Features from BIOTOC Connection

Edwina Dunn’s current job is not exactly what she imagined for herself: as a girl she wanted to be a long-distance truck driver believing that it was glamorous to be your own boss, driving the highways in a big rig across the wide-open plains of America.  She’d watched too many movies! Her advice from school at that time was that she should aspire to be a secretary, nurse, or teacher – those were the options recommended.  This was a far cry from the life she forged in her own data science company, dunnhumby.  And the journey continues, right through to her current role in London Starcount. Both her early dream and the reality she subsequently created were not typically thought of as careers for women. Today, Dunn is working hard to showcase more opportunities for women in leadership positions, especially in STEM. She is the founder of The Female Lead which is an educational charity that focuses on highlighting the achievements of women and providing educational resources to young girls in school.

Did You Know?

• According to scientists, there is an average of one million different species of animals living in the ocean.
• Corn and cotton have been genetically modified to produce a toxin that kills insects. 
• Sharks mistake fiber cables in the ocean for distressed fish. Google had to wrap its cables in Kevlar material in order to prevent sharks from feeding on them. 

Biotechnology may be used to replace agrochemicals in the near future to make farming more sustainable. Agrochemicals include fertilizers, pesticides, and soil conditioners. While these methods are widely used to kill insects and preserve crops, their damage to the environment has called for concern in recent years. The European Union has become an advocate for lowering the use of harmful pesticides by announcing its plan to reduce its use by 50% by 2030. 

Beaches have always been a safe haven away from the hot summer heat. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is making sure that will continue to be the case in the future. 

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, and strategist from Brooklyn, NY. She is the CEO and founder of Ocean Collectiv, where she focuses on ocean conservation. Her work looks to provide solutions to issues such as plastic pollution, overfishing, climate change, and the destruction of natural habitats.

Rosalind Franklin is one of the most significant female scientists of the twentieth century - yet also one of the least credited. Although she made incredibly important discoveries on the DNA structure, changing the world’s understanding of genetics and biology, Franklin’s work has only been recognized in recent years.

Franklin was a determined and brilliant woman. At the age of 18, she studied physics and chemistry at Cambridge University, and then later moved to Paris to study X-ray crystallography.

Dr. Jennifer Chadwick does a lot with her time. In addition to being Vice President of Biologic Development at BioAnalytix, she is also a visiting scientist and professor at Northeastern University as well as serving as a mentor to scientific entrepreneurs and a strategic advisor to MassBio, a not-for-profit organization that supports the life sciences industry in Massachusetts. “I enjoy engaging in a number of activities on a volunteer basis that helps me to keep my connection with the science,” Dr. Chadwick said. 

Did You Know? 

1. The average woman uses about a dozen personal care products a day, containing 168 chemicals in total. 
2. 99.9% of human DNA is the same - we are more alike than you think! The other 0.1% is what makes us unique.
3. There is enough DNA in the average person's body to stretch from the sun to Pluto and back - 17 times.

There is no age limit for being interested in science and wanting to make a difference. These three young inventors started creating solutions to change the world when they were teenagers and continue to do so today.