THE SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY - SEB Winter 2024 magazine
BEYOND THE CODE
The SEB Magazine is published biannually — Spring and Autumn (online) — by the Society for Experimental Biology and is distributed to all SEB members.
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Issue: Spring 2025 Deadline: 1st June 2025
SEB Executive Team:
SEB Main Office
The Society for Experimental Biology County Main, A012/A013 Lancaster University, Bailrigg LA1 4YW, UK admin@sebiology.org
Chief Executive Officer
Pamela Mortimer (p.mortimer@sebiology.org)
Governance Officer
Sarah Ellerington (s.ellerington@sebiology.org)
Conference and Events Managers
Keji Aofiyebi (k.aofiyebi@sebiology.org)
Jennifer Symons (j.symons@sebiology.org)
Membership Manager
Jordy Turl (j.turl@sebiology.org)
Administrator Officer
Olubunmi Oduah (b.oduah@sebiology.org)
Membership & Administration Officer
Julius Kelly (j.kelly@sebiology.org)
Education, Outreach and Diversity Manager
Dr Rebecca Ellerington (r.ellerington@sebiology.org)
Education, Outreach and Diversity
Ana Caroline Colombo (a.colombo@sebiology.org)
Communications Manager
Benjamin Danois (b.danois@sebiology.org)
SEB Honorary Officers:
President
Tracey Lawson (tlawson@essex.ac.uk)
Vice President
Gudrun De Boeck (gudrun.deboeck@uantwerpen.be)
Treasurer
John Love (J.Love@exeter.ac.uk)
Publications Officer
Diana Santelia (diana.santelia@usys.ethz.ch)
Plant Section Chair
Stefan Kepinski (S.Kepinski@leeds.ac.uk)
Cell Section Chair
Ross Sozzani (ross_sozzani@ncsu.edu)
Animal Section Chair
Felix Mark (Felix.Christopher.Mark@awi.de)
Outreach, Education and Diversity Trustee
Sheila Amici-Dargan (anzsld@bristol.ac.uk)
SEB Journal Editors:
Journal of Experimental Botany
John Lunn (Lunn@mpimp-golm.mpg.de)
The Plant Journal
Katherine Denby (katherine.denby@york.ac.uk)
Plant Biotechnology Journal
Henry Daniell (henry.daniell@ucf.edu)
Conservation Physiology
Steven Cooke (steven_cooke@carleton.ca)
Plant Direct
Dr. Larry York (yorklm@ornl.gov)
In association with ASPB
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board or the Society for Experimental Biology. The Society for Experimental Biology is a registered charity No. 273795
ANIMAL FEATURE: ALTERED EXPRESSIONS: EXPLORING THE ANIMAL EPIGENOME 14
CELL FEATURE: BEYOND THE CODE - THE COMPLEX LAYERS OF REGULATION BEYOND DNA ITSELF 18
PLANT FEATURE: TRANSCENDING THE BLUEPRINTS 22
Welcome to the Autumn issue of SEB Magazine, where we venture ‘Beyond the Code’ into the intricate and fascinating realms of biological regulation that extend beyond the DNA sequence. This theme provides a rich landscape for articles that explore how layers of regulation affect cellular functions, plant resilience and animal adaptation.
Through our writers’ expertise and unique perspectives, we will delve into topics like protein expression, epigenetic modulation and gene regulation across a variety of biological systems..
FEATURES
In the Features section, we are excited to highlight research that unearths the depths of biological complexity.
Alex Evans examines the nuances of animal epigenetics in ‘Altered Expressions: Exploring the Animal Epigenome’, revealing how animals use gene regulation to adapt to their environments and navigate challenges from both within and beyond their genomes (page 14).
Caroline Wood goes ‘Beyond the Code: The Complex Layers of Regulation Beyond DNA Itself’ (page XX), exploring how cellular function relies not only on genetic sequences but also on a sophisticated array of regulatory elements that drive responses to cellular and environmental cues.
Finally, on page 22, in ‘Transcending the Blueprints’, Alex Evans comes back to explore how plants deploy complex mechanisms that go beyond DNA blueprints to respond to environmental signals, from seasonal changes to unexpected stresses.
These articles remind us that the expression and regulation of genes are as dynamic as life itself, influenced by forces that shape and reshape organisms in real-time.
MEMBERS HIGHLIGHTS
Our Members’ Highlights section recognises the remarkable contributions of SEB members who drive scientific discovery, foster mentorship and promote collaboration within the community.
BEYOND THE CODE
BY BENJAMIN DANOIS
Here you can find insights into their work and their dedication to biology through research, leadership and innovation.
SPOTLIGHT
In our Spotlight section, we invite readers into conversations with SEB leaders and up-and-coming scientists. Gudrun De Boeck (page 34) and Diana Santelia (page 36) share perspectives on the future of SEB’s mission and initiatives.
Furthermore, we highlight Rafael Morcillo and Mike Karampelias for their dedication to advancing knowledge and driving change within the biological sciences on page 38 and page 40.
Finally, we introduce our Young Scientist Award recipients from the 2024 Prague Conference, who represent the vibrant energy and curiosity that will undoubtedly continue to propel the field forward (page 28).
OUTREACH, EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY (OED)
The OED section continues to emphasise SEB’s commitment to inclusivity and scientific outreach. In ‘The Importance of Community Engagement in Genomics for Impact and Trust’, Rebecca Ellerington highlights the transformative impact of handson science activities, showcasing initiatives that bring scientific knowledge to a broader audience (page 44).
On page 46, Brittney Borowiec presents the third instalment of ‘Diverse Face of Biology’, where she amplifies voices and perspectives from historically underrepresented communities in biology, demonstrating the enriching effects of diversity within science.
Charlie Woodrow takes a thoughtful look at ethics in genetics research with her piece ‘Progress Without Policy: The Moral Challenges of Human Genome Editing’, addressing complex questions about the moral responsibilities of genetics research and its implications for society on page 48.
Additionally, discover how Ana Colombo, OED officer, is leading efforts to expand SEB’s engagement in South America, focusing on career advice, research impact and international collaboration to
strengthen ties with the local scientific community and enhance global representation (page 50).
SEB ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANTWERP 2025
Finally, we’re excited to invite all our readers to the SEB Annual Conference in Antwerp, scheduled for 8–11 July 2025.
This conference will be an exceptional opportunity for scientists from all fields to come together and discuss cutting-edge advancements in biology. More information is available at https://www. sebiology.org/events/seb-annual-conferenceantwerp-2025.html.
We encourage you to join us in Antwerp to share insights, establish new collaborations and explore the intersections of biological research.
The SEB Annual Conference always fosters stimulating conversations and pioneering presentations, and the 2025 gathering will be no exception.
Plan to be part of this enriching experience, which promises to inspire and connect scientists from around the globe.
This issue of SEB Magazine reminds us that biology is not simply a study of ‘codes’ but of the dynamic, interconnected networks that guide life. By understanding what lies beyond genetic sequences, we gain insight into the mechanisms that make adaptation, growth and complexity possible.
We hope you enjoy this journey through the hidden layers of biology and find inspiration for your own research and scientific pursuits.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
PROFESSOR TRACY LAWSON PRESIDENT, SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
Welcome to the Autumn edition of the SEB Newsletter! In this issue, titled ‘Beyond the DNA code’, we explore the intricate world of biological regulation that extends beyond DNA itself. From protein expression to epigenetics and gene regulation, we examine how these processes shape the function of all biological systems. This issue covers a range of topics including cellular mechanisms, plant adaptation and animal development—illustrating just how regulatory processes influence all levels of living systems. These subjects are particularly relevant today, as highlighted by their inclusion at this year’s annual conference. Gaining a deeper understanding of genetic regulation is critical as we work to address pressing global challenges facing society.
This letter also offers a moment to reflect on our recent highly successful annual conference this past July, held in the beautiful city of Prague. The scientific sessions were truly inspiring, covering many of the important topics mentioned earlier and much more. One of the highlights was seeing many early-career researchers deliver their first oral presentation at an international conference, supported by their SEB family. I have heard from numerous colleagues that the SEB was the place where they first presented their research, with the annual conference being THE event to take this important step. It is wonderful to see this tradition continue, emphasising our commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists. A key part of this mission are our OED (outreach, education and diversity) activities and it was fantastic to see a full week programme of wide-ranging OED events covering assessment and feedback, curriculum development and embedding diversity. Please remember that there are numerous resources available on our website if you did not manage to catch all the sessions you wanted. I hope you enjoyed the jam-packed week of scientific and OED sessions, poster evenings, award ceremonies, early-career researcher activities and social events as much as did I. It was great to reconnect with old friends and colleagues and I made many new connections as always at these amazing events. As part of our ongoing website development, the SEB team is hard at work updating the members’ space to enhance the experience for
our community. These updates will offer members a more personalised experience, providing access to their specific details, membership in Special Interest Groups and links to relevant events. Additionally, members will be able to easily access their presentations from SEB meetings, making it more convenient to engage with the resources and connections that matter most to them.
I would also like to take this opportunity to again reiterate the invaluable financial support provided for our annual conference by our society journals. With the annual conference each year operating at a deficit, we would not be able to run them without the support of these journals. We are in a time of rapid changes in publication terms and conditions and are continually navigating these routes to eventually transition to open access. There are many aspects to take into consideration for the journal and the SEB as a whole; the SEB trustees and team are working together to ensure that the transition towards open access for any of our society journals is financially sustainable. In the meantime, I would like to remind our members of the importance of supporting our society journals by publishing in them.
We have also been working on shaping our strategy for the next 5 years, which will continue to provide members with new opportunities within their specialised fields, along with early-career researcher events and training. A key aspect is to increase our focus on impact and the translation of our scientific research to the wider public. With this in mind we are encouraging sessions at future meetings to engage with industry and end-users to increase the diversity of our output as scientists, as well as visibility of career opportunities for our growing membership.
Plans are already in motion for our upcoming 2025 Annual Conference, which will take place in the city of Antwerp on 8–11 July 2025 and the events team are already hard at work preparing for this event. Please put the dates in your diary and I look forward to seeing your there. A number of scientific sessions have been proposed for each of our three sections Animal, Cell and Plant, with preliminary titles including Experimental Paleobiology; Riding the Wave: Insights into Plastic and Evolutionary Animal Responses to Temperature Challenges; Kinematics and Robotics:
State-of-the-Art Kinematics and Their Transfer to Robotics; Open Water: the Biology of Pelagic Fishes; Tips Growth in Plant Biology; Accelerating Progress in Plant Science via AI Approaches; PEPG – Bridging the Gap: Connecting Photosynthesis Research From Controlled Environments to the Field; From the Micro to the Macro: Fine Tuning Stomata to Maximise Global Crop Resilience; and Plant Biotechnology for Sustainable Living, to name just a few.
As a society we want to ensure that we are providing resources for all our members irrespective of key scientific area or career focus and provide material on education, research, policy, community engagement and translation of research findings. As always, we are keen to hear feedback, ideas and suggestions from our members, so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or ideas or if you would like to be more involved in the SEB. Thank you all for your continued support of the SEB. I would like to end by expressing my immense gratitude to our entire SEB team, who are always working behind the scenes for our community.
Professor Tracy Lawson President, Society for Experimental Biology
SEB NEWS
PRAGUE 2024
A HUGE THANK YOU...
...to all of you who attended and participated at the Society annual conference held this year in the picturesque city of Prague.
The Conference was a huge success bringing together members and non-members for an informative and social week.
BY JULIUS KELLY
A SCIENTIFIC FUN DAY OUT -
The Society is thrilled to announce its participation in the 2025 Nottingham Science Festival, taking place on 17th February 2025 at the historic Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire. This is an incredible opportunity for SEB members to engage with the public and inspire budding scientists through fun and educational outreach activities.
THE SOCIETY WELCOMES GEORGE LITTLEJOHN
George joins Society Trustees as the new Plant Section Chair, George is an Associate Professor of Plant and Fungal Biology at the School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering), University of Plymouth.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS
2025 will mark the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists. As part of their celebrations, the Company will be organising Biologists @ 100, a unique conference that will bring together their different communities. 24-27th March, Liverpool.
Are you interested in becoming a podcaster? Great news: the detailed information and official application form are now live!Visit the following page to learn more and apply.
www.sebiology.org/outreach/seb-podcast.html
MEMBER NEWS
n each issue of the member magazine, we like to highlight some of the fantastic achievements and research from our members. Here are some of the people we would like to congratulate this time around.
IANDREW GRIFFITHS (UNIVERSITY OF EXETER, UK)
Congratulations to Andrew and Claire Davies for their impactful work through PRISM, promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in STEM fields. Their recent efforts, highlighted in The Biochemist, emphasise the importance of widening participation for LGBTQ+ students and professionals. You can read more about their work here: https://portlandpress.com/biochemist/article/ doi/10.1042/bio_2024_135/234818.
SOPHIE NEDELEC (UNIVERSITY OF EXETER, UK)
Congratulations to Sophie for her impressive achievements in the field of underwater acoustics. In 2022, she received an award recognising her innovative work, and in 2023, she was honoured with the prestigious Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship. Now entering the second year of her 8-year fellowship, Sophie is preparing for an exciting milestone: the first field season of her PhD student, who will be collecting valuable data on the Great Barrier Reef.
LÉOPOLD GHINTER (UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN BRITANY, FRANCE)
We would like to congratulate Léopold Ghinter, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Western Brittany, on his upcoming press article about his fieldwork. While the publication date is still to be determined, we are excited to share that IFREMER is also creating a captivating video showcasing his work in the field. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TDQsU5w3YjU&t=1s
SONAL SACHDEV (BOSE INSTITUTE, INDIA)
We would like to congratulate Sonal Sachdev on her recent first-authored publication in the American Society of Plant Biologists’ journal, Plant Physiology. Her paper, ‘The Arabidopsis ARID–HMG DNA-BINDING PROTEIN 15 modulates jasmonic acid signaling by regulating MYC2 during pollen development’, was published in October 2024. You can read the publication here: https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiae355
SEB IS THRILLED TO OFFER MEMBERS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO HELP US LAUNCH THE NEW PODCAST SERIES TWO POSITIONS AVAILABLE: PODCAST INTERVIEWER AND PODCAST EDITOR THURSDAY 9 JANUARY AT MIDDAY (UK TIME)
FEATURES
ANIMAL FEATURE: ALTERED EXPRESSIONS: EXPLORING THE ANIMAL EPIGENOME 14
CELL FEATURE: BEYOND THE CODE - THE COMPLEX LAYERS OF REGULATION BEYOND DNA ITSELF 18
PLANT FEATURE: TRANSCENDING THE BLUEPRINTS 22
ALTERED EXPRESSIONS: EXPLORING THE ANIMAL EPIGENOME
BY ALEX EVANS
DNA is often referred to as the building block of life— if that’s the case, then epigenetic mechanisms are the busy painters and decorators, constantly covering and revealing different blocks to meet life’s demands. To achieve this, many animals employ processes such as DNA methylation, a widely conserved epigenetic mechanism that allows for changes to gene expression without modifying the genes themselves. Let’s hear from some of the researchers exploring how animals harness DNA methylation and other epigenetic tools to their advantage.
STURGEON BEAT THE HEAT IN 60 MINUTES
With the increasing prevalence of severe weather events due to climate change, animal species cannot entrust their survival solely to the genes that they pass to their offspring, they must also rely on their ability to manipulate those genes and adapt to meet environmental challenges. Madison Earhart, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, Canada, uses both physiological data and genomics to investigate the impacts of climate change on endangered species. ‘I work with wild and threatened populations of fishes to assess real-world environmental impacts on physiology and survival,’ she says. ‘It is during weather events such as heatwaves that aquatic organisms must make rapid physiological adjustments to survive.’
