Sigma BioBlogs

Today we talk with Maven of Hip Hop, Adjunct Biology Professor, and Outreach Scientist, Danielle N. Lee.

Dr. Lee is not your average biology professor, or “average” anything, for that matter.

Danielle blogs, tweets and is passionate about teaching scientific concepts in ways that capture and keep the attention of her college-age students.  This spills over into her excitement for sharing science with teens and young adults as well. (And she hails from St. Louis, MO,  the hometown of Sigma Life Science!).

Here Danielle tells us about her work, and the projects that excite her the most.

What kind of work do you do with science education?

Presently, I am an adjunct biology professor – teaching Animal Behavior and Evolution to upper-level college students.  I also consult and lead informal science education programs focusing on urban ecology, environmental science, and conservation for youth programs like the Girl Scouts and Summer/After-school programs.

Are there any exciting projects around science outreach and education that you would like to highlight?

I am completely geeked about Citizen Science! I see it as this great catalogue of continuing education classes in every field of science imaginable: ecology, engineering, physics, astronomy, math – applied science and even social science.  It’s a perfect way to engage people in science at the individual, family, and community level.  Whenever possible I try to introduce people to a citizen science project related to an existing or latent interest of theirs.  For example, the Missouri History Museum will be hosting an exhibit on Mastodons and Mammoths.

I was surfing the Science for Citizens website and discovered the Mastodon Matrix Project. The Paleontological Research Institution will mail individuals, teachers or groups a box that needs to be sorted and organized to search for any fossils.  Now, how neat would it be to get families and school groups out at the museum and actually do an activity that contributes to a REAL research project??  What a way to spend an afternoon, eh?

How do you participate in outreach for children/teenagers?

I do some of everything – all ages.  For the last three summers I have worked with summer day camps – for the University of Missouri-St. Louis Forest Park Forever Partnership and with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources State Parks Divisions.  Each camp focused on nature and outdoor recreation experiences in the St. Louis Metro area.  Groups of children (mostly 6-12 years of age) from inner-city community centers, summer church camps, and scouting groups would visit local Conservation Areas, Nature Centers, Heritage Sites, and State Parks to learn about local ecology, conservation, and history.  I have as much fun as the children, introducing them to different plants, flowers, and animals and teaching them how to fish.

However, I prefer working with teens and young adults.  This usually requires smaller groups, and we engage in authentic research projects.  In the past I have mentored high school and college students in independent research projects in urban ecology and animal behavior.

What are the major challenges facing educators that you feel need to be addressed?

I think educators feel overwhelmed. There is so much to know and teach and not nearly enough time to cover the required curriculum let alone cultivate those general ‘scientific skills’ like critical thinking.  I think it is especially hard for public school teachers in any subject. Science (and math) seem to catch the worst of it.

I think creating a venue where K-12 educators have access to many kinds of STEM professionals will allow them to work together to deliver real-world learning opportunities to students.  Moreover, it would create a real-life network between students (and their communities) with members of society from every walk of life.

How can we work to create a better and balanced world if we don’t interact with each other?

What was your favorite science subject as a kid?

Actually, English was my favorite class.  I liked reading and creative writing. I liked Science as kid and I did okay in it, but not spectacular.  I thought it was too structured…but now look at me! I write about science and I LOVE the order and organization of scientific thinking.

What is your favorite science subject now that you’re an adult?

I get excited about a lot of things – ecology, behavior – but I always fall in love with animal communication again and again. It was the subject that ‘won me over’ to research.  Animal communication: which includes sender/receiver dynamics, biophysics of sound and visual signals, chemical communication, and decision-making strategies, is still my absolute favorite science subject.

Tell us about a project that’s close to your heart.

I’m beginning to embark on a mission to get more science into the hearts, minds, and mouths of diverse communities.  So, my effort is to find as many interesting and out of the box ways to engage under-served audiences in science.  So far I’ve been launching pebbles in the (virtual) waters to initiate dialogue and interest in Minority Serving Media Outlets & Media Professionals  and using creative ways to engage students in science, such as my “Hip Hop Seminar on Sexual Selection”.

Congratulations to Dr. Gail M. Seigel on winning our Antibody Review Contest. To win the $500 American Express Gift Card, Dr. Seigel submitted a product review for HPA036762 Anti-CRX Antibody Produced in Rabbit. Her review is a great example of how researchers can share their antibody experiences with colleagues and others in the Life Science community:

CRX antibody works very well
“We used the Sigma (HPA 036762) anti-CRX antibody for immunocytochemistry on cytospins of human retinoblastoma cells, with a rabbit polymer as a secondary antibody and DAB substrate. The antibody stained specifically and was very useful for image analysis.”

We also had the opportunity to ask Dr. Seigel a little more about her research and her use of our HPA036762 antibody.

