Princeton MolBio
@princetonmolbio.bsky.social
Official Bluesky for the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University
2025 MolBio Retreat Wrap-Up: 2 days, over 300 attendees, 19 First-Years, 10 MolBio Scholars, 8 sessions, 37 talks, 60 posters, 15 Awardees, and countless cups of coffee! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/20...
2025 MolBio Retreat Wrap Up and Awardees
The 41st annual MolBio Retreat, a two-day science cornucopia on Friday and Saturday, October 3-4, 2025, convened again in Frick Chemistry Laboratory's Taylor Auditorium and Atrium. Over 300 attendees,...
molbio.princeton.edu
November 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM
2025 MolBio Retreat Wrap-Up: 2 days, over 300 attendees, 19 First-Years, 10 MolBio Scholars, 8 sessions, 37 talks, 60 posters, 15 Awardees, and countless cups of coffee! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/20...
MolBio senior Isam Mina awarded Rhodes Scholarship for Jordan! “Breakthroughs in the laboratory matter little if the systems that deliver them remain inaccessible or inequitable.” www.princeton.edu/news/2025/10...
Princeton senior Isam Mina awarded Rhodes Scholarship for Jordan
Mina is a molecular biology major and plans to become an oncologist. For his senior thesis, he is using machine learning to analyze large global clinical datasets to explore the role of the gut microb...
www.princeton.edu
November 1, 2025 at 8:03 AM
MolBio senior Isam Mina awarded Rhodes Scholarship for Jordan! “Breakthroughs in the laboratory matter little if the systems that deliver them remain inaccessible or inequitable.” www.princeton.edu/news/2025/10...
Te Velthuis & Myhrvold: "We discovered a simple trick to make the CRISPR-Cas13 crRNA complex better at recognizing single nucleotide changes, and therefore better at detecting mutations.” molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/te...
te Velthuis, Myhrvold: One Simple Trick Makes a Better Diagnostic Tool
"We discovered a simple trick to make the CRISPR-Cas13 crRNA complex better at recognizing single nucleotide changes, and therefore better at detecting mutations”
molbio.princeton.edu
November 1, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Te Velthuis & Myhrvold: "We discovered a simple trick to make the CRISPR-Cas13 crRNA complex better at recognizing single nucleotide changes, and therefore better at detecting mutations.” molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/te...
Onwards! Pilot grants awarded to three teams of Princeton researchers in Princeton Molbio and Princeton Neuro to support moving their discoveries into clinical applications. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/th...
Three Translational Pilot Grants Awarded to Princeton Researchers
Three teams of Princeton researchers were awarded NJ ACTS pilot grants in 2025. The competitive grants support biomedical researchers seeking to transform their discoveries into clinical applications
molbio.princeton.edu
October 22, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Onwards! Pilot grants awarded to three teams of Princeton researchers in Princeton Molbio and Princeton Neuro to support moving their discoveries into clinical applications. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/th...
70 MolBio grad alumni returned to campus for the Many Minds Many Stripes conference celebrating Princeton graduate alumni. Presenters and panelists and attendees, oh my! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/mo...
MolBio Alumni back for Many Minds Many Stripes
The Department of Molecular Biology was extraordinarily well-represented at the October 9-11, 2025 Many Minds Many Stripes conference celebrating Princeton graduate alumni, whether measured by number ...
molbio.princeton.edu
October 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
70 MolBio grad alumni returned to campus for the Many Minds Many Stripes conference celebrating Princeton graduate alumni. Presenters and panelists and attendees, oh my! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/mo...
New Prof Kai Mesa in Nature: "Loss of skin macrophages with age blocks blood vessel flow and clot repair, revealing a new cellular trigger of tissue aging.” molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/me...
Mesa: Macrophage loss contributes to vascular aging in skin
“When macrophages disappear, skin blood vessels age. Loss of skin macrophages with age blocks blood vessel flow and clot repair, revealing a new cellular trigger of tissue aging.”
molbio.princeton.edu
October 21, 2025 at 11:23 AM
New Prof Kai Mesa in Nature: "Loss of skin macrophages with age blocks blood vessel flow and clot repair, revealing a new cellular trigger of tissue aging.” molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/me...
Congrats🥂 to Callan O’Shea, a MolBio M.D./Ph.D student and newest recipient of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science Award (NJ ACTS) T32 Fellowship. O'Shea is advised by associated faculty member Sam Wang. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/os...
