Rate My Professor Miriam Sharpe

Dr Miriam Sharpe is a Scientific Officer in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, focusing on communications, graphics, and outreach activities within the Division of Sciences. She holds a PhD and her research summary highlights expertise in protein structure and function. Her academic career includes prior roles such as Otago Research Fellow, during which she advanced studies on bioluminescent proteins and crystallization techniques. Dr Sharpe has contributed to significant research on light-emitting mechanisms in New Zealand's native glowworm (Arachnocampa luminosa) and other organisms, elucidating novel luciferins and luciferases through structural biology approaches.

Dr Sharpe is a co-author on several impactful publications. These include 'New Zealand glowworm (Arachnocampa luminosa) bioluminescence is produced by a firefly-like luciferase but an entirely new luciferin' (Scientific Reports, 2018, with O.C. Watkins, N.B. Perry, K.L. Krause); 'Mass spectrometry analysis and transcriptome sequencing reveal glowing squid crystal proteins are in the same superfamily as firefly luciferase' (Scientific Reports, 2016, with G. Gimenez, P. Metcalf, N.G. Paterson); 'Comparative RNA seq analysis of the New Zealand glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa reveals bioluminescence-related genes' (BMC Genomics, 2015, with P.K. Dearden, G. Gimenez, K.L. Krause); 'Luciferases and light-emitting accessory proteins: Structural biology' (eLS, 2014); and 'Role of the polycomb protein EED in the propagation of repressive histone marks' (Nature, 2008, with R. Margueron et al.). Additional works encompass the crystal structure of alanine racemase from Streptococcus pneumoniae (Acta Crystallographica Section D, 2011) and lactate dehydrogenase from the Antarctic eelpout Lycodichthys dearborni (Polar Biology, 2000, with C. Love, C. Marshall).

In her outreach capacity, Dr Sharpe authors posts for the department's blog 'The Sheet,' covering diverse topics like cancer research in te reo Māori, fungal introns, gout epidemiology, and student research adventures. She creates graphics for publications, supports events such as HOD changeover dinners and biochemistry workshops (e.g., Lab in a Box for schools, Silver Science programs), and contributes to explainer content like the COVID-19 mRNA vaccination video. Previously, she edited Southern Blot, the newsletter of the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, fostering community engagement and disseminating departmental news effectively.