Calendar of events, awards and opportunities

Every week, we update this list with new meetings, awards, scholarships and events to help you advance your career. If you’d like us to feature something that you’re offering to the bioscience community, email us with the subject line “For calendar.” ASBMB members’ offerings take priority, and we do not promote products/services. Learn how to advertise in ASBMB Today.

May 24: New deadline for ASBMB award nominations

The ASBMB Annual Awards are given to outstanding professionals who have been recognized by their peers for contributions to their fields, education and diversity. The recipients will give talks about their work at the 2022 ASBMB Annual Meeting. You can nominate or self-nominate. See a list of available awards and prepare your nomination package.

May 26: Lipid Research Division Seminar Series

The ASBMB Lipid Research Division features the work of young investigators at noon Eastern on Wednesdays. If you are interested in presenting, please contact John Burke. Register once to access the whole series.

This week's speakers will be:

• Meng Zhang of Harvard University | Cryo-EM structure of an activated GPCR–G protein complex in lipid nanodiscs
• Monique Straub of the University of Zurich | Cryo-EM structures of the Caspase activated protein XKR9 involved in apoptotic lipid scrambling

May 26: Talk about RNA-guided DNA insertion with CAST

Feng Zhang of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will present the Genetics Society of America's 2021 Novitski Prize Seminar. Here's how it's described: "Over the past few years, there has been a growing appreciation for the natural diversity of CRISPR–Cas systems, adaptive immune systems microbes use to defend against invading foreign genetic elements. Components of CRISPR–Cas systems have also been found to be associated with transposable elements, creating programmable jumping genes. We have been working to characterize CRISPR-associated transposon (CAST) systems and understand the mechanism of these fascinating molecular machines. Learn more.

May 27: Twitter chat about science and art

ASBMB Today published its first Science & Art issue in April. It featured scientists who have turned their research and passion for STEM into works of art as well as artists who have made careers in science art and illustration. Our Twitter chat on Thursday will be a celebration of creativity. Follow along and share your work with #ASBMBSciArt. You can find us at @ASBMB.

May 27: AAAS live chat about policy fellowships

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is hosting an hourlong live chat relating to its Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, which have been in existence for 50 years now. This chat is part of a six-part series. It's at 2 p.m. Thursday. Learn more and register.

May 27: Application deadline for DOE internships

The U.S. Department of Energy is accepting applications through May 27 for the fall cohort of its Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program. This program allows undergraduates and recent grads to conduct mentored research in DOE labs across the nation. Learn more.

May 28: Rosalind Franklin award deadline

The Genetics Society of America administers the Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award every three years. Funded by The Gruber Foundation, the award this year will go to two or three women conducting genetics research in mammals and non-mammalian organisms. The award amount depends on how many winners there are. If three winners are selected, each will get $25,000/year for three years. If two winners are selected, each will get $37,500/year for three years. Applications are due on Friday. Learn more.

May 31: Application deadline for IUBMB editorship

The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is seeking a new editor for its journal Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry. The editor has a three-year term. Applications are due May 31. See the job description and application instructions.

June 7: Insomnia biomarkers awards for junior researchers

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation has established a new award program for junior researchers. The Focused Projects Award for Junior Investigators is for scientists pursuing basic, translational, clinical or population sleep and circadian science. The work should be related to the identification, evaluation or validation of insomnia biomarkers. The $50,000 award provides seed funding for mentored research projects. We're told the AASM Foundation hopes to issue three awards. The deadline is June 7. Learn more.

June 8: Queering STEM event by ASCB

The LGBTQ+ Committee of the American Society for Cell Biology has a free event scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern on June 8. It's part of ASCB's Pride Month observance. They'll host Lauren Esposito, founder of 500 Queer Scientists. Learn more and register.

June 10: Webinar on renovating an occupied lab

Lab Manager has a webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern on June 10 about renovating an existing space when you still need to get work done in it. The webinar will cover planning the reno to limit the amount of downtime it requires, anticipating future needs, considering sustainability and recommissioning equipment to hit the ground running again. Register.

