JAN 2019

SCELSE’s annual scientific retreat marked its seventh year on the first of November 2018 at the

Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa. Situated metres away from beach-goers and rollercoaster riders, the Centre’s researchers had equal thrill sharing their work and discovering that of their peers in the resort’s grand ballroom over two days.

This year’s scientific retreat was noted for the inclusions of a few novel events on its agenda, notably the return of breakout sessions since 2016 and a recycled poster session. Following convention, Centre Director Prof. Staffan Kjelleberg gave the welcome address and shared the vision for SCELSE that will be enabled by the extended funding beyond year-10 of the centre.

Prof. Kjelleberg also announced the set-up of a collaboration betweenSCELSE and the National Biofilm Innovation Centre (NBIC) in the UK. In addition, the upcoming Singapore National Biofilm Consortium (SNBC) brings together researchers, institutes

of higher learning, government agencies and businesses to address issues of biofilm detection and control for industry needs. Both will be launched in February 2019.

Amid the news of exciting developments, there were also farewells to address, namely the departures of SCELSE’s deputy director Prof. Yehuda Cohen, deputy research director A/Prof. Yang Liang, and Assist. Prof Enrico Marsili (see page 5).

Learning from bacteria

The scientific programme opened with a talk that many from SCELSE were looking forward to and given by new visiting professor, Prof. Alain Filloux from the MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection at Imperial College London.

Sharing his research on the capabilities of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type VI secretion system as an antibacterial weapon, Prof. Filloux highlighted how the mechanism may contribute to the manipulation of the microbial community in environments such as the human gut.

“I focused on a particular set of toxins in the talk, but this is an on-going project,” says Prof. Filloux. “The overall message I wanted to convey about type VI’s manipulation of the microbial population was that we can learn from them and develop clever strategies to fight against bacterial pathogens in the same way other bacteria fight each other,” he explains.

Colleagues seized their chance to seek the expertise of their peers or share their own during the talks. Dr Foo Yong Hwee shared his search for those who work with aptamers, while Dr Artur Matysik exposed the pitfalls in image acquisition and analysis. Pictures of Pablo, his cat with a grayscale coat proved to be popular and useful in illustrating his recommendations on achieving better images. Taking the opportunity to remind the 150-strong audience of a pertinent issue in science, Dr Matysik also made a call out to inclusivity with suggestions on using tones friendly to the colour-blind when producing microscopy images.

Novel programmes

There were also smaller breakout sessions that allowed for more intensive discussions and interactions. The sessions ranged from the technical – imaging methods, options and applications by Prof. Peter Török – to oft-neglected skills in the field, such as Dr Sean Booth and Dr Viduthalai Rasheedkhan Regina’s session on asking questions in scientific seminars.

“For the last couple of years, we’ve had a talk-heavy programme,” admits Dr Rohan Williams, head of the Integrative Analysis Unit and one of the retreat organisers. “We have rebalanced it with new programmes so there is something catering to everyone.”

Long-time attendees of the retreat favoured the new (cont. on next page)

NEW PROGRAMMES AT SCELSE’S 7TH SCIENTIFIC RETREAT

SCELSE at the end of the 7th scientific retreat

CalendarConferences in 2019

21-22 Feb: World Congress on Microbiology & Applied Microbiology. Paris, France. Abstract deadline: 07 Feb 2019. Registration deadline: 14 Feb 2019

10-14 Mar: Keystone Conference - Microbiome: Chemical Mechanisms and Biological Consequences (C3). Québec, Canada. Discounted registration deadline: 16 Jan 2019

08-11 Apr: The Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2019. Belfast, UK. Early bird registration deadline: 4 Mar 2019

07-11 Jul: 8th Congress of European Microbiologists - FEMS 2019. Glasgow, Scotland. Abstract deadline: 15 Jan 2019. Registration deadline: 30 Jun 2019

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(cont. from previous page) agenda. “This new concept of recyclable poster sessions is a good platform for people to know what others have presented at various conferences and it’s good to know what they’re doing,” says research associate Krithika Arumugam, who has attended every retreat since SCELSE began.

