Biology subjects

Spencer-Drakes, T. C. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Spencer-Drakes, T. C. J..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Empowering STEM Students: A University-wide Mentorship Program Fostering Retention and Belonging

In the face of a challenging climate that is resistant to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, there is a critical need for a support structure for retaining students, particularly those from historically excluded groups (HEGs), in STEM. The Biology Undergraduate and Masters Mentorship Program (BUMMP) embodies this commitment to fostering scientific identity, efficacy, and sense of belonging for 1st generation and historically underserved undergraduate and masters students at UC San Diego. The mission of BUMMP is to cultivate a sense of belonging, instill confidence, and nurture a strong scientific identity amongst all of its participants. At its core, the three pillars of BUMMP are: 1) mentorship, 2) professional development, and 3) research. Quality mentorship is provided where students receive personal guidance from faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and industry leaders in navigating their career pathways. Complementing mentorship, BUMMP provides paid research opportunities and prioritizes professional development by offering workshops designed to enhance students professional skills. These three pillars form the backbone of BUMMP, empowering students from all backgrounds and ensuring their retention and persistence in STEM. So far, weve served over 1,350 mentees, collaborated with 809 mentors, and had over 180 mentees actively engaged in BUMMP-sponsored research activities. Overall, BUMMPs expansive efforts have made a tremendous impact at UC San Diego and will continue to foster a community of future leaders who will be prepared to make meaningful contributions to the scientific community and beyond.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2023

O-antigen biosynthesis mediates evolutionary trade-offs within a simple community

Diverse populations of bacteriophages infect and co-evolve with their bacterial hosts. Although host recognition and infection occurs within microbiomes, the molecular mechanisms underlying host-phage interactions within a community context remain poorly studied. The biofilms (rinds) of aged cheeses contain taxonomically diverse microbial communities that follow reproducible growth patterns and can be manipulated under laboratory conditions. In this study, we use cheese as a model for studying phage-microbe interactions by identifying and characterising a tractable host-phage pair co-occurring within a model Brie community. We isolated novel bacteriophage TS33 that kills Hafnia sp. JB232 (hereafter Hafnia), a member of the model community. TS33 is easily propagated in the lab and naturally co-occurs in the cheese with the Brie community, rendering it a prime candidate for the study of host-phage interactions. We performed growth assays of the Hafnia, TS33 and the fungal community members, Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camemberti. Employing Random Barcode Transposon Sequencing (RB-TnSeq) experiments, we identified candidate host factors that contribute to TS33 infectivity, many of which are critical to the integrity of bacterial O-antigen. Notably, disruption of these genes results in decreased susceptibility to infection by phage TS33, while simultaneously exhibiting a significant negative effect on the fitness of Hafnia in the presence of the fungi. Therefore, O-antigen mutations may have pleiotropic effects on the interactions between Hafnia and the rest of the Brie community. Ongoing and future studies aim to unearth the molecular mechanisms by which the O-antigen of Hafnia mediates its interactions with its viral and fungal partners.

microbiology↗