SmithLabUMBC
@smithlabumbc.bsky.social
We are a diverse group of chemists and biochemists studying the structure-function relationship of metalloproteins 🏳️🌈🧪🧬
Find us here: https://t.co/eHC3pQp4dz
Find us here: https://t.co/eHC3pQp4dz
Pinned
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Membrane Histidine Kinase BqsS/CarS Directly Senses Environmental Ferrous Iron (Fe2+)
Prokaryotic two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) are widely utilized by bacteria to respond to their environment and are typically compose…
tinyurl.com
🚨Just in press @asbmb.bsky.social JBC!🚨 Alex & Chioma's paper detailing the interaction of Fe(II) with an intact membrane His kinase for the first time! Binding stoichiometry ✅ Fe(II) structure ✅ Direct observation of selectivity ✅ Signal transmission pathway ✅ Read more here: tinyurl.com/49wdkecu
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
At my blog, I write more about my concerns for aspiring entering grad students in chemistry for Fall 2026. To reiterate - if you don't have a plan for next fall RIGHT NOW, you need to talk to your professors and advisers and develop a plan NOW: chemjobber.blogspot.com/2025/11/towa...
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
Towards a data-informed prediction of Fall 2026 US chemistry PhD admissions | a warning to senior undergraduates
As faithful readers of this blog know, I found the statement that Harvard Chemistry and Chemical Biology was cutting its Fall 2026 entering ...
chemjobber.blogspot.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
At my blog, I write more about my concerns for aspiring entering grad students in chemistry for Fall 2026. To reiterate - if you don't have a plan for next fall RIGHT NOW, you need to talk to your professors and advisers and develop a plan NOW: chemjobber.blogspot.com/2025/11/towa...
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
Pleased to be hosting @jeffmugridge.bsky.social here at @umbc.bsky.social Chemistry & Biochemistry! Look out for his great talk today from 12 - 1 pm in Meyerhoff 120 entitled: "Metals, mechanisms, and messages: how metalloenzymes do chemistry on RNA to control gene expression" 🧪🧬⚛️
November 7, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Pleased to be hosting @jeffmugridge.bsky.social here at @umbc.bsky.social Chemistry & Biochemistry! Look out for his great talk today from 12 - 1 pm in Meyerhoff 120 entitled: "Metals, mechanisms, and messages: how metalloenzymes do chemistry on RNA to control gene expression" 🧪🧬⚛️
🚨Just in press @asbmb.bsky.social JBC!🚨 Alex & Chioma's paper detailing the interaction of Fe(II) with an intact membrane His kinase for the first time! Binding stoichiometry ✅ Fe(II) structure ✅ Direct observation of selectivity ✅ Signal transmission pathway ✅ Read more here: tinyurl.com/49wdkecu
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Membrane Histidine Kinase BqsS/CarS Directly Senses Environmental Ferrous Iron (Fe2+)
Prokaryotic two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) are widely utilized by bacteria to respond to their environment and are typically compose…
tinyurl.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:19 PM
🚨Just in press @asbmb.bsky.social JBC!🚨 Alex & Chioma's paper detailing the interaction of Fe(II) with an intact membrane His kinase for the first time! Binding stoichiometry ✅ Fe(II) structure ✅ Direct observation of selectivity ✅ Signal transmission pathway ✅ Read more here: tinyurl.com/49wdkecu
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
The National Crystallization Center is hiring for two positions: a research scientist position focused on progressing our crystallization optimization projects, and a research support specialist to support operations of the Crystallization Center!
November 5, 2025 at 3:53 PM
The National Crystallization Center is hiring for two positions: a research scientist position focused on progressing our crystallization optimization projects, and a research support specialist to support operations of the Crystallization Center!
What another fantastic biomolecules costume night in CHEM 437!! 🎃 🧪 🧬
October 31, 2025 at 12:09 AM
What another fantastic biomolecules costume night in CHEM 437!! 🎃 🧪 🧬
Chemistry pumpkins 2025! The periodic table o' pumpkins continues to grow!
October 28, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Chemistry pumpkins 2025! The periodic table o' pumpkins continues to grow!
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
The structure of B. subtilis DegQ from the DegS–DegU two-component system provide structural insight into DegQ oligomerization and its potential role in modulating DegS autophosphorylation and DegU binding #BacillusSubtilis #CrystalStructure #DegQ doi.org/10.1107/S205...
October 20, 2025 at 12:52 PM
The structure of B. subtilis DegQ from the DegS–DegU two-component system provide structural insight into DegQ oligomerization and its potential role in modulating DegS autophosphorylation and DegU binding #BacillusSubtilis #CrystalStructure #DegQ doi.org/10.1107/S205...
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
🚨Our paper is out! 🥳
Hijacking a bacterial ABC transporter for efficient genetic code expansion.
Many congrats to everyone involved - a multi-year effort led by @taruniype.bsky.social @maxfottner.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
it all started years ago with a failed experiment
🧵👇 1/9
Hijacking a bacterial ABC transporter for efficient genetic code expansion.
