Crystallizing Coronavirus with Sarah Bowman
Dr. Sarah EJ Bowman earned her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Rochester, and then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at MIT as well as Los Alamos National Laboratory. For the last year, she has focused on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Dr. Bowman is Director of the High-Throughput Crystallization Screening Center and Associate Research Scientist at the Hauptman-Woodward Institute (HWI) here in Buffalo, where I was fortunate to get to know her a little bit in recent years as I helped to support the Institute’s education programs. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S., Sarah’s lab has been studying key components that make up the novel coronavirus. At the Crystallization Center, a facility that over the past 21 years has supported over one thousand labs around the world, crucial non-infectious elements of the virus are coaxed into crystals that can help researchers see the otherwise invisible structure of the virus. Knowing what these extremely small viral parts look like helps researchers understand how new or existing existing drugs might be effective in fighting the virus. (Photo: James P. McCoy / Buffalo News)
The High-Throughput Crystallization Screening Center is based at Hauptman-Woodward Institute (HWI), part of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo. For over 60 years, HWI has worked to find cures for diseases like COVID-19, cancer, and others that impact us today. HWI’s renowned researchers study proteins in normal and diseased states, and what they learn provides a foundation for developing medicines, therapies, and cures. For updates, follow @HWMRI on Twitter.
Between conducting crystallization experiments and other research, advising postdocs, and writing grants, Dr. Bowman still finds time for the occasional photobomb, as demonstrated here in December 2019. (Photo: KC Kratt Photography)
Supplementary Materials
Want to know more about x-ray crystallography? For an excellent 3-minute introduction, check out this animated video produced by The Royal Institution, a 200-year-old independent charity based in London and dedicated to connecting people with the world of science through events and education.
Here’s the feature on Sarah’s lab from the Buffalo News (2/7/21) that I mention in the episode. If you want to follow the lab on Twitter, the handle is @getacrystal.
To see the basic diffraction pattern produced by a green laser, a thin wire, and a paper screen, here’s the video for teachers I describe in the episode sidebar. In this 4’30” video from the British Institute of Physics and the National STEM Learning Centre and Network, Michael de Podesta explains how a laser can be used to show the diffraction and interference of light.
Toward the end of our conversation, Dr. Bowman and I discuss the impact of the pandemic on women in STEM fields. The NPR science podcast Short Wave released an excellent 13-minute update on 5/19/21. (The extra ‘M’ is for Medicine.)
Special Thanks
DJ Sluggy inspirits the soundtrack for this episode. Growing up on punk, hip-hop, and classic rock, Sluggy currently listens to lots of house or “four on the floor” music. She is a versatile creator based in the Denver area who was pleased to contribute to this episode showcasing another remarkable woman who discerned her mission in Denver. I am proud to share that once upon a time, Sluggy was my student for 11th- and 12th-grade English. To find her music on Soundcloud, here’s the link.
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