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Dr. Samantha Maragh is Leader of the Genome Editing Program and Co-Leader of the Biomarker and Genomic Sciences Group at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). She also represents the U.S. as a technical expert on nucleic acid measurements for the International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Committee on Biotechnology (ISO TC 276). Samantha received her B.S. degree in Biology with a specialization in Cellular & Molecular Biology and a minor in chemistry from Loyola University. She went on to get her M.S. degree in Biotechnology: Molecular Targets & Drug Discovery from Johns Hopkins University and her Ph.D. in Human Genetics & Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In 2019, Samantha received the Outstanding Young Scientist Award from The State of Maryland, The Maryland Academy of Sciences, and the Maryland Science Center. She was also selected as the recipient of the George A. Uriano Award in 2021 for her success in building the NIST Genome Editing Consortium as a public-private partnership. In 2022 she received the Measurement Science Excellence Award from the NIST Material Measurement Laboratory for leading the development of the first international standard for the field of genome editing published in 2021 and deploying the first inter-laboratory study for the genome editing field. In this interview, she talks more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (3:41)
When she’s not working, Samantha loves cooking and enjoying food, especially seafood. For her, cooking is like science, but even more flexible and creative. Some of her other favorite pastimes include singing at her church on Sundays and playing puzzle games like Best Fiends.
The Scientific Side (5:52)
Scientists at NIST are developing controls and standards to make sure that measurements, tools, and all of the systems that rely on them are correct. Samantha’s work focuses particularly on genome editing. Genome editing has a lot of potential applications, including new treatments for diseases where a person’s own genetic code related to that disease can be fixed in their cells, and those cells are given back to the person as a therapy. Her job is to answer questions and develop tools to determine whether these therapies have the effects they are intended to have, whether the therapies created match what scientists planned to create, and more. While there are many applications for gene editing in healthcare, there are also important applications in agriculture and other fields, and the technology has the potential to positively impact so many people’s lives.
A Dose of Motivation (11:10)
It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (13:31)
From early childhood, Samantha was sure she wanted to be a lawyer. However, while flipping through the channels with her father one day, they stumbled across a show called Forensic Files, which featured real scientists working with the police to help solve cases. They stopped to watch, and Samantha was captivated. This serendipitous moment led to Samantha watching the show regularly and learning more about how DNA could be used to get more information about people. Samantha’s dad was an influential figure in her life who encouraged her that she could be anything and do anything. Her interest grew over the years, and she ended up pursuing studies in human genetics. Samantha was driven both by her scientific curiosity and also her desire to better understand her own heritage. Her family immigrated to America from Jamaica before she was born, and she is of both Black and East Indian ethnicities. Samantha’s experiences and background motivated her to better understand what makes people look the way they do and be the way they are.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (27:06)
For Samantha, the biggest challenges aren’t when experiments don’t work, but rather when the voices around her tell her that something can’t be done. When building the NIST Gene Editing Program and Consortium, she believed that gene editing was going to be really important. To accelerate development in gene editing, there were some basic tools missing that many working in the space could benefit from having. Samantha had the idea that they could bring people together from academia, industry, and government labs to build these tools, but a lot of people told her that it would be impossible. They were sure that for-profit companies would not be willing to cooperate in this way. However, Samantha persisted, and she managed to convince people that it was worth trying. She had to go out in the community to build her network, introduce scientists in the field to NIST, and sell them on her idea of collaborating to build these important gene editing resources together. In the end, Samantha was able to pioneer a new mechanism to make her dream project a reality. They created an approach that brought people together in a consortium to address some of the key measurements and standards needs so that genome editing technologies could be better used in research and commercial products.
A Shining Success! (29:49)
Samantha worked with other experts in an international consortium to create a standard set of terms and definitions for the field of genome editing that are internationally harmonized. This is critical for ensuring more precise, accurate communication in the field. It was a long process that involved a lot of back and forth to get to the point where the group agreed on the exact wording and punctuations for every definition to ensure they were technically accurate and as future-proof as possible. This project will help scientists around the world communicate more clearly and effectively about their work.
Book Recommendations (33:12)
Thursday Murder Club Series by Richard Osman
Most Treasured Travel (34:46)
Samantha will never forget her time spent in Paris for science. She traveled there to work with colleagues from the Genome Editing Consortium to learn more about their work and establish the details of their partnership. Being in the city was amazing. Samantha is passionate about food and cooking, and Paris has a remarkable food culture. She enjoyed exploring some of the many local desserts, particularly those with dark chocolate. Paris also has a rich scientific history, there are several world-class research institutions there, and it is home to the official kilogram physical artifact that the kilogram weight used to be based upon.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (37:59)
As a graduate student, there are times when you need to step back and take a break from your research. Their lab had received small bobblehead characters that represented famous scientists from a vendor, and lab members would occasionally have dance party breaks, including these bobbleheads. The characters could stick to surfaces, and they would put them on a piece of equipment called a belly dancer so they could dance along with the group. The belly dancer is a small tabletop device designed to move liquid around in samples like cell cultures, and it was perfect for making the bobbleheads dance. Currently at NIST, Samantha prioritizes having a sense of balance in the lab. They work hard, but they also enjoy lab lunches, sharing their favorite foods with the group, and talking about life outside the lab.
Advice For Us All (45:32)
Be the best you that you can be. Always be the best version of yourself wherever you are in each moment. If you are in the lab, be the best scientist you can be. If you are at home with your family, be the best family member you can be. Also, be bold, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want or need. The worst thing that can happen is someone could tell you no, but they also could say yes. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.
Guest Bio
Samantha leads NIST’s programs supporting genome editing technologies. These programs focus on innovation in genome editing and measurements for the field of gene and cell therapies. She also works on projects to develop better measurements and assays for the early detection of cancer biomarkers in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute’s Early Detection Research Network. Samantha’s research is focused on measurement assurance and technology development for genome editing and validation of bioassays and biomarkers. This research has important applications spanning engineering biology, precision/regenerative medicine, and cancer biology.
Support for this episode of People Behind the Science was provided by Innovative Research, Inc.