
Microbial engines of global change
Right now, redox cycling of the elements is happening on a genuinely global scale. These cycles are driven by the intricate electron-transfer chemistry of microbial organisms. Whether engaging in the molecular construction projects of the carbon, nitrogen or sulfur cycles or simply moving electrons to make a bioenergetic living, these smallest of creatures harness metals as cofactors to cycle and recycle the environment around us continuously.
Our symposia at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting — now called Discover BMB — in Seattle in March will cover several topics relating to the biochemistry and microbiology of elemental cycling, where complex metalloenzymes often are used to achieve startling transformations. Recently elucidated mechanisms, insight into how metallocofactors are harnessed to power the redox reactions of life around us, and surprising insights into the connections between metals, microbes and electrons all will be discussed.
With concerns for sustainability and a new energy economy, the microscopic world of biological chemistry has much to teach us.
Keywords: Metalloenzymes, enzyme mechanisms, microbiology, biochemistry, biogeochemistry.
Who should attend: All who are fascinated by how microorganisms shape the world around us and how the environment, in turn, shapes microbial biochemistry.
Theme song: “Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide)” by Marcia Griffiths.
This session is powered by electrons, and so are you.
Speakers
The enzymology of the carbon cycle
Jennifer Dubois (chair), Montana State University
Stephen Ragsdale, University of Michigan
Sean Elliott, Boston University
Cecilia Gomez Martinez, University of California, Berkeley
Kylie Allen, Virginia Tech
Frontiers of the nitrogen cycle
Eric Hegg (chair), Michigan State University
Yilin Hu, University of California, Irvine
Lisa Stein, University of Alberta
Akif Tezcan, University of California, San Diego
Metals, microbes and minerals
Sean Elliott (chair), Boston University
Eric Boyd, Montana State University
Jennifer Dubois, Montana State University
Jeff Gralnick, University of Minnesota
Christine Morrison, Colorado School of Mines
The complete list
Learn about all 11 symposia planned for Discover BMB 2023:- Protein Machines and Disorder
- Regulation of RNA
- Organelles, Mechanisms and Phase Properties of Cellular Quality Control
- Lipid Dynamics and Signals in Membrane and Protein Structure
- Frontiers in Carbohydrate Synthesis and Recognition
- Bias In, Bias Out in Data Science
- Cell Signaling — New Tools and Emerging Concepts
- Education and Professional Development
- Biochemistry of Elemental Cycling
- Advances in Organismal and Cellular Metabolism
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Structural Biology, Drug Design and Systems Biology
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition monthly and the digital edition weekly.
Learn moreGet the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in Science
Science highlights or most popular articles

FDA approves CRISPR–Cas9 therapy for sickle cell disease
The gene editing treatment from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics is the first of its kind

From the journals: MCP
Metals contaminate protein samples. Lipid droplets go haywire in Huntington’s. Nerve cells respond to stimulation. Read about these recent papers.

The perfect storm
The world has 2023 Nobel laureates Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman and others to thank for laying a foundation for the COVID-19 vaccine decades before the pandemic.

Throw your hat in the ring!
Apply to speak at Discover BMB in Chicago in 2025.

How bacteria inhibit gene expression
Researchers show how altering activity of the transcription factor CarD can cause downregulation and upregulation of some genes.

Where the heck did all those structures inside complex cells come from?
Scientists agree that eons ago, a bacterium took up residence inside another cell and became its powerhouse, the mitochondrion. But there are competing theories about the birth of other organelles such as the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum.