My heart is warmed – one of my celebrated guests in ‘Nerd Corner‘ has come back looking for a few little nerdlets assist him in the Bahamas this summer.

Dr. Manuel Leal of Duke University has a few ‘plum’ field research jobs to up for grabs…

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Here are the details:

2-3 assistants are needed for field research on the behavior and ecology of the lizards Anolis sagrei and Leiocephalus carinatus on Great Abaco Island, Bahamas.  The projects are part of a long-term study evaluating behavioral plasticity and its consequences on ecological and evolutionary processes.  Assistants will be in charge of collecting focal observations and general ecological data.  Duties include assisting in data collection, analyzing video recordings, habitat characterization, and data entry.  Assistants must be FLEXIBLE in their needs, comfortable living and working in close quarters, and able to work under hot, humid conditions.  Assistants MUST enjoy watching and describing the behavior of animals for long periods of time, while working under relatively isolated conditions.  Prior experience is desirable but not required.

Photo by Manuel Leal

This is a GREAT opportunity for undergraduates with an interest in pursuing graduate studies in behavioral ecology or herpetology.  An overview of the day-to-day activities related to this project can be found here.

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Want to apply?

Email a cover letter, resume, and contact info for two references to Manuel Leal (mleal@duke.edu).  Review of applications will begin immediately.

Dr. Cassandra Extavour is a Geneticist at Harvard University

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CB: What are your research interests in a nutshell?

CE: I’m a developmental biologist, and my interest is in the evolution of developmental mechanisms – especially the mechanisms that control early embryonic development.  I’m most interested in the fate of the germ cells, the cells that ultimately make eggs and sperm.  In my lab we study the evolution of the genes that control the ‘decision’ of germ cells to become germ cells.

CB: It’s so interesting to think about evolution acting on the developmental process.  The whole field of evo-devo is fairly new is it not?

CE: Well the questions that it’s asking are very old – but the ways in which we’re able to address them now using the tools of molecular genetics represents a new approach.

CB: You’re at the forefront of the EVO-DEVO-ECO research, and you are launching the new EDEN network.  Can you tell us a little about this project?

CE: Sure! I was trained in Drosophila genetics, and Drosophila is a fantastic model organism for many reasons.  People have been working on this organism for over 100 years, so there are tools, methods and protocols that are well developed for use with Drosophila.  However, several organisms that we’re now interested in studying have perhaps never been looked at in a lab setting.  So the purpose of EDEN is to provide funding for researchers to develop techniques for use with less traditional organisms.  We hope to take the protocols that are developed with EDEN funding and have them publicly available, so that researchers don’t need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ when they want to try a molecular technique with a novel organism.

CB: What are some of the novel organisms that people are starting to look at in this way?

CE: Yes, these are known as ‘emerging model systems’.  In my lab we use crickets, milkweed bugs, lobsters, shrimp, spiders, mites, fleas…lots of different arthropods! In labs that have traditionally studied mammals like the common mouse, new species of mice are being investigated, as well as shrews, voles and possums.  In the plant world people are working on mosses, ferns and many types of algae.

Photo of Limulus by Cassandra Extavour

CB: You took a trip to Panama last year, was this trip for collecting some of these critters?

CE: That trip was actually for an invertebrate biology class I teach.  The best way for students to appreciate invertebrate diversity is to see it!  The tropical ocean represents some of the most biodiverse habitat for invertebrates, so we take our students to Panama for a week for them to see the organisms in their natural habitats.

CB: There must be a large waiting list for this class!

CB: Can you tell us about one of your most recent publications?

3D reconstruction of Parhyale hawaiensis germ cells at the germ band stage of embryogenesis, before the split between germ cells of the left and right gonad. Pink = Vasa protein; blue = nuclei. (photo by Cassandra Extavour)

CE: I have a book chapter coming out that I’m really excited about.  It’s in a book called ‘Key Transitions in Animal Evolution’.  My chapter was co-written with a student, and we make hypotheses about the evolution of the genetic control of germ cell formation.  We predict that key genes involved in the synthesis of germ cells may have evolved analagously in different organisms. We look forward to testing our hypotheses by examining the genome-encoded proteins of several organisms to find genes (and encoded proteins) that are analagous to the ‘OSCAR’ gene of Drosophila.

CB: So which organisms will you examine in this regard?

CE: It’s always nice to stay close to home…so we work with several arthropod species.

CB: What advice do you have for budding biologists?

CE: You need to find a subject that truly interests you! If you are a person who likes to ask their own questions, then biology is a great place for you.  Also, there are many ways to approach science – if you have a negative experience in one field or setting, that doesn’t mean that you don’t like science…you just need to find the area that suits you the most.  I changed fields between my PhD and my postdoc, so this advice rings true for me.  Be open to the idea that science takes many forms, and it’s important to find what niche works best for you.

CB: Do you have any non-biological talents?

CE: I’ve been an instrumentalist for most of my life, and for the past 10 years I’ve also been a singer.

CB: Do you ever perform?

CE: Yes, I have done several concerts in Boston since I’ve been here!

