What is your current role? Tell us a bit about your research
I am a PhD student at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (Portugal) exploring de novo centriole biogenesis in land plants. Centrioles are eukaryotic organelles mostly known for their roles in the centrosome (the main microtubule organizing center in animal cells). However, centrioles also dock to the cellular membrane and serve as basal bodies for cilia assembly. Generally, land plants lack centrioles, yet some plant species reproduce through motile sperm cells, assembling centrioles de novo by vastly overlooked processes. I am studying one of such cases: how centrioles assemble in the moss P. patens.
What are you excited about in science communication?
The ultimate goal of science is to generate knowledge. Our global knowledge will advance much faster if everyone contributes and collaborates in an open environment. Yet, scientists still do not share/communicate enough … Although preprints have introduced considerable changes to the way science can be shared (making it free to publish and to access), more work is still needed to change the well-established “pay-to-publish” and “pay-to-read” systems. Moreover, if we contemplate that most of the science is supported by public funds and that science works for the common good of everyone, then scientists have a duty to make the best of use of the resources available, and to share the knowledge as broadly as possible, both to other scientists (reducing redundant efforts) but also to the lay public.
Why did you choose to participate in the ASAPbio Fellow program?
I chose to enroll in the ASAPbio Fellows program because I believe it to be an amazing opportunity to learn how we can use better preprints to promote scientific knowledge in an open and transparent way (both amongst scientists but also to the lay public). I am also interested in finding ways to contribute to the much needed changes to the current publishing system, and to be engaged with other like-minded individuals committed to nurture a more inclusive, collaborative and open scientific environment.
Ask me about…
Lord of the rings and cats! Questions about plant centrioles, electron microscopy, the broken academic and publishing systems are also accepted. Twitter: @SniaGPereira1