The Humans of the Wyss (HOW) series features members of the Wyss community discussing their work, the influences that shape them as professionals, and their collaborations at the Wyss Institute and beyond.
Years ago, Justin Scott was working in finance when a conversation with a friend who cared deeply about their science-related job prompted him to make a change. Chasing that same job satisfaction, he went back to school and eventually began working in research, excited by the potential to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Now, he’s a passionate scientist working on a variety of projects from understanding and treating bacterial vaginosis to developing technology to clean drinking water in low-resource settings. Learn more about Justin and his work in this month’s Humans of the Wyss.
What are you working on?
I’m working on several things, but most of what I do involves protein engineering. One of the projects I’m working on is looking at the interaction between the immune system and the vaginal microbiome. To do that, I’m designing fusion lectin proteins.
The lectin proteins are natural host-immune regulators. They associate with microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Depending on the lectin protein, they can associate with both commensal microbes (those that benefit from another organism without harming or benefiting them) and pathogenic microbes (those that cause disease). Using these specially engineered lectin proteins, we can figure out the composition of the vaginal microbiome and how it interacts with the immune system.
Another project I’m working on is AquaPulse, a water purification system that uses electricity to kill bacteria, parasites, and viruses. I work on the biological side of this project, growing the bugs and testing the system against them. I also add the biological component in the proposals for additional funding and help to determine the future directions of the project.
What real-world problem does this solve?
The vaginal microbiome work would solve several issues, the biggest being bacterial vaginosis, a recurring bacterial infection that generally does not respond to antibiotics. By figuring out the composition of the microbiome and how it interacts with the immune system, we can design fusion lectins to do one of two things. They could target and kill pathogenic bacteria, making a niche for good bacteria to populate so you can continue to have a healthy environment. Or, we can create lectin proteins that bind with good bacteria and hold them in place so that any therapeutic disruption to the system will only affect the bad bacteria.
The AquaPulse project makes contaminated drinking water safe without the need for expensive filters, chemicals or machinery. This is important because a lot of people in low-resource settings around the world use contaminated drinking water, which leads to health complications, because they can’t afford water purification systems.
What inspired you to get into this field?
While working in finance, I spoke to a friend of mine who is in a science-related field. He was talking very passionately about his work, and at the time I wasn’t passionate about mine at all. I realized I wanted to be part of something that I cared deeply about and enjoyed. So, I decided to go back to school so I could go into science.
What excites and motivates you?
I’m motivated by discovery and the kind of real-world impact the science can make. I’m excited by the breadth of applications our work can have.
What are some of the challenges you face?
The challenges are mostly with navigating the complex regulatory environments and technical constraints placed on our work. For example, I work on a lot of DARPA projects, and if you want a therapeutic that can be delivered in a military setting, it cannot require refrigeration and must be administrable by a soldier in the field. So, even if you find a solution to the medical problem, it won’t work unless it meets these other requirements.
What drew you to work at the Wyss initially, and why did you want to come back after trying something else?
Initially my interest in the Wyss came from the cutting-edge science and the focus on bioinspired engineering. I’m a very strong proponent of using biology and natural systems as inspiration for engineering projects.
I love it here. The working environment and collaborative energy are so amazing.
I left to work at a small immune oncology startup, but wanted to come back because I love it here. The working environment and collaborative energy are so amazing.
What is unique about the Wyss and how has that impacted your work?
Several things are unique about the Wyss. First and foremost is the breadth of projects you can be involved with. Second, the amount of collaboration that happens here is very special to the Wyss. You are working with multidisciplinary teams, and you can follow the work you’re doing through to the end product. For example, even if you don’t do microscopy, you still get information from imaging that allows you to see the whole picture. That’s not true of a lot of other places, at least not ones where I’ve worked. As someone who is interested in science in general, and not just my particular area, it’s very rewarding to work at a place where you get to contribute to the whole of scientific exploration, not just your specific area.
As someone who is interested in science in general, and not just my particular area, it’s very rewarding to work at a place where you get to contribute to the whole of scientific exploration, not just your specific area.
How do you collaborate with and/or receive support from teams across the Wyss Institute?
It’s very dependent on what you’re working on, but one thing I like about the Wyss is that if I have any part of my project that I feel another group at the Wyss can help with or contribute to, it’s very easy to reach out to people and ask for assistance. A small example is for one of the projects I’m working on, we need viruses. One day, I ran out, and while I could propagate more, I knew of another group at the Wyss who regularly uses these viruses. I asked them for some and they were very receptive and provided us what we needed.
How have your previous work and personal experiences shaped your approach to your work today?
My previous work experiences gave me a better appreciation for the enjoyment of the work that I do. It’s so nice to be at a place where I like going to work.
I’ve been the end-user, so I know what military applications will look like.
In a mix of personal and work, my military experience allows me to approach my research in a unique way, especially DARPA-funded projects. I understand how these solutions will be implemented and what the hurdles are to applying our work in the field, separately from the scientific challenges. I’ve been the end-user, so I know what military applications will look like.
When you’re not at the Wyss, how do you like to spend your time?
I’m a big scuba diver and a scuba instructor. I teach at MIT as well as public classes. I’ve dived around the world in Hawaii, Portugal, and Spain, and in Japan, where I was stationed in the military.
I spend the rest of my time at home with my family, and playing soccer and coaching soccer for my son.
What’s something unique about you that someone wouldn’t know from your resume?
I’m an actor and I do community theater. It’s been about ten years since I’ve done that because of my kids, but I’m starting to get back into it.
If you had to choose an entirely different career path, what would it be?
I wouldn’t. I’ve done a different career and found my way to science. But, if I really had to choose, I think I would want to be a pilot.
What does it feel like to be working on cutting-edge technology that has the potential to have a real and significant impact on people’s lives and society?
It’s inspiring to share my work and I feel inspired to continue doing it.
It feels fantastic. It is not only enjoyable to know I’m doing that, but it is also really rewarding to talk about and explain to other people. It feels great to encourage young people to get into science because we’re doing impactful work that has real-world implications for people’s lives. It’s inspiring to share that and I feel inspired to continue doing it.