June 15: edX's Inclusive STEM Teaching Project

Boston University is running this free course on the edX platform to "advance the awareness, self-efficacy, and the ability of faculty, postdocs, and doctoral students to cultivate inclusive STEM learning environments for all their students and to develop themselves as reflective, inclusive practitioners." This six-week course runs through Aug. 1. Learn more.

June 16: Metabolic reconstruction, modeling and omics data analysis through BioCyc

The first part of this free bioinformatics workshop will provide a tutorial for using the BioCyc pathway/genome web portal and Pathway Tools software developed by the Bioinformatics Research Group at SRI International. In the second part of the workshop, Jeremy Zucker of the Pacific Northwest National Lab will give a talk about Pathway Tools-based metabolic reconstructions. It is titled “AI-assisted metabolic and regulatory investigations of the circadian clock in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.” Learn more.

June 20–25: Teaching science with big data

This international meeting guides faculty on how to teach using web-based, free-access large data sets. How big is "big data"? Data that is so large, fast or complex that it's difficult or impossible to process using traditional methods. Join us to learn these valuable teaching skills to prepare students for the future. Sponsored by the ASBMB and the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Registration and abstract information.

June 21: Flux-independent signaling by ionotropic receptors

Save the date for the virtual event "Flux-independent signaling by ionotropic receptors: Unforeseen roles and complexities" on June 21. The organizers say it will be of interest to neuroscientists, cell biologists, molecular biologists and biochemists, among others, involved in the study of cell physiology and function in health and disease. Read the event description and register.

July 20–21: Green Labs Digital Summit

Lab Manager is hosting a free two-day event about sustainable labs. If you're interested in greening your lab (reducing energy consumption and waste and optimizing processes), save the dates for presentations on such things as metrics for sustainability, net zero labs and long-term savings strategies. Learn more.

July 21–23: Extracellular vesicle studies: From benchtop to therapeutics

Extracellular vesicles are secreted, membrane-bound compartments containing DNA and cytoplasmic constituent molecules of all types that are thought to act as mediators of intercellular communication. They are classified by both size and location/mechanism of cellular origination. They are thought to be produced by an ever-expanding diversity of cell types and species. However, there is also considerable skepticism related to their existence and utility, as it can be difficult to isolate EVs since there is no EV-specific molecular marker to target. (Editor's note: See this ASBMB Today feature on EVs by former science writer Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay.)

A primary focus in recent years has been to describe the mechanisms of molecular sorting that would allow researchers to target proteins produced from exogenously introduced DNA to EVs for cellular secretion and uptake. The potential value of EVs to therapeutics is thought to be enormous, thanks to the role of EVs in cell–cell communication as a robust, native delivery vehicle.

This event will appeal to a broad audience, including molecular biologists, biochemists, biophysicists, secretion experts, cell–cell communication specialists, clinicians, physiologists and others. Submit an abstract by May 27. The early registration deadline is June 25, and the regular registration deadline is July 16. Visit the event homepage.

July 30: Deadline to apply for PALM fellowship

The Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network is accepting applications from postdocs and faculty members who wish to learn about and get better at implementing evidence-based active learning. This program is supported by the National Science Foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fellows and mentors will participate virtually. Learn more.

Call for virtual scientific event proposals

The ASBMB provides members with a virtual platform to share scientific research and accomplishments and to discuss emerging topics and technologies with the BMB community.

The ASBMB will manage the technical aspects, market the event to tens of thousands of contacts and present the digital event live to a remote audience. Additional tools such as polling, Q&A, breakout rooms and post event Twitter chats may be used to facilitate maximum engagement.

Seminars are typically one to two hours long. A workshop or conference might be longer and even span several days.

Prospective organizers may submit proposals at any time. Decisions are usually made within four to six weeks. 

Propose an event.

Oct. 30: Deadline to apply for PALM fellowship

The Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network is accepting applications from postdocs and faculty members who wish to learn about and get better at implementing evidence-based active learning. This program is supported by the National Science Foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fellows and mentors will participate virtually. Learn more.