Name: Alyson Smith
Hometown: I grew up in Torrance, California but now I live in San Diego.
Hobbies: I enjoy hiking and going to the beach as well as reading a good book in a coffee shop.
What do you study? I study the structure and function of the cytoskeleton in human red blood cells. The word cytoskeleton comes from ‘cyto’, meaning cell, and skeleton, which refers to its structural function. It is made of many different proteins that help regulate cell size and shape and allow cells to move, divide, and attach to certain surfaces. I am particularly interested in two proteins that make up the cytoskeleton in red blood cells: actin and myosin.
Why is it important? The main function of red blood cells is to carry the oxygen we breathe in the lungs through the blood stream to the rest of the body. The cytoskeleton is very important for maintenance of red blood cell shape in response to the forces sustained as the cells travel through the circuation. If their shape cannot be properly maintained, they will be destroyed and unable to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of our bodies, leading to a disease known as anemia. Understanding how the cytoskeleton of red blood cells is regulated can help us understand what causes anemia and how it can be prevented or treated.
What do you like about being a scientist? I enjoy being a scientist because I get to find out they way things work in very intricate, microscopic detail. I enjoy being a part of a scientific community where everyone works on a small part of a problem, and then comes to discuss possible answers. Also, finding ways to use new technology to answer the questions that I’m interested in is very enjoyable.
The image below shows a diagram of the red blood cell cytoskeleton. It also shows a 3-D image of red blood cells with the interior of the cells fluorescently labeled.