For rapid body changes, phenotypic plasticity is the name of the game, and we still have a lot to learn about how organisms manipulate their genetic code to alter their physiology in response to threats and challenges. ‘We knew that epigenetic mechanisms can be affected by environmental variation, like changes in temperature, which meant they could definitely be playing a role in the plasticity required to cope with environmental stressors,’ she says. ‘I wanted to know how fast these epigenetic changes can occur and if fishes
Right: Spotted hyenas.
Photo credit: Sarah Benhaiem.
use these mechanisms to survive events like heatwaves.’
Heatwaves pose one of the most significant risks to global biodiversity, especially for aquatic organisms living in both freshwater and marine environments. ‘Rapid shifts in temperature are quite stressful for fishes and, unfortunately, during heatwaves rises in temperature coincide with decreases in available oxygen,’ Madison explains. ‘The combination of low oxygen and high temperature can be deadly for fishes, particularly with how rapid the onset is during a heatwave.’
Following the devastating Western North American heatwave in 2021, Madison used real temperature data collected from the Nechako River in British Columbia to simulate the conditions faced by wild white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) populations under extreme thermal and hypoxic stress, all within a laboratory where physiological changes and epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation could be accurately measured.
Madison’s research found that despite these predictably harmful conditions, some fish were able to resist heatwaves with impressive resilience.1
‘The young white sturgeon tested in this project were able to handle both high temperature and low oxygen through changes in plasticity at multiple levels of organisation, including DNA methylation,’ she says. ‘So, although heatwaves can be deadly for fishes, my research showed that some fish may be able to cope with these events, at least for a few weeks.’
Amazingly, the physiological changes generated by epigenetic mechanisms in response to the environmental changes were truly rapid. ‘We found for the first time in fish that DNA methylation is able to change within an hour in response to acute temperature increase or oxygen decrease,’ she says. ‘This was really neat to find because it suggests epigenetic mechanisms, like DNA methylation, may be playing a large, previously underappreciated role in acute thermal plasticity.’
A major benefit of Madison’s research will be the direct applications for improving conservation management plans, especially for endangered species where urgent action may be required. ‘We can take these basic methods to the field and apply them noninvasively to wild fish to further our conservation research,’ she says. ‘Studying the impacts of heatwaves and multiple stressors across life stages of fish can help us better conserve threatened populations by implementing species protections, using dams to release cold water and protecting important thermal refuge habitat.’
As Madison continues her postdoctoral research journey, she is now tackling the wider causes of mortality in wild white sturgeon across British Columbia. ‘Unfortunately, we have had many large adults dying over the last few years in the
end of summer, suggesting climate change and increasing temperatures may indeed be playing a role in these mortalities,’ she says. ‘I am using similar techniques to the ones in my previous studies in wild fish through minimally invasive samples to assess what stressors these white sturgeon populations face.’
POPULARITY PAYS OFF FOR HYENAS
Spotted hyenas have earned a reputation for their uniquely large and dynamic social structures. These social behaviours may even seem familiar to us humans, where social competition plays just as much of a role as cooperation and with high society come power and rewards. ‘Social status is an emergent property which influences individual health, behaviour and physiological processes in hyenas,’ says Alexandra Weyrich, leader of the Wildlife Epigenetics group within the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany. ‘We were intrigued to find out if social status also influences their epigenome and, if so, which genes are differently regulated and may maintain social status potentially over generations.’
Spotted hyenas live in a matriarchal linear hierarchy, with each individual holding a specific rank among their peers, which they inherit from their mothers. ‘High-ranking individuals have preferential access to resources such as food and mates,’ Alexandra explains. ‘This privilege
can significantly affect an individual’s chance of survival and reproductive success, providing a different quality of life between those at the top and bottom of the social ladder.’
While the tangible benefits of ruling the clan are well understood, we know a lot less about whether the dominance structure is also marked on the molecular level, which is what Alexandra and her colleagues set out to discover. ‘We used noninvasive sample material, the DNA from gut epithelium cells in faeces,’ says Alexandra, adding that this is the first time such a method has been used and explaining that it avoids having to take invasive blood samples, which could interfere with the hyena’s behaviour. ‘We used a methylation enrichment strategy which specifically binds methylated CpGs, which are mostly methylated in mammals.’
‘We found 147 differently methylated regions, of which most were hyper-methylated in lowranking female spotted hyenas,’ she says. ‘These regions overlapped with 42 genes, some of which regulate energy conversion, the immune system and glutamate receptors known to connect the gut–brain axis.’ The suppression of genes associated with regulating energy conversion and the immune system interested Alexandra the most. ‘The energy conversion genes which were more methylated in low-status females indicate that the animals are processing energy differently from their social superiors,’ says Alexandra. ‘This may be because low-ranking hyenas are commuting up to 70 km farther one way for resources.’ Additionally, the immune system genes hint at a molecular regulation of social status affecting the ability of subordinate hyenas to resist disease and recover from illness.
As well as providing key insights into the role of social environments on animal epigenomes, the findings of this study may also help to provide new biomarkers that can identify the social status of unknown individuals. ‘Further epigenetic biomarkers for certain diseases may help in future to design conservation strategies and hosting conditions in captivity,’ adds Alexandra. Taking this research to the next step, Alexandra is interested in finetuning her research by including intermediary social statuses, and comparing her results with those from other hyena species to look at the role of evolution in epigenetic regulation in social status.
NO OXYGEN, NO PROBLEM
Oxygen is generally an abundant resource on our planet, which is good news for almost every species of animal who requires it for survival. However, there are some places on Earth where oxygen can be a lot harder to come by at certain times of the year, and this is where Magdalena Winklhofer, a doctoral research fellow in the Adaptation and Comparative Physiology group within the Department of Biosciences at the University of Oslo in Norway, is keenly investigating the role of epigenetics in adaptation to temporarily anoxic environments.
The crucian carp (Carassius carassius) is a species of fish that possesses a remarkable ability to survive several months over winter in cold water with little to no oxygen. ‘They are found in small, ice-covered ponds in Europe and Asia, where they experience seasonal anoxia when winter halts photosynthesis,’ says Magdalena. ‘To survive, the crucian carp switches entirely to anaerobic metabolism, using vast glycogen reserves in the liver while reducing metabolic activity and ATP consumption.’
The activation of this anaerobic respiration system relies on seasonal changes in gene expression to allow the carp to keep functioning without oxygen, and Magdalena is interested in how these changes are controlled—especially within their brains. ‘My work involves identifying DNA methylation changes during anoxia and reoxygenation and investigating specific genes under epigenetic regulation,’ she says. ‘Epigenetics fascinated me because it adds an entirely new layer of regulation by altering gene expression through mechanisms like DNA methylation without changing the DNA sequence.’
Magdalena is specifically interested in finding out where DNA methylation is taking place within the brain, and the role that those regions play in the impressive switch from an oxygen-dependent to oxygen-independent metabolism. ‘By identifying differentially methylated regions near transcription
I REALLY ENJOY EXPLORING DIFFERENT METHODS IN EPIGENETIC RESEARCH
start sites, we can uncover how methylation regulates genes that may be essential for anoxia tolerance,’ she says. ‘This helps us to understand the molecular mechanisms enabling crucian carp to survive low-oxygen conditions.’
Magdalena is able to examine the epigenetic processes at work during anoxia and reoxygenation by using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to analyse DNA methylation patterns and RNAsequencing to study the gene expression profiles in crucian carp brains. ‘Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing involves treating DNA with bisulfite, which converts unmethylated cytosine residues into uracil while leaving methylated cytosines unchanged, allowing us to differentiate between methylated and unmethylated regions,’ she explains. ‘This technique enables us to pinpoint differentially methylated regions, while RNAsequencing provides insights into transcriptional changes.’
Magdalena’s results revealed that many of these genes undergoing changes in expression during transitions between normoxia and anoxia were involved in transcription regulation, angiogenesis and immune responses. ‘We observed that hypermethylation near transcription start sites decreased RNA abundance during anoxia, and hypomethylation during reoxygenation restored it to normoxic levels,’ she says. ‘Seeing this dynamic in our data firsthand was particularly gratifying, validating theoretical concepts from the literature.’
As well as learning more about the fundamental epigenetic processes behind this anoxia adaptation, Magdalena also hopes that the scope of this research could reach beyond the brains of fish. ‘I am particularly intrigued by biological systems
IT IS ALSO KEY THAT MANY OF THESE TRANSGENERATIONAL EFFECTS ARE REPRODUCTIVE AND METABOLIC
Left: Epigenetics research in the laboratory.
Photo credit: Carlos Bosagna
Top Right: Chicken eggs in an incubator.
Photo credit: Carlos Bosagna.
that have potential medical applications,’ she says. ‘Exploring anoxia tolerance in crucian carp offers valuable insights into how the brain copes with low-oxygen conditions. This understanding could eventually inform strategies to improve outcomes in medical conditions involving oxygen deprivation.’
Finally, Magdalena points out that while DNA methylation is an important and widely conserved mechanism of the epigenome, it is far from the only one – there is still a lot to learn about the other forces at work. ‘Only a fraction of the many differentially expressed genes seem to be regulated through DNA methylation, so investigating other epigenetic modifications, such as DNA acetylation or ubiquitination, would be intriguing,’ she explains. ‘This could reveal whether a different epigenetic mechanism is at play or if we are missing other layers of regulation.’
THE NEXT GENERATION
A healthy body is paramount for increasing your chances to live a long life and pass on your genes to the next generation, but there are many environmental stressors that can disrupt a harmonious body, and possibly even affect the bodies of your offspring as well as your own. Thankfully, Carlos Bosagna, an Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology at Uppsala University in Sweden, is working to uncover many of the mysteries that surround the effects of disease and dysfunction on the animal epigenome.
Carlos’s interest in epigenetics started back during his undergraduate degree at the University of Chile in Santiago, but has now expanded to include investigating the transgenerational properties of epigenetics and the role of epigenetic variation in evolution. Much of Carlos’s current research is focused towards improving our understanding of the role that epigenetics plays in how animals respond to disease. ‘The main benefit of this work, in my view, is to understand that disease phenotypes that emerge later in life could already be hidden in the epigenome in early life,’ he explains. ‘We can also interrogate our epigenome for future propensities to specific diseases, or for resistance against specific drugs, notably, anti-cancer treatments.’
Throughout his career, Carlos has relied on a wide range of techniques to conduct his varied experiments. ‘I really enjoy exploring different methods in epigenetic research,’ says Carlos. ‘We have used all the main methods to investigate DNA methylation, including bisulfite sequencing, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) followed by hybridisation to genomic tiling arrays (MeDIP-chip), MeDIP sequencing, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and, more
recently, nanopore.’ Thanks to this breadth of technical experience, Carlos and his team have recently developed a protocol that combines genotyping-by-sequencing with MeDIP to assess genomes from multiple individuals for both genetic and methylomic changes. ‘The idea is to reduce cost and increase statistical power for the detection of biomarkers, or simply to investigate general genomic and methylomic dynamics in different experimental contexts.’
As mentioned, one of Carlos’s research interests is uncovering the transgenerational impacts of disease, having shown that early exposure to endocrine disruption can have consequences for subsequent generations. ‘I think it is also key that many of these transgenerational effects are reproductive and metabolic,’ he adds. ‘This allows us to inquire into the causes of these diseases from novel perspectives. For example, public policies in metabolic diseases have focused on nutrition and exercise, but not on the environmental influences that can already programme and disrupt metabolism early in life.’
More recently, Carlos has begun to investigate the epigenetic effects of exposure to stress in farm animals. ‘One key finding is that life conditions with differential levels of stress leave epigenetic marks in red blood cells in chickens,’ he says. ‘This has consequences for farming because it opens the door to investigating long-term stress in animals via epigenetic mechanisms.’ In fact, Carlos and his team are part of the H2020 GEroNIMO consortia, a collaborative initiative tasked with investigating the role of the epigenome in breeding programmes. ‘We are 21 institutions working
with the aim of developing new genomic and epigenomic technologies for the next generation of farming, in order to make it more sustainable and animal friendly,’ he explains.
While this area of research is beneficial for our understanding of farm animal physiology, it can also be applied to wild animals. ‘From an ecological perspective, many animals, particularly birds, are exposed to increasing stress levels due to the current climate crisis,’ says Carlos. ‘These stressors range from exposure to extreme temperatures at critical developmental times to loss of habitat and increasing contact with urbanisation, so the development of tools that can reliably measure long-term stress exposure in animals is also very important.’
Since moving to Uppsala University in 2020, Carlos has also become increasingly involved in the crossover between toxicology research and epigenetics. ‘I now have a strong interest in investigating the mechanisms involved in metabolic disruption triggered in early life by exposure to environmental contaminants,’ he says. ‘The idea is to develop new technologies for high-throughput screening of metabolic and reproductive disruption triggered by environmental contaminants, particularly endocrine disruptors.’ Carlos also recently edited a book called On Epigenetics and Evolution,2 which tackles various topics within this field, including philosophical as well as experimental. ‘I hope this book will stimulate new ways of thinking about evolution in which epigenetic mechanisms are taken more into consideration as relevant factors for evolutionary process, such as plasticity or the emergence of evolutionary novelties,’ he explains.
References
1.
Earhart ML, Blanchard TS, Strowbridge N, et al. Heatwave resilience of juvenile white sturgeon is associated with epigenetic and transcriptional alterations. Nature 2023; 13:
BEYOND THE CODE: THE COMPLEX LAYERS OF REGULATION BEYOND DNA ITSELF
BY CAROLINE WOOD
When it comes to gene regulation, it’s tempting to focus solely on the DNA sequence itself. However, the reality is far more intricate, with multiple, interacting layers influencing gene activity. Within the cell, a wealth of mechanisms come into play from epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, to noncoding RNAs that can enhance or silence gene expression posttranscriptionally. Even physical aspects, such as the 3D organisation of DNA within the nucleus, play critical roles in gene accessibility and interaction. Beyond the cell, hormones, chemical signals and environmental cues—such as light and temperature—add further dynamic layers of influence, triggering complex signalling pathways that adjust gene activity. Understanding how these layers work independently and in concert remains a fundamental challenge across the biological sciences. Here, we profile four researchers who, by focusing on a specific mechanism of gene regulation, are advancing our understanding towards the ultimate goal of a unified picture of regulation.
NUCLEAR SPECKLES: KEY REGULATORS OF SPLICING?
Nuclear speckles are dynamic membraneless RNA–protein bodies found in the nucleoplasm of eukaryotic cells. Despite being known since the early 20th century, their exact function has remained somewhat elusive. Recent advances in molecular biology and imaging technologies, however, have begun to uncover how nuclear speckles play key roles in gene regulation, particularly in splicing and transcription processes.1
Opposite Page:
Nuclear speckles in human osteosarcoma cells were stained with an antibody to the protein SRRM2 that marks nuclear speckles; blue background shows the DNA in the nucleus (Hoechst staining.
Photo credit: Alon Boocholez.
