Dr. Mariel Vazquez was born and raised in Mexico City. After receiving her undergraduate degree in mathematics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, she enrolled in a PhD program at Florida State University where she started using mathematical models to understand DNA topology. Dr. Vazquez is currently Professor of Mathematics, Microbiology, and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Davis.
DNA topology is the study of how DNA is packaged into chromosomes in cells and viral capsids. Dr. Vazquez studies how the shape of DNA, and how DNA interacts with other molecules, changes in healthy and diseased cells. This includes understanding how replicated chromosomes in dividing bacterial cells separate, how DNA changes in cancer cells, and using mathematical models to predict the evolution of the virus that causes COVID-19. Predicting how the virus could evolve will help those researching vaccines and anti-viral drugs.
While reading about Dr. Vazquez's work I learned that there is over 6 feet of DNA packaged in every one of our cells! That is a lot of DNA! It must be packaged tightly and very well organized to be able to fit in our cells and still be accessible to the enzymes that replicate it every time our cells divide and use the information stored in it to build our proteins. I also saw how quickly biological researchers can apply their field of expertise to current issues. Dr. Vazquez and her collaborators were awarded $200,000 from the National Science Foundation in May of 2020 to track the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. I think that is incredible how quickly research on the basic biology of DNA structure can be applied to an issue affecting human health around the world.
Describing the diverse graduate students in her lab with backgrounds in mathematics, genetics, physics, and biostatistics from around the world, Dr. Vazquez said "We try to bring together people who traditionally speak different languages, scientific or otherwise,” said Vazquez. “The moment you have diversity in a group, there are better ideas.”
The article "Discovering Curiosity: The Tangled Fate of Math and Biology with Professor Mariel Vazquez" further explains her academic journey and current research at UC Davis.
Curated by Melody Schmid, Introduction to Biology instructor
Dr. Vazquez explains the structure of DNA and how she uses math to understand how DNA is packaged into chromosomes.
Dr. Elizabeth Patton was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and worked to earn an honor Bachelor of Science degree in her home province at King’s College Dalhousie University. From there she went on to earn her doctorate at the University of Toronto, a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, and then a Medical Research Council fellowship at the University of Oxford. Dr. Elizabeth Patton is now a professor of chemical genetics at the University of Edinburgh and is known for her research and discoveries as a skin cancer scientist working to understand melanoma and how melanocytes, the pigment cells that become melanoma, develop, divide, migrate, and maintain homeostasis within their microenvironment, as well as the genetic and cellular events that cause melanocytes to form moles and their progression to invasive cancer.
Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that typically develops through existing moles. It can occur suddenly and can develop from UV exposure from the sun and in tanning beds. Patton’s research is focused on how melanoma is developed in skin cells and spreads. Her research group uses zebrafish as models to observe the progression of melanocytes. They use the zebrafish model to look at the developmental biology of the melanocyte lineage, or sequence of species. They’re able to study where the development of the melanocyte goes wrong, thus leading to melanoma. Her research aims to find new treatments and therapies for cancer patients that reduce the risk of becoming unresponsive to chemotherapy. She is also using her research to try to solve the question of how someone who has been cancer free can develop it again later on. By being able to monitor how the cancer cells function early on, she and her research group will be able to understand what causes them to develop, which could lead to preventative treatments.
Melanoma can be found in anyone. Most cases are caused by UV exposure, but it can also be genetic. I learned that using a tanning bed before the age of 20 increases your chances of developing melanoma by almost 50 percent! Melanoma is typically more common in women but is also found in men often over the age of 50. This disease is treatable if it is caught early on, that is why it is important to have any odd-looking moles checked by a doctor.
While researching, I had learned that the zebrafish model was chosen for a variety of reasons. One being that zebrafish develop melanoma that are similar to some of the melanoma subtypes in humans. Another reason, as Dr. Patton described, is that 70% of the genes between zebra fish and humans are highly similar. I hadn’t known about this model before and was surprised to learn about the similarities shared between humans and zebrafish.
Dr. Elizabeth Patton was celebrated as Woman of the Week in Stylist Magazine. She speaks about her early interests in science, as well as her ongoing support and encouragement of women taking on leadership roles in science.
Curated by Claire Jacobsen and another Introduction to Biology student planning to transfer to UC Davis to study Psychology and Cognitive Science.
Dr. Patton explains that her team is interested in understanding the biology of melanoma and identifying small molecules or drug leads to target melanoma. She explains that they use the zebrafish model to study melanocytes.
