So every year we decorate the lab for the holidays: twinkling lights along the benches, a chemist-tree, some old favorite decorations and baubles, Christmas songs played loudly. It's something we look forward to every year. This year we even put together a shared Spotify playlist for the event. And we got off to an amazing start because former postdoc Nicole Motl (she of the amazing creative/decorative talent) secretly accessed our conference room, leaving specially decorated cookies and a huge stack of hand-cut snowflakes to spur us on. Now what an amazing gift of joy for the holiday. Hope it makes you smile too.

Biophysics graduate student Autumn Pilarski presented her recent research at the Biophysics Program Annual Retreat. Held at the beautiful Matthai Botanical Gardens just outside Ann Arbor, a great time was had by all, including some potential student guests. Contact the Biophysics Program directly if you are looking for a graduate school program and would like to attend next year.

Ellie's Roxy visited the lab to reduce election day stress by offering free pets and dog kisses. Doesn't she look cool in her special election day tie? She was such a great visitor and everyone enjoyed being around her and feeding her after standing in line to vote. Speaking of, did you see these fantastic "I voted" stickers designed by Michigan students?

Biological Chemistry graduate student Alexi Chabez was awarded an NRSA Fellowship for her proposal "Defining Human Cytochrome P450 7B1 Structure and Function to Understand Spastic Paraplegia Type 5 Disease". This will support exciting research on the basic mechanisms behind genetic causes of this rare disease and Alexi's advanced Ph.D. training aspirations.

Biophysics graduate student Autumn Pilarski and Biological Chemistry graduate student Alexi Chabez represented their respective graduate programs and the Scott lab at the 2024 NDiSTEM Conference. Organized by the Society for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science, this conference is a great place to present research and find out about University of Michigan Ph.D. programs. More diverse perspectives of all kinds make our society and our research stronger!

Pharmacology graduate student Ellie Frydendall did a great job presenting her high-throughput P450 ligand binding assay at the monthly meeting of the P450 Focus Group. This work was recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, which you can access here.

In October the Scott lab welcomed three new members. Undergraduate Chemistry major Chelsea Ohaka (left) began working with Biological Chemistry graduate student Alexi Chabez on CYP7B1. Mid-month PIBS first year Biological Chemistry students Erika Calle Urgiles (middle) and Edwin Aguilar (right) started as rotation students learning about P450 enzymes and structure/function techniques.

Biological Chemistry graduate student Cara Loomis wrapped up her time in the Scott lab at the end of September. We wished her well on her next adventure over pretzels and cheese curds and pesto fries and other old and new favorites at Ashley's. Cara's daughter Eloise even got to join us!

Postdoctoral fellow Sarah Burris-Hiday was invited to give a talk at a webinar titled "Current Advances in Drug Metabolism" hosted by the Drug Metabolism and Disposition Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Sarah talked about structures of P450 reductase FMN domain mutations, allosteric effects of this FMN-containing domain on P450 ligand binding and substrate metabolism, as well as mass spec footprinting demonstrating the far-reaching effects of FMN domain binding on P450 conformation and dynamics.

Biological Chemistry student Cara Loomis successfully defended her PhD in early September and is now Dr. Loomis! Congratulations Cara for an excellent and well-organized presentation of a lot of complex research on the effects of the redox protein adrenodoxin interacting with three important steroidogenic CYP11 enzymes.

Biophysics graduate student Autumn Pilarski was recently awarded the Krimm Outstanding First Year Graduate Award. Awarded by the Biophysics Program, part of this recognition was Autumn's exceptional checkpoint one (candidacy) exam. You rock, Autumn!

Graduate student Elise Tahti (PIBS) joined the Scott Lab for her first fall rotation. Elise has a B.S. from Western Washington University in Biochemistry. We will build on her prior experience with protein expression, purification, and crystallization by teaching the later steps of X-ray crystallography during her rotation. Welcome Elise!

Pharmacology graduate student Ellie Frydendall presented her recent work at the P450 Biodiversity and Biotechnology meeting in Torino, Italy. In addition to her poster, her work was selected for presentation in a flash talk. Great job Ellie! It was also good to both make new P450 friends and see old ones, including former postdoc Simone Bruxius-Anderko.

Postdoctoral fellow Kurt Harris presented his work (and that of former postdoc Nicole Motl) on 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase structures at The Endocrine Society 2024 annual meeting. Held in Boston this year, we learned lots and enjoyed some great seafood!

Biological Chemistry graduate students Cara Loomis and Alexi Chabez were accepted into the UM Biotech Career Development Program this summer. This 12-week structured program educates and provides career exposure to many aspects of biotechnology outside of academia. Trainees engage in a series of workshops, seminars, and panel discussions to explore career options and prepare for an experiential learning opportunity with a small business, large corporation, non-profit organization, governmental agency, law firm, or other non-academic entity.

First year Biophysics graduate student Autumn Pilarski did a great job on her prelims (checkpoint 1) and is now a Ph.D. candidate. Congratulations and enjoy the cupcakes!

The whole team enjoyed a lunch out at Hop Cat, a local favorite. Left to right: Schuyler, Ellie, Jiaying, Kurt, Cara, Benyu, Nickles, Alexi, Autumn, and Sarah.

Late May saw Biological Chemistry graduate students Alexi Chabez and Cara Loomis and Postdocs Sarah Burris-Hiday and Kurt Harris presenting their recent research at the annual meeting of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) . From a comedic opening skit to excellent scientific sessions to great networking with colleagues, we all really enjoyed this DC meeting. Sarah Burris-Hiday (bottom picture, second from left) also met with her cohort for the ASPET Mentoring Network: Coaching for Career Development program. This year-long program provides individualized supplemental mentoring supporting professional growth.

The 2024 Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Discussion Meeting 2024 Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Discussion Meeting was held May 2-3 on the Purdue campus. Graduate student Ellie Frydendall and Postdoctoral Fellow Sarah Burris-Hiday presented their work and enjoyed talks from the one from UNC Assistant Professor Klarissa Jackson on "Interindividual Variability in Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Metabolism in Ethnically Diverse Populations".

The Scott Lab is excited to welcome two new members. Nickles Badger, a Chemical Biology PhD student is joining us for a summer rotation working with Cara Loomis. Biophysics PhD student Autumn Pilarski is joining the Scott Lab to do her dissertation research. Glad to have you both!

Biological Chemistry graduate student Alexi Chabez was a representative at SSRL's RapiData this year. This week-long X-ray crystallography training camp is one of the absolute best, teaching both software and hardware and meeting some of the most wonderful synchrotron staff who support our remote data collection the rest of the year.

Phil Cox, Visiting Associate Professor last semester, reminds us of one of the many reasons we miss him this semester: Cookies!

Scott Lab researchers rock every week of the year--grad students, postdocs, and undergrads. But it's nice to say an extra special thank you this week.

Biological Chemistry Graduate student Alexi Chabez presented her research on CYP7B1 and its mutants causing spastic paraplegia type 5 at the 2024 University of Michigan Latinx Research Week Conference. Nicely done Alexi!

Postdoctoral fellow Sarah Burris-Hiday was accepted into the ASPET Mentoring Network: Coaching for Career Development program. This network is designed to supplement the training that graduate students and postdoctoral trainees receive through their university programs. This professional year-long development experience uses a coaching model to help participants develop success skills for a variety of careers, including but not limited to academia, industry, government, and policy.