, a loss. It made the invisible experiences of other a physicist and a woman of color, points out, “We scientists in my community inescapably visible. can’t begin to describe the motion of another object if Through conversations afterward, I learned that it we can’t describe our own motion. We can’t begin to did the same for those who ended the walk at the engage with others’ identities if we can’t describe our back, but for very different reasons.5 own.” To engage with my students as they enter my I discussed my discomfort with my other current classrooms and laboratory, I need to be able to reflect co-facilitator, Robin Kodner, another white woman on the differences and the similarities that brought biologist; she reminded me to use my power, my us together. If I am unable to reflect on who I am and position afforded by my privilege, to make change. how I got to my position of power, how can I possibly My upbringing (child of professors, upper-[middle]- ask students to trust me with their education, to trust class income, freedom to excel and fail) is not typical me with the discomfort and the elation of learning? for many of my students. My acknowledgment I began facilitating workshops for STEM faculty that their experiences do not resemble my own and staff because of the Privilege Walk, which asks builds the trust they depend on when they come participants to take steps forward or backwards to my office for help. In our workshops, we use a from a starting line, depending on their privileging more anonymous exercise than the Privilege Walk
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white people, might often seek to avoid. Asking Resources someone “How do you feel about that? How would that make you feel?” may not be common in a Are you a white scientist who is looking laboratory or a science classroom. But it is central for some ways to start thinking about to self-reflection and to opening up a willingness to your own identity? These are some great accept others’ identities in the scientific community.8 resources that I’ve found useful: White scientists have something to lose by taking a deep look at our identities and realizing • What Does It Mean to Be White? by our individuality is layered on top of our privilege. Robin DiAngelo We might lose our comfortable ignorance of institutional and personal bias, our perception • Dewsbury B, Brame C (2019) . Inclusive of scientific meritocracy, and our understanding teaching . CBE Life Sci Educ 18, fe2 of our power and where it comes from. None of https://doi .org/10 .1187/cbe .19-01-0021 . those are easy to acknowledge or relinquish. But by thoughtfully reflecting on ourselves, and openly • “Seeing White .” Scene on Radio acknowledging our identities, we will open our podcast . www .sceneonradio .org/ classrooms and laboratories as spaces that foster seeing-white . trust so that learning can flourish.
• How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibrim X . References 1Asai D (2019). To learn inclusion skills, make it personal. Kendi 2. Nature 565, 537–537.
2Kendi IX (2019). How to be an Anti-Racist. One World.
(for example, the Identity Circle6). However, the 3The Privilege Walk [complete]. https://bit.ly/37fSDvr (accessed effect can be the same: Recognizing the diversity September 4, 2019). of experiences in a room is eye-opening, can shift 4McIntosh P (1988, 2010). White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through perspective, and often encourages self-reflection in Work in Women’s Studies. Wellesley Centers for Women. both participants and ourselves. https://bit.ly/2QtghOj.
I approach facilitation as a series of 5Bolger M (February 16, 2018). Why I don’t facilitate privilege debriefing sessions after activities that probe walks anymore and what I do instead. Medium. https://bit.ly/ biases, assumptions, and lived experiences. Our 2SwaSsh. (accessed September 14, 2019). workshops are geared toward scientists who may 6Identity Circle. https://bit.ly/39et53v (accessed September 5, 2019).
be approaching inclusion and equity from very 7DiAngelo R. Silence Breakers for Whites. https://bit. different levels of comfort and understanding, so we ly/2QC5zoT (accessed September 4, 2019).
take time to discuss feelings. To help participants 8Dewsbury BM (2017). On faculty development of STEM engage in these conversations, we regularly refer inclusive teaching practices. FEMS Microbiol Lett 364, fnx179. to Anika Nailah and Robin DiAngelo’s Silence Breakers for Whites in Cross-Racial Discussions.7 About the Author Lina Dahlberg is an associate professor of Biology at Western We ask people to practice using the phrases Washington University, where she works with Regina Barber out loud as a way to practice using language in DeGraaff and Robin Kodner to facilitate Inclusion and Social Mindfulness for STEM (ISM) workshops for faculty and staff . uncomfortable situations that we, as scientists, as
ascb newsletter february 2020 45 columns A column by the Public Policy Science and Society Committee Another Federal Budget on the Books
By Kevin M. Wilson
In the closing days of 2019, Congress finished its work “rampant” sexual and gender harassment at academic to pass a budget for FY2020 and the results for the institutions that receive NIH funding, Congress biomedical research community are, once again, good. directed the NIH to treat harassment “with the same The budget for the U.S. National Institutes of Health level of attention and resources as those devoted to (NIH) is increased by $2.6 billion, 7% more than the other research misconduct.” final FY2019 budget. This marks the seventh straight The final NIH report also addresses the research year of annual increases to the NIH budget. security issues that have been in the news. The NIH is The budget for the National Science Foundation directed to begin a “broad education campaign about (NSF) is increased by 2.5% to $8.3 billion. This increase the requirement to disclose foreign sources of funding was in line with the amount proposed by the Senate and develop enhanced cybersecurity protocols.” but far short of the 7% increase suggested in the In response to a report by the National Academies House version of the NSF budget. Funding for the six of Science (NAS) that highlighted the serious need for research directorates was increased by 3%. Congress repair of buildings on the NIH’s Bethesda campus, traditionally allows the NSF to determine how that the final NIH budget includes $225 million for this increase is distributed among the six directorates. purpose. This is only a $25 million increase from Along with a sizable increase in funding for recent budgets and far short of the $700 million the NIH, its budget also includes important policy recommended by the NAS report. (See the December directives for the agency. Recognizing what it calls 2019 ASCB Newsletter for details.)