CB: IF you could have 3 guests for dinner, who would they be?

CE: Opera singer Joan Sutherland (who also changed her direction mid-career), Ernest Everest Just – a not so famous cell biologist – but one of the first black scientists to work at Woods Hole Marine Institute.  He worked there at a time when it was racially segregated, yet he was an extremely prolific and successful scientist.  Thirdly I would choose Malcolm X.

CB: A very ecclectic crowd!  What would be on the menu?

CE: These days I’m really into raw kale.  So I would definitely include a salad comprised of kale.  I’m also into pastry, and making things I’ve never made before…so I think I’d like to try making donuts.

CB: Kale and Donuts!  I love it!!!  Dr. Extavour, thanks so much for having a chat with me!

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Want to hear more about EDEN, Dr. Extavour’s upcoming book chapter and much more?

Download the PODCAST!

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Dr. Fredrickson is a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto.

CB: Describe your research interests in a nutshell

MF: I study the ecology and evolution of mutualisms, which are the cooperative interactions between species. In addition to how these interactions evolve in the first place I’m interested in their role in structuring ecological communities.  For example, what are the consequences of mutualisms for the diversity or function of ecosystems?

CB: Why do organisms ‘decide’ to enter into this kind of relationship?  Are mutualisms equal, or are there imbalances in the benefits to each organism?

MF: The most commonly used definition for a mutualism is that it can be any interaction between species in which both species benefit.  I think that what a lot of people don’t always appreciate is that each species is still acting in its own best interest, but it just so happens that both species can obtain a benefit from the interaction as well.  There are many examples where mutualists pay an initial cost to begin the interaction, but a greater benefit is obtained over their lifetime.

CB: Do mutualisms generally involve organisms with fairly long lifespans?

MF: Most of my research is about the interactions between ants and plants.  I study a group of plants which provide food and shelter rewards to attract ants, and the ants defend them against herbivores.  The ant colony lives its entire existence within the plant, which can be between 5 and 15 years.  The interactions between these two organisms are therefore very long term.

CB: Are mutualisms generally across kingdoms, or are there examples of mutualisms involving more closely related organisms?

MF: In general, mutualisms tend to involve distantly related organisms. The reason for this is twofold:  first, closely related organisms may have similar resource requirements which would make their interactions more competitive in nature.  Also, most mutualisms are between organisms who are exchanging goods or services that are quite different in nature.  In the case of the ant/plant mutualism that I study the plants provide food and shelter, whereas the ants are providing the service of protection against herbivory.  This vastly different set of benefits depends on these organisms being distantly related.

CB: Your research mostly takes place in the tropics, but how does the landscape of mutualisms differ between temperate and tropical environments?

MF: Great question!  There’s no common consensus at the moment about whether mutualisms are more common in temperate or tropical forests, though it’s been argued both ways.  A pivotal paper from earlier this century argues that mutualisms are more common in places like Siberia where the environment is harsh – hence creating a ‘need’ for organisms to work together.  However, other papers argue that mutualisms are more common in the tropics, where the competitive landscape is tougher.  I don’t think that there’s an easy way to quantify where they are most common.

CB: Your field work takes place in the Peruvian Amazon…what’s it like there?  How much time do you spend there each year?

MF: I go at least once per year, and it’s usually for 3 months.  Most of the field stations are pretty rustic, but we have platforms for pitching tents or an area for eating.  There’s usually limited access to electricity.  Access is only by river, so you’ve got to spend many hours on a boat in order to get there.  It’s fun!  It’s amazing to be in a place where there’s no human disturbance.

CB: Once you’ve arrived to the field station, what do your field work days consist of?

MF: I enjoy doing experimental work.  The ant/plant system is amenable to manipulation and experimentation.  This past summer I finished up a year-long experiment in which I planted 50 trees, and varied the presence/absence of herbivores and mutualists.

Alex Wild Photography

CB: What is your advice to budding biologists?

MF: Find a project or question that really gets you excited, and pursue that.  The things that determine success in biology are passion for what you are doing, along with really hard work.

CB: Do you have any non-biological talents?

MF: I really like to dance, and Latin America is a great place to do that!

CB: Guilty pleasures?

MF:  I must have some…I spend so much of my day being intellectual, so I sometimes end up reading trashy novels or watching silly tv shows at the end of the day.

CB:  LOVE IT!  You know, people appreciate knowing things like this J

CB: If you could have 3 guests for dinner,  alive or dead, who would you choose?

MF: A lot of biologists probably say Darwin I’m sure!  I’ve always wanted to have the opportunity to speak to someone who was in the Amazon forests before there were any Europeans there.  It would be interesting to know how different life was before there were European creature comforts.  Also, I’ve been really interested in reading about ‘Isabella Godin’.  She was the first European woman to travel the length of the Amazon, from Ecuador to Brazil.  She was looking for her husband, who was lost for 20 years after making the same trip.

CB: Did she find him?

MF: Yes, she did!

CB: Would her husband be your third guest for dinner then?

MF: Sure, he could come along!

CB: What would be on the menu?