‘Historically, nuclear speckles have been identified as regions rich in splicing factors, the proteins responsible for processing pre-mRNA into mature mRNA by removing introns,’ says Yaron Shav-Tal (Bar-Ilan University, Israel). ‘However, localisation studies have demonstrated that splicing itself usually does not take place in nuclear speckles, because most pre-mRNA is not found here.’ Instead, nuclear speckles have been thought to act as ‘depots’ which store and recycle splicing factors after they have returned from their activities on mRNA synthesised from genes. ‘This may be a way by which the cell buffers the levels of factors available for splicing and thereby regulates splicing,’2 adds Yaron. Indeed, photobleaching experiments have revealed that a constant flux of proteins moves in and out of nuclear speckles, with exchange rates typically less than a minute.3
It has also been demonstrated that genes with high expression levels tend to be located closer to nuclear speckles than genes with low expression levels.4 According to Yaron, this proximity likely facilitates the rapid recruitment of splicing factors to active genes, increasing the efficiency of transcription and splicing. ‘Nuclear speckles may therefore
function as important hubs that enhance gene expression by concentrating regulatory proteins and RNAs in localised regions of the nucleus. In mouse hepatocytes, for instance, disruption of the nuclear speckles has been found to alter the expression of over 1280 genes.’5
For Yaron and colleagues, a key research question is whether nuclear speckles are connected by protein networks and if these can serve as pathways through which certain types of RNAs can move in the nucleus. ‘We generate cells that have several nuclear speckle proteins fluorescently labelled and follow them in living cells using super-resolution microscopy, whilst tracking RNAs in the nucleus of these cells, and also during the export of the mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm through the nuclear pore complex.’ Their initial findings suggest that there may be different variants of these networks, each required for different types of RNAs.
Another focus is the dynamics of nuclear speckle formation after cell division, with the aim of identifying the sequence in which nuclear speckle proteins reassemble and how this process affects gene expression. ‘We are examining if there is an order to the return of proteins into the nucleus after cell division, and what happens if we force a delay of key proteins such that they remain in the cytoplasm for longer—in particular, the impact on gene expression pathways.’
As he notes, greater understanding of how nuclear speckles influence gene expression could one day yield therapeutic benefits. ‘Various disorders of the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are linked to nuclear aggregates of misplaced proteins that can cause changes in the structure or components of nuclear speckles. These changes may be connected to the disease phenotype. Interestingly, the long noncoding RNA MALAT1, a key component of nuclear speckles, is overexpressed in various types of cancer, suggesting
that targeting this RNA could offer a new avenue for cancer treatment.’
THE LINGERING MYSTERIES OF THE NUCLEAR LAMINA
In eukaryotic cells, the term ‘nuclear lamina’ describes the networks of lamin filaments and associated proteins that structurally support and connect the nuclear envelope with the genome. However, its influence extends beyond maintaining the mechanical integrity of the nucleus. ‘Lamin filaments and lamin-dependent networks are known to modulate cell signalling and influence development, differentiation and numerous other activities, including mRNA splicing and DNA repair,’ says Katherine Wilson, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. ‘In particular, they are absolutely critical for tissue-specific control of 3D genome organisation, signalling and gene expression.’
Inside the nucleus, chromosomes are not randomly distributed; instead, each chromosome is spatially organised in ways that affect gene accessibility and expression. Specific genomic regions known as lamina-associated domains (LADs) interact with the lamina, ‘coalescing’ them near the nuclear envelope. Genes within LADs are less accessible and tend to be transcriptionally silent. Although many LADs are consistent between all cells, some LADs vary between cell types. ‘These “variable” LADs include key cell type-specific and developmental genes that are positioned near the nuclear envelope when they are inactive, and repositioned away from the lamina, towards the interior of the nucleus, when they become active—for instance, during development or in response to stimuli,’ adds Katherine.
Exactly how the lamina localises LADs near the nuclear envelope is unclear, and fascinating, because this process involves multiple large regions of DNA within each enormous chromosome. ‘There is no one “smoking gun” answer. Instead, multiple mechanisms—incompletely understood—are thought to play a role, including the chromatin state (for instance, histone modifications), additional “bridging” proteins that recognise, bind and either stabilise or modify this status, potential liquid-phase partitioning, and the lamin filaments themselves,’ says Katherine. Another unresolved question is how mechanical forces from the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton, transmitted via nuclear membrane proteins directly to the nuclear lamina, influence signalling, gene expression and chromatin organisation.
The nuclear lamina’s importance becomes most evident when its function is disrupted, particularly
in the range of diseases known as laminopathies. Mutations in lamina components cause disorders that include muscular dystrophies, cardiomyopathies, lipodystrophy, neuropathy and premature ageing syndromes such as Hutchinson–Gilford progeria. Given the nuclear lamina’s multiple and overlapping roles, untangling the exact mechanism of each disease is an ongoing challenge.
‘A key research goal is to understand how mutations affect the biochemistry (protein–protein interactions) of nuclear lamina networks at the nuclear envelope, and how this can lead to disease,’ Katherine says. ‘We used mass spectrometry to identify more than 800 candidate lamin A/C-associated proteins in mouse heart and skeletal muscle,6 and 2400 candidates in mouse brains. We validated direct lamin A binding to nine tested candidates by mapping small lamin-interacting peptides within each partner. Structural analysis revealed two different “lamin-binding motifs”, each shared by two novel partners and also present in Sun1 or Sun2, which are ancient, conserved lamin-binding proteins. This suggests both motifs are predictive—a fundamental advance in understanding the biochemistry of nuclear lamina networks.’ For example, predictive motifs may simplify screens to identify diseaserelevant partners and mechanisms in each disease.
‘Future studies in this area can take many forms, because partner proteins might bind to lamins for any number of reasons—there’s no single answer,’ says Katherine. ‘For instance, a given partner might bind lamins to a) do its job, whatever that job is; b) become inactive; or c) co-assemble with other regulatory or functional complexes for purposes unique to each cell type.’ Clearly, the nuclear lamina, its wider architecture and its impacts on gene expression will provide a ripe research area for many years to come.
CHROMOSOME CHOREOGRAPHY:
THE ROLE OF THE NUCLEAR PORE COMPLEXES DURING MEIOSIS
Besides gene regulation in general, the nuclear envelope plays a pivotal role in meiosis, the specialised type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in haploid cells essential for sexual reproduction. One of the most critical phases of meiosis is prophase I, during which homologous chromosomes pair, synapse and recombine to generate new genetic diversity. ‘During meiotic prophase I, the nuclear envelope serves as a platform for the highly coordinated chromosome movements,’ says Mónica Pradillo (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), convenor of the SEB Cell Biology special interest group in Cellular
Function. At the onset of meiosis, chromosome ends attach tightly to the nuclear envelope and assemble at one pole of the nucleus, forming a structure known as the telomere bouquet. This clustering brings homologous chromosomes into close proximity, thereby promoting efficient pairing and accurate recombination.
‘However, to date it is not known how chromosome movements take place during prophase I, nor is there a description of the proteins that influence these movements,’ adds Mónica. ‘The objective of my research is to address this knowledge gap by employing a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates methods from cellular biology, genetics and biochemistry using the model plant Arabidopsis.’
Mónica’s has recently been focusing on the role of the nuclear pore complex. Besides regulating molecular trafficking between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, the nuclear pore complex is known to interact with chromatin and other nuclear structures during meiosis. ‘Interestingly, in rye plants, the formation of the bouquet structure coincides with changes in the distribution of nuclear pore complexes,7 indicating the existence of a “communication” between the nuclear envelope and the chromatin,’ she says. ‘We recently completed the meiotic characterisation of two mutants defective for nucleoporins, named NUP160 (SAR1) and NUP96 (SAR3).8 Our findings
indicate that the semi-sterile phenotype observed in these mutants is attributable to meiotic failure. Specifically, we observed problems of chromosome fragmentation and chromatin condensation, leading to the formation of nonviable gametes. This underscores the pivotal role of the nuclear pore complexes in this cell division.’
Whilst the direct effect of nuclear pore complexes on chromosome mobility is currently unknown, Mónica suggests that the distribution of these in the nuclear envelope could somehow condition the positioning of other complexes to which chromosomes are anchored. Alternatively, the positioning of nuclear pore complexes in a particular nuclear envelope region could favour the trafficking of certain macromolecules that may be involved in the early stages of meiosis.
WE INTEND TO APPLY RECENT ADVANCES IN LIVE IMAGING OF MEIOSIS AND SUPERRESOLUTION MICROSCOPY TO STUDY IN DETAIL HOW THE BEHAVIOUR OF NUCLEAR ENVELOPE COMPONENTS, AS WELL AS THE ASSOCIATED CHROMATIN, TAKES PLACE DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF MEIOSIS
‘For the next stage of this work, we intend to apply recent advances in live imaging of meiosis and super-resolution microscopy to study in detail how the behaviour of nuclear envelope components, as well as the associated chromatin, takes place during the early stages of meiosis,’ she adds.
Understanding the underlying mechanisms of meiosis is a fundamental question in biology, because meiotic errors lead to genome instability and aneuploidies. However, as Mónica notes, this knowledge could also have important implications for crop breeding. ‘A more profound comprehension of the elements that shape chromosome dynamics and meiotic recombination could prove an invaluable asset for breeders seeking to procure novel allelic combinations, thereby facilitating the development of new elite varieties endowed with advantageous traits.’
FROM TOUCH TO TRANSCRIPTION: HOW MECHANICAL STIMULATION CAN SHAPE GENE EXPRESSION
For plant cells in particular, mechanical stimulation can also be an important regulator of gene expression. ‘Wind, rain, herbivores, physical obstacles and neighbouring plants provide important mechanical cues to steer plant growth and survival,’ says Olivier Van Aken, from Lund University. ‘In probably most plants, touching changes the expression of thousands of genes within 10–20 minutes. But, strikingly, very little is known about how plants perceive mechanical stimulations.’
A major open research question is how the initial touch signals are perceived. It is currently hypothesised that membrane-bound receptors
Above: Nuclear pore complexes detected by immunolocalisation in Arabidopsis cells. Photo credit: Nadia FernándezJiménez.
Left: Alba Cano (PhD student) and Bianca Martín (technician) in the lab of Mónica Pradillo, looking after Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Photo credit: Belén Méndez.
or ion channels sense stretching in the plasma membrane, leading to a rapid influx of Ca2+ ions from the intercellular space to the cytosol. ‘This signal is then transmitted via Ca2+ sensing mechanisms and protein kinase cascades, finally acting on transcription factors in the nucleus that control touch-responsive gene expression,’ says Olivier, whose research focuses on elucidating these different signalling pathways. Recently, his group performed whole-genome transcriptomics following mechanostimulation of wheat, barley and oat.9 In each species, within 25 minutes of the leaves being brushed with a soft brush, hundreds of genes showed differential expression, with most being upregulated. In barley and wheat, many of these genes remained highly expressed even 4 hours post-treatment. ‘Interestingly, many general patterns seemed conserved with the dicot Arabidopsis,’ says Olivier. ‘These included genes relating to transcription factors and signalling pathways but also cell wall components—for instance, cellulose, lignin and callose—providing molecular insight into mechanically induced changes in cell wall composition.’
Another rapid response seen in these plants was a clear spike in the hormone jasmonic acid, known to be involved in responses to both touch and physical wounding. ‘Our results indicate that many of the genes being induced—around 15%—are most likely responding to these higher jasmonic acid levels.’ Potentially, this burst of jasmonic acid may explain the apparent observation of systemic spreading of touch-induced signalling that Olivier’s group detected in oat and barley.
‘We found some evidence that if you touch one leaf on a plant, a signal is passed on to other leaves that were not touched. This raises the question whether there are mobile signals like Ca2+ waves, electrical signals or jasmonic acid passing through the vasculature. It is likely that the touch response forms part of the “alarm” system, so if a herbivore arrives on one leaf, as yet untouched leaves can prepare themselves for an impending attack.’
THESE RECENT RESULTS HAVE PROVIDED GOOD MARKER GENES FOR TOUCH RESPONSE IN CEREALS, THAT COULD BE USED TO SCREEN FUTURE VARIETIES FOR HOW WELL THEY RESPOND TO MECHANICAL SIGNALLING’
According to Olivier, better understanding of the molecular basis of transcriptional responses to touch in cereals could inform new approaches to boost yields. ‘These recent results have provided good marker genes for touch response in cereals that could be used to screen future varieties for how well they respond to mechanical signalling,’ he says. ‘Interestingly, in many traditional agricultural settings, such as Japan, farmers have used rolling, treading or other mechanical stimulations to improve crop yield. Potentially, the markers identified here could be used to screen for cereal varieties that respond more or less to mechanical treatments. The next stage of our research is focusing further on how the touch-signalling cascade works from initial sensing to downstream regulators, mostly using Arabidopsis as a model system. We also want to explore if controlled mechanical stimulations can improve yield or stress resistance in field crops.’ Keen to go deeper? The SEB has various Cell Biology special interest groups, many related to mechanisms of gene regulation. Learn more at www.sebiology.org/membership/special-interestgroups/cell.html
References:
1. Faber GP, Nadav-Eliyahu S, Shav-Tal Y. Nuclear speckles–a driving force in gene expression. J Cell Sci 2022; 135: p.jcs259594.
2. Hochberg-Laufer H, Neufeld N, Brody Y, et al. Availability of splicing factors in the nucleoplasm can regulate the release of mRNA from the gene after transcription. PLoS Genet 2019; 15: e1008459.
3. Phair RD, Misteli T. High mobility of proteins in the mammalian cell nucleus. Nature 2000; 404: 604–609.
4. Chen Y, Zhang Y, Wang Y, et al. Mapping 3D genome organization relative to nuclear compartments using TSA-Seq as a cytological ruler. J Cell Biol 2018; 217: 4025–4048.
5. Hu S, Lv P, Yan Z et al. Disruption of nuclear speckles reduces chromatin interactions in active compartments. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12: 43.
6. Elzamzami FD, Samal A, Arun AS, et al. Native lamin A/C proteomes and novel partners from heart and skeletal muscle in a mouse chronic inflammation model of human frailty. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11: 1240285.
7. Cowan CR, Carlton PM, Cande WZ. Reorganization and polarization of the meiotic bouquet-stage cell can be uncoupled from telomere clustering. J Cell Sci 2002; 115: 3757–3766.
8. Fernández-Jiménez N, Martinez-Garcia M, Varas J, et al. The scaffold nucleoporins SAR1 and SAR3 are essential for proper meiotic progression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11: 1285695.
9. Darwish E, Ghosh R, Bentzer J, et al. The dynamics of touch‐responsive gene expression in cerealshttps://doi.org/10.1111/ tpj.16269. Plant J 2023; 116: 282–302.
Above: Olivier gently touches Arabidopsis thaliana plants with a brush to check changes in flowering time, rosette size and gene expression.
Photo credit: Abraham OntiverosCisneros.
Left: Wheat plants that were previously rolled as seedlings are now being ‘bent’ using a sleigh to check lodging resistance.
Photo credit: Olivier Van Aken.
TRANSCENDING THE BLUEPRINTS
BY ALEX EVANS
The survival and reproductive success of a plant is largely determined by the DNA in its cells, but not all of that DNA is necessarily needed all of the time. In fact, sometimes, the best way to thrive is to take the DNA that you’ve been given and reinterpret the code to best suit the constantly changing needs of your environment. Here are just a few of the researchers working to further our understanding of epigenetics within plant biology.
PROTECTING THE FAMILY
When disease strikes, the immune system of plants and animals can retain memories of foreign invaders to prepare them for future encounters. But why stop at protecting yourself, when you could pass that protection on to your offspring? Jurriaan Ton, Professor of Plant Environmental Signalling at the University of Sheffield, UK, is investigating the role of epigenetics within acquired disease resistance. Crucially, he is investigating how the resistance can be maintained throughout the plant’s life cycle and passed down to the next generation.
