iBiology Videos

The fat layer in our skin has the ability to expand and shrink. Yet, the regulatory mechanisms for skin fat growth and shrinking are not well understood. In this Share Your Research Talk, Edriss Yousuf describes his thesis research on the regulation of skin fat. He discovered a non-immune function of regulatory T cells and showed that they can induce autophagy in skin fat cells to decrease their lipid droplet size. These findings have implications for scarring and scleroderma, disorders which are typically associated with reduced skin fat abundance.

Dirt is anything but dumb. Inside soil lives a community of microbes that play an important role in everything from the environment to agriculture. In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Julia Nepper describes her postdoctoral research to model and understand the microbial community inside the rhizosphere, the soil adjacent to plant roots. Dr. Nepper performed a series of experiments to understand how three key microbial species interact with one another to support each other's growth and survival. These findings indicate that the soil microbiome is greater than the sum of its parts, and underscores the importance of modeling complex species

In this session, you will learn how to thoughtfully choose your next job opportunity and successfully negotiate with both your current research advisor and prospective one. You will learn how to strategically apply your negotiation skills as you navigate the process of securing a job offer; deciding which job opportunity is a good fit; and transitioning out of your PhD lab to begin a new chapter in your career. You will also learn how to execute each step with intention, clarity, and confidence. 

In this session, you will learn how to thoughtfully choose your next job opportunity and successfully negotiate with both your current research advisor and prospective one. You will learn how to strategically apply your negotiation skills as you navigate the process of securing a job offer; deciding which job opportunity is a good fit; and transitioning out of your PhD lab to begin a new chapter in your career. You will also learn how to execute each step with intention, clarity, and confidence.

In this session, you will learn how to thoughtfully choose your next job opportunity and successfully negotiate with both your current research advisor and prospective one. You will learn how to strategically apply your negotiation skills as you navigate the process of securing a job offer; deciding which job opportunity is a good fit; and transitioning out of your PhD lab to begin a new chapter in your career. You will also learn how to execute each step with intention, clarity, and confidence. 

After receiving an invitation to interview from your prospective postdoc lab you need to develop an interview game plan. Your ultimate goal is to demonstrate why you are a good fit for the position. A postdoc interview usually includes meeting and talking with the principal investigator and members of your prospective lab. In this session, you will learn how to strategically highlight your strengths during the interview process and prepare a postdoc job talk that is relevant to your audience and outlines how you will contribute as a scholar and potential colleague. 

After receiving an invitation to interview from your prospective postdoc lab you need to develop an interview game plan. Your ultimate goal is to demonstrate why you are a good fit for the position. A postdoc interview usually includes meeting and talking with the principal investigator and members of your prospective lab. In this session, you will learn how to strategically highlight your strengths during the interview process and prepare a postdoc job talk that is relevant to your audience and outlines how you will contribute as a scholar and potential colleague. 

When you apply for postdocs and other types of jobs, you typically need to submit a curriculum vitae and a cover letter as part of your application package. This session will teach you strategies to assemble an effective application package geared towards getting the position that you want.

As you start thinking about doing a postdoc, there are a few key questions you need to consider. What type of position will allow you to build the profile needed to be competitive for your ideal career? What skills, knowledge, experiences, and type of environment will support your success and productivity? Knowing this will help you prioritize what to look for in a postdoc and begin scouting for opportunities that fit your goals. This session will help you organize your postdoc search and leverage your mentoring network to find postdoc opportunities that match your career goals. 

As you start thinking about doing a postdoc, there are a few key questions you need to consider. What type of position will allow you to build the profile needed to be competitive for your ideal career? What skills, knowledge, experiences, and type of environment will support your success and productivity? Knowing this will help you prioritize what to look for in a postdoc and begin scouting for opportunities that fit your goals. This session will help you organize your postdoc search and leverage your mentoring network to find postdoc opportunities that match your career goals. 

