5 Questions with Curt Bird, PhD
Talking molecular biology, translational research, and microbrewing
On this edition of “5 Questions With…”, I interviewed Dr. R. Curt Bird, Professor of Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. I did my PhD in Dr. Bird’s lab from 2013-2019 and he was the major professor for my graduate studies. He brings an interesting perspective as someone who originally started in basic science research in Canada and found his way to a veterinary school in the southeast US. His biology and chemistry interests also led him to become an expert in microbrewing beer! 🍺 This interview was conducted through email and lightly edited. I hope you enjoy the conversation. —EJF
1. You are originally from Ontario, Canada, a stone’s throw away from where I grew up in the suburbs of Niagara Falls, NY. Can you tell me about your career journey and how you ended up in Alabama?
Sure! So, I was born in Toronto, Canada, but moved west down the lake to Burlington when I was 5 and really grew up there. My ambition from very early on was to do science, which I read voraciously. The problem was that in my hometown there were no scientists or even, really, engineers I could identify so I conflated science and medicine and nudged my ambitions in that direction. I studied science and math at high school finishing with 4 science credits and 3 different math credits and that led me to McMaster University in the next medium size city – Hamilton, Ontario. This school is most famous for inventing problem-based learning, especially applied to medical students. I studied Biology in the Honors program there and from the first year discovered what real basic science was (and what graduate education was as well). I graduated Summa cum Laude in 4 years and from that point my ambition was to go to graduate school and do research. I worked as a junior scientist throughout my undergrad years focusing on developmental biology models and then went to the University of Toronto for a PhD. I graduated at 26 into a National Medical Research Council Post-Doctoral Scholarship and joined the molecular biology program ay Memorial University in St. John’s. This was a deep immersion in the very beginnings of molecular biology as the early 1980s were when much of this technology was invented. It was a very exciting time to be a young scientist!
After 2 years we moved the lab to the University of Guelph and then 2 years beyond that, as I turned 30, my mentor, who was the Dean of Biological Sciences, showed me a job advertisement for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University. I had been applying for jobs for about 4-5 months and had seen very little interest when suddenly I had 4 job interviews in 2 weeks and landed all 4 positions! When I arrived, I was 30 years old and younger than half the graduate students in the department. However, the position at Auburn was a real opportunity, especially given the scientific period and I have never looked back. I always said I would give them 5 years and then move if I was unhappy, but they have been generous to me and supported my science throughout my career and I am now in my 39th year here! So, I guess it went pretty well! I have had about 30 grad students including about 10 PhDs, all of whom have jobs and am very pleased with my career as it has unfolded.
2. Your first areas of research were the cell cycle. How did you go from that basic science topic to very focused on canine mammary tumor genetics, and ultimately microRNA?
So, I investigated cell cycle biology and the molecular regulation that controlled it during my PhD working on a single cell model of cell proliferation. Because I could synchronize these cells for cell cycle with a series of heat shocks over the course of about 24 hours, they provided me with a powerful model and a huge advantage in this discipline as I could pull these synchronized cells apart and study individual proteins and mRNAs regulating these mechanisms as they proliferated synchronously. Once in my post-doc, I moved to a rat myoblast system of development in vitro which really taught me to use modern molecular biology and nucleic acid chemistry to study gene expression. This included gene cloning and genetic library construction which were the technologies Auburn was hoping to recruit.
Once I joined the faculty at Auburn University, my Department Head, Dr. Lauren Wolfe, provided access to the largest collection of primary canine cancer cell lines in existence – a collection I have endeavored to essentially double since his retirement. Our focus was on cancer, of course, but the real insight was that back in the 1980s we were just realizing that the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that cause cancer are in fact, the same genes that regulate cell cycle re-entry and progression. It was a natural progression for me to enter this field.
“Back in the 1980s we were just realizing that the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that cause cancer are in fact, the same genes that regulate cell cycle re-entry and progression.”
Lastly, the more recent discovery that small regulatory RNA molecules – microRNAs or miRNAs – have been shown to directly cause cancer if they are selectively knocked out in mice has opened a whole new discipline for us. This was a huge discovery and has led us to explore these molecules as potential therapeutic targets blocking the actions of oncogenes and as diagnostic indicators of disease progression and response to therapy. We are currently collaborating with bioengineering and pharmacy faulty to deliver these promising therapeutic molecules by means of smart nanoparticles to the tumors.