First-year PhD student Omkar Shashikan Kulkarni was taken in by his first experience of the retreat. “It’s been fun and I liked Tan Wee Boon’s talk on transposon sequencing, which they used to create mutant libraries and screen entire libraries using a high throughput technique,” says Omkar. “I think it’s a really good technology and when you integrate it with something like microbiomes or microbial ecology, it could give you good insights into these fields,” he adds. Giving thanks to audiences

The retreat closed with an adherence to tradition, with final remarks given by the SAB Chair, Prof. Alexander Zehnder. With reference to the breakout session on asking

questions, Prof. Zehnder regaled retreat participants with his history as a young researcher. Recalling one of his first conferences, he spoke of his surprise at an attendee who announced publicly that they did not understand his presentation. He realised that it was an opportune moment to elucidate his talking points to audience members who might not have dared to ask for clarification, and he was grateful for the attendee’s question.

While Prof. Zehnder was impressed by the work presented at the retreat, the seamless run of its programme also has to be credited to the corporate services staff who sat quietly at the back of the ballroom.

To that end, many thanks to Ying Ting, Nathasha, Allen, Rehan, Patrick, Smitha, Wey Yeeng, Kartini, Sow Chin and Soon Lay for the behind the scenes work; Dr Rohan Williams, A/Prof. Scott Rice, Dr Bae Sung Woo, A/Prof. Kimberly Kline, A/Prof. Yang Liang for organising; students and everyone else who have contributed to the retreat in their own way.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Scientists at SCELSE and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKC Medicine) will be keeping an eye on fearful zebrafish over the next two years. A

project between A/Prof. Suresh Jesuthasan and Prof. Peter Török, director of the SCELSE imaging facility, that seeks to illuminate the neurological basis of fear responses in zebrafish was awarded the NIMBELS grant in November 2018.

The grant is aimed at facilitating joint research projects between two different institutions. The seed fund will provide up to $200,000 SGD over a two-year period. The shortlisted project involves the development of an imaging system to characterise the neural circuits that mediate the alarm response in zebrafish.

Aggrieved zebrafish is not the only focus of SCELSE-LKC Medicine joint research in the slew of NIMBELS grant projects. Asst Prof. Sanjay Chotirmall and SCELSE’s research director of the Meta-‘omics & Microbiomes cluster Prof. Stephan Schuster are leading the charge in investigating indoor air microbiomes and its links to respiratory disease.

Dr Artur Matysik’s pet cat Pablo was well received as a sample illustration during a presentation on acquiring better microscopy images

(from left) SCELSE research director Prof. Michael Givskov and visiting professor Prof. Alain Filloux happy at lunch

(from left) Dr Sumitra Debina Mitra, Samarpita Roy, Dr Irina Afonina and Dr Lucinda Doyle

(from left) A/Prof. Diane McDougald, Prof. Hans Curt-Flemming, Prof. Givskov, Dr Rohan Williams, Prof. Staffan Kjelleberg, Prof. Stefan Wuertz, Prof. Peter Steinberg, Prof. Alexander Zehnder, Prof. Peter Little, Prof. Peter Török,

Prof. Jürg Keller, A/Prof. Paul MacAry, A/Prof. Sanjay Swarup

Alarmed zebrafish, air in homes projects receive NIMBELS grant

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Nay Min hiking, hand on knee

CONFERENCE REPORT

Sequencing tropical air bacterium

Styria in the southeast of Austria is known as the country’s ‘Green Heart’ and its most fertile state. For the last two years, researchers have descended upon its

municipiality of Vorau or rather, have ascended its peaks for the annual Mountain Village Science Series (MOVISS) conference. SCELSE research associate Ms Saw Nay Min Min Thaw was one such hiker and conference participant in September 2018. She shares her experience of discussing metabolomics in the mountains:

The MOVISS conference was filled with discussions and questions about metabolomics and statistics, and had a focus on experimental design and critical issues of data pre-processing in metabolomics data.

My supervisor Dr Rohan Williams had encouraged me to submit my abstract. I gave a 5-minute oral presentation titled “Application of generalised additive models in metabolic changes of microbial community in enhanced biological phosphate removal”. My presentation was targeted at fellow researchers who are working on time-resolved experiments and at the conference, produced fruitful discussions on the time-series analysis of metabolomics data.