The third video is a recording of a panel discussion moderated by SCL producer Rosa Veguilla on February 3, 2022. In this conversation, we asked the speakers follow-up questions about whether we can and should use CRISPR in the natural forest to combat climate change, and if so, what that might look like.

Coral reefs are truly magnificent ecosystems that support an abundance of marine life, and they are under threat. As climate change warms the oceans, corals become stressed by the heat and struggle to survive. Can modern genetic tools, like CRISPR-Cas9, help save them? Some scientists say it is our responsibility to make sure corals adapt to climate change. 

Hearing loss, caused by the death of hair cells in the inner ear, is the third most common public health issue in the United States. Currently, there are no therapeutic strategies to restore hearing. In her thesis research, Dr. Amrita A. Iyer investigated the possibility of regenerating functional hair cells by reprogramming non-hair cells of the mouse inner ear. She found that overexpression of a single transcription factor, ATOH1, can successfully reprogram non-sensory cells into hair cells with typical characteristics in neonatal mice. However, a combination of three transcription factors - ATOH1, GFI1, and POU4F3 - was required to reprogram inner hair cells in 1-week old mice. Her findings provide a window into the developmental and gene expression requirements for regeneration of inner ear hair cells in mammals, and may inform future therapeutic strategies for hearing loss in humans. 

Dr. Tshaka Cunningham received his PhD in molecular biology from Rockefeller University and completed postdoctoral training at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. He is the co-founder and CSO of Polaris Genomics, a precision behavioral health company. Dr. Cunningham is a leading advocate for diversity and representation in genomics and is Executive Director of the Faith-Based Genetic Research Institute.

The National Cancer Act was signed into law in 1971, declaring a “War on Cancer.” While cancer deaths have declined remarkably since then due to major advances in therapies, we are still far from eliminating cancer altogether. In her Share Your Research talk, Christina Cho discusses how we could make further progress in our fight against cancer by learning more about the tumor microenvironment and the role of the immune system on tumor growth. Her work focuses on the complicated functions associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts, which can both help and harm cancer cells. 

More than 200 million people are infected with schistosomes, aquatic parasites that cycle between snails and humans, and cause the human disease schistosomiasis. Risk of contracting this disease is expected to rise in the coming years due to climate change, agricultural expansion, and population growth. In her Share Your Research Talk, Dr. Karena Nguyen provides an overview of the schistosome life cycle, including the points at which interventions can disrupt this cycle in order to reduce disease transmission. She then goes on to discuss her work modeling the impact of these interventions.

 Intestinal villi are finger-like projections that line the small intestine, increasing surface area to help with absorption of nutrients. Injuries to the intestinal villi can cause a range of health problems, and can even be life-threatening. In this Share Your Research Talk, physician-scientist trainee Takahiro Ohara discusses his research on the molecular and cellular processes that drive recovery of intestinal villi. He describes the fetal-like state that cells on damaged villi take on, and how adaptive differentiation of these cells leads to proper villus recovery.

When we think of what makes two species distinct, we often think of their ability (or inability) to produce viable offspring. But is there anything we can learn from inviable offspring? In this Share Your Research talk, Maiko Kitaoka discusses her work on closely related Xenopus frogs. She reveals how examining hybridization between these species at the cellular level can provide insight into only the mechanisms that restrict cell division and development, but also broader patterns of how new species are able to evolve. 

Unlike most animals, plants don't have the option to run away when something is trying to eat them. Instead, they develop all kinds of chemical and structural defenses. But these defenses can be energetically costly, and plants' ability to defend themselves can change over time and with the environment. In her Share Your Research Talk, Dr. Mia Howard discusses how soil microbes can influence defensive traits in goldenrod (Solidago altissima) at various stages of succession. Her work reveals that microbial communities from late succession soils can increase plant resistance to herbivory, and may even make plants less vulnerable to pests.