Today we interview with Bora Zivkovic, Blog Editor at Scientific American, where he manages the coordination of blogs from Scientific American writers, and blogs from scientists “in the trenches”.

Bora (or BoraZ) is an educator who is very good at getting the word out on topics he is passionate about, like chronobiology, science education, and using social media to communicate and collaborate.

In our interview, Bora talked a great deal about how getting people involved with science starts in school, and can extend even to people who didn’t know they were interested.

What kind of work do you do with science education?

Most directly, I teach Biology 101 to non-traditional students – adults – at North Carolina Wesleyan College. I have been doing this for about a decade now, teaching both lecture and lab as separate courses. My lecture notes are online, on a blog, and much of the homework involves finding specific items online and verifying their reliability.

More indirectly, as Blogs Editor at Scientific American (SciAm), I make sure that there is plenty of content that is appropriate as educational material: in schools, for homeschooling, or for general outreach. Some of the bloggers I chose are specifically doing this (e.g. Budding Scientist, focused on raising science literate children and Urban Scientist with a focus of science outreach). Others provide educational material occasionally. I sometimes highlight an interesting educational or outreach organization, activity or event on one of the SA blogs (e.g., The Network Central, The SA Incubator, Expeditions, or the Guest Blog).

SciAm itself has devoted quite a lot of resources into its Education, Citizen Science, 1000 Scientists in 1000 Days, Bring Science Home, and other related projects.

Are there any exciting projects around science outreach and education that you would like to highlight? 

What I really like is the fact that thousands of people are getting into science outreach in one way or another. Some volunteer at the museums. Some organize events of their own, or events attached to existing non-science events. Some diverse examples are Science Cheerleader , The Story Collider and Guerilla Science and World Science Festival and HHMI’s Ask a Scientist. Some are blogging, producing videos and podcasts, or making art, photography and cartoons. Some are good at curating other people’s work and pushing it to a wider audience. It is hard to single out any one particular project, but let me try to highlight a few concepts I find most important, even if they are mostly not attached to any single organization or person.

First – Citizen Science People get to engage actively with science as opposed to passive listening/watching/reading is a plus in my book. Also check out the Science Cheerleader’s Citizen Science information and SciAm’s Citizen Science Center. Everything that gets people interested in science wanes soon after a lecture ends, but it becomes sustained whenever one actually takes part in it and participates in the discovery of new knowledge. It is addictive!

Second – Open Science and Open Access. These movements are incredibly important for education and outreach. As more papers and data become freely and easily available, more the general audience (including students in classrooms) can access the science and see how science is really done, without filters from media or textbooks. With true Open Access, the material is free to re-use, thus class projects can be based on existing data and papers, taking students well beyond vinegar volcanoes.

As more scientists should realize how Open Access publishing leads to media coverage…and media coverage leads to exposure to readers outside their peers…and that attention leads to MORE citations.

After realizing these benefits, more scientists will start writing their manuscripts with a broader audience in mind. The papers will become easier to read, and there will greater emphasis on making sure the papers contain good graphics, audio/video files, interactive “games” etc. to make the material more approachable and easier to comprehend by non-specialists.

Third – Media watchers and critics. Often using blogs and social networks, scientists are very good at dissecting and critiquing bad coverage of science in the media. This, after the initial dismay and sometimes comically inept defensiveness on the part of the journalist, actually leads to better reporting by the same person further down the line. Even if getting schooled and put in one’s place is unpleasant, the lessons stick. As a result, I can already detect a slow improvement in science coverage by a number of outlets and individual reporters. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention specialized sites that do analysis of science reporting well, e.g., Knight Science Journalism Tracker Tabitha Powledge at NASW, and CJR Observatory .

Fourth – Science in Entertainment -Nothing reaches more people around the world than a summer Hollywood blockbuster or a hit TV show. Thus, nothing is more important than the work by The Science & Entertainment Exchange, which puts together moviemakers and scientists, who then work together to make sure that the movies portray the science and the scientists in as realistic and positive way as it is possible within the constraints of the movie-making art. It is good to see that Hollywood is increasingly doing it right – see the following articles: Are Scientists Geeks or Hero’s? and Scientists are heroes .

Fifth – Social Media. Science channels on cable TV, science programs on radio, science festivals, science museums, popular science magazines, science sections in newspapers, science websites and blogs… all of those are primarily attended to by people who seek scientific information anyway. This is the “pull” method of outreach – you pull in the people who are already looking for science content. If you provide a good experience, they’ll come back. That is all fine and well. But that leaves out the majority of the population.

We need to ask, “How do you push science information on unsuspecting audiences – people who do not know yet that science is fun (or relevant to them)?” One way is to force it on kids in schools – that is a very captive (literally) audience.  Another way is to force the mass media to incorporate science news into their general news programming, e.g., into the mix with politics, celebrities, sports, etc.

