MCB BIDS FAREWELL TO MYESHIA SHELBY AND DR. REYDA GONZALEZ-NIEVES
photo of Myeshia Shelby, summer intern

Myeshia Shelby joined the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) in June as an intern through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Summer Scholars Internship Program and the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network.

How did your time at NSF influence how you will go forward with your research?
This virtual experience at NSF has allowed me to demonstrate a flexibility in my productivity. The resources and contacts I obtained during my time here will be a part of my professional growth as I pursue my doctoral degree.

What did you learn from your position?
Initially, my position as a student intern was described as an opportunity to discover areas for professional development. As the program continued, I began to realize that my unique perspective as a student researcher could be pivotal in giving NSF staff an idea of how their funding decisions could possibly impact students, especially minorities at minority-serving institutions. 

What personal goals did you accomplish while at NSF?
In the beginning of the program, I constructed an Individual Development Plan that outlined the areas I wanted to grow in. Of those, the most important area where I experienced growth was in my networking abilities and my ability to succinctly communicate across multiple disciplines.

As a Summer Scholars Intern, what was your project and were there any challenges?
The title of my SSIP project is “NSF-Funded Discoveries and Innovations that Impact the Bioeconomy.” This project focused on principal investigators who received NSF funds for basic/fundamental research as well as application development awards through the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP). The biggest challenge for me was being able to capture the impact that research findings have had on the bioeconomy and on advancements in basic research.

Dr. Reyda Gonzalez-Nieves joined MCB as a biologist under the Presidential Management Fellows Program in April, 2014, and transitioned to the role of division operations manager in July, 2016. She now serves as directorate operations officer for the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

What was working at MCB like?
MCB opened the door for me to start my professional career. When I completed my Ph.D., I decided to pursue a non-academic career in science. I wanted to use the skills I gained in graduate school in a different way. More importantly, I wanted to still be involved in science and contribute to it. MCB offered the perfect place to fulfill my goal. The staff in MCB is simply amazing – everyone is warm, fun, smart, dedicated, loyal, respectful, and ambitious. They work diligently to move the mission of NSF forward. I can say without a doubt that MCB has been one of the greatest places I have ever worked. During my time in MCB, we worked hard to create an environment of camaraderie, mutual respect, and positivity. It has been of the best professional experiences in my life. My time in MCB showed me what teamwork looks like and shaped my professional career journey.

What personal goals did you accomplish while at the NSF?
I started my journey at NSF as a Presidential Management Fellow. My first job in MCB was serving as a biologist. My long-term goal was to utilize my skills at a larger scale. I wanted to create a culture in the office where staff felt comfortable and appreciated as well as serve as a resource for senior leadership. I wanted to supervise staff and help them grow in their professional career.

I transitioned from the biologist role to the operations manager (OM) in MCB. That gave me the opportunity to supervise a group of amazing administrative professionals and understand how to run the operations in a division. As the OM, I worked directly with MCB’s senior leadership and my counterparts in the other BIO divisions. It was a unique opportunity that helped me decide what I wanted to do next. After being in the role for a few years, I was ready to take the next step in my career. I am now the operations officer for the Directorate for Biological Sciences. My journey to this point was not easy, but it was well worth it. For everyone who is reading this: set a goal and work on it little by little every day. The goal can be short or long term. Even if it seems impossible, work on it. Seek advice and ask for help. More importantly, do what is right for you.

MCB thanks Myeshia Shelby and Dr. Reyda Gonzalez-Nieves for their service and wishes them all the best in their future endeavors.

Office Hours: Q&A on Responding to Community Needs; CAREER Deadline Extended

Virtual Office Hours: Q&A
At the virtual Office Hours event hosted July 8 by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), program directors addressed questions submitted by the MCB research community. Topics included research and funding priorities, COVID-19 concerns, the no-deadline proposal submission process, broader impacts, and more. Visit the Office Hours page to view the presentation as well presentations from as all earlier Office Hours.

The next Office Hours will be held August 12, 2020 at 2-3pm EST; the topic will be “NSF-Supported Facilities of Interest.” Registration is required; register here.

CAREER Deadline Extension
NSF understands that universities and research institutions are facing unprecedented pandemic-related challenges. In response, the proposal deadline for the Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) (NSF 20-525) has been extended to Tuesday, August 11, 2020. For more information, read the blog post from the Division of Environmental Biology.

