A passion for detailed microscopy work has earned Rebecca Tam the Dr. Christine Hone-Buske Award from the Department of Cell & Systems Biology.
Tam’s outstanding publication “Centrosome-organized plasma membrane infoldings linked to growth of a cortical actin domain” in the Journal of Cell Biology explores how the membranes delineating nuclear chambers form in the multinucleated Drosophila embryo.
Tam’s skill at gathering relevant data from a microscope was acquired early on while learning biology in Grade 8. She continued her passion for biology, even sampling streams for a project at David Suzuki Secondary School. As an undergraduate at U of T, she undertook a fourth-year research project in the Harris lab which inspired her to pursue further research as a PhD student.
The Harris lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms behind multicellular development using the Drosophila model system. During the early stages of development, Drosophila cell nuclei duplicate without cellular division, leading to folds in the plasma membrane that mark where past nuclear divisions have occurred.
Using spinning disk confocal microscopy, Tam’s project revealed the role of the centrosomes, the microtubule highways emanating from centrosomes, and effect of the proteins that “drive” on these highways on creating these folds.
Tam’s microscopy work was also recently recognized when she was won an award in the Nikon Small World Toronto imaging competition.
In the near-term, Tam is continuing her work on plasma membrane topography, this time in a different developmental stage. “We’re looking at myosin activity within the highly folded plasma membrane that is used to pattern nuclei throughout the early stage of Drosophila development,” explains Tam.
Tam’s involvement at U of T extends beyond the lab and into event organization and entrepreneurship; she has enjoyed her time organizing Falling Walls Lab Toronto, an opportunity for scientists in the city to pitch how their work can change society for the better.
When reading about this award in honour of the late Christine Hone-Buske, Tam was struck by how closely her interests aligned with Hone-Buske’s business and science communication pursuits.
Dr Rebecca Tam has now completed her PhD studies and will pursue her passion for research by honing her skills in post-doctoral studies in the Kapoor lab at Rockefeller University.
Congratulations Rebecca!