Troubleshooter - Jaclyn Mann
Dr Jaclyn Mann: Senior Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal HIV Pathogenesis Programme, SANTHE Supervisor, IAVI Early Investigator Award, Future Leaders – African Independent Research (FLAIR) Fellowships
Her Research: Jacyln is a virologist who has a number of projects in her lab focused on HIV. One project aims to understand how the HIV virus varies across the world and what these differences mean for new medicines or an HIV vaccine. Studying why something is different is a great way for scientists to figure out what matters the most and why.
The HIV virus genetic sequence (genome) is different in Southern Africa as compared to East Africa, or West Africa. Scientists call these difference subtypes. In Southern Africa, Subtype C is the most common, in East Africa Subtype A is more common, and in West Africa there are a number of different subtypes.
Jaclyn’s group studies characteristics of the subtypes, such as how they grow in cells, and connects this with their genetic sequence. For example, virus subtype A and C, which are very common, do not grow (replicate) very well as compared to the subtypes found in West Africa. Why? She can also look at viruses that have swapped parts. A person can be infected with one subtype and then get infected with a different subtype, the virus can then become a mix of subtypes (a recombinant). They’ve found that in Subtype A viruses, it’s common to have the sequence of other subtypes in a particular part of the GAG protein. This protein is important for budding, when the virus comes out of an infected cell and can then go on to infect another cell. So viruses with the Subtype A GAG protein do not “succeed”, because scientists don’t find a lot of that virus, but virus that have swapped the GAG portion for a different subtype do “succeed”. Success for a virus is what we want to stamp out. This is a big clue for what scientists need to target for therapies.
Her Team: Jaclyn’s team is made up of 1 post-doctoral fellow (Dr Doty Ojwach – Replica) , 3 PhD candidates, 2 masters students, 1 honors student, 1 technician and 1 intern
Superpowers: All things DNA/RNA: Take a single piece of DNA, imagine how tiny that is, and turn it into a bucketful (if she needed it) all thanks to PCR; Rewrite the the genetic sequence of HIV through site directed mutagenesis; Read the genetic code of viruses and at the click of button be able to place them in their family tree (that’s the symbol on Troubleshooter’s suit).
Scientific Strengths: Writing scientific articles and grants, perseverance, trouble shooting (A lot of science is figuring out why an experiment isn’t working, it might be because of a technical reason, or it might be that you’ve discovered something new! You have to keep your mind open but be methodical, checking every step of an experiment until you’ve figured out what you need to change.)
Rank from most important to least: Communication, hard work, curiosity, creativity (though they are probably equally important)
What else do you need? Persistence
A day in the life:
Meetings! 2-3 mornings each week are spent in meetings. Lab meetings are when scientists share their work to practice presentation and get advice from other scientists. She also has one-on-one meetings to catch up with her team.
Reviewing papers and theses, data analysis, grant writing, paper writing,
The occasional experiments –as scientists become more senior they do less experiments themselves and do more to guide their team
Lecturing: she teaches blood and the circulatory system, medical microbiology modules, and haemotology (the study of blood)
Attending scientific conferences
Her Heroes: Prof Thumbi Ndung’u (Interferon)– she admires his skill in working with people, his kindness and that he gives everyone a chance.
Outside of the lab: “I play the piano (I used to give lessons as well), paint (oils) and draw (mainly portraits- charcoal, pencil and chalk pastel). These are very relaxing hobbies for me.”
In isiZulu
UDkt Jaclyn Mann: Umfundisi Omkhulu eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali Uhlelo Lwe-HIV Pathogenesis, umqondisi we-SANTHE, Indondo ye-IAVI Early Investigator, Abaholi Bakusasa - African Independent Research (FLAIR) Fellowships
Ucwaningo Lwakhe: U-Jacyln unguchwepheshe wegciwane lesandulela ngculazi onemisebenzi eminingi elebhu yakhe egxile ku-HIV. Enye iphrojekthi ihlose ukuqonda ukuthi igciwane lesandulela ngculaza lihluka kanjani emhlabeni wonke nokuthi lo mehluko usho ukuthini emithini emisha noma ekugomeni i-HIV. Ukufunda ukuthi kungani okuthile kuhlukile kuyindlela enhle yokuthi ososayensi bathole ukuthi yini ebaluleke kakhulu nokuthi kungani.
Ukulandelana kofuzo kwegciwane lesandulela ngculaza (igenome) kwehlukile eNingizimu Afrika uma kuqhathaniswa neMpumalanga Afrika, noma eNtshonalanga Afrika. Ososayensi babiza lo mehluko ngokuthi ama-subtypes. ENingizimu Afrika, i-Subtype C ivame kakhulu, eMpumalanga Afrika I-Subtype A ivame kakhulu, kanti eNtshonalanga Afrika kunezinhlobo eziningana ezihlukene.