DCL 20-105: Sentinel Cells for Surveillance and Response to Emergent Infectious Diseases (Sentinels)

In recognition of the need for novel approaches to predict or detect the emergence of new infectious diseases, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL). Titled “Sentinel Cells for Surveillance and Response to Emergent Infectious Diseases (Sentinels),” the DCL (NSF 20-105) highlights the interest of existing programs within the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Directorate for Engineering in interdisciplinary approaches to the development of novel biological platforms capable of sensing and responding to emerging infectious agents.

Researchers are encouraged to think broadly about innovations leveraging biology and engineering that may be easily adapted to respond to a range of emergent threats.

Proposals should be submitted to the most relevant program listed below and proposal titles should be prefaced with “Sentinels:”.

Proposals in the participating programs are accepted without deadline and reviewed on a rolling basis. Investigators interested in submitting a proposal are strongly encouraged to contact one of the program directors listed below for further information:

Anthony Garza, BIO/MCB/SSB, aggarza@nsf.gov
Aleksandr Simonian, ENG/CBET/Biosensing, asimonia@nsf.gov
Steven Peretti, ENG/CBET/CBE, speretti@nsf.gov

MCB WELCOMES MYESHIA SHELBY AND BIDS FAREWELL TO ALIAS SMITH AND ALEXIS PATULLO

Myeshia Shelby – Myeshia joined MCB in June as an intern through the NSF Summer Scholars Internship Program and the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network.

What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in genetics and human genetics.

What were you doing before you came to NSF?
Before being accepted as a summer intern at NSF, I was completing the fall semester of my PhD program at Howard University where I am part of a translational neuroscience research team.

What was your first impression of NSF? Has this impression changed since you began?
I honestly had no idea what took place at NSF, to the point that I asked if research was conducted on premises. After orientation, it was made clear that NSF is a funding entity for research in science and engineering.

What personal goals would you like to accomplish while at NSF?
I plan to use this opportunity to make new professional connections and gain insight as to how NSF fulfills its mission to support scientific research.

Alias Smith – Alias joined MCB in August 2017 as a Fellow sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He transitioned to the role of science associate in April 2019.

What was the highlight of your time at NSF?
The highlight of working at NSF, specifically within MCB, was being able to work collaboratively with great colleagues on a wide array of projects. I have had the pleasure of working with MCB’s division leadership, program directors, and administrative staff, and in all cases I have learned a lot and had the opportunities to have a lasting impact at NSF and in the community we serve.

What is next for you after your time at NSF?
For the next chapter of my career I will remain at NSF, moving from BIO/MCB to the Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities (EFMA) office in the Directorate for Engineering, where I will serve as an associate program director.

What personal goals did you accomplish while at NSF?
My time at NSF began as an AAAS Fellow. At that time, I was exploring career options, primarily deciding whether to stay in academia or move on to federal or private sector work. After working as an AAAS Fellow and subsequently as a science associate in MCB, I decided that remaining in a federal agency would be best for me with respect to personal growth and the lasting impact I could have on the community. For example, I have been able to develop outreach methods that have the potential to reach a diverse set of faculty members from around the country, directly impacting their understanding of opportunities at NSF.

Would you have done anything differently looking back at you time at NSF?
Looking back at my time at NSF, the main thing I would do differently is reach out to more people across the Foundation to learn about their interests and projects. There is a wide range of expertise represented at NSF and I now know there are many mechanisms to tap into that collective consciousness. I am looking forward to the fact that I am remaining at NSF, and I plan to take full advantage of the opportunity to learn as much as I can from the people around me.

Alexis Patullo – Alexis started as a program assistant in June 2016; she transitioned to program specialist in 2017 and is now a management and program analyst.

What was working at MCB like?
MCB was my first “big kid” job right out of college and I could not have asked for a better place to start. Everyone was always supportive and continually challenged me to be the best I could be. MCB is great team environment and I am going to miss working there. I have learned a lot about NSF these past few years, and hope to use my skills as I transition to my new position.

What is next for you after your time at NSF?
I will be staying at NSF as a management and program analyst in the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

MCB Rotator Dr. Lostroh Wins Award for New Textbook

A textbook written by Dr. Phoebe Lostroh, program director (rotator) in the Genetic Mechanisms cluster in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, has been awarded a 2019 Taylor & Francis Outstanding Book and Digital Product Award in the Outstanding New Textbook Category.

Although Dr. Lostroh wrote the book, titled “Molecular and Cellular Biology of Viruses,” for an audience of upper level undergraduates and beginning graduate students, she’s been surprised to observe purchases by academics from other disciplines.