MF: One of my favourite things to eat in the Amazon is double fried plantains, with salted pork.  The food we eat at the field stations is all acquired from local farmers.

CB: Well thank you so much for stopping by today Dr. Fredrickson!  It was wonderful to hear all about your work and life as a biology professor!

Want to hear more about field life in the Peruvian Amazon or about Dr. Frederickson’s research?  Listen to the podcast!

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Dr. Gonzalo Giribet is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University

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CB: Please explain your research interests in a nutshell (think filbert rather than Brazil!)

Tim Parrish 2008

GG: I am interested in understanding the origins and maintenance of animal diversity and biogeographical relationships using invertebrates as models. To do this my research group aims to collect invertebrates in most landmasses and oceans in order to bring them into the lab and study their genomes and their morphology and with this information we reconstruct their relationships (the animal tree of life) and the relationships of the terrains where they inhabit.

CB: You’ve done a lot of work (including being on the cover of Nature) on assembling ‘Trees of Life’, and you’re currently involved in BivATol ‘Evolution on the Half-Shell’.  Can you explain what this project is all about?

Image by Gonzalo Giribet, Copyright Harvard

GG: The AToL (Assembling the Tree of Life) program from the National Science Foundation is integrating evolutionary research (theoretical and empirical) from many research teams in order to obtain a reliable background of the tree of life—a metaphor of the relationships of all organisms—in the same way that one can reconstruct a family tree of life, but including ideally all species of organisms (extant and extinct). Our BivAToL project is taking care of an important branch of the tree, that which includes bivalves, familiar animals as mussels, cockles, clams, oysters, or giant clams, among others.

CB: You work with diverse groups of organisms, from bivalves to spiders, centipedes and sipunculid worms…have you got a favorite group?

Image by Gonzalo Giribet, Copyright Harvard

GG: I have many favorite groups, this is perhaps the reason why I could never choose just one and have continued working on so many of them. Those dearest to my heart right now are a strange group of short-legged daddy-long-legs known as Cyphophthalmi, the fascinating velvet worms (Onychophora), a group of tropical arachnids known as Ricinulei, or centipedes, but also marine mollusks, which have been among my primary interests since I was a kid and ribbon worms (Nemertea).

CB: Where does the bulk of your field work take place?

GG: My field work takes place everywhere, both in marine and terrestrial ecosystems around the world, from the tropics to the arctic. I have collected in all continents except Antarctica and in all oceans, except the Antarctic Ocean.

CB: Do you use both molecular and morphological tools in the study of phylogeny?

Image by Gonzalo Giribet, Copyright Harvard

GG: Yes, my lab has traditionally used both sorts of information because sometimes we study animals from museum collections not suitable for molecular work, specimens from new fieldwork are suitable for genomic analyses, and also try to include fossils in our analyses, for which we can only use some parts of their morphology.

CB: Your website displays an amazing slideshow of your study organisms…are you a photographer in addition to being a scientist?

GG: I am not a photographer, but I do photograph most of the species I collect, so I can use them in my publications, lectures, seminars, etc. But I must admit that I do enjoy photographing the animals and that some of my photos have been published in books and journals.

CB: What advice do you have for budding biologists?

GG: Never stop budding. We all are budding biologists after all as there is always so much to learn and discover from nature. And this is why we, biologists, love our work so much and continue working forever. But seriously, find a niche, an area of biology where you can really be passionate about, and enjoy it!

CB: Do you have any non-biological talents?

GG: I am an avid windsurfer—although I don’t have as much time for it as I used to. Did compete for many years and I was the Catalan windsurfing champion in 1997. I have a pretty good time for half-marathons and love to do many non-mainstream sports such as mountain biking, snowboarding, squash, and rock climbing.

CB: Guilty pleasures?

GG: Not really guilty, but I love good foods, especially seafood, and going out with my friends.

CB: If you could have 3 guests for dinner, alive or dead, who would they be?

GG: It may sound too topical and choosing three is quite hard. A great biological explorer, probably Alfred Russell Wallace, a great scientist, probably Albert Einstein, and a great musician and fighter for human rights, Bob Marley. But I could also add Charles Darwin, Cristobal Colón (= Christopher Columbus), Pablo Picasso, or Miguel de Cervantes. I’ll keep the living ones for myself, in case I can host them one day.

CB: What would you eat?

GG: Seafood paella.

CB: YUM!  Thanks so much for stopping by this week Dr. Giribet, it’s been a pleasure to get to know you!

Dr. Leal is in the Biology Department at Duke University.  He was kind enough to share some of his wisdom with me this week…

CB: Please explain your research interests in a nutshell (think filbert rather than Brazil!)

ML: My research is on behavioral and evolutionary ecology, with a particular interest in lizards. Two main lines of study are: A) elucidating the mechanisms shaping the evolution of behavioral traits, with a particular interest in animal communication and the possible role that behavior plays in promoting species diversity; B) understanding the effect of behavioral plasticity in promoting or buffering selection.

CB: I love that your website showcases the Anole lizards as being ‘lab members’. What are your thoughts on being an ecologist first and a naturalist second (as quoted from your website)?

