An Ames Tribune article focuses on the research being lead by Marit Nilsen-Hamilton, an Iowa State University professor with the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory on how plants interact with soil at the molecular level.

Several BBMB undergraduate students are among the 62 students representing 30 different majors from Iowa State University at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, the largest undergraduate research conference in the U.S., taking place this week, April 11-13th, at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine, Iowa, has committed more than $3.5 million to transform biomolecular research at Iowa State University (ISU) to advance the second phase of the ISU Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology’s Initiative in Biomolecular Structure, making ISU a leader in advanced electron microscopy technology.

Daniel Kramer, a Ph.D. candidate in Biochemistry, has been awarded the 2019-2020 Brown Graduate Fellowship in the amount of $10,000.  The purpose of the fellowship program, administered by the Office of the Vice President of Research of Iowa State University, is to assist outstanding students to advance ISU research within their graduate program.  Daniel’s outstanding credentials have positioned him as  one of twelve outstanding students from across Iowa State receiving this award.

Ryan Andrews and Daniel Kramer, Ph.D. candidates in Biochemistry, have each been awarded a Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Graduate Student Award for 2019.  This award is to recognize meritorious performance by a third-year graduate student.  Their nominations made clear how they each embody the qualities necessary to become a top researcher and scientific colleague.

The BBMB Graduate Learning Community monthly lunch meeting included an ugly holiday sweater contest.  A photo of the winner can be found at the Graduate Learning Community website.

Dr. Daniel Robison, from West Virginia University-Morgantown, is the new endowed dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as the director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station.

Kristen Johansen, Department Chair of BBMB, is among seven ISU researchers who are being honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for their work in agriculture, biological sciences, chemistry and engineering.  The seven are among 416 researchers from around the world who make up this year’s class of AAAS Fellows.

The BBMB scholarship committee is proud to announce the 2019-2020 Stupka Scholars:  Spydel Nardy (nominated by Dipa Sashital), Kayla Uthe (nominated by Olga Zabotina) and Sarah Zelle (nominated by Eric Underbakke).

The Rob Stupka Scholarship is the most prestigious award available to BBMB undergraduate students.  Stupka scholars are selected based on their research involvement, academic achievement, dedicated contributions and sustained leadership within the BBMB undergraduate program activities.  A faculty nomination is required for consideration. 

Stories of thanks for unforgettable faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The weather forecast for Ames on August 30th was sunny with a high of 80, a perfect day for a picnic at Emma McCarthy Lee Park for the 2018 BBMB Department Annual Picnic.  Bocce ball was added to this year's game agenda.  Fortunately, it didn't look like anyone was keeping score.  

Food from the grill and more games.  It looks like everyone had a good time.

Ken Dill (Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology - Stony Brook University), Ivet Bahar (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine) and Robert Jernigan (Iowa State University) are the authors of a new book "Protein Actions - Principles and Modeling" just released this February by Garland Science. "Protein Actions" describes the basic principles of protein molecules as well as the methods of modeling them, including bioinformatics, physics-based computer simulations, and the tools of drug discovery.

Over 60 Iowa State faculty and staff will be honored during the university's annual awards ceremony on Friday, September 14, that will be held in the Memorial Union Great Hall.  Included in the awards are two BBMB members, Amy Andreotti, professor and Roy J. Carver Endowed Chair of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, and Raji Joseph, associate scientist, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology.

Five graduating seniors from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences were recognized at the college's convocation on December 16, 2017.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Spring Awards Program, honoring faculty and staff achievements, was held on March 8, 2018, in the Memorial Union Sun Room.  The list of award recipients can be viewed on the CALS On-line website.

Basil Nikolau, professor in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology and director of the Center for Metobolic Biology, and Matt Helmers, an Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering professor who holds the Dean’s Professorship in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, received the Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award for Excellence in Applied Research at the college’s fall convocation. The Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award is named for a former college dean and honors faculty or staff who have made significant contributions to improving the welfare of Iowans by the application of their research.

Faculty chosen for 2018 Dean's Emerging Faculty Leaders Awards are Adam Barb, Nell Gabiam, and Grant Arndt in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  These members were chosen based on their excellent research.  The awards are funded by donations from members of the LAS Dean's Advisory Council and LAS alumni.

Natalie Whitis, an Iowa State alumna, was recently awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, which provides three years of full financial support during a five-year fellowship period.  The goal of the program is to recognize high-potential, early-career scientists and engineers and support their graduate research training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.