Although epigenetics is now a big part of Jurriaan’s recent research, his first introduction was pure coincidence. Around 15 years ago, a deficit of Arabidopsis seed stocks meant that he had to use seeds from diseased plants from another experiment, along with seeds from healthy plants. They then discovered that the offspring had an unusually high level of variation in incidences of disease, which correlated with the parental treatment. ‘Because these seed stocks were all genetically identical, we concluded that the diseased plants had acquired resistance and transmitted part of this resistance to their progeny via epigenetic pathways,’ he explains. ‘In subsequent years, we learned that this heritable acquired resistance is based on a form of immune memory that we call “priming”, which sensitises defence genes that are effective against the type of disease the parental plant had been exposed to.’
Following this discovery, Jurriaan’s research started to dig deeper into the contributions of both genetic and epigenetic components controlling priming. Perhaps one of Jurriaan’s most impactful areas of research involves the discovery and exploration of chemical “plant vaccines” that can activate immune memory-associated resistance responses. One such example is the cellular transporter and receptor of beta-aminobutyric acid, which protect plants nearly completely from devastating pathogens such as downy mildew. ‘These plant vaccines have huge potential for applications in crop protection,’ he says.
Jurriaan uses a wide range of techniques to help him answer these fundamental questions at all scales. ‘These range from long-read DNA sequencing and CRISPR-based (epi)mutagenesis to more ecological microcosm experiments to determine the ecological costs and benefits of defence memory in plants,’ says Juuriaan. ‘My approach has always been to seek the best method available to answer your biological question, and this sometimes means you have to contribute to method development.’
While Jurriaan’s laboratory is primarily focused on fundamental research, it doesn’t ignore the potential for applications within agriculture. ‘We are working with seed and crop breeding companies to develop epigenetic manipulation in crop breeding technology and engineer innately primed immune memory that would make crops less reliant on the unsustainable use of pesticides,’ he says. ‘We are also doing a lot of translational work to optimise
and combine low concentrations of chemical plant vaccines to deliver maximum crop protection without side effects on growth or yield.’
Jurriaan has a very positive outlook for this area of research moving forwards, looking at incorporating constantly evolving technologies into their exploration of the plant epigenome. ‘Plant biology is experiencing very rapid growth and expansion; the introduction of next-generation DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence opens up so many new avenues and allows us to address questions that have long been impossible,’ he says. ‘I would also really like to see some of our discoveries being translated into application, and the best way to do this is to continue working with innovative industry partners who are passionate about exploiting new technology in sustainable crop protection biotechnology.’
MAKE DO AND MENDEL
In the mid-1860s, Gregor Mendel proposed his laws of inheritance that aimed to summarise the role of genetics in heritable traits, but, as far as epigenetics is concerned, some of these laws were made to be broken. Claudia Martinho, a researcher of crop genetics at the University of Dundee, UK, and the leader of a newly established laboratory, is interested in how epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation can contribute to non-Mendelian inheritance.
‘I was very fascinated by these layers of regulation and by the idea of switching genes on and off, and creating new traits without changing the DNA sequence,’ she explains. More specifically, Claudia’s research has focused on paramutation, which is a type of non-Mendelian inheritance in which DNA methylation from one chromosome can be copied or transferred to another chromosome when there is hybridisation. ‘And that violates the first law of Mendel, that the segregation of chromosomes should be completely independent,’ she says. ‘But in this case, they affect each other, and that’s fascinating!’
Within agriculture, there is a phenomenon called hybrid vigour, in which a hybrid plant’s traits are superior to those of both parents. ‘Hybrid vigour is an important phenomenon because it can increase yield or favour certain traits that can help crop improvement and crop breeding,’ she says. ‘Even though there are genetic components underlying this phenomenon, there are also epigenetic mechanisms associated with hybrid vigour.’
Claudia’s work in this area led her to studying tomatoes with the sulfurea mutation, looking at the role of DNA methylation on the inheritance of a single gene. The sulfurea allele is paramutagenic, meaning that one allele at this locus can interact
with another, often through DNA methylation. ‘This is a photosynthetic gene that is highly methylated, and its silencing causes chlorosis,’ she explains. ‘So, we can see with our own eyes when the gene is silenced and when paramutation has occurred or not.’ From here, Claudia is trying to understand which proteins are involved in this phenomenon to better understand the mechanisms at work inside these hybrids. ‘I have talked with plant breeders and they have told me that some phenotypes are really unstable, even when they share exactly the same genome, so it is important to understand,’ she adds.
SOME PHENOTYPES ARE REALLY UNSTABLE, EVEN WHEN THEY SHARE EXACTLY THE SAME GENOME WE DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY BEHIND HOW THEY CHANGE GENE EXPRESSION
Claudia is now the proud leader of a new research group, and, along with the additional administrative and fundraising roles that come with such a role, she is looking forward to the mentorship that she gets to provide as a principal investigator. ‘What’s new about this position is that I get to train people to be the next generation of scientists,’ she says. ‘I was very fortunate to attract two PhD students who are starting with me—it’s exciting, but I’m also starting to feel the responsibility of training independent scientists who themselves have their own questions.’
KEEPING IT COOL
Fresh fruit and vegetables are the cornerstone of a healthy and nutritional diet, but much of the produce we grow never actually makes it into our mouths and up to 40% of fruits and vegetables are lost after harvesting, either due to wastage in the supply chain or in the home after it is bought. ‘Refrigeration is one of the key tools used to delay post-harvest deterioration, but this treatment
London.
Above: Sara’s plants in the glasshouse. Photo credit: Sara Lopez-Gomollon.
Above Left: Gregor Mendel. Photo credit: Hugo Iltis - Wellcome Library,
has negative effects on aroma retention and other characteristics of fruit,’ says Hilary Rogers, Professor of Plant Molecular Biology at the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University, UK. ‘Strawberries are a high value fruit, widely grown and consumed world-wide and hence understanding how we can better maintain quality traits such as aroma and colour will contribute to less waste, higher consumption and increased health benefits.’
Over the past decade, Hilary has been working with a range of horticultural crops to investigate post-harvest gene expression and markers based on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to assess their quality. ‘Given the wide changes in gene expression that are evident in both fruit and leaves after harvest and during supply-chain condition storage, I became interested in asking whether some of these changes were regulated epigenetically by the stresses that the plant organs are subjected to,’ she says.
Hilary and her team used RNA-sequencing and real-time PCR techniques to monitor these changes in gene expression in strawberries when they are
harvested and then again after 5 days in chilled storage, and comparing the VOC data using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in collaboration with Carsten Muller (Cardiff University). ’More recently we have added on ChIP-sequencing to identify genes that bind to specific chromatin marks,’ says Hilary. ‘This is not trivial in strawberries because extraction of high-quality DNA from fruit remains challenging, together with the large genome size of cultivated strawberries.’
Thanks to the work of Ashley Baldwin, a PhD student in Hilary’s laboratory, and collaborations with Tamara Lechon at Cardiff University and Hans-Wilhelm Nuetzmann at Exeter University, the team now has a much better understanding of how the chromatin marker H3K27me3 is involved in regulating gene expression during the chilled post-harvest storage of strawberry fruit. ‘He found that two transcription factors associated with this chromatin mark regulate both aroma development and anthocyanin biosynthesis,’ adds Hilary. ‘This suggests that the loss of aroma and reduced colour development of strawberries when stored cold in the dark in the fruit supply chain may be under epigenetic control. We were surprised to find that as well as large numbers of genes that appear to be repressed by the H3K27me3 mark, there are also many genes that may be activated.’
With such a clear and important link to the food industry, Hilary is keen to find practical applications for these findings to better conserve strawberries through refrigeration. ‘We are pursuing avenues of research together with Edward Vinson Ltd to assess whether we can use our understanding of this epigenetic control to breed lines that are more resilient to post-harvest storage,’ she says, adding that she would like to see this research expanded to include other fruits and vegetables.
SMALL RNAS, BIG CHANGES
Phenotypic variation can be driven by a number of internal and external factors, but one crucial area of interest is the epigenetic components such as small RNAs (sRNAs) that can influence gene expression to best suit the needs of individual plants. Sara Lopez-Gomollon, a lecturer and group leader in Plant RNA Biology at the University of Kent, UK, is working to further our understanding of plant gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. ‘As a postdoc, I started studying sRNAs, particularly miRNAs and how they affect the expression of genes transcriptionally,’ she says. ‘Over time, I expanded my research to include other types of sRNAs and other types of regulation and became fascinated by epigenetics because it offers a dynamic, reversible mechanism to regulate gene expression, allowing precise control over plant traits without involving changing the DNA sequence itself.’
Sara is especially interested in the role of sRNAs within the processes of hybridisation and grafting, which can improve the quality of crops. ‘We do not fully understand the molecular biology behind how they change gene expression and, with this knowledge, we can develop crops that grow faster, are more resilient and yield more, speeding up the process of crop improvement,’ she says. ‘My contribution to plant epigenetics is to offer an alternative to traditional, usually slower breeding methods, when techniques like hybridisation and grafting are available.’
Some of the essential tools that I used are based on next-generation sequencing,’ explains Sara. ‘Next-generation sequencing is a highthroughput technology that allows for the rapid sequencing of large amounts of DNA or RNA. The possibility of processing millions of sequences in parallel enables a comprehensive analysis of entire genomes and makes it a powerful tool for studying genetic variation, gene expression and epigenetic modifications.’
One of Sara’s most intriguing recent findings involves dormant viruses found in nearly all plants, known as endogenous pararetroviruses (EPRVs). ‘We observed that EPRVs become activated when you cross two plant species (i.e. when you make a hybrid), but the RNA silencing machinery detects this activation and degrades them into sRNAs,’ she explains. ‘These sRNAs influence gene expression and may contribute to some observable hybrid phenotypes.’ This pathway is particularly fascinating because it not only sheds light on how plants manage viral diseases and could have a role in speciation but also offers potential strategies for accelerating crop improvement. Sara says that the team did not expect to discover such a strong link between the production of sRNAs and EPRVs. ‘These elements are not very common in the genome, and at first we did not have much information about them,’ she says. ‘We actually set that data aside to focus on other analyses, but the connection kept coming up!’
Sara hopes that these findings can be applied within agriculture. ‘A better understanding of plant–virus interaction can be used to develop biotechnological tools for early disease detection or to obtain pathogen-resilient crops,’ she says. ‘Grafting is also a common technique, and knowing what happens at the molecular level can help design crop-improvement grafts that may not be thought of by a traditional breeder.’ Following up on her pararetrovirus research, Sara knows that there is room to expand these investigations across more species. ‘I’d like to compare how different crops respond to their presence,’ she says. ‘This could help us identify a biotechnological target that can be useful for improving various plants, leading to better crop resilience and yield.’
LIGHTS, DMRS, ACTION!
Everyone knows that light is an essential resource for plant survival, but the influence that light can have at the genetic level is far less understood. Robyn Emmerson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham and the Early Career Trustee for the SEB, is working to further our understanding of the role of light in the epigenome.
After an introduction to the interactions between plant genetics and the environment during her undergraduate studies, Robyn knew that this was where she wanted to focus her research and began
a PhD with Tracy Lawson and Radu Zabet at the University of Essex. ‘Through my PhD, I fell in love with plant physiology and epigenetics, and how they may interact to affect plant environmental responses,’ she says. ‘Understanding how plants respond and acclimate to environmental stimuli can help us to produce plants that are more tolerant to a changing world.’
One such environmental stimulus is light, but the way that light is handled in laboratory experiments doesn’t always conform to the natural cycle dictated by the sun. ‘My PhD work investigated the impact of a naturally dynamic light regime compared to the more conventional on–off light regimes used in laboratory settings on plant physiology, DNA methylation and gene expression,’ she says. ‘The ultimate aim was to identify if light affected the methylome and whether this could identify gene targets to ultimately improve plant light responses.’
To achieve this, Robyn exposed Arabidopsis thaliana to a natural 12-hour light cycle called a fluctuating light regime and a strict on–off, or square, light regime that exposed the plants to the same amount of light but with a less natural cycle. By using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and infrared gas exchange, Robyn was able to assess biochemical changes in the plants and used whole genome bisulfite sequencing to investigate differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the plants. The effects on gene expression were analysed by identifying differences in RNA sequences between plants in the two light regimes.
Considering previous research had found relatively few effects of light on DNA methylation in plants, and no related changes to gene expression, Robyn was surprised to find that natural light regimes may play more of a role than previously thought. ‘We found more DMRs when comparing square and fluctuating light plants than when we compared two square or fluctuating light regimes of different light intensities, suggesting the frequency of fluctuations affects DNA methylation patterns,’ she says. ‘Although relatively few of these DMRs within genes ultimately affected gene expression, we
found that differential methylation of transposable elements often affected the expression of genes within close proximity.’
These results have identified a range of potential gene targets that could help to improve plant light responses in the field. ‘It had previously been noted that fluctuating light has significant negative effects on carbon assimilation and yields in wheat and soybean,’ says Robyn. ‘Investigating whether altering the expression or methylation of these genes affects the response to natural light in the field could provide a way to improve carbon assimilation and therefore yields.’
Looking forward, there are still many areas for this research to expand, especially among other plant species. ‘I would like to investigate whether similar responses are seen in crop plants and plants with more complex genomes,’ concludes Robyn. ‘The presence and levels of DNA methylation in each cytosine context differs between plant species, and I would be interested to see how methylation may differ in plants specifically bred for yield and consumption compared to a plant cultivated for use in the lab due to its relative simplicity.’
Far left:
Change in strawberry colour after refrigeration.
Photo credit: Hilary Rogers.
Top left:
A leaf of Claudia’s sulf plants.
Photo credit: Claudia Martinho.
Left:
The light system in Robyn’s laboratory. Photo credit: Robyn Emmerson.
Above:
Sara presenting her research at the SEB conference.Photo credit: Society for Experimental Biology.
The session provides the opportunity for postgraduates and post docs, who are within 5 years since completing their PhD, to showcase their talents and is designed to recognise the best young researchers. We invite you to discover more about the winners that have been elected during the Prague Annual Conference.
ANIMAL SECTION
Patrice Pottier
University of New South Wales
I am an early-career researcher currently based at the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales. I have recently completed my PhD at the University of New South Wales under the supervision of Shinichi Nakagawa and Szymon Drobniak. My PhD research focused on assessing the importance and limits of phenotypic plasticity in buffering the impacts of climate change on ectothermic animals. Before moving to Australia, I did a BSc. And MSc. at the University of Tours (France) where I first studied why parasitoid wasps fight over resources. I then moved to the University of Alabama and swapped insects for fish to study how pollutants mess with their life history, physiology, and behaviour.
I am currently primarily interested in organismal responses to rapid environmental change using a combination of laboratory experiments, meta-analyses, and comparative studies. These days, you will find me buried in data, writing code that sometimes feel like hieroglyphs, trying to understand why it does not run, and somehow enjoying the detective work! I am also an advocate for Open Science and a board member of The Society for Open, Reproducible, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (SORTEE).
You can contact Patrice at: p.pottier@unsw.edu.au
CELL SECTION
Anne-Pia Marty
University of Cambridge
I am finishing a PhD between the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey, where I develop imaging tools for microscopy, to study cold-adapted life in physiological conditions. This project bridges my interest for biology and physics as well as in biodiversity and adaptations. My research is also relevant to the fate of fragile environments in the Anthropocene, which is an issue that I care about. I have a Master’s in Biophysics and another one in Sustainability. I chose to do a PhD because I have a strong interest in environmental policy, but want to approach it from the science side. During my PhD, I have worked for the UK department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on the impact of marine litter on ecosystem services.