“I wrote this book because, as a reviewer of other books on virology, I felt that there was a gap in books at this level focusing across the molecular and cellular scale,” says Dr. Lostroh. As to why she thinks the book is a success, Dr. Lostroh says that she worked hard to write the book in a very readable style and to include diagrams targeted to reach today’s students. “I tried to convey how virologists know things instead of just what they know,” she says.

Her next project? Dr. Lostroh has just agreed to write “The Pocket Guide to SARS-CoV-2.” Expected to be released this fall, the goal of this book is to convey basic information to a college-educated audience with citations for more experienced readers.

#NSFSTORIES: GREGORY BOWMAN’S INITIATIVE TO UNDERSTAND COVID-19

One outcome of a CAREER award and supplement made to Dr. Gregory Bowman by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences was an enhanced computing infrastructure developed to better understand protein dynamics. The increased capabilities provided the technology needed to direct Bowman’s attention to COVID-19-related research questions. Bowman is addressing these questions via the Folding@home initiative, which has garnered the support of over 4.5 million citizen scientists. Read more about Bowman’s story on NSF’s beta website here.

MCB WELCOMES ANTHONY GARZA AND MARIAM TAHIR, BIDS FAREWELL TO VALERIE MAIZEL

Anthony Garza – Anthony served as an expert in the Genetic Mechanisms cluster, joining the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) in 2013. He is now a permanent program director in the Systems and Synthetic Biology cluster.

Head shot of Dr. Anthony Garza, program director in the Systems and Synthetic Biology cluster.

What is your educational background?
I received a Ph.D. in microbiology from Texas A&M University, although my primary training was in molecular biology. I was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Davis, and Stanford University. While in Dale Kaiser’s laboratory at Stanford, I studied the gene regulatory networks associated with bacterial biofilm formation. As an independent researcher, I continued studying bacterial gene regulatory networks using systems-level approaches and started new projects on bacterial natural products (secondary metabolites).

What attracted you to work for NSF?
I have been working in MCB for seven years as an expert. What originally attracted me to NSF was the recommendation of my Syracuse University colleague, who had just completed a two-year rotation with MCB. Since starting in MCB, I have been a program director in the Genetic Mechanisms cluster and the Systems and Synthetic Biology cluster. I enjoyed learning about a variety of research areas, funding exciting science, interacting with the research community and interacting with my colleagues in MCB. I would say that all these things attracted me to the permanent program director position in Systems and Synthetic Biology.

When friends or colleagues find out that you work at NSF, what do they say or ask?
For the most part, my colleagues ask about the funding process at NSF and whether they should contact a program director. Of course, the answer to this question is always yes.

How has your relocation to the area gone?
I haven’t relocated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I’m looking forward to it. 

Mariam Tahir – Mariam joined MCB as a program assistant in March.

Head shot of Mariam Tahir, who recently joined the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences as program assistant.

What were you doing before you came to NSF?
Rica for two years as a Community Economic Development volunteer. Some of my projects included working in the local high school giving STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) courses to an empowerment group for girls, and running workshops in art and creative critical thinking painting murals for community service after school (which was a blast!). I also worked at the local bean factory training my host sister in bookkeeping, taught several English classes, and started a bird-watching club in the area. I miss my beautiful community and its people. Pura Vida!

Since I’ve returned to the US, I worked part time at Junior Achievement, teaching financial literacy and professional development to elementary school and high school students.

What has surprised you most about working at the NSF?
The culture! I was a little hesitant about how my background would fit, but the NSF and MCB culture has made me feel super welcome and shown me that everyone is very open to always learning different ways of doing things. The culture is super inclusive, academic, and full of healthy competition. It’s a perfect blend. Our team is always willing to help me learn but also find new ways of doing something new/better.

How has your relocation to the area gone?
DC is SO lovely – I am happy being here in this new adventure. I get to indulge in hiking, a great salsa dancing scene, awesome food and incredible history. I cannot wait to check out the museums when they reopen. Although I do miss living 30 minutes from the Jersey Shore, my family, and being super close to NYC, I know I can always visit on the weekends.

Valerie Maizel – Valerie joined MCB in 2011 as an administrative support assistant. She started her new role as program specialist in the Division of Chemistry in April.

Head shot of Valerie Maizel, former administrative support assistant in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences.

