ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Amalie Hutchinson is an author on ‘ The mitochondrial physiology of torpor in ruby-throated hummingbirds, Archilochus colubris’, published in JEB. Amalie is a PhD candidate in the lab of Jim Staples and Chris Guglielmo at The University of Western Ontario, Canada, investigating the physiology of torpor in flying heterotherms: hummingbirds and bats.
Amalie Hutchinson
How did you become interested in biology?
I've always been ‘nature girl’, and my parents instilled a love of animals at a young age. I reared monarch butterflies and caught frogs as a small kid, and have always loved being outside. In high school, science came naturally to me, and biology is the best of the sciences! I was originally interested in biochemistry and did an honor's thesis project working on characterizing a yeast DNA repair protein, but felt like something was missing. When it came time to apply for graduate school, I started to explore options in the biology department at Western University so I could return to my love of animals. As soon as I started, I knew that biology is where I belonged.
Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus
I began in straight biochemistry during my undergraduate degree at Western University, but found my way to comparative physiology and pursued my MSc in biology. I worked in the Staples lab with their hibernator model and investigated how electron transport system supercomplexes changed during hibernation in ground squirrels. Around that time, I fell in love with birding and decided to do my PhD with birds. I am currently working on mitochondrial physiology in hummingbirds during torpor and will be working with torpid bats for later chapters.
How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?
Hummingbirds have adapted to survive cold nights by decreasing their body temperature and metabolic rate to save energy; this is called torpor. Torpor is well understood in hibernating mammals such as ground squirrels, but much less is known about birds that use torpor such as hummingbirds, nightjars and swifts. We investigated if torpor involves slowing down mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell), like it is in mammals. We did not see any changes in mitochondrial activity, and came to the conclusion that birds and mammals may have evolved torpor differently.
What is the hardest challenge you have faced in the course of your research and how did you overcome it?
The hardest challenge has been dealing with troubleshooting and staying optimistic when experiments aren't working the way you expect them to. During my master's degree, I was working on a 2D gel electrophoresis protocol that had to be adapted to suit our system and equipment, and I spent too long working on the problems myself before turning to others in the lab and on the floor for help. Covid was isolating in a lot of ways, but I discovered that science isn't meant to be done alone. I learned to ask for help sooner, because figuring out problems is easier with knowledgeable friends.
What is the most important piece of equipment for your research, what does it do and what question did it help you address?
The most important piece of equipment is our Oroboros Oxygraph; it measures changes in the concentration of oxygen over time. This machine is super powerful because it can sense tiny changes in very small things such as mitochondria. I use it to measure mitochondrial activity in isolated live mitochondria from tissues such as the flight muscle and liver. By giving the mitochondria different substrates and energy sources, we can discover many different aspects of mitochondrial function. I determined if different physiological states are accompanied by changes in how mitochondria function – between a torpid hummingbird and an active one.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I discovered birding while visiting my parents for the weekend. They had a report of some horned larks and snow buntings in the area, and brought me and my husband along to try and find them. Found them we did, and I was excited to learn about new species of birds that I had never heard of before. Right after that weekend, the pandemic lockdowns hit, and like many people, we were looking for a hobby. Going out birding was an excellent way to get some fresh air, learn something new, and get excited about checking off a cool new species on my life list. Spring migration is my favourite time of the year, and encountering a new (or even a familiar) species is both exhilarating and excellent for mental health.
Amalie Hutchinson's contact details: The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, N6A 3K7.
E-mail: [email protected]
