First year Biological Chemistry student Cara Loomis and fifth year Medicinal Chemistry student Sarah Burris-Hiday working hard in the lab, despite masks and social distancing.

The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted 100 years ago this month, states that “The rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged… on account of sex.” This addition, decades in the making, was simultaneously profound as an initial recognition of women’s rights and far too limited as an effort toward equality for women, a struggle that continues today. A Journal of Biological Chemistry virtual issue simultaneously celebrates progress made in regards to the participation of women in science, in the form of a subset of the Editors’ Picks papers published in JBC in the last three years with corresponding authors who are women, and serves as a reminder that we have much work still to do to fully include women, and particularly women of color, in the scientific endeavor.  The Scott lab is proud that our work is included in this issue.

First year graduate student Cara Davis Loomis passed her Prelim examination!  Her 2-page proposal and oral presentation were very well received by her committee during an virtual session.  Congratulations Cara!

Graduate student Ellie Frydendall has been selected to participate in the Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant Program here at the University of Michigan. This program provides supplemental training, mentoring, networking and career development opportunities and the opportunity to develop additional professional skills, such as organizing and running the annual symposium. Congratulations Ellie!

Postdoctoral fellow Simone Brixius-Anderko's poster abstract "Aldosterone Synthase Structure With Cushing’s Disease Drug Osilodrostat Provides Clues For Treatment Of Primary Aldosteronism" was selected as a "Top Trainee Advocacy Awardee" at the American Heart Association annual meeting . A recording of Simone presenting her poster as a Moderated Poster Presentation will be available to all participants during this virtual annual meeting.

The College of Pharmacy and members of the Scott lab were selected as some of the first researchers back in the University of Michigan labs. Here Nicole, Simone, Sarah, Alaina, and Aaron model their masks and social distancing in the lab. It might not be so easy to see behind those masks, but we are *so grateful* to be back in our native lab environment. Go safe research, go!

Aaron Bart's Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan Biophysics Program was recognized at a virtual reception via Zoom. Congratulations Aaron! Read more about Aaron (and the other graduates) on the celebratory Biophysics website.

First year graduate students Cara (Davis) Loomis (Biological Chemistry) and Ellie Frydendall (Pharmacology) have officially joined the Scott lab. We're thrilled to have them as permanent members of the Scott lab branch of the P450 family!

The Scott lab has taken over Zoom for lab meetings and (in this case) a weekly happy hour. Sharing here our Brady Bunch throwback photo (or Hollywood Squares for you older viewers!).

Unfortunately, the Covid19 virus resulted in the shut down of all UM research laboratories on March 20. But we're ready to restart experiments as soon as we are allowed to do so: pipette tips on the cart ready to autoclave and clean glassware ready for new buffers. Meanwhile we're all working hard remotely on data analysis and writing up papers. Hope to be back in the wet lab soon!

Long-time collaborator and Eschelman Distinguished Professor Jeff Aubé and his graduate student Caleb Vogt spent a couple of days with the Scott lab. We've been collaborating on substrates and inhibitors of the steroidogenic CYP17A1. Caleb and Scott lab postdoc Aaron Bart spent a couple of days in the lab preparing samples and running them on the mass spec. Jeff gave a wonderful seminar to the Department on his Tuberculosis project and some wonderful new solutions to controlling ring expansion reactions to make steroid analogs.

Postdoc Simone Brixius-Anderko, and graduate students Stephen Black, Alaina Richard, and Jinghan Liu all presented posters at the College of Pharmacy annual Research Day. Simone received second place for the McGlone Award. Congratulations Simone!

Postdoctoral Fellow Simone Bixius-Anderko presented her work on Aldosterone synthase or CYP11B2 in the UM Structural Biology Seminar. Nice job Simone!

Postdoc Aaron Bart received the special honor of a Highlighted Author Award from Drug Metabolism and Disposition. Check out the highlight on their website and February 2020 monthly newsletter. The article for which he was recognized, "Human Cytochrome P450 1A1 Adapts Active Site for Atypical Nonplanar Substrate", has 100 free downloads available.

Simone Brixius-Anderko was selected to receive a Travel Award in the Postdoctoral Scientist category to attend the ASPET Annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2020. Presented to outstanding young scientists, this will help her present her AHA-funded research on CYP11B2. She was also selected to participate in the ASPET Drug Metabolism and Disposition poster competition. Join Simone at Experimental Biology April 4-7 in San Diego.

First year graduate student Ellie Frydendell and Pharm.D. student Hyun Gi Yun are joining the Scott lab! Ellie will complete her rotation over the winter semester learning to express, purify, and crystallize membrane P450 enzymes. Hyun Gi will be supporting graduate student Sarah Burris's project. Welcome to both!