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Her Research: She goes to extreme places like volcanoes to study how some microorganisms can survive in conditions that kill most living things.
Impact: DiRuggiero's research could help scientists understand how humans repair cell damage that cause diseases like cancer. It might also show how life on other planets, like Mars, might survive in very harsh conditions. (Read about it)
The Players: A very basic group of microorganisms called Archaea, a simple life form that would be a good bet in a survivor contest. Some Archaea are called thermophiles and live in very hot water in places like volcanoes, hot springs and deep sea vents. Others are called halophiles – they live in very high salt water like that found in the Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea. Though very simple genetically, the cellular machinery of Archaea works in very much the same way as that of human cells and other eukaryotic cells. By understanding the molecular basis of how Archaea function, Prof. DiRuggiero thinks we can learn more about human cell potential.
A Simple Genome: DiRuggiero fragments the DNA of Archaea, much as extreme conditions would do, to see how it rebuilds. "Fourteen genomes of hyperthermophiles or extreme thermophiles have now been completed, but the basic physiology and mechanisms of survival of these microorganisms are still mostly uncharacterized. However, genomic sequences open new perspectives for understanding the dynamic nature of gene function that allows cells to grow, replicate and respond to high temperature environments."
Discoveries: DiRuggiero has found that Archaea have a hearty assortment of DNA tools that can fix almost any kind of DNA damage. She's been to volcanoes around the world, to hot geysers in Yellowstone National Park and to the Great Salt Lake to collect samples for study. NASA is interested in her research, because it might help them devise ways to protect astronauts exposed to radiation, which severely damages cells. It might also give them clues in looking for life on other planets.
On Being a Science Researcher: "It's like adding pieces to the puzzle. When you're the first person to put a piece in the puzzle, that's really fun, very exciting. I don't know when the puzzle I'm studying is going to be finished, probably not in my lifetime, but that's okay, I'm just happy to add a piece or two to it."
How She Got into Science: "I started to study biology in high school and knew that's what I wanted to do. I study microbes – I can kill a lot of them without feeling guilty about it. I'm also interested in the environment, and I've loved volcanoes since I was a kid. So I've mixed the environment, molecular study and volcanoes."
On Molecular Science Today: "Things are accelerating at a tremendous pace right now. It's a combination of more knowledge and technological progress. Ten years ago, if you wanted to study a genome, it was one piece at a time. Now we see the whole thing. That is also happening with proteins–we can see what happens with all the proteins in a cell. Soon we will be able to visualize all the circuitry of a cell, all the interactions between all the molecular components."
On Teaching at UM: "I like to work with students, I really like teaching. And I like the interaction with other faculty in an academic setting."
On the future: "I would like to bring significant insights to the process I'm studying. I want to look at my career and think I had fun doing it."
When she's not being a scientist: She coaches her kids' soccer team. She's never been a soccer player.
Jocelyne DiRuggiero grew up and studied in France. She came to the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute as a Fulbright scholar, then joined the University of Maryland faculty.
Read more about Jocelyne DiRuggiero's work.
Ask Dr. DiRuggiero a question – e-mail her at diruggie@umd.edu ; or Ellen Ternes, eternes@umd.edu.
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