No Boundaries: History and Progress in Microbiology Research
Open Gallery
January 20 to April 6, 2024
Naowarat Cheeptham, professor of science, Thompson Rivers University.
As an academic cave microbiology researcher and educator, I have headed the TRU Cave Microbiology laboratory since 2002 with an indelible commitment to be a part of microbiology educators’ communities debunking ungrounded concerns about microorganisms. In my career, I have worked to share that:
Not all bacteria are created equally, only 1% or less cause illness and 99% or more are either neutral and/or beneficial in many ways.
There are about 3 to 4 pounds (that is the weight of our brain!) worth of microorganisms that live in and on us: our bodies are an ecosystem. We cannot live without them.
There is still much to learn from microbial intelligence and adaptations. On Earth, only about 5% of microorganisms are known and have been studied.
Microorganisms are our ancestors and kin. We are all biologically related and interconnected (the evolutionary period is incomprehensible – the first life that arose on the ancient Earth was some 4 billion years ago).
We cannot be healthy and happy if our microorganisms are not healthy and happy.
The “One Health” concept speaks about the interconnectedness of all lives on Earth and our habitats - our health to animal (wild and domesticated) health and planet health. No one life on Earth can be healthy if our planet is not healthy.
There is so much to learn from microbes’ intelligence and adaptations for our adaptations, in particular during this time of climate crisis.
I, as a researcher, educator, and mother, am privileged to be able to use my position to continue promoting science literacy beyond the classroom and laboratory - in public through my research and activities such as art exhibitions. As stated in the article written by Dr. Timmis and colleagues “Microbiology literacy needs to become part of the world citizen job description”1, the public must understand the ins and outs of how microorganisms are at the end and the beginning of every life on Earth. As a society, we are running out of time to convince the public as the world we are living in is so divided already. One recent example is what we have seen through polarized opinions in the public about vaccination during the global pandemic. Microorganisms are fundamental to the poly-crises our world is facing2 3.
“Our world is facing complex, social, political, ethical, and environmental problems that pose ‘wicked’4 challenges and require thoughtful leaders who can bring entirely new solutions to solve such complicated global problems.
In this context, the term ‘wicked’ introduces the mindset that there are many very complex issues facing our world, and we must take complicated and holistic measures to solve them. As a cave microbiologist whose work has included research to save North American bat species from the deadly white-nose syndrome, I learned firsthand how intricately our species are connected to where we live and how we treat our environment and animals.
We need to reconnect with and respect the very place we live in. We also need to make sure our younger generations are equipped with the ability to piece together that all life on Earth is interconnected, and that our unhealthy relationships with our planet and animals, both domesticated and wild, that we continue to live with are a key cause of this wicked discord.
The One Health concept views the world as interconnected: animal, human, and planetary health are inevitably and inseparably tied. This concept should be a mandatory part of the educational curricula at all levels to foster an understanding of how we, the human species, can never be healthy if our planet and animals are not healthy. This is only one of many “wicked” crises we must solve together as students, educators, community members, corporations, and governments.
Together we are better.”5
References
1 Timmis K, Cavicchioli R, Garcia JL, Nogales B, Chavarría M, Stein L, McGenity TJ, Webster N, Singh BK, Handelsman J, Lorenzo V, Pruzzo C, Timmis J, Martín JLR, Verstraete W, Jetten M, Danchin A, Huang W, Gilbert J, Lal R, Santos H, Lee SY, Sessitsch A, Bonfante P, Gram L, Lin RTP, Ron E, Karahan ZC, Meer JR, Artunkal S, Jahn D, Harper L. 2019. The urgent need for microbiology literacy in society. Environ Microbiol, 21:1513–1528. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14611.
2 Ibid.
3 Timmis K. 2023 A Road to Microbiology Literacy (and More): an Opportunity for a Paradigm Change in Teaching. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 24(1): https://journals.asm.org/doi/ abs/10.1128/jmbe.00019-23
4 Hanstedt P. 2018. Creating wicked students: designing courses for a complex world, 1st ed. Stylus Publishing, Sterling, VA.
5 Cheeptham, N. 2023 Understanding Your Own Inner Landscape as a Pathway to Becoming a More Skillful Science Educator. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 24(2): https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/jmbe.00056-23
Acknowledgments
It truly takes more than a community to make this collaboration possible. We thank Dr. Linda Guthertz – the Office of the State Laboratory Director, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USA for her generosity in sharing the inspiring idea of using the transformation of microbiology laboratories through miniatures in microbiology education. Our gratitude also goes to the 2022-2023 TRU Instructional Innovation Grant (TIIG), TRU Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CELT), TRU Undergraduate Research Experience Award Program (UREAP), Vancouver Science World’s Scientists and Innovators in Schools program, TRU Faculty of Science, TRU MakerSpace, City of Kamloops, and TRU Printshop. Our gratitude goes to our artists, Lily Dalley, Emily Gillis (Nisga’a Village of Gitwinksihlkw), and John-Paul (JP) Baker for agreeing to work on this collective community outreach project.
Also, a shout out to past and current research students in Dr. Cheeptham’s laboratory, Canada’s caving communities, bat biologists, citizen scientists, collaborators (in particular in cave microbiology, probiotics for bats, and bacteriophage projects: Drs. JP Xu (McMaster University), Cori Lausen (Wildlife Conservation Society), Muhammad Rehan (RIH). We appreciate many research assistants and student volunteers - Mackenzie Mertion and Geordie Stenner, and a team of volunteer translators for the graphic novel - Florencia Santamaria Cisneros (Spanish), Olaitan Adeyemi (Yoruba), Mariyam Argymbay (Kazakh, Russian), Claire Minette (French, Luxembourgish, German), Chadabhorn Insuk (Thai), Hieu Nguyen (Vietnamese), Dr. Miho Yoshimura (Japanese), and Nuria Mollu (Swahili).
This project could have not been made possible without moral and intellectual support from Harvey Dalley, Dr. Marianne Sadar (UBC), Dr. Natasha Ramroop-Singh (TRU), and Morgan Whitehouse (SD#73). Additionally, we acknowledge Serena Reves (Valleyview Secondary School), her Life Science - Anatomy & Physiology students, and Madi Fehst who provided scientifically curious ornaments for the Wall of Curiosity. We also thank Emily Hope and the KAG staff.
Last but not least, my deepest love and gratitude go to my husband and son, Joe and Ryder C. Dobson, who are always there being my rocks and bringing strength when I have none, and for their unwavering belief in me.
Written By:
Naowarat Cheeptham (Ann), Ph.D. Professor – Cave Microbiology, TRU 2022 3M National Teaching Fellow
Photo: Emily Hope