BMB Weekly #11: March 14, 2025

 

BMB Attends Stand Up For Science 2025   "We’re Standing Up for Science – because science is for everyone." Photo submitted by Jon Kaguni.

 

 

Klaas van Wijk from Cornell University will be presenting the Tolbert Lecture titled "CRISPR versus antibiotic resistance and climate change".

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

The Spring BMB Seminar Series will run through April 24, 2025. The complete schedule is available on the BMB Spring 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 Shuyang Zhen from Texas A&M University. The seminar will be held at 4:00 p.m. in room PLB 247.

Shuyang’s talk is titled “The role of far-red photons: from Photosynthesis to electric lighting in controlled environment agriculture”. We would like to invite graduate students and postdocs to join the speaker for a lunch and discussion on Monday, March 17. 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 March 14, 2025 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.

Attend this seminar on Zoom. Passcode: 028299

The Certification in College Teaching is an opportunity to demonstrate five competencies in teaching by attending workshops, a course and create a portfolio. After you submit your final portfolio, you will get a certification, and it will be on the transcripts of graduate students, and postdocs receive a physical certification. Please join us for the information session which is crucial for you to learn about what it entails, e.g. the CCT Institute on May 8 and 9, and how to complete the certification. Learn more and register here.

International graduate students and postdocs who come from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds face unique challenges due to their unfamiliarity with the U.S. healthcare system, wellbeing resources, and medical practices. In this session we engage with the audience about Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational, and Emotional (SPIRE) challenges of international graduate students and postdocs and share how educators can provide support and resources. Learn more and register here.

The AGEP Learning Community is an informal environment where students from varying disciplines can gather, share their research in a 10-minute presentation, or discover that their graduate toils are not unusual. Those in attendance are privy to information regarding fellowships, career opportunities, even summer internships, pertaining to the group. Learn more and register here.

You're warmly invited to an inspiring keynote and engaging Q&A session with Maeve McLaughlin, Ph.D. Join us as Maeve shares their journey of community-building and innovation in STEM, offering a personal perspective on navigating the academic world as a trans individual. This event is open to everyone and provides a welcoming space to learn, connect, and show support for the trans* community. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of an enriching and meaningful conversation! Learn more and register here.

This workshop will focus on how we navigate the complexities of interdisciplinary collaboration within institutional structures. Participants will examine the relational (i.e. rank, age, disciplinary hierarchies), institutional, and physical dynamics of interdisciplinary collaboration. Learn more and register here.

TEDxMSU is a vibrant, non-profit initiative led by the spirited students of Michigan State University. Our organization represents a dynamic synergy of MSU's brightest minds – students, faculty, alumni – and the pulsating East Lansing community. Our annual conference features interdisciplinary talks with the purpose of promoting inquiry and critical discussion, as well as a diverse array of performances and an interactive marketplace. Experience the power of ideas at TEDxMSU – where we don’t just share ideas; we set them into motion. Learn more here.

 

Embark on a journey to the forefront of scientific research with the Future Scientist Exchange Program (FuSEP), proudly launched by the University of Science and Technology of China. Here, you’ll find yourself among excellent young scientists, all converging to tackle global challenges with the support of USTC’s world-leading laboratories, cutting-edge research facilities, and top-tier research teams. If you’re yearning for a transformative summer training experience, seize this opportunity: apply now for the 2025 FuSEP Summer Research and elevate your scientific career!

Program Highlights:

• Enjoy five enriching weeks at USTC
• Conduct research in state-of-the-art labs
• Attend fun lectures on diverse topics
• Immerse in the rich local Chinese cultural activities
• Visit advanced research and industrial facilities
• Participate in activities that are all conducted in English

Project lists and more information can be found on our website. Feel free to contact us for any further information or details via incoming@ustc.edu.cn or visiting@ustc.edu.cn.

The FAST Program is for doctoral students with interests in teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education who are enrolled in programs associated with the Colleges of Natural Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engineering, Social Science, Nursing, Osteopathic Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine or whose college or department has an approved Certification in College Teaching Program. The primary goals of the FAST Fellowship Program are to provide opportunities for doctoral students to have mentored teaching experiences, develop and conduct a teaching-as-research project, and gain familiarity with materials on teaching and assessment techniques. Learn more and apply here.

The Colleges Online Learning Academy (COLA) program is now accepting applications for its 2025 cohort. This program is a summer fellowship that provides workshops and professional development around digital teaching and learning, developing your scholarly teaching identity, and inclusion & accessibility. The fellowship mentors participant cohorts through developing deliverables and reflections on your teaching practice. Learn more and apply here.

Nominations for this year’s Graduate School Outstanding Mentoring Awards are now open. These awards recognize graduate programs, faculty, and doctoral students who exemplify mentoring best practices. Learn more about the various awards and how to nominate a person or program by following this link.

 

Hot off the press! The second University Health and Wellbeing Annual Report is now available! Explore the latest insights on how health and wellbeing was advanced on campus and delivered positive impact for the Spartan community in 2024.

