One Year with Bioconductor & BugSigDB: What a Ride!

The past four weeks have been a whirlwind of learning, growth, and collaboration. I’ve been contributing to the BugSigDB project within the Bioconductor community through Outreachy, and let me tell you—this experience has been nothing short of amazing.

This is my second time participating in the Outreachy contribution period, and it also marks my one-year anniversary with the Bioconductor community. So, unpack with me!

How It All Started

I joined the Bioconductor community in March 2024, during the May 2024 Outreachy Internship cohort, and I’ve stayed ever since. I chose to keep volunteering with Bioconductor for many wonderful reasons, but the most important one? The BugSigDB project perfectly aligns with my long-term goals.

What Is BugSigDB?

BugSigDB is a database of microbial signatures whose primary functions are to standardize key elements of published microbiome studies using ontologies and the NCBI taxonomy, improving searchability, enrichment analysis and community interaction.

BugSigDB is what happens when microbiology meets open source—and it’s brilliant. Working on this project has allowed me to help make microbiome research more accessible while also building valuable research and data curation skills for myself.

My Contribution Experience

Over the last few weeks, I’ve worked on individual tasks, collaborated with fellow contributors, and participated in peer reviews (https://bugsigdb.org/Special:Contributions/Victoria). Each experience has taught me something new, and here are just a few of the lessons that have stuck with me:

• Take your time – This project demands accuracy and attention to detail. Rushing doesn’t help; precision does.

• Communication is key – I used to struggle with this, but I’ve grown so much. I’m more confident now, and I speak up more often, share my ideas freely and contribute meaningfully to conversations.

• Teamwork really does make the dream work – Most of the time, someone else knows something you don’t. And that’s okay.

• Stay curious – There’s always something new to learn. Ask questions. Be open. It pays off.

Two of the core principles of open source are community and collaboration. In the last few weeks, I’ve seen firsthand just how essential they are—not only to getting work done but to growing as a person. As the saying goes, "If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together." That has never felt more true. I have not only had the support of fellow interns and community members, but the mentors have been incredibly outstanding.

While contributing to the Bioconductor community, my mentor, Dr. Svetlana Ugarcina Perovic, introduced me to the Microbiome Virtual International Forum (MVIF) in 2024. Thanks to her, I now volunteer as an Atlantic Committee member, where I enjoy moderating the microtalks sessions during MVIF’s virtual events. I am also active in their global communication efforts via social media.

Being part of the MVIF community has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me. From event moderation and community engagement to science communication and social media management, I’ve been able to expand my skill set in ways I never imagined. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience.

Looking Back—and Looking Ahead

This past year with the Bioconductor community has been a beautiful journey. (P.S. I sometimes torment my friends with microbiome facts I find in papers. Like the time I discovered Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)—they were stunned. Honestly, same!)

Now, I’m even more eager and ready to explore and embrace opportunities to get into Public Health and maybe pursue research full-time. Who knows? This experience has continued to build a passion and interest that I didn’t even know existed.

Overall, I am eternally grateful for the community, for growth, and the privilege to learn and continue to make an impact.

Want to Get Involved?

If you’ve made it this far (thank you!) and you're curious about BugSigDB or contributing to Bioconductor, I highly recommend reaching out to my mentor, Dr. Svetlana Ugarcina Perovic, on either Linkedin, X or Bluesky to discuss joining the community.