ML: Glad you ask this question. I like to think of myself as a behavioral ecologist who strives to become a naturalist. What I mean by this is that natural history is central to my research program, and that in my research I strive to integrate multiple fields in order to elucidate the question at hand. This approach is currently labeled as integrative biology, but it was pioneered by early naturalists and helped to produce some of the most influential work in their respective fields.

CB: On the subject of being a naturalist, you have some amazing photographs on your website! Are you a photographer as well as a scientist?

ML: Thanks for the kind words about my photographs. By no means do I consider myself a photographer, however I do enjoyed taking photographs. I strongly believe that a camera is a ‘must have’ for people doing research, particularly in the fields of behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Photographs provide a great tool for documenting animal behavior, species interactions, and species diversity, and for sharing information with the general public.

CB: Where do you spend the bulk of your research time, lab or field?

ML: Whenever possible my research combines laboratory and field studies. I spend most of the summer in the field chasing lizards, collecting behavioral and ecological data, such as: habitat light conditions, relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed. Back in the lab, I conduct research on a number of topics, from lizard cognition to physiology.

CB: Where does the bulk of your field work take place?

ML: Throughout the Caribbean. For the past couple of years, I’ve mostly worked on the island of Puerto Rico and in The Bahamas.

CB: Can you describe a typical field-work day?

ML: It is funny you asked this question. A couple of years back I created a blog (http://chipojolab.blogspot.com/) with the purpose of providing a window to our fieldwork. The blog provides a daily account of the many activities related to one of the projects that my colleagues and I are currently conducting in the Bahamas. Getting back to your question: when you do field-work there is not such a thing as a “typical” day – something unexpected almost always seems to happen! In general though, most days consist of long hours – up and ready to begin data collection before sunset and usually finishing up with field-work at sundown. This translates to a 10-12 hr period, under hot and humid conditions, of carrying around a series of gadgets (e.g., video camera, spectroradiometer, data loggers, and write-in-the-rain notebooks) and walking a considerable amount between sites. Usually, after getting back to “home away from home” there are a few more hours of data collection (e.g., video analysis, spectroradiometry, morphological measurements) before going to bed. However, I enjoy every single day and having the opportunity to observe first-hand how lizards are able to cope with the complexity of the environment and their social interactions is central to the development of my ideas.

CB: What a fantastic idea about the blog! I wish more researchers did this!!

CB: What is your most recent publication?

ML: A “news and views” that I co-authored with my colleague J. B. Losos, and that was published last month . We did not collect any data for this publication. If I can mention a second publication, in which there is actual data, I am proud of a paper that that I co-authored with L. Fleishman. This was a very fun project in which we had the opportunity to integrate data from visual physiology, behavior, and habitat light conditions, to address the hypothesis that selection favors the evolution of signals that are more detectable under the habitat conditions in which species or populations are commonly found.

CB: What advice do you have for budding biologists?

ML: First, regardless of your field of interest you should get involved as early as possible. In my opinion, hands-on experience beats most courses by showing you how science is actually done and gives you the opportunity to explore if this is a career path you would enjoy. I was extremely lucky that a graduate student, Javier A. Rodríguez-Robles, took me under his wing and fostered my interest in natural history. Javier was extremely passionate about his work, and willing to deal with an undergraduate who had very little interest in the classroom (a view diametrically opposed to his), but a strong interest in understanding why animals behave the way they do. To this day, I am a grateful for the opportunity he gave me. Second, you don’t need to be a “nerd” — grades are over-rated. In fact, this is the first time in my academic life that I have had the honor of being called a nerd. Instead, follow your passion and be prepared to face many setbacks. When you do research in ecology or behavior, you should be prepared to fail half of the time. Thus, if you are passionate about what you do, you will take those setbacks as part of the learning process and will use them to improve the design of the next experiment.

CB: Do you have any non-biological talents?

ML: Not sure that I would call them TALENTS, but I enjoy photography, woodworking, and cooking. My wife, Lourdes, usually compliments my cooking, which at home is mostly limited to grilling, but her opinion might be biased. My graduate students also compliment my cooking skills, particularly when we are doing fieldwork, but again their opinions might be biased. We need to keep in mind that when I cook there is one less chore for them to do.

CB: A supervisor who cooks meals for the students while in the field…AWESOME!!!

CB: Gulity pleasures?

ML: Having a few cups of coffee on a daily basis.

CB: If you could have 3 guests for dinner, alive or dead, who would they be?

ML: You might get this response all the time, but one has to be Charles Darwin, the others – Niko Tinbergen and José Martí. I cannot pass up the opportunity to discuss the value of Natural History with the most influential figures in evolutionary biology and with a Nobel Prize winner and to hear their opinions on the current view that Natural History mostly consists of bird watching, bug collecting, or lizard catching. As a revolutionary and philosopher, Martí should provide balance to our discussions. Also in the purpose of full disclosure, my grandmother would be really proud with the fact that I was hosting José Martí.

CB: What would you eat?

