We’ve Got You!

In 2022, SIVB returned to in-person annual meetings – an essential part of bringing our community back together. Continuing to stay engaged, motivating each other, and learning from each other is now more important than ever for our Society.

With this in mind, we introduce “We’ve Got You!,” a new featured series of the In Vitro Report,  which  shares the stories of SIVB members, new and seasoned, alike. Regardless of your career stage and area of expertise, we hope these reflections encourage and engage you, our students, colleagues, and members, to pursue your research dreams!

In this issue, we highlight the reflections of four talented and committed SIVB members — Zoe Zhu and Anissa Belfetmi Stone from the In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences section, together with Deepika Chauhan and Jon Mahoney from the Plant Biotechnology section. They reflect on their journey with the SIVB since joining our Society till today.

We hope that you will enjoy the opportunity to get to know a little more about Zoe, Anissa, Deepika, and Jon, and find their stories engaging and inspiring. We look forward to reading your stories in this this new column soon!

Addy Alt-Holland and Michael Fay

Being a part of the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) and serving as this year’s IVACS Program Chair has been incredibly rewarding. I joined SIVB two years ago as a postdoc, thanks to Dr. Alt-Holland, who introduced me to the Society and encouraged my involvement. My first SIVB meeting was in 2022 in San Diego, where I immediately felt welcomed and inspired by the community’s dedication to advancing in vitro biology. Now, as an assistant professor, I truly appreciate how much the Society has supported my career development, providing invaluable opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and engagement with cutting-edge research that has shaped my path in academia.

Taking on the role of IVACS Program Chair has been an exceptional learning experience, allowing me to develop my leadership skills, organize sessions, collaborate with experts, and foster discussions that drive our field forward. I’m excited to contribute to the upcoming program and continue growing with the SIVB community that has become like family to me.

Imagine a place where biologists from across kingdoms and applications would meet, discuss, and innovate together in vitro biology tools. Whether you are a plant or animal biologist, entomologist, marine biologist, academic, or industry scientist, the Society of In Vitro Biology (SIVB) creates this sacred space that unifies us.

Addy Alt-Holland, my mentor through the Mass AWIS mentoring program, introduced me to the SIVB community since we were both passionate about biological NMR spectroscopy. She knew I valued scientific communities that foster knowledge exchange and mentoring. I joined the SIVB right after the COVID-19 pandemic, during which everyone went remote. Thus, I participated in my first SIVB annual meeting online, which was a wonderful experience. A year afterward, in 2022, the conference went back in-person, and I had the tremendous opportunity to meet the team and members in San Diego, CA. The warmth from everyone struck me, how it was welcoming and how people were genuine in trying to get to know each other. Michelle Schultz and Marietta Saunders, the Managing Directors, talked to me like we always knew each other and helped me get on board. I realized how different the SIVB was from other scientific societies.

I presented my research work through a poster and saw what others researched outside my specialty. It was important because it allowed me to “look outside the box” and see the “hot topics” in different areas of biology. Hearing questions from people outside my field was also interesting, as they brought essential aspects. I remember a huge focus during the conference was on future foods and in vitro production of proteins or meats, which is actual and reflects on climate change. Afterward, I joined the SIVB Social Media Committee led by Chris Bagley. I was responsible for building a strategy to increase the SIVB’s online visibility and stay in touch with our members. The role fed my creative mindset, and I worked with a fantastic team (Sarbesh, Joyce, Muneeb, Aimee, and Daniel). Chris is a brilliant manager, and I learned a lot from him. He built a team of people from different backgrounds and locations worldwide, reflecting the diversity moto of the SIVB.  Since then, I have never missed an opportunity to participate in the SIVB annual conference to present my research, and I have had opportunities to participate as an oral presentation judge (student/postdocs) or poste lightning talk convener. My volunteering efforts had been warmly welcomed and gratefully awarded. I recently became the Co-Chair of the IVACS – Membership, and I am very excited to work on polishing the member’s benefits and getting people to know about the SIVB. I am thus working by the side of the Chair, Deepika Chauhan, learning from her and following her lead. A huge focus is mentoring students and postdocs in biology to help them prosper in their projects and careers. Brad Upham is immensely experienced in mentoring and encouraging student or postdoc-centered initiatives. Working by his side helped me better understand the US academic system and how grades can influence progress. As someone from abroad, getting to know unspoken rules is precious.

The SIVB connection I made became more than just a network. They are valuable friends, mentors, mentees, and comrades. If anyone is passionate about biology and biotechnological development, I encourage them to join this terrific scientific community; the benefits are endless.  I am deeply grateful to Addy for introducing me to the community and all the members I met on this journey.

