Staff News
WELCOME TO BBE!
Tiffany Kim
Tiffany Kim joined BBE in April as a Grant Manager where she assists our PIs with pre- and post-award grant management, laboratory finances, and providing projections for planning purposes. She worked in HSS from 2006 through 2019 assisting PIs with all facets of grants management. After her time at HSS, Tiffany obtained an Ed.D. from USC, where she concentrated on organizational change and leadership, developing a great skill set that complements our strong Grants Managers group. She is a long-time supporter of Caltech’s performing, visual arts and theater programs. Tiffany may be reached at tiffany@caltech.edu or x4682.
Please Also Welcome:
- Michael Anaya, Global Interactome Staff Scientist, Zinn Lab
- Luisa Segovia, Research Technician, Bjorkman Lab
- Woj Wojtowicz, Program Director for Human Global Interactome, Zinn Lab
- Ella Wood, Research Technician, Hay Lab
Service Impact Awards
Congratulations to our hard-working BBE staff who received their milestone service awards!
View all honorees here
Please Welcome Our New Postdocs to the Division:
Prashant Bhat – Guttman Lab
Yi-Ting Cheng – Mazmanian Lab
Ukjin Choi – Oka Lab
Gennady Gorin – Pachter Lab
Takumi Itakura – Anderson Lab
Rachael Kuintzle – Elowitz Lab
Eric Liaw – Orphan Lab
Bingchuan Liu – Andersen Lab
John Marken – Hay Lab
James McGehee – Stathopoulos Lab
Isabelle Rosenthal – Andersen Lab
Sarah Wandelt – Andersen Lab
Division Events
Town Hall Update
On May 24th, in an effort to solicit feedback from everyone in the division, BBE held a second annual Town Hall, an opportunity for people to share their perceptions and ideas about working and learning at Caltech. Separate breakout groups of graduate students, postdocs and staff convened to discuss and draft topics on how we might better support everyone’s ability to perform and facilitate impactful science in a collegial and engaging environment. Suggestions for improvement were presented by each group and action items formulated that are now being shared throughout the division. After the sessions, individuals across BBE mingled and interacted over small plates and beverages in the Chen breezeway and gardens. The division is following up with topics raised at this event and will soon share a website link containing more specifics. A special thanks to Tish Cheek and her colleagues for making this event a success!
...And the 2023 Alice Huang Leadership Award goes to:
Justin Bois, for his many contributions to advance the science, education, and community in BBE!
This award is named in honor of Dr. Alice Huang, a long-time member of BBE, whose contributions to BBE, Caltech, and the greater scientific community exemplify the type of person we seek to recognize: someone who persistently, effectively, and without fanfare has done important and impactful things on behalf of others in the division. Dr. Huang, an accomplished virologist and scientific leader, has quietly worked behind the scenes within BBE and Caltech to make it better. From her decades-long efforts to expand the hiring and equitable treatment of women to her volunteer fostering of IACUC and leadership of Bi 23, Alice has had a profoundly positive impact on our community. We hope this award will shine a light on those who are following in her footsteps and will inspire others to do the same.
Justin Bois was hired into the BBE teaching faculty in 2013. He created the data analysis course that is considered to “one of the few best classes at Caltech." He has helped faculty and students in their research to improve their data analysis. He has contributed to our BBE educational programs by being involved in many innovative and evolving courses for both our undergrads and grad students, including a summer programming bootcamp that is appreciated by BBE students, postdocs, and staff alike.
Kerckhoff Marine Lab (KML) Update
KML's "Dive Deep, Build High" event was a big success on July 9th, 2023! The family friendly event included fun activities at the KML facility on the beach in Corona Del Mar.
KML also had their inaugural “Science and Sunsets” event on Friday, June 2nd, opening the space up to neighbors and community partners. Guests enjoyed refreshments and a beautiful sunset before learning about Victoria Orphan’s deep sea experiments and Kevin Hand’s presentation on how ocean exploration informs space expeditions. They hope to have this event more often in the future and open to several groups.
More information about this and future events at KML may be found at kml.caltech.edu or Instagram @Kerckhoff_marine_lab.
