Camille Boucaud

Camille Boucaud is an MGI doctoral student working in Elizabeth Heath-Heckman's lab. These are her answers to the Micro Biography questions:

How and when did you become interested in the field(s) of microbiology, genetics, and/or immunology?

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to work in science. But if I may be honest, my journey to microbiology, genetics, and immunology took a long time to get where I am today. It started when I was 5 years old, when I knew I wanted to have a job that helped people. But until I started my Bachelors degree, I thought I wanted to be a physiotherapist. Then, I started a general biology, biochemistry and biotechnologies bachelor degree program during which I had a ‘Biology of animals’ and ‘Exigent and non-exigent bacteria” courses. At the time, I was not aware that I could merge these two subjects into a common goal. One thing that I did remember was how much fun I had in microbiology! 17-year-old me was just fascinated that overnight a block of agar that was empty at first could grow what I used to call “micro-dots” of different morphology, color, and odor. Above all, these “dots” were not just one bacterium but millions of them. On my second year we got to sequence the bacteria we were isolating and understand how the immune system responds to all these bacteria, beneficial or not. I was struck that this whole idea I had of microbes being bad was not universal and also that all of the ideas from the different classes were actually connected!

Deep inside I knew that it was not the end of my relationship with microbes, but the ocean was calling. So, I started a masters program in Marine Science, Conservation, and Entrepreneurship. It was not a surprise to see that MICROBES ARE EVERYWHERE. They contribute to so many things, and we cannot even see them! Although coral conservation is a significant matter that NEEDS continuous efforts it was not my system. I needed something that would become my life's goal (ambitious right?). Well as cliché as it may seem, that goal came to me in a dream. I remembered a dive I did in the South of France when I encountered a mystical creature with a lot of arms. I woke up and yelled, "THAT’S IT!" I then put microbes to the side (not for too long) and did an internship at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Massachusetts where I focused on octopus behavior. That's where I met some people who influenced my journey. 

 

Were there any particular people or events who were influential in your journey?

Although many people contributed to finding my vocation, I couldn’t start to answer this question without mentioning my parents. My mom and stepdad always pushed me to see the world and understand the beauty of different cultures - as well as what binds us together. I think, to an extent, that relates to what I am doing now. More than just culturing bacteria for symbiosis, I am also ‘culturing’ myself by being in a new country where I never thought I would live. My mom and stepdad never restricted me, and on the contrary, if I wanted to explore some new place, they pushed me and always helped me to figure out a way to do so. In a way, I owe it to them that I am in this position today. During my bachelors, we often read papers to prepare for our classes, and the work of Dr. Rich Lenski and Dr. Jeff Barrick often came up. I was amazed by how they used “fairly easy” techniques to deduce so much! Since then, I’ve been following their work, and it was only when I joined MSU that I realized that Dr.Lenski’s office was four offices away from mine!

During my internship at MBL I had the chance to work with a pioneer of cephalopod behavior, Dr. Hanlon. While his level of excellence would sometimes push you far beyond the limits you thought you could reach; he taught me resilience, scientific rigor, and above all a real passion for cephalopods. I am particularly grateful for Kendra Buresch, the laboratory manager. She is an incredible woman who deserves all the recognition in the world. She gave me a reassuring maternal figure with all the support and encouragement she would provide, but she also helped me to develop my critical thinking and decision-making significantly. This woman is the first person who showed me that we can be fully dedicated to a research life while also having our own family life, so I will always admire her.

 

How did you come to be a part of this department?

After I finished my internship at MBL, I definitely wanted to continue in the cephalopod world, but I wanted to incorporate my microbiology skills and work on developing molecular based approaches. Through discussions, I discovered Dr. Heath-Heckman's work, and it was the perfect fit for what I wanted to learn; aka cephalopod (the squid) + microbiology  (the symbiotic bacteria). I joined her lab in Spring 2024 through another department, but then I was admitted to MGI in the Fall of 2025. This department is a better fit for my research development.

 

What is your main role / research area right now and why is it important?

I am starting the second year of my PhD within Elizabeth Heath-Heckman Laboratory, and my current research involves investigating potential antimicrobial proteins within the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) that shape the selection and maintenance of the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri. The squid-vibrio system is a unique system to study host-microbes interaction, as it involves a ‘binary’ interaction between one host and a single bacteria species. In addition, the symbiosis is horizontally acquired (when the squid hatch the bacteria is recruited from environmental water) but is not obligate - meaning that in a laboratory setting we can control which animals get colonized or not. The simplicity of this model allows us to really track which mechanism is attributed to symbiosis or not without worrying about other bacteria-bacteria species interactions. Specifically understanding antimicrobial proteins' (or peptides more often) role in host-microbe interaction goes beyond the squid-vibrio system and reveals conserved mechanism of host-microbe chemical dialogue, whether it is to regulate a symbiont population or kill surrounding pathogens. Finally, I think that understanding the ability to selectively maintain beneficial bacteria while excluding others could inform strategies for maintaining healthy microbiomes in humans and other animals, potentially leading to novel therapies for dysbiosis-related diseases.

 

How do you see your role / research evolving?

I still have a couple years in this laboratory and in my research itself. So far, it has been a learning curve, but lately it's going exponentially. I know I have a lot to learn on the molecular side, but it’s been exciting to interact with so many people from the same department who have so many different research subjects and thus perspectives, tips, and feedback!

As animal research often takes extra-long to gather reproducible data, I definitely see my research evolving along the lines of getting more data 😊. Yet, I am really looking forward to developing all of these new technical skills to discover what these proteins are doing in the squid! I do not know yet how the research subject will evolve per se, nor if I will stay in this specific line, but I am confident that there are a lot of unknowns to explore and that it will be as interesting to many other people as it is to me (hopefully).

 

What types of activities are you involved in outside of work / research?

The spontaneous answer is to sleep. Otherwise, I really enjoy discovering unique antique shops, parks, bakeries, etc. with my boyfriend (The Antique Warehouse in Grand Rapids is amazing!). Outside of work, I also spend a lot of time talking to my family over the phone, or just going for walks anytime there is a single ray of sun.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

As my favorite author, Albert Camus, said, “The most knowledgeable person in one domain may be the most ignorant in another.” What I would like to share here is: BE AN EXPERT IN YOUR OWN FIELD. It is ok not to know everything and lack a lot in things that may seem essential in your research. The biggest advice I would give (I’ll even try to take it myself) is to never stop being curious.  Ask questions and get help when needed. You will spend years studying something that ultimately you will be an expert on, so if you know about your research field but do not remember the detailed step behind transcriptomic analysis IT IS FINE.

A last word for fellow international students, it is ok to struggle and be extra slow. I promise it gets better. And again, never be afraid to seem stupid and ask for help. Surround yourself with a community that gets you!

 

What is next for you?

The next step is to continue learning more and more, finish classes (cannot wait for that), pass my preliminary exam, and continue researching cephalopod-microbe interactions.

 

What do you see as your current career trajectory?

I think this is an eternal debate for graduate students, but I am debating between industry and academia. I have a lot of interest in cephalopod-microbe interactions, but I still do not know if I want to continue my whole life on it. I am convinced that the knowledge and skills I will develop will be super helpful, but I always wanted to tackle bioinspiration or biomimicry, and I think there is a lot of possibility to do that while studying cephalopod biology and behavior. Maybe I will incorporate microbes and look at bioluminescence within an object or create a Harry Potter invisible camouflage cape. Who knows?