Take 10 with... Kim Handley

1. Describe your research topic to us in 10 words or less.

Understanding how microbial communities function and adapt to ecological niches.

2. Now explain it in everyday terms!

I study how microorganisms - such as bacteria - acquire, transform and produce various compounds in the environment or laboratory. I look at how they contribute to ecosystem services such as nitrogen removal or provisioning, biomass recycling, or vitamin biosynthesis.

My research also explores the genetic features microorganisms have that enable them to inhabit certain environments, such as a lake versus the sea or a hot spring. Most of my research focuses on aquatic systems like rivers, estuaries, aquifers, or hot springs, but can also include plant or animal host systems when working in collaboration with others.

3. Describe some of your day-to-day research activities.

Lots of meetings with my research students to discuss progress, plans, problems and - best of all - cool results. Otherwise, I am editing manuscripts - I don't often get to do hands-on research myself these days, unless I'm helping a prior member of my team do additional analyses for publication. Time permitting, I get to help with finishing things off sometimes, which can be fun because I get to do some bioinformatics and genome analysis. This is handy because I get to build new workflows or gather tips to share with my research group, or students in class.

4. What do you enjoy most about your research?

When lots of hard work pays off and my team and I discover something new, even if it isn't the thing we were originally expecting. Sometimes that is even more exciting.

5. Tell us something that has surprised you in the course of your research.

When my students and I submit a manuscript and reviews come back glowing, with only minor comments. I can never pick which manuscript this will happen to, but I wish it happened more often! I'm also continually amazed by all the weird and wonderful traits bacteria have, and love that the learning never stops.

6. How have you approached any challenges you’ve faced in your research

Challenges are an integral part of research and trying new approaches only occasionally works right away. Sample collection in the field never ever goes quite according to plan and even routine assays in the laboratory can sometimes fail. How I approach a challenge depends on the situation: sometimes being adaptable is necessary, or knowing when to pivot to something new. Other times it is worth persevering to solve a problem and get a great outcome. A method not working can be frustrating at times, but research wouldn't be interesting without challenges.

7. What questions have emerged as a result?

Lots of questions. My research involves analysing large amounts of genomic data from environmental samples. This leads to a lot of predictions based on how genes function and what capabilities or traits this confers to the organism those genes are from. Recently I discovered a prediction made by one of my doctoral students was proven correct by a Nature paper. Alas we were too slow to follow up with experiments validating the function ourselves.

8. What kind of impact do you hope your research will have?

I do a lot of fundamental research, so respect from my peers (fellow microbial ecologists) is important. Someone telling me they liked a paper from my group, or others building on my group's findings with further research is great. If one day my research or a part of my research leads to some applied outcome, I will be very happy - although there is a decent chance that I will never know.

9. If you collaborate across the faculty or University, or even outside the University, who do you work with and how does it benefit your research?

I collaborate with colleagues in microbiology within the University and with researchers nationally and internationally. We each bring different strengths and perspectives. In addition, I collaborate with other biologists interested in the microbiomes associated with their primary study organism (the microbial host). I also have the pleasure of collaborating with my old Masters thesis supervisor on hot springs and extremophiles.

10. What one piece of advice would you give your younger, less experienced research self?

Get into science earlier, and don't stress about work-life balance. It ebbs and flows, and that's OK.