Another way is with Science Cafes – taking cool science to where people are – in restaurants and bars. Another way is by word of mouth – let people who enjoyed your science content let their friends know about it, recommend it to them, suggest they also give it a try. Nothing works better than a gentle encouragement by someone you personally trust. Online social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are fantastic ways to push science content onto unsuspecting audiences who will look at the stuff you post because they know you and trust you, say “Gee, this is cool!” and then go on and look for more.

You do a lot for the entire community with regards to science education.  Do you get time to work with kids and teenagers?

It seems I do not have much time and energy left at the end of the day to do much in this regard on a regular basis, on top of what I try to do with a day job and the blog network. I do sometimes go to talk to high school science classes (either my kids’ school or other local teachers who may invite me). And I make sure that there are several ScienceOnline attendees younger than 18 each year, participating equally with their elders, and themselves moderating at least one session each time.

What are the major challenges facing educators that you feel need to be addressed locally? What about globally?

Unfortunately, science and scientists don’t have much say here. It is a combination of limited finances, misguided political will, and the entrenched, outdated educational system originally designed for producing obedient and skilled industrial workers, not thinkers. It will take a disaster of some kind for the entrenched political, financial and educational interests to be forced to make necessary changes. We can only agitate and criticize them (and make sure that as much of the population is as cognizant of these structural problems as possible) until then.

What was your favorite science subject as a kid?

As a little kid I always loved animals, but did not make a connection between loving animals and becoming a biologist until much later (see http://www.lablit.com/article/88 ). So I started with a love of chemistry (I had a great chemistry set that my brother brought me from his trip to the UK one summer), moved to biochemistry (naively thinking that being a biochemist meant making living organisms out of non-living matter in a test-tube), and from there to Biology (I had quite a high quality microscope at home as a kid).

What is your favorite science subject now that you’re an adult?

Definitely Biology. Though, since I started studying Biology, it seems that one of its most interesting sub-disciplines, Neuroscience, has separated from it as an independent discipline, so I’d have to claim interest in both. I like to be integrative and comparative in my own work as well as when I read about the work of others: physiology, behavior, evolution, development, ecology – I want to see all levels of organization, temporal scales and angles of inquiry applied to a problem if that is at all possible.

We’re excited to announce our sponsorship of Pubget’s new app designed to deliver the ease of finding full text PDFs for any journal, straight to your iPad®. Together with Pubget, we’re bringing life science research to the iPad in a simple and convenient app.

As a research tool, Pubget.com is the search engine for life science PDFs providing content from over 450 institutional libraries. Its 28 million article index includes all of PubMed and more. The article level tools on Pubget.com provide a seamless workflow tailored for scientists’ needs, plus it’s free!

The app provides search and one-click access to any journal available from your school or work’s library. What’s great is the results are full-text PDF’s, not just abstracts.

You’ll log in only once and then have convenient access to any journal. You can easily search all of PubMed and more. Once you’ve found your article of interest, save the full text PDF to take with you and read offline anywhere. Another great feature is you can add notes to any PDF while you’re reading it. You also have the option to share your viewed and saved papers with friends and colleagues by email.

Looking for the perfect Sigma product or gene-related content? Keep an eye out for the DNA helix icon as an indicator that there’s a Sigma product or information source that can assist in your research around the article you’re viewing.

Download the app today and save time with fast search and easy access to the latest papers from your favorite journals. You can now search and take full text PDFs with you wherever you go!

Recently we put together a blog on ways scientists are using Twitter. I’m taking on Facebook as my next challenge.

With more than 750 million active users on Facebook, you may already be using it to keep in touch with family and friends. It’s also particularly useful for sharing information with a large number of people. Since science runs on information sharing and collaboration, Facebook is a great place to keep in touch with major information sources.

The basics on Facebook Privacy settings are widely discussed in the media, so I’ll leave you to resources like Mashable. Below is a select list of Facebook pages we follow that are of basic use to all of us.

The USA Government

• NIH – National Institutes of Health
• NSF — National Science Foundation
• NCI –National Cancer Institute

Scientific Publishers

• ScienceNow
• AAAS EurekAlert!
• Clinical and Translational Science Network
• Science Insider – Breaking News and Analysis from the world of Science Policy
• Cell Press Journal
• Nature Magazine/Nature.com
• Nature Medicine

Societies and Associations

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• AACR – American Association for Cancer Research
• ASCB American Society for Cell Biology
• Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

What would Facebook be without Science Fun?

My all time favorite scientist Facebook group is “You know you’ve worked too long in a lab when…” where the members post things like “LB Broth is starting to smell tasty.”

My second favorite group on Facebook is “We look so sexy in our lab coats we have to wear goggles…for protection.”