Exercise is like medicine for the mind and body, particularly in aging adults. Regular physical activity not only provides physiological benefits, it also reduces the risk of dementia, Alzheimer's, and other declines in mental function associated with aging. In his Share Your Research Talk, Brandon Yates provides an overview how proper hydration during exercise can help maximize the health benefits associated with exercise. He also discusses why this is particularly important in older adults, who are often chronically dehydrated.

Saving The American Chestnut: A Case Study, we explore more deeply the complicated question of using biotechnology to make forests more resistant to climate change. We look to the story of the American Chestnut as an example of how scientists are trying to bring a once-abundant tree back from near extinction through genetic engineering. We also consider the budding genome-editing technology CRISPR Cas-9 as a more precise tool with great promise but also great uncertainty. Can we do it and should we do it?

Some people harbor deleterious mutations in disease-relevant genes, yet they are completely healthy. How are scientists trying to understand these so-called ‘genetic superheros'? In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Mohamed El-Brolosy describes his thesis research in the model organism zebrafish. Dr. El-Brolosy found that genetic compensation to deleterious mutations relies on degradation of the mutant mRNA, which triggers upregulation of compensatory genes in a homology-dependent manner. These findings can inform strategies to better understand and treat genetic diseases, many of which have limited therapeutic options.

Solid tumors, such as those in the brain, can be deadly when they expand or spread to other parts of the body. Before they spread, tumors send out molecular messages within small membranous structures known as extracellular vesicles (EVs). The proteins and small non-coding RNAs inside EVs can help tumors evade the immune system and seed new sites of growth. In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Luz Cumba García describes her thesis research on extracellular vesicles released by aggressive brain cancers called glioblastoma. Dr. Cumba García's work helps scientists understand the EV profiles of different glioma subtypes, as well as how the messages inside EVs help them shut off the immune system.  

In order to succeed in kindergarten and beyond, children must develop language skills within their home reading environment. This environment is often influenced by the reading ability of a child's caregivers. In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Paige Greenwood describes her doctoral research on the association between maternal reading ability and the development of the language brain network in children. Her work showed that lower maternal reading fluency is associated with higher language network connectivity to brain regions involved in cognitive control and semantics in children. These data suggest that if there is lower frequency or quality of engagement in the home reading environment, children's brains may overcompensate to meet their language development needs.

Chronic liver diseases affect millions of people worldwide. By understanding how liver disease progresses, we may be able to identify new therapies that can protect the liver. Dr. Chrystelle Vilfranc studied the role of BRUCE, a protein that is known to be important in several cellular processes in our bodies, in liver disease. She found that the absence of BRUCE in mouse livers led to accelerated liver disease and higher rates of liver cancer when combined with a liver damaging compound. Furthermore, hepatocellular carcinomas that develop in the absence of BRUCE in the liver appear to have increased β-catenin activity. Loss of BRUCE may be a marker of early liver disease in humans, and rescuing BRUCE expression or activity may help stop or reverse disease in the liver.

Is it possible to define life using math? Dr. Alyssa Adams's research seeks to answer precisely this question. In their Share Your Research talk, Dr. Adams introduces the concept of open-ended evolution, and describes how they have developed mathematical models to help us understand how biological systems can innovate within a changing environment. These studies could help us to identify living systems beyond our planet that may be vastly different from those we recognize on Earth!

What does a redwood forest look like, and sound like, in the wake of a devastating fire? See a forest in a new way in this new cinematic short from the Science Communication Lab. Walk through a fire-ravaged redwood forest with experts Beatrix Jiménez, a Land Stewardship Associate at the Sempervirens Fund, Ian Bornarth, a Bay Area-based photographer documenting post-fire recovery, and Alex Jones, the UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve Manager. Their observations make visible the forces of destruction and regrowth throughout the redwoods ecosystem.