Invest in the Future of Science In 2019 your generous, tax-deductible donations helped provide the following grants: • Postdoctoral Travel • Junior Faculty Travel Grants Grants • Graduate Student • Minority Travel Grants Travel Grants • International Travel Grants
In addition, your contributions provided support to the Early Career Scientist Award, the Merton Bernfield Memorial Award, the WICB Awards presentation, the Keith Porter Lecture, international outreach, ASCB’s public policy and public information efforts, and the LSE Fund.
We would like to thank you for supporting ASCB. Interested in donating to Your support is vital to allow ASCB to continue to provide valuable resources to scientists. ASCB? Visit ascb.org/donate
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Annual Meeting Attendees Talk to Congress By Kevin M. Wilson
On the last day of the 2019 ASCB|EMBO Meeting, 60 Day participants met with, and this allowed them to attendees left the scientific sessions behind and spent educate those on the Hill about the role international the day on Capitol Hill meeting with congressional students and researchers play in making the United representatives and their staff members. Participants States a world leader in biomedical research. One in the Hill Day organized by ASCB on December 11 congressional staffer said that he had never considered attended 48 meetings with House and Senate offices scientists when thinking about the need for policies from Arizona, California, Connecticut, the District that would allow skilled immigrants to enter the of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, country. Instead, he had always thought that the Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North U.S. immigration policies would be used to bring Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, carpenters into the nation. Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. In each case, the Hill Day attendees took the Continued congressional support for the U.S. opportunity to leave a copy of the ASCB’s immigration National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National white paper, “ASCB Calls for U.S. Immigration System Science Foundation (NSF) was one of the major talking to be Modernized” (www.ascb.org/immigration- points for the Hill Day participants. In their meetings, whitepaper-2017) with the office. The white paper the participants discovered that support for NIH and outlines the important changes that the ASCB thinks NSF funding is strong and bipartisan. need to be made to the U.S. immigration system to The other issue raised was the importance to the make sure the United States maintains its leadership in American biomedical research community of sound the international biomedical research community. U.S. immigration policies. This connection was not To learn more about how the Hill Day attendees clearly understood by some of the people the Hill spent their day, check out #ASCBHillDay on Twitter.
ascb newsletter february 2020 47 columns Office Hours with the Education Committee
How Does Learning Change Your Brain? Dear Education Committee, Scientists often say that “learning is a biological process,” but I never learned any of this in my training as a cell biologist and I’m not a neuroscientist! Can you give me a quick crash course so I have some idea of what people are talking about when they say that learning changes your brain? —Not a Neuroscientist
Dear Not a Neuroscientist, synaptic connections become as neurons fire Thanks for your question! You are right that and wire together . learning is a biological process yet many What does this mean when it comes to biologists who become biology faculty never teaching? We can think about it in terms of learn about this process . Here are some what is happening in the brain that allows basic ideas, but we strongly recommend that synaptic connections to change when learning you check out Teaching as Brain Changing: happens . We can break it down into three Exploring Connections between Neuroscience parts: engaging learners, creating learning, and and Innovative Teaching for a comprehensive sustaining learning . review of these ideas 1. If you want to read even more, The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching Engaging Learners the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Although as teachers we may want to jump Biology of Learning is an excellent book on the right in and “change” students’ neuronal topic .2 connections, a critical first step is recognizing This is highly simplified but here it goes: that there are existing synaptic connections Your 86 billion neurons encode memories— that we must first activate to link new also known as learning—through synaptic knowledge into the existing brain structure . connections between one neuron and another . Therefore, the goal of this first stage is to The “changes” that occur when learning “encourage [learners’] interest, spur them happens relate to “synaptic plasticity,” or to unearth their prior experiences with the changes in the ways that neurons connect with concepts about to be studied, and pique each other . When neurons are active at the their interest to know more .”3 Asking yourself same time as each other, they become “wired a few questions will help to design the initial together .” This is the basis for the neuroscience moments in a lesson or class session: What saying, “neurons that fire together wire do students already know or think about the together .” The more learning is practiced, the topic or phenomenon that you want to teach? greater number of synapses form between an How might you ask students questions to array of neurons and the longer lasting those determine what they know or think? How many
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different examples can you come up with that practice when learning and ideally this practice illustrate this phenomenon that will take into occurs over time (not by cramming the night account students’ multiple experiences and before the exam!) . Instructors can structure perspectives? their courses for students to practice over time . For example, learners could be introduced to a concept through reading or mini-lectures, Creating Learning work on problems that require understanding Once learners’ interest is piqued, there are of the concept, practice the concept further by many evidence-based strategies instructors explaining their work with peers, and answer a can use to help learners’ neurons form and different problem on the same concept during strengthen connections, thereby creating new the next class period . These multiple attempts knowledge and skills . Active learning strategies and the increased engagement associated such as think-pair-share, jigsaws, problem- with them are far more likely to be encoded via based learning, and concept maps are just a synaptic plasticity . few examples of useful strategies that will help We hope this crash course engages you in learners’ brains integrate new information with the biological basis of learning and that you will their existing knowledge . go off and both create and sustain that learning by reading more and incorporating evidence- Sustaining Learning based practices into your own teaching . Since One thing we know for sure is that hearing learning is a biological process, who better something one time (e .g ., listening to a lecture) than biologists to use it to our advantage as is unlikely to cause synaptic changes sufficient educators? for creating strong connections and sustained learning . This means students need lots of —The Education Committee
References 1Owens MT, Tanner KD (2017). Teaching as brain changing: Exploring connections between neuroscience and innovative teaching. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(2), fe2.
