organismal biologist | PI @BCM_Microbiome | continually amazed by microbes and their superpowers | #microbiome #Celegans | he/him (@microbeMinded.bsky.social)
Houston, TX
Joined July 2011
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Happy to share new lab paper in @CurrentBiology driven by postdoc @Microbe_Fan and student Jessica Weckhorst on identifying #insulin signaling as key regulator of the gut #microbiome in #Celegans.
FIND IT HERE: sciencedirect.com/science/ar…
cc: @bcm_microbiome @bcmhouston
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Incredible for #CBIOMES highlight by @Space_Station! 100K+ tiny worms, gut #microbiome, and a week in orbit — all to understand how microgravity reshapes host-microbiome interactions. Grateful to the whole team! The science is just getting started. 🪱🚀 #WormsinSpace
Scientists are studying how the gut microbiome changes in space! 🦠
CBIOMES just wrapped up aboard the space station, and the results could help us improve methods to protect astronaut gut health on future space missions.
ALT ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot works on CBIOMES aboard the space station. Her workstation is set up above several metallic blue panels. She holds a rectangular compartment that will be photographed for the CBIOMES experiment.
Après avoir établi un microbiome défini en laboratoire, nous avons découvert par la suite que des vers provenant de France, des États-Unis et d'autres régions du monde partageaient des types de microbiomes similaires. cell.com/current-biology/ful…
Buck Samuel retweeted
And the science begins! Remember the new experiments we promised with the arrival of the @northropgrumman Cygnus? Today we conducted MVP Cell‑09, which examines the effects of bacterial infection (Streptococcus pneumoniae) on heart tissue in microgravity. By leveraging the unique environment of space, where muscle tissue undergoes accelerated atrophy and bacterial infections can become more severe, researchers hope to create an enhanced model for studying how pneumonia damages the heart.
Here, I am replacing the media (the nutrients that the cells need to grow) for the cells. I also prepared some of the units for RNA analysis and put them in the freezer, to be eventually returned to the ground for further experimentation.
Buck Samuel retweeted
Researchers are refining ways to grow food for future missions! 🌱🫛
Veg-06 recently arrived to the space station to study how spaceflight impacts plant-microbe interactions. A process that may provide the necessary nitrogen these plants need to grow.
ALT Six small clear square containers labeled with colored tags sit inside a controlled growth chamber under pink LED grow lights. The plants are young and leafy, growing in the soil-filled containers arranged on a metal platform within an enclosed research setup.
Learning to grow plants in space, observing worms to develop "living medicines," and prepping for new computers wrapped up the week for the Exp 74 crew. nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/…
Next launch attempt of thousands of tiny astronauts on CRS-24 to the #ISS on 4/11/26 at 7:40am EST!
nasa.gov/missions/sta...
#wormsinspace #microbiome #spacex #spacebiology #Celegans #CBIOMES
A @NASA-funded investigation on the #ISS brings together B. Samuel @microbeMinded, S. Vanapalli and M. Driscoll to address #microgravity effects on the #gutMicrobiome and what that means on long-duration missions. bit.ly/4clyhnP @bcmhouston @TexasTech @RutgersU
Buck Samuel retweeted
A @NASA-funded investigation on the #ISS brings together B. Samuel @microbeMinded, S. Vanapalli and M. Driscoll to address #microgravity effects on the #gutMicrobiome and what that means on long-duration missions. bit.ly/4clyhnP @bcmhouston @TexasTech @RutgersU
Buck Samuel retweeted
Cutting NIH funds hurts all Americans.
Why? Three main reasons:
#1: These funds support a huge industry in all 50 states. For every $1 of NIH funding generated, there is a short-term return of ~$2.46 in economic activity1. The $4B in cuts will take away $10B from the economy.
Buck Samuel retweeted
If you are worried about how @NIH’s proposed 15% cap on research support will impact American competitiveness and biomedical innovation, call your reps! The more they hear from us as constituents and private citizens, the more likely they are to fight for science.
@NIH’s new 15% cap on research funds threatens U.S. science. Call Congress now to oppose it! Your voice matters—act today. Find your rep’s number at govtrack.us. #SupportScience #cell biology
Learn more: ascb.org/science-policy/acti…
Buck Samuel retweeted
Here's our guide to states that allow same-day voter registration on Election Day — meaning you can still show up, register and cast your vote today.
For more info, visit vote.gov or your local elections website, or read our story here: cbsnews.com/news/same-day-vo…
Buck Samuel retweeted
The formal job ad for our technician position is posted! Join us and help us learn more about oxytocin in the gut!
jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/23…
Buck Samuel retweeted
I'm opening the doors to my very own microbial genomics research lab at @BCMFromtheLabs in Houston, TX. I'm looking for talented biologists to join me on this journey through sequence space. Featuring:
- Wastewater and human virome
- Phages, all of them
- Microbial epigenomes
Buck Samuel retweeted
Congratulations, @BenhamPyleLab, @BoeynaemsSteven and @HongjieLi5, recipients of a 2024 @NIH Director's New #Innovator Award! @bcmhouston @BCMCancerCenter @bcmgenetics @TCHResearchNews @CPRITTexas commonfund.nih.gov/newinnova…
Buck Samuel retweeted
I’m so excited to join this fantastic group of early career scientists!
Big shoutout to my @bcmhouston neighbors @HongjieLi5 and @BoeynaemsSteven, my fellow @Planaria1 lab alum @longhua_guo, and my former @stanfordcbio classmate @dianyang1117!
Early-stage investigators proposed #innovative high-impact research ideas for the @NIHDirector’s New Innovator Award. See the projects the awardees will pursue: commonfund.nih.gov/newinnova… #NIHHighRisk
ALT Card with text reads: 2024 NIH Director's New Innovator Awardees. NIH Common Fund logo next to headshot of awardees.
Buck Samuel retweeted
Absolutely bursting with C. elegans, @UMassChan , @MGHMolBio , Simches 7 pride this morning!!! Congrats Victor and Gary!!!!
Buck Samuel retweeted
Like everyone else in the C elegans community, I rejoice not only for the validation of usefulness of our favorite worm but for basic research.
Take home lesson: Funding Agencies in all countries should support fundamental and blue sky research.
BREAKING NEWS
The 2024 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