Caltech Core Facilities Social
Caltech hosted a unique event for BBE Postdocs, Researchers and Grad Students that highlighted the many Core Facilities available on-campus. This event on April 12th was an opportunity for facilities and services to showcase their offerings, enable discussions, and create future collaborations. It was organized by the BBE Postdoc representatives and was open to all BBE researchers. 130+ people attended the event that they plan to host once a year.
The BBE Postdoc representatives engage with all BBE Postdocs and work hand-in-hand with the Caltech Postdoctoral Association (CPA) and the division to organize multiple socials and career development events including recent and ongoing series of Faculty-Postdoc lunches.
The BBE Postdoc representatives encourage additional Postdocs to get involved with their team. Please contact any member for additional information. Current members are:
- Sayan Dutta: sdutta2@caltech.edu
- Zachery R. Lonergan: zrl@caltech.edu
- Estefania Sanchez Vasquez: zrl@caltech.edu
- An Zhang: anzhang@caltech.edu
BBE Retreat 2023
Mark your calendars for the upcoming BBE Retreat on November 3rd and 4th! The Retreat will take place on campus at Chen, along Moore Walk and Beckman Mall. Details will be shared as the event draws near. Please contact Tish Cheek, BBE Events Coordinator, for information: lcheek@caltech.edu.
Student News
Commencement 2023
Congratulations to our BBE Graduates who celebrated their accomplishments at Commencement on June 16th, 2023 at Beckman Mall. This year's Commencement Speaker was Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor and director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. Watch the ceremony here.
Congratulations to the Reddy, Ferguson, and Park S. Nobel Prize Winners
Congratulations to Sarah Wandelt, recipient of the Dr. NAGENDRANATH REDDY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES THESIS PRIZE 2023! This prize is awarded to the graduating female Ph.D. candidate in the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering who has produced the most outstanding thesis in the biological sciences and engineering for the past year.
Congratulations to Xinhong Chen, recipient of the LAWRENCE L. AND AUDREY W. FERGUSON PRIZE 2023! The Ferguson prize is awarded to the graduating Ph.D. candidate in the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering who has produced the outstanding doctoral thesis for the past year.
Congratulations to Jenny Ji, recipient of the PARK S. NOBEL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN BIOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2023! This prize is awarded to an undergraduate student demonstrating outstanding achievements within the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering at Caltech.
Welcome Grad Students!
Biology
Thomas Adamo-Schmidt, Dalhousie University - Genetics
Lydia Chen, UC San Diego - Molecular Biology
Jose Lorenzo Ferrer, University of Philippines Diliman - Genetics
Joseph Rich, UC Los Angeles - Machine Learning
Hunter Richards, UC Berkeley - Neurobiology
Doran Sekaran, Columbia College - Genetics
Konnor von Emster, UC Berkeley - Developmental Biology
Xieze Xu, University of Hong Kong - Cell Biology
Vickie Yang, Peking University - Immunology
Jiahe Yue, Reed College - Developmental Biology
Bioengineering
Angela Barturen Larrea, Cayetano Heredia University - Synthetic Biology
Marisa Bennett, Arizona State University - Synthetic Biology
Michael Di Martino, University of Pennsylvania - Bioinspired Design
Ellen Emerson, University of Southern California - Biomedical Devices
Kexin Fan, The Chinese University of Hong - Biological Imaging
Catherine Griffin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Biomedical Devices
Ryan Hong, The Uninversity of British Columbia - Biomolecular Engineering
Elizabeth Hughes, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - Cell and Tissue Engineering
Juan Ibarra Arriaga, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Synthetic Biology
Ocheanya Igomu, Illinois Wesleyan University - Cell and Tissue Engineering
Sayaka Kozuki, University of California Santa Cruz - Cell and Tissue Engineering
Lydia Lin, Duke University - Neuroengineering
Lukas Moeller, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Synthetic Biology
Conrad Oakes, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Synthetic Biology
Matthew Plazola, California State University Long Beach - Molecular Programming
Binglun Shao, Princeton University - Synthetic Biology
Hao Wang, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Biomechanics
Spencer Winter, California State University Monetery Bay - Molecular Programming
Akanksha Yadav, IMPRS Molecular Biology - Biomolecular Engineering
Hanqiao Zhang, University of California Berkerly - Systems Biology
George Daghlian, Caltech
Daniel Tang, Stanford University
Computation and Neural Systems
Austin Brotman, Stanford University - Computational Neuroscience
Sean Darcy, John Hopkins Univeristy - Cognitive Neuroscience
Haochen Deng, Univeristy of California Berkeley - Computational Neuroscience
Raphaela Kang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Machine Vision
Xing Hao Li, University of Toronto - Computational Neuroscience
Nicholas Riveira, University of Texas Austin - Computational Neuroscience
Jingyue Xu, Univeristy of California San Diego - Cognitive Neuroscience
Ines Zaragoza Llatas, Ecole Plytechnique - Molecular, Cellular, Systems Neuroscience
Tianyi Zhang, McGill Univeristy - Computational Neuroscience
Shengjie Zheng, Jiaying University - Molecular, Cellular, Systems Neuroscience
Neurobiology
Alexis Cho, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Neurobiology
Rana Eser, Kaiser Permanente SOM - Neurobiology
Katelyn Haly, University of California Davis - Neurobiology
Man Ching Sin, Cornell University - Neurobiology
Lexi Zhou, University of California Berkeley - Neurobiology
Let's Celebrate!