2Zull JE (2002). The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
3Tanner KD (2010). Order matters: using the 5E model to align teaching with how people learn. CBE—Life Sciences Education 9, 159–164.
ASCB Member Benefit: One-on-One CV Review
Need some help with a cover letter, CV, resume, statement of teaching philosophy, or other document for the next step in your career? Or interview tips? Members of the ASCB are willing to help . Just fill out a short form (www .ascb .org/cvreview), and we’ll put you in touch with a reviewer . Then the two of you can decide which digital collaboration tool to use (email, Google Docs, Skype, Wikispaces, etc .) . You must be a current ASCB member to take advantage of this service .
ascb newsletter february 2020 49 columns
Highlights from
www.lifescied.org
ASCB’s education journal, CBE—Life Sciences Education (LSE), is your source for
• Tried and tested ideas for improving your teaching and mentoring • Data-driven strategies for improving students’ learning, development, and success • Evidence-based approaches for engaging students and overcoming everyday teaching challenges • Valid and reliable assessment tools
Here are some highlights from the March 1, 2020, issue:
Development of the BioCalculus Assessment (BCA) Suzanne Lenhart, Robin T. Taylor, Pam Bishop, Louis J. Gross, and Kelly K. Sturner
Leveraging Multiple Analytic Frameworks to Assess the Stability of Students’ Knowledge in Physiology Stephanie M. Gardner and Matthew E. Lira
Factors Influencing Quality of Team Discussion: Discourse Analysis in an Undergraduate Team-Based Learning Biology Course Sarah Leupen, Kerrie Kephart, and Linda C. Hodges
The Impact of High School Life Science Teachers’ Subject Matter Knowledge and Knowledge of Student Misconceptions on Students’ Learning Chen Chen, Gerhard Sonnert, Philip Michael Sadler, and Susan Sunbury
Evaluation of the Second Edition of Entering Research: A Customizable Curriculum for Apprentice-Style Undergraduate and Graduate Research Training Programs and Courses Janet L. Branchaw, Amanda R. Butz, and Amber R. Smith
Check out LSE’s Evidence-based Teaching Guides at https://lse .ascb .org .
Explore the Anatomy of an Education Research Study at http://www .ascb .org/annotations and learn about the design, conduct, interpretation, and presentation of education research .
Stay up to date with all that LSE has to offer by following us on Twitter @CBELifescied .
50 ascb newsletter february 2020 A column by the careers Women in Cell Biology Career Navigator (WICB) Committee How to Convene a Panel: Think of a Jazz Performance
By Sandra K. Masur
There may be times in your career when you have the Although the suggestions below can apply to many opportunity to organize a panel. This could be around situations, I will give examples primarily related to a special topic at a scientific meeting or within your a celebratory panel. A panel of diverse individuals own institution when you have a chance to organize who can each speak from their own vantage point will a celebration of an idea, a movement, or a person better highlight the diverse aspects of the celebrated and their work. Or you might want to highlight a individual’s contributions. challenging situation that might best be resolved by individuals with diverse points of view. As an Recruiting a Diverse organizer of a number of these events, I put together Organizing Committee some guidelines and ideas that led to successful and At least three to four months before your proposed engaging programs. event, bring together a group to brainstorm the First, decide whether your event would benefit from program and decide upon whom to invite as panelists. a panel or would be just as good with a single keynote There is strong evidence in the literature that diverse speaker. In jazz parlance, you are asking whether this groups generate more creative programs, so be event would be best as a solo performance (keynote) by inclusive from the beginning.1 For example, if you an outstanding person who is both knowledgeable and are planning to highlight advocacy for gender equity, an engaging speaker, or whether it would benefit from your planning should go beyond inclusion of binary various voices, as in a jazz trio (panel). male and female genders and include planners and I recommend that you choose the panel format insights from the LGBTQ+ community. After all, you when the topic would benefit from wouldn’t want a trio consisting only multiple perspectives. For example, of drummers! you may want to celebrate the life There is strong Generate a list of candidate of an amazing scientist who, in evidence in panelists and characterize their addition to doing ground-breaking viewpoint, community, and expertise. the literature scientific work, was a great mentor Names that receive multiple and advisor and also an activist in that diverse nominations should rise to the top gender equity. Similarly, you might groups generate of the list. When possible, watch want to use this format to present videos of their presentations, aiming more creative multiple techniques that can be used for people who are thoughtful and to interrogate a biological system. programs…. articulate as public speakers.
