Sneak Peek: PSCF 2020 Biology Session

Science communication organization Atom Pinoy welcomed science enthusiasts nationwide to the first ever Philippine Science Communication Festival which aimed to celebrate Filipino ingenuity and provide an avenue for Filipino science enthusiasts, young scientists, and professional scientists to uplift STEM literacy in the Philippines. PSCF 2020 was launched last November 30, 2020 with activities being held until December 14, 2020.

The Biology Session of this year’s PSCF 2020 highlighted issues, career opportunities, and research advancements on the fields of zoology, botany, neuroscience, and biotechnology.

Zoology

Kickstarting the four-part webinar series of Atom Pinoy, the PSCF 2020 Biology Session was held last December 5, 2020 with four speakers focusing on the subtopics Zoology, Botany, Neuroscience and Biotechnology.

The session aimed to raise awareness on the current status of the aforementioned fields of biology, explore career opportunities, and present studies and advancements which participants can tackle for their own research projects.

Starting things off, Mr. Deign Frolley Soriano, a junior faculty member at the University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio, talked about his experience as a biologist, touching on the topic of zoology. He mentioned how cell potency and cell fate which are topics at the cellular level can be applied to the macroscale.

“Cell potency is the ability of the cell to differentiate into other cell types,” says Mr. Soriano. “Just like the millions of cells in your body, you also have the ability for many and all things.”

Moreover, he said that cells are fated to become specialized cells or perform certain functions, citing examples such as our red and white blood cells, muscle cells, and our brain cells. “Just like our cells, you must begin with the end in mind,” he said relating the concept of cell fate to people and motivating the participants to have a goal.

Mr. Soriano also encouraged the students to take an interest in zoology, citing the lack of wildlife zoologists in the Philippines. He gave the students an idea regarding the career opportunities students can take should they decide to become zoologists, including being a member of Save Philippine Seas and World Wide Fund for Nature where he himself is a member.

He also said that we all have a responsibility to contribute to society and that the best way to be inspired to help is to get inspiration from the most impacted.

“You’re never too young to change the world. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional, a BS grad, or a high school grad,” said Mr. Soriano at the end of his talk.

Botany

Following the topic on Zoology, Mr. Maverick Tamayo, Head of the Native Plants Committee in UP Baguio, started his talk on botany with a question: “Is it the end for botany?”

The question is a product of the continuously declining number of botanists in the Philippines. In fact, according to Mr. Tamayo, an institution would already be considered lucky if it has one or two botanists in its roster of scientists.

In his discussion, Mr. Tamayo focused on the reasons behind the question he asked the audience at the beginning. First, he attributed the decline to the rise of scientific reductionism or the process of reducing complex interactions to the sum of constituent parts for easier study.

Despite the subject of botany being considered as a foundation of the sciences, it is hardly ever focused on in the current science curricula of grade school and high school students. Even in the tertiary level, botany is lumped together with other subtopics of biology rather than it being a separate subject given its complexity.

To address this, Mr. Tamayo said, “We should not neglect the basic foundation of the sciences. Rather, we should harmonize them. Botany and Taxonomy should not be considered an infra-science.”

Secondly, he also made mention that the decline in the number of botanists in the country can also be attributed to the decline of natural history collections as well as to the application of market logic to the evaluation of scientific activities.

In the Philippines, there are only a limited number of museums that cater to a collection of our natural history including the one in UP Los Banos and UP Manila as well as the country’s National Museum. Apart from this, Filipino parents and relatives also tend to discourage the youth in pursuing careers that they deem non-profitable or of low salary.

Finally, Mr. Tamayo mentioned how language impacts the field. “Miscommunication of scientific topics is detrimental. But non-communication is much more detrimental,” says Mr. Tamayo. And true enough, how can the youth or the general population be aware of the issues, the career opportunities, and the advancements surrounding the field of botany if it is not talked about?

To end his discussion, he quoted Dr. Jose Rizal, “knowledge is the heritage of mankind, only the courageous inherit it.”

“Therefore, have courage,” Mr Tamayo said.

Neuroscience

As one of the speakers for the Biology Session of the PSCF 2020, Fredrick Flores talks about his academic journey and the prospects of the field of neuroscience.

Studying in George Washington University, Flores has taken up a Major in Neuroscience Minor in Speech Language and Hearing Science as well as Sociocultural Anthropology.

On the reason why he took up the course, Flores stated that neuroscience is a field that excited him, even saying that studying “this [brain] 3-pound object with the consistency of cottage cheese makes you perceive the world.”

By studying the complexity of the brain, neuroscience offers opportunities to partake in its massively growing field of research as well as transform the scape of human, behavioral, and mental health.

“In neuroscience, you have an opportunity to understand others... for the most part people don’t ask in a certain way unless they have a reason,” Flores stated regarding neurodiversity.

Minoring in humanities subjects and surrounded by political scientists in the university, Flores is an advocate for interdisciplinary studies. By studying the likes of the hearing sciences and anthropology, Flores stated that this made him realize how diversified the world is and encouraged everyone to learn about culture and diversity as well.

“You bring a unique aspect to yourself when you study other disciplines as well,” he said. “There is no study greater than another, social sciences and hard sciences are equal, they all interconnect,” he added.

Lastly, Flores advised students to go beyond the classroom and try to learn and interact with communities and organizations as well as keeping updated about current events to find more ways to give back to communities especially the underrepresented underserved and exploited.

“With enough passion and motivation, you can find solutions to even the most seemingly impossible questions,” he said.

Biotechnology

Elijah Bryce Mojares, a current PhD candidate in Medical Engineering at Queen Mary University of London was invited to be the guest speaker for PSCF’s last segment, biotechnology.. Mojares shared about his current research as a PhD candidate, as well as his journey thus far and some advice on life with science.

ompleting his undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB) at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Mojares’ current PhD research focuses on cell-material interactions, where he investigates induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that are stabilized by viscoelastic protein nanosheets.

“How can we design protein nanosheets for stem cell culture?” Mojares asks through his study. As reprogrammed adult cells, iPSCs have the ability to develop into any type of cell. Their interactions with microdroplets of 100 to 200 μm is the topic under investigation, with the use of protein nanosheets as stabilizers. These nanosheets exhibit viscoelasticity, wherein it does not just go with the flow but it also does not go back to its original shape. On the contrary, viscous Newtonian fluids like water and oil would go with the flow and dissipate the energy, while elastic materials do return to their original shape.

Apart from designing protein nanosheets, Mojares also aims to determine their functionality in a given environment and their effect on pluripotency.

Mojares also touched on the more personal side of things as he shared his journey and life learnings in science. Debunking misconceptions such as needing to be smart and naturally talented in science for a career in STEM, Mojares stressed the greater importance of curiosity than of grades.

He also emphasized that challenges are opportunities to grow and that what really matters is the time, effort, and grit that you put into things. “Most innovative ideas take years, and rushing things [would only] kill our child-like curiosity. Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Mojares said. Apart from these, he also pointed out the importance of having a good support system—no man is an island.

Overall, Mojares wanted to emphasize the need to be human in science, as pressing questions such as how to improve our healthcare systems and how to make communities more resilient against calamities remain unresolved. “People need to start caring. We need science-based decisions because they work,” Mojares said.

Ending his talk with a reminder that everyone will get lost every now and then in their journey in science, Mojares went on to say that you just have to ride through it and also offered book suggestions like Grit, Educated, Feynman’s Rainbow, and Thinking Fast and Slow.