BMB Weekly #15: April 10, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Aindrila Mukhopadhyay from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab will be presenting the lecture titled "Systems biology approaches to microbial strain engineering".

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

The Spring BMB Seminar Series will run through April 23, 2026. 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.

 

 

The MSU Science Festival is a free annual celebration of science, fueled by some of the basic elements essential to scientific inquiry: curiosity, wonder, and discovery. With events for the whole family to enjoy, the MSU Science Festival explores topics ranging from the ordinary to the extraordinary. From astronomy to music, and chemistry to microbiology; scientists and educators across the state are eager to share the wonder of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Learn more here.

Classes Without Quizzes is an MSU experience unlike any other, and it isn't just for science majors. All MSU alumni and friends are welcome! Attend special classes taught by Natural Science faculty; get an insider's look into some of the latest research activities being undertaken here on campus; and meet fellow alumni, faculty, and students. This year, classes with focus on connected health sciences and NatSci's impact on human, animal, and environmental health. No. 2 pencil and bluebook not required for these classes, but an appetite for a "final exam" at the MSU Dairy Store is encouraged! Learn more and register here.

Can developing student-teacher relationships address our anxieties about AI? When we shift the focus from controlling student behaviors to nurturing their curiosity and desire to connect, we reveal a realm of teaching strategies, course designs, and learning activities that remind us why we are educators. During this workshop, we will revisit our AI concerns through the lens of relational ethics and develop strategies to design, teach, and learn differently. Learn more and register here.

Each semester has a deadline for the initial submission of theses and dissertations to ProQuest. The deadline is generally two weeks prior to the final deadline. Plan your defense accordingly. The document submitted to ProQuest is expected to be a final version, meaning it has been successfully defended, corrections the committee wants have been made, and there are no more content changes. Students are highly encouraged to read and follow the Thesis and Dissertation information using the link below. This site gives instructions on formatting, required paperwork, and how to submit to ProQuest. Learn more here.

MSU Plant Resilience Institute Associate Director Dr. David Lowry is leading a four-week workshop series on demystifying the academic job application process. Dr. Lowry has hosted these workshops annually since 2020 with the goal of helping trainees gain a better understanding of how to approach writing each component of an academic job package. Participants will read through successful applications, then break down what works well and does not work well piece by piece.

• April 16: Research statements
• April 23: Teaching statements
• April 30: CVs and other statements

Learn more and register here.

Coworking means we each work quietly on our own work while getting the benefit and accountability of working alongside others. We will start at 2 p.m. with a brief time of sharing goals. We will then have two sessions of about 50 minutes where everyone will work on their individual goals with a 10-minute break in between. Learn more here.

The MSU Genetics and Genome Sciences Program is pleased to announce GGS Day 2026! This event is open to all MSU faculty, staff, and students, as well as members of neighboring institutions and the greater community. This year’s GGS Day will feature various talks, panels, workshops, poster sessions, and lunch. The full agenda can be viewed here.

Poster presenters will also have the opportunity to win exciting prizes! Please submit your abstract by April 20th to participate. To register to attend or to submit an abstract, fill out this form. Learn more here.

 

The NSF has recently posted the following funding opportunities:

• Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB): Supports postdoctoral fellowships that train early-career scientists to apply AI to biological research, advancing biotechnology innovation while preparing future leaders at the intersection of AI and biology. Proposals are due September 29, 2026.
• Leveraging Innovations From Evolution (LIFE): Supports integrative research that combines evolutionary, molecular and computational approaches to understand how living systems function and adapt, enabling future advances in biotechnology and bio-inspired innovation. Proposals are accepted anytime.
• Plant Genome Research (PGRP): Supports genome-scale plant research and the development of tools and resources that advance functional plant genomics — addressing challenges of biological, societal and economic importance. Proposals are accepted anytime.
• Tool Development for Molecular and Cell Biology (Tools4Cells): Supports development of tools and methods that help manipulate, measure or analyze critical cellular traits or functions — enabling new research areas in cell biology. Proposals are accepted anytime.

View more funding opportunities here.

 

All policies and procedures pertaining to graduate students at Michigan State University are based on the document called Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities (GSRR). It was originally created in 1971 and last amended in 2014. Considering all the changes that have taken place since the last time it was reviewed, MSU is revising or with a focus on modernizing the document and strengthening alignment with the University’s Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR). This work is intended to improve clarity, consistency, and usability across the policies that guide the graduate student experience. Learn more and apply here.

Apply now to be a member of a student hearing board at MSU. Graduate & Professional students needed! Hearing board members play a critical and valuable role in ensuring that those involved in allegations that a student violated experience a fair process, while also being both supported and held accountable (if found responsible). For more information & application, please visit: https://ossa.msu.edu/hearing-boards. Application will remain open until all positions are filled.

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!

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.

 

We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic research assistant to work in the lab of Dr. Sue Rhee, a leader in plant resilience research at Michigan State University. The Rhee lab combines computational and experimental approaches to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive strategies in plants (https://www.rheelab.org/). The successful candidate will support collaborative projects related to molecular and cell biology and collaborative, international, and transdisciplinary projects, in addition to carrying out lab management and supervisory duties. Learn more about this MSU Careers posting here.

A highly motivated postdoctoral researcher is sought to lead and contribute to cutting-edge metabolomics research at the interface of inflammation, cancer, and translational biology. This position is based at MSU, with opportunities for collaboration with Henry Ford Health. The successful candidate will drive projects focused on colitis and microbiome–metabolite interactions, develop and optimize advanced MS methods in metabolomics (including EAD workflows), data analysis and support collaborative studies with Henry Ford Health. Learn more about this MSU Careers posting here.

The Topp lab (within the MSU Plant Resilience Institute and Departments of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Plant Biology) is seeking a project administrator to support a new multi-institutional research project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E. This role will play a central part in coordinating the SYNCORNET project, which brings together a multidisciplinary team to develop plant genetic and biological solutions that synchronize nitrogen supply and demand in corn agriculture, reduce synthetic nitrogen inputs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining yield. The project manager will coordinate the scientific, administrative, and reporting activities of SYNCORNET across partner institutions, ensuring that project milestones, budgets, and compliance requirements are met over the four-year project period. Learn more about this MSU Careers posting here.

The appointee is to provide skilled, specialized assistance to faculty, staff, and students in fluorescence microscopy as well as areas of the applicant’s scientific expertise. Establish, promote, and participate in collaborative research projects with department faculty, staff, and students. Pursue funding as collaborator and co-investigator with department faculty on extramural and intramural grants. Help develop programs involving essential equipment, animals, cell culture models, microorganisms, and facilities for supporting collaborative projects, in consultation with the Chair. Serve on the instructional support staff and participate in the graduate and medical educational mission of the department. Oversee select department core facilities and equipment, including providing user training, oversight, and maintenance. Coordinate relocation of equipment and research space according to department needs in consultation with Chair. Learn more and apply here.

Kilinc, C., Babin, K. M., Pioszak, A. A., & Dickson, A. (2026). Determinants of improved CGRP peptide binding kinetics revealed by enhanced molecular simulations. Biophysical journal, 125(7), 1737–1752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2026.03.008

Liu, X., Su, Z., Shi, Y., Tong, Y., Wang, G., & Wei, G. W. (2026). Manifold topological deep learning for biomedical data. Nature communications, 10.1038/s41467-026-71392-1. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71392-1

 

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