Before my PhD, I also worked for a short time with a lab focused on making biotechnology accessible to Low and Middle Income Countries through the development of open source biology and open hardware for research. I would like to steer my career towards a place where I can use my technical background and make a positive impact (I am looking for a job). Outside of the lab, I do all kinds of sports and outdoorsy things, I volunteer in a farm and I (badly) play the trumpet.
You can contact Ana-Pia at: apmm3@cam.ac.uk
PLANT SECTION
Eric Jian You Wang
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
I am a researcher in the field of plant biochemistry who is fascinated by the metabolism of carotenoidderived plant hormones, especially strigolactones (SLs).
I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Pharmacy from the China Medical University, Taiwan. Subsequently, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree (2017-2021) in Bioscience under the supervision of Prof. Salim Al-Babili at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). During my Ph.D. training, I identified the novel signaling molecule, zaxinone, produced by the previously overlooked carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) conserved in grasses.
Thenceforth, I continue with the lab of Prof. Salim Al-Babili as a postdoctoral fellow, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, working on projects that aim at identifying the SLs that determine the architecture and Striga susceptibility of pearl millet and elucidating later steps of rice SL biosynthesis.
You can contact Eric at: jianyou.wang@kaust.edu.sa
THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE: POSTTRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION AS A RESPONSE TO ABSCISIC ACID
BY GWENDOLYN KIRSCHNER
THE PLANT JOURNAL - Díez AR, Szakonyi D, Lozano-Juste J, Duque P. Alternative splicing as a driver of natural variation in abscisic acid response. The Plant Journal 2024; 119(1): 9–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16773
I
n Arabidopsis, alternative splicing occurs in 60–83% of all multiexonic genes, adding an extra layer of regulation to gene transcription, and allowing fine-tuned modulation of protein formation. In plants, alternative splicing has emerged as a key stress response mechanism, including in the control of abscisic acid (ABA) responses. Splicing mutants show an altered ABA response, and treatment with splicing inhibitors induces a response similar to that to ABA. Moreover, ABA treatment promotes the use of noncanonical splice sites. Díez et al. explored how the Arabidopsis accession Kn-0 is less sensitive to ABA than the widely used Col-0, and how the ecotype-specific response is based on alternative splicing.
The authors first screened 24 different Arabidopsis natural accessions for ABA sensitivity. Kn-0 showed less reduction in greening after germination, less inhibition of lateral root growth and less stomatal closure than Col-0. Kn-0 also had lower expression of the ABA-responsive genes RESPONSIVE TO ABA 18 and RESPONSIVE TO DESICCATION 29A.
RNA sequencing of ABA-treated Col-0 and Kn-0 samples showed that around 80% of differentially expressed genes were shared between the two variants. Gene ontology analysis showed strong overlap, suggesting that reduced ABA sensitivity 0 was not due to regulation of genes with distinct functions. Instead, the authors hypothesised that differing transcript levels of ABA-responsive genes caused the reduced sensitivity. Indeed, the gene expression changes among the differentially expressed genes were lower in Kn- 0 than in 0, reflecting the lower sensitivity to ABA. The authors found lower expression of a gene encoding
the SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2.2) in Kn-0 in untreated conditions, and lower protein abundance. SnRK2 kinases are activated by ABA and phosphorylate downstream effectors. Differences in its transcript and protein levels could be a result of variation in its promoter sequence, which exhibited polymorphisms in factor binding sites. Overall, the lower sensitivity of Kn-0 to ABA could stem from lower transcriptional changes and lower levels of key signalling components.
Kn-0 seedlings also had lower ABA levels, leading to reduced seed dormancy. This could be due to lower transcript levels of ABA biosynthesis genes like ß-GLUCOSIDASE 1 (BG1), which reverts the glycosylated inactive form of ABA to its active state. The BG1 promoter and functional domain also exhibited sequence variants.
Using replicate multivariate analysis of transcript splicing, the authors found fewer alternative splicing events in response to ABA in Kn-0 than in Col-0. The types of splicing events were similarly distributed, but the alternative sequences of exon skipping events were less skipped in Kn-0. There was only a small overlap between the two accessions in the alternatively spliced genes in response to ABA, suggesting that alternative splicing is crucial for the differences in ABA response. This aligned with altered expression of splicing factors in ABAdeficient and ABA-signalling mutants.
The authors identified promising targets for further investigation, such as BG1. Transgenic studies could elucidate the significance of specific sequence variants in triggering ABA responses. Genetic approaches could also determine whether specific alternative transcripts enhance stress responses.
The Arabidopsis ecotype Kn‑0 is less sensitive to ABA and the ABA response involves alternative splicing. A) Kn-0 shows reduced stomatal aperture upon ABA treatment than Col-0. B) The percentage of intron retention (IR) events for which the alternative sequence is included or skipped in Kn-0 and Col-0 is similar upon ABA treatment, but there is a lower percentage of exon skipping (ES) events in which the alternative exon is skipped in Kn-0 than in Col-0; shown is the percentage of events for which the alternatively spliced sequence is more or less included by ABA. Figure modified from Díez et al. 2024.
CAN YOU TEACH AN OLD LOG NEW TRICKS?
JXB (Journal of Experimental Botany) Peña-Ponton C, Diez-Rodriguez B, Perez-Bello P, Becker C, McIntyre LM, van der Putten WH, De Paoli E, Heer K, Opgenoorth L, Verhoeven KJF. High-resolution methylome analysis uncovers stress-responsive genomic hotspots and drought-sensitive transposable element superfamilies in the clonal Lombardy poplar. Journal of Experimental Botany 2024; 75 (18): 5839–5856. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ erae262
The White Mountains in Eastern California are home to some of the oldest living trees in the world. According to tree-ring data, a Great Basin bristlecone pine known as Methuselah dates back almost 5000 years. When this little pine seedling emerged from the soil, mammoths were still wandering the earth, the historic landmark Stonehenge was under heavy construction and writing paper had just been invented in Ancient Egypt. Methuselah has weathered storms, endured temperature fluctuations and survived drought periods during its long lifetime, and as the saying goes, with age comes wisdom. This accumulated ‘wisdom’ is stored on a cellular level in the form of epigenetic modifications induced by exposure to environmental stress. As sessile, long-lived organisms, trees have evolved sophisticated
RNA SEQUENCING OF ABATREATED COL-0 AND KN-0 SAMPLES SHOWED THAT AROUND 80% OF DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED GENES WERE SHARED BETWEEN THE TWO VARIANTS
adaptation mechanisms to constantly changing environmental conditions, and epigenetic memory may enable them to respond to recurring stress events more quickly. Because some epigenetic variations are heritable, they can even pass this ‘knowledge’ on to following generations, which raises hope that epigenetic mechanisms may help trees to adapt to climate change more efficiently than genetic adaptation would allow. Correlative studies indicate a role for epigenetics in phenotypic plasticity but evidence that unequivocally links the distribution of epigenetic marks to gene expression and phenotypes is rare.
A common epigenetic modification is DNA methylation of cytosine residues, which can occur in different contexts: CG, CHG and CHH, where H is A, T or C. The non-CG DNA methylation contexts are typical for plants and very rare in other organisms. DNA methylation analysis has mainly been conducted in the model species Arabidopsis and only few studies have addressed this process in long-lived tree species. Peña-Ponton et al. (2024) have now provided unprecedented insight into DNA methylation variations in trees in response to environmental stressors. The authors analysed clonally propagated Lombardy poplar, thereby minimising the effect of genetic variation and maximising the effect of epigenetic differences to phenotypic plasticity. Lombardy poplars are derived from a single clonal lineage that likely originated in the 17th century in Italy and is now grown worldwide. The authors exposed trees from several European countries to different abiotic and biotic stress conditions for 20 days under experimental conditions (figure 1) and then
analysed their DNA methylation profiles. Cluster analysis showed that genome-wide methylome changes, especially in the CG and CHG contexts, could be explained by the trees’ sample origin rather than the experimentally induced short-term stress, and these changes thus reflect how the trees’ growth history has shaped their DNA methylation landscape. These differentially methylated regions were also shown to be stress-agnostic for the most part and responding to multiple stressors, which ties in with the fact that different stresses share general response components on a physiological level. However, the DNA methylation response also showed certain specificity, with drought treatment having the strongest stress-specific epigenetic effect and inducing hypermethylation in the CHH context, mostly in gene-flanking regions, particularly on so-called transposable elements or transposons. Transposons are genetic elements that can create copies of themselves and move between genomic regions, which gave them the nickname ‘jumping genes’. Environmental stress can activate transposon activity, and certain transposon families preferentially insert near stress-responsive genes. DNA methylation within these regions can silence their mobilisation and keep their disruptive effects on the genome at bay. The results by Peña-Ponton et al. (2024) reveal hypermethylation of entire transposon superfamilies in response to stress, especially drought. Based on gene ontology enrichment data, the authors speculate that this methylationmediated transposon silencing may have regulatory effects on nearby drought-responsive genes, an idea that will be addressed in future followup studies.
We are only at the beginning of understanding the functional consequences of DNA methylation in response to environmental change, yet more profound insight is urgently needed if the epigenetic wisdom held by trees such as Methuselah may indeed be useful for adaptation to climate change. Large-scale studies like the one presented by Peña-Ponton et al., however, are unfortunately rare. The authors used whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, which is considered the gold standard for methylome profiling because it provides highresolution data, but it also comes with certain drawbacks, such as high sequencing costs and output of large amounts of data that require major computing and storage capacities. In another Journal of Experimental Botany study, Lesur et al. (2024) offer an alternative approach to address these shortcomings.1 The authors have developed and validated a technique that identifies and focuses on regions of highly variable DNA methylation, which may be more suitable for population-scale epigenetic studies both in plants and animals. Interested readers can find the detailed workflow and the corresponding data in their recent Technical Innovation paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.
References:
1.
Figure 1: Peña-Ponton et al. (2024) exposed Lombardy poplar from different European countries to a range of abiotic and biotic stresses, such as (A) cold, (B) drought and (C) rust infection, to then identify stress-induced and naturally occurring DNA methylation variants
Lesur I, Rogier O, Sow MD, et al. A strategy for studying epigenetic diversity in natural populations: proof of concept in poplar and oak. J Exp Biol 2024; 75: 5568–5584.
•JEB Symposium: Sensory Perception in a Changing World
•JEB Symposium: Sensory Perception in a Changing World
•JEB Symposium: Sensory Perception in a Changing World
Incorporating
•DMM programme: Antimicrobial Resistance
Keynote speakers
•DMM programme: Antimicrobial Resistance
•BSCB/BSDB Spring Meeting
•DMM programme: Antimicrobial Resistance
•BSCB/BSDB Spring Meeting
•JEB Symposium: Sensory Perception in a Changing World
•DMM programme: Antimicrobial Resistance
•Special plenary sessions covering issues of global importance to the biological community
Climate change and biodiversity: Hans-Otto Pörtner and Jane Francis
Climate change and biodiversity: Hans-Otto Pörtner and Jane Francis
Hans-Otto Pörtner and Jane Francis
•Special plenary sessions covering issues of global importance to the biological community Keynote speakers
Keynote speakers
Health and disease:
Climate change and biodiversity: Hans-Otto Pörtner and Jane Francis
•Special plenary sessions covering issues of global importance to the biological community
•JEB Symposium: Sensory Perception in a Changing World
Health and disease: Sadaf Farooqi and Charles Swanton
Health and disease: Sadaf Farooqi and Charles Swanton
Climate change and biodiversity:
Sadaf Farooqi and Charles Swanton
•DMM programme: Antimicrobial Resistance
•Special plenary sessions covering issues of global importance to the biological community
Health and disease: Sadaf Farooqi and Charles Swanton
•Special plenary sessions covering issues of global importance to the biological community
Hans-Otto Pörtner and Jane Francis
Emerging technologies: Manu Prakash and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz
Emerging technologies: Manu Prakash and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz
Emerging technologies: Manu Prakash and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz
Health and disease: Sadaf Farooqi and Charles Swanton
Emerging technologies: Manu Prakash and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz
Emerging technologies: Manu Prakash and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz
I am really looking forward to becoming moreinvolved in the SEB’s outreach activities, and I’m currently planning a session on how to useartificial intelligence tools appropriately in scientific writing for the 2025 Annual Conference.
ALEX EVANS, IN CONVERSATION WITH...
GUDRUN DE BOECK
Hi Gudrun, let’s start with ECOSPHERE— how did your research group begin?
ECOSPHERE is quite a large and diverse research group but we’re all studying the changes we see in natural environments. A lot of the work we do is aquatic in nature, both freshwater and marine, and we go all the way from the molecular mechanisms that underpin the toxic mechanisms of pollutants or other changing environmental factors up to their effects on whole ecosystems. Some of us also look at ecosystem services, figuring out how to put a value on nature because money seems to be the only thing that policymakers listen to.
What first drew you to the world of ecophysiology and ecotoxicology?
working in the tropics, like in Manaus, which is in the middle of the Amazon. We’ve also worked out in Kenya, where we had a lab in a small local school there. One of my favourite places to do research is the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on Vancouver Island. We would work in the lab in the day, but then we would go fishing in the evening for our experimental animals in one of the most beautiful places on earth. But even when we’re out in the field, we’re still doing lab work, even though a lab is sometimes just some plastic tubs and an oxygen probe.
That’s fantastic—do you have any highlights from your travels?
When I started studying, my dream was actually to become a whale biologist, but as time progressed and realism struck, I went into another aquatic organism: fish. For my Master’s thesis, I worked on a systematic revision of a fish genus in the Congo river, which (much) later led to the rehabilitation of one of the species, Bryconaethiops yseuxi. I found myself immersed not in a tropical forest, but rather in the basements of the Belgian Royal Museum for Central Africa between hundreds of wooden cabinets with glass containers filled with fish conserved in alcohol. For me, it was especially eye-opening to do research as a student. I was having a lot of fun and not doing too much studying, but doing research, that I enjoyed. It felt important and more interesting trying to solve research questions and analyse problems rather than just studying behind a desk. After that, I applyied for a PhD fellowship with our Flemish Research Foundation but failed at first, so I worked in an aquarium wholesale store for a while. Then, I successfully reapplied (so don’t get discouraged too quickly) and started a PhD at the University of Antwerp, and the rest is history. My PhD was on the effect of environmental changes on fish, which is still my expertise today.
Are you always in the lab or do you get to do research out in the field?
It’s a bit of both. My studies are mostly lab-based, but we move our labs all over the world, so I’ve been
Yeah, I really enjoy our work with sharks, which we usually do in Bamfield. They are so impressive, and not in the kind of scary, dangerous way—they’re very gracious. They usually move slowly but can show high speed bursts when they want to. I find them really fascinating. One of my favourite stories has to do with travelling to Bamfield with my kids, who were 1½ and 4 years old. I have some pictures of me and the kids sitting on a small boat while we went fishing for sharks. My daughter actually caught the first one that evening. You see her next to her little brother, very proud, with her milk bottle in one hand and small fishing rod in the other hand.
That’s amazing! I bet they loved that?