In celebration of commencement and the conclusion of the academic year, Grad students hosted a Happy Hour on June 16th and an end of year social on June 23rd. Festivities included delicious grub, drinks, games, and social activities.
The festivities continue with BBE’s bimonthly Grad socials. It's a chance for students to unwind and connect with one another. An event for students thrown by students. The next Grad student Happy Hour will be on July 28th, 5pm, Chen Breezeway. Beverages, light snacks and games available! Please check the calendar for additional dates.
Other Student News
Bioscience Future Day
Caltech's Bioscience Future Day on May 9th was another big hit! As part of the new Caltech Bioscience Industrial Partners Program (CBIPP), the event featured keynote speaker, Dr. Noubar Afeyan, followed by student poster presentations and networking. Bioscience Future Day is an incredible opportunity to hear about the latest and most exciting work being carried out in biodata, biopharma, biotech, life sciences, medical devices and synthetic biology across Caltech. It's a highly visible event attended by undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, alums, and Caltech professors.
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Noubar Afeyan is founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a company that creates bioplatform companies to transform human health and sustainability, and he is co-founder and chairman of the board of Moderna, the pioneering messenger RNA company addressing the global COVID-19 pandemic through life-saving vaccines; he chairs the boards of several private and public companies. An entrepreneur and biochemical engineer, Dr. Afeyan holds more than 100 patents and has co-founded more than 70 life science and technology startups during his 35-year career.
MD/PhD Student Student Prashant Bhat Delivers Lecture at the Everhart Graduate Student Series on May 22, 2023
The Everhart Lecture Series is a forum to encourage interdisciplinary interaction among graduate students and faculty, to share ideas about recent research developments, problems and controversies, and to recognize the exemplary presentation and research abilities of Caltech's graduate students. Lecturers discuss topics at a level suitable for graduate students and faculty from all fields, while addressing current research issues.
StreamPrashant Bhat's Talk Here Illuminating the "Dark Genome" and Membraneless Organelles: A New Frontier in Molecular Biology
Undergraduate Cristian Ponce Participated in the Sixth Year of the NASA Psyche Inspired Internship Program
Christian Ponce joined a total of sixteen undergraduates from colleges and universities around the U.S. participating as virtual creatives-in-residence with the NASA Psyche mission. As a group, the interns have produced almost 60 original creative works to share the excitement and innovation of the Psyche mission with the public. The complete collection of their works may be viewed in an online exhibit HERE.
Paws to Relax
BBE and Paws-to-Share sponsored a pet therapy event on May 11th on the lawn outside of Kerckhoff for students and staff. It was an opportunity to relax with furry friends and feel your tensions melt away. A special thank you to our Option Managers: Liz Ayala, Lauren Breeyear, and Kenya Zeigler for arranging such a fun event!
Undergrads Ditch Day 2023
"A tradition with origins that stretch back to 1921, Ditch Day has evolved over the years but persists as one of Caltech's most beloved and zany events. Known for its "stacks," themed puzzle-solving adventures designed by graduating fourth years, Ditch Day involves logic challenges, high jinks across campus, and creative storytelling uniquely characteristic of Caltech." This year’s ditch day took place on Friday, May 26th and involved a number of BBE spaces.
For your Information...