ascb newsletter february 2020 51 careers Career Navigator
It’s good to have a planning yet met) and to learn about one [Y]ou can…build partner for all the next steps. If another’s expertise and style; and you don’t have one at the start, a diverse panel… 3) they can become familiar and the committee you just created is if you choose as comfortable with the proposed often a great source of a co-chair. material. In the jazz metaphor, this This person can share the tasks/ the next invitee helps prepare them for a smooth responsibilities, act as a sounding someone who is performance where each can take board, and will benefit from your different from the turns at solos. mentoring if they are more junior in This is also the time to ask each their career. previous one…. panelist what topics they think would be important to discuss. Based Recruiting Panel Members on their answers, the organizers An often useful approach is to first invite that person can draft questions that the moderator (often one of on your list who is considered to be a “star”—someone the organizers) will ask each panelist. This format will who is recognized by the audience you want to attract both frame the discussion and highlight the unique because they are an outstanding scientist, or are perspective of each panelist. Placing the draft in a known for activism. shared Google document makes it easily accessible to all. Once you have your star as an anchor, you can You should schedule a second conference call at more easily recruit the next person on your list. By least two weeks before the event to elicit feedback on working down the list, one person at a time, you can the drafted questions and to allow time for potential continue to build a diverse panel, especially if you modification. It’s also an opportunity to ask each choose as the next invitee someone who is different member to indicate whether there are some additional from the previous one. In this case, “different” could topics or anecdotes they would like the moderator refer to gender, career status, training discipline, to elicit. As a result of the second call, the scripted country of origin—again, bringing together diverse questions are refined and sent to the panelists. It’s people whose perspectives will enrich the information also a good idea to provide all panelists a script of the to be shared. event, including the questions each will be asked by the moderator. This is the musical arrangement that Preparing the Program provides structure without inhibiting improvisation in Collaboration with the by the individuals in the group. In my experience Panel Members this approach is remarkably effective in generating a I strongly recommend that you now engage the harmonious presentation with the potential of hearing panelists in generating the final program. You can a variety of voices clearly. do this through a conference call one to two months This second conference call is also the time to before the event. address issues of logistics, including when the panelists In addition to sharing your vision for the event, would arrive; whether they will stay for dinner; this approach has several advantages: 1) you have transportation; hotel accommodations; and people the benefit of their expertise; 2) the call allows them with whom they might want to meet while on your to meet each other over the phone (if they have not campus.
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Planning the Events Surrounding the Panel As with organizing any special event, you need to identify and engage staff who regularly put together public events at your institution early in the process (three to four months before the event). In our case, they helped us think about the time of day of the event so as to best accommodate a reception afterward that would keep the conversation going. They also helped us plan the food and drinks (including alcohol), and importantly, the financing. These people know the key resources and challenges, such as identifying an Image by Arivle One from Pixabay auditorium that has an adjacent reception area. They will also be able to advise on whether the venue has the dinner. If they are deceased, perhaps a surviving a podium, stage, and a table for the panelists. They spouse or partner could join the group. usually know which publicity tools are most effective, Identifying multiple sources for financing not such as posters, emails, evites, and RSVPs. Your only makes it easier to fund the event, it also engages younger colleagues may be especially adept at using a diverse group of sponsors who are now likely to social media, so get one on the organizing committee attend and add to the event. Your funding could be for publicity as well. institutional (budgets for speakers from departments, Audiovisual specialists are essential for making the institutes, programs, named awards, and professional event go smoothly. They can advise on requirements organizations). You should have a realistic budget in for PowerPoint and videos, and compatibility with hand prior to inviting the full panel. their projectors; can set up microphones for panelists When this all comes together, you will find that the and the audience; and can place a teleprompter in panel has made people think in new ways and see new front of the panelists so they can easily track the connections. This will be confirmed by the exciting timing and flow of the event. buzz of conversation in the reception and even afterwards, perhaps as late as ‘Round Midnight.2 Funding the Event As you recruit panelists, your budget will depend Reference and Footnote 1 on who is “local,” defined as a drive or train ride Page SE, Lewis E, Cantor N (2017). The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams Pay Off in the Knowledge Economy. Princeton, NJ: away, and who will require airfare and hotel Princeton University Press. accommodations. There may be honoraria involved 2‘Round Midnight is a classic jazz tune by the Thelonious (or perhaps not, if they are friends of the celebrated Monk Quartet person). A small budget will be necessary for posters, but Internet-based publicity is free. In addition to the reception afterward, a dinner for the panelists About the Author (plus one guest each) is a lovely way to thank them Sandra K . Masur is a professor of Ophthalmology and of Pharmacological Sciences at Icahn and prolong their connection. If the person who was School of Medicine at Mount Sinai . honored is still living, by all means they should be at
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DEAR LABBY Coping with the Stress of Having Too Much to Do
