BMB Weekly #42: October 25, 2024

 

"Dr. Lee Kroos who recently retired is fulfilling one of his dreams. Here, he has a big smile after landing a monster salmon on a famous river in northern Michigan. He caught the fish with a fly that he tied using materials and equipment purchased with the generous retirement gift card from the department. Dr. Jon Kaguni and his son Perry were excellent fishing guides."

 

 

Manuel Rodriguez-Concepcion from Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas will be presenting "Golden plants: Engineering extra sites for production and storage of vitamins A and E in plant cells".

To join us on Zoom, click this link. Password: bmbseminar

The Fall BMB Seminar Series will run through December 5, 2024. The complete schedule is available on the BMB Fall Seminar Series website. If you are interested in meeting with any of these speakers please email Leslie Williams, glady@msu.edu. Many speakers are planning to visit in-person. A zoom option will continue to be offered for all seminars.

 

Join us for MPS speaker Sam Leiboff from Oregon State University. The seminar will be held at 4:00PM in room BCH 101.

Sam’s talk is titled “The secret life of maize veins”. We would like to invite graduate students and postdocs to join the speaker for a lunch and discussion on Monday, October 28. Lunch will be provided at 12:00PM in PBL 168. This is a great opportunity to meet our outside speaker in an informal environment. If you would like to participate in the luncheon, please RSVP to Keri Morris at morrisk@msu.edu with any dietary restrictions by Friday October 25, 2024 at noon. All students and post docs who are interested in this week’s seminar topic are welcome to attend. You do not need to be in the MPS program or affiliated with an MPS faculty member.

To attend the lecture on Zoom, click here. Passcode: 028299

You are invited to the MSU Graduate School Día de Los Muertos celebration event on October 30. There will be activities, food, hot chocolate, and more! Feel free to invite others! We hope to see you there! No RSVP is required.

The MSU Museum CoLab Studio is excited to present the 3rd edition of Ignite Talks MSU, featuring the fast-paced stories of ten MSU student research rockstars on Wednesday, October 30! We can’t wait for you to be delighted and inspired by the ideas, passion, and knowledge at Michigan State. Watch videos from previous Ignite Talks MSU on our Interactive Media page. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Pre-registration is recommended. Learn more here.

This free virtual event will provide critical advice and resources for anyone considering a postdoc position, including graduate students and current postdocs.

Sessions include:

• Navigating the transition to a postdoc
• Choosing and securing the right postdoc for you
• Exploring the Wisconsin postdoc experience
• Leveraging the postdoc experience to achieve your career goals

Learn more and register here.

During this workshop students will receive information regarding the following:

• How to format their thesis or dissertation correctly.
• How to successfully submit their thesis or dissertation via ProQuest.
• How to successfully submit required paperwork, complete their Graduate School degree requirements, and receive their diploma.

Students are encouraged to review the Graduate School's Electronic Thesis and Dissertation website where current information about formatting and requirements are listed prior to attending the workshop. Learn more and register here.

The aim of this talk is to show how methods for checking data quality can be fun and just as interesting as the analysis itself, and to advocate how important this is. This seminar is available for RECR Credit, 1.0 Hours. Learn more and register here.

 

Consideration will be given to students who have clearly demonstrated leadership in their respective disciplines and/or professional societies at the local, state, regional, national, or international levels while a student at MSU. Nominators/recommendations should come from a faculty member (at MSU or in the disciplinary society) with knowledge of your leadership activities and who is familiar with the impacts of your leadership activities. Learn more here.

Consideration will be given to graduate and professional students who:

1. Clearly embody and clearly demonstrate DEI work through addressing, challenging, or dismantling forms of discrimination, sexism, racism, and prejudice in or through their program, unit, or department at MSU; or by creating a more equitable environment in or through their program, unit, or department at MSU.
2. Who clearly demonstrate what work they did and the extent of that work, demonstrate the outcomes of that work, and display their commitment to furthering DEI in or through their program, unit, or department at MSU.

Learn more and apply here.

MSU invites nominations for the Graduate Student Award for Science Communication and Outreach, conferred in recognition of the exemplary translation and communication of scholarly ideas, research findings, and advancements in all academic disciplines to the public by a graduate or graduate professional student. One student will be selected as the recipient of the Graduate Student Award for Science Communication and Outreach annually. Nominations should be initiated and completed by students. Learn more here.

 

MSU IT is offering a series of upcoming workshops aimed at enhancing course accessibility, design, and engagement for educators. These sessions will focus on practical tools like D2L Brightspace, Ally, Camtasia, and Kaltura, helping instructors improve the usability of their courses and make content more accessible for all learners. Learn more and register here.