Grant Writing Consultation
As a Scientific Writing Specialist in Beckman Institute, Ariane Helou provides writing and editorial support to researchers affiliated with BI's Resource Centers and Facilities, as well as other faculty in the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering.
She is available to collaborate with BI/BBE faculty on writing projects of all kinds. Beyond grant proposals and manuscripts, Ariane has a strong interest in science writing for the general public and would be happy to work with colleagues on publications for broad readership. You may book an appointment HERE
BioRender for BBE
BioRender is an online science illustration tool that lets you create high-quality diagrams for publications, presentations, posters, patents, outreach and more. It offers a large library of over 50,000 icons and templates from over 30 fields of life science, curated and vetted by industry professionals.
BBE has negotiated a discounted fee for a limited number of named user premium/institution licenses. Instead of the individual license of $420/year, or lab license for up to 5 users of $1,188/year, each user will pay $100/year. This opportunity is open to all faculty, staff and grad students. (The BioRender free version with limited functionality is open to all @caltech.edu users.)
If you wish to purchase a new BioRender license at this discounted price, request access to BioRender by sending email to software@caltech.edu or by submitting a ticket to Caltech Help, request type IMSS > Software Distribution & Licensing. In the email or ticket, provide your access.caltech username and PTA that will be used to cover the $100 annual fee. IMSS will confirm once you have been added to the license and provide instructions for accessing the software.
If you already have a subscription and wish to convert it to the discounted rate and receive a pro-rated refund (if applicable), you can request your license be transitioned to the general Caltech license by emailing Wenyee Lo in IMSS (wenyee@caltech.edu) and she will contact you for a PTA.
Thanks to representatives from the Graduate Student Council (GSC) and Wenyee Lo (IMSS) for helping to make this resource available to our community!
Passport Photo Service Returns to Campus
Passport Photos are now available in the Mail Services lobby located on the first floor of the Keith Spalding building. The cost is $15.00 for a set of 2 photos, $5.00 for each additional set, and $10.00 for digital photos (please supply a brand-new flash drive/memory stick). Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. No appointment necessary.
Caltech Walking Tour
There has been a few changes and updates to the Caltech Walking Tour. Find some time to check it out and talk at walk!
Caltech Beaver Name Revealed!
Following the result of a poll conducted by the Caltech Student-Athlete Advisory Council, the long-awaited name of the Beaver mascot was officially revealed - Bernoulli! Read more HERE
Voluntary Surveillance Testing Program
Caltech students, faculty, postdocs, and staff members working on-campus may learn if they may have been exposed to COVID-19 by participating in a free voluntary community surveillance testing program administered by UCLA SwabSeq. The program is supported with a California Department of Public Health grant to UCLA and is independent from Caltech. Student Wellness Services will facilitate access to the testing kits and provide a collection sample drop-off box on campus. More information can be found HERE
Library News
Access Archives-only content on Instagram
Caltech Archives & Special Collections has a new Instagram account!
Library Study Spaces
Caltech students, staff and faculty can use study spaces for collaboration, research, and related activities. Sherman Fairchild offers a number of options, from study rooms to our amphitheater, available for reservation and walk-ins. Dabney Library has an outdoor patio available for use and Caltech Hall has a sizeable open study space on the ninth floor. Learn more and make reservations HERE.
Kristin Briney specializes in helping scientists navigate information resources and in managing research data. You may contact her at briney@caltech.edu.
Faculty News and Highlights
Barbara Wold Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Barbara Wold (PhD '78), Bren Professor of Molecular Biology and Director and Allen V. C. Davis and Lenabelle Davis Leadership Chair of the Richard N. Merkin Institute for Translational Research, has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest honorary societies. She joins 268 other new members, drawn from academia, the arts, industry, policy, research, and science.
Dave Van Valen and Rebecca Voorhees Awarded Freeman Hrabowski Fellowships
David Van Valen (PhD '11), assistant professor of biology and biological engineering and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, and Rebecca Voorhees, assistant professor of biology and biological engineering and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, have been selected by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to the inaugural class of Freeman Hrabowski Scholars. The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program recognizes outstanding early career faculty in science who "have potential to become leaders in their research fields and to create diverse and inclusive lab environments in which everyone can thrive," according to the HHMI.
