First person – Leah Eller

Leah Eller

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

After completing my bachelor's in environmental science with three years of undergrad research in medicinal/organic chemistry synthesis and toxicology labs, I joined Dr Matthew Sieber's lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Biomedical research was a new world for me, but I was eager to delve into the world of mitochondria, metabolism, and Drosophila genetics. Learning how our cells produce energy to function and finding ways that these processes are disrupted, thus causing disease, grew my scientific curiosity even more. After a few years in Dr Sieber's lab, I joined Dr Michael Buszczak as a research assistant/lab manager. His research is currently focused on ribosome biogenesis and germ cell development. Currently, I have taken a step back from active benchwork to focus on lab management as well as aspects of my personal life. I appreciate all the opportunities that I've been fortunate to experience and am grateful to everyone who has helped me grow my passion as a scientist.

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

As a transracial adoptee from China, I always wondered what processes make me look different than my parents. This piqued my interest in genetics and molecular biology. I've always had this innate curiosity to understand why and how the human body functions down to a cellular level. ‘Why does everyone look the way they do?’ ‘Why do some people develop certain diseases while others don't?’ ‘How do our bodies regulate different cellular functions and processes allow our bodies to function?’ These questions founded the basis that eventually became a passion for biomedical research. While I will probably never understand every piece of the puzzle, learning how all these pieces fit together satisfies my curiosity itch.

How would you explain the main finding of your paper?

Metabolism is a very important function within our bodies and cells. It's how cells produce energy to keep our organ systems functional. As cells go through periods of growth and dormancy (known as quiescence), their metabolic needs shift and mitochondrial function must coordinate according to these changes. In this paper, we find that several metabolic changes occur as oocytes (egg cells) transition between quiescent and growth stages. During quiescence, mitochondria reduce their activity, thus lowering respiration and preventing depletion of stored nutrients. These oocytes remain dormant until translation and mitochondrial activity are reactivated during fertilisation and early embryogenesis. This abrupt change in mitochondrial function seen in early embryos significantly shifts the balance of cellular redox. After waking up from this dormant state, oocytes must increase nucleotide building block production. Previous studies have found that early stages of Drosophila embryonic development need nucleotide synthesis to grow, so the coordination of these metabolic changes is essential to drive the rapid growth needed during embryogenesis. In this paper, we found that inactivating a specific protein kinase (GSK3), leads to changes in redox metabolism and prematurely elevates nucleotide levels. This suggests that GSK3 coordinates mitochondrial function and nucleotide metabolism between stages of growth and quiescence.

What are the potential implications of this finding for your field of research?

Mitochondrial metabolism, especially during early embryonic developmental stages, plays a crucial role in diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Understanding regulatory processes that control mitochondrial activity helps to understand why certain diseases occur and find possible treatments. Early embryonic development is a critical period and can impact an organism's future quality of life. Finding a piece of the overall puzzle helps fellow researchers be able to continue making discoveries into how cellular processes impact human physiological function.

Which part of this research project was the most rewarding?

The most rewarding part of this research project was finding that the data collected supported our hypothesis. I often get discouraged as a researcher when experiments don't work out or the data doesn't show significance. Nevertheless, being able to see all the parts aligning to make a whole and understanding why this research is important gave me a sense of accomplishment.

What do you enjoy most about being an early-career researcher?

I enjoy how there is always something new to learn and novel discoveries being found every day. Being able to explore different fields within biomedical research deepens my understanding of science and helps me think outside-of-the-box when I hit an experimental roadblock.

What piece of advice would you give to the next generation of researchers?

Be passionate and be you. Grades don't mean everything; work ethic and a passion for science are just as important. Getting lab experience as an undergrad solidified my desire to work in a lab setting and I would recommend this to anyone interested in research. Even if you decide that benchwork isn't for you, there's many careers within science. In the end, you're the one that decides if a certain role in this field is the correct fit.

What's next for you?

I'm planning on continuing my lab manager role in Dr Buszczak's lab as of now. The future is a bit uncertain, but I'd like to eventually earn a master's and possibly work in biotech or industry. Working to bridge the information gap between science research and business is an area that I'm interested in learning more about.