This week, I asked Becky some fun questions about herself. Becky is our Science Communicator who runs our Instagram account at Metagenom Bio and Healthy Hydroponics. Becky completed her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with a minor in Biotechnology and a Master of Science in Pathobiology both at the University of Guelph. She is also currently a Research Assistant at the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety. She has experience in microbiology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics.
What is your role in Healthy Hydroponics and what do you do?
I initially started as a Molecular Biology Technician intern at Metagenom Bio, but quickly got involved with the marketing team for Healthy Hydroponics. Right off the bat, I found myself enjoying the creativeness of marketing and finding solutions to problems that people are facing every day. Now, my main role is working as a Science Communicator using social media and blog posts as my platform. My goal is to try and make science accessible, easy to understand, and relatable to our target audience, which is mainly hydroponic growers. Check out one of the recent posts that I wrote: Types of Indoor Farming!
From your perspective, what is the most exciting thing about Healthy Hydroponics?
To me, the most exciting thing is being able to help people. Hydroponic systems are an innovative solution for food sustainability, which have grown in popularity in recent years. It is nice to be a part of keeping those systems healthy and ensuring growers get the best and highest quality crop yield, all year round!
What is your expertise?
My expertise is in microbiology, however, I have a specialization in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), thanks to my MSc thesis. My thesis focused on the characterization, transfer, and persistence of AMR genes in bacteria. Specifically, we recovered bacteria (e.g. E. coli) carrying AMR genes in dairy cattle manure, at different stages of the treatment process (e.g. anaerobic digestion and composting) and analyzed them. This gave us an idea of which genes were present in dairy cattle, and how manure treatments can influence their genetic structure before manure is applied to the environment as fertilizer.
What do you enjoy about scientific communication?
I really enjoy teaching people about science and breaking down peer-reviewed research, which can be intimidating and overwhelming. A challenge we have seen recently due to the pandemic is the increase in distrust the public has in science and scientists. With the amount of false information floating around and the challenge of identifying truth from fiction, accurate science communication could not be more important and I am proud to be a part of that.
What are your interests/hobbies outside of work?
I love anything that is creative and/or outdoors! I enjoy reading quite a bit, my favorite genres are psychological thrillers (e.g. Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell) and non-fiction (e.g. science and nature). I am an avid crocheter and I love to bake. I also love being outside, especially going for hikes!
What made you pursue a Master’s in microbiology?
I knew I wanted to go to grad school and I also knew I did not want to pursue a PhD, so a MSc was the perfect fit. I was very fortunate that my MSc advisor (Dr. Patrick Boerlin) was taking on students when I reached out and I actually did a summer internship in his lab before he took me on as a MSc student. I had very little knowledge and experience with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria before I started but it quickly became a passion of mine!
Do you have any pets?
I have an amazing four-year-old French Bulldog named Belle! I got her the summer after I graduated from my BSc.H. She has been the best little companion through the pandemic and is so full of personality.
What was the last thing you were really excited about?
I recently tried a new pizza, the Oh Honey, at this amazing pizza place in my hometown (shoutout to Bourbon Street Pizza) and it was the best thing I have ever had. I am still very excited about it.
Do you have any on-going creative projects?
I am actually working on a temperature blanket, well two temperature blankets (because I can never just do one thing). Basically, I crochet a row a day for a full year. The color of that row depends on the daily high or daily low. By the end of the year I will have two temperature color maps for 2022!
If you can only keep three apps on your phone, which would you choose?
FaceTime, Spotify, and The Weather Network
Best advice you’ve received?
Never say no to an opportunity! You never know which opportunities will lead you to your future career and spark a passion you never knew you had.