Jian Zhou was born in 1957 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. He first attended Wenzhou Medical College, where he met his wife, before moving on to Zhejiang Medical University. He received his Master’s Degree from Zhejiang Medical University, where he began his research relating to HPV. He then went on to obtain his M.D. at Henan Medical University, after which he began his postdoctoral career at Bejing Medical University. He accepted a position at the University of Cambridge in 1988 where he continued his research in cancer and viruses.
In 1989, Zhou met Ian Frazer, a fellow researcher at Cambridge, and the two began to collaborate and use molecular biology to develop a vaccine for HPV. Their breakthrough came in 1991 when they were able to assemble two proteins into a virus-like particle, from which the vaccine would be made. Zhou, along with his partner Frazer are the inventors of Gardasil and Cervarix, two vaccines that protect against four HPV strains responsible for 70% of cervical cancers.
I found the research that Zhou did, both independently and with his partner Frazer, to be fascinating. I had no idea that HPV could not be cultured without living tissue, which was a problem the two had to face when deciding how to develop the vaccine. It was amazing to learn about how this work essentially changed people’s lives. These vaccines have protected countless women, and without the research of Zhou and Frazer, things could be very different.
Curated by Dave Ortega, Introduction to Biology student
Dr. Jewel Plummer Cobb was born on January 17, 1924 and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Talladega College in Alabama in 1944. She first attended the University of Michigan, but left the school because of its culture of discrimination, eventually earning her B.A. in Biology from traditionally black Talladega College in Alabama. After graduation, she worked as a laboratory technician at the Harlem Hospital in New York City. In 1947, Cobb enrolled in a graduate program in cell physiology at New York University. She earned her PhD in 1950 and went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois. In 1952, she joined the faculty at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. In 1969, Dr. Cobb was appointed program director for cell biology at the National Science Foundation. She was the first woman to hold this position. In 1981, she became the president of California State University, Fullerton.
Jewel Plummer Cobb studied the effects of radiation and chemotherapy on cancer cells, and developed new methods for testing the effectiveness of cancer drugs. Her research focused on the effects of drugs on cancer cells. She helped to develop the chemotherapy drug, cytoxan, which is still used today to treat several types of cancer. In vitro radiation trials, cancer cells with more melanin survived, whereas weakly pigmented cells from the same tumor did not. Dr. Cobb discovered that skin cells with deeper pigmentation were protected from radium and X-ray treatments. This is the first proof that melanin has UVA/UVB shielding qualities, which helps to explain why people with dark and light skin have significantly different rates of skin cancer. Her work helped us better understand how cancer cells grow and spread, and paved the way for new treatments for cancer.
Throughout her career, Cobb faced discrimination because of her race and gender. She was often the only woman or person of color in the room at scientific conferences and meetings. Despite this, she remained committed to her work and continued to inspire others with her achievements. Through studying her research I have learned the determination that Jewel Plummer Cobb had to achieve her success, even through all the racial discrimination. I’ve learned that her experiments on cancer have contributed to the best outcomes that we have today.
Curated by Valeri Garcia, Introduction to Biology student
Julie Makani is a professor as a hematologist at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. Back in 2011, Julie had received the Royal Society Pfizer Award from the Royal Society! She is working hard on studying sickle cell disease, she uses hydroxyurea as that is the only drug that is licensed for treatment of sickle cells. Hydroxyurea has been proven to reduce the chance of blood transfusions, being hospitalized, and possible death. However, there has been no solid studies done in Africa to find out what would be the best way to use hydroxyurea on that continent. Julie has said that her first encounter with sickle cell disease was when her cousin and her four brothers had come over, three of those four boys has sickle cell. One of those boys had late onset sickle cell and was in a lot of pain. "I remember coming down the stairs and seeing Richard in severe back pain. To ease the pain, he positioned himself such that his lower body was on the chair while his upper body dangled down. It was traumatic to see my cousin who was only a few years older than me in such pain,” Dr Makani said. Seeing this could happen to anyone, Dr Makani made the decision that she would dedicate her time to study this disorder.
Hematology is the study of blood and blood disorders along with it. Hematologists, like Julie Makani, are highly trained who are specialized in this study of blood and its components. These components include blood and bone marrow cells. Sickle cell disease is a group of red blood cell disorders that affects the hemoglobin. This condition affects over 100,000 people in the US, 20 million people are affected worldwide. Red blood cells are disc shaped and are flexible enough to move around easily through the blood vessels. When someone has sickle cell disease, their red blood cells are now crescent or whats called "sickle" shaped. These cells are not able to move around easily and can block the blood flow to the rest of someones body. Blocked blood flow can cause and lead to serious problems, such as strokes, eye problems, infections, and what they call pan crises. Sadly, sickle cell disease is a life long illness. The only cure for it is a blood and bone marrow transplant, however there is treatments can can reduce the symptoms and prolong someones life.