DEAR LABBY: I am not sure this is appropriate to ask here, but I don’t know where else to ask. I have been an assistant professor at my college for two years. I am feeling stressed by working more and more hours each week but seemingly getting less done in my research despite more time put in. I devote a lot of time to my teaching and I am on several committees about mentoring and outreach. I still put a lot of time into my research but seem to be moving much more slowly than I think is necessary to be on track for tenure. How do I best prioritize all the things I am expected to do and want to do professionally, let alone personally? —Assistant Professor Frazzled Got DEAR ASSISTANT PROFESSOR FRAZZLED: First and most important, recognize Questions? that you are NOT alone in feeling these stressors. And there is no shame in feeling this way. Not only new faculty but fully tenured faculty feel this time pressure. Labby has answers. ASCB’s Let’s talk about relieving the stressors so you can get done what is needed as well popular columnist will select as live a rich personal life. Sounds impossible? It may be difficult to juggle all the career-related questions demands on your time, but it is not impossible. for publication and Second, take stock of exactly how you spend your time for a few days in a row. thoughtful response in the This exercise helps you determine what interruptions are occurring as well as just ASCB Newsletter. how you truly are partitioning your time. Include your personal and professional Confidentiality guaranteed life. The hardest part is setting up the “boundaries” on your time. This may feel if requested. Write us at artificial at first, but then it becomes natural and still allows respect for all the [email protected]. students and others who ask for your time. Your busyness is as important as anyone else’s busyness. Next, inventory the committees on which you have been asked to serve, and step down from those that were add-ons. These are the committees that are time sinks but don’t make good use of your skills and interests. Try not to volunteer for extra work, even when it might interest you. There is time for that later, after promotion to tenure. Enlist a more senior faculty as a guide, advisor, and mentor who will have your interests at heart. This person will provide more than a sounding board. She (or he) will also contribute a good reality check to identify when you are spinning your wheels.
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Take full advantage of other scholars in your field who are not on your campus. The more conversations with them about your research directions, the more focused and productive you become (you help them, too, in their own work). Finally, rekindle the joy of what you do! The best advice Labby ever received professionally was to stop occasionally; just stop. Spend one day reflecting on what inspired you to become a professor and the pleasure you felt knowing you now could have this type of career. With recharged batteries, take up the mantle once again with a deep breath and also, now, with a smile. All the demands on your time have not disappeared, but they will feel in perspective and in step with your life. Give yourself permission to cheer yourself on! Labby cheers you on, too. —Labby
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member profile Needhi Bhalla
By Mary Spiro
Needhi Bhalla is a professor in the Department of With regard to Council, Bhalla aims to “bring a Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the sense of urgency” regarding equity in the community University of California, Santa Cruz. She also recently of cell biologists. “For ASCB to be an important part joined the ASCB Council. Bhalla’s research focuses on of the changing scientific landscape, it has to shift both meiosis and mitosis, cellular processes that have its priorities so that it appropriately reflects that of provided her with endless puzzles to solve. its constituencies,” Bhalla said. “Currently, those “Meiosis evolved from mitosis and the thing that constituencies are more diverse than its leadership, I find so amazing about meiosis is the redundancy: and (they) deserve to see themselves reflected in that there are mechanisms layered on top of both mitotic leadership, whether that’s on Council or as speakers at and meiotic mechanisms, especially with regards to the meeting. My plan is to use my position on Council responding to errors,” Bhalla said. “It’s so clear, at to promote that shift.” least to me, that it’s not parsimonious but actually Even before joining Council, Bhalla valued ASCB’s incredibly baroque, mechanistically. The other aspect annual meeting for providing opportunities to of meiosis that I really appreciate is the diversity of socialize and learn from like-minded scientists. “I’m approaches to essentially accomplish the same goal: also beginning to appreciate the policy wing of ASCB. crossover recombination so that homologs segregate The amount of time and energy spent advocating for properly in meiosis I. I’m particularly excited about basic science, and promoting its use in policymaking CRISPR as a tool to further interrogate this diversity with our members of Congress is incredibly important of meiotic mechanisms.” work. I am grateful for the ASCB’s leadership on this Recently her lab began performing experiments issue,” she said. on mitosis using Caenorhabditis elegans during early In her lab, Bhalla works to inspire her trainees with embryogenesis. This new context brings about novel the same sense of adventure she has found solving questions. scientific puzzles. “Everyone has different reasons to be “Now we have to contend with questions about motivated to work in the lab. For me, it’s figuring out mitosis and development, cell fate, and embryology, how things work, talking about it with postdocs, grad topics I have little or no previous experience with. One students, and other PIs to figure out the puzzle and of the best parts of being a scientist is always having helping undergraduates and graduate students realize the opportunity to learn something new,” she said. that their work is contributing to our knowledge and
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understanding of how biology works,” she explained. further in that we may not be able to predict or Not losing sight of how an individual’s efforts observe the impact of our scientific labor for a long contribute to broader understanding helps her stay time. This can be hard to acknowledge, especially when on target. we consider our impact in the context of a career. “I once heard Cori Bargmann compare But it is also freeing: If I can’t necessarily predict experimental science to building a medieval cathedral: what might have the capacity to fuel future scientific while she acknowledged the conceptual leaps, progress, then any progress made in my lab may be comparing them to stained glass windows, she also worth following up on and communicating, assuming pointed out that every brick lays the foundation for I can fund it!” progress,” Bhalla said. “The analogy extends even