Many congrats to everyone involved - a multi-year effort led by @taruniype.bsky.social @maxfottner.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
it all started years ago with a failed experiment
🧵👇 1/9
Hijacking a bacterial ABC transporter for genetic code expansion - Nature
Bacterial ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters can be utilized and engineered to transport non-canonical amino acids into Escherichia coli for highly efficient synthesis of proteins with novel func...
www.nature.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:06 PM
🚨Our paper is out! 🥳
Hijacking a bacterial ABC transporter for efficient genetic code expansion.
Many congrats to everyone involved - a multi-year effort led by @taruniype.bsky.social @maxfottner.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
it all started years ago with a failed experiment
🧵👇 1/9
Hijacking a bacterial ABC transporter for efficient genetic code expansion.
Many congrats to everyone involved - a multi-year effort led by @taruniype.bsky.social @maxfottner.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
it all started years ago with a failed experiment
🧵👇 1/9
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
"The pause has many academic researchers feeling anxious. The timing couldn’t be worse for Julie Kovacs, a bioinorganic chemist at the University of Washington (UW) whose grant proposal was slated to be reviewed on 23 October. Even if the... 1/2
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
As U.S. shutdown drags on, ‘it’s just one blow after another’
Federal researchers confront growing uncertainty about future
www.science.org
October 14, 2025 at 10:33 PM
"The pause has many academic researchers feeling anxious. The timing couldn’t be worse for Julie Kovacs, a bioinorganic chemist at the University of Washington (UW) whose grant proposal was slated to be reviewed on 23 October. Even if the... 1/2
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
Unintended proteins can easily sneak into experiments, but cryo-EM shows surprising power to uncover these `off-target' proteins in great detail #CryoEM #ArnA #AcrB doi.org/10.1107/S205...
October 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Unintended proteins can easily sneak into experiments, but cryo-EM shows surprising power to uncover these `off-target' proteins in great detail #CryoEM #ArnA #AcrB doi.org/10.1107/S205...
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
Gayathri Yuvaraj et al.: Critical evaluation of three cryo-EM structures of particulate methane monooxygenase by quantum refinement ##QuantumRefinement##CryogenicElectronMicroscopy@lundsuni...##IUCrhttps://journals.iucr.org/paper?S2059798325008356
Critical evaluation of three cryo-EM structures of particulate methane monooxygenase by quantum refinement
We have studied the copper sites in three cryogenic electron-microscopy structures of particulate methane monooxygenase with quantum refinement. We show that the CuA, CuC and CuD sites are correctly modelled and that the CuB site is mononuclear in all structures, whereas we find no support for copper in the suggested trinuclear active site or two sites in the so-called copper sponge in PDB entry 7ev9.
journals.iucr.org
October 9, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Gayathri Yuvaraj et al.: Critical evaluation of three cryo-EM structures of particulate methane monooxygenase by quantum refinement ##QuantumRefinement##CryogenicElectronMicroscopy@lundsuni...##IUCrhttps://journals.iucr.org/paper?S2059798325008356
Hey, that's us! 😀
Join us on Monday Oct. 13 for Biochemistry Colloquium with Aaron Smith! Research in Smith's lab focuses on understanding the structure and function of metalloproteins involved in crucial biological processes. More info: today.wisc.edu/events/view/...
Biochemistry Colloquium: Aaron T. Smith | UW–Madison Events Calendar
today.wisc.edu
October 8, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Hey, that's us! 😀
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
The structure of the full catalytic cycle of Vibrio cholerae NFeoB https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.06.680749v1
October 7, 2025 at 1:45 AM
The structure of the full catalytic cycle of Vibrio cholerae NFeoB https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.06.680749v1
🚨 Just out in @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social 🚨 Kate, Candice, and Mark's paper on the structure of the V. cholerae NFeoB NTPase catalytic cycle. Serendipity of a P1 spacegroup with 4 mols in the ASU played a role in capturing all the states, and Mg is pivotal! Read the paper here: tinyurl.com/263u9vtn
The structure of the full catalytic cycle of Vibrio cholerae NFeoB
The acquisition of iron is critical for the survival and the virulence of numerous infectious pathogens, and most bacteria acquire ferrous iron (Fe2+) by utilizing the ferrous iron transport (Feo) sys...
tinyurl.com
October 7, 2025 at 12:42 PM
🚨 Just out in @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social 🚨 Kate, Candice, and Mark's paper on the structure of the V. cholerae NFeoB NTPase catalytic cycle. Serendipity of a P1 spacegroup with 4 mols in the ASU played a role in capturing all the states, and Mg is pivotal! Read the paper here: tinyurl.com/263u9vtn
A great opportunity to work with a great mentor!
For our lab at Virginia Tech, we are hiring a postdoctoral scholar to advance catalytic and energy storage systems. This is a collaborative project, and expertise in synthesis, photocatalysis, electrochemistry, or energy storage is ideal. For details see here: spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/32936
October 3, 2025 at 12:12 PM
A great opportunity to work with a great mentor!
