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SOUTH BRUNSWICK: Alumna Dr. Mya Brietbart named a top-ten scientist

South Brunswick High School 1996 alumna Mya Breitbart, an associate professor of marine science at South Florida University, was recently named as one of Popular Science magazine’s annu

By Marzia Rahman, junior, Viking Vibe Staff
South Brunswick High School 1996 alumna Mya Breitbart, an associate professor of marine science at South Florida University, was recently named as one of Popular Science magazine’s annual “Top Ten Brilliant Scientists of 2013”.
   ”I was really excited to find out about the Popular Science award, it is incredible to be recognized by a magazine that so many people read,” Dr. Brietbart said.
   According to the article, the contest was about “the most creative and important research in the country and the individuals making it happen. The common thread between them is brilliance, but also impact.”
   Dr. Breitbart said her achievement was in creating the field of metagenomics, which is basically the sequencing of genomes within an environment.
   Since her research focuses mainly on viruses, this method can be used for sequencing to know what types of viruses are in a certain sample or environment, “for example, a bucket of seawater or raw sewage.”
   ”We start with the whole sample, use different methods like filtration to purify the viruses away from anything else in the sample, and then we ‘shotgun sequence’ the viruses, which means that we extract all their DNA, break it up into small pieces, and sequence those pieces,” she said. “Then we put the pieces back together and see what types of viruses we got. It’s kind of like assembling lots of jigsaw puzzles all at once, where each puzzle represents a single viral genome.”
   Furthermore, Dr. Breitbart said the method of sequencing is used for many other purposes.
   For instance, Dr. Breitbart said she originally wanted to know about the types of viruses in seawater.
   ”In every drop of seawater, there are almost 10 million viruses, but not much is understood about what types or how many types.” Ms. Breitbart said.
   One other purpose is studying plant viruses, especially those transmitted by insects that feed on the plants.
   ”In that case, we can use the insects like ‘flying syringes’ that do our sampling for us since they feed on lots of different plants.” She said. “We then collect the insects, grind them up, purify the viruses, and sequence. We can find new plant viruses this way.”
   Dr. Breitbart also said that she thinks virology is one of the most exciting scientific fields.
   ”It is amazing the amount of devastation these very tiny particles can cause (anyone who has had the flu knows how nasty a virus can be), and also amazing how omnipresent they are,” she said. “So little is known, so it’s very fun. You never know what you’re going to find.”
   Dr. Breitbart said that her time in SBHS definitely influenced her choice of career.
   ”I was always very interested in science and I had a lot of great science and math classes when I was at SBHS,” she said. “I participated in Chemistry Olympics, which gave me a great view of scientific research. I was also a Mathlete. In high school, it can be a bad thing to be a science/math ‘nerd,” but those things showed me that it was cool, something that I treasure now.”
   She said that when she is in a university setting, she’s surrounded by self-proclaimed nerds.
   ”My favorite classes were always Biology.” She said. “I loved when we got to go out in the field, and my greatest memories are of doing experiments with fruit flies in (retired science teacher) Dr. (Brian) Biemuller’s classes.”
   Regarding advice for students who are interested in the science and math fields, Dr. Breitbart recommended that they excel in science and math classes and seek opportunities to get involved in research.
   ”When I was at SBHS, we had a program. It was called CIPED that allowed us to go and either work or do an internship,” she said, adding that she didn’t know if the program was still being offered. “I did mine at Rutgers University in a marine science research lab, which was very exciting and helpful for my career.”
   She also said there are lots of summer programs available that students can take advantage of to figure out what their true passion is.
   ”I would also tell them to embrace their inner nerd,” she said. “Science is super-exciting, there’s so much to learn.”
   Apparently, science runs in the family.
   Dr. Breitbart’s mother, Marilyn Breitbart, is a science paraprofessional in South Brunswick High School where her job entails ordering supplies for science classrooms.
   ”I was very proud and happy for her when I heard she won,” Marilyn said.