David Van Valen joined the Caltech faculty in 2019, but his first encounters with Caltech were as an undergraduate SURF student, visiting from MIT. Van Valen returned to Caltech for a joint MD/PhD program with UCLA, receiving his PhD in 2011.
His research seeks to understand how living systems link environmental information to changes in cellular behavior with signaling pathways. To study this question, his lab combines ideas from cell biology and physics with advances in imaging, genomics, and artificial intelligence to increase the scope and scale of biological measurements. By integrating information about signaling activity, gene expression, and cellular behaviors at the level of single cells, Van Valen and his team hope to understand the mechanisms behind cellular information processing and how these are perturbed in human disease states.
Rebecca Voorhees joined the Caltech faculty in 2017 after completing graduate school and postdoctoral training at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. Her research focuses on proteins, the molecular workhorses of the body that are responsible for everything from the signaling of neurons in our brain to recognition of viruses in our blood stream. Specifically, her work seeks to understand how cells make membrane proteins, an essential class of proteins that are embedded in the thin protective "skin" that surrounds our cells and organelles. Her lab's goal is to define the molecular logic that regulates membrane protein synthesis, which will ultimately provide the insight necessary to manipulate protein flux to treat human disease.
Publications
A New Mechanism for Crossing the Blood–Brain Barrier
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a stringent, nearly impenetrable layer of cells that guards the brain, protecting the vital organ from hazards in the bloodstream such as toxins or bacteria and allowing only a very limited set of small molecules, such as nutrients, to pass through. This layer of protection, however, makes it difficult for researchers to study the brain and to design drugs that can treat brain disorders. A new study by Viviana Gradinaru has identified a previously unknown mechanism by which certain viral vectors—protein shells engineered to carry various desired cargo—can cross through the BBB. Read Article Featured in Science Advances
Scientists Create Embryo-Like Model that Mimics Post-Implantation Stage of Human Development
The human body and all its complexity arise from just a small collection of cells that divide and morph into different types of tissues. But exactly how this occurs is hard to study because embryos are hidden inside their mothers. Some embryos are donated to science by individuals who have undergone in vitro fertilization, but these embryos are limited in availability and by strict ethical and legal regulations. Now Magda Zernicka-Goetz and her colleagues have generated a human embryo–like model that mimics aspects of the second week of human development, a time after embryos become implanted in the womb. Read Article Featured in Nature
Faculty Archives
Ray David Owen (1915-2014) Professor of Biology, Pioneering Researcher in Immunology and Genetics
Ray Owen’s ease with animals and his work ethic in the laboratory go back to the beginning: he was born on a dairy farm in Wisconsin in 1915 and did farm chores until he went to Carroll College, where he majored in biology. In 1937, Owen enrolled in the University of Wisconsin, where he pursued fundamental research in genetics and focused on hybrid antigens on crosses between guinea and domestic fowl. After serving on the faculty at Wisconsin, Owen arrived at Caltech as a Gosney Fellow, and he became associate professor of biology in 1947, at which point he shifted his focus to rodents.
Two years prior, Owen’s work on cattle blood group inheritance heralded major progress in the field of immunology, and his discovery of immune tolerance would become a cornerstone in successful organ transplantation. With the exception of a yearlong appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Owen spent his entire career at Caltech, and his laboratory work in Kerckhoff yielded formative research in mammalian genetics, stem cells, and developmental biology, while his later work focused on human antibodies, blood-group antigens, and mouse autoimmunity. His textbook General Genetics (co-authored with Adrian Srb in 1952) was the standard study of its time, and he was admired throughout campus for his commitment to teaching, his championing of minority students, and his contributions leading to the admission of women to the undergraduate program.
At Caltech, Owen served as chair of the Division of Biology, dean of students, and vice president for student affairs. His students benefitted from an immunology lab course that offered a view into cutting-edge research in the field, and a popular introductory survey on biological research, which he taught from his home. Beyond campus, Owen was an active member of the National Academy, president of the Genetics Society of America, he served in significant advisory roles at the NIH and the NSF, and he was the “Scientist-Member” of the President’s Cancer Panel in the Nixon and Ford administrations.
Even as an undergraduate, Owen thought deeply about the societal value offered by scientific research, and the specific role that biological understanding could play in mitigating divisiveness. He took full advantage of scientific collaboration among his division colleagues at Caltech, including important research in virus serology with Samuel Wildman, immunogenetics with Clement Markert, and antigenic variations with John Loefer, David Nanney, and Jean-Marie Dubert. His graduate students have continued to advance immunology and genetics research throughout the world. Owen remained a fixture on campus long after he became emeritus, and he spoke with pride of Caltech’s culture and its ideals.
