Dr. Denis Meuthen, Principal Investigator and Freigeist Fellow in Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Germany. https://fediscience.org/@DenisMeuthen
Denis in the News!
Denis’s approach to how to lead a group got published in Science yesterday! Click here to read and get inspired! Also, read about his journey published in Nature, 2022.
Could you share insights into your current research focus?
With my current research, I am questioning a basic tenet in evolutionary biology – whether environmental variation can cause non-random mutations. Many organisms are phenotypically plastic and can thus adjust their phenotype to their environment within one lifetime. Even us humans become tan in the sunlight or gain muscle when we work out. During a plastic response, the perception of an altered environment induces the binding of different molecules to the DNA. These molecules do not alter the DNA itself but influence how often each gene is transformed to proteins. This differential protein production then alters the external traits of an organism. A recent theory postulates that phenotypic plasticity can precede evolution, and this is my main research focus. I aim to determine whether the mechanisms underlying plasticity can influence the probability of mutations occurring in the same genetic regions. If plasticity indeed induces non-random mutation, this shakes up standard evolutionary theory and may also allow us to better predict the direction of evolution in the future. Being able to do so would be particularly worthwhile for vaccine and drug development where research is often troubled by the hitherto unpredictable mutations of pathogens such as influenza or COVID. To this end, I mainly study antipredator phenotypic plasticity in the freshwater snail Physella acuta. This species is known to undergo substantial plastic changes in behavior, morphology and life-history when exposed to chemical cues indicating the presence of predators. Moreover, I am interested in various other related questions in the fields of evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, chemical ecology, visual ecology, toxicology and personality.
What obstacles did you face as a new principal investigator and how did you tackle them?
My first obstacle was that my planned timelines did not account for the length of time it would take me to fill the open positions in my lab. That was because the number of suitable applicants was unexpectedly low, and administrative processes as well as visa application processes for abroad students delayed the hiring process by several months. From two PhD positions advertised in summer 2022, one could be filled in summer 2023, and the other one only in spring 2024. Instead of starting my studies right away, I used this delay as an opportunity to strengthen my methods. Here, I focused on aspects such as reproducibility of previous basic findings, the reliability of different analysis methods as well as on optimization of animal husbandry to maximize growth and minimize mortality. This information will strengthen my main study. My second obstacle came from being a lip-reader since birth (see https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00230-3). Earlier in my career, I had been relying on one-on-one meetings with colleagues and mentors that focused on pronouncing words clearly. As a principal investigator, I am now expected to participate in many group meetings where participants change on a regular basis, and where people are sitting in a distance that does not allow lip-reading. To be able to understand and actively participate in such group discussions, I needed a solution. Early attempts with various transcription software did not produce legible output. Only very recent advances in Tensor chip development alongside state-of-the-art table microphones finally helped me follow group meetings better. Some of my colleagues are now so impressed by this technology that they have asked me for the full transcript of these meetings for their records.
How do you balance the demands of teaching, research, and administration in your role as a principal investigator?
In my opinion, balancing the demands of teaching and research is best achieved by viewing them not as separate entities but as one integrated system. Here are some examples of how I can achieve that aim. In basic classes, students can perform apparently simple experiments many times that we analyze together. These experiments are not only important first steps into learning the scientific method but also constitute important replications of previous publications and thereby address the replication crisis. In more advanced classes, I like to not only integrate the content of new papers in my lectures but also to critically discuss up-and-coming perspectives in my field with my students. Doing so allows me to better keep track with current literature. In individual project classes, I stimulate students to tackle completely new research questions whose results are also of relevance for my own research. The most motivated students in my lab are also given the opportunity to draft a paper based on their own results for publication – which seamlessly connects teaching with scientific output. Lastly, I see my administrative duties as an important cog in the scientific machine – only when administration is performed correctly and in time, teaching and research can function. As many different faculty and rectorate staff is also involved in my administrative decisions, delays are common. This means that I have to ensure to set such administrative decisions in motion early enough so that they can complete in time. That is the reason why I tend to prioritize my administrative duties over teaching and research and complete them as early as possible.
As a NewPI, what’s your superpower?
With an open mind, I have the opportunity to challenge established concepts and bring new perspectives to the table. As I also pursue interdisciplinary research, I moreover feel that I have the unique opportunity to bring concepts from one research field into another. When it comes to teaching, as a new PI, I benefit from still remembering my student days well. This allows me to develop my teaching in a direction that would have maximized curiosity and knowledge gain to my younger self.
What mantra keeps you motivated during the ups and downs of academic life?
I strive to satisfy my curiosity. This is what keeps me going and constantly leads to new research avenue. However, each discovery does not only satisfy my curiosity but also leads to follow-up questions that I am again curious about. Even criticism from others makes me curious about the reasons for the difference in perspectives, which sometimes causes me to discover and learn about new theories, methods or data analysis approaches.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to your past self, on the day 1 of this job?
“Every process that involves other people will take more time than you expect – set your expectations and adjust your timelines accordingly.”
Bonus Question
What’s the coolest factoid about freshwater fishes and snails as model systems that I never knew I needed to hear/know?
My current model system, the bladder snail Physella acuta, became an invasive cosmopolitan species because of both freshwater fish and its own way of reproduction. This snail originally inhabited freshwater streams and ponds in the US. Since the 1950’s, large ornamental freshwater fish farms in the US have unknowingly been invaded by this species. This meant that whenever these farms supplied pet stores around the world with ornamental fish, stowaway bladder snails or their eggs came along. As many aquarists around the globe eventually left the hobby, they regularly dumped their tank’s content along with the snails in nearby rivers or lakes. It takes only a single snail to reproduce since the bladder snail is simultaneously male and female in adulthood. If no other individuals are present to mate with, it can simply insert its male organ into the female one and inbreed. Unsurprisingly, nowadays, bladder snails outside of the US are genetically very similar whereas the populations within US rivers and lakes are genetically distinct.
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