BMB Weekly #18: May 1, 2026

 

Update: Biochemistry Building Closure

The Biochemistry Building will be closed on Saturday, May 16, 2026 (5 a.m.) through Monday, May 18, 2026 (6 a.m.). 

This shutdown is to upgrade all 6 Strobic exhaust fans, including new impellers, motors, VFD's and new 7 year fan warranty. We also will be upgrading the exhaust system by installing the "SAFE Fan System" in the exhaust, which will monitor for hazards in the exhaust airstream, and controlling fans based on the sensor info. IPF has been working on this project in phases with very minimum interruptions to the lab. We have come to the last phase of have a crane lift the units to the roof area, demo and installing the new Strobic exhaust fans. 

Due to EHS, Fire Department and DPS safety, they will not allow any occupants into the building during this shutdown.

Special Precautions: Please cover/contain all hazardous materials within the fume hoods and close all fume hood sashes during this shutdown.

Parking Lot 45 (loading dock) will not be available beginning on Friday, May 15 at noon. Crews will need this lot in order to stage for these repairs. Lot 45 and the building south drive will be closed through Monday morning when repairs are complete.

BMB Congratulates First Place UURAF Awardees

Alexa Annika Calderon – Poster Presentation
Development Of Solid Harvesting Methodology For Zn-62 At Frib For Applications In Radiopharmacy
 
Alexa Annika Calderon – Oral Presentation
Harvesting Of Pt-197 From Frib Beamline For Radio Cisplatin Generation
 
Liam Clark – Poster Presentation
Encapsulation Of Terpene Biosynthesis In A Protein Nanoreactor
 
Lydia Elbert – Poster Presentation
The Effect Of Morning Versus Evening Exercise Training On Aortic Stiffness In Postmenopausal Women With Hypertension
 
Paige Franklin – Poster Presentation
Phage Induction In Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Morsprunorum Race 1
 
Nelli Gaspar – Poster Presentation
How Do Different Human Infant Gut Microbiomes Influence Exploration, Memory, And Response To Novelty In Both Social And Non-Social Contexts In Mice?
 
Vaughn House – Poster Presentation
Development Of Solid Harvesting Methodology For Zn-62 At Frib For Applications In Radiopharmacy
 
Hannah Jue – Poster Presentation
The Relationship Between Infant Growth And Protein Content In Mothers' Milk
 
Noah Kelly – Poster Presentation
The Turfgrass Information File And The Turfgrass Thesaurus
 
Katherina Mandia – Poster Presentation
Growth And Maturation Dynamics In A Novel Mast CellSpecific Androgen Receptor Knockout Model

Cheyanne Schlinke – Poster Presentation
Characterization Of Novel Sugar Phosphate Utilizing Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Proteins

Sarah Weber – Poster Presentation
Characterization Of The Plastoglobule-Associated Abc1K5 Protein Kinase

 

 

 

 

 

The Plant Cell Atlas Computation, Modeling, & AI Two-Part Speaker Series highlights recent advances in AI-driven tools for single-cell datasets to bring awareness of new methodologies and will feature Dong Xu, from the University of South Florida on May 4, 2026 and Romain Lopez, from New York University on May 11, 2026. The workshops are hosted by Plant Cell Atlas, or PCA, a center project affiliated with MSU's Plant Resilience Institute. Dr. Xu's presentation is titled "Deep-Learning Methods for Single-cell Data Analyses". Learn more and register here.

Jim Moine and Michael Belovitch will be hosting a free LI-COR Plant Physiology Workshop on Tuesday, 5/5, from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. Please use this link to register if you'd like to attend, and sign up by the end of Friday, 5/1. If you are interested in meeting with them one-on-one during the rest of their visit here, please use the attached sheet to sign up for a time slot. These two are great resources for getting more out of your LI-COR instruments, and can answer questions regarding experimental design, data collection, and data analysis. View the schedule here.

The Graduate School invites you to a connected series of interactive sessions that will help you fulfill the workshop portion of the requirements for the MSU Certification of College Teaching. Through attending the CCTI you will gain skills in the core competency areas of the Certification, start planning your mentored teaching project, and learn about the components of the final teaching portfolio. The Certification in College Teaching Program is primarily designed for doctoral students, MMs, MFAs, and postdocs preparing to become faculty members in a college or university. Learn more and register here.