ML: In honor of Martí, we would have a traditional Cuban meal: arroz congri, yuca and puerco en la varita. For those unfamiliar with this traditional Cuban meal, it usually takes between 10 and 12 hrs for a pig-in-stick (“puerco en la varita”) to be finished cooking, thus we will have plenty of time to chat.

CB: Sounds amazing Manuel, thanks so much for stopping by this week!

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CB: First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on being named a 2010 MacArthur fellow! How did you celebrate?

KB: My husband and I had planned a trip to the Oregon coast to relax and celebrate our anniversary. It turned out to be just a few days after I got the call from the MacArthur Foundation. It gave me a few days to eat good food, sleep in, and walk the beach while I let it sink in before anyone else knew.

CB: Please explain your research interests in a nutshell (think filbert rather than Brazil!)

KB: I study how animals interact with each other in the ocean. I’m most interested in why and how animals are grouped, how that changes over time and with variation in their habitat, and what effects animal grouping has on interactions with their prey and their predators.

CB: You use techniques like ‘passive acoustics, active acoustics and imaging optics’ to examine resource levels and other biotic interactions below the oceans’ surface. You have invented many of your own research techniques, how did you do this?

KB: My research is driven by the question I want answered and often, there is not an appropriate tool to gather the data necessary to address the problem so I get creative. Sometimes that means developing a sophisticated sonar while other times it means putting together inexpensive, off-the-shelf parts in new ways. I never really set out to develop instruments and techniques but I don’t like being stopped in my tracks because no one has thought of something before.

CB: The spatial scales of your work (from meters to entire oceans) and the size scale of your research organisms (from millimeters to massive) are extremely vast. What’s your favorite kind of system to work in and why?

KB: I work primarily in coastal ecosystems (within 100 miles of land). I like these best because they tend to me the most biologically productive and because the conditions lead to sea-sickness less often. I don’t really have a favorite animal group to work with – each presents its own challenges and rewards.

CB: Where does the bulk of your field work take place?

KB: I’ve worked in a large variety of places. Much of my early work was in Hawaii but I’ve spent more time recently in coastal upwelling systems off California, Oregon, and New Zealand. We just completed a large study in the Bering Sea and are beginning to do quite a bit of work in the Gulf of California.

CB: Can you describe a typical field-work day?

KB: It seems like no day in the field is ever typical but a day on a research vessel is (hopefully) a pretty boring one with lots of repetitive tasks in a specific order and little sleep. Having a boring day means we’re getting good data and haven’t had a crisis. But, after a month of that, the days all blur together and mealtime becomes the big source of excitement.

CB: What is your most recent publication?

KB: My most recent publication is one led by one of my graduate students who is now a post-doctoral fellow on the effects of upwelling on the timing of schools of sardines and anchovies. This paper is one of the most satisfying accomplishments in my lab over the last few months. It’s always exciting for me to see my students becoming independent scientists in their own right.

CB: You are expecting your first baby, so another round of congrats are in order! What is your game plan for tackling motherhood and academia?

KB: Our plan is to roll with whatever happens and to laugh a lot. I couldn’t do it without my amazing husband who is my partner at work (he’s my research technician) and in life.

CB: What advice do you have for budding biologists?

KB: Follow your passion. If you work to answer questions that excite you, you’ll be successful. Also, work with people who you enjoy spending time with as it always increases productivity and satisfaction.

CB: Do you have any non-biological talents?

KB: When I find time, I paint and tap dance. These days, I’ve been channeling my creativity into digital scrapbooking as it travels well and lets me document the amazing places I’ve gotten to go and the crazy things that happen at sea.

CB: Gulity pleasures?

KB: Coca-cola, ice cream, and a good TV drama – my current favorites are “The Closer” and “The Good Wife”.

CB: If you could have 3 guests for dinner, alive or dead, who would they be?

KB: Charles Darwin, Edgar Degas, and Gregory Hines

CB: What would you eat?

KB: Anything pickled.
CB: Indeed!  Thanks for taking the time for a chat, and best wishes with your upcoming projects, scientific and otherwise!

Dr. Katherine Smith of Brown University is in Nerd Corner this week!

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CB: Please explain your research interests in a nutshell (think filbert rather than Brazil!)

KS: I’m interested in the ways humans change the environment and how those changes often lead to the emergence of new infectious diseases. Much of my research focuses on the role invasive species play in spreading disease to new locations. For example, how the U.S. importation of African rodents for the pet trade caused the 2003 outbreak of Monkeypox virus – a disease carried by species like the Giant Gambian rat.

CB:  You are involved in the newly emerging field of ‘Conservation Medicine’.  What exactly is conservation medicine, and how is your research helping to shape this field?

KS: The unifying theme of my research is the study of Conservation Medicine – an emerging field that studies the links between environmental change, wildlife and human disease. Within the purview of Conservation Medicine I am interested in three broad topics: 1) the effects of disease on biological diversity, 2) the role that invasive species play as drivers of infectious disease emergence in humans and wildlife, and 3) the patterns and processes that govern the geographic distribution of infectious diseases on the planet.

CB:  You have an extremely busy travel and work schedule, are you currently travelling for work?  If so, where are you and what are you doing there?