What caught my interest at MOVISS was the presentation by Professor Beata Walczak from the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, which showcased a new approach to normalisation of metabolomics data. It is based on compositional data analysis (CODA) and involves working with log ratios. She compared the performance of the new approach to other techniques like pair-wise log ratios, probabilistic quotient normalisation and total sum normalisation. Her presentation also touched on some problems in data pre-processing and rules to counter them. I also enjoyed the Data Clinic where you could present your data and solve your problems with experts in the field.

The workshop was great for showing me new techniques and provoking discussions on the latest challenges in the field of metabolomics and statistics. The MOVISS conference also came with hiking tours to encourage us to explore Austria’s natural offerings – true to the name of the conference!

PUBLICATION PROFILE

There is something in the air; in fact, there are plenty and more yet to be sequenced as far as the research of SCELSE’s air microbiome programme goes.

A collection of papers on the complete genome sequence of various bacterium in Singapore’s tropical air space was published in Genome Announcements by the American Society for Microbiology between May to July 2018. The selection of sequenced bacterium includes Acinetobacter indicus1, Lelliottia nimipressuralis2, Staphylococcus haemolyticus3, Pseudomonas stutzeri4, Acinetobacter schindleri5, Geobacillus thermoleovorans6, Serratia marcescens7, Bacillus velezensis8 and Pantoea ananatis9.

This work by the Centre’s air microbiome group contributes to an open access public database on new genome sequences and methodologies for attaining and assembling them. More importantly, the functional analysis and annotation results of these sequenced bacterium may serve to highlight genes and potential mechanisms for further study. For example, Serratia marcescens, which may present as an opportunistic bacterium associated with urinary tract and other hospital-acquired infections, showed genes associated with virulence, disease, defense.

Among these genes, several have potential links with antibiotic resistance. This array of genes highlighted in Serratia marcescens may help the bacterial strain achieve multidrug resistance and contribute to the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections.

A. schindleri is also another opportunistic pathogen involved in hospital-acquired infections, particularly affecting immunocompromised patients and those in intensive care units. Although known for its ability to survive on inert surfaces for long periods of time, the researchers noted that the phenotypic identification of its isolates remains indistinct. The complete genome sequences of the strain as provided by the researchers’ work may go some way in providing molecular markers for identification in the future.

*Titles and DOI numbers of the papers are as follows:

1 Complete Genome Sequence of Acinetobacter indicus Type Strain SGAir0564 Isolated from Tropical Air Collected in Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00230-18

2 Complete Genome Sequence of Lelliottia nimipressuralis Type Strain SGAir0187, Isolated from Tropical Air Collected in Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00231-18

3 Complete Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus haemolyticus Type Strain SGAir0252. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00229-18

4 Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas stutzeri Type Strain SGAir0442, Isolated from Singapore Air Samples. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00424-18

5 Complete Genome Sequence of Acinetobacter schindleri SGAir0122 Isolated from Singapore Air. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00567-18

6 Genome Sequence of Geobacillus thermoleovorans SGAir0734 Isolated from Singapore Air. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00636-18

7 Complete Genome Sequence of the Bacterium Serratia marcescens SGAir0764, Isolated from Singapore Air. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00637-18

8 Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis SGAir0473, Isolated from Tropical Air Collected in Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00642-18

9 Genome Sequence of Pantoea ananatis SGAir0210, Isolated from Outdoor Air in Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00643-18

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SCELSE OUTREACH

A showcase of ‘alien life forms’ at Van Kleef Centre

Biofilms are a daily – if not hourly – preoccupation for researchers at SCELSE, but can be seen as something entirely different to others. This came to the forefront

at a showcase of Singapore’s research on urban waterways to Her Excellency Margriet Vonno, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Singapore and Brunei.

Held at the end of October last year, the event showcased on-going research done by various institutions such as NUS and SCELSE at the Van Kleef Centre (VKC). A team from SCELSE comprising research fellow Dr Stan Chan Siew Herng, visiting PhD student Lucía Chavez Díaz and research associate Elton Lim was invited to present a scaled down replication of an upcoming flumes project.