3. You conduct “translational research,” using dogs as a model for women with breast cancer. Why are dogs well-suited to modeling human cancers, and how have veterinary studies impacted human oncology?
Dogs and the cancers they suffer from are a very interesting problem to study as they provide an almost perfect model of human cancers, and they occur and progress at a rate many times faster than human disease. This means we can study spontaneous cancers, very much like human disease, that are caused by the same gene mutations and have very similar hormone sensitivities and natural histories occurring later in the dog’s life very similar to breast cancer in women. Because a dog’s average age to death is approximately 12 years, they typically develop these cancers between 6-10 years of age, and it is possible to study the entire natural history of a cancer in a few months. Investigations of the causes and development of new therapeutics to treat these cancers are, consequently, more rapid, and more quickly evaluated than waiting many years for human cancers to recur and grow. The advantages to modeling human cancer are clear and this is directly due to the contributions of veterinary medicine.
“Dogs and the cancers they suffer from…provide an almost perfect model of human cancers, and they occur and progress at a rate many times faster than human disease.”
It should also be noted that when we were successful in developing hybrid-cell fusion vaccines that treated canine breast cancer, canine patients were the direct beneficiaries, but these experiments also pointed the way to new human therapies as well. This is a great example of “One Medicine” applied to the health of dogs but also benefiting humans and all due to the investigations driven by veterinary medicine.
4. Readers might be surprised to know that you are big time into microbrewing, and work with the Auburn University brewing science program! How did you get into brewing, and how does it connect with your science background?
So, in Canada home brewing was never illegal as it was here in the USA. I learned to make wine and later beer with my parents from about 18 years old. During my post-doc yeast were the most advanced eukaryotic model for genetic manipulation and we were well trained in its manipulation and use in molecular biology. Needless to say, a long day in the lab deserved to be completed with a great craft-style cold beer! So, I learned both the art and science of brewing early and the means to manage the yeast that make the beer. About 15 years ago or so I taught the head of the school of hospitality and hotel management how to make beer from whole grain at home and he went manic with the concept. He brewed mountains of beer those first 2 years, we traveled extensively in Europe visiting brewing schools and collecting ideas and approaches to education and then about 10 years ago we opened the Auburn University Graduate Certificate in Master Brewing with several more of my colleagues who knew beer and beer making and the associated skills needed to operate a brewery. At this point we have just opened the $100M Rane Center in Hospitality including a craft brewery operated by New Realm Brewing and that represents the program. We have extended the instruction to a full MS degree and one of my former students, Drew Kostic, is the head brewer. So, if you visit Auburn do be sure to visit the brewery! I currently co-teach the two fermentation and brewing courses in the program and have just taken the BJCP (brew judge certification program) exam to become a certified beer competition judge.
5. I love giving people suggestions on how to indulge their curiosity and learn something new. What are three things you’d recommend to the audience, and why? These can be books, podcasts, movies, anything!
The first thing I would encourage is curiosity. Don’t let inertia or laziness keep you from exploring new ideas, concepts and skills no matter how you manage it. There are always new things to learn and it is so easy to procrastinate! Believe me when I say I know! The second thing I would recommend, with some bias I suppose, is to always make time and effort to get out doors and explore the natural world. Even amateur naturalists can do this. Anything from a hike to bird watching to mountain biking to gardening are great ways to get involved and you will be rewarded with a richness from the biosphere that is truly hard to underestimate. These are all activities I participate in and have my whole life. Seek out new and biologically rich environments. Here in the southeastern US it is hard to top the southern Appalachians for biodiversity and simply wild places. I simply love it! Lastly, an author I would recommend that will challenge your ideas regarding biology would be the late Stephen Jay Gould. Any of his books or essays will reward you with new ideas and insights but his ideas regarding evolution and its mechanisms are truly insightful. I met Dr. Gould when he visited our university and have always treasured the experience.
Thank you for letting me share a little bit about my background and interests. All the best in your exploration of the natural world!