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in memoriam Shinya Inoué, Pioneer in Imaging Technology and the Study of Cell Division
By Greenfield Sluder
Shinya Inoué passed away at 98 on September 30, At graduate school at Princeton starting in 1948, 2019, after a distinguished research career centered he built an improved Shinya Scope that enabled him on developing imaging technology, pioneering live cell to conclusively demonstrate the reality of spindle observation, and offering insightful interpretations of fibers in healthy living cells (microtubules had yet to observations enabled by his technology. Throughout be discovered). Their existence was then controversial, he started with the simplest of beginnings and then because they were until then evident only in fixed carried them forward to make advances that have and stained preparations—never in live cells. That become the bedrock of our understanding of spindle fiber arrays could be induced by fixation of protein assembly and function as well as to develop technologies solutions and empty pith cells impregnated with that are still in use. Many of his findings are now albumose solution led to the widespread belief that taken as “of course,” but at the time they were forward spindle fibers were artifacts. looking and addressed issues to which few had given In the early 1950s, Shinya’s live cell observations much thought. Although he investigated a diverse revealed that spindle fibers are dynamic and labile. array of problems and played key roles in many The loss of spindle birefringence in the presence
collaborations, I will touch briefly on a few highlights. of colchicine, its augmentation with D2O, and its reversible lability with low temperature led to his then Biological Findings novel concept that spindle fibers are in a dynamic In wartime Japan, as an undergraduate in the equilibrium with a pool of subunits. Using Chaetopterus laboratory of Katsuma Dan, Shinya was challenged to oocytes arrested in meiosis I, he demonstrated that image the mitotic spindle in living echinoderm zygotes gradual disassembly of the spindle led to the movement with a polarizing microscope. Since his first observations of the chromosomes toward the aster attached to with a borrowed petrographic microscope were the cell cortex. Reassembly of the spindle led to the inconclusive, he built his first (of seven) “Shinya Scope,” movement of the chromosomes back away which consisted of scrounged, jury-rigged components from the cortex. If the spindle disassembled too rapidly, tied to a leg of a machine gun tripod! the structure lost its integrity and no chromosome
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movement occurred. Shinya’s important contribution of microscopes that map and quantify birefringence was the idea that spindle fiber assembly/disassembly independent of specimen orientation (the LC- could produce force to move things. Later, he PolScope). In the late 1990s Shinya spearheaded the proposed that the force for anaphase chromosome development of the centrifuge polarizing microscope, movement was produced by the gradual disassembly allowing for the first time observation of birefringence of microtubules. At the time the significance of his in living cells at up to 10,000 x G. work was not fully recognized and some aspects were subject to skepticism. Video Microscopy In the early 1960s Shinya and Art Forer combined In the late 1970s Shinya and Bob Allen independently polarization microscopy and precise UV micro-beams discovered that manipulation of video camera to cut kinetochore fibers in plant and animal cells. black level and gain substantially increases image Their classic experiments provided the first demonstration contrast, revealing structure not readily visible in of a flux of kinetochore fiber material from chromosome the microscope eyepiece. Not content to just use to spindle pole. this newfound tool, Shinya and his son Ted Inoué developed the first computer-based digital image Polarization Microscopy acquisition/analysis system designed specifically Starting as a graduate student Shinya methodically for research biologists (Image-1, now evolved improved the sensitivity of the polarizing microscope into MetaMorph). This was a first big step in the so that it could detect and quantify the slight development of the many powerful systems that have differential retardations of polarized light passing revolutionized imaging in cell biology. Later, Shinya through birefringent cell structures (several nanometers, and Ken Spring published two editions of Video a small fraction of a wavelength of visible light). Microscopy, which have become go-to reference books Going beyond incremental improvements with strain- for this discipline. free lenses and high extinction polarizers, Shinya Shinya’s contributions have been recognized by characterized the polarization cross in the back focal honors and awards, including: the E.B. Wilson Medal plane of higher numerical aperture (NA) objectives. from ASCB (1992); election to the National Academy His finding that the plane of polarization in the four of Sciences (1993); the Distinguished Scientist Award bright quadrants was rotated explained a fundamental from the Microscopy Society of America (1995); the limitation to the extinction of the polarized light Ernst Abbe Award from the New York Microscopical microscope—leading others to say that achieving high Society (1997); the International Prize for Biology extinction with high-NA lenses was impossible. from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Not to be deterred, Shinya collaborated with Lewis presented by the emperor of Japan (2003); and the Hyde at American Optical to invent a superbly clever Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck way of combining a half waveplate and a meniscus Ribbon, from the government of Japan (2010). lens to form a polarization rectifier that produces even We have lost an outstanding scientist, a major and high extinction across the whole aperture (rectified contributor to cell biology, and above all a good friend. optics). In the late 1980s he initiated with Rudolf Oldenbourg and Michael Shribak the development About the Author Greenfield Sluder is professor emeritus in the Department of Radiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School .