Bat species are numerous and diverse, and are found in nearly every corner of the globe. Therefore, they serve as a valuable system to study the evolution of mammalian traits. Dr. Alexa Sadier collected field and museum samples from over 50 species of bats to ask how color vision evolved in this unique group of mammals. By looking at gene expression at multiple levels - DNA, RNA, and protein - Sadier determined that different bat species have color vision capabilities adapted to their diets, and UV vision has been lost independently in multiple species through regulation of all levels of gene expression. By “catching” evolution in action, Sadier's research has revealed important insights into the mechanisms of evolution through trait loss.

Dr. Alex Moore provides an introduction to coastal wetlands, including the functional role they play in our world, as well as the many ways that these ecosystems are used for economic and recreational activities. Dr. Moore discusses the traditional approach to restoring coastal wetlands, and the ways that these efforts can fall short of restoring functional capacity in coastal salt marshes. Incorporating consumer interactions into restoration efforts may provide an opportunity to further improve wetland restoration. Moore finishes with a brief overview of work currently underway in coastal mangroves, another important wetland ecosystem.

Trees are magnificent organisms that have evolved very slowly over millions of years, making it hard for them to adapt to rapid changes in the environment. With climate change imminent, scientists estimate up to 25% of US forests will decline over the next three decades. In this film, four researchers ponder the question ”What can we do to help forests adapt to our changing planet?” The answer is, of course, not so straightforward, and leaves us thinking more deeply about the future of forest landscapes and how we can make them more resilient.

Nayak describes research she has done on methanogenic archaea – microorganisms that produce the potent greenhouse gas methane. One species of methanogens, Methanosarcina acetivorans, has unique chemical modifications on the enzyme it uses to produce methane. Dr. Nayak describes how she used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to determine that these modifications are used to protect M. acetivorans from environmental stress to ensure that the organism can support its metabolic needs in a changing environment.

Educational science videos are commonly used in undergraduate biology instruction, but what do we know about the student perspective on them? In this paper discussion and live Q&A, Dr. Laci Gerhart-Barley and Dr. Brittany Anderton present findings from their open-access paper “Engaging students through online video homework assignments: A case study in a large-enrollment ecology and evolution course.” Undergraduate biology educators will find a wealth of useful information on how to effectively implement science videos in homework assignments, develop assessment questions, and use the content in educational science videos to promote student engagement and learning of the process of science.

Synthetic cells can be used to teach us about the basic principles of life and evolution, and they hold promise for a range of applications including biomaterials and drug development. Dr. Kate Adamala narrates an introduction to this exciting field.

Meningioma is the most common intracranial tumor, with limited treatment options. In order to identify new therapies for meningioma, it is important to understand their underlying biology. In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Abrar Choudhury describes his thesis research, which began by looking at DNA methylation patterns to better understand gene regulation in meningioma, leading him to identify the cell cycle proteins CDK4 and CDK6 as therapeutic targets.

Mentors shape our careers by guiding us through difficult decisions. But, how do you find a good mentor? In this series, Dr. Joanne Kamens advocates for the use of Peer Mentoring Groups as a method to provide and receive valuable mentoring opportunities. While working towards a common goal, group mentorship allows for an organic development of valuable experiences and accountability for your personal growth as you create a circle of mentors that will help throughout your career.

How do you go about forming a Peer Mentoring Group? In her second video, Kamens explains the logistics of forming a Peer Mentoring Group. First, you need to find 5-6 peers that share a similar problem. As you prepare to meet, you need to set the ground rules and provide structure to your meetings (e.g., provide agenda, assign a leader per meeting, decide on topics of interest, and provide curricula).

As Kamens explains, the commitment of the members is crucial for the success of the Peer Mentoring Group. In her third talk, Kamens overviews what are mentorship best practices while running a Peer Mentorship Group. From setting concrete content and activities to set up goals, these best practices will allow you to create an environment that will help you get feedback and find opportunities to grow.

