Career Profile

Microbiologist, Project Scientist

and Research Associate

Holly Lutz, PhD

UC San Diego’s Center for Microbiome

Innovation, Field Museum of Natural

History’s Integrative Research Center

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What do you do and how did you get here?

I am currently a project scientist at UCSD and an associate with the Field Museum. After doing my undergraduate work at the University of Chicago, I worked as a research assistant in the museum, and got to do field work, going

into caves to observe bats in their natural environment. I

got really interested in the skin microbiome, and wrote a proposal to study this with Jack Gilbert’s lab. Since then,

I’ve been able to do field work in Africa, where I collected samples from birds, shrews, rodents, and bats. Now I analyze all that data from those field expeditions!

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What was your favorite subject in high school,

and why did you love it?

I enjoyed my science classes, but I believe my favorite subject was English Literature—I was lucky to have teachers who encouraged critical engagement with the literature we read, and at the time I felt like traveling through stories and time and trying to understand the historical and social contexts in which novels, poetry, etc. were written was really empowering and helped me view the world in a much more engaging way.

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If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Learn how to establish boundaries for yourself—with your work, your family, your peers, yourself. If you don’t learn how to set your own boundaries, something or someone else will set them for you.

What skills do you use on a daily basis?

Active listening. If you are going to interact with others, it

is critical that you truly listen to what they are telling you— whether that is with their words, body language, etc. Perhaps another word for ‘active listening’ is caring. I have found listening to be the most efficient way to identify problems, find pathways forward, discover new areas for research, and to form meaningful relationships with people both inside and outside of my work. The other, more technical skill I rely on for my research is computer programming. I suppose both are communication skills—the latter is just for machines, while the former is for more sentient beings.

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What’s most fulfilling about your job?

The complexity and unpredictable nature of the problems I address in my research make it incredibly fulfilling. There are infinite unknowns in the natural world, and I get to play around in what feels like a candy shop of biological novelty. These features also make my work challenging, as new discoveries typically lead to new questions, and working with “big data” means that you have to move between hands-on biology in field conditions (as I practice in my field work with bats and other animals) and working with data files you cannot open or visualize because they are too large. The mental leaps from “this is a bat in my hand” to “these are the genomes of all the microbial symbionts of that bat that was in my hand” can be exhausting, but they are certainly never boring!

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If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I truly, deeply wish that I could morph into any animal I choose, so that I could have the ability to communicate with all different types of intelligence that exist in this world!

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Career Profile

Directions

How large are bacteria compared to other microscopic structures? Cut out or circle the appropriate size E. coli, mitochondrion, X-chromosome, bacteriophage, and

skin cell in relation to the width of a human hair pictured.

Width of Human Hair

SEM Bacterial Pictures

Directions

Use the combination of your microscope observations and the following SEM (scanning electron microscope) images to make five groupings of bacteria based on structural similarities or differences. Write a short description of each below the image.

Microscope Slide Capture Sheet

Directions

Look at bacteria under the microscope, or use the

SEM Bacteria Pictures to answer the following questions.

1. Observe the prepared slides.

a. Create as many groupings as needed (four spaces are given, but you may use less or more).

b. Give each group a name/title.

c. Describe similarities and differences in structure

for each grouping.

d. Draw or insert a picture of each slide.

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Microscope Slide Capture Sheet

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Microscope Slide Capture Sheet

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2. Generate a question based on observations from the slides you have just observed.

3. Why do bacteria adhere to stains differently?

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Superhero/Anime/Fantasy Creature Analogy

Capture Sheet, Part 1

Directions

Using the concept map you completed on Day 1,

describe some characteristics of your microbe superhero.

1. Warm-up: Think about the image below and brainstorm with your partner about the superhero analogies to microbes. For instance, what is the analogy of a superpower of “extreme strength” in a superhero to microbes? What is an adaptation?

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Write your notes in the lines provided below.

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Superpower: Adaptations

Sidekick: Mutualistic Symbiosis

Someone to Help/Save: Commensal Symbiosis

Evil Villain: Parasitism Symbiosis or Competition

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Superhero/Anime/Fantasy Creature Analogy

Capture Sheet, Part 1

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2. Begin your Superhero/Fantasy Creature Life Story by choosing a superhero microbe from the following list (all are bacteria):

3. Using the analogy of a superhero or fantasy creature, answer the following questions about your bacteria by performing some research on your own. If you get stuck, reach out to your partner or instructor who will help guide you.

3a. What is its origin story?

Where does it originate or thrive best? What organisms does it have a close symbiotic relationship with (sidekick)? What is that relationship? Who is its mentor (who discovered it or who works with it closely)?

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Superhero/Anime/Fantasy Creature Analogy

Capture Sheet, Part 1

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3b. What is its superpower or how does it help others?

What makes it unique from other organisms? How have humans historically related to this bacteria? How has it helped the environment, food production, human health, or other organisms (what symbiotic relationship is this)?

3c. How does it overcome adversity?

What are its enemies or villains (what symbiotic relationship is this)? What kills it or makes it weak? What might happen if this bacteria superhero ceased to exist?

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Superhero/Anime/Fantasy Creature Analogy

Capture Sheet, Part 2

Directions

Use What is a prokaryote? A look at bacteria to make connections between the components of bacterial cells and the characteristics of a superhero. The first one is done for you as an example (you are welcome to change the analogy!).

Superhero/Anime/Fantasy Creature Analogy

Capture Sheet, Part 3

Directions

Follow the three steps below to illustrate your

microbe superhero.

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1. Find objects in your classroom or at home to help you make a model of your bacteria. For instance, a series of bowls could be used to represent the cell wall and membrane and earbuds to represent the nucleoid. Insert a photo of your bacterial model on the left side of the table below.
2. Using the analogy of a superhero or fantasy creature, draw a representation of what your superhero might look like on the right side of the chart below.
3. Draw a line from the center column to identify where each structural element is represented in both your model and your drawing.

Your Bacterial Model

Structural Elements

Your Superhero or Fantasy Creature Drawing

Superhero Microbe Storyboard

Directions

Once your storyboard is approved, create a cartoon/comic strip of your superhero microbe to illustrate its origin, its superpower, and how it overcomes adversity. Check the rubric so you understand what components need to be included.

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Superhero Microbe Storyboard

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Superhero Microbe Comic Rubric