Someone got pooped from helping us decorate for Halloween…🎃
September 29, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Someone got pooped from helping us decorate for Halloween…🎃
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
🚨 Our 4th example of metalloallosteric regulation of kinase activity. Out today in @CellReports with @KJSsci. The ER stress sensor kinase PERK needs copper to work. Without copper, PERK can’t protect cells under stress. cell.com/cell-reports/p…
September 27, 2025 at 2:13 PM
🚨 Our 4th example of metalloallosteric regulation of kinase activity. Out today in @CellReports with @KJSsci. The ER stress sensor kinase PERK needs copper to work. Without copper, PERK can’t protect cells under stress. cell.com/cell-reports/p…
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
The NSF GRFP is now limited to undergrads and first-year grads drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/t...
The NSF GRFP is now limited to undergrads and first-year grads
The solicitation for the 2025 submission dates for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program is out, with the first deadline of November 10 for life-sciences disciplines. The big news is that el…
drugmonkey.wordpress.com
September 26, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The NSF GRFP is now limited to undergrads and first-year grads drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/t...
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
This may be the most important paper ever published about NIH funded research.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
What if NIH had been 40% smaller?
Replaying history with less NIH funding shows widespread impacts on drug-linked research
www.science.org
September 25, 2025 at 9:20 PM
This may be the most important paper ever published about NIH funded research.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Not being able to crystallize your biomolecule of interest?
Now that's scary. 😱
Try our high-throughput screen!
October 2025 Soluble (taking reservations)
Reservation Deadline: Fri Oct 3rd
Package Acceptance & Plate Setup:
Tues Oct 7th – Thurs Oct 9th
Tues Oct 14th – Thurs Oct 16th
Now that's scary. 😱
Try our high-throughput screen!
October 2025 Soluble (taking reservations)
Reservation Deadline: Fri Oct 3rd
Package Acceptance & Plate Setup:
Tues Oct 7th – Thurs Oct 9th
Tues Oct 14th – Thurs Oct 16th
September 24, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
New paper alert! We ID resides of CIA targeting complex that recruit clients - in contradiction to what was predicted from previous studies, we find it is the cia1-cia2 interface, not cia1 on its own, that mediates the interaction.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
A Conserved Cia1–Cia2 Interface Mediates Client Recruitment in the Cytosolic Iron–Sulfur Cluster Assembly Pathway
The cytosolic iron–sulfur cluster assembly (CIA) targeting complex maturates over 30 cytosolic and nuclear Fe–S proteins, raising the question of how a single complex recognizes such a diverse set of ...
pubs.acs.org
September 19, 2025 at 12:53 AM
New paper alert! We ID resides of CIA targeting complex that recruit clients - in contradiction to what was predicted from previous studies, we find it is the cia1-cia2 interface, not cia1 on its own, that mediates the interaction.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
Copper regulates the evolution of REM sleep and transition of animals from water to land! It all relies on a new “metalloadaptor” function for RAD23B linking Cu uptake to distribution to multiple Cu targets. Tong and Dan co-led this @cp-molcell.bsky.social story www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
RAD23B acquires a copper metalloadaptor function in amphibian-to-reptile evolution to increase metabolism and regulate genomic integrity
Increasing brain complexity is a major step in the evolution of species. Here, we show that, in the transition from amphibians to reptiles, the DNA re…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 18, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Copper regulates the evolution of REM sleep and transition of animals from water to land! It all relies on a new “metalloadaptor” function for RAD23B linking Cu uptake to distribution to multiple Cu targets. Tong and Dan co-led this @cp-molcell.bsky.social story www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
SBGrid's eLife paper received a citation in August from @fisherlab.bsky.social at @wesleyanuniversity.bsky.social in Journal of Biological Chemistry: Copper acquisition in Bacillus subtilis involves Cu(II) exchange between YcnI and YcnJ.
Read more here: buff.ly/myITTv8
#SBGrid #ScienceMatters
Read more here: buff.ly/myITTv8
#SBGrid #ScienceMatters
Copper acquisition in Bacillus subtilis involves Cu(II) exchange between YcnI and YcnJ
The transition metal copper (Cu) is biologically essential across all three domains of life. Several Cu-dependent proteins and enzymes produced by the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis have…
buff.ly
September 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM
SBGrid's eLife paper received a citation in August from @fisherlab.bsky.social at @wesleyanuniversity.bsky.social in Journal of Biological Chemistry: Copper acquisition in Bacillus subtilis involves Cu(II) exchange between YcnI and YcnJ.
Read more here: buff.ly/myITTv8
#SBGrid #ScienceMatters
Read more here: buff.ly/myITTv8
#SBGrid #ScienceMatters
Reposted by SmithLabUMBC
New review on the generation and consequences of N-terminal proteoform diversity from Evan Morrison and Olivia Rissland | #N-degron #RNA @cp-cellreports.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The generation and consequences of N-terminal proteoform diversity
N-terminal proteoforms are protein variants with altered N termini that arise from RNA-driven processes, such as alternative promoter usage, splicing,…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:09 AM
New review on the generation and consequences of N-terminal proteoform diversity from Evan Morrison and Olivia Rissland | #N-degron #RNA @cp-cellreports.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...