In this guided-dialogue workshop, the VERITIES Initiative will introduce the notion of vocational virtues and consider what, if anything, is the central, guiding purpose of scientific practice and what the means for understanding potential conflicts of interest. Completion of this workshop fulfills half of MSU's annual RECR requirement for graduate students. Learn more and register here.

MSU students and recent graduates are invited to this Fulbright US Student Program information session, which will be presented by MSU's Fulbright Program Advisor, Joy Campbell. Session attendees will learn about the three types of Fulbright awards open to MSU students and recent graduates: English Teaching Assistant, Study, and Research grants. MSU's Fulbright Program Advisor will give an overview of the programs, discuss eligibility and benefits, then cover the various application requirements. Learn more here.

Thesis and Dissertation Writing Camp is an opportunity for MSU grad students to have dedicated time to work on writing their theses or dissertations before the hectic semester starts! Students can use this time to set structured goals and find social accountability with facilitators from the Writing Center and peers who are also writing theses and dissertations. For in-person attendees, food and coffee will be available, and crafts will abound to encourage brain breaks. Learn more and register here.

 

 

The MSU Graduate School has established a pilot program for Summer Semester 2026 to allow doctoral students the opportunity to explore internships that allow students to bring their graduate training to new domains and partners, as part of a professional development opportunity for students. Exploring professional opportunities outside of areas where students normally “do their work” opens up important new career pathways, and the Graduate School is eager to support students interested in expanding their experiences. Learn more and apply 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.

 

The Virtual Care Kit has been launched by University Health and Wellbeing. This online resource offers practical tools, coping strategies, and campus supports to help students manage stress and maintain their wellbeing. Students can access the kit anytime and explore guidance on sleep, nutrition, routines, connection, and emotional health.

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.

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.

Amaro, R. E., Batista, V., Blumberger, J., Choong, Y. S., Corminboeuf, C., Cournia, Z., Cui, Q., De Vivo, M., Evangelista, F. A., Gao, Y. Q., Ghosh, D., He, X., Isayev, O., Khalid, S., Kirchmair, J., Kitchin, J. R., Liu, H., Naidoo, K. J., Nguyen, D., Nunes Alves, A., … Gagliardi, L. (2026). Advancing Reproducibility and Open Data in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry. Journal of chemical theory and computation, 10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00733. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00733

Carroll-Deaton, J. A., Bohovych, I., Emetu, F. T., Dietz, J. V., Rivett, E. D., Stanley, E., Hegg, E. L., Fox, J. L., & Khalimonchuk, O. (2026). Molecular analysis of a new patient COX15 mutation provides insight into the etiology of fatal infantile cardioencephalopathy. The Journal of biological chemistry, 111475. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2026.111475

Khatri, K., O'Malley, A., Wright, E. M., Kitlas, P., Mias, G. I., Kowal, K., & Chruszcz, M. (2026). Molecular sensitization patterns to mammalian allergens - possible impact on diagnostics and therapy. Molecular immunology, 194, 30–41. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molimm.2026.04.001

Rillema, R., Steensma, A., Walker, B. J., & Ducat, D. C. (2026). Gas exchange measurements of carboxysome mutants reveal insights into cyanobacterial carbon concentrating mechanisms. Plant physiology, kiag221. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag221

Shivaiah, K. K., Kithan-Lundquist, R., Kaneshiro, A. K., Boren, D. M., Susanto, F. A., Herrera-Tequia, A., Vermaas, J. V., & Lundquist, P. K. (2026). A Conserved Sequence Insert of Fibrillins is Involved in Plastoglobule Association and Lipid Binding. Plant & cell physiology, pcag047. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcag047

Wang, T., Zhang, C., Zhang, Y., Jafari, M., Merz, K. M., & Hu, J. (2026). Zinc-induced exposure of an LxL motif drives clathrin-mediated endocytosis of the zinc transceptor ZIP4. The Journal of biological chemistry, 111472. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2026.111472

 

 

To provide feedback or submit content, please email bmb.web@msu.edu.

Don't forget to follow us on social media!