U of U Biochemistry is hiring! See links below -- we're searching for a cell biologist and an AI/ML/data scientist, both broadly defined. Reach out if you have any questions about our supportive and collegial department. utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/208... utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/208...

This was one of the most complex projects I have ever been involved in. Took us the better part of a decade, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Especially the intensive and extensive interactions with @wsdewitt.github.io, @matsen.bsky.social, and @tylernstarr.bsky.social

William DeWitt@wsdewitt.github.io · 4mo ago

This started in 2019 as daydreamy PhD student musings with Tatsuya Araki. We're as excited as ever about germinal centers as a platform for experimental evolution. Many thanks to PIs @victora.bsky.social @matsen.bsky.social, co-1st authors Ashni Vora and Tatsuya, and many other key collaborators!

This started in 2019 as daydreamy PhD student musings with Tatsuya Araki. We're as excited as ever about germinal centers as a platform for experimental evolution. Many thanks to PIs @victora.bsky.social @matsen.bsky.social, co-1st authors Ashni Vora and Tatsuya, and many other key collaborators!

Replaying germinal center evolution on a quantified affinity landscape

Antibody affinity maturation results from a somatic evolutionary process that takes place in the germinal center. A “parallel replay” experiment on germinal center B cells reveals the evolutionary for...

cell.com

Was a treat to host @joethorntonlab.bsky.social for @uofubiochem.bsky.social seminar, together with lab-twin Mo Siddiq — heard a great talk about the ancient evolution of vertebrate hemoglobin, and then put that Hb to the test with a hike up to Lake Blanche. Science, the Utah way!

The Xue lab at UC Irvine is looking for a staff scientist to support our work investigating how microbes interact and evolve in the gut microbiome! Open to a wide range of previous experience levels, see ad for more. recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09601

Junior, Assistant, or Associate Specialist – Xue Lab

University of California, Irvine is hiring. Apply now!

recruit.ap.uci.edu

www.fredhutch.org/content/www/...

Virologist and HIV expert Dr. Michael Emerman retires

During his 36-year career at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Michael Emerman, PhD, made fundamental discoveries about HIV, the retrovirus that causes AIDS. He co-founded the field of paleovirology and consi...

fredhutch.org

Wanted to highlight our latest preprint--a huge effort by multiple people and labs, but led primarily by @wsdewitt.github.io, Tatsuya Araki, and Ashni Vora, in a very close wet-dry collaboration with @matsen.bsky.social’s lab at the Hutch www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Replaying germinal center evolution on a quantified affinity landscape

Darwinian evolution of immunoglobulin genes within germinal centers (GC) underlies the progressive increase in antibody affinity following antigen exposure. Whereas the mechanics of how competition be...

biorxiv.org

Had a blast listening to exciting science and stories at last week's 4th annual Graduate Student Rising Stars symposium @uofubiochem.bsky.social, topped off by a keynote describing the wonders of cone snail venoms from Toto Olivera. Thanks to all of our visitors and speakers!

Delighted to share our most recent work on designing broadly protective sarbecovirus vaccines and defining the path forward for other coronaviruses. Led by @aminaddetia.bsky.social @hhmi.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Phylogeny-driven design of broadly protective sarbecovirus receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccines

Vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and sarbecoviruses with pandemic potential must elicit a robust humoral immune response in a population imprinted with the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. H...

biorxiv.org

We will be welcoming nine talented Graduate Student Rising Stars to share their research with us on Monday May 19th, starting at 9:30am in HSEB 1730. The symposium will be followed by the Pace Keynote talk by Dr. Toto Olivera at 4pm!

Non-spike protein mutations in #SARSCoV2, likely to impact viral properties, are understudied. @brucelab.bsky.social show that a #nucleocapsid protein mutation in Delta variant enhances viral growth in vitro & in vivo by increasing viral genome #encapsidation @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4iBYsaI

Booker sets a record and then starts talking about funding for postdocs and grad students ♥️♥️♥️

Exclusive: Science has learned that grant termination letters went out last night to principal investigators of 29 awards made by NIAID, including nine grants that were part of a program hoping to deliver antiviral drugs to prevent future pandemics. scim.ag/4iVm7mY

Saying ‘pandemic is over,’ NIH institute starts cutting COVID-19 research

Grant terminations halt research on improving vaccinations and preventing future pandemics

scim.ag

first post in the good place -- had a blast on Monday at our first Starr lab ski day!