Biology subjects

Ligon, L. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Ligon, L. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

LGBTQ+ realities in the biological sciences

While scientific environments have been described as unwelcoming to the LGBTQ+ community, and fields such as physics have systematically documented these challenges, the climate in biology workplaces has not been assessed. We conducted the largest survey to date of LGBTQ+ biologists to examine how their sense of belonging and perception of climate in the biology workplace and professional societies compare to that of their straight and cis peers. We surveyed 1419 biologists across five professional societies, with 486 identifying as LGBTQ+. Trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) biologists reported lower belonging and morale within the workplace, professional societies, and the biology community compared to cis, straight biologists. They also reported being less comfortable with the climate of various professional biology environments. While LGBTQ+ biologists report that their workplaces are moderately inclusive, over 20% of all LGBTQ+ biologists and nearly 40% of TGNC biologists experience exclusionary behavior at work. This landmark survey provides the first comprehensive analysis of the LGBTQ+ climate in biology, revealing specific challenges faced by TGNC scientists and identifying interventions to enhance inclusivity for scientists. Significance StatementThis landmark study includes the largest known sample of LGBTQ+ biologists and offers the first comprehensive description of the LGBTQ+ climate in biology, differentiating between the experiences of cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) biologists and transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) biologists. The study found that compared to non-LGBTQ+ biologists, TGNC participants report lower belonging, morale and comfort with the climate across biology workplaces, professional societies, and the biology community. While on average LGBTQ+ participants reported that their workplaces are moderately inclusive, over 20% of all LGBTQ+ biologists and nearly 40% of TGNC biologists report experiencing exclusionary behaviors at work. The study offers immediate implications for institutional policies and professional development in the biological sciences.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2019

Septins Coordinate with Microtubules and Actin to Initiate Cell Morphogenesis

Many organs are formed by a process of branching morphogenesis, which begins with the formation of cytoplasmic extensions from the basal surface of polarized cells in an epithelial sheet. To study this process, we used a system of polarized epithelial spheroids, which emit cytoplasmic extensions in response to treatment with hepatocyte growth factor. We found that these extensions contain both actin and microtubules, but also septins, which are localized to microtubule bundles and appear to be important in maintaining microtubule organization. We found that these extensions are highly dynamic and form at a non-linear rate. We also demonstrated that the coordinated activity of microtubules, actin, and septins is necessary for the formation and dynamic behavior of extensions. Each cytoskeletal system plays a district role in this process, with microtubules enabling persistent growth of the extensions, actin enabling extension dynamics, and septins organizing microtubules in the extensions and supporting the extension formation. Together, our data offer insights into the dynamics of early morphogenic extensions and the distinct, but coordinated, roles of cytoskeleton in early morphogenesis.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Dual-matrix 3D culture system as a biomimetic model of epithelial tissues

Recent years have seen an unprecedented rise in the use of 3D culture systems, both in fundamental research and in more translational settings such as drug testing and disease modeling. However, 3D cultures often remain underused by cell biology labs, both due to technical difficulties in system setup and inherent drawbacks of many of the common systems. Here we describe an easy to use, inexpensive and rapidly assembled 3D culture system, suitable for generation of both normal polarized epithelial cysts and in-situ tumor spheroids. This system allows for exploration of many questions of normal and cancer cell biology, including morphogenesis, epithelial polarization, cell motility, intra- and intercellular communication, invasion, metastasis, and tumor-stoma interaction. The 3D cultures are made up of a stiffness tunable, dual-matrix model that can incorporate co-culture of multiple cell types. The model allows for increased physiological relevance by mimicking the organization, ligand composition and stiffness present in-vivo. The setup allows for a wide spectrum of manipulation, including removing cells from the system for DNA/protein expression, transfection and high-resolution imaging of live or fixed cells.

cell biology↗