Society news briefs: August 2021
If you’re a member, you should be in the know. Find out everything that’s been going on lately with the American Society for Biochemistry and 麻豆传媒色情片 Biology.
Advocate with the ASBMB
The 麻豆传媒色情片 and 麻豆传媒色情片 Biology Public Affairs Advisory Committee, the society’s advocacy arm, welcomes applications from members who are interested in serving on the committee. The PAAC sets the society’s policy agenda and leads its interactions with Congress, the White House and federal science funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Advocacy experience is not required, but an interest in and basic understanding of the policymaking process are helpful. Send applications to ASBMB Public Affairs Director Ben Corb.
Supporting junior scientists
The ASBMB advocacy team submitted a letter in May to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services advocating for international students and scholars, who frequently face visa-processing delays and difficulty obtaining work visas after degree completion. Read the letter here.
Heck joins MCP

of Utrecht University began a five-year term in April as an associate editor for the ASBMB journal 麻豆传媒色情片 & Cellular Proteomics. Heck is director of the Netherlands Proteomic Center. His lab is a leader in proteomics and the study of protein structure and interactions using mass spectrometry.
New publications department employee

Chengmin Jiang joined the ASBMB as assistant publications director in June. Prior to joining the ASBMB, he worked as senior development editor at the American Chemical Society focusing on manuscript triage workflow and manuscript transfer as well as journal strategy and data analysis. He can be reached at cjiang@asbmb.org.
Two new MOSAIC scholars
In February, we announced the first five members of the inaugural cohort for the society’s, or MOSAIC, program. In April, we welcomed two new participants.

Josefina In茅s del M谩rmol is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of at The Rockefeller University, where she is studying the structural mechanisms of odorant recognition by olfactory receptors. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. in molecular neurobiology and biophysics at Rockefeller, during which time she was one of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s inaugural international student research fellows. She is a mentor for the and a volunteer for the .
“I am excited to join a generation of scientists with heightened awareness and skills to promote diversity and inclusion in the biomedical workforce,” del M谩rmol said. “To that aim, this award will provide me and fellow MOSAIC scholars with formal training and community resources to become active agents of social and academic change, while supporting our professional development to succeed as independent investigators.”

Chelsey C. Spriggs is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of at the University of Michigan, where she studies polyomavirus trafficking to the nucleus. A native of Detroit, Spriggs earned her bachelor’s in microbiology from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Northwestern University, where she studied human papillomavirus infection and tumorigenesis. Last year, she led the fundraising team for the inaugural , which increased the visibility of Black microbiologists.
“I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing program! This NIH MOSAIC award will provide the career development and training required to ensure my future success as an independent investigator,” Spriggs said. “In addition, I look forward to networking and building community with other MOSAIC scholars as we work to improve diversity and inclusion in science.”
Organize an event with the ASBMB
The society provides a variety of opportunities for members to bring people together, both virtually and in person, to share their research and make connections. From webinars to networking events to conferences over several days, the ASBMB will help you to bring your event to fruition. Propose an event at asbmb.org/meetings-events/propose-event.
Save the date! We’re going to Philly
The 2022 ASBMB Annual Meeting will be held April 2-5 in Philadelphia. For the final year, we’ll be meeting with our sister societies at the Experimental Biology meeting. Put this interdisciplinary event on your calendar. We look forward to seeing you! Sign up for .

Outreach grants for student chapters
The ASBMB Student Chapter Outreach Grants support chapters doing outreach activities in their communities. This year, we welcome proposals for virtual as well as in-person or hybrid programming and encourage applicants to be creative in their approaches. The deadline to apply for a grant worth up to $500 is Oct.1. Visit the .

Did you miss “Picture a Scientist”?
Late last year, the ASBMB Women in Biochemistry and 麻豆传媒色情片 Biology Committee hosted a screening and panel discussion about the award-winning film “Picture a Scientist.” The film is now available for viewing on the and soon will be available for streaming on Netflix. Watch the ASBMB event featuring director .
Take the stress out of finding great candidates and looking for a new job
The ASBMB’s career center provides you the opportunity to browse jobs, post positions, have your r茅sum茅 critiqued (for free) and more. Visit careers.asbmb.org.
Share your science outreach initiative!
Are you doing science outreach in your community? Are you running your own science caf茅 or creating a program that you know will make an impact and want to share it? We want to know about it! and let us help promote your important work.
ASBMB certification exam by the numbers
All students who are enrolled in an ASBMB-accredited degree program are invited to take the certification exam in their junior or senior year. The exam has been designed to test students’ knowledge and understanding of the core competencies in biochemistry and molecular biology developed by the ASBMB and its members. Here’s a glimpse at the 2021 exam:
- 1st year of online delivery
- 938 test takers
- 95 volunteer question writers and scorers
- 97% of scoring volunteers from 2020 also scored in 2021
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition weekly.
Learn moreFeatured jobs
from the
Get the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we鈥檒l send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in People
People highlights or most popular articles

ASBMB names 2025 fellows
麻豆传媒色情片 and 麻豆传媒色情片 Biology honors 24 members for their service to the society and accomplishments in research, education, mentorship, diversity and inclusion and advocacy.

When Batman meets Poison Ivy
Jessica Desamero had learned to love science communication by the time she was challenged to explain the role of DNA secondary structure in halting cancer cell growth to an 8th-grade level audience.

The monopoly defined: Who holds the power of science communication?
鈥淎t the official competition, out of 12 presenters, only two were from R2 institutions, and the other 10 were from R1 institutions. And just two had distinguishable non-American accents.鈥

In memoriam: Donald A. Bryant
He was a professor emeritus at Penn State University who discovered how cyanobacteria adapt to far-red light and was a member of the 麻豆传媒色情片 and 麻豆传媒色情片 Biology for over 35 years.

鈥痀es, I have an accent 鈥 just like you
When the author, a native Polish speaker, presented her science as a grad student, she had to wrap her tongue around the English term 鈥渇luorescence cross-correlation microscopy.鈥

Professorships for Booker; scholarship for Entzminger
Squire Booker has been appointed to two honorary professorships at Penn State University. Inayah Entzminger received a a BestColleges scholarship to support their sixth year in the biochemistry Ph.D. program at CUNY.