Planned for early 2019, the experiment will look at biofilm formation on sediments in seawater and their interactions with microorganisms through their formation and detachment stages and during resuspension events. Observation of these bacterial processes will be done through flumes set up on St. John’s Island.

“We will add in bacteria such as a fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum that is known to affect a wide variety of fishes, a faecal indicator bacteria and a bacterial phage as a tracer,” explains Dr Chan. “Through this experiment, we may see how this pathogen affects fisheries and the possible reinfection process.”

“The ambassador was interested to know how the flumes experiment could apply to the aquaculture community in Singapore and the impact of pathogens on the fish,” says Dr Chan. “She was also curious about biofilms and thought it was like an interesting alien life form in how they can form a sticky layer on a surface and disperse when they find it unsuitable for them.”

“Getting such a response is encouraging because it informs us how we can communicate our work to a wider range of people outside of the research community, and interest them in what microorganisms can do,” he adds.

In turn, the ambassador spoke of how impressed she was by the range of research she witnessed at VKC, while reaffirming the ties and close history of friendship between the Netherlands and Singapore.

“It was my first time talking about this project with people outside of SCELSE and my lab group back in Argentina are very proud of the showcase too,” says Lucía, who is visiting from the National University of Salta. “I’m very happy to have participated in this and to be part of SCELSE as I believe it is very important to inform society about our research work and the results.”

The SCELSE team and PUB delegation with H.E Margriet Vonno, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Singapore and Brunei

Visiting PhD student Lucía Chavez Díaz presenting to H.E Margriet Vonno

A roundtable with Moscow

The closing months of 2018 saw several research sharing sessions and a bevy of visitors to SCELSE. These are some of the highlights of a memorable year:

Research fellow Dr Lu Yang taking our visitors from the Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology on a tour, including through the bioreactor lab

Research fellow Dr Lu Yang played host to researchers from the Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology in November this year. Hailing

from the institute’s Laboratory of Microbiology of Anthropogenic Habits, Prof. Alla Nozhevnikova and Dr Yuriy Litty had been prompted to visit SCELSE on the recommendation of SAB Chair Prof. Alexander Zehnder. Our visitors were taken on a tour of the laboratories and engaged in a round table discussion with SCELSE reseachers – a pertinent activity for this first visit, given the common subjects of research between SCELSE and their laboratory in Moscow, Russia.

“We found that there were many common objectives in our respective research, including features of biofilms formation comprising Anammox bacteria and their satellites, and the matrix of biofilms structure for the

possible use of new compounds, such as new extracellular proteins in biotechnology,” says Prof. Nozhevnikova of the discussions. (cont. on next page)

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(cont. from previous page) “Our SCELSE colleagues spoke about the increase in the loading of nitrogen to the mineral nutrient solution leading to the biomass production consisting of genus Brocadia representatives, but we obtained in similar research that the representatives of the genus Jettenia were those mainly developed,” highlights Prof. Nozhevnikova. She also raises that the discussion of the issues relating to the influence of electroconductive materials on the process of methanogenesis was particularly impressive.

“We are also working on the mechanisms involved in enriching Jettenia and it was helpful to learn from the experiences of our fellow researchers,” adds Dr Lu.

Prof. Nozhevniko sums up, “we look forward to building a closer cooperation in the field of our professional studies from this very successful initial visit.” SCELSE researchers with visitors Prof. Alla Nozhevnikova and Dr Yuriy Litty

(from left) Enrico, Dr Dan Roizman and Dr Prasanna Jogdeo at the 4th SCELSE Scientific Retreat in Nov 2015. “Just a good time between PhD

students, friends and co-supervisor (the borders get fuzzy at the retreat)”

SCELSE staff profile

Asst. Prof Enrico MarsiliPrincipal Scientist

Come 2019, the whistling in the corridors of B1 will cease. At least, for a few months until Asst. Prof Enrico Marsili returns to SCELSE as a visiting

scientist.

The energetic principal scientist at SCELSE who regularly announces his presence with a tune before you see him is due to start his new appointment at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan in January.

The last four years at SCELSE has seen Asst. Prof. Enrico work on the electroconductivity and microbially influenced corrosion in the tropical and equatorial environment. But based in a new geographical location and climate, Enrico’s focus will shift to Arctic and sub-Arctic research for the first time. “Going cold is an advantage. Some of the bacteria in cold environments produce resistant enzymes which are great as antimicrobials,” he says.

