Student Profile in Bacteria-phage Arms Race
Samantha Sakells
Molecular Microbiology Graduate Program
Mentor: Kevin Forsberg, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry
Undergraduate Institution: The University of Texas at El Paso
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Awards/Fellowships: Graduate: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP); NIH BUILDing SCHOLARs fellowship; Award for Academic and Research Excellence Undergraduate Student in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry
How did you become interested in science and/or research?
My first experience in science and research came during my freshman year of high school. A Ph.D. student came to my 9th grade biology class and gave a presentation to us about her research in biomedical engineering. I was enthralled by the idea of doing science as a career. Nobody in my family went to college, so learning that I could be a scientist when I grew up was mind-blowing to me. After seeing my enthusiasm, the Ph.D. student allowed me to shadow her in the lab for the summer. Within a few days, I knew that I wanted to pursue this field after I graduated high school. Upon starting my bachelor's degree, I was accepted into the NIH BUILDing SCHOLARs program at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Through this program, I had one-on-one training to help me prepare for a career as a scientist. Without the guidance from that Ph.D. student and the training provided by the BUILD program, I would not be here today.
Please describe your research.
Much like how humans can be infected with viruses, bacteria are also infected by viruses called bacteriophages (phages). Bacteria and phages have defense and counter-defense strategies respectively to fight each other in an evolutionary arms race. I am trying to understand how phages develop these counter-defense strategies to infect and lyse bacteria. Understanding this process better could be useful for future phage therapy applications to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in humans.
Why did you choose UT Southwestern?
I participated in the 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program at UTSW. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my fellowship period was virtual. Nonetheless, I had an outstanding experience, and I was inspired by the faculty and students who continued to support me and make me feel included even though I was not able to be in-person. The community here is extremely supportive, and I knew immediately that I wanted to do my Ph.D. here at UTSW.
What do you think makes the Molecular Microbiology Program one of the best?
The microbiology department is highly collaborative, and the faculty here are some of the best scientists in their field. Both faculty and students are always willing to help each other push forward in their scientific endeavors, and I think this culture is what makes the Molecular Microbiology Program one of the best programs in the country. Every time I run into a career or scientific roadblock, I know there are brilliant minds all around me that I can go to for different perspectives and ideas that help me move forward. It is this drive and energy that supports students to publish papers in high impact journals and keeps us on track to become excellent scientists.
What do you love about the Molecular Microbiology Program?
I love the versatility in the research that is conducted in the microbiology department. During our weekly Works In Progress Seminars (WIPS), I get to learn about all the different research that is being conducted in the Molecular Microbiology program ranging from bacteriology to virology to parasitology. Regardless of a student's specific research interest in microbiology, there is likely a lab doing that type of work here in the microbiology department at UTSW.
– Samantha Sakells, Molecular Microbiology Graduate Program