This is just a sampling of pages we follow on Facebook. Now it’s your turn! Who do you follow?

We are excited to introduce our award-winning CompoZr® Breast Cancer Cell Lines.  By creating these human cell lines with CompoZr Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), we are able to make targeted and heritable deletions, integrations and modifications to the genome of these cell lines.

Get common cancer targets like TP53, PTEN and HER2 knock out cell lines ready for your experiments. These cell lines even come with their parental cells, giving you an excellent control.

With our CompoZr Breast Cancer Cell Lines you can do basic research, drug discovery and drug development targeting any gene in a clean way.  Using knockout cell lines you can study the response of each mutation to a drug, giving you a test scenario where you have “mini-patients” in your test tube.  With these cell lines, academic researchers can conduct complicated genetic experiments in human cells without having to resort to mouse genetics projects.

The development of personalized medicine can now be accelerated thanks to these genetically defined cell lines.  The ease with which genetically modified cell lines can be created with CompoZr ZFNs now enables you to get your customized cell lines with your favorite disease-relevant mutation incorporated into it. This will enable profiling patient genotypes that are responsive to a drug therapy and to determine genotypes that are resistant to a drug regimen driving the development of personalized medicine.

If you are interested in learning more about our new CompoZr Breast Cancer Cell Lines, complete this survey and one of our Technical Sales Specialists will contact you directly.

To celebrate the launch we are giving away a limited number of BioPink T-shirts to respondents of the survey, to show our support for Breast Cancer research.

Sigma Life Science’s BioUniversity offers scientists a way to learn theory and do in lab practicals on new techniques like RNAi screening, and creating knockouts with Zinc Finger Nucleases.

In order to do that, the BioUniversity group relies on a fantastic team of teachers to present and facilitate the workshops.

Shondra completed her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in August 2008.  While at UT Southwestern, she worked in Matthew Porteus’ lab on the optimization of zinc finger nucleases for use in mammalian cells.  After graduate school, she was recruited to Sigma Life Science as an R&D senior scientist working to improve the CompoZr ZFN platform.

She has since moved into a field application specialist position where she works directly with researchers to learn more about their work and uses her first hand knowledge to help advance their research.

Learn more about Knockout Zinc Finger Nucleases from Shondra in this video:

IHC image of human stomach

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Immunofluorescence stain of human cell line U-2 OS

What is the focus of your research?

My research has focused on developing an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model of Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA), which is an inherited neurodegenerative trinucleotide repeat expansion disorder, discovering the iPS cells themselves could be used to model repeat instability seen in brain and heart tissue in patient families.  Triplet repeats in many trinucleotide repeat expansion disorders are unstable over generations, and we see it replicated with passaging of the iPS cells in this case with FRDA.

We worked to make iPS cells and differentiate them into neurons to model Friedreich’s ataxia, which hadn’t been done before.

These neurons can be used for mechanistic or drug development studies according to our proof of principle evidence, which hopefully will soon be published.

Has the iPSC model replicated the state of the disease? Is there another application for it?

Sherman relaxing for a minute after successful defense of his PhD

Yes, we have evidence that suggests that we can replicate certain aspects of FRDA in both iPSCs and iPSC-derived neurons. Of our particular FRDA iPSC line, there is no other major application (aside from disease modelling or mechanistic studies), but certainly other groups are working on general iPSC applications such as cell or tissue replacement.
How did you first become interested in Biology?

A high school biology teacher (back in 9th grade, I think) really got me interested.  First with his oddly sarcastic enthusiasm for teaching and the anecdotal stories he would tell. I remember what really piqued my interest was him telling us about early studies back in the 70s of people developing oil-metabolizing bacteria that might have been useful for oil spills… the possibility of such an application really appealed to me.

I started doing research as an undergrad in a yeast lab for three years.  I really enjoyed benchwork and the objective and analytical nature of the work, so the natural step for me was to go to grad school and see where it would take me.

How does it feel to have both successfully defended AND published so recently?
It feels great to have defended and to have all that pressure off me, but at the same time, no significant changes have really occurred for me yet. Probably it’ll hit me when I leave the lab and transition to a job, but so far, things are going as they were before…just without that near-panic feeling of “I need to finish soon.” I was also really happy about having a good paper come out last fall, and I’m looking forward to hopefully another one in the next few months.

Our next comprehensive three-day technical course on zinc finger nucleases (ZFN) for targeted genome editing is happening June 14-16, 2011.

You will learn from a team of scientists that have extensive experience utilizing ZFNs through both lecture and lab practicals at Sigma Life Science and High Technology Center  in downtown St. Louis, MO.

The three-day experience will immerse you in the latest developments in ZFN mediated genome editing, including:

For more information, visit sigma.com/workshop

The Sigma Biobloggers reside in the Life Science and High Technology Center, so be sure to say “Hi!” when you come!