O’Shea awarded a NJ ACTS translational science fellowship
MD/PhD student Callan O’Shea, a member of the Princeton University Department of Molecular Biology (MOL), is the newest recipient of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science Awar...
molbio.princeton.edu
October 7, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Congrats🥂 to Callan O’Shea, a MolBio M.D./Ph.D student and newest recipient of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science Award (NJ ACTS) T32 Fellowship. O'Shea is advised by associated faculty member Sam Wang. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/os...
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded today to Princeton MolBio graduate alumna Mary Brunkow *91 “for groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.” www.princeton.edu/news/2025/10...
October 6, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded today to Princeton MolBio graduate alumna Mary Brunkow *91 “for groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.” www.princeton.edu/news/2025/10...
2025 MolBio Retreat happening now in Frick Chemistry’s Taylor Auditorium. 37 talks, 60 poster presenters, 300 attendees, oh my!
October 4, 2025 at 7:09 PM
2025 MolBio Retreat happening now in Frick Chemistry’s Taylor Auditorium. 37 talks, 60 poster presenters, 300 attendees, oh my!
Bonnie Bassler has been named University Professor, Princeton’s highest honor for faculty. "I am delighted by this honor and deeply grateful ... The Department of Molecular Biology took a chance and hired me at the very inception of my research field..." www.princeton.edu/news/2025/09...
Bonnie Bassler named University Professor
Bassler's pioneering research on the molecular mechanisms used by bacteria for intercellular communication has shown life-saving potential. University Professor is Princeton’s highest honor for facult...
www.princeton.edu
September 29, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Bonnie Bassler has been named University Professor, Princeton’s highest honor for faculty. "I am delighted by this honor and deeply grateful ... The Department of Molecular Biology took a chance and hired me at the very inception of my research field..." www.princeton.edu/news/2025/09...
“I wondered if Bacteriodota were ‘talking’ in a language we hadn’t learned yet." They are(!), according to groundbreaking research by Princeton scientists Luis Linares-Otoya, Mohamed Donia, Jaden Shirkey, and Fred Hughson. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/le...
Learning a new language in bacterial communications
Groundbreaking research by Princeton scientists Luis Linares-Otoya, Mohamed Donia, Jaden Shirkey, Fred Hughson, and colleagues has discovered a new chemical language used by bacteria to communicate w...
molbio.princeton.edu
September 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM
“I wondered if Bacteriodota were ‘talking’ in a language we hadn’t learned yet." They are(!), according to groundbreaking research by Princeton scientists Luis Linares-Otoya, Mohamed Donia, Jaden Shirkey, and Fred Hughson. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/le...
“Do not compare yourselves to others. Focus on your own journey, your own data, and your own development.” Interview of MolBio grad alum and AskBio CSO Mansuo Shannon *98 leading up to the Princeton Alumni Many Minds, Many Stripes conference. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/ma...
Mansuo Shannon *98, Chief Science Officer, AskBio
“Do not compare yourselves to others. It is so easy to compare yourself to everyone around you, especially in the current technological age. But everyone's project is different, everyone's timeline is...
molbio.princeton.edu
August 18, 2025 at 8:12 PM
“Do not compare yourselves to others. Focus on your own journey, your own data, and your own development.” Interview of MolBio grad alum and AskBio CSO Mansuo Shannon *98 leading up to the Princeton Alumni Many Minds, Many Stripes conference. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/ma...
Princeton seeks applications for asst, assoc or full professor to contribute to initiative at interface between cancer, immunity and metabolism (Ludwig Princeton Branch) from candidates using bio, chem, phys, engineering and/or computational approaches. puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
puwebp.princeton.edu
August 12, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Princeton seeks applications for asst, assoc or full professor to contribute to initiative at interface between cancer, immunity and metabolism (Ludwig Princeton Branch) from candidates using bio, chem, phys, engineering and/or computational approaches. puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
Celebrating Princeton's 10 years as @NikonUSA Center of Excellence! User community lunch: 8/18, Hands on workshops with super resolution AXR-NSPARC confocal microscope system: 8/20-29. BYO test samples! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/ni...
Nikon Center of Excellence 10th Anniversary
Under the leadership of Gary Laevsky, Ph.D., Director of MolBio's Confocal Facility, Princeton celebrates its 10th anniversary as a Nikon Center of Excellence (