Please join us in congratulating Dr. Mark Hargrove, who has been named the next chair of the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.

Hargrove has been a member of BBMB since 1998, and was honored with the title of Morrill Professor in 2020. He conducts research on protein structure-function relationships and has been conferred several teaching awards.

“I am honored to be selected as the next chair for BBMB and grateful for the support and trust of my colleagues,” Hargrove shared. "I am excited to work with the Iowa State community to advance our contributions to education and scholarship.”

Congratulations to Dr. Keith Yamamoto, who will serve as President-Elect for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Yamamoto, a Des Moines native, earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Iowa State University in 1968 and worked in the lab of Dr. Jack Horowitz. He earned a Ph.D. at Princeton and then joined the faculty at University of California, San Francisco in 1976, where he became their first vice chancellor of science policy and strategy. Dr. Yamamoto is currently Vice Chancellor for Research, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Medicine, and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at UCSF.

Dr. Yamamoto was awarded the ISU Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997 and the LAS John V. Atanasoff Discovery Award in 2013.

The 16th Annual Stupka Undergraduate Research Symposium was a great success--and you can read all about it in this LAS article!

Mark your calendars now for the 17th Stupka Symposium: Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Carole Horowitz was a beloved member of the BBMB community. Carole's husband of 52 years, Jack Horowitz, served as BBMB Department Chair from 1971-'74, and Carole and Jack established a scholarship for the Department's undergraduate students. Those wishing to donate to the scholarship may do so here with the note that funds should go to the Jack and Carole Horowitz Scholarship in memory of Carole Horowitz.

Please read more about Carole at her obituary and Plaza of Heroines entry.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, May 22 from 3:30-6 p.m. at Reiman Gardens.

Online condolences may be directed to www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com.

Dean Schmittmann has announced that Eric Underbakke and Julien Roche have won two very prestigious College awards — Eric received the LAS Award for Learning Community Leadership and Julien received the LAS Award for Early Achievement in Research!  This is great recognition of the fabulous work our faculty do in two very important areas critical to our mission — undergraduate student success and research — and very well deserved for both of them.  So it is exciting to see their great accomplishments being recognized and valued by the College as well!  They will be recognized at the LAS Fall Convocation on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, at 3:30 pm in the Sun Room, and all are invited to attend to show their support!   Congratulations to both!

The 16th Annual Stupka Symposium will be held April 7, 2022 in the Molecular Biology Building! You can view the schedule, preview talks, meet the planning committee, and register at the Stupka Symposium website.

The Stupka '22 FundISU campaign, open through 4/22, directly supports future symposia. Please share the campaign and consider donating.

Carl Lee Tipton passed away on February 25, 2022 in Ames, Iowa. 

Reuben Peters, Distinguished Professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology at Iowa State University, has been named a 2022 fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).

Peters is one of 28 distinguished members who are being honored for their outstanding accomplishments in research, education, mentorship and service to the scientific community.

“Reuben Peters’ high-impact research, strong leadership and service in the field have been outstanding. I am so pleased, but not surprised, that he has been honored as an ASBMB fellow,” said Kristen Johansen, professor and chair of the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology. “Reuben is a tireless advocate for next-generation scientists and a remarkable role model to all scientists.”

Paiton McDonald, BBMB senior in Biochemistry (CALS), has been selected for the prestigious Wallace E. Barron Award.

This award, established 54 years ago by the ISU Alumni Association, is conferred to outstanding ISU seniors who display high character, outstanding achievement in academics and university/community activities, and promise for continuing these exemplary qualities as alumni.

Congratulations to Robert Jernigan, an Iowa State Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology. Jernigan is part of a three-person ISU team awarded a three-year, $969,000 grant from the Department of Energy. The researchers will pursue microbial engineering to expand conditions in which industrial fermentation may occur. In his words, “I’ve studied proteins all of my life and we have incredibly rich data – several hundred million protein sequences – and this is an opportunity to make practical applications of this information."

Read more at the news release.

Don Beitz has been selected as a Fellow of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society! The Fellow of Sigma Xi distinction is awarded on a competitive basis to members who have been recognized by their peers. Fellows must be an active, full member for the last 10 years continuously, or a life member, with distinguished service to Sigma Xi and outstanding contributions to the scientific enterprise.

Congratulations to Don on this distinguished honor, it is very well deserved!

Congratulations to Dr. Gustavo Macintosh for being selected for the prestigious "Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean’s Professorship”, funded from the Transforming Liberal Arts and Sciences endowment. Named faculty positions are the highest recognition for scholarly excellence at U.S. research universities, they are rare and prestigious.This award expresses appreciation for Dr. Macintosh's outstanding research on gene expression and metabolic changes during plant defense responses to pests. This professorship will support Dr. Macintosh's leadership role as the elected president of the American Society of Plant Biologists. As part of the professorship, Dr. Macintosh will receive $50,000 in research support per year, beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2024, with an option of renewal for an additional three years.

Dr. Gustavo Macintosh was elected as President-Elect for the American Society of Plant Biologists. Being elected President-Elect of a major national society such as ASPB is a strong testament to Gustavo’s national standing in the field and recognition of his leadership qualities. Gustavo will serve one year as President-Elect, one year as President, and then one year as Past-President. His term will begin on October 1, 2021. Congratulations Gustavo, well done!

A new publication from the Yang lab was published in Science. The study details the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 ExoN complex bound to its substrate, revealing an important target for antiviral therapeutics. Second year Biochemistry Ph.D. student Scott Becker is also an author on the paper. Congratulations to the Yang lab!

Read more about the study here.

BBMB associate professor Dipali Sashital was featured in the Change Agent series, a series of articles telling the personal stories of Iowa State University faculty and scientists whose work is changing the world for the better. The article details Dipa's career path and her lab's work on CRISPR technology and cryo-EM.

Read the article here.