“Can we find bacteria that can do better than Geobacter?” he surmises when he touches on the topic of electroconductive bacteria. “It’s impossible that Nature only gave us one Geobacter that works well on electrodes! I can’t believe it! I am making this quest for the next ten years – to search for the next one”.

Into the deep end of history

But Enrico’s journey in academia started in an unlikely field – protohistoric archaeology. In 1991, 17-year old Enrico was stepping up to the field of research as a semi-professional archaeologist in a research group, carrying out collaborations with university departments.

“You excavate three thousand year-old pieces which have substantial economic value, talk about history to audiences and work with a multi-disciplinary team of geologists, historians and paleobotanists,” Enrico describes of his formative summer job. “It exposed me to a research environment.”

Not that Enrico could see the affinities between both fields then. When recruiters came to his high school, he told them he wanted to study chemical engineering, even though he had no idea what that meant. He only knew he had recently been swayed towards engineering thanks to a supportive teacher, and that his own father was a chemist.

“The very same day, I saw the prospectus by the local university and that they offered this course and took it up,” explains Enrico of his propitious beginnings.

The subsequent years of his education play out in a rich narrative replete with unorthodox deals and exposure to the hardship of a country’s economy unfavourable to young professionals. The PhD student was paid under the table in cash for moonlighting, worked weekends as a school teacher and picked up a third job as a private environmental consultant.

“After two years of this life, I was done,” declared Enrico. “I wanted to leave Italy, and my professor said ‘Enrico, there’s this new thing called Google, let’s play with it. What do you want to do?’ I had never used Google to find a job, and was working with biomass at that time, so I said biofilms. The first result that came up was Montana State University’s Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE).”

With that serendipitous Google result, young Enrico wrote an email to Professor Zbignew Lewandowski, then the head of the biofilm structure and function cluster at CBE. “After two hours, I got a ‘yes, when can you come?’ I used my scholarship from Italy to go to the U.S and met who would be my academic grandfather and father – Professor Lewandowski and Professor Haluk Beyenal,” Enrico narrates.

Enrico describes his two-year experience of the U.S as “amazing”, even if he had to live on (cont. on next page)

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SCELSE kenpō karate class in March 2016, with several SCELSE personnel including Dr Eze Santillan, Dr Jamie Hinks, Dr Artur Matysik, Sol

Astorga, Dr Sharon Longford, and sensei Dr Damien Keogh“A great group of friends on the tatami and in the laboratory.”

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS FROM SCELSE:

From A/Prof. Scott Rice: I would describe Enrico as the hardest working man in science. He has an amazing capacity to push through the late hours. This is a reflection of his excitement and passion for both science and teaching. He also has an amazing memory for publications, which for the forgetful – like me – is impressive.

Enrico’s departure will leave a big gap in our projects but fortunately, he is happy to come back and ensure we are on the right path. Best of luck with the new adventure and I look forward to hearing about the next big thing.

From research fellow Dr Lucinda Doyle: When he was teaching me as an undergrad in Dublin, he was always very energetic and never boring. He manages to get the best out of you because you feel appreciated and that what you’re doing is worthwhile.

One favourite memory I have of him was when we worked on a review together. It was coming up to the deadline and there was this constant exchange of emails and WhatsApp texts to get it together and the happiness when it was finished.

He’s always been a very strong mentor and I would always want to maintain close links with him over my career. I’m very grateful that I got to know him and have had his mentorship because it has been significant in my life and development. I would not have moved to Singapore if I didn’t know who I would be working with, and I came primarily to work with him on my PhD. It will be very different with him gone because I’ve only ever known Singapore with him in it.

A year later, Enrico was offered a visiting scientist position and subsequently, principal scientist in 2015. What he is most proud of though is less his accolades but his training of the next generation of students, some of whom are making headways in their own careers.

Enrico pulls a drawer open and shows me a heap of thank you letters and cards, “each and every one of them a good memory”. “You give me your time – the most thoughtful gift of all,” he reads. “When a nineteen-year-old gives you a little gift like this, you know it’s not formality. It’s real.”