Looking for a meaningful way to give back during the holidays- or anytime? The MSU Student Food Bank supports over 300 individuals and families every week who are facing food insecurity. Contact us at foodbank@msu.edu for more information or to get started on your own drive! Let's make a difference together!

The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety has released an online Active Violence Incident Awareness Training program that is available for students, faculty, and staff. This training includes a presentation explaining how to respond during an active violence situation. Throughout the training, knowledge checkpoint questions will appear on screen to evaluate participants’ understanding of the content. In addition, a video is in development, which will be included in the training at a later time. Learn more here.

The MSU Student Food Bank is a resource available to students and scholars who may be experiencing food insecurity. The Food Bank provides free food and other essential items to those in need within our MSU community. Learn more here.

 

A post-doctoral Research Associate position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Yuan Wang in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan). The Wang Lab at Michigan State University (MSU) invites applications for a postdoctoral position to work on stem cell differentiation and germ cell development. Germ cells carry genomic information across generations to ensure the continuation of life. Disruption of germ cell development will lead to infertility, affecting about 15% of couples worldwide. Using stem cell differentiation platforms and various mouse models, the Wang lab seeks to understand the regulatory pathways that govern germ cell development to eventually improve mammalian reproductive health. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on multiple projects to gain experience in stem cell differentiation, mammalian embryonic development, and spermatogenesis. Learn more about this MSU Careers posting here.

The Specialist-Advisor position will advise undergraduate students in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB). This position will work collaboratively with the undergraduate team to engage in proactive and holistic advising, offered through an equity lens, to support and empower students to reach their goals and to make a difference in the MSU community and the world at large.

• Assist in course selection, while maintaining and monitoring student records towards degree completion.
• Support students by providing academic success strategies; creating connections with campus resources, research, and internship opportunities; encourage growth in career development, including preparation for graduate and professional school.
• Bridge connections between students and other members of BMB (undergraduates, faculty, staff, specialists, graduate students, postdocs, and alumni) and the broader MSU community.
• Represent the BMB department; advising students during New Student Orientation programs; undergraduate commencement; recruitment at colloquium, and other associated undergraduate events.

Learn more about this MSU Careers posting and apply at this link.

The Kim Lab in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Michigan State University is seeking a highly skilled and motivated researcher to join our dynamic research team. This position offers a unique blend of hands-on research, lab management, and mentorship opportunities. The successful candidate will design and execute experiments utilizing cell culture, protein purification, and protein-protein interaction analyses. Responsibilities include conducting experiments, analyzing experimental data, and assisting in compiling findings for reports and publications. As the lab expands into new research areas, the role may involve establishing and testing novel techniques. Learn more about this MSU Careers posting and apply at this link.

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Michigan State University (MSU) and the MSU Center for Cancer Health Equity Research (CCHER) are recruiting a faculty colleague at any rank. CCHER is a newly formed collaborative endeavor between MSU's Colleges of Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Natural Science, and the Henry Ford Health System, to broadly advance research that promotes cancer health equity. We seek to hire a faculty colleague who is motivated to develop an independently funded research program that addresses cancer health disparities, with a future focus that includes minority populations, particularly Native Americans. The ideal candidate for this open rank tenure-track position will have a substantial record of achievement in discerning the molecular basis of cancer, including etiology, diagnostics, prevention, and/or treatment. Prior engagement with minority communities, including Native American populations, in biomedical research and training is desirable. An interest in furthering health equity through research, training and community engagement is integral to this position. Learn more about this MSU Careers posting and apply at this link.

 

Shen, L., Feng, H., Li, F., Lei, F., Wu, J., & Wei, G. W. (2024). Knot data analysis using multiscale Gauss link integral. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121(42), e2408431121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2408431121

Martin, C., Mahan, K. S., Wiggen, T. D., Gilbertsen, A. J., Hertz, M. I., Hunter, R. C., & Quinn, R. A. (2024). Microbiome and metabolome patterns after lung transplantation reflect underlying disease and chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Microbiome, 12(1), 196. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-024-01893-y

Hoang, Y., Franklin, J., Dufour, Y. S., & Kroos, L. (2024). Short-range C-signaling restricts cheating behavior during Myxococcus xanthus development. mBio, e0244024. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02440-24

Keng, M., & Merz, K. M., Jr (2024). Eliminating the Deadwood: A Machine Learning Model for CCS Knowledge-Based Conformational Focusing for Lipids. Journal of chemical information and modeling, 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c01051. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.4c01051

 

 

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College of Natural Science | BMB Weekly | Vol. 57, No.42