KS: With a one and a half year old and another baby due in November, I have dramatically cut back my travel!  I’m not travelling at all these days.

CB: Guess not!  Congratulations on the impending arrival!  What advice do you have for working science moms out there?

KS: Three things come to mind for me: First, we are very fortunate to live near family who play a big role in helping us with child care half the week and when the unexpected happens. We also rely on a great daycare that we really love.
Second, for me the key to being successful at home and work has always been staying fit and healthy. Despite having a huge to-do list I have always made exercise non-negotiable. It makes me a more energetic mom, quicker thinking scientist and more engaged spouse. Likewise, I make sure I get the sleep I need and eat well. My dad always says if you don’t have your good health you don’t have anything. I couldn’t agree more. Finally, I’ve learned that you need to ask for what you want at work or you’ll never get it – even if you think you won’t. My Department Chair is incredibly flexible and understanding when it comes to family issues and he has been wonderfully accommodating on many occasions.

CB: Where does the bulk of your field work take place?

KS: My research projects take place in Indonesia, at U.S. ports of entry, and in local pet shops – where I work with industry professionals to study diseases in the wildlife trade.

CB: Can you describe a typical field-work day?

KS:  Whether at local pet shops or breeding farms abroad, much of my time in the field is spent working with wildlife trade industry professionals, sampling animals and, always, overcoming the logistically challenges science always throws you.

CB: I notice you are also part of the ‘Consortium of Conservation Medicine’, a collaborative research group with representatives from several universities.  Is your work with the consortium different than your work at Brown?

KS: The research I do at Brown and with CCM is one and the same. At Brown I teach whereas with CCM I often do policy and outreach work – primarily focused on wildlife trade.

CB: What is your most recent publication?

KS: Smith, K.F. and Guegan, J.F. 2010. Changing geographic distributions of human pathogens. Online early, The Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 41.

CB: What advice do you have for budding biologists?

KS: No matter what field or sector you work in, strive to communicate science effectively to people from all walks of life.

CB: Great advice.

CB: Do you have any non-biological talents?

KS: Impersonations

CB: Gulity pleasures?

KS: The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa

CB: If you could have 3 guests for dinner, alive or dead, who would they be?

KS: Sid the Science Kid, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder (because my son loves them)

CB: Ahhhh Sid is a fixture in my house too!  What would you eat?

KS: Israeli couscous, pears, salami (because my son only eats these)

Thanks for stopping by this week Dr. Smith!  To find out more about the research adventures of Katherine Smith, you can visit her website here.

Dr. David Skelly is a Professor at the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences.  He was nice enough to share some time with me this week to talk about lab life and some other fun things!

CB: Why are amphibians such a good model system for your research?

CB: What is a typical field-work day like for you?

DS: It’s wonderful that scientists have so many ways to connect with the public directly.  I’m interested in the ways that social media can break down some of the walls that exist between scientists and the public.  By connecting directly, you can get away from an ‘us’ and ‘them’ scenario.  It also may take away some ideas about conspiracy in science.  A lot of people have never met a scientist, so anything we can do to break down the preconceived notion that scientists are untouchable is long overdue.

CB: I notice that on your website there is an annual ‘Skelly Lab Cider Party’.  It sounds like your lab is a pretty cool place to be!

CB: Just the three of you then?

Listen to the PODCAST!

They come in all shapes and sizes, some capture prey, some even sneeze…

Dr. Leys is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, and is one of the world’s foremost experts on one of the world’s most ancient Phyla: the Poriferans.

CB: Describe your research interests in a nutshell (think filbert rather than brazil).

SL: I’m interested in how animals sense and respond to the environment (in air or in water) and how the mechanisms to do this came about (in evolution). I assume that the ability to do this efficiently would have enhanced the success of the first animals, and therefore led to the evolution of more complex systems (sensory, neuronal, tissues, and body structures). This really boils down to the question of how sensory cells and nerves evolve. I study how animals coordinate behaviour without nerves, in order to evaluate (try to determine) whether these mechanisms formed the basis upon which the nervous system arose.

CB: You work primarily with sponges as a model system.  What are your main reasons for doing so?

SL: Sponges are the only animal group that lacks nerves or muscle. They are able to coordinate and to move (very slowly) but they never went down the path to nerves and rapid movement. Therefore sponges can help us understand how cells communicate when nerves are absent (for example in the case of diseases that attack the nervous system, or where nerves have been damaged, or even simply in the glial cells of the brain, which communicate by calcium signals). Sponges are also considered the most ancient phylum (Porifera), and the sponge body plan is not thought to have changed much in the last 800 million years. Therefore from studying modern sponges we can hope to understand what building blocks were present in the earliest animals.

But really, Sponges are cool.

There are no ‘rules’ to being a sponge. I just saw some photos of deep sea sponges that were like large baseball mitts perched up on a thick smooth stalk that looked like it was made of yellow plastic tubing; another was a simple white stalk with a perfectly symmetrical crown of spikes at the top (that one was carnivorous!). Sponges can filter bacteria, and can capture and eat shrimp; they can live in deep oceans and in shallow rivers and lakes, and even in sand dunes! They offer homes to so many other invertebrate and fish, and they’re extremely colourful. They are simply irresistible to work with.

