Biophysical Society Bulletin | February 2022

Publications

Meet BJ’s New Social Media Contributor

What excited you about being a social media contributor for Biophysical Journal ? Aside from my curious nature (which motivated me to be- come a scientist), I have loved reading and writing for as long as I can remember. When I decided to pursue an academic career, I understood that our role as scientists within society is two-fold: doing science and communicating science. For these reasons, during my PhD I looked for different oppor- tunities that would allow me to share science with both the scientific community and the general public. When I came across the call for social media contributors for the Biophysical Journal , I knew I should jump at the opportunity. Being a social media contributor is exciting to me because it represents both a chance for me to improve my communication skills as well as an opportunity to contribute to the biophysics community. How do you view the role of social media in science? I think social media has become the most powerful means for science communication today. Social media allows us (scien- tists) to exchange scientific knowledge, to give and receive advice, to develop collaborations, and to increase our own visibility within the scientific community. At the same time, social media also represents the most rapid form of science communication to the public, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the current pandemic has also allowed us to witness first-hand the two faces of social media: it represents a powerful platform for public outreach, but it can also become a dangerous tool used to spread misinformation. I think it is thus our duty as scientists to dedicate at least some of our valuable time to sharing knowledge using social media.

Biophysical Journal is pleased to introduce Ilaria DiMeglio , the newest addition to the team of social media contributors. Social media contributors help the editorial office identify new and exciting research by contributing blog and social media posts. Learn more about what drew DiMeglio to the position and her views on the relation- ship between social media and science.

Ilaria DiMeglio

What is your field of research? I am currently finishing a one-year postdoc in the lab of Aurélien Roux at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, where I also did my PhD. In the lab, we are interested in how phys- ical forces and mechanics impact biological processes at the molecular, cellular, and tissue scale. My research in this lab has focused on understanding the link between epithelial tissue mechanics and cell cycle progression. More specifically, I helped develop and optimize a technique for cell encapsu- lation within hydrogel microspheres (called capsules), where encapsulated epithelial cells form an epithelial tissue that grows under spherical confinement. Quantifying cell cycle progression and the deformation of the capsule as the tissue grows allows us to assess how compressive stresses impact epithelial cell cycle dynamics.

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February 2022

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