Yeah, we had a lot of difficulty in travelling there, with delayed flights, missed connections and broken cars, but when we finally arrived (on the third day), there was a humpback whale swimming just in front of the lab, which kind of made up for all the trouble. But still, it took some courage to get there with two small children. I always try to convince young researchers that combining career and family may not always be easy, but it’s definitely possible. It sometimes needs creative solutions, which is also why I have advocated for childcare to be provided at the SEB conferences. My kids (now 21 and 23) survived and have very fond memories of their time in Bamfield.
Speaking of the SEB, you’re also the Vice President of the Society—what does this involve?
Below: Gundren
Photo credit:
Gudrun De Boeck
At the moment, I’m mostly involved with organising the conferences and events, chairing the SEB events committee meetings—incidentally, the conference next summer is in Antwerp, so it’s kind of a home game and that’s really nice. Making the meetings and events a success is really important to me, because the SEB has influenced my career a lot. My whole network has come from meeting people at the SEB meetings, including my connections at Bamfield. The fact that my students can now go to Bamfield, Manaus or French-Polynesia and Australia is all because of the connections I’ve made through the SEB. All of this is really important, which is why I gladly accepted the invitation to join the elections to be the Vice President. You’re also the chair of your University’s Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development. What drew you to this role?
Honestly, at that time it was pressure! But with ECOSPHERE’s environmental research and teaching involvement in the Master’s programmes organised by the institute, I felt that it was an important cause to support. Also, the University Climate Coordinators and the Coordinator Sustainability Networks are in the team, which deserve full support as well. If time and money weren’t an option, what new directions would you take your research in?
Oh, if I could, I would be more on the ocean. I’d like to study shark migrations, but marine mammals and reptiles would also be very interesting. I’d also like to go and study in colder climates like the Arctic and Antarctic regions. I find it so surprising that fish can live there because animals should freeze in such cold water, but they manage to survive. We definitely don’t know enough about how they will deal with environmental changes.
So, do you have favourite fish that you’ve worked with over the years?
No, not really. Most of my studies have been comparative in nature, so what I find really fascinating is understanding why one species is more sensitive to environmental perturbations than another species. Sometimes, one species may be one hundred times more sensitive to any change than another species, and so the question why and how is really at the core of what I do. So no, not really one favourite
species, but more the difference between species is my real interest.
What other experiences have had a positive impact on your life?
IF I COULD, I WOULD BE MORE ON THE OCEAN
Last year in November, I went to the Antarctic because I got selected for a leadership course for women in science called the Homeward Bound Project. We had a whole year of online courses, and then all came together for 3 weeks on a ship that sailed to the Antarctic. The idea was that the Antarctic is both very powerful, but also very fragile in the face of climate change—it made a lifechanging impression on how fast changes occur and how leadership needs to be transformational and versatile to adapt to a continuously changing world. Stepping out of our comfort zone made us think about how women also need to take leadership in sometimes scary positions and can be stronger together. We were on a ship with 109 women, all scientists in STEMM and all with a super interesting and fantastic career, and yet everybody was very supportive of each other. It was really very powerful because I’d never experienced anything like that before. It gave me a feeling of belonging. I always thought I did quite well with support throughout my career, but then suddenly being among ‘the girls’ instead of being among ‘the boys’ made me realise that I’d never felt that kind of support before. And then the sudden realisation: oh, this is what the men have all the time, they’re always among their peers.
Finally, outside of research and academia, what is it that you really like to do?
Oh, I really like to be with friends, enjoying walks, good food and drinks together. I’ve done a lot of active things in my life, like playing basketball for 30 years and I’m part of a female motorcycle club and a diving club. COVID definitely made me realise I get a lot of my energy from being with other people.
Thank you for talking with me!
MY WHOLE NETWORK HAS COME FROM MEETING PEOPLE AT THE SEB MEETINGS
Above: Gudrun shark fishing with her children
Photo credit: Gudrun De Boeck
Left: Gudrun working with a blacktip reef shark in Moorea Photo credit: Gudrun De Boeck
CAROLINE WODD, IN CONVERSATION WITH...
DIANA SANTELIA
How would you introduce yourself and your research?
I am a molecular plant physiologist who studies carbohydrate metabolism in plants at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
When did you first become interested in science?
I grew up in Italy during the political turmoil of the 1970s, when there were strong tensions between the North and the South. I was quite an activist and initially wanted to study journalism, but I became disillusioned with the unbalanced and biased nature of national conversations. I found myself drawn to the more objective ‘black and white’ nature of science, and I was fascinated by the idea that you could carry out experiments to test a hypothesis and determine what the truth really is.
How did you choose to study plant science?
My family have a smallholding in South Italy, and every year we would produce olive oil from our own trees. It is a very rural area, with most inhabitants involved in agricultural production, so I decided this was a discipline where I could make important contributions as a scientist. I was also very curious to understand how plants can tolerate environmental changes without being able to physically move. So, not surprisingly, I chose to study Agricultural Sciences at the University of Milan.
What made you decide to have a career in research?
For my Master’s project, I investigated the mechanisms that enable plants to withstand heavy metal contamination—in particular cadmium— and how these abilities can be used to clean soil (phytoremediation). Then one day, Professor Enrico Martinoia came to give a seminar, at the time he was one of the top molecular biology scientists studying plant–environment interactions. I told him about my dissertation and he asked ‘Do you
want to join my lab as a PhD student?’ There was no question in my mind—yes, of course!
For my PhD, I investigated how hormones coordinate the redirection of root growth in response to changes in gravity, and characterised a completely new transporter protein specific for auxin in Arabidopsis.1,2 At the time, many Arabidopsis genes had still not been fully characterised, so I had a chance to contribute a previously unknown function.
How has your career developed since then?
I must be one of very few researchers who have forged a successful career despite staying in one city, in my case Zurich. By the time I finished my PhD, my husband had secured a permanent position at the University of Zurich, so I applied for a postdoc at ETH Zurich and started the work on starch metabolism that I am still doing today. I wasn’t particularly interested in starch per se, my main motivation was to learn more biochemistry techniques. But I soon became captivated: as the major plant energy storage molecule, starch underpins virtually all plant metabolic pathways. My first postdoc was quite successful—I characterised several Arabidopsis starch degradation mutants and even patented a biotech application. But I was impatient and ambitious, I wanted my own group to develop my ideas. So, during my first postdoc, I started to write grant proposals, often while feeding my newborn son.
I was particularly fascinated by starch accumulation in the guard cells of stomata, the pores that regulate carbon dioxide exchange and prevent excessive water loss. I was curious to know whether starch turnover had a role in opening/closing stomata.
My former mentor, Enrico, then offered me a space in his lab back at University of Zurich, if I secured funding. So, in 2012, I started my own lab which quickly grew from a shared technician and one PhD student to a highly successful group. Our work demonstrated that starch turnover in guard cells determines the speed at which stomata open, which has a huge influence on plant productivity and stress tolerance.3,4
Below:
Diana competing in an Ironman in Turkey, October 2023.
Photo credit:
Diana Santelia.
In 2018, when Enrico retired, I moved back to ETH Zurich. I now had two small children and was determined to keep our family together even while continuing my research. Fortunately, I negotiated a senior scientist position, where I have my own group and funds, but am hosted by a larger lab led by Professor Alex Widmer. The arrangement works extremely well; our groups focus on different aspects but exchange ideas and methods constantly. It has not been an easy journey to get here. For instance, I had to work during my maternity leave. Always, I felt the pressure to keep working, networking and presenting at conferences to ensure I was still visible.
How could institutions better support female researchers, especially mothers?
Institutions definitely need to create more opportunities, such as fellowships and grants specifically for women. But women also need to help themselves. We can be daunted sometimes by the competitive nature of academia, and feel it would be better to stay at home with our children. I certainly felt that many times, but then I would remember that my children would grow up one day and eventually leave—so why should I give up on my passion?
What are your plans for the near future?
My research goals for the next 5 to 10 years are to study the diversity of stomatal form and function across many different plant lineages, and look at the molecular basis behind these differences. Then we could understand which gene expression changes and proteins are crucial to enable a particular species to thrive in a certain habitat. Uncovering the secrets of evolution is a powerful approach to develop climate-proof crops, which will allow fast progress, without the need to wait another 300 million years for the next evolutionary innovation.
What is your involvement with the SEB?
Since May 2024, I have been the SEB Publications Officer. A key priority for the Society is to move to an open-access journal model, an investment that will enable everyone across the world to access our research, not just those at ‘wealthy’ institutions. I am really looking forward to becoming more involved in the SEB’s outreach activities, and I’m currently planning a session on how to use artificial intelligence tools appropriately in scientific writing for the 2025 Annual Conference.
What advice would you give to early‑career researchers?
When young scientists ask me what is the key to a successful academic career, I always remind them not to underestimate the importance of
Right:
Diana in her lab at ETH Zurich
Photo
credit: Diana Santelia
IT IS SO REWARDING TO MENTOR MY PHD STUDENTS AND TO SEE THEM GROW AS RESEARCHERS, AND DEVELOP THEIR CAREER. IT KEEPS YOU YOUNG BECAUSE THEY ARE SO FULL OF ENERGY, AND THEY TEACH YOU A LOT. MY INTERACTIONS WITH THEM ARE REALLY PRECIOUS
networking. All the great opportunities that have happened to me came about because I got out of the lab and met people. And be proactive— don’t wait until the end of your contract before thinking about what to do next. Finally, follow your passion. If you want to succeed, you have to have a lot of resilience and determination to see you through the hard times.
How do you relax from work?
Believe it or not, when I am not working, I relax by competing in triathlons! I train in each discipline every day. I have already completed 5 half Ironmans, and to celebrate my 50th birthday next year I aim to do a full ironman. My job is mentally demanding, but when you put your body under physical stress and come out the other side, you feel invincible. Often when I finish the cycling stage and I still have a half marathon to run, I think ‘I will never manage this’, but somehow you always find another drawer to open. It is a good metaphor for life.
I LOVE THE MENTAL FREEDOM OF MY JOB AND THE FACT THAT YOU NEVER STOP LEARNING. NOT A SINGLE DAY GOES BY WHEN I DON’T LEARN SOMETHING NEW. THERE IS NO TIME TO GET BORED, WHICH IS WONDERFUL TO ME
References:
1. Santelia D. Root Flavonoids: Their Transport and Role in Intraand Extracellular Signalling. Doctoral dissertation. University of Zurich, 2006.
3. Horrer D, Flütsch S, Pazmino D, et al. Blue light induces a distinct starch degradation pathway in guard cells for stomatal opening. Curr Biol 2016; 26: 362–370.
4. Flütsch S, Wang Y, Takemiya A, et al. Guard cell starch degradation yields glucose for rapid stomatal opening in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 2020; 32: 2325–2344.
RAFA MORCILLO SPOTLIGHT ON...
BY ALEX EVANS
Rafael Morcillo, or Rafa, is a senior postdoc at the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture at the University of Malaga, Spain. Rafa is a plant scientist, but it’s not just plants that have captured Rafa’s attention, it’s also their interesting interactions with microbes. ‘That’s the topic that I have been doing all my career,’ he explains. ‘I have studied many different plant–microbe interactions, especially the beneficial ones.
afa started off his undergraduate education in environmental science, before narrowing his research interests into agronomy and plant biology. This change of direction was due in part to his own experiences growing up, and the experiences of his family that still makes a living from plants. ‘My family are farmers, so as a child, I was going into the field to collect potatoes, olives, all these types of things,’ he says. ‘But here in the Southeast of Spain now, we have a really bad situation with droughts, so it felt important that I look for solutions to improve the agriculture, to help people living in this kind of land.’
RAfter finishing his PhD, Rafa moved to Shanghai and spent almost 5 years working with different research groups in China. ‘The first group was my first experience with microbial volatiles,’ he says. Microbial volatile compounds can come from bacteria but also from fungi, and are released into the air and get picked up by the plants. ‘In this case, we were studying how volatiles are involved in the compatibility between the plant and microorganisms.’ Following this, Rafa moved to another laboratory to study plant–pathogen interactions, changing his focus from beneficial microbial interactions towards those that invoke immune responses. ‘My time spent in China was an amazing experience,’ he says. ‘I travelled there with my wife because we are adventurous people—and my first daughter was then actually born in China.’ As much as Rafa loved it, he couldn’t help but feel a pull back to his homeland in Spain. ‘I really enjoyed my time there, with the culture and the people and we would like to go back someday, it would be really nice,’ he says. ‘But we are happy here too—after all, we are Spanish!’
The drive behind Rafa’s research is to further our understanding of plant–microbe interactions and harness them to enhance agriculture in sustainable ways. ‘Currently I’m working with microbial volatile compounds that basically enhance photosynthesis,’ he says. ‘This means more growth and, therefore, more yield for crops.’ For Rafa, finding the best ways to apply the findings of his research for the betterment of agriculture is critical to his scientific journey.
While Rafa’s early career was largely focused on conducting fundamental research, more recently his goals have shifted to applying this knowledge in the field.
He sees his fundamental research and his applied research as two distinct sides of the same coin. On one side, we may learn that a particular volatile compound can change the activity of a specific root protein. On the other side, we can see how that change in the root protein could benefit crops and, in turn, benefit humanity.
One of Rafa’s latest areas of focus is how microorganisms colonise plants. ‘My future research is working towards improving the colonisation process, because this is the main limitation when we apply microorganisms to plants for their benefits,’ he explains. ‘I’m trying to better understand all that we can add that would help facilitate this process.’
Rafa believes that we are reaching a critical time to make changes to agriculture in areas susceptible to drying out. ‘In Spain right now, and especially in Malaga, we are in a really bad situation, and I think it will only get worse in the future,’ he says. It’s clear that tourism contributes a lot to Spain’s economy, and the increasingly common droughts that result in water use bans that affect both agriculture and the tourism sector are having a serious impact on the future stability of the region. This is where Rafa sees his research having the biggest positive impact on society. In Rafa’s case, he can be generating basic and applied research at the same time—discovering new foundational knowledge that is almost immediately applicable to practical agriculture. ‘For example, right now we have discovered this single molecule that we can apply to a tomato, one that is actually very cheap, but can help reduce the water required by the plant to survive,’ he says.
‘I really like the
Photo credit: Rafa Morcillo
challenge of understanding the molecular mechanisms behind these types of interactions.’
In July 2024, Rafa joined many other SEB members at the SEB Annual Conference in Prague, and it was his first time attending one of the SEB’s events. ‘I’ll be honest, I think it was one of the best conferences I’ve been to,’ he says. ‘It was really well organised, and a good example of how you can do a lot of things on a big scale—a very nice experience.’ Outside of academia, Rafa enjoys a very active life, both through his love of biking, and football, badminton and other sports, but mostly through his two daughters. ‘Right now, they’re taking all my free time, and I’m really, really enjoying it,’ he says. ‘I think that in a few years they
RESEARCH IS NOT JUST FOR RESEARCHERS
might not want to play anymore, but for now we play all the time!’
As with many career paths, progression upwards replaces time spent researching with time managing, but Rafa doesn’t see this as a bad thing. ‘Now that I’m a senior postdoc, I’m spending less and less time in the lab,’ he says. ‘But I still go in and see how the students are doing and answering their questions.’ In fact, during our conversation, Rafa was keen to emphasise his belief that it is the responsibility of senior researchers to show younger researchers the true purpose of their work.
‘I need to publish papers for my career and for my student’s careers—but we also need to show the students that science isn’t really about the papers, it’s about generating knowledge to improve our society,’ he concludes. ‘This is the message we need to transfer to the new generation: research is not just for researchers—even if it’s basic knowledge, it’s useful for a lot of people.’