A glimpse of my journey with the Society for In Vitro Biology

Growing up in a small town called Shimla situated in Northern part of India, I always had an appreciation for nature. There is something special about the beauty of the mountains, lush green valleys and attractive aroma of fruits growing on trees in orchards. My interest in agriculture, particularly plant science, grew stronger due to the time spent on farms and apple orchards with my father who was a successful banker but strongly connected to his roots. To explore the science and learn more about plants, I decided to pursue M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biotechnology from India. I moved to the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 2009 to broaden my horizons. I wanted to go beyond boundaries to pursue knowledge with an intent to touch the lives of millions of people and make a change. I secured International Student University of Pretoria Postdoctoral fellowship to pursue research on enhancement of cellulose biosynthesis through genetic engineering in Eucalyptus and Poplar. Later in 2011, I moved to the USA and worked as postdoctoral fellow, Research Manager, and Senior Research Scientist at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, USA, on projects that had an impact on lives of millions of Sub-Saharan African farmers. My postdoctoral supervisor, Dr. Nigel Taylor introduced me to SIVB. I attended the 2012 World Congress on In Vitro Biology and was intrigued by the Society’s mission of “fostering the exchange of knowledge of in vitro biology of cells, tissues and organs from both plant and animals (including humans)”. That was the beginning of my journey with SIVB, I felt an instant connection with the mission of the Society, the members, and the meeting attendees. It was a unique experience because I was able to interact with innovators and researchers working on diverse aspects across the plant and animal kingdoms. I was thrilled about the opportunities that the Society for In Vitro Biology brings for its members. Therefore, I returned in 2013 and presented a poster at the 2013 In Vitro Biology Meeting held in Rhode Island followed by an oral presentation at the 2014 World Forum on Biology in Georgia. After experiencing the annual meeting for two years and learning about the benefits of joining the Society, I decided to become a member in 2014 and there has been no looking back. I am enthusiastic about the importance of in vitro culture systems and their potential in addressing various challenges that the scientific community is trying to solve. SIVB provides me the opportunity to highlight the work that I engage in and interact with scientists, students, and leaders working in similar fields while broadening my knowledge on other aspects of biotechnology across kingdoms.

I have always been keen to take on new challenges and wanted to get involved with the Society’s activities. In 2017, Dr. Sadanand Dhekney and Dr. Piero Barone introduced me to the Plant Biotechnology Section Program Committee. With their encouragement, I served on the Program Committee starting as Junior Program Chair in 2018, Senior Program Chair in 2019, Plant Biotechnology Section Chair in 2020 and Program Chair in 2021. I got the chance to make contributions to promote innovative science by creating a stellar program and organizing sessions on new research topics. I continued to stay engaged with SIVB after moving to Pairwise in 2018 where I currently work as Associate Director of Transformation. The support and encouragement from Dr. Aaron Hummel, Mike Mann, and Pairwise to contribute to SIVB has been important in the past 6 years. It helped me with professional development, networking, and kept me up to date on the latest research. I have also served as a member of the Development Committee and contributed to the efforts of laying a solid foundation for our fundraising campaign. I collaborated with the Education Committee to start SIVB online seminar series- “A Closer Look” in 2021 and worked with students on several topics relevant to the Education Committee. The Local Organizing Committee plays a particularly vital role in organizing events for the annual meeting and spreading the word to the wider community. I had the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Local Organizing Committee in 2023. Joining and serving on various committees has provided me with an abundance of experience for personal and professional development. Through this article, I hope to motivate SIVB members and potential new members to explore opportunities to join a committee, get involved, and make a difference. The SIVB Business Office, especially Marietta Saunders and Michele Schultz, have played an important role in my SIVB journey. I was welcomed with open arms, and the Business Office has always been ready to lend a helping hand while I take on new roles in SIVB committees. If you decide to join a committee, know that you will not be alone.  The present and past SIVB officers along with SIVB Business Office are always willing to support and help you to reach a successful outcome.

SIVB values the contributions of the members and recognizes their efforts. My contributions to the society and in vitro biology research have been recognized through numerous awards, namely, 2019 SIVB Young Scientist Award, 2018, 2021 and 2023 Distinguished Service Awards, 2024 President’s Award, 2024 SIVB Fellow Award, and multiple service awards. Currently, I am serving as SIVB Membership Committee Chair. If you are looking for opportunities to present your work, network, volunteer, or get access to the latest breakthroughs in biology through research papers, articles, webinars, on-demand recorded talks, and onsite conferences, I highly encourage you to consider joining SIVB and becoming part of this extraordinary community. This society is more than a group of individuals or annual meetings, it is a force for bringing positive change, forum to bring people from diverse fields under one roof, and a place where you can learn and grow together. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be part of an incredible organization. I have made lifelong friends in the last 12 years, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the society while growing alongside my fellow members.

Participating in the Society for In Vitro Biology and its various committees has allowed me to develop as an early-career scientist, improving my leadership skills and expanding my network within the in vitro biology community. This society brings together a diverse community of professionals from industry and academia in both plant and animal sciences, creating a valuable learning experience that will greatly benefit my future. I have been fortunate to be part of SIVB for the past four years, thanks to the support of the leadership at Ball Horticultural Company. I am especially grateful to my former colleague, Dr. Huixia Wu, who encouraged me to engage with SIVB early on in my career. Currently, I am serving as the Plant Program Jr. Co-Chair and look forward to taking on additional responsibilities in the coming years. I am excited to continue contributing to this Society and to support the growth and development of the in vitro biology community for years to come.