Name: SELENA ĐORĐEVIĆ-MARQUARDT
Hometown: Pirot, Serbia
Hobbies: writing, yoga, cosmetic lover (I like to test different products as much as I can), reading books (I love any genre, if the last sentence of the book resonates with me)
Lab: Lyumkis lab
Lab website: https://lyumkis.salk.edu/
What do you study?
You know all those cool stories about genome editing or visualizing things at the atomic level? Well, I am studying these amazing, interesting, fascinating scientific “problems”. I am trying to understand how an impressive bacterial immune response, CRISPR-Cas, works. At the same time, I am using cryo electron microscopy, to visualize it and go much deeper into the understanding of its mechanism of action.
Why is it important?
Knowing how genome editing mechanisms work in detail, especially how CRISPR-Cas systems are involved in editing RNAs are operating, gives us the enormously important possibilities to implement them as tools for defeating the viruses. And how much that is important, we all did feel in the past couple of years, unfortunately. Now we know that studying and investing in the knowledge and science is as important as investing in any other profession.
What piqued your interest in science?
One of the most important things in life is to help other people when they are in need. Being able to contribute to the process of finding a cure for a life-threatening disease, figuring out yourself what can help thousands of people that suffer from any chronical issue, are huge battles, that only scientist can fight. And I decided long time ago that I want to join to the group of people that are innovative, smart and have big hearts, so that we all together can help humankind any way that we can, one day at the time.
What do you like about being a scientist?
You can travel to so many places all over the world, sometimes even more that you planned to. You will meet a lot of interesting and intelligent people. You will have a lot of questions, but you will be in a constant search for the answers; and when you find one answer you will feel the amount of gratitude and happiness that will fulfill your soul. As a scientist, you can make a real change in the world, and even though you most likely won’t be famous as some actors are, your name will be noted somewhere, and you will be recognized by current colleagues and further generations as someone who tried to make a difference and improve human lives.
What are 5 general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
Protein, Structure, Cryo Electron Microscopy, Gene, Computers.
What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research?
Protein production, Assay development, CRISPR-Cas systems, Cryo-EM sample preparation, Data collection and processing.