Meet a Scientist: Dr. Shannon Bennett (Patreon)

Hey Deep Peeps,

It takes a lot of time and effort to produce each episode of Deep Look, but we couldn’t do it without the help of scientists and other valuable collaborators who have worked closely with us over the years. We’re introducing several of these wonderful partners to you in a series of short profiles so you can get a deeper look at their expertise.

Meet Dr. Shannon Bennett: She’s the chief and dean of Science and Research Collections and Associate Curator of Microbiology at the California Academy of Sciences.

“I oversee the scientific research and academic programs for our institution, as well as the care, growth and mobilization of our specimen collections. I also conduct research on the evolution and emergence of viral pathogens.”

Bennett worked with producer Gabriela Quirós on Deep Look’s most popular episode to date: “How Mosquitoes Use Six Needles to Suck Your Blood.”

The common house mosquito in California (Culex pipiens) can transmit West Nile virus by biting infected birds, then biting humans. (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

“I contributed to a video production taking a deep look into how mosquitoes use their highly adapted proboscis to collect their blood meals,” Bennett said. “I was amazed at the ability to photograph at such high resolution such an amazing creature –– the mosquito –– as she actually wrung water out of her anus to make room for more blood!”

“One story that comes to mind is how I, as the model for her to blood feed on, had to remain very, very still so that she would settle. Several times she would approach my arm and even alight as the camera stayed poised and focused on the spot we anticipated she would land. Even the raising of the hairs on my arm would scare her off, but not before she might probe a few times first.

At the end of what felt like ages to finally get the shot –– 15-20 minutes? –– I had many tiny itchy welts rising, where she'd probed my skin and injected her welt-raising saliva. And of course [there was] the main one, where she'd had her fill for the edification of Deep Look viewers everywhere! I really enjoyed working with the team. I would say that it was one of the most fun days I've had in the lab, in spite of all the blood I gave!”

In the top photo: Dr. Shannon Bennett, chief of science at the California Academy of Sciences, lets herself be bitten by an uninfected common house mosquito during the production of a KQED Deep Look video. (Gabriela Quirós/KQED)

“I contributed to a video production taking a deep look into how mosquitoes use their highly adapted proboscis to collect their blood meals,” Bennett said. “I was amazed at the ability to photograph at such high resolution such an amazing creature –– the mosquito –– as she actually wrung water out of her anus to make room for more blood!”

“One story that comes to mind is how I, as the model for her to blood feed on, had to remain very, very still so that she would settle. Several times she would approach my arm and even alight as the camera stayed poised and focused on the spot we anticipated she would land. Even the raising of the hairs on my arm would scare her off, but not before she might probe a few times first.

At the end of what felt like ages to finally get the shot –– 15-20 minutes? –– I had many tiny itchy welts rising, where she'd probed my skin and injected her welt-raising saliva. And of course [there was] the main one, where she'd had her fill for the edification of Deep Look viewers everywhere! I really enjoyed working with the team. I would say that it was one of the most fun days I've had in the lab, in spite of all the blood I gave!”