For previous and future students in SCELSE, Kazakhstan and wherever he chooses to go, the 44-year old offers this piece of advice: “Don’t focus so much on the number of papers but the quality and pick up that damn Python programming book now or you’ll be lost in five years.”

Enrico sums his lesson up in a story he says resonates with his academic journey: “A guy was walking down the street when he saw another guy under a street lamp searching for something. The first guy says, ‘what are you searching for?’ The second guy says, ‘Oh, I’m looking for my keys.’ ‘You lost it here?’ ‘Nope, but there is light here.’”

“What does that tell you about research?” Enrico continues. “If you keep moving in your comfort zone, you will produce papers, but no more. You need to jump in the dark. We need to dare to do more and this will inspire not only us, but also those we are teaching.”

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS TO SCELSE:

To A/Prof. Scott Rice: Thanks for your continuous support and acknowledgment, especially during the tough times. Definitely.

To A/Prof. Kimberly Kline: Thanks for sharing your projects and a lot of interesting chats over the last two years. I’ve learnt how to explore crazy ideas with you!

(cont. from previous page) a shoestring budget and give private Italian language lessons. There, he picked up new knowledge on electrochemistry and most importantly, microbial fuel cells.

After a brief stint in the Netherlands as an environmental specialist in a university, he went back to the US and joined A/Prof. Daniel Bond’s group at the University of Minnesota’s BioTechnology Institute. It was there where he learnt more about microbiology and published his best known paper. Published in PNAS in 2008, the paper discussed the involvement of flavins in the extracellular transfer of electrons from electroconductive bacteria Shewanella to conductive surfaces and has collected 850 citations to date.

After that significant coup, Enrico took the leap and moved to Dublin City University in Ireland, which proved to be an ill fit for the Italian, although he managed to add a second child to his family.

A jump into the dark

Amid his hectic life, Enrico flew to Berlin for a conference. “I sat together with a guy called Mike Givskov.” (now research director of SCELSE’s Public Health & Medical Biofilms cluster). “He told me, from behind his beard, ‘we’re opening a new centre in Singapore, are you interested in joining for a sabbatical?’ I saw the light at the end of the

tunnel and the rest is history!’” Enrico beams.

Arriving in 2012 with a third kid in tow, Enrico delights in reminiscing about his first experience of Singapore and SCELSE: “Day One was awesome! I loved the place, the people, the open space, the research, I’ve had a really really good time here. So many stories here that

it is impossible to share in a short piece.”

Enrico’s last day in the lab; with Dr Lucinda Doyle who moved to Singapore

from Ireland to work on her PhD with him

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SCELSE student profile

July Fong PhD Student

J uly Fong prides herself on engaging in ‘active ageing’. In spite of being just 28 years of age, the PhD student is an early adopter of the national programme to keep senior

citizens active, healthy and socially engaged. She shares how she keeps herself active in and outside of the research world:

What has led you to your current PhD journey in SCELSE?

My favourite subject in secondary school back then was organic chemistry where you break down complex molecules and figure out how to synthesise them. I was still very naïve then and thought ‘yay, I wanna discover a molecule or drug that can save people’, not realising that it’s not so easy.

I did Chemistry as an undergrad in NTU and thought I could use that background towards medical research, so my PhD thesis is titled “Chemical Biology Approach as a Tool to Develop Anti-Pseudomonas Agents”. My project and work with Prof. Yang and Prof. Givskov involves using small molecules to study quorum sensing (QS) and biofilms development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is so hard to eradicate. We have identified several compounds that can decrease QS and inhibit biofilm formation. Our next step is to look at how these compounds work and use these small molecules as a probe for further studies.

What is it about Chemistry that interests you so?

A few years ago, I read a Readers’ Digest article on a Thai chemist who always passed by poor and starving villagers on her way home from work. She found a way to make vitamins that were not patent-protected and distributed them to the villagers. I found this act of repurposing drugs very inspiring.

There’s also the Four Thieves Vinegar Collective in the U.S, a group of anarchists and hackers who volunteer to synthesise and produce free alternatives to expensive drugs sold by Big Pharma, like Naloxone (an opiate overdose antidote) and Daraprim (to treat toxoplasmosis infections in the HIV-positive). Imagine if your family member has a rare disease and the drug costs $100,000. I would not say no to a cheaper and medically safe alternative. If I am as rich as Bill Gates, I would fund such groups.