In a speech for the Parent’s Day Luncheon, 1998, Owen reflected on the rigors of the undergraduate experience: “That’s a theme you’ve no doubt encountered repeatedly…the long hours of hard work required just to survive here,” encapsulated in the saying, “Getting a Caltech education is like getting a drink of water from the fire hydrant.” “Of course,” Owen exhorted, “You knew we set a high standard; you and our students want it that way; that’s what you are paying for! You chose a school with a clearly-defined purpose – to take in the very most able young people interested mainly in careers in science and engineering, and to help them develop the most creative contributions to knowledge and human welfare.”
Article written by David Zierler, Director, Caltech Science Heritage Project
Announcements and Updates
Visiting Committee Update
Caltech’s visiting committees assess each division’s research and teaching programs to affirm their strengths and to identify weaknesses and opportunities. Visiting committees occasionally are asked to appraise facilities and to provide recommendations for improvement or change as well. To provide focus for each meeting, the President issues a charge that seeks guidance, recommendations and opinions on specific questions and issues. BBE’s visiting committee consisted of seven members from the Caltech Board of Trustees along with five academic members from external institutions.
Each visiting committee convenes formally every five years in a meeting that spans three days. Prior to this year, BBE’s last visiting committee was in 2016. On April 24-26, 2023 (accounting for a two-year delay due to COVID), members of the BBE visiting committee reviewed reference materials prepared by and about the division, covering research programs, faculty updates, statistics on instructional activities and grant funding. The group heard presentations from, and met with, representative groups of students, postdocs, faculty and staff across the division. The committee subsequently issued a report shared with the President, (and later, the Board of Trustees and BBE faculty), providing their assessment on BBE’s research and teaching programs, pointing out strengths and identifying opportunities for improvement. The Chair and various committees of BBE will follow-up on the committee’s recommendations in the coming months.
Acting on one suggestion by the committee, the division on Tuesday, 15 August 2023, will embark upon a staff workplace assessment, where groups of employees in similar jobs will be invited to participate in focus groups to discuss ideas for how various teams can best stay engaged in the mission of the division and Institute. An independent organization, Rankin Climate will facilitate the sessions where participants can candidly and anonymously deliberate on the culture and climate of the division. Results from this one-day event will help advise techniques for ensuring everyone in the BBE community has an opportunity to thrive.
Access to Braun and Noyes Laboratories
Between Monday, July 17th, and Friday, August 7th, construction fencing will temporarily block off the east entrance to Braun Laboratory and the south entrance to Noyes Laboratory. Both exits will still function as emergency exits during this period. Proposed construction work will include demolition of existing hardscape, underground utility improvements, and installation of new walkways (marked in red on the diagram HERE)
Fisher Stockroom Celebrates One Year Anniversary!
The Fisher Stockroom located in Alles 181 has recently celebrated its one-year anniversary!
Over the last year they have made several enhancements to the stockroom's punchout page on Techmart based on valuable user feedback. These improvements have been specifically designed to enhance user-friendliness.
If you would like to provide feedback, please do so using this following barcode:
Fisher Scientific - Alles 181
Hours | Monday - Friday | 8:00am - 12pm, 1pm - 5:00pm
Contact: Raymond Dunn - raymond.dunn@thermofisher.com, x3108
Green Labs Update
Green Labs has three exciting new adventures this summer!
Firstly, BBE lab participation in our pilot programs has been amazing! Green Labs Lomi tabletop composters placed in the Chen kitchen areas have converted 200 Liters (60 gallons!) of food waste into dirt, which has been diverted to the lovely Caltech Gardens. In May, Green Labs also began a TipOne pipette tip box recycling program which has diverted over 400 Liters (105 gallons!) of plastic waste that would have otherwise not been recycled. BBE has provided additional funding for even more sustainable programs, so if your lab has a sustainable project you would like help getting off the ground, please fill out an application form.