I had learned a lot of new things when studying this lifelong disease. I had heard of sickle cell disease but never really understood what it was. I was surprised to see that this disease affects our blood cells and its shape, as well as how it moves. I didnt know that this is a lifelong disease. I had learned that sickle cell disease can be something that you could be born with, but only if you have two genes from your mom and dad. Another way can be you only having have one gene which makes you a carrier, those who carry it have a chance to pass it down to their child. Its sad to see such a disease give such pain to people and those who dont even have it, could be a carrier of this disease.
Curated by Introduction to Biology Student Leeah Barrett
Kathryn Cross is a 23 year old that attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Originally, she majored in computer science and economics and did not venture into the biology sciences until the tragic death of her younger brother. Later on, Cross did attend some years at the University of Oxford until creating her business in the umbilical cord blood bank industry.
With Cross’s brother's diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy, he suffered major brain damage and the form of treatment offered was to harvest umbilical cord stem cells. However, her mother was unable to find an umbilical cord blood match which caused his disease to take over, and soon became his reason for passing away. The factors playing into this was the difficulty of people of color or mixed races to find these matches within the United States. Because of Cross’s young age, she strived to create an affordable stem cell safe so everyone can have access to this newly life changing medical care. Cross also acknowledges that many families across the world do not know this is an option or the science behind it. Since this research is fairly new and being experimented with, she hopes to spread awareness and educate others.
I chose to research Kathryn Cross because as a mother myself, I have done a lot of reading into the stem cell sciences. I was aware of umbilical blood banks during my pregnancy but what discouraged me to do it was the financial aspect about it. In the article, “Is Cord Blood Banking Worth the Cost?”, by NBC News writer Kelli Grant, it states the initial fees range from $500-$2,500 with an annual fee of around $200 each year after. It might not be much to some, but this can be costly for those in lower incomes. While exploring Kathryn Cross’s work, I further learned that umbilical cord stem cells are used to compensate diseased tissue areas. In other words, the cells act like a bonus to the immune system by directly targeting the area affected by whatever disease.
Overall, I am excited to hear that someone out there is taking a course of action to make this beneficial science easier for those families. Because of her age, Cross will be continuing her studies in the stem cell area and hopefully changes the way healthcare finances are regulated within the United States.
Curated by Introduction to Biology student Raquel Rubio
Kathryn's Story
Why I founded an Affordable Stem Cell Safe
Kathryn Cross Founder of Anja Health
A Startup Focussing on Cord Blood Banking
Helen Murray Free was born in 1923 in Pittsburgh, PA. She originally planned to major in English and Latin with plans to become a teacher upon graduating from the College of Wooster. However, when the bombing of Peral Harbor took place, female students were encouraged to pursue degrees usually aimed at male students, such as the sciences. Helen changed her major to chemistry and never looked back.
Once Helen graduated from Wooster, she accepted a job at Miles Laboratories testing the ingredients used in their vitamins. She wanted research to be the focus of her career, and she was fortunate to land a position in Alfred Miles’ biochemistry research group. Alfred and Helen became lifelong research partners, and married in 1947.
Alfred and Helen, along with their research team began testing and refining tablets that measured glucose levels in diabetic patients. The Frees developed “Clinistix”, a dip-and-read test trip in 1956. They continued developing other test strips that tested for various indicators of disease, such as ketones and proteins. These test strips were (and still are) readily available and provided at a low cost. They are easy to use, and allow the used to simply dip the strip in a urine sample and observe the color change to determine the patient’s blood sugar level. By 1975, Helen had received seven patents for her urinalysis testing.
Helen and her husband Alfred co-authored two books, the second of which, Urinalysis in Clinical Laboratory Practice, is still a standard in the industry today. The American Chemical Society provides her full biography in their article "Al and Helen Free and the Development of Diagnostic Test Strips". The Free children have set up the Al and Helen Free Foundation, which supports an annual Helen Murray Free Endowed Lecture. This annual event brings a renowned chemical scientist to campus to present to the students and encourage their continued research in their desired field.
The work Helen and Alfred did, along with their team of researchers, allows people throughout the United States and other countries to have access to low-cost test strips, which has saved countless lives. If Helen had continued her original plan in college to become a teacher, there is no way to know if or when the development of similar testing strips would have taken place. The work she did revolutionized how testing is still done today.
Curated by Introduction to Biology student Dave Ortega