The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) is looking for student volunteers! Learn about great volunteer engagement opportunities 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.

 

The Biological Sciences (BioSci) Program is seeking 1-2 fixed term faculty members to join the BioSci Program teaching team. The successful candidate will serve as an instructor for introductory biology lecture and lab courses designed to actively engage life-science majors in three-dimensional learning. Depending on the needs of the program and the expertise of the candidate, they may teach in cellular and molecular or organismal biology courses. Review of applications will begin on March 20, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the position may be directed to Dr. Katie Krueger, BioSci Program Assistant Director and Chair of the Search Committee (krueg172@msu.edu). Learn more about this MSU Careers posting here.

 

Allahyartorkaman, M., Chan, T. H., Chen, E. H., Ng, S. T., Chen, Y. A., Wen, J. K., Ho, M. R., Yen, H. Y., Kuan, Y. S., Kuo, M. H., & Chen, R. P. (2025). Phosphorylation-Induced Self-Coacervation versus RNA-Assisted Complex Coacervation of Tau Proteins. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 10.1021/jacs.4c14728. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c14728

Bonacci, R. E., McGill, M., Le, N. T. A., Barkarar, M., Finnegan, C., Wilson, M., Ajagbe, O., Udekwu, C. C., Gorski, K., Manohar, J., Sboner, A., & Ogunwobi, O. O. (2025). Upregulation of the interferon-inducible antiviral gene RSAD2 in neuroendocrine prostate cancer via PVT1 exon 9 dependent and independent pathways. The Journal of biological chemistry, 108370. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2025.108370

Chatterjee, S., Rankin, J. A., Farrugia, M. A., J S Rifayee, S. B., Christov, C. Z., Hu, J., & Hausinger, R. P. (2025). Biochemical, Structural, and Conformational Characterization of a Fungal Ethylene-Forming Enzyme. Biochemistry, 10.1021/acs.biochem.5c00038. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.5c00038

Herr, S., Li, X., Wu, D., Hunter, C. T., Magallanes-Lundback, M., Wood, J. C., Kaczmar, N., Buell, C. R., DellaPenna, D., & Gore, M. A. (2025). Total tocopherol levels in maize grain depend on chlorophyll biosynthesis within the embryo. BMC plant biology, 25(1), 328. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06267-6

Keng, M., & Merz, K. M., Jr (2025). In Silico Characterization of Glycan Ions from IM-MS Collision Cross Section. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 36(3), 504–513. https://doi.org/10.1021/jasms.4c00370

Khedia, J., Vishwakarma, A. P., Galsurker, O., Corem, S., Gupta, S. K., & Arazi, T. (2024). Tomato HAIRY MERISTEM4, expressed in the phloem, is required for proper shoot and fruit development. Horticulture research, 12(3), uhae325. https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhae325

Prado, K., Holland, B. L., McSpadden Gardener, B., Lundquist, P. K., Santiago, J. P., VanBuren, R., & Rhee, S. Y. (2025). Building Climate-Resilient Crops: Genetic, Environmental, and Technological Strategies for Heat and Drought Stress Tolerance. Journal of experimental botany, eraf111. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf111

Pretto, S., Yu, Q., Bourdely, P., Trusso Cafarello, S., Van Acker, H. H., Verelst, J., Richiardone, E., Vanheer, L., Roshanzadeh, A., Schneppenheim, F., Cresens, C., Sassano, M. L., Dehairs, J., Carion, M., Ismail, S., Agostinis, P., Rocha, S., Bald, T., Swinnen, J., Corbet, C., … Mazzone, M. (2025). A functional single-cell metabolic survey identifies Elovl1 as a target to enhance CD8+ T cell fitness in solid tumours. Nature metabolism, 10.1038/s42255-025-01233-w. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01233-w

Tefft, N. M., Wang, Y., Jussupow, A., Feig, M., & TerAvest, M. A. (2025). Controlled Enzyme Cargo Loading in Engineered Bacterial Microcompartment Shells. Biochemistry, 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00709. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00709

Tracy, M., Sosa Alfaro, V., Campeciño, J., Hird, K., Hegg, E. L., Lehnert, N., & Elliott, S. J. (2025). Electrocatalytic Nitrite Reduction by a Monomeric NrfA: Commonality in Ammonification Mechanisms. Biochemistry, 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00761. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00761

Utley, D., Edwards, B., Budnick, A., Grotewold, E., & Sederoff, H. (2025). Camelina circRNA landscape: Implications for gene regulation and fatty acid metabolism. The plant genome, 18(1), e20537. https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20537

Utley, D., Edwards, B., Budnick, A., Grotewold, E., & Sederoff, H. (2025). Camelina circRNA landscape: Implications for gene regulation and fatty acid metabolism. The plant genome, 18(1), e20537. https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20537

 

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College of Natural Science | BMB Weekly | Vol. 58, No.11