From genes to genomes: insights from ant researcher Lumi Viljakainen

Lumi Viljakainen is a senior lecturer at the University of Oulu and a mother of three. Her research focuses on population genomics, evolution and ant viruses. Unlike most myrmecologists, she had to overcome entomophobia, but now she enjoys both observing ants and fieldwork. Lumi’s biggest motivation is the great progress that is now possible in ant genomics. Her favourite ant is the interesting supercolonial tupsukekomuurahainen; to find out what species this Finnish name refers to, read the interview.

An Interview compiled by Salvatore Brunetti and edited by Elia Guariento.

MNB: Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

MNB: Could you tell us about your research?

LV: My research focuses on population genomics and viruses of ants. In my research group, we study the genetic underpinnings of the convergent evolution of polygyny and the subsequent evolutionary trajectories in ants. We investigate genomic architecture and selection across the genomes of monogynous and polygynous ant species by population-level whole-genome sequencing. We also study virus prevalence, abundance and infectivity in monogynous and polygynous species to get insight into the virus infection dynamics in diverse social organizations.

MNB: How did you end up studying ants?

LV: As a second-year biology student I was keen on getting experience in research. On a noticeboard, I found an ad by Professor Pekka Pamilo, who was looking for PhD students to join his ant research group. I humbly e-mailed him saying that I’m far from PhD stage, but would be interested in helping in any ongoing research project. That’s how I ended up working with ants, first as a research assistant and later, by doing my master’s thesis as well as my PhD thesis under the supervision of Pekka.

MNB: If you had not become a myrmecologist, what else would you have liked to become?

LV: I found ants so early on during my studies and fell in love with them that I have never considered anything else!

MNB: What is your motivation for doing ant research now? What do you enjoy most about ant research?

LV: My biggest motivation to stay in ant research is the big leap that ant genomics has made in recent years. Having a population genetics training, I’m interested in doing comparative population genomics studies in ants, which is now possible. I enjoy most bioinformatics and data analyses, which, as a PI I unfortunately rarely get to do anymore since other tasks keep me too busy. 

MNB: What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome in ant research?

LV: Well, entomophobia! As a geneticist, I was quite happy at the beginning of my career that I didn’t have to do much fieldwork. Now I do go to the field, and I can say that it is fun!

MNB: Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in myrmecology?

LV: Pekka Pamilo, in the first place, with the vast knowledge of ants he shared with his group. The warm and welcoming myrmecologist community has also played a big role.

MNB: What would you do differently if you could start all over again?

LV: Nothing.

MNB: During your research, what was the scariest moment?

LV: Finding a millipede in my underpants after spending a day collecting ants in the field.

MNB: Is there any particular situation in which you typically have the crucial idea for solving a difficult problem?

LV: That’s usually outside working hours, when I’m doing something unrelated. For example, walking the dog in the woods.

MNB: What are the main differences regarding research, when you started as a myrmecologist compared with today?

LV: When I started, I studied single genes. Now I have the luxury of studying whole genomes!

MNB: What do you think will be hot topics in ant research in the next ten years?

LV: Ant genomics with different flavors for sure, but also how ants cope with current and future global changes.

MNB: Do you have any suggestion for myrmecology newbies?

LV: Regardless of your research field, go to nature and observe ants. Also, listen to the fascinating stories experienced myrmecologists tell you. Both are inspiring!

MNB: The higher the career level, the fewer women, also in ant research – what do you think will be most important for achieving gender equality in this respect?

LV: Finland is a good example of how to improve gender equality. We have paid maternity and paternity leave, and the most recent renewal of these benefits includes that both mothers and fathers have a quota of 6.5 months of which they can give a maximum of 10.5 weeks to the other parent. This ensures that it is not always the mother who stays at home with the baby, but also encourages fathers to do so. In Finland the working hours in science are reasonable – people usually don’t work more than eight hours a day, which is important for combining a career with a family.

MNB: Does your group harbour students or postdocs with kids?

LV: No. But I have three kids, one of which I got during my PhD and the other two while doing postdocs.

MNB: What question are you asked most often when people hear you work with ants?

LV: Don’t you already know everything about ants?

MNB: What is the one thing you wish everyone knew about ants?

LV: That there is still so much to learn about ants!

MNB: Do you have a favorite morphological structure / myrmecological phenomenon?

LV: Mating flight, which I have evidenced in my living room!

MNB: Do you have a favorite ant species?

LV: I studied Formica aquilonia in my master’s thesis, and now it is again one of the species we work on a lot. The species name in Finnish is “tupsukekomuurahainen”.

MNB: In another life, if you could be an ant, what ant species would that be?

LV: That would be tupsukekomuurahainen.

MNB: Which other scientists (or PostDocs, PhD students) would you like to be featured in a Myrmecological News interview?

LV: It would be fun to hear about Professor Susanne Foitzik’s career path.

MNB: What is the one thing you would want to change in science?

LV: More collaboration and less competition.

MNB: How can future generations bring a change?

LV: By being optimistic and believing that they can make a change.

MNB: What is the book on your bedside table?

LV: Haruki Murakami’s Killing Commendatore

MNB: Watching sports or doing sports?

LV: Doing.

MNB: Listening to music or playing an instrument?

LV: Listening.

MNB: Do you enjoy the evening or the morning?

LV: Evening.

MNB: Tea or coffee?

LV: Tea.

MNB: Habit or change, what do you prefer?

LV: Habit.

MNB: Cooking yourself or going out having dinner?

LV: Going out.

MNB: Aspirator or forceps?

LV: I have used both and definitely prefer forceps. MNB: Nest densities or pitfall traps, what do you prefer?

MNB: Nest densities or pitfall traps, what do you prefer?

LV: I’m not familiar with either method, so no preferences.

MNB: Field work or lab?

LV: Lab.

MNB: Pin or ethanol?

LV: Ethanol.

MNB: Paper printed out or reading on the laptop?

LV: Reading on the laptop.

MNB: Journals financed by the author (open access) or by the reader (subscription based). What do you prefer?

LV: Both have problems if funding for publication or access to reading is not secured by the university or research institute.

MNB: Kin selection or group selection?

LV: Kin selection.

MNB: Do you prefer monodomy or supercoloniality?

LV: Most of the species I have studied are supercolonial, so I select that.

MNB: Do you prefer the workers or the queens in an ant colony?

LV: Workers.

MNB: Thank you!