BMB Weekly #2: January 10, 2025

 

Three BMB professors recognized at 2024 NatSci Awards Featuring Ben Orlando, Robert Last, and Robert Hausinger. Read the full article here.

 

 

Frank C. Schroeder from Cornell University – Boyce Thompson Institute will be presenting "Host-microbe metabolic interactions in C. elegans and mouse".

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.

 

Discussions will be framed around a main presentation given by Dr. Greg Swain, or by other individuals from key units across campus. The purpose for these workshops is to help students better understand the importance of responsible behavior, learn about proper research and creative activity practices, and connect to important regulatory and information offices across the MSU campus. Each topic is paralleled by a CITI lesson such that a student could pair an online module with a discussion session. Learn more and register here.

This unique opportunity allows Graduate Students the chance to connect with The Graduate School leadership and staff in a relaxed and informal lunch setting. Connect about career and school journeys, gain understanding of The Graduate School programs that empower graduate student success and engage in candid discussions about university and student life. Learn more and register here.

This workshop will introduce attendees to developing blended and hybrid/flexible (hyflex) courses.

This workshop will:

1. Outline the impacts of blended teaching and learning as a means of enhancing students' access to classes.
2. Explore methods for integrating online and in-person students through activities and discussions.
3. Offer practical insights into structuring and facilitating hyflex classes across various classrooms and technologies.

Learn more and register here.

Join MSU Associate Professor of History Lashawn Harris for an engaging discussion on the contributions, challenges, and legacy of black women in civil rights, equity, and social justice. Moderated by Vice Provost Pero G. Dagbovie, this event also highlights the importance of mentorship and networking for women of color in academia. Learn more and register here.

Registration for the BITSS Research Transparency and Reproducibility Training (RT2) 2025 is now open! Next year's RT2 will be held in Berkeley, CA from May 21-23, 2025. Participants will receive hands-on training on open science tools and methodologies, including pre-specification and data management. Participants are expected to come prepared to present their own research project and to provide a statement on how RT2 will benefit their current research. Learn more and register here.

The Office of Bioscience Postdoctoral Affairs at UCLA invites you to apply to UCLA Bio-Launch, a recruitment initiative for bioscience researchers. This program includes professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and a faculty matching service. Learn more and apply here.

 

This award is named in honor of Arthur C. Neish (1916-1973). In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Dr. Neish was a pioneer in the synthesis and use of radiolabeled precursors and was one of the major contributors to knowledge of plant natural product biosynthetic pathways (Romeo, J.T. 2000. Forward. Recent Advances in Phytochemistry 34:viii.). He was a dedicated mentor of young scientists and has been recognized by having the young investigator award named after him. The Neish Young Investigator Awards were first bestowed in 1999 at the PSNA meeting in Montreal, Canada.

The Neish awards support young investigators as featured speakers at annual meetings, providing an important professional and career development opportunity for young investigators. It also enriches diverse participation in the PSNA, while supporting a diversity of topics. There is no application or self-nomination procedure, as this award is by nomination only. We encourage nominations of people from diverse backgrounds. Learn more and submit a nomination here.

The Plant Journal (TPJ)-PSNA Early Career Award recognizes research excellence by outstanding postdoctoral researchers and research scientists in academic, research and government institutions with a preference for early career individuals who are ready to start an independent position and can engage with PSNA for the advancement of phytochemical research field. We encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds. Learn more and submit an application here.

The Plant Resilience Institute (PRI) is excited to announce the launch of its 2025 PRI Seed Grant Program, a funding opportunity designed to support innovative research projects that advance plant resilience. This program is open to all graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at Michigan State University, providing up to $10,000 in funding for projects spanning 18 months.

Building on the success of prior initiatives, the PRI Seed Grant Program aims to foster high-risk, high-reward research that promotes collaboration across laboratories. Key Information for Applicants:

• Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on March 1, 2025.
• Funding Amount: Applicants can request up to $10,000.
• Review Process and Notifications: Applications will be evaluated by the Seed Grant Committee. Decisions will be communicated by the end of March 2025.

A list of previously funded projects here, and full details about the program and application process are available here. For questions about the application process, please contact Gaëlle Cassin-Ross (cassin@msu.edu).

 

The Graduate Educator Advancement and Teaching Office is conducting a study to explore the challenges and experiences faced by international graduate students and postdocs to enhance our understanding of their well-being and identify potential areas for support. This survey will take 15-20 minutes, and participants will be entered into a raffle to win a prize. Learn more here.

Nominations are now open for the North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee’s Arabidopsis Community Awards! Nominate your colleagues, trainees, or yourself to recognize excellence in the Arabidopsis community in three award categories:

1. P. N. Benfey Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement
2. Dissemination of Arabidopsis Knowledge (early & later career awards)
3. Excellence in Supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the Arabidopsis Community (early & later career awards)

Learn more and submit a nomination 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 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology invites applications and nominations for a tenured or tenure-track faculty position at the Associate or Full Professor level to serve as Co-Director of the nascent Center for Cancer Health Equity Research (CCHER). CCHER is a developing initiative in partnership with the Colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine and the Henry Ford Health System, with a mission to advance cancer health equity through innovative research, collaboration, and community engagement.

We seek an experienced and motivated leader with an established research program in cancer biology, cancer health disparities, or related fields, who is committed to playing a key role in shaping the Center's future and contributing to a growing initiative that addresses cancer disparities in underserved populations. Learn more about this MSU Careers posting here.

 

 

Nevarez, J. L., Turmo, A., Gatreddi, S., Gupta, S., Hu, J., & Hausinger, R. P. (2024). Overcoming barriers for investigating nickel-pincer nucleotide cofactor-related enzymes. mBio, e0340424. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.03404-24

Nigam, S., Gjelaj, E., Wang, R., Wei, G. W., & Wang, P. (2025). Machine Learning and Deep Learning Applications in Magnetic Particle Imaging. Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI, 61(1), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.29294

Hozumi, Y., & Wei, G. W. (2024). Analyzing scRNA-seq data by CCP-assisted UMAP and tSNE. PloS one, 19(12), e0311791. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311791

Subramanian, S., Bergland Drarvik, S. M., Tinney, K. R., Doore, S. M., & Parent, K. N. (2024). Moo19 and B2: Structures of Schitoviridae podophages with T = 9 geometry and tailspikes with esterase activity. Science advances, 10(51), eadt0022. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt0022

Laseke, A. J., Lohman, J. R., & St Maurice, M. (2024). Hydrolysis of the acetyl-CoA allosteric activator by Staphylococcus aureus pyruvate carboxylase. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics, 110280. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2024.110280

 

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College of Natural Science | BMB Weekly | Vol. 58, No.2