With Gold Teeth And A Masters Degree, This Black Scientist Is Changing The Face Of Microbiology

Jordan King lights up the Florida Everglades, saving the environment one social media post at a time.

A South Florida scientist and social media influencer turned his passion for microbiology into a flourishing online platform, breaking the mold in scientific research, reaching a new audience, and challenging conventions in the field.

Jordon King documents his learning adventures for his over 200,000 followers across various social media platforms from Everglades National Park, a key research destination in Florida. King mentions that many of his followers often comment on his appearance, which includes dreadlocks and a gold grill, styles not typically associated with people working in the industry.

“I think what makes me stand out is my personal style. Me just being myself and not conforming to the standard of a scientist, King told NBC News.

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A post shared by Jordon King (@kidflamess)

King’s research focuses on “floc” and what it can reveal about changes in the Everglades, over time, caused by human intervention, such as freshwater restoration.

“Floc is looser, and soil is more compact,” King explained to NBC News. “The floc is what helps to form the sediment, so without floc, there is no sediment, and without sediment, there are no plants because they need it to grow, and without plants, animals don’t have anything to eat, and then the ecosystem becomes a whole mess,” King said.

@kidflamesss
Completed 2 long years of research in the Everglades while being in grad school and it was a journey. My research was focused on flocculent organic matter (like soil, but looser) and I experienced and learned so much along the way. I even published a paper about my research. Now that grad school is over, what’s next ? #biologist #researchscientist #biology #gradschool #stem
♬ There He Go – Kodak Black

His self-directed research earned him a master’s degree from Florida International University. The 23-year-old said he contacted 40 professors, but only two responded, with one of them helping him start his research journey. King says he decided to share his academic research on social media and in schools to raise awareness and inspire others to pursue environmental sciences.

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A post shared by Jordon King (@kidflamess)

“It feels so good to not only talk to our future generation, but also inspire them using my career in environmental science. As a scientist, I feel like it is my duty to do this. This was definitely a surreal moment for me and I hope to visit more schools in the near future,” King said in a social media post highlighting his visit to a South Florida elementary school. Along with teaching others about microbiology, King also uses his platform to share stories of other Black microbiologists, who make up less than 3% of scientists in the field.