Microbes for Microbes Sake
Life began microscopically. Microbes are the reason for life on Earth, from the creation of the protective ozone layer, to the evolutionary origin of our mitochondria, and the production of some of our favorite foods. However, it’s hard to understand or even conceive of these invisible creatures without some help. Scott Chimileski, a microbial scientist and imaging specialist at Harvard Medical School, brings life to the microbial story through his research, photography, and writing.
From the age of 15, Scott was inspired by his great uncle, Rene Pauli, to begin photography. Enjoying photography and nature as a hobby, he went on to pursue undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Genetics and Genomics at UConn. There, his research focused on gene transfer mechanisms and biofilm formation in haloarchaea. It wasn’t until he noticed the day-to-day migration of a biofilm during his PhD that both his passion for photography and his commitment to microbial research converged.
By setting up a time-lapse incubator to observe the movement of haloarchaea communities on the biofilm, he came to make discoveries about complex social and collective microbial behaviors. After his PhD, Scott joined the Kolter Lab in the Microbiology and Immunobiology Department at Harvard Medical School in 2015 to begin his postdoctoral work.
Though he sees his primary role as a researcher, Scott is committed to creating a movement to inspire a national microbial presence by breaking through mainstream channels and communicating with his writing and photography to the general public. This inspiration came after a visit to Harvard’s Museum of Natural History (HMNH) in 2014, where he noticed only one small cartoon of bacteria in the entire museum. He was surprised, thinking “the natural history of the Earth has always been and continues to be mostly microbial!” He began brainstorming ways to effectively teach the public about the positive and far-reaching impacts of microbes — soon he and Roberto Kolter proposed their ideas to the museum.Fast forward to now, and Scott, Roberto and a team including the museum directors and designers are preparing to open a Microbial Life exhibition at the HMNH in 2017. The exhibition will focus on microbial foods and include a real kitchen setup with live microbes to engage the public in a real life and daily encounter with microbes to highlight their importance.
At the same time as the museum release, Scott and Roberto Kolter’s nonfiction book, will be on bookshelves across the country. “Life at the Edge of Sight” begins in the Netherlands, following the man who began the field of microbiology and is acknowledged as the first person to ever see microbes: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. By connecting narrative with science and including 200 images of original microbial photography, Scott hopes to communicate the biology of the unseen world to non-scientific audiences. Images featured in this book come from work in the laboratory, from wild microbes found right in our homes and backyards and from “microbial science photography expeditions” to Yellowstone National Park, Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the White Cliffs of Dover in the UK. By highlighting microbes’ natural pigments and structures in his images, his philosophy is to “act as a curator of the beauty of microbes that’s already out there on Earth.”
Scott’s work is multi-faceted as he takes on multiple roles of researcher, photographer, and author. He strives to engage the public’s interest in microbes as Edward O. Wilson did for ants by connecting ant behavior to similar social behaviors and hierarchies that humans engage in.
One thing is for sure: Scott Chimileski’s microbial work will continue to have an impact on both scientists and non-scientists for years to come. As he says, “Let’s give microbes the spotlight in our Natural History museums.”
For more information about Scott’s research, projects, writing, and photography: http://www.scottchimileskiphotography.com/