CB: It always annoys me when people state that Cnidarians don’t have brains.  Your work on coordinated movement in sponges surely demonstrates that they have some kind of nervous system doesn’t it?  What are your thoughts on this?

SL: Well, first…I would agree that cnidarians don’t have brains as such, in the way that we usually understand a brain — a complex structure of neurons and supporting cells localized in one spot. Perhaps that concept of a brain is overrated. Cnidarians have complicated nervous systems but usually it is more spread out to reflect the fact that many cnidarians receive signals from 360 degrees, and therefore coordination is via a network of neurons that allow the animal to respond to stimuli at any point in a coordinated way. Poke a jellyfish and it knows which side you’re poking it on, and (depending on the type) will jet away in the opposite direction.

However, you don’t need nerves to have coordinated movement. The Venus fly trap and Mimosa plants close their petals and drop their leaves to trap a fly or expose thorns to predators, and they don’t have nerves. Rapid movement needs electrical signaling (an action potential) which requires a conduit that electrical current can rapidly travel down. All that is really needed is a fluid connection between cells, and in the plant a chloride potential travels quickly through the plasmodesmata (connections between cells) to all parts of the plant.

Sponges are animals that don’t have nerves, but some of them do use action potentials (electrical signaling) to coordinate arrests of pumping. Sponges make a living by pumping water through tiny canals and a fine filter to capture bacteria and other small food particles, and to get oxygen and excrete wastes.

Only one group of sponges (glass sponges) can stop their pumping instantly, and they probably do this to prevent clogging the filter when the water is really full of sediment. Glass sponges (hexactinellids) can do this because their tissue consists of a giant single cell, and therefore electrical signals can travel through the cytoplasm of the entire animal without encountering any membrane (electrically insulating) boundary. The action potential is slow (about 5s long) and it doesn’t trigger any contractions (glass sponges don’t seem to be able to contract at all). Instead it triggers calcium to enter into the cells that have flagella which whip back and forth to generate the pump. The calcium stops the pump, and the water stops moving through the sponge. Only when the calcium is sequestered into compartments again does the sponge begin pumping.

Most sponges are cellular – and these cells don’t have a way of passing electrical signals (they are not nerves and don’t appear to be ‘coupled’ electrically). So what seems to happen is that they when they sense some change (could be a change in flow around them) calcium enters one cell, and that causes the release of a chemical which triggers calcium to enter into the next cell, and so on until the wave of signal and response has moved across the whole sponge. We think this occurs by calcium because the behaviour is very slow. We see a sponge sneeze for example (ahhhhh choooo) in about 20 minutes.

CB: The bulk of your work takes place in a lab setting, do you culture all of your own sponges or do you collect them from the field?

SL: We do both. For most work we need to collect sponges from the field…and work with them there. Sponges are picky, and sensitive to water quality, and know if the flow in a tank is poor or the food different, and that makes them pump less and eventually not do very well. So for many questions we need to study them in the field. We then also need to collect fresh pieces of sponges to preserve for studies on genes or structure. But, for some of our work we have found that it’s really easy to hatch out and culture a little freshwater sponge in Petri dishes in the lab. Freshwater sponges have a habit of forming little millimeter diameter balls or cysts in the winter. We keep those in the fridge and hatch a sponge from them whenever we want to study the sponge’s behaviour (like its sneezing response).

CB: You are doing some work on the unusual Glass Sponges in British Columbia.  What does your work involve?  Is there a conservation concern here?

SL: We are mapping the extent of the reefs in the Strait of Georgia, specifically one at the mouth of Howe Sound, one near the outflow of the Fraser River and one near Galiano Island. We’ve mapped them to know how much of the reef is made up of living and how much of dead sponges, what other animals live there, and to understand how they grow so we might be able to predict how best to protect them. We’re also studying their reproduction and trying to determine whether individuals beside each other arise from budding off of neighbors or if they have come in as larvae from other reefs. This will help us understand if all the reefs are able to replenish each other, and have a good genetic mix, or if they really rely on local sponges for new recruits and for continued health.

The reefs are a major home for crabs, shrimp and fish (less so for other invertebrates it seems, although worms are abundant in the mud of the reef framework below the live animals). Since these are commercially important animals on the BC coast, we can infer that the sponge reefs play an important role in maintaining healthy populations for fisheries. At the moment our work represents a base line of data and a regular monitoring program (and even tagging, and recapture program) would tell us whether the reefs are nurseries for fish, and replenish populations elsewhere.

For a long time we have also been studying how the sponges feed, what they feed on, and what role they play in the capture of nutrients from the water column and recycling of carbon and nitrogen o surface waters. It turns out that the reefs filter vast amounts of water each day (a 1km stretch of Galiano reef filters about 83,000 Litres each second), so they are clearly massively important to the local water. What would happen to the quality/content of the water in the Strait of Georgia without the sponge reefs is completely unknown. Probably a lot of carbon would end up as sludge on the bottom, and not be returned to surface waters for use by plankton.

