Our interviewee is Anna Sánta, a PhD Candidate from the Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Hungary. Anna is a member of the Junior Section of the Hungarian Biochemical Society, FEBS Constituent Society.
What motivated you to pursue a career in science? Why did you choose this field?
I've been interested since childhood. I'm also a hobby comic artist, and one of my first comic characters was a self-insert superhero, who was able to manipulate molecules on the atomic level, but instead of fighting, she mostly used it for scientific experiments. I was also always fascinated by the DNA molecule as a child, and then even more fascinated by proteins later as I learned more about them. Another thing I am prone to is absorbing an unnecessary amount of useless fun facts, and then sharing them, whether people want it or not. I feel very blessed to be able to do all of these things now, since my lab work is basically the same as what my superhero self did, and I can use science communication as an excuse to overshare about structural biology.
Briefly introduce your research topic. What is the purpose of your research?
My dissertation topic is the PDZ domain of the Shank1 protein. Disorders of Shank proteins have been found to play a role in the emergence of autism spectrum disorders, but their overexpression is also associated with cancer. Therefore, the clinical significance of researching this protein family is undeniable. We are a structural biology group, so I am specifically looking at the structural properties of the domain, with a heavy focus on dynamics as it is remarkably flexible. My work contributes to basic research that can provide a solid foundation for drug design studies.
What excites you most about your work or research?
The term "autism spectrum disorder" exists for a reason. How come some people need lifelong assistance while others can function independently? Looking at even this single domain of this one protein gives a clue to why this disorder is so diverse: even this single PDZ participates in multiple pathways, and there appears to be a delicate balance in partner selectivity that is probably heavily influenced by internal dynamics. Introduce a mutation, and even if it does not significantly influence domain stability or binding affinities, the balance might still be disrupted, resulting in a vastly modified interaction network. Therefore, in theory, if there are two people, with this same protein domain affected, with mutations that look similar at first glance in their destabilizing effect... even then, their phenotype might end up vastly different. I think these are the kind of "secrets" that are worth uncovering and make scientific discovery exciting.
Among all the scientific discoveries of all time, which is your favorite? Why?
Everything protein NMR spectroscopy. Even the most commonly used techniques, like HSQC spectra, are so fascinating and beautiful: a unique fingerprint for every protein, with approximately one "dot" for each amino acid. Then do a ligand titration, a variable temperature experiment, or measure relaxation rates, and paired with a structure model (which one can now easily obtain with AlphaFold), you can suddenly see this protein "move". A static structure does not give us all the information, but NMR experiments can breathe life into a static model.
What do you do as a scientist to make your work interesting and accessible to the public?
I am unfortunately a little bit addicted to social media, but at least it has the benefit of giving me a platform to share about science. I have a Facebook page where I occasionally write a post about interesting structural biology concepts. When I spent more time in the lab, I loved making videos, too - cool-looking lab equipment is a great way to draw viewers in, and then I can go on to explain what and why I'm exactly doing. Unfortunately, structural biology is a little bit too abstract for the general public, but I will definitely not stop posting for all three active readers I have, haha, and hopefully, the more I practice, the more palatable I can make it. I just think it's too cool to remain so unknown.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have hobbies?
I do not have much spare time, unfortunately, with one small child currently, and a second on the way, although I did kind of turn parenthood into a hobby science side project where I am doing my best to deeply research everything related to parenting and children's health, and make easy-to-undestand summaries to help out other parents. I also recently completed a lactation consultant course, which gave me a more "human" perspective on medical biology that I appreciate after researching the atomic level for so long. I draw manga-style comics, I successfully self-published a one-shot story in print a few years back, and I am hoping to complete a second volume the next year or so. I am a permanent member of the artist jury in a large anime-style art contest. My current comic projects include a surreal romance, an adventure fantasy, and a fictionalized biography of a pharaoh, so I think I have more than enough projects to fill my non existent spare time up with.
How did you learn about the FEBS Junior Section? What motivated you to become a member?
I happened to know two of the founding members of our National JS for years, and I was invited to join later by them. One of them was my roommate during FEBS YSF - an example of how YSF can create meaningful connections that lead to exciting new opportunities in the future.
What is the importance of getting involved in FEBS JS activities for students and young scientists?
I find the best about it is that it keeps you connected and up-to-date. It can be hard to maintain connections when one has a lot going on in their life, and in our young age, lots of big changes might happen to one: moves, new jobs, relationships, children... The JS allowed me to keep in touch during these times, and that means a lot in maintaining a scientific career going.
What advice would you give to aspiring students/scientists?
You need to stay excited about it. If it stops being exciting, that's the sign to do something new - change projects, pursue travel scholarships, etc. There are always more opportunities out there in science than one might think.
Where do you see your career going next?
I will probably be on a maternity break after my PhD defence for a few months, but after that, I will look for postdoc positions. In the meantime, I will definitely keep making my little protein structure fun fact posts, and also, I will do my best to contribute to our JS by writing articles and organizing events.