ascb newsletter february 2020 59 members
in memoriam Tracie Moniece Gibson, Inspiring Educator Who Created Programs to Support Undergraduates in Science
By David Asai
Tracie Moniece Gibson passed away unexpectedly properties of the different species. The parent dynein, on October 16, 2019. She was 52. Tracie was active the b/g dimer, and the reconstituted 22S particle each in the work of the Education and Minorities Affairs bound microtubules in an ATP-sensitive fashion and Committees of ASCB. A wonderful profile by John each produced microtubule gliding. In contrast, the Fleischman in the July 2012 ASCB Newsletter tells isolated a chain associated with microtubules in an Tracie’s story more completely than I am able to do here.1 ATP-insensitive fashion and did not support motility. Tracie earned a bachelor’s degree in biology These results suggest that the different heavy chains from Cornell College, a small liberal arts school in are functionally specialized, as predicted by the “multi- Mount Vernon, IA. Cornell biology professor Bob dynein” hypothesis.2 Black recruited Tracie into his research group, and Following postdoctoral work with John Young at he became her lifelong role model. Eventually, she the University of Wisconsin and the Salk Institute, realized that she wanted to be like Bob Black, and Tracie joined the faculty of the University of Texas that meant earning a PhD so that she could teach Permian Basin, where her lab studied the intracellular undergraduates. That is why Tracie pursued graduate trafficking of retroviruses. Tracie enjoyed mentoring school at Purdue University, where she did her thesis her students, and several are pursuing careers in work in my lab. science. After eight successful years at UTPB, Tracie As a PhD student, Tracie discovered that a mild left the oil fields of West Texas to join the University of urea treatment dissociated the three-headed outer Missouri in Columbia, where she taught introductory arm axonemal dynein from Tetrahymena thermophila biology. In 2017 Tracie accepted the position of into a 19S b/g dimer and the 14S a heavy chain, and Director of Student Success and Diversity in the that the parts could subsequently be reconstituted. College of Natural Sciences of the University of Using Tracie’s method, Shiori Toba in Yoko Yano Massachusetts (UMass) in Amherst. Toyoshima’s lab at the University of Tokyo studied the
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UMass was Tracie’s final and, I think, most Sanders, spoke up and asked to examine the evidence. rewarding stop. In a short time she accomplished so He actually read the thesis, was sufficiently impressed, much, creating and directing programs that support and persuaded the committee that Tracie was qualified undergraduates in science, including BioPioneers, the to join the PhD program. That’s how Tracie had the Lee Science Impact Program, and the Forsythe-Grange opportunity to discover a method that enabled us to and the Transfer Student Alliance peer mentoring understand the contributions of separated dynein programs. Tracie directed the UMass Louis Stokes components. Alliance for Minority Participation program, and was Tracie moved to Missouri because she wanted to part of the leadership team of the HHMI Inclusive teach. Thus, it was particularly painful when a small Excellence program. It was at UMass that Tracie number of students circulated a petition calling for realized her full potential—to mentor students and Tracie’s dismissal as their instructor. Their complaints: prod them to greatness, as Professor Black did for her Tracie had high expectations, she gave difficult tests, a generation before. And it was at UMass where Tracie she expected the students to study hard and read the found new role models, academic leaders who inspired textbook, and, most grievously, Tracie had a style of and mentored her. In one of our last conversations, communicating that some did not like. A minority of Tracie shared her new dream, of taking on greater students made life miserable for Tracie and for the leadership roles to help students. majority of students in her class. And that’s why Tracie On the surface, Tracie’s career arc is not remarkable. sought a new opportunity and came to UMass. But a closer examination reveals much more about Tracie’s resilience was breathtaking, soaring above Tracie—and about us. ignorant words and actions, “going high when others Hailing from Detroit, it was Tracie’s dream to attend go low.” Refusing to be the victim of small-minded the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. But during her bullies, she chose to focus her energy on learning first semester there, the behaviors of a few white students from people like Bob Black, David Sanders, and her made her, as an African American, feel unwelcomed, colleagues at UMass. Tracie inspires each of us to step and she reluctantly left Michigan. That’s how she came up and try to make a difference for our students. to Cornell College where she met Bob Black. The University of Massachusetts has established the Because Purdue was concerned about Tracie’s Dr. Tracie Moniece Gibson Scholar Program (https:// standardized test scores, she was asked to first complete bit.ly/2NNLbQO). a master’s thesis before proceeding to the PhD program. Tracie’s master’s work on the characterization of the References 1 ciliary outer arm dynein from Paramecium tetraurelia Fleischman J (2012). Tracie M. Gibson. ASCB Newsletter 35(6), 19–20. www.ascb.org/files/1207mem_profile.pdf. went well, and so, as agreed, she applied to the PhD 2 program. But suddenly, it seemed that her dreams Toba S, Gibson TM, Shiroguchi K, Toyoshima YY, Asai DJ (2004). Properties of the full‐length heavy chains of Tetrahymena would abruptly end. The admissions committee, ciliary outer arm dynein separated by urea treatment. Cell Motil. upholding the “high standards” of the program, Cytoskel. 58, 30–38. assumed that Tracie wasn’t fit to join the PhD program. The rejection appeared inevitable until one of the committee members, assistant professor David About the Author David Asai is Senior Director for Science Education at the Howard Hughes Medical institute .