Secondly, Green Labs is calling for samples for a student-led study comparing samples held at -20˚C, -70˚C and -80˚C in the Chen Freezer Farm. Samples from various labs will be tested and compared at intervals over a period of up to 5 years. We hope that by conducting a controlled study at Caltech, we can provide evidence for labs to change their -80 ˚C freezers to -70 ˚C, ensuring an energy savings of up to 30%! Here are some additional resources suggesting that -70 ˚C is a safe storage temperature for many kinds of samples. If you are interested in contributing a sample, please email us at greenlabsinfo@caltech.edu.
Thirdly, if your lab is Green Labs Certified, we are providing energy-wise stickers for your lab machinery upon request (printed using Caltech's TechHub Cricut machine!), along with free recycling bins and recycling signage for your lab spaces. If your lab is not yet certified, don’t miss out! Green Labs Certification takes less than 30 minutes. Upon Certification, your lab will be awarded a brag-worthy plaque to post outside your lab. Your lab will also gain access to special deals and events, and your lab can include this certification to boost your grant applications.
Biosafety Update
Slippage in the lab: what is it and how do we prevent it?
Slippage is the degradation of (or slipping away from) optimal performance over time. It is common for people to become complacent and start to take shortcuts or overlook important procedures as time goes by. This can lead to a gradual decline in performance (slippage).
What are some examples of slippage?
- Shortcuts: People may start to take shortcuts, ignoring important safety procedures, to save time or because they are too familiar with the task.
- Lack of attention to detail: People may start to overlook important details, such as proper use of personal protective equipment or proper lockout/tagout procedures.
- Failure to follow established procedures: People may start to deviate from established procedures, increasing the risk of accidents and incidents.
- Lack of vigilance: People may become complacent over time, leading to a reduction in vigilance and attention to safety.
- Fatigue (physical, mental, or emotional): Fatigue can lead to a reduction in vigilance, attention, and decision-making abilities, increasing the risk of slippage.
- Inadequate training: A lack of training or inadequate training can lead to a degradation of performance over time.
- Poor leadership: Poor leadership, including a lack of direction, support, and accountability, can contribute to a poor safety culture and increase the risk of slippage.
It is important to be aware of these risks and to take steps to prevent slippage in order to maintain high standards of safety and quality in the lab.
How can we prevent slippage?
- Regularly assess and review processes: Review and assess processes on a regular basis to ensure that they are still effective and appropriate, and make changes as needed.
- Encourage continuous learning and training: Provide ongoing training and learning opportunities to keep people engaged and vigilant. Make training engaging and hands-on as much as possible.
- Reinforce the importance of safety: Reinforce the importance of safety through positive reinforcement and regular reminders. Avoid punitive measures and arbitrary rules.
- Foster a positive safety culture: Encourage people to speak up about safety concerns and make it clear that safety is a top priority.
- Encourage taking breaks: Encourage people to take breaks to avoid fatigue and maintain vigilance.
- Use checklists and reminders: Use checklists and reminders to help people stay focused and avoid mistakes.
- Use error-proofing methods: Use methods such as poka-yoke (mistake-proofing) to help prevent errors.
- Encourage people to speak up: Encourage people to speak up if they see something that doesn't seem right or if they have safety concerns. Empower them to make safety a priority within their teams.
- Provide clear direction and support: Provide clear direction and support, including well-defined roles and responsibilities, and hold people accountable for their actions.
It is important to prevent slippage and maintain high standards of safety to prevent accidents and incidents in the lab. We can do this by reinforcing a positive safety culture.
At Caltech everyone's safety is of the utmost importance, and we care about everyone's wellbeing.
Remember: Good science is safe science and safe science is good science.
Written by Dr. Leyma De Haro, Associate Biosafety Officer
Featured Events
BBE Graduate Happy Hour, July 28, 5pm, Chen Breezeway
Chen Institute Annual BBQ, September 25, Chen Upper Zen Garden (Register Here)
Fall Term Begins September 26
BBE Retreat, November 3-4 (more details to follow)
All upcoming events can be found on the BBE Calendar
This newsletter is intended to be a valuable resource for the Division of BBE. Please email your feedback and ideas to bbenewsletter@caltech.edu
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Photo Credits: Caltech, Tasha Cammidge, Tish Cheek, Katie Fisher, Masami Hazu, Marta Murphy, Niles Pierce, Joan Sullivan, Stephen Ranson, Briana Ticehurst, Sarah Torres, David Warren
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