CCSF Biotech Mentor-Mentee Profile: Galo & benedict
Article by Tyler Ford
Contextualizing research to motivate mentees and make better scientists
Galo Garcia PhD and Benedict Tsai have been working together as a mentor-mentee pair in Professor Jeremy Reiter’s lab at UCSF for over two years. In their research, they discern the ways cells use antenna-like structures called primary cilia to communicate with one another.
Galo has had a biology-focused career path since his undergrad days. A soft-spoken and focused individual, Galo is driven by a passion to discover how cells communicate with one another. He’s always taken career steps that enable him to learn more about the biological topics he finds most interesting.
Somewhat in contrast, Benedict entered the CCSF Biotechnology program after becoming a little disillusioned with his undergraduate work in computational genetics. Benedict worked incredibly hard in undergrad, but couldn’t see himself spending all of his days staring at a computer screen.
Thus, the CCSF Biotechnology program was a great place for Benedict to make a career change. In the program he learned the experimental and observational skills necessary to work in a biology lab. His CCSF Bioscience internship with Galo cemented those skills and showed him what working in a functioning lab is really like. Now he’s hooked!
Real lab life - more approachable than Sci-Fi
Prior to entering the Reiter Lab, Benedict’s vision of lab life was largely framed by Sci-Fi. He expected to find something like a 5-legged frog or perhaps a cure to the latest pandemic. The reality was still exciting, but more down to Earth.
Galo and Benedict’s work involves perturbing cells and monitoring changes to the fatty barriers that enclose them. They focus on cellular characteristics that are invisible to the naked eye. Thus, when working at the lab bench, it is not possible for Benedict to directly observe the tiny cellular changes that result from his experiments. Benedict must instead monitor his cells using a powerful microscope. This is usually quiet and diligent work, but amazing in it’s own right. Few people get the opportunity to see the tiny intricacies of life in such detail.
As Benedict learned new ways to grow, alter, and visualize cells, his repertoire of experimental skills grew everyday. He learned how to purify DNA, how to get cells to produce specific proteins, and how to monitor cellular changes under the microscope. As part of his training in the lab, Benedict discovered that the most efficient way to learn the ins and outs of research is simply to ask questions. Benedict stresses that he thinks it is the responsibility of any good mentee to ask questions - otherwise they’ll never get anything done. Really, this is also the responsibility of any good scientist. Good scientists like Benedict continuously learn because they continuously ask questions.
Zooming out to provide context and become a better mentor
For his part, Galo entered the CCSF internship program after participating in the TRAIN-UP mentorship training workshops at UCSF. Galo was excited to take on a mentee because he hopes to become a professor very soon. He plans to apply to any institution with big enough microscopes to study his favorite parts of cells. However, he knows that wherever he ends up, being a good mentor will be essential to his future success. Thus he saw the CCSF mentorship program as a great way to build his mentoring skills.
During the mentoring process, Galo was surprised by how difficult it could be to step back from his single-minded focus on his research. For Benedict to do his work successfully, he needed motivation. He also needed to build diligent observation skills. Both of these things required Galo to provide context. Galo needed to explain how their experiments worked and why they were doing them.
Even seemingly simple experiments require a ton of context. Something as basic looking at cells under a microscope required Galo to explain what the cells were, where they came from, how the microscope worked, how they were visualizing a particular part of the cell, and much more! Galo says that, while it would have been possible to simply tell Benedict to look for a specific thing under the microscope, it was much more beneficial to provide context. With knowledge of what he was actually looking at, Benedict could tell if something was wrong or even if something looked interesting. The context gave Benedict the ability to be a good scientific observer.
With confidence in Benedict’s skills, Galo could also bounce ideas off of Benedict. He could later divvy up any work that stemmed from those ideas. A little investment in teaching paid off in efficiency and fruitful observations.
To motivate Benedict, Galo has had to practice communicating why he is passionate about his research. Understanding the broader “Why are we doing this?” helps keep Benedict excited about coming into the lab. Luckily, this skill is also essential for job interviews and grant writing. Thus, this practice will surely benefit Galo’s future career.
Beyond the internship
Galo and Benedict work so well together that Benedict continues to work in the lab nearly two years after the initial start of the internship. Galo hopes to publish the results of their work soon and will hit the interview circuit thereafter. Benedict is determined to move his research career forward by entering a PhD program focused on molecular biology. He’ll be applying to graduate programs soon and does not want to give up the flexible hours afforded by lab life. Clearly some of Galo’s passion has found its way to Benedict. We wish them both luck in their future endeavors!
Before becoming a CCSF internship mentor, Galo completed the TRAIN-UP workshop series focusing on inclusive practices in mentoring and supervising offered by the UCSF Office of Career Development and run in collaboration with CCSF Biotechnology Program faculty.
Benedict discussing his research using CRISPR/Cas9 to develop new imaging tools to study primary cilia with his mentor, Dr. Galo Garcia, at UCSF.
Benedict working in the Reiter lab tissue culture room at UCSF.
Galo and Benedict in the Reiter lab at UCSF, working with mammalian cell culture to investigate primary cilia.
