Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Ashley Luntsford

Move over real-time PCR machines. Make way mass spectrometers. Take a step back DNA sequencers.

In celebration of Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month, we’re continuing our popular “Lab Scientists Under the Microscope” series and spotlighting the real heroes of laboratory science—the dedicated professionals who make public health laboratories hum.

Every day, these scientists work with dangerous substances and high-consequence pathogens. They connect the dots that link cases and identify outbreaks, keeping us safer from foodborne illnesses, infectious diseases and more. They work weekends, holidays and after hours to prepare samples and run programs so the rest of us can get our test results in a timely fashion. And they do it all with increasingly limited resources and funding.

Each week of Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month, we’ll highlight one of these unsung powerhouses and give you a glimpse into their lives inside the lab. Read on to meet the scientists!

Ashley Luntsford, Lab Preparedness Scientist II, Colorado State Public Health Laboratory, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

What got you interested in laboratory science? Was it a teacher? A book? Your own health experience?

I have always been very curious since I was a child. I fell in love with science and the scientific method early on, performing mini experiments in my bedroom, attempting to graft pieces of one plant onto another or feeding my plants liquids other than water to observe the results—all while maintaining a very tidy scientific notebook for all of my observations. 

While I was an undergraduate at the University of Colorado, Denver, Dr. Annika Mosier, associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, really fostered my love for science. I was drawn not only by her passion for her work but also by the sense that she genuinely cared for each student and wanted to see them succeed. I worked for Dr. Mosier in her research laboratory, "The Mosier Lab," for two years before ultimately being accepted into the Denver Health School of Medical Laboratory Science in 2020. 

If you weren’t a lab scientist, what would you be?

I think I would be either a mechanic or a cook. A career as a mechanic appeals to me because I love the idea of tinkering with the insides of a car. I would love having the capability and knowledge to take a car apart and rebuild it and know the mechanics of how a car engine propels a car forward.

A career as a cook also sounds interesting, not only because I love to eat good food, but also because I love thinking about the different biochemicals that make up food. It is incredibly interesting to think about how individual ingredients can come together to create something completely new and tasty! It is also fascinating to think about how the human body then utilizes those ingredients to fuel life! 

Two other careers that appeal to me are being a writer and/or a teacher. I love to pick apart tiny details and then bring them back together to find new meaning. I also enjoy teaching others about the tiny details that I enjoy and would like to help instill that love of learning and science into others.

What’s one piece of lab equipment you think is highly underrated? What do you love about it?

The autoclave—it’s the quiet, indispensable, unsung hero of the laboratory. Its true superpower lies in its ability to ensure a foundation of sterility, making the precision of our science possible.

What’s your favorite pathogen/substance to work on—and why?

I really love Proteus. Others may find it annoying how Proteus swarms an agar plate, making it nearly impossible to isolate the bacterial colony underneath. But I revel in the challenge. I love thinking about the intrinsic properties of Proteus and how subbing to different types of agar plates affects its growth, either inhibiting it or allowing it to swarm. My favorite part of microbiology is thinking about how different bacteria react to different biochemicals and seeing their reactions in different agars, broths, plates, tubes, etc.  In fact, it would be so cool to design a new agar or biochemical to work with on the bench!

The theme for this year’s Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month is legends. What scientist, be it a real-life person or fictional, famous or not, do you consider a legend? Why?

Einstein! He is a true legend in science! It amazes me how brilliant he was and the monumental discoveries he made, even though his professors thought he was a complete goof-off who wouldn't amount to anything. He didn't let what others thought of him stop him. He forged his path in science and will always be remembered for his great scientific achievements!