Succeeding in places unexpected and unknown

There are two ways to do science. You can focus on one question, continually circling back to the original premise. Or you can follow where your leads take you.” Barbara Osborne does both. A Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Barbara approaches her research from both perspectives and finds each method effective.

Much of Barbara’s work in the last ten years has focused on genetically engineering cows to produce human antibodies. Currently, the need for human antibodies greatly exceeds the supply. There are many populations who would benefit from human antibody infusions, including people with autoimmune disorders and young children whose immune systems aren’t yet developed. But human donations are currently the sole source of antibodies and the supply simply isn’t abundant enough to provide for everyone.

“We thought that if we could put the genes that make human antibodies into the cells that are used to clone cows, then we would have a cow that makes human antibodies,” says Barbara. “We would have an additional source and more people could get the help their bodies need.”

Barbara’s role in the research has been concentrated on one main target, understanding antibody production in cattle. By addressing that single question and continually coming back to that objective, Barbara has helped the project progress. Last year the team successfully produced the first cattle that create human antibodies, a tremendous medical breakthrough. “This is going to cure people,” she says, beaming with pride.

Though that success has brought one form of satisfaction, Barbara fulfills her passion for sleuthing through her other research approach, which she uses on a different project. While studying the causes behind cell death, Barbara finds herself continually uncovering new questions along the way. “It’s like solving a mystery. You ask a question, you get a result that’s not what you thought you were going to get, and it leads you to someplace you had no idea you were going.”

In untangling the mystery of cell death, Barbara and her fellow researchers discovered two proteins that affect the process. The proteins are riddles in and of themselves, and Barbara’s focus has shifted to learning more about them and their roles in multiple cell processes. Though the shift would seem a sidetrack to some, Barbara sees it as an important piece of the puzzle. “You may not have answered your original question, but you have answered some other important questions along the way and you’ve accumulated a large body of knowledge that gives you an idea about a process instead of about a particular question,” she says.

Most researchers choose one method over another, but Barbara sees the benefit of following both paths of research. “You can start out in one place and you can end up really understanding a lot about that one question. And there’s a deep satisfaction in solving a concrete problem, in knowing exactly how the work you’re doing will be used,” she says. “But following wherever the leads take you can be gloriously stimulating. You’re going into areas you may not know much about and it drives you to pick up new technologies and new techniques. It’s an adventure into the unknown.”

Related links
Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Barbara Osborne