One of Humbert’s research projects focuses on applying this new technology to cancer research, where CRISPR-Cas9 may be used to improve the clinical outcome of cancer treatment. “Some chemotherapies used to eradicate cancer cells also target normal cells, resulting in toxicity. We have used CRISPR-Cas9 as a strategy to protect normal cells from the chemotherapy, thus drastically reducing the side effects of treatment,” Humbert explains. If successful, this approach will help patients to better tolerate these treatments and improve their overall quality of life.

While CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing already shows remarkable promise, it is still a new technology that requires perseverance. Humbert views such challenges as part of the inevitable trial and error of scientific research. “A failed experiment will at some point be followed by a breakthrough,” he says. “You have to keep reminding yourself that discoveries are built upon failures; be patient and work methodologically when designing your experiments.”

Part of the methodological process that helps Humbert handle challenges is collaboration. He offers an example: “One time I was testing new editing enzymes that, along with some guide RNAs, had to be delivered to target cells for gene editing. The enzymes weren’t giving any detectable activity for reasons I didn’t understand. Instead of trying the same experiment over and over, I chose to walk away and talk to some colleagues who were using a similar approach. I also joined some online forums for advice. I eventually found out that I needed to chemically modify the guide RNA to protect it from degradation by the cell.”

Humbert draws on this experience to advise other scientists on how to approach their own failures in the lab: “Whenever possible—especially before you embark on a new experiment— share your ideas with your peers, who will likely offer valuable advice.”

His other solution to dealing with frustrations is sometimes simply to take a break, to take a step back and think about what could have gone wrong—and in his case, a break might turn into a bicycle ride. “When time permits, a long ride helps me reboot and clear my mind,” he explains. A bike ride may at first seem too removed from lab experimentation to function as a source of scientific problem-solving, but consider Dr. Humbert’s initial childhood interest in science: “Growing up, I spent a lot of time outside surrounded by nature,” he says. “That really triggered my curiosity about how living things work and how they’re put together—so that’s what brought me to the field of science in the first place.”

The sense of wonder Humbert discovered as a child exploring the natural world resonates with the sense of renewal he experiences now on epic bike journeys; it informs his dedication to solving important challenges in the lab; and it clearly has helped instill a love of science in his own children. If Humbert’s pioneering work with CRISPR-Cas9 leads to more effective ways to treat cancer, who knows? Perhaps his children will someday follow in his tracks and be part of a generation of scientists that makes cancer a thing of the past.