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BMB Weekly #24: June 13, 2025

Vol. 58, No.24Horizontal banner with MSU helmet displaying College of Natural Science Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


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Noteworthy News

"National Academy of Sciences elects 3 MSU faculty as new members"

 Photo of Christoph Benning holding a tray of plant speciments in a laboratory setting

"Three Michigan State University faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences this year. Christoph Benning, Jianguo "Jack" Liu and Philip Robertson are among the 120 members and 30 international members being recognized for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research."
Read the full article here.

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Seminars


Coming Soon: Fall Colloquium Series
The speaker list for the Fall 2025 BMB Colloquium Series will be available soon.

 

 

Mark Your Calendar


ETD Formatting Walk-In Help
June 17, 2025 — 1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Chittenden Hall 220
Attention: Master’s Plan A and Doctoral Students

Do you have questions regarding formatting your thesis or dissertation? Stop in during one of our help sessions to talk to Graduate School staff about any specific formatting questions you may have. These are walk-in sessions. No registration is required.


GRASP Disability Awareness Lunch and Learn
June 18, 2025 — 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Virtual
Attention: Graduate Students, Postdocs

During this Lunch and Learn, we will discuss the fundamentals of disability awareness, including definitions, myths, and inclusive practices. We will also highlight why disability awareness matters specifically for graduate students and how it can support us in teaching and research. Participants will be able to identify and challenge misconceptions about disability and recognize the significance of disability awareness in their personal and academic success. Learn more and register here.


MSU Broad Art Museum Preparator Tour
June 19, 2025 — 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum

Broad exhibitions are complex. Few get the opportunity to experience the work that occurs to bring an exhibition to reality. Working behind the scenes is a team of exhibition producers and preparators. Their work involves all aspects of implementing and maintaining an exhibition including space prep, maintenance, design & fabrication, installation, scheduling, art handling and strike of exhibitions. Exhibition Producer and fellow Mid-Michigan Spartan, Steven Stradley, will take participants behind-the-scenes for an engaging and revealing glimpse into the world of preparators. Learn more and register here.


Keep the Momentum Going (Scaffolding and Writing Session)
June 19, 2025 — 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Hybrid
Attention: Graduate Students, Postdocs

Whether you are working on the competencies for your Certification in College Teaching, your Diversity Statement, or your Teaching Philosophy Statement, join us for an in-person writing session. Please come to this working and scaffolding session prepared with questions, identify your needs so you can set goals to complete your work or make progress on your ongoing documents (e.g., teaching philosophy), and provide resources and feedback. Learn more and register here.


COGS Paddle Event
June 23, 2025 — 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m
MSU Sailing Center
Attention: Graduate Students, Professional Students

COGS is hosting two sessions of paddle sports & sailing demos, no experience needed! The Sailing Center staff will be there to help you. No pre-registration is needed, but event is strictly first-come, first-served, accommodating up to 30 paddlers (per available equipment) at each session. Please arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of desired session to check in, sign the required liability waiver, and be fitted with safety gear. Learn more here.


URCA Summer Networking Lunches
June 25, 2025 | June 26, 2025
Registration Closes: June 18, 2025
Attention: Undergraduates, Graduate Students, Postdocs

As part of our summer undergraduate research programming, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) is hosting two Summer Networking Lunches, titled “Life as a Graduate Student”. The events are free, and lunch will be provided for in-person participants. These informal sessions offer undergraduates the opportunity to ask questions and hear firsthand about graduate school experiences, research life, career planning, and how to navigate the transition from undergraduate to graduate education. 

The Networking Lunches will be held: 
We’re looking for graduate students and post-docs who are willing to: 
  • Share their graduate school journey and what they’ve learned along the way 
  • Offer insights on selecting programs, work-life balance, and academic expectations 
  • Engage in small-group or breakout room discussions with undergraduates 

If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to us at ugrsrch@msu.edu or 517-884-4384. Thank you for considering this opportunity to support MSU’s undergraduate research community. Learn more and register here.


MSU Plant Science Community Plant Biology 2025 Mixer
July 27, 2025 — 7:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. CT
The Brewery | 1101 N Water St, Milwaukee, WI

The MSU Plant Science Community is pleased to share the details of our community event for MSU attendees of ASPB’s Plant Biology 2025 conference in Milwaukee this summer! Join your fellow Michigan State University plant scientists attending Plant Biology 2025 at our community mixer! Taking place at the end of the poster session on Sunday, the event is just a short walk away from the conference at The Brewery in downtown Milwaukee. Current, former, and future Spartans are all invited to attend this casual networking event, so please help us spread the word!

