Biophysical Newsletter - September 2014

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2014

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY

Biophysicists in Profile Sean Decatur , biophysicist and President of Kenyon College, uses his posi- tion to advocate for undergraduate science education, something he benefit- ted from during his time as a student at Swarthmore College. His career in biophysics began when he worked with Robert Pasternak and Alison Williams on an undergraduate research project involving liposome-encapsulation of porphyrin aggregates. He recalls, “The project was an introduction to a range of biophysical techniques, and I was very excited about the application of physical techniques to biological systems.” Upon graduating from Swarthmore, Decatur went on to earn his PhD in chemistry from Stanford University. He joined Steven Boxer’s group, work- ing on developing a novel myoglobin mutant first created by Doug Barrick in Buzz Baldwin’s lab, with which Boxer’s group had monthly joint group meet- ings. Decatur made an impression on Boxer early on with both his science and his personality. Boxer remembers, “There was a conflict between two people in the lab during the time Sean was a graduate student. To my amaze- ment and relief, he personally stepped in and managed this conflict largely without my knowing that there even was a problem. It was clear then that he possessed both great talent as a scientist and as a human being and leader.” Decatur then proceeded to a faculty position at Mount Holyoke College. He was able to set up his own lab and obtain external funding to develop an undergraduate research program at Mt. Holyoke. He says, “I found that I could work on interesting problems, mentor undergrads and use research as a way to introduce them to scientific thinking, and keep my hands active at the bench…I would encourage any grad students or postdocs with interests in this area to investigate this as a career direction. There is a good network of PUI [primarily undergraduate institution] faculty within the Biophysical Society.” When he started this research program, he aimed to explore protein struc- ture and dynamics with a technique that undergraduate students without a research background could grasp. Decatur explains, “FTIR proved to be a valuable tool for this work. Undergraduates could be involved in sample preparation (via peptide synthesis or molecular biology techniques), the col- lection of spectra, or the interpretation or modeling of data.” Working with undergraduates and helping them to evolve into independent scientists has been the most rewarding aspect of Decatur’s career. Sarah Petty , a former postdoc in his lab, saw his dedication and the effectiveness of his methods firsthand during her years working with him. At undergraduate institutions, Petty says, “The students have much less time to work in the lab and do not have the same background in course material or lab skills that gradu- ate students and postdocs have, so entrusting large projects to them is not always the best approach.” Sean’s students all had ownership of their own projects, but their result often contributed to a bigger, overarching goal in the lab. Decatur also encouraged his students to attend the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, where he first presented his work as a graduate student. He explains, “They were the first places where I presented my work and discov- ered the wide range of biophysics research out there. The connections I have made over the years are invaluable. As a faculty mentor, my students have had SEAN DECATUR

Officers President Dorothy Beckett President-Elect Edward Egelman Past-President Francisco Bezanilla Secretary Lukas Tamm Treasurer Paul Axelsen Council Olga Boudker Taekjip Ha Samantha Harris Kalina Hristova Juliette Lecomte Amy Lee Marcia Levitus Merritt Maduke Daniel Minor, Jr. Jeanne Nerbonne Antoine van Oijen Joseph D. Puglisi Michael Pusch Bonnie Wallace David Yue Biophysical Journal Leslie Loew Editor-in-Chief

Society Office Ro Kampman Executive Officer Newsletter Ray Wolfe Alisha Yocum Production Laura Phelan Profile

Ellen Weiss Public Affairs

The Biophysical Society Newsletter (ISSN 0006-3495) is published twelve times per year, January- December, by the Biophysical Society, 11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 800, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Distributed to USA members and other countries at no cost. Canadian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 800, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2014 by the Biophysical Society. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.