So you can see that although we don’t study conservation directly, we aim to provide basic information that will allow DFO and politicians (and people in general) to make informed decisions – hopefully to protect the reefs and thereby to protect our waters.

CB: What’s a typical work day like for you?

SL: On typical a week day I’ll bike in to the U of A with my husband, who heads off to teach at a high school. I usually spend the first hour or two reading and responding to mail, and dealing with administrative things. I then either start work with one of my students (when they get in!), either in the lab or in another lab. I do a lot of lab work, often with one of my group. We might do an experiment on the microscope, or extract RNA for molecular work, or fix or process tissue for electron microscopy. I’ll often consult with one or more of my colleagues, either locally or by skype during the morning;  I work with people all over the world, so this can happen at different times of the day. Then I may meet with one of my group to discuss a thesis chapters or a paper we are working on; that can take a couple of hours, and then it’s back to either some more lab work or reviews of papers or literature searches. I usually have a spinning (biking) class or go to the gym in the late afternoon, and then bike home. At home, I’ll do some gardening and catch up on the day with my husband and on the news on the radio and TV…and read.

A work day at Bamfield is nearly the same but involves a morning kayak rather than a bike, and possibly an afternoon sail instead of the gym! On different days we’ll dive for collection, and I’ll spend a good amount of time fiddling with aquaria working at the microscope, and talking with colleagues and staff.

CB: What is your most recent publication?

SL: Hot off the press is the sponge genome paper, which we just got the proofs of from Nature. This is the culmination of about 10 years work by a lot of people to sequence the first genome of a sponge. The sponge, my pet, was one I found at Heron Island in 1998, so I am quite fond of it!

CB: So exciting, congratulations! Here is a PDF:  nature09201

My other most recent paper is a cool study showing that the ‘neurotransmitters’ GABA and glutamate inhibit and stimulate contractions in the sponge. Who would have thought that sponge ‘muscle’ responds to the same stimulants and inhibitors as vertebrate muscle?

CB: Any advice to budding biologists?

SL: If you really want to do marine biology, then do what interests you most, and do it regardless of the any obstacles you might perceive. It might mean living where you didn’t intend to, traveling more than you thought you might, and working very hard, but the life is so rewarding, so variable and so flexible and so interesting that you will never have a dull moment.

CB: Do you have any non-biological talents?

SL: I love sailing – I grew up sailing, and it’s very much under my skin. We used to race when we were on the coast. Now, whenever there are just two boats on the water it’s a race! I garden, and I like to construct (build) wood sheds, walkways, things!

CB: If you could have 3 guests for dinner…alive or dead…who would they be?

SL: Hemmingway, Alfred Wallace, and Jane Goodall.

CB: What would you eat?

SL: Fish

CB: Thanks so much for taking the time Sally!  I’m humbled at the clear awesomeness of the Poriferans!

I was walking on the beach the other day in beautiful Parksville, BC, when I happened upon a crowd gathered around a group of busy scientists.  Never one to miss out on an opportunity to engage in some nerd-speak I thought I’d poke around and see just what they were up to.

Introducing J.P. Richards, a professor in the department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, and this week’s specimen in Nerd Corner!

It turns out that the group was digging deep into the vast sandy expanses of Rathtrevor beach in order to extract giant 7 foot cores of sediment.  The sediment cores will be shipped back to the university for a host of chemical and physical analyses that will provide evidence about the geological and biological evolution of the area.

Dr. Richards graciously took a few minutes from his work to answer some questions:

CB: What are you doing here??

JR: We are interested in the coevolution of the biological and geological systems in this area.  In the early 1900s the Englishman River avulsed (abruptly changed its flow pattern) away from this area.  At that time the geomorphology of this bay drastically began to change from an area of strong currents to one of quiescent deposition.  Our work here seeks to address how these geological changes affected the biota, we do this through examination of trace fossils from within the cores.  We’ll be able to determine the animals that were present over the past 100 years.  Our interests bridge the gap between geology and biology.

CB: Any advice to budding biologists?

JR: Follow your passion.  You need to do what you love.  Keep doing what you are doing until it’s not fun any more, and then try something different.  That’s the only way you’re going to be good at this business!

CB: If you could have 3 guests for dinner, alive or dead, who would they be?

JR:  I’d need to invite 4 people if that’s ok.  William Diller Matthew (renowned Canadian paleontologist), Nelson Mandela, and my two daughters, aged 2 and 6.

CB: I should have known you had young kids, my 3 year old daughter was thrilled with the ghost shrimp and crabs that you brought over to her!

CB: What would you eat?

JR: Smoked fish of all types.  Trout, salmon you name it!  Whenever we come to Parksville for field work our first stop is always to French Creek where we buy 4-5 varieties of smoked fish.  It’s my favorite thing!

CB: In addition to his academics, Dr. Richards runs a blog for the academic staff at the University of Alberta, ‘Whither the U of A’.  Thanks so much for taking time from your busy field schedule to chat with me Dr. Richards!