Biophysical Society Bulletin | July/August 2019

Publications

BJ Tweeters and Bloggers The Biophysical Journal is pleased to introduce our new social media contributors. These contributors are highlighting jour- nal research on Twitter and the BPS blog. See what excites them about bringing together science and social media. Symone Alexander Georgia Institute of Technology, USA What is your field of research? My fields of research are soft matter, polymer science and engineering, and ultrafast biophysics. Right now, I’m studying the ultrafast motion of an extreme arachnid powered by elastic silk and the elastocapillary effects of bird feathers. What excites you about being a social media contributor for Biophysical Journal ? What excites me the most is highlighting the hard work of amazing researchers in biophysics. By reading and discovering key research findings in the articles, I am constantly learning about and being inspired by new concepts and techniques in biophysics research. How do you view the role of social media in science? Social media in science allows us to share the major findings of a research study in a way that’s more accessible and can connect us to new research communities and experts in a given field. This connectivity allows us to step out of research isolation into communication and collaboration. It’s also a great tool to learn fun and creative ways to talk about science! When done right, social media in science pulls in and excites the general public—reminding us all why research is so im- portant. Abigail Powell Stanford University, USA What is your field of research? My field is biochemistry with a focus on protein engineering and antigen design for vaccine development What excites you about being a social media contributor for Biophysical Journal ? I am excited to explore topics in the literature that are far out- side of my field because it helps me to think critically about new and interesting work I would not normally encounter. Also, learning to distill an entire manuscript into 140 charac- ters has helped me rethink how I can share my own research

to people outside of my field and outside of science in a con- cise and interesting way. How do you view the role of social media in science? Social media is a great way to get people excited about work that they may not normally read or think about. This fosters collaborations and bridges the typical gaps that can exist between people working in separate research areas. Overall, I think social media provides an online community for scien- tists to engage and connect with fellow researchers, but also to interact with the general public and make science more accessible to everyone. Navish Wadhwa Harvard University, USA What is your field of research? behaviors in bacteria. I am especially interested in bacterial motility and its principal driver, the bacterial flagellar motor. My research aims at revealing how this nanoscopic engine of bacterial swimming responds to changes in mechanical forces. What excites you about being a social media contributor for Biophysical Journal ? First, it allows me to share my excitement for biophysics with the broader scientific community as well as the general public. By clearly communicating what attracts me the most about the research published in Biophysical Journal , I hope to get oth- ers excited about it as well. Secondly, writing about biophysics in the form of tweets or blogs forces me to think critically about questions outside my immediate field of research and is an incredible learning experience. How do you view the role of social media in science? Like all technology, social media comes with its pros and cons, and it is up to the users to decide what they make of it. Many scientists view social media as a waste of time, but I view it as a platform for building communities and engaging with like-minded people. By reducing the communication barrier between scientists, social media fosters connections and collaborations. Importantly, social media also breaks down the barriers between scientists and the general public, allowing them to meaningfully engage with each other on an unprecedented scale. Finally, social media can bring humanity back into science. Scientific writing can often be dry and terse, making scientists sound cold and emotionless. Social media is an opportunity to change that image. It is our chance to show that science is fun and scientists, just like everyone else, love memes. I am interested in understanding how sim- ple molecular machinery give rise to complex

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