‘MY TIME SPENT IN CHINA WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE’ ‘IT FELT IMPORTANT THAT I LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE AGRICULTURE
Above left: Rafa checking his plants
Photo credit: Rafa Morcillo
Above right: Rafa in his laboratory
Photo credit: Rafa Morcillo
Even at an early age, Mike Karampelias was fascinated by life at the smallest of scales.
MIKE KARAMPELIAS SPOTLIGHT ON...
BY CAROLINE WOOD
As a child, I spent hours and hours exploring the nature near my home in Serres, northern Greece,’ he says. ‘I was always “the nerd” within the group, because I was constantly stopping to look closely at insects, plants or ant nests.’ Alongside this deep curiosity with nature, Mike became captivated by the image of the scientist probing the secrets of the living world. ‘My favourite comic book character was the “geeky” guy in the French version of Dennis the Menace who was always doing experiments,’ he says. ‘Another strong influence was my father, because he would read to me about new scientific discoveries, such as space science and diabetes treatments, making me realise that scientists performed these experiments to solve real problems. I had a future vision of myself at a lab bench surrounded by bottles. Even when helping my mother with cooking, I imagined myself as a scientist, combining different chemical ingredients together.’
senior scientist Fotis Gazis became mentors to me, helping me to understand the reason behind everything they did. I took every opportunity to learn—I even asked my father to photocopy a series of books in the lab on molecular cloning, over a thousand pages in total!’
During this time, interacting with the lab’s international group of postgraduate students and scientists naturally inspired Mike to undertake a PhD, and to search for a host lab abroad. ‘I had become fascinated by the signalling pathways of plant hormones—how something produced by one cell can be understood by another, and ultimately reprogramme the entire transcription machinery even at a very small concentration.’ This led Mike to study the molecular mechanisms of auxin transporter recycling and trafficking in Arabidopsis, under the supervision of Jiri Friml at the Department of Plant Systems Biology, Gent University.1–3
This innate curiosity led Mike to study Agricultural Biotechnology for his undergraduate degree at the Agricultural University of Athens. However, he found the first year of lectures ‘uninspiring’. But once he started practical laboratory molecular biology lessons in the second year, Mike had an epiphany. ‘The first moment I picked up a Gilson pipette, I knew that I didn’t want to do anything else. It was like a strike to the brain. All my memories of observing nature as a child, discussing science with my father, helping my mother with cooking—these suddenly seemed to come together. I felt an immediate connection with molecular biology and it was all I wanted to do.’
Mike quickly decided the practical sessions in his classes wouldn’t be enough for him. ‘I went to speak to the molecular biology lecturer Polydefkis Hatzopoulos in private and basically said: “I want to be like you and to work in your lab. Not to do anything special for the moment, but just to learn everything I can”.’
Fortunately, his lecturer was sympathetic and allowed Mike to become an unofficial member of his group. ‘I spent most of my free time there and I was called “the buffer boy”. I did every job from cleaning up, making coffee, preparing media and setting up PCRs. Professor Hatzopoulos and
The project certainly satisfied Mike’s thirst to develop his molecular and cellular biology skills, involving mutant screening, genetic mutation mapping, next-generation sequencing, pharmacological treatments and ‘a lot of’ confocal microscopy. However, after completing his thesis, Mike found himself drawn to more applied research for his first postdoc at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) in Barcelona. ‘The project was on the involvement of the brassinosteroid receptors in drought stress,’ he says. ‘At the time, drought was relatively under-researched, compared with other stresses such as salinity, so it was an interesting area to be working in.’
Taking this interest in drought responses further, Mike then made a continental leap to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Out in the desert, he was entranced by various plants managing to survive such arid conditions. ‘It made my jaw drop to see these plants growing right out of the sand—I couldn’t figure out where they got enough water from. When camping in the desert, I would even return some nights to dig down and try to follow their root systems. Often, I found them to be astonishingly deep.’
Above:
Mike in the Kiso Mountains of Japan
Photo credit: Despina Gkeka
In the lab, Mike’s aim was to investigate the extent to which symbiotic bacteria fostered this resilience. ‘I was amazed to observe how bacteria colonise or even enter plant root cells and then affect their entire biology. Just like hormones, these signals are at the minuscule level but can change the life of the host organism, triggering widespread gene expression changes.’ This work included confocal imaging of the root colonisation dynamics by beneficial bacteria4 and assessing the possible effects on hormone homeostasis due to beneficial colonisation.5
As this placement drew to a close, Mike had a call from Jan Petrášek, who had met Mike during his PhD and remembered his ‘green fingers’ in cloning and transformation skills, besides his photography hobby. ‘He was looking for a researcher to take forward a new project to generate autonomous luminescence reporters for plant hormones. I could see this would be an efficient method to measure hormone responses to stress and biotic interactions in plants growing in close to natural conditions. So, I joined his lab at the Institute of Experimental Botany, in Prague.’
Once there, Mike found the project to be a worthy challenge of his skillset. ‘Generating the first bioluminescent Arabidopsis took a few months, and reaching that point was a huge milestone,’ he says. ‘Back then, we didn’t yet have a specific camera for the weak bioluminescence emitted spontaneously by Arabidopsis, so I set up a makeshift darkroom in my bathroom. Seeing the photograph and knowing the transformation had been a success was an incredible feeling. At that time, I was jumping for joy to see a photo of two luminescent young rosette leaves. Now, we see bioluminescence in the entire plant and we cover the whole spectrum of plant hormones with Arabidopsis lines that produce a hormonedependent bioluminescent signal.’
Although the community of researchers working on bioluminescent plants is currently small, Mike hopes his involvement with the SEB can help him spread the methods he has developed for Arabidopsis and other plants to the wider scientific community. ‘My dream would be to organise a dedicated session at the SEB Annual Conference on bioluminescence or novel methods for plant imaging of bioluminescence,’ he says.
Despite Mike’s passion for his work often seeing him ‘working in the lab into the small hours’, he still makes time to reconnect with nature, losing himself in the forests and mountains of the Czech Republic or elsewhere. ‘In many ways, I am still that child who was constantly exploring and asking questions. My advice to young people is to get off your screens and go out into the world to find something interesting. I always wondered—and still do—if what we see in the lab is what really happens in nature.’
References:
1. Karampelias M, Neyt P, De Groeve S, et al. ROTUNDA3 function in plant development by phosphatase 2A-mediated regulation of auxin transporter recycling. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2016; 113: 2768–2773.
2. Yu H, Karampelias M, Robert S, et al. ROOT ULTRAVIOLET B-SENSITIVE1/WEAK AUXIN RESPONSE3 is essential for polar auxin transport in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 2013; 162, 965–976.
I HAD BECOME FASCINATED BY THE SIGNALLING PATHWAYS OF PLANT HORMONES— HOW SOMETHING PRODUCED BY ONE CELL CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY ANOTHER, AND ULTIMATELY REPROGRAMME THE ENTIRE
3. Naramoto S, Otegui MS, Kutsuna N, et al. Insights into the localization and function of the membrane trafficking regulator GNOM ARF-GEF at the Golgi apparatus in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 2014; 26: 3062–3076.
4. Rolli E, de Zélicourt A, Alzubaidy H, et al. The Lys-motif receptor LYK4 mediates Enterobacter sp. SA187 triggered salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24: 223–239.
5. Alwutayd KM, Rawat AA, Sheikh AH, et al. Microbe‐induced drought tolerance by ABA‐mediated root architecture and epigenetic reprogramming. EMBO Rep 2023; 24: e56754.
Above: Mike with Arabidopsis plants
Photo credit: Viveka Pandeer
OUTREACH EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN GENOMICS FOR IMPACT AND TRUST
BY REBECCA ELLERINGTON
The field of genomics is incredibly influential on multiple aspects of society. From conservation, where sequencing technologies help identify genetic diversity within endangered species and guide breeding programmes, to crop development, enhancing resistance to disease, pests and environmental stresses, and to public health, advancing personalised medicine. However, for genomic research to truly fulfil its potential, it must reach and resonate with communities directly affected by its outcomes.
Genomics can be controversial owing to religious, cultural and ethical concerns surrounding DNA manipulation, often fuelling scepticism towards genomic initiatives like genetically modified crops. Historically, unethical practices in genomics, including eugenics and systemic discrimination, have eroded trust, particularly among underrepresented populations, further compounded by present-day inequities. This legacy of distrust makes community engagement even more vital for ensuring inclusivity and equity within genomics research.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT GENOMIC RESEARCH IS SCIENTIFICALLY VALID AND SOCIALLY RELEVANT
Community engagement is also essential in genomics to ensure that research is scientifically valid and socially relevant. By working with communities, researchers can better grasp the public’s concerns and cultural contexts, and address ethical considerations. Engagement with underrepresented communities is especially essential in human genomic studies
to counteract ‘genomic exclusion’, where specific populations might be overlooked in research, resulting in findings that do not accurately represent human diversity. Across other biological fields, effective community engagement helps to reduce fear and scepticism around genomic research, lowering barriers to funding and support. This foundation of trust and mutual understanding ultimately enables researchers to pursue and apply their work in ways that have meaningful, positive societal impacts.
Genomics researchers and institutions have adopted several strategies to foster meaningful relationships with communities, including community-based participatory research. In this approach, communities actively participate in all stages of research, from design to dissemination. This fosters a collaborative environment in which community members, advocates and scientists work together to address health disparities and produce data that reflect the needs of all populations involved. These approaches were recently highlighted at the SEB Symposium on Empowering Research for Community Impact, emphasising their importance across all biological disciplines.
Programmes such as the Community Engagement in Genomics Working Group established by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) aim to bridge these gaps. Their approach emphasises an open and continuous dialogue with communities to understand local perspectives, inform research directions and improve genomic
literacy, ultimately ensuring genomics research effectively serves a broad spectrum of populations. NHGRI’s partnerships with health advocates and community organisations support both public understanding and participation in genomics research, while workshops and panel discussions create platforms for open communication, enabling researchers to share insights and gather valuable feedback from the public. Such sessions also educate the public on how their participation affects research outcomes, leading to more informed, engaged participants.
Despite the growing emphasis on community engagement in genomics, challenges still remain. Building trust requires time, resources and a shift in traditional research paradigms, which tend to prioritise speed and output over inclusivity and open dialogue. Ethical challenges should also be considered, especially in the context of managing data and relationships with vulnerable communities that may harbour historical mistrust of science and research.
Researchers must also consider how to sustain longterm engagement, as communities expect a return on their investment of time and trust. This expectation means that community engagement must move beyond one-off consultations and evolve into a longterm, iterative process embedded within the research lifecycle. Long-term engagement can lead to greater community buy-in and more robust, actionable research findings, but it demands a commitment to transparency, respect and accountability.
As genomics continues to shape the future of biological research, strengthening community engagement practices will be key to realising its benefits fully. New approaches such as digital engagement platforms can play a role in reaching wider audiences, while training opportunities such as those offered as part of SEB career workshops can help researchers build skills in communication and public engagement. For researchers, these skills are not only valuable in genomic science but are applicable across all fields of bioscience.
BY ACTIVELY INVOLVING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, WE CAN WORK TOWARDS MORE EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE, AND IMPACTFUL GENOMIC RESEARCH OUTCOMES
It is clear that community engagement must be considered a vital component of genomic research moving forward. By actively involving diverse communities, we can work towards more equitable, inclusive and impactful genomic research outcomes. This collaborative approach strengthens the scientific process and ensures that the benefits of genomics are shared by all.
For more detailed information on community engagement initiatives, including case studies and guidelines, you can refer to the following resources:
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Sustaining Community Engagement in Genomics Research: Proceedings of a Workshop— in Brief. Washington, DC, The National Academies Press, 2024.
• NHGRI Community Engagement in Genomics Working Group. Community Engagement in Genomics. 2024. Available at: https://elsihub.org/ collection/community-engagement-genomicresearch
• National Human Genome Research Institute. National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research: Community Engagement in Genomics Working Group. Available at: www.genome. gov/about-nhgri/National-Advisory-Councilfor-Human-Genome-Research/CommunityEngagement-in-Genomics-Working-Group
• Smith M. Engaging marginalized communities in genomic research. J Bioethics 2017, 12: 45–56.
• Nature. Science communication will benefit from research integrity standards. Nature 6 November 2024. Available at: www.nature.com/articles/ d41586-024-03586-w
DIVERSE FACE OF BIOLOGY III
BY BRITTNEY G. BOROWIEC
Women have made remarkable contributions to science, often overcoming significant obstacles, and receiving little recognition, for the work. Martha Chase probably deserved a Nobel Prize for her part in identifying DNA as a repository of heritable information. Janaki Ammal ignored social norms to pursue higher education, blossoming into one of India’s most celebrated botanists. And every modern geneticist owes a thank you to Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, who more or less created ‘big data’ approaches to the field. Here, we explore the lives and enormous contributions of these incredible women in genetics.
MARTHA CHASE
Back in the 1940s, geneticists weren’t quite sure what they were studying. They knew about genes and that they were inherited, but couldn’t decide if genes were protein or DNA. In 1952, 25-year-old Martha Chase and her supervisor, Alfred Hershey, designed a simple and elegant experiment to figure this out. The Hershey–Chase experiment represented a major step forward in the field, netting Hershey a share of the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Chase was not acknowledged in Hershey’s acceptance speech1
nor lecture,2 and to many remains an example of the Nobel Committee’s disregard for the essential work of young, female technicians.
Any student of molecular biology worth their NaCl can recall the basics of the Hershey–Chase experiment.3 The star of the show was the T2 bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria by injecting its own genetic information into its host. After radiolabelling the phage’s protein and DNA (so they could track their location), Hershey and Chase introduced the phage to its favourite prey. After letting nature some time to take its course, they then knocked the bacteriophages off their hosts—using a kitchen blender of all things.3 Analysing the smoothie, the pair found that only DNA and not protein could be found inside the bacteria, demonstrating that the infectious material of the virus—and carrier of genetic information—was DNA.4
Martha left Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory in 1953 and spent much of the next decade as a research assistant at the University of Rochester,5 studying how bacteriophages and bacteria passed their genetic information down to their offspring and exchanged genes with each other. She eventually earned a PhD in microbiology from the University of Southern California in 1964. Ironically, the completion of her PhD marked the twilight of her scientific career, and Martha ultimately retired from research in the late 1960s.
JANAKI AMMAL
By 1946, E.K. Janaki Ammal brought home the equivalent of £11,000 per year as the Royal Horticultural Society’s first female scientist.6 She created tetrapod versions of several woody plants, including Magnolia kobus (one cultivar bears her name)7 and Rhododendron yakushimanum, for which she contributed a definitive nomenclatural standard (‘Koichiro Wada’ cultivar)8. Tetraploids have four sets of chromosomes instead of the usual two, and are renowned by plant enthusiasts for their vigorous, hardy nature.
The picturesque landscape of RHS Garden Wisley was a far cry from her childhood home in Kerala, India. Born into a financially secure but socially undesirable family,9 tradition demanded Janaki settle as a wife and homemaker. Instead, she made the radical choice to attend Queen Mary’s College, Madras, at a time when the literacy rate for women hovered around 1%.9 Janaki’s big break into academia came through a prestigious Barbour Scholarship, which funded her Masters of Science at the University of Michigan. After a brief interlude teaching at Women’s Christian College in India, she returned to the same department, becoming the first woman to receive a PhD in botany in the USA.
