Josh Mylne is an Associate Professor and lab head in the School of Molecular Sciences at The University of Western Australia. Josh has been a PEB affiliate since moving from his home state of Queensland to WA in 2013 in order to start up his lab. His research interests cover protein evolution, molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of bioactive peptides and helping the discovery of novel herbicides.
Josh recently travelled to Minnesota, USA as part of the Fulbright Program, the country’s flagship foreign exchange scholarship. Fulbright aims at increasing bi-national research collaboration, cultural understanding, and the exchange of ideas. While rewarding, Josh described how the experience came with some particularly chilly challenges.
“Minnesota gets seriously cold in winter, but I cycled to work every day on a bike with metal studs impregnated in the tyres and wearing a balaclava, battery-powered socks, and other serious protection. When the mercury dipped below -20, the grease in the rear hub of the bike becomes so viscous that the spring holding the gears doesn't re-engage quickly which means every time you start pedalling it takes a while to go anywhere.”
Thankfully Josh made it through the sub-zero adventure without losing any fingers to frostbite, and managed to strengthen some valuable professional collaborations.
“My lab (mylne.org) is doing more and more protein crystallography and the trip allowed me to strengthen an existing collaboration with an outstanding young structural enzymologist called Mikael Elias, as well as develop some of the skills needed to process crystallography data and assign structures.”
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