Iqembu lika-Jaclyn lihlola izici zezinhlobo ezincane, njengokuthi zikhula kanjani kumaseli, futhi lixhumanisa lokhu nokulandelana kwazo kofuzo. Isibonelo, i-virus subtype A no-C, evame kakhulu, ayikhuli (iphindaphinda) kahle kakhulu uma iqhathaniswa nezinhlobo ezincane ezitholakala eNtshonalanga Afrika. Kungani? Angakwazi nokubheka amagciwane anezingxenye ezishintshile. Umuntu angangenwa uhlobo olulodwa oluncane bese etheleleka ngolunye uhlobo oluncane oluhlukile, igciwane lingaba yingxube yezinhlobo ezincane (i-recombinant). Bathole ukuthi kumagciwane e-Subtype A, kuvamile ukuba nokulandelana kwamanye ama-subtype engxenyeni ethile ye-GAG protein. Le phrotheni ibalulekile ekuhlumeni, lapho igciwane liphuma engqamuzaneni elithelelekile bese liqhubeka nokuthelela elinye ingqamuzana. Ngakho-ke amagciwane anephrotheni ye-Subtype A GAG “awaphumeleli”, ngoba ososayensi abatholi inqwaba yalelo gciwane, kodwa igciwane elishintshe ingxenye ye-GAG lathola uhlobo oluncane oluhlukile “liyaphumelela”. Impumelelo yegciwane yilokho esifuna ukukuqeda. Lona umkhondo omkhulu walokho ososayensi okudingeka bakuqondise ekwelapheni.
Iqembu Lakhe: Ithimba lika-Jaclyn lakhiwe umuntu oyedwa osebenza naye ngemva kukadokotela (uDkt Doty Ojwach - Replica), abathole iziqu ze-PhD abangu-3, abafundi aba-2 be-masters, umfundi oyedwa we-honours, uchwepheshe oyedwa kanye no-intern oyedwa.
Amandla Amandla: Zonke izinto i-DNA/RNA: Thatha ucezu olulodwa lwe-DNA, cabanga ukuthi luncane kangakanani, futhi uluguqule lube yibhakede (uma ebeludinga) konke ngenxa ye-PCR; Bhala kabusha ukulandelana kofuzo lwe-HIV usebenzisa i-mutagenesis eqondiswe kusayithi; Funda ikhodi yofuzo yamagciwane futhi ngokuchofoza inkinobho ukwazi ukuwabeka esihlahleni somndeni wabo (lolo wuphawu kusudi ye-Troubleshooter).
Amandla Esayensi: Ukubhala izindatshana zesayensi nezibonelelo, ukubekezela, ukuxazulula izinkinga (Isayensi eminingi ithola ukuthi kungani ukuhlola kungasebenzi, kungase kube ngenxa yesizathu sobuchwepheshe, noma kungenzeka ukuthi uthole okuthile okusha! Kufanele ugcine ingqondo yakho ivulekile kodwa ube nenqubo, uhlole zonke izinyathelo zokuhlolwa uze uthole ukuthi yini okudingeka uyishintshe.)
Beka ezingeni kusukela kokubaluleke kakhulu kuye kokuncane: Ukuxhumana, ukusebenza kanzima, ilukuluku, ukusungula izinto (yize zibaluleke ngokulinganayo)
Yini enye oyidingayo? Ukuphikelela
Usuku empilweni:
Imihlangano! 2-3 ekuseni isonto ngalinye zichithwa emihlanganweni. Imihlangano yelebhu yilapho ososayensi babelana ngomsebenzi wabo ukuze bazilolonge ukwethula futhi bathole iseluleko kwabanye ososayensi. Ubuye abe nemihlangano yomuntu ngamunye ukuze ahlangane neqembu lakhe.
Ukubuyekeza amaphepha kanye nethis, ukuhlaziywa kwedatha, ukubhala kwesibonelelo, ukubhala amaphepha,
Izivivinyo zezikhathi ezithile -njengoba ososayensi beba ngabakhulu benza izivivinyo ezincane ngokwabo futhi benze okwengeziwe ukuze baqondise iqembu labo
Ukufundisa: ufundisa igazi nesimiso sokujikeleza kwegazi, amamojula e-medical microbiology, kanye ne-haemotology (ucwaningo lwegazi)
Ukuhambela izingqungquthela zesayensi
Amaqhawe Akhe: UProf Thumbi Ndung’u (Interferon)– uyalithanda ikhono lakhe lokusebenza nabantu, umusa wakhe kanye nokuthi unikeza wonke umuntu ithuba.
Ngaphandle kwelebhu: “Ngidlala upiyano (ngangivame ukufundisa), upende (amafutha) futhi ngidwebe (ikakhulukazi ama-portraits- amalahle, ipensela ne-chalk pastel). Lezi izinto zokuzilibazisa ezingiphumuza kakhulu.”