Janaki returned to India and, following another short stint teaching at the Maharaja’s College of Science, accepted at a position at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in 1934. At the time, India relied heavily upon imports of Saccharum officinarum to meet its supply needs. As an expert on plant cell genetics and hybridisation, Janaki developed new crosses between S. officinarum and native plants, creating sweeter and hardier varieties of sugarcane at home in the tropical Indian climate.6
By 1940, Janaki had moved again, this time to work at the John Innes Institute in England. There, she co-authored the Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants (1945) with friend and colleague C.D. Darlington, compiling the chromosomal information of 100,000 species. Reviewed in 1946 as having
‘inestimable value’ to plant scientists,11 the Atlas remains a foundational text in plant breeding and evolution.
Later in her career, Janaki turned her attention to restoring the indigenous flora of India. She was especially critical of the involvement of foreign botanists, and frustrated that much of India’s botanical diversity remained cloistered in European herbaria. As a senior scientist, she lent her voice and research expertise to the Save Silent Valley movement, a campaign to stop a hydroelectric project that would flood the Silent Valley forests.12 In 1984, less than a year after her death, the area was declared a national park and remains so today.
MARGARET OAKLEY DAYHOOF
Typed out on a standard word processor, one 12-point character per base pair, the complete human genome would be an enormous 1.3 millionpage file. Much of modern genetics research relies upon compiling, curating and interpreting huge amounts of data, often with the aid of specialised computational tools. These big data approaches to science, and the scientists who use them, owe a lot to Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, the ‘mother of bioinformatics’.
After completing a 4-year bachelor in just three years, Dayhoff entered Columbia University’s PhD programme in quantum chemistry.13 Her major innovation was to leverage computer aids to process unwieldy scientific data, such as predicting the bonding behaviour of complex organic compounds.14 Margaret completed her PhD as quickly as her bachelor’s degree, graduating in 1948.
Margaret spent most of the 1950s raising her daughters.13 She fully re-entered the scientific workforce in 1960 as associate director of the National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), a role that she would hold for over 20 years. Collaborating with Robert Ledley, Margaret used NBRF’s cutting edge IBM 7090 mainframe to assemble full protein sequences from fragmented data collected by digesting individual peptides,
a technique not unlike modern shotgun sequencing of DNA.
Margaret was also fascinated by the minor variations in protein sequence observed between species, and what those variations revealed about evolution. So that she could properly align and compare the protein sequences of different species, she converted each amino acid into a one letter code—A for alanine, W for tryptophan, etc—to reduce the size of her data files, a shorthand that is still used to today. The results of this analysis, published in 1966,15 is credited as the first application of computers to infer phylogenies from molecular sequences.
In 1965, Margaret completed her most enduring work, the Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure,16 a reference volume of all 65 protein sequences known at the time.17 Over time, the book evolved into the Protein Information Resource (PIR),18 one of the first open databases for, and a founding text of, the field of bioinformatics. In the last few years of her life, Margaret spent considerable energy seeking stable funding for the PIR, which became a reality shortly after her Margaret’s untimely death in 1983.
References
1. Hershey AD. 1969. Nobel Prize Banquet Speech. www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1969/hershey/speech/
2. Hershey AD. 1969. Idiosyncrasies of DNA structure [Nobel lecture]. www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/hershey-lecture.pdf
3. Wurm N. 2023. Blending history and science. www.cshl.edu/ blending-history-and-science/
4. Hershey AD, Chase M. Independent functions of viral protein and nuclide acid in growth of bacteriophage. J Gen Physiol 1952; 36: 39–56.
5. Bischoff MA, Wang X, Song E, et al. Martha Chase at the University of Rochester: the woman in STEM who was forgotten. J Undergraduate Res 2024; 22(2).
6. Matharu, M. The Female Botanist Who Sweetened a Nation. Royal Horticultural Society. www.rhs.org.uk/educationlearning/libraries-at-rhs/articles/janaki-ammal
7. Royal Horticultural Society. Magnolia kobus ‘Janaki Ammal’. www.rhs.org.uk/plants/140625/magnolia-kobus-janakiammal/details
8. Royal Horticultural Society. Rhododendron yakushimanum ‘Koichiro Wada’. https://collections.rhs.org.uk/view/103171/rhododendronyakushimanum-koichiro-wada
9. Damodaran V. Gender, race and science in twentieth-century India: E.K. Janaki Ammal and the history of science. Hist Sci 2013; 51: 283–307.
10. McNeill L. 2019. The Pioneering Female Botanist Who Sweetened a Nation and Saved a Valley. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/sciencenature/pioneering-female-botanist-who-sweetenednation-and-saved-valley-180972765/
11. Fogg JM. Book Review: Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants. C. D. Darlington and E. K. Janaki Ammal. London, Allen and Unwin, 1946. Pp. 397. $2.75. Science 1946; 103: 736.
12. Silent Valley National Park. History of Silent Valley. www. silentvalley.gov.in/AboutThePark/History
13. McNeill, L. 2019. How Margaret Dayhoff Brought Modern Computing to Biology. Smithsonian Magazine. www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/howmargaret-dayhoff-helped-bring-computing-scientificresearch-180971904/
15. Eck RV, Dayhoff MO. Evolution of the structure of ferredoxin based on living relics of primitive amino acid sequences. Science 1966; 152: 363–366.
16. Dayhoff MO, Eck RV, Chang MA, et al. Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure. Silver Spring, MD: National Biomedical Research Foundation, 1965.
17. Hunt L. Margaret Oakley Dayhoff 1925–1983. Bull Mathemat Biol 1984; 46: 467–472.
18. Protein Information Resource. History. https:// proteininformationresource.org/pirwww/about/aboutpir. shtml
PROGRESS WITHOUT POLICY: THE MORAL CHALLENGES OF HUMAN GENOME EDITING
BY CHARLIE WOODROW
IGenetic engineering has long been framed through the lens of science fiction, but today, it’s a scientific reality that holds immense potential for revolutionising biology, medicine and our understanding of human evolution. Technologies like CRISPR-Cas9, which allow precise edits to DNA, offer the promise of eradicating genetic diseases and improving human health. Yet as genetic engineering becomes one of humanity’s greatest powers, ethical use and legislation becomes one of our greatest responsibilities.
Since the discovery of DNA, people have questioned the ethics of making precise changes to our genetic code—the universal blueprint that determines everything from eye colour and food preferences to our susceptibility to disease. The ethical debate exploded in the 1970s,1 particularly after one of the first major milestones in genetic engineering: the invention of recombinant DNA technology by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer.2 For the first time, scientists could insert specific sequences from one genome into another.
Fifty years on, genetic engineering at the frontier of biological research, and simultaneous advances in computing power have made the genome more accessible than ever before.3 Leading this revolution is CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats); a powerful tool that has rapidly accelerated genetic research.4 Since its Nobel Prize winning discovery, CRISPR has been used to target and modify specific genes with a groundbreaking level of precision.
For patients with genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia or muscular dystrophy, gene
editing offers much needed hope for a cure. Clinical trials using CRISPR to treat these conditions and many more have shown promising results.5 If the technology continues to develop safely, it could provide relief for the millions with debilitating genetic disorders. And if you’re wondering what else CRISPR can do for you, simply reflect back on one of the largest pandemics in modern history, which saw the development of CRISPR-based diagnostic kits used for high-accuracy identification of SARS-CoV-2, which has led to diagnostic tools for future COVID-19 treatment.6
However, the power to edit genes also extends to human embryos. By editing the DNA of an embryo, scientists can alter the genetic traits of an individual before they are born. This is known as germline editing, and it is far more controversial than editing the genes of a fully grown individual. Just look to the 2018 He Jiankui affair, in which the use of germline editing produced the first genetically engineered human babies, but landed He and two of his collaborators sentences for unethical conduct.7 Most countries have since banned or heavily restricted germline editing, particularly for reproductive purposes. The World Health Organization responded to concerns with guidelines recommending against germline editing until it can be proven safe and ethically justifiable. Changes made in an embryo’s DNA can be passed down to future generations, raising serious ethical questions about the long-term consequences of such interventions.
Genetic editing of embryos also has broad implications for social inequality and the commodification of children.8 If we can choose to edit embryos to remove genetic disorders, why not
swap out genes for hair colours we prefer, or traits associated with improved athletic performance of our children? It is easy to see how such technologies could create inequalities through financial barriers. More generally, the genetic debate also extends to the privacy and confidentiality of our genetic information. For example, every time we exhale or touch a surface, cells from our bodies can be left behind. Outside of the body, who can claim ownership of this ‘environmental’ DNA? Can companies use this information to understand regional population health for specific marketing purposes?
The legislation required to resolve these dilemmas is lagging far behind our imaginations on how these technologies can be used, and the rate of our scientific advances is increasing. The future of human genome editing is at our door, but perhaps we should think carefully before we answer.
References
1. Davis BD. Prospects for genetic intervention in man. Science 1970; 170: 1279–1283.
2. Cohen SN, Chang AC, Boyer HW, et al. Construction of biologically functional bacterial plasmids in vitro. PNAS 1973; 70:3240–3244.
3. Cox NJ. Technology development driving genomics and life sciences: function of genome variation. Cell Genomics 2021; 1: 100009.
4. Jinek M, Chylinski K, Fonfara I, et al. A programmable dual-RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity. Science 2012; 337: 816–821.
5. Zhang S, Wang Y, Mao D, et al. Current trends of clinical trials involving CRISPR/Cas systems. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10: 1292452.
6. Rahimi H, Salehiabar M, Barsbay M, et al. CRISPR systems for COVID-19 diagnosis. ACS Sens 2021; 6: 1430-1445.
7. Normile D. Chinese scientist who produced genetically altered babies sentenced to 3 years in jail. Science 30 Dec 2019.
8. Coller BS. Ethics of human genome editing. Annu Rev Med 2019; 70: 289–305.
2018 ANTWERP, BELGIUM
08 JULY - 11 JULY 2025
SEBIOLOGY.ORG #SEBCONFERENCE
EXPANDING SEB’S REACH IN SOUTH AMERICA: DISCUSSIONS ON CAREERS, IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT
BY ANA COLOMBO
BEING PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY, SUCH AS THE SEB, CAN ELEVATE A RESEARCHER’S PROFILE AND WORK IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
WWith the relocation of our Outreach and Engagement Officer back to Brazil, the SEB is focusing on increasing our visibility in South America, aiming to improve collaborations and representation among experimental biologists worldwide.
southeast and south of Brazilian territory, this is the beginning of our commitment to having wellspread representation and visibility. The SEB also supported the Brazilian Proteomic Society event in São Paulo, which received researchers from the entire country.
Right:
Talk about UFRI Rio de Janeiro about internationalization of science.JPG
Photo caption:
Giving a talk about the internationalisation of science at UFRI Rio de Janeiro
Below:
Bridges Between Science and Society’ roundtable at Unesp Sao Jose do Rio Preto
Photo credit:
Ana Colombo
Among the activities already in progress, we have: collected data from local members and researchers on the benefits and barriers to joining our community; contacted local organisations for potential partnerships to combine efforts in strengthening links and opportunities; and presented talks at different universities and institutes to increase visibility and advise local undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers on topics such as careers, internationalisation of science and public engagement.
Recent discussions at talks and round tables across Brazil, including in Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba and São José do Rio Preto, have allowed us to connect with researchers and bring the SEB’s mission to new audiences. Although covering mainly the
LET’S TALK ABOUT CAREERS
So far, our most requested talks have been about careers, especially outside the traditional academic path, demonstrating where the interests of the young scientists are and the need to increase the conversations around this topic. Inviting attendees to question if they really know what an academic job entails has identified a blind spot for many students and early career researchers. Asking a recently hired lecturer about their daily routine is helpful both for understanding the realities of the job and also for seeing which skills to improve to get a position. This is called an informational interview and is a powerful tool if you are planning to explore new career paths.
Apart from the informational interview, keeping and maintaining a network will considerably help your career. Other tips for finding positions are on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, job board websites such as SEB job board and Science Careers, and mailing lists. You can also reflect on which organisations you like or think would be a good place to work and keep an eye on the job opportunities section on their websites. Or, look the other way around: think about a job title and look for organisations that might have them. Exploring
different job opportunities can also reveal the wide range of job titles that can describe similar roles. The job market goes beyond traditional careers, such as medical doctor, lecturer and researcher, and new jobs exist to supply the needs of an evolving society. Learning how to explore the possibilities is part of the career transition.
Once you have an idea of which type of jobs to apply for, the next step is to work on the skills required to get there and to change your mindset. It is important to understand that during a postgraduate degree, you acquire many skills employers are looking for, such as project and time management, problemsolving and collaboration. This will be useful when writing your CV, which is completely different from an academic CV and should be tailored for every single position. Employers are looking for relevant information about their specific job description and you usually only have two pages plus the cover letter to demonstrate this.
Our goal is to show attendees that it is never too early or too late to reflect on your career path and make changes if you think they are needed. Attendees have mentioned they don’t hear much about the topic and were happy to have time and space for these discussions. Also, having a role model as an example seemed to be helpful and encouraging.
IMPACT: THE WORD OF THE MOMENT
Another hot topic is ‘impact’. Scientists are increasingly being questioned, especially by funding agencies, about their research’s impact. According to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, an impact is ‘an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia’. Although not all research is directly applied or generates a direct impact, this is an essential discussion considering the scientific principles and how science is funded. We had the chance to get deeper into this conversation by being part of the round table ‘Bridges Between Science and Society’ last September.
We brought up how public engagement can help to achieve impact and how this has been done in different countries, especially the UK and Germany with the increase of public engagement departments and teams in universities and institutions. The ‘onion of public engagement’ is a good way to visualise the layers of engagement from informing to the co-production of science, generating food for thought. The benefits of public engagement, such as democratising and diversifying perspectives, and creating new ideas, ultimately lead to impact. However, there is also
a huge list of barriers, including lack of funding, time, confidence and training. That is why we also discussed ways to overcome these barriers at individual and institutional levels, which included time and funding allocation when starting a project or writing a grant, focusing on quality versus quantity, and structure for public engagement.
We also dived deeper into a philosophical conversation with the other invited speakers about how cultural and historical lines of thought have shaped our views and still influence our actions as scientists. Understanding how our society works at a political and socioeconomic level will assist us in bridging the gaps for engagement and, consequently, scientific impact.
INTERNATIONALISATION OF SCIENCE
While most scientists see science as international, discussions about the internationalisation of science include how to improve representation versus maintaining relevance locally. The advantages and barriers to these are commonly on the agenda. We had the opportunity to bring this reflection to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, showing the role of scientific societies in this. Being part of an international scientific society, such as the SEB, can elevate a researcher’s profile and work in an international context, along with all the opportunities for funding, professional development and connections.
Although interested, attendees were concerned about financial and time commitments. This is also part of a discussion on equity in science and the overwhelming academic responsibilities. As
ASKING A RECENTLY HIRED LECTURER ABOUT THEIR DAILY ROUTINE IS HELPFUL BOTH FOR UNDERSTANDING THE REALITIES OF THE JOB AND ALSO FOR SEEING WHICH SKILLS TO IMPROVE TO GET A POSITION
CONCLUSION
With over 100 years of experience, the SEB continues to evolve, fostering science connections and excellence in research by maintaining and expanding its visibility and support. Fostering relevant discussions among Brazilian scientists and getting their feedback boosts collaborations and representation among our community. A balance between international versus local needs and barriers in science and its impact has been permeating our discussions. This project in South America is giving insights into current and future strategies and we hope to increase our impact and connections while supporting more scientists and improving diversity.
a Society, engaging in these discussions assists the SEB in steering our strategies and plans to support our experimental biology community.
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