ascb newsletter february 2020 61 members member gifts
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62 ascb newsletter february 2020 members letter to the editor
The NIH Plan to Impede Human Fetal Cell Research Ignores Its Benefits
To the Editor, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox), herpes zoster, adenovirus, rabies, and hepatitis A. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plan to impede Scientists traditionally freely share their research human fetal cell research ignores the billions of people materials with colleagues but the huge demand for WI- who have benefited from their use. Prohibition of 38 was unique and unprecedented. I could not afford federally supported research using aborted human to personally pay for its distribution so I charged the fetal tissue was a feature common to the last three same amount for shipping WI-38 cultures as was Republican administrations.1–3 The fourth effort charged for shipping by The American Type Culture to impede their use occurred on September 25, Collection. 2019, when the NIH, at the direction of the Trump It is estimated that the total number of disease cases administration, implemented rules for grant applicants averted or treated with these vaccines was 198 million that are so burdensome as to discourage research using in the United States and 4.5 billion globally.7 The total human fetal cells.4 These obstacles ignore the benefits number of deaths averted from these same diseases that accrued to much of the world’s population when was approximately 450,000 in the United States and human fetal tissue research was unimpeded. 10.3 million globally.7 The WI-38–produced rubella In 1962, I developed a normal human fetal cell vaccine has saved the lives or prevented serious health strain (WI-38) derived from lung tissue received from problems in most of the 700 million babies whose a hospital in Sweden when the mother requested a mothers were vaccinated.8 legal abortion. My WI-38 research demonstrated its I discovered that, contrary to a 60-year-old dogma, superior properties over the dangerous monkey kidney normal human cells were not only mortal but also cells then used for production of the Sabin and Salk had a mechanism for remembering the number of poliomyelitis vaccines.5 Monkey kidneys frequently times that they had divided before division stopped. contained viruses that were known to cause cancer in I interpreted this finding to be aging or senescence at laboratory animals or fatal diseases in humans. WI- the cell level.6,9 This interpretation refocused research 38 was not only free of contaminating viruses, it was on aging from extracellular to intracellular causes. also capable of growing many other human viruses, I found that only cancer cells were immortal, which which is an essential requirement for making vaccines. launched the field of research on how mortal normal I produced the first poliomyelitis vaccine in a human human cells become immortal cancer cells.6,9 fetal cell strain.5 WI-38 was also capable of attenuating The use of WI-38 extended beyond human virus the pathogenicity of the rubella and rabies viruses, vaccine production. Because of its exquisite sensitivity allowing them to be used to make safe and efficacious to the growth of human viruses, it soon became used vaccines. in virus diagnostic laboratories worldwide to detect Despite the WI-38 cells’ doubling limit of 50 times the presence of viruses in patients and in community from the original one hundred million, the potential epidemiology studies. yield is twenty million metric tons.6 That is why they In 1973 NASA used WI-38 in experiments on are still in use to this day. I distributed WI-38 to Skylab III. NASA chose WI- 38 because it was the most of the world’s vaccine manufacturers, and they most highly characterized normal human cell strain used them to produce vaccines against poliomyelitis, in the world. The experiments revealed that WI-38
ascb newsletter february 2020 63 members
suffered no anomalies during its time vibrating and in References 1 zero gravity. For my contribution to the experiment I Hayflick L (1992). Anomalies of tissue research. Nature 356, 652. received a NASA commendation letter and a Skylab 2Hayflick L (1992). Fetal tissue banned…and used. Science III shoulder patch. 257,1027. WI-38 has also been used worldwide for research 3L Hayflick (1992). On banning the use of human fetal tissue. when a normal human cell is required. Its use for these Bio/Technology 10, 824. purposes and for research on aging has been described 4https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD- 19-128.html. in over 13,850 citations to my two original papers. It is probable that the benefits from WI-38 derived 5Hayflick L et al. (1962). Preparation of poliovirus vaccines in a human diploid cell strain. Amer. J. Hygiene 75, 240–258. vaccines and its other uses have exceeded those proclaimed for the HeLa cancer cell line.7,10 6Hayflick L (1965). The limited in vitro lifetime of human diploid cell strains. Exp. Cell Res 37, 614–636. Those who support the Trump administration’s onerous impediments to human fetal cell research 7Olshansky SJ, Hayflick L (2017). The role of the WI-38 cell strain in saving lives and reducing morbidity. AIMS Public Health might ponder the effects on their own health, and 4(2), 127–138. on that of their loved-ones, if the fetal tissue from 8Wadman M (January 5, 2017). Fact-checking Congress’s fetal which WI-38 was derived had been incinerated as was tissue report. Science. www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/01/ intended. fact-checkingcongress- s-fetal-tissue-report.
9Hayflick L, Moorhead PS (1961). The serial cultivation Sincerely, of human diploid cell strains. Exp. Cell Res. 25, 585–621. Leonard Hayflick 10www.webofstories.com/play/leonard.hayflick/1. University of California, San Francisco
64 ascb newsletter february 2020 join us...
ASCB President: Eva Nogales
Co-Program Chairs: Rebecca Heald and Buzz Baum
NEW in 2020 scientific, eduation, and professional dev. tracks, and more opportunities to lead a session.
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