Duncan Kountz
@dkountz.bsky.social
Anaerobic microbial metabolism and biochemistry. Soon to be Postdoc in Schuller Lab (Uni Marburg).Fmr Pioneer Fellow at U Michigan. PhD: Balskus lab (Harvard) UG: Krzycki lab (Ohio State)
In fact, thermophilic methanogens often have two formyl-methanofuran dehydrogenases: a tungsten-dependent one and a molybdenum-dependent one
Catching up on blog posts: a biochemical role for the element tungsten, of all things. Don't look for it in your multivitamins any time soon, though:
Biochemical Tungsten - Really
www.science.org
November 22, 2025 at 9:50 AM
In fact, thermophilic methanogens often have two formyl-methanofuran dehydrogenases: a tungsten-dependent one and a molybdenum-dependent one
So balanced growth just means balanced across the population of cells in a culture right? Does anyone know what we can say about individual cells? Surely some metabolic fluxes must change a different growth/division cycle phases, but what about core metabolic pathways?
November 18, 2025 at 8:32 PM
So balanced growth just means balanced across the population of cells in a culture right? Does anyone know what we can say about individual cells? Surely some metabolic fluxes must change a different growth/division cycle phases, but what about core metabolic pathways?
Reposted by Duncan Kountz
We're thrilled to announce SeqHub, an AI-enabled platform for biological sequence analysis. SeqHub brings together sequence search, genome annotation, and data sharing in one place.
October 28, 2025 at 1:47 PM
We're thrilled to announce SeqHub, an AI-enabled platform for biological sequence analysis. SeqHub brings together sequence search, genome annotation, and data sharing in one place.
Emily Balskus named 2025 A. Ian Scott Medal winner cen.acs.org/acs-news/Emi...
Emily Balskus named 2025 A. Ian Scott Medal winner
The award recognizes excellence in biological chemistry research
cen.acs.org
October 20, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Emily Balskus named 2025 A. Ian Scott Medal winner cen.acs.org/acs-news/Emi...
Reposted by Duncan Kountz
Metabolic controls on the carbon isotope fractionations of bacterial fermentation www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #jcampubs
Metabolic controls on the carbon isotope fractionations of bacterial fermentation | PNAS
Microbial fermentation facilitates the initial breakdown of organic matter into small
molecules and is thought to be the rate-limiting step of anox...
www.pnas.org
October 10, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Metabolic controls on the carbon isotope fractionations of bacterial fermentation www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #jcampubs
Reposted by Duncan Kountz
Spread the word if you can.
We have an unused stopped flow accessory from Applied Photophysics. We traded in our Chirascan CD instrument so we have no use for this anymore. Reach out if you are interested and can find a home for this setup. Will ofcourse only work with a Chirascan!
We have an unused stopped flow accessory from Applied Photophysics. We traded in our Chirascan CD instrument so we have no use for this anymore. Reach out if you are interested and can find a home for this setup. Will ofcourse only work with a Chirascan!
October 8, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Spread the word if you can.
We have an unused stopped flow accessory from Applied Photophysics. We traded in our Chirascan CD instrument so we have no use for this anymore. Reach out if you are interested and can find a home for this setup. Will ofcourse only work with a Chirascan!
We have an unused stopped flow accessory from Applied Photophysics. We traded in our Chirascan CD instrument so we have no use for this anymore. Reach out if you are interested and can find a home for this setup. Will ofcourse only work with a Chirascan!
A uniformed police officer knocked on an apartment door near mine. Spoke to who I presume was the tenant for about 15 mins in what looked like a tense exchange. Officer gave the person a sheet of paper and allowed him to return to the apt. The weirdest part: car officer was using was unmarked
September 30, 2025 at 9:39 PM
A uniformed police officer knocked on an apartment door near mine. Spoke to who I presume was the tenant for about 15 mins in what looked like a tense exchange. Officer gave the person a sheet of paper and allowed him to return to the apt. The weirdest part: car officer was using was unmarked
Same question for textbooks. There are good texts on protein crystallography, but the only ones I've found for cryo-EM seem highly specialized.
Does anyone have a good, reasonably up-to-date review of cryo-EM uses and methodology for (relatively) high-resolution protein structure determination? For someone who doesn't have a cryo-EM background.
September 28, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Same question for textbooks. There are good texts on protein crystallography, but the only ones I've found for cryo-EM seem highly specialized.
Does anyone have a good, reasonably up-to-date review of cryo-EM uses and methodology for (relatively) high-resolution protein structure determination? For someone who doesn't have a cryo-EM background.
September 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Does anyone have a good, reasonably up-to-date review of cryo-EM uses and methodology for (relatively) high-resolution protein structure determination? For someone who doesn't have a cryo-EM background.