Life on Earth evolved once - this means that all biological systems on our planet are rooted in the same fundamental framework. This framework is extremely complex and we have yet to fully understand the processes inside each living cell. One way of understanding complex systems is to break them down into simpler parts. This is the principle of engineering the synthetic cell: to use our current knowledge of biology for building a living cell with the least amount of parts and complexity. Synthetic cells can be used to teach us about the basic principles of life and evolution, and they hold promise for a range of applications including biomaterials and drug development. Dr. Kate Adamala narrates an introduction to this exciting field.

Gregor Mendel's experiments with pea plants laid the foundation for our understanding of genetic inheritance. In this video, Shirley Tilghman tells the story of Mendel's studies and how his data led to an understanding of how the information within genes is passed from generation to generation.

Rodolphe Barrangou studies beneficial microbes, focusing on the occurrence and diversity of lactic acid bacteria in fermented foods and as probiotics. Using functional genomics, he has focused on uncovering the genetic basis for health-promoting traits, including the ability to uptake and catabolize non-digestible carbohydrates. He spent 9 years at Danisco-DuPont, characterizing probiotics and starter cultures, and established the functional role of CRISPR-Cas as adaptive immune systems in bacteria. At NC State, he continues to study the molecular basis for their mechanism of action, as well as developing and applying CRISPR-based technologies for genotyping, building immunity and genome editing.

Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their development of a powerful gene editing tool known as the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In this short film, Doudna, Charpentier, and Martin Jinek, who was a post-doc at the time in Doudna's lab, describe how their famous collaboration happened and share the story behind the influential experiments that led to their discovery.

Parasitic plants are important in natural ecosystems and in agriculture. Parasitism is a successful life strategy that has convergently evolved in all kingdoms of life.

Do students learn more with clickers and peer-discussion? Bill Wood (University of Colorado, Boulder) describes the Knight et al. study, which looks at student learning gains in an active learning classroom that utilizes clicker questions and peer-discussion, similar to a think-pair-share.

Think-Pair-Share is an active learning technique that can be used in small or large enrollment courses to engage students and encourage them to practice scientific thinking skills. In think-pair-share, students think about their answer to a question, pair with a partner to debate their choice, and then share their answers with the class. In this video showing examples of think-pair-share in action, Kimberly Tanner (San Francisco State University) shares her experience using this method in classrooms of all sizes.

Clickers are Audience Response Systems that enable instructors to ask a multiple-choice question, poll students for an answer, and display the aggregated results to the class. In this video showing examples of active learning classroom models, Bill Wood (University of Colorado Boulder) describes how clickers can be used effectively to engage students.

How can one shift from a teacher-centered to a student-centered classroom model? What are the benefits of active learning for students and instructors?

What are the issues with traditional undergraduate biology education? What is the role of an educator in a 21st century college classroom? What is missing in the way we currently teach science in college?

We have an online Q&A (hosted on January 6th, 2021) discussing the benefits and limitations of preprints from the perspective of early-career scientists. Panelists included Jessica Polka, Elizabeth Silva (Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at UCSF and former editor at PLoS), and Kate Carbone (an industry postdoc). 

Course Directors A. Malcolm Campbell, Kimberly Tanner, and Bill Wood talk about the reasons why we need to reform undergraduate biology education and why they got involved in the Scientific teaching Series project.

Dr. Harold Varmus talks to Dan Rather about his journey from literature major to scientist, and from the discovery of oncogenes to creating PLoS. Varmus reflects on his time as a researcher, as Director of the NIH, and on the importance of open communication in science. He ends by emphasizing why good science communication is important to engage more people in conversations about science.

How should we consider a journey through a career in science? How should we think of the future of science training? Few have given these kinds of questions more thought than Shirley Tilghman, a leading genetics researcher at Princeton University who also became president of that prestigious institution. In this far-reaching interview, Dr. Tilghman tells Dan Rather about her own path in science and how we need to rethink how we train and inspire budding scientists in a challenging career environment. This interview was filmed in 2013. This video is a collaboration between the Lasker Foundation and iBiology.