Research Opportunities
We anticipate adding 1-2 students to our research team in the near future. If you are interested in possibly joining our group consider the following questions:
1. Are you seriously considering a career in the life sciences?
2. Do you love the idea of being in lab before and/or after classes with 4-5 other students carrying out your own experiments and engaged in conversations about hermaphrodites, cells, genetics, and PCR?
3. After reading one of our labs manuscripts (see the Publications link) do you feel more awake than when you started?
If you answered yes to these questions email me at hermann@lclark.edu and we can set up a time to discuss your interests and and our current research projects.
Biogenesis of Lysosome-Related Organelles
Students in my research lab are studying the biogenesis of a lysosome-related organelle called the gut granule during organogenesis of the C. elegansintestine. Lysosome-related organelles comprise a varied group of cellular compartments that include melanosomes, pigment granules, and lytic granules. Interestingly, they each have unique contents and functions while sharing significant overall similarity to the conventional lysosome. We are interested in how these diverse organelles are generated. To this end, we are identifying and studying the function of genes (called glo for gut granule loss) that are necessary for the formation of gut granules in C. elegans using a genetic approach. The study of these genes will allow us to reconstruct the pathway of gut granule assembly. Ultimately, comparison of this pathway with the biogenesis pathways used by other lysosome-related organelles will allow us to determine whether shared or novel mechansims are used in the construction of these important organelles.
Research Outcomes
In addition to a steady flow of research manuscripts that have undergraduates as co-authors (see a list here) many of the Lewis & Clark College students who have worked in the Hermannlab (see a list here) have gone on to graduate school success (PhDs, MDs, MD/PhDs, MPHs, DMDs, PharmDs, MSGCs, MEds, etc.).
This list below was put together by Dr. Adam Miller at University of Oregon and I think it really nicely describes what is great about being a scientist and doing research. Being a scientist is full of challenges and exciting discoveries. We are lucky to have the opportunity to explore cells and organisms, and this is the Miller labs framework for building great lab culture.
So you are considering working in a research lab, possibly for the first time….
Start by removing the question of whether you smart enough to do this, which will only lead to doubt, and instead ask whether you willing to work hard (try a bunch of things, play in your sandbox) and have an open mind about how things come together.
This list below was put together by Dr. Adam Miller at University of Oregon and I think it really nicely describes what is great about being a scientist and doing research. Being a scientist is full of challenges and exciting discoveries. We are lucky to have the opportunity to explore cells and organisms, and this is the Miller labs framework for building great lab culture.
The Golden Rules
Science is fun, enjoy it.
Science is hard, get better at it.
Think big and take risks.
Discovery - Scientists need to push boundaries and explore the unknown. We all must dedicate ourselves to accepting uncertainty and finding new paths. The cell is amazing, let’s find out how it works. Critical to this endeavor is feeling free to fail.
Trust - Each scientist has important ideas. To find the best ideas we must critically analyze them. Put ideas forward. Don’t be defensive about ideas. Don’t be personal about ideas. Be critical about the idea, not the person. Ideas are the way to build scientific understanding and they must be robust against scrutiny. Each scientist is responsible to build ideas but also to build a community of trust to allow ideas to be freely exchanged.
Growth - Science is ever changing. Scientists must be agile. We must learn and sometimes invent new methods to meet challenges.
Ownership - Each scientist must know the ins-and-outs of their project and role. Scientists think hard about short-term goals and how to achieve them, and dream big about the possibilities of where things can go.
Quality - We get to have a glimpse of the inner workings of the cell. But to understand it we must be able to examine it, test it, and build models. Only good data allows us to understand the world. We must quantitate and reevaluate constantly. We have to attain and maintain and accept only the highest standards.
Balance - Scientists need to publish to stay in a job, but also find new ideas to stay alive. We must push forward projects that we can complete in the short-term (papers). At the same time we must build the projects that give us new insight (the next cool thing). My rule of thumb is 70/30, with 70% going to the now and 30% to the next.
Team - Each scientist is responsible for their project, but we all must maintain the mindset that there is no “that’s not my job”. If we recognize that we are all on a journey towards “scientific truth”, and each of us is at a different point along a trajectory of growth, then we can all help each other move forward.
Success- Quote from Liqun Luo, via Hui Zong - “There are three things necessary for success in science: brains, luck, and hard work. You only have control over one of them.”