Interesting... Since I was an undergrad, I've wondered what those MttB superfamily members were doing in marine a-proteobacteria... www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.... via @iandealidbury.bsky.social et al.
Methionine synthesis and glycine betaine demethylation are intricately intertwined in cosmopolitan marine bacteria
www.pnas.org
September 20, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Interesting... Since I was an undergrad, I've wondered what those MttB superfamily members were doing in marine a-proteobacteria... www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.... via @iandealidbury.bsky.social et al.
Reposted by Duncan Kountz
What's happening with Jimmy Kimmel is about politics and power.
September 19, 2025 at 1:04 AM
What's happening with Jimmy Kimmel is about politics and power.
Reposted by Duncan Kountz
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
Let’s be clear about what happened to Jimmy Kimmel
Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.
www.yahoo.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
Reposted by Duncan Kountz
David Frum on Jimmy Kimmel:
"This is not cancel culture because it's not culture. It's state repression. It's an order from the government. Here is the script, you must read, if you do not read it, you will be taken off the air."
"This is not cancel culture because it's not culture. It's state repression. It's an order from the government. Here is the script, you must read, if you do not read it, you will be taken off the air."
September 18, 2025 at 1:49 AM
David Frum on Jimmy Kimmel:
"This is not cancel culture because it's not culture. It's state repression. It's an order from the government. Here is the script, you must read, if you do not read it, you will be taken off the air."
"This is not cancel culture because it's not culture. It's state repression. It's an order from the government. Here is the script, you must read, if you do not read it, you will be taken off the air."
As I get ready to move out of the country, I sometimes get the intrusive thought that I’m abandoning my country in a time of socio-political crisis. Like a bad friend. Ultimately, I know this wasn’t my motivation for moving, but the misplaced guilt is hard to banish completely
September 18, 2025 at 6:33 PM
As I get ready to move out of the country, I sometimes get the intrusive thought that I’m abandoning my country in a time of socio-political crisis. Like a bad friend. Ultimately, I know this wasn’t my motivation for moving, but the misplaced guilt is hard to banish completely
Could be chance, but I ran out of different words for glasses before I ran out of American synonyms for “fool”
Others people will have to settle for “idiot aviators”, a “moron monocle”, or (if they are really unfortunate) the ninny’s pince nez
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told analysts that people without smart glasses may one day be at a "significant cognitive disadvantage" compared to those who do use the tech: https://cnn.it/47L2Y5a
September 16, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Could be chance, but I ran out of different words for glasses before I ran out of American synonyms for “fool”
Others people will have to settle for “idiot aviators”, a “moron monocle”, or (if they are really unfortunate) the ninny’s pince nez
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told analysts that people without smart glasses may one day be at a "significant cognitive disadvantage" compared to those who do use the tech: https://cnn.it/47L2Y5a
September 16, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Others people will have to settle for “idiot aviators”, a “moron monocle”, or (if they are really unfortunate) the ninny’s pince nez
There are a quite a few books about the influence of microbial diseases on history. But I can’t think of any books about the influence of microbes (both infectious and non infectious) on human history
September 13, 2025 at 11:45 PM
There are a quite a few books about the influence of microbial diseases on history. But I can’t think of any books about the influence of microbes (both infectious and non infectious) on human history
Reposted by Duncan Kountz
If I have any credibility with you from 20 years of reporting on rightwing & fascist movements, please listen when I beg you not to celebrate Charlie Kirk getting shot. Leave aside morality: this isn’t a match in dry grass, it’s a torch. We do not want what this could ignite & we would not win.
September 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
If I have any credibility with you from 20 years of reporting on rightwing & fascist movements, please listen when I beg you not to celebrate Charlie Kirk getting shot. Leave aside morality: this isn’t a match in dry grass, it’s a torch. We do not want what this could ignite & we would not win.
Packing books again. This time microbiology texts.
September 10, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Packing books again. This time microbiology texts.
Was texting someone “tbh” and autocorrect suggested “heterodisulfide”. Fair because I probably use the latter more frequently
September 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Was texting someone “tbh” and autocorrect suggested “heterodisulfide”. Fair because I probably use the latter more frequently
In other news, I’m moving to Germany. I’ve been inventorying, sorting, cataloging, and packing my books, most of which will probably have to be stored in the US. Makes a mess but is actually pretty therapeutic
September 6, 2025 at 1:09 AM
In other news, I’m moving to Germany. I’ve been inventorying, sorting, cataloging, and packing my books, most of which will probably have to be stored in the US. Makes a mess but is actually pretty therapeutic
That awkward scenario in which your paper is like 3-5 pages long and your supplemental file is more like 50 pages.
August 29, 2025 at 6:57 AM
That awkward scenario in which your paper is like 3-5 pages long and your supplemental file is more like 50 pages.