|
Finding
Big Answers in Small Places
By Lisa R. Bechler
What
makes the medicinal leech swim? How does the expression
of certain proteins enable maturing nerve cells
to communicate with one another? Does the placement
of mutations in cancers affect the course and
treatment of the disease?
These
are just some of the questions posed by the Biology
Department at Bryn Mawr College — questions
that both students and faculty investigate and
answer together.
Tamara
Davis, the department’s newest assistant
professor, believes her work in genetics and use
of molecular biology techniques can help broaden
the way in which students approach these and other
biological questions. At a time when the scientific
environment has become increasingly multidisciplinary,
this expanded emphasis at the molecular level
is critical to a student’s success.
"Molecular
biology affects potentially everything we teach,"
says Peter Brodfuehrer, associate professor and
chair of the Biology Department. "Tamara
clearly has the most experience in manipulating
the genome and looking at how those manipulations
affect organisms."
Students
Discover Science
Davis
joined Bryn Mawr in 2000 and currently teaches
introductory biology, genetics and a senior seminar
and research tutorial in genetics. She is also
developing a class in molecular biology. She sees
her role in the introductory course as an opportunity
to pique students’ interest in the sciences.
"It’s important to show students that
science isn’t boring. I try to get them synthesizing
information early on in their academic careers
instead of thinking that biology is just memorized
facts."
Davis
also collaborates on research with several students,
an opportunity she was looking for when considering
Bryn Mawr. "I really like seeing students
get excited about science, being able to generate
data and see results," she says. "Here,
they can actively participate in all aspects of
a research project, which fosters a sense of pride
in their work."
The
curriculum also allows Davis to introduce students
to her own research, which involves investigating
the expression of imprinted genes. This unusual
form of gene regulation allows only one copy in
a gene pair to be expressed. For example, individuals
normally inherit one copy of every gene from their
fathers and one copy of every gene from their
mothers. Both contribute to normal development.
"With
imprinted genes, however," Davis explains,
"you get one copy from your father and one
from your mother, but only one copy is expressed
while the other is shut down. This can result
in development defects if the expressed gene is
mutant, because the shut down gene, whether normal
or wild type, can’t generate a functional
product since it isn’t being expressed."
Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain
why this form of gene regulation exists, but the
underlying reasons are not well understood.
There
are currently 35 to 40 imprinted genes that have
been identified, about one-third of which are
related to growth factors. Through her research,
Davis hopes to discover what it is about imprinted
genes that causes them to be differentially expressed.
"The term used to describe my research is
‘the establishment of the imprint during
germ cell development’," she says. "In
other words, I investigate how these differences
get set up in the male sperm and female oocyte."
To
support her research, Davis’ lab was recently
renovated. Two smaller rooms were combined to
form one large room, plus Davis’ office and
a desk area for students. Several pieces of state-of-the-art
equipment were installed, including a PCR Thermal
Cycler for amplifying small fragments of DNA.
With most of her start-up funds from Bryn Mawr
used to equip the lab, Davis has recently submitted
grant applications to the National Science Foundation
and the National Institutes of Health for additional
funding.
The
Right Fit with Bryn Mawr
Davis
earned her B.A. in molecular biology from the
University of California at San Diego in 1991
and her Ph.D. from the University of California
at Berkley in 1996. Funded by grants from the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National
Institutes of Health, she conducted her postdoctoral
research at the University of Pennsylvania Medical
School. It was there that she became interested
in the concept of genomic imprinting, an area
of research that would help tip the scales in
her favor at Bryn Mawr College, where she was
hand-picked from more than 150 applicants and
four final candidates.
"It
was clear as soon as Tamara stepped into the building
that she is an incredibly energetic and talented
individual," says Brodfuehrer. "I think
she’ll be a key player in coming up with
ideas about integrating multiple disciplines to
address broader biological questions."
Davis
may have found the ideal setting in which to do
so. Her work complements Bryn Mawr’s noteworthy
history in genetics that includes former faculty
members E.B Wilson, a distinguish American biologist,
and T.H. Morgan, who received the Nobel Prize
as a founder of fruit fly genetics. Bryn Mawr’s
smaller size doesn’t hurt, either.
"At
a large university, you tend to be grouped with
a lot of people who are doing the same thing as
you," says Davis. "I like being at a
small college where everyone’s area of expertise
is very different from one other. It makes me
think about science differently than I would otherwise.
It forces me to expand the breadth of my own biology."
"One
of the reasons I wanted to work at a small liberal
arts college like Bryn Mawr is that I enjoy interacting
closely with undergraduate students. I find it
very gratifying to see students get excited about
science, whether in the classroom or laboratory.
Also, the relatively small class sizes at Bryn
Mawr provide an opportunity for real discussion
that deepens our investigation of current advances
in biology."
Anything
Is Possible
In
addition to her teaching and research activities,
Davis serves on the Biology Search Committee at
Haverford College, helping to identify potential
new faculty members. Her free time is spent with
husband Bruce, a professor of biology at Mullenberg
College, and her one-and-a-half year old son.
She is optimistic about her role as both a woman
in the sciences and a wife and mother at home,
and believes other women can make it happen for
themselves. Her advice: "Go for it."
As
for the days and years to come, Davis is equally
optimistic about pursuing life’s big answers.
"Research never really comes to an end,"
she says. "Whatever results you get ultimately
lead to the next series of questions. Or they
give you options of where to go in the future.
That means you can’t plan that far in advance,
you can’t always know what you’ll be
doing next. I find that very compelling."
About the Author
Lisa Bechler is a communications
consultant for clients in the high technology,
health care, pharmaceutical, financial services
and higher education sectors.
|