What to expect:

  • Food and drinks provided
  • Network across disciplines and career levels
  • Socialize with fellow MSU plant scientists
  • Unwind after a long day at the conference
  • Free to attend, no registration required

This event is organized by the MSU Plant Resilience Institute and sponsored by the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Department of Plant Biology, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, and the Plant Resilience Institute. For questions regarding the community mixer, please contact PRI.admin@msu.edu. We hope to see you in Milwaukee this July! Learn more here.

 

Awards, Grants and Fellowships


CIRTL Summer Programming
Event Dates: Various
Attention: Graduate Students, Postdocs, Faculty, Staff

This summer CIRTL is offering 3 courses and 5 workshops for graduate students and postdocs pursuing teaching careers in higher education. Anyone can register to attend programming, but participants from CIRTL member institutions and alumni will receive priority when registering for programming with limited seats; capped programming typically reaches capacity within a week of registration opening. Learn more and register here.


3M RISE Symposium
Virtual
September 10, 2025 – September 11, 2025
Application Deadline: June 30, 2025
Attention: Doctoral Students

The 6th annual 3M RISE Symposium (Raising Influence in Science and Engineering) is accepting applications! The purpose of the symposium is to introduce emerging doctoral students in science and engineering to the wide range of rewarding careers in research and development at 3M. This is a great way for future STEM leaders to get introduced to the corporate world. Ideal applicants are expected to complete their graduate degree appointment within 24 months of the RISE event. We will accept applicants from any STEM field. Learn more and apply here.

 

Announcements


Free Food in the NatSci DEI Office
Monday - Friday | 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Natural Science Building Room 154
Attention: Students and Employees

As part of our health and wellbeing efforts, the NatSci Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in collaboration with MSU Food Bank, is pleased to share a free resource for all students and employees. No Sign up needed. For questions and inquiries about this resource, please get in touch with Nick Goldblatt (natsci.dei@msu.edu). 


Join the Conversation with BMB Social Media

You can find the latest department news over on LinkedIn and BlueSky. Give us a follow and be sure to tag us with research updates, publications, and lab updates to help spread the word!


University Health and Wellbeing Releases Annual Report

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.


MSU Food Bank

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.

 

Job Postings

More jobs opportunities will be posted shortly.

 

 

Recent Publications

Boren, D. M., Kredi, S., Positselskaya, E., Giladi, M., Haitin, Y., & Vermaas, J. V. (2025). Identifying and quantifying membrane interactions of the protein human cis-prenyltransferase. Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society, 34(6), e70167. https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70167

Chen, D., Wang, B., Li, S., Zhang, W., Yang, K., Song, Y., Wei, G. W., & Pan, F. (2025). Superionic Ionic Conductor Discovery via Multiscale Topological Learning. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 10.1021/jacs.5c04828. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c04828

Hagar, H. T., Fernandez-Vega, V., Wang, K. W., Jordan, L. M. O., Shumate, J., Scampavia, L., Tapayan, A. S., Nguyen, H. M., Spicer, T. P., & Kuo, M. H. (2025). Hyperphosphorylated tau-based Alzheimer's Disease drug discovery: Identification of inhibitors of tau aggregation and cytotoxicity. SLAS discovery : advancing life sciences R & D, 33, 100235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slasd.2025.100235

Singh, S. K., Kauffman, N., Lynch, I. M., Kunt, Z. M., Zinn, K. R., Agnew, D., & Fan, J. (2025). 212Bi-Macroaggregated Albumin Inhibited Mouse Melanoma Growth by Regulating Cell Cycle Checkpoint Markers Without Promoting Living Cell Repopulation. Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 66(6), 916–921. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.269190

Ziccardi, L. G., Kramer, D., Gonçalves, N., Nelson, B. W., Taylor, T., Albert, L. P., Campos, K. S., Prohaska, N., Restrepo-Coupe, N., Saleska, S. R., & Stark, S. C. (2025). Seasonal and intracanopy shifts in the fates of absorbed photons in central Amazonian forests: implications for leaf fluorescence and photosynthesis. The New phytologist, 10.1111/nph.70183. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70183

Zuo, Z., Weraduwage, S. M., Huang, T., & Sharkey, T. D. (2025). How volatile isoprenoids improve plant thermotolerance. Trends in plant science, S1360-1385(25)00132-3. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.05.004

 

 


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College of Natural Science | BMB Weekly | Vol. 58, No.24