What are you most looking forward to next?
In my job, I worked hard and learned new skills that helped me to qualify for a detail as a program specialist in MPS/CHE (the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences’ Division of Chemistry). I was very pleased to be selected to become an official program specialist. I look forward to working with my new team and working with their exciting programs.

What was working at MCB like?
The staff was very positive and caring. I felt welcome there and everyone was receptive to my ideas.

What did you learn from your position?
I acquired new skills in the financial aspect of NSF.

HBCU-EiR: Two More Webinars

The Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) is hosting two online informational sessions about the NSF-wide HBCU-EiR program (Solicitation 20-542). A Letter of Intent to submit a proposal is due July 23.

Click here for links to the presentation slides and a video recording of informational webinars on this topic held in April 15 and April 21.

Visit the DEB blog to register for the upcoming sessions.

Summary of MCB RAPID Awards

This post was updated on Monday, June 22, 2020.

The Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences funded 23 proposals (as of June 22) submitted in response to the Dear Colleague Letter on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (NSF 20-052) released March 4, 2020 (and now archived). The awards, made through the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism, support research focused on the characterization and modeling of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Read more about the RAPID funding mechanism in Chapter II.E.1 (Rapid Response Research) of the Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

The proposed research projects will contribute to viral tracking and prevention efforts, provide information on viral transmission and biology of infection, and aid drug development for infection treatment and prevention. Links to these RAPID awards can be found in the table below. More information on funding made by the National Science Foundation to support research on the coronavirus may be found here.

Proposal IDProposal TitlePI Name
2027070RAPID: Revealing the intermolecular interactions between the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 fusion peptide and the host cell membrane that underlie its flexibility in host tropismDaniel, Susan
2027096RAPID: Biophysical characterization of the native SARS-CoV-2 virion by atomistic simulationsPerilla, Juan
2027169RAPID: Development of Rapid Point of Care SARS-CoV-2 Detection SystemEllington, Andrew D.
2027291RAPID:  Multiscale Modeling Of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Intracellular and Intercellular DynamicsSrivastava, Ranjan
2027611RAPID: Factors Contributing To Sequence Conservation in the SARS-CoV-2 GenomeGrigoriev, Andrey
2028443RAPID: Computational studies of the structural dynamics, function and inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spike proteinAndricioaei, Ioan
2028651RAPID: Point-of-Need Detection of COVID-19 using CRISPR-Enabled Cell-Free Synthetic BiologyLucks, Julius
2028935RAPID: Impact of inhibitors on SARS-CoV-2 polymerase and fidelity control of RNA synthesisYu, Jin
2029105RAPID: A multiscale approach to dissect SARS-CoV-2 attachment to host cells and detect viruses on surfacesVahey, Michael D.
2029281RAPID: Ecological Dynamics of Human CoronavirusYin, John
2030080RAPID: Exosomal tRNA fragments may constitute an innate viral defense against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory RNA viruses.Borchert, Glen M.
2030473RAPID: Structure of Membrane-Bound Fusion Peptide of SARS-CoV-2 Required for InfectionVan Doren, Steven R.
2031068RAPID: Determination of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein Palmitoylation and its Contribution to Virus-Cell Fusion and Surface Protein-Protein InteractionsDevaraj, Neal
2031094RAPID: Host-pathogen interactions during genome replication of SARS-CoV2Ha, Taekjip
2031762Collaborative Research: RAPID: Molecular underpinnings that define volatile compound signature of the lungBushan, Abhinav
2032054RAPID: Understanding the Effects of Glycosylation on Spike Vulnerabilities and the Host Range of SARS-CoV-2Amaro, Rommie E.
2032310RAPID: Biomimicry of SARS-CoV-2 and its consequences for infectivity and inflammationWong, Gerard
2032518RAPID: Membrane remodeling dynamics by SARS-CoV-2Serra-Moreno, Ruth
2032861RAPID: What is the role of extracellular vimentin in SARS2 host cell entry?Patteson, Alison
2033354RAPID: Impact of SARS-CoV2 on function of the cellular tRNA methyltransferase 1 and redox homeostasisFu, Dragony
2033695RAPID: Building a visual consensus model of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycleIwasa, Janet
2033939RAPID: Molecular Insights into the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Activation via a Novel Interaction with a Human Cell Surface Target ProteinIzard, Tina
2035558RAPID: Mechanisms of Polymerization Catalyzed by the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dependent RNA PolymeraseLucius, Aaron

MCB anticipates several more RAPID awards this fiscal year.