What are some good memories of SCELSE you have?

I went for my first conference in Spain, which was the Federation of European Microbiology Society (FEMS) conference. It was my introduction to the big names in the field. It’s so different and inspiring when you see them inperson and the cool science they are doing at their seminars as compared to reading their paper in a journal.

Third-year PhD student July on a four-day 400-km cycling trip in Tibet

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS TO SCELSE:

To the ‘Geli Club’: Thank you for all the crazy things we have done and your friendship (you all know who you are)! It’s like sunshine in my life, especially when I am struggling with experiments.

To the lab management team: I’m grateful to the lab management team. They do the housekeeping so we can focus on research.

To my supervisors A/Prof. Yang Liang and Prof. Mike Givskov: Thank you for being so supportive and generous throughout my PhD journey!“With ‘Geli Club’ peeps”

I also appreciate my friendships here, especially with the ‘Geli Club’, which is a bunch of crazy girls I am close to. We recently changed the name to ‘Active Ageing Club’ as we exercise together, like running or swimming.

You’re clearly into taking inspiration from the deeds of others. Why do you collect these life chronicles?

I like to read biographies, like those of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Dalai Lama and my idol, Marie Curie. If I had to recommend anyone’s story, it would be of Benjamin Franklin, who offers lessons on how to improve yourself. He and his friends formed a club where they would have intellectual parties. They would pick a topic and debate about it through the evening.

Reading biographies allows me to pick at the brains of these people and possess a bit of their experiences and knowledge. I haven’t lived their lives but I can do so from the page and enrich my own life experience.

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS FROM SCELSE:

From research assistant Joyce Chin: I am glad July and I have crossed paths in this journey of life as she has pretty much influenced me in the building of my identity. A lot of my ‘first times’ were influenced by her such as my first overseas trip with friend, my first dive and my first hike. I would like to say thank you to July as she has made me a fun person and has encouraged me many times to do things that I would never have imagined doing on my own. I want her to know that she is truly a talented, smart, influential, adventurous, fun and interesting person!

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Send updates on your research work, suggestions and comments to:

Vicki: vyxyang@ntu.edu.sgSharon: sharonlongford@ntu.edu.sg

SCELSE is on social media!

Congratulations too to Dr Viduthalai

Rasheedkhan Regina and

his family on his second child

and November baby, Viyan!

SCELSE CELEBRATIONS

OPINION

Ahighlight of 2018 in science for me involves not so much a specific breakthrough, but a notable uptake of microbiome research in international media and

among the general public.

We are increasingly seeing media reports of peer reviewed science on the effect of our microbial ‘friends’ on all aspects of health and wellbeing, from diabetes to mental health to obesity, in humans as well as on other animal and plant hosts.

A recent example is an article on preserving microbial diversity (Science 362: 6414) that was extensively reported around the world under variations of the headline “Noah’s ark of microbes”. The article argued for establishing a repository of intestinal microbes for future medical treatments, in light of the diminishing microbial diversity associated with modern lifestyles.

Growing interest has also resulted in numerous media pieces in print, broadcast and online, which explain this emerging field and its importance. As an example, the Guardian article (26 March, 2018) on the microbiomes being directly involved in diseases from autism to obesity, explains why the microbiome is such a “hot topic”, the holobiont concept, and “why our microbes could be key to our health”, based on peer reviewed science.

These are just two of scores of examples of feature and review coverage of microbiomes in mainstream and specialist media alike, reflecting an increasing interest in and acknowledgement of the microbial world among lay audiences worldwide. Such broader engagement can only benefit research efforts to unravel the previously elusive but highly influential world of microbial biofilms and microbiomes and, importantly, the mechanisms by which they are linked to our health.

My Year in Scienceby Dr Sharon Longford

Snaps from SCELSE’s“Holly Jolly Mega-Bite 2018” annual lunch. Happy new year to all!

First congratulations to Dr Law Yingyu and Dr Thomas Seviour on their October baby, Mabel (first photo above)!

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