Undergraduate Biology Student Researcher: Kaitlyn Savoy

Kit's Research at KU

“On a big scale, I'm exploring how microbes move and survive in space. Microbes are really important for human health, so understanding how they behave is important to maintain people's well-being. Since space conditions are a lot different than Earth conditions microbes probably behave differently in space than on Earth and to keep people healthy in space, since we keep sending them there, it's important to understand how microbes behave in space. On a smaller scale, right now, that looks like determining whether fungal spores can be dispersed by electric fields. So really, what it means is that I’m electrocuting spores!”

“I've always been captivated by the complexities of the natural world and driven to understand how everything works. My interest in mycology research started when, in a biology class, we learned about fungal spore dispersal methods and one of them was that some fungi use hydraulic cannons to launch spores up to several meters. And I was like, ‘wow, that's really cool. I want to know more about that’. It piqued my interest, and I started looking for research opportunities on campus. This project, specifically, was inspired by work I was doing on another project at Ben Sikes’s lab.”

“I've been working on this research in particular since spring 2023. In spring 2022, I expressed interest in research to one of my biology professors, who connected me with Doctor Sikes. Later that semester, I began assisting with research at the lab. In spring of 2023, I was subsampling soils and was really frustrated because soil particles kept sticking to my tools by static electricity. Once the frustration wore off though, I started to wonder: If soils can get stuck to things and move around via static electricity, can microbes do it too? So I worked over the summer to design an experiment to explore that question and approach Doctor Sikes with it and he was super, super supportive, and willing to provide me a space to work.”

What does your research look like on a day-to-day basis?
“I spend most of my time problem solving with all the projects I've worked on but especially with this project because it requires me to step out of my comfort zone in biology and move more into physics, engineering, and even a little bit of chemistry. The number one question I find myself researching is, ‘hey, why didn't this thing work the way I expected it to?’ and it can be frustrating at times, but it's extremely fulfilling. I found that I come out with a really deep understanding of what I'm doing, and I can explain it really well to other people and ask new questions.

What’s something interesting you’ve learned from the research?

“With this project, I have learned a lot of ways not to build a parallel plate capacitor. I've learned a lot of ways that you can't kill fungi. Aspergillus. niger does not care about radiation—you can use UV radiation, you can use gamma radiation—it's like, ‘okay, I guess this is life now’ and just keeps growing.

I've learned so many interesting things at the lab. I've picked up so many new skills. With a couple of the projects I've been working on I think we're getting to the paper writing point and we found some interesting environmental drivers that shape extremophile microbe communities.”

What did you find most challenging about doing your project?

“I want to say something like, ‘oh, it was getting the resources’ but really, it’s been staying motivated in the face of challenge after challenge. It takes a lot of willpower sometimes.

Doctor Sikes is a really great mentor, too. I remember one of the times I was feeling kind of discouraged, he pointed out to me that troubleshooting is as much a part of the research—or more—as anything else. So, when you feel like you're not making progress, it's important to remember that this is part of the job.”

What advice would you offer to other students facing similar challenges?

“Be patient and take care of yourself. Don't be afraid to take a break when you need one. I know university—especially if you're doing research or if you're in the honors program—feels like ‘go, go, go achieve, achieve, achieve,’ but if you don't step back, it's going to be harder later. It’s a marathon, not a sprint and stepping back can help you come back refreshed and with a new perspective.

The other thing that some of the people in my life are really fond of saying is that progress isn't linear, so you can't expect everything to always go forward.”

“I'm planning to pursue a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at KU. I don't have a project picked out, but I know that I like the people here, and that with my interest in astrobiology, there's at least one researcher at KU who is delving into that. So, I want to stay here if I can.”