Building Better Bugs

@UMN_BMBB , Congrats to the BMBB faculty award winners last night. The awards arrived on my doorstep during the banquet, but at least that gave time for one last photo-op. The glass blower must have been inspired by all of the talk of mirror life this year.

Scientists have birthed a ‘super cannibal’ that never grows up. Could it be key to combating Australia’s cane toad menace? theguardian.com/environment/20…

I sat down for a break during my morning walk at #ICE2024Kyoto and this guy started croaking at me. How appropriate.

Great lineup of speakers for #ICBE25. Students and postdocs can still submit abstracts to be a part of it. aiche.org/sbe/conference…

We are excited to finally publish the unprecedented biosynthetic origins of enediyne natural products: iodinated polyynes! This transformative discovery is a huge milestone for these clinical antitumor antibiotics. @Kalkreuter @guichun98 @nchembio nature.com/articles/s4158…

@nicolebuan @EngBioRC @ArchaeaPowerHr Thanks for the invite. It was a great workshop, and I am excited to come back this summer. Look what followed me home!

Great turnout for our UNL collaboration workshop! I'm excited to see what new syth bio for sustainability and resilience technologies develop right here in NE. Thanks to @Smanski_Lab for an inspiring talk! @EngBioRC @ArchaeaPowerHr

AmberBio is hiring: amber.bio/careers. I highly recommend looking into it if you want to work at a fast-moving startup with a creative and impactful technology. @themicrobeguy

@SynBioNaut and colleagues are taking the term 'toxic masculinity' literally. Recombinant venom proteins in insect seminal fluid reduces female lifespan biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

@MoKhalilLab Thanks for the short course Mo. Adding these to the reading list

1/n There have been an EXCITING recent papers highlighting the importance of LOW-AFFINITY binding and COOPERATIVITY among TFs. Let me highlight a few – come take a quick ride!

Looking for a postdoc? We are currently hiring plant synthetic biologist to work on an exciting and collaborative DoE project.

Great work by Tepper, Maselko, et al. Fish that break down methylmercury!

Trick or treaters aren't letting me leave the building to go teach.

Minnesota is dressing up like Christmas for Halloween. I think I have seen this movie.

Thanks @themicrobeguy for a great seminar on engineered trans-splicing. Great our alumni crushing it @umncbs

@NikoMcCarty that the UCA genome contains a message (i.e. the message evolved on Earth to create a species that could decipher it). You can fill in the details. Apologies if this story already exists and I am unintentionally ripping it off. (4/4)

@NikoMcCarty (ii) come up with the optimal compiler algorithm for storing digital information in DNA so that a DNA-based message can be sent out into space. The climax at the end is they end up realizing ... (3/4)

This is a dream come true. 🧬 We're launching Asimov Press, and I'm excited to serve as its first editor. Come work with me. Let's build this together! Or, pitch me an essay idea: We'll help you write/edit and also pay. Learn more.🔻

@pivotbio @karsten Great to see a UMN alum team up with an innovative and potentially transformative company. Good luck @pivotbio

Chris Abbott joins Pivot Bio as CEO to lead our global growth as we transform ag by eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizer. @Karsten transitions to our Chief Innovation Officer, focused on developing new tech for farmers. pivotbio.co/pivotforward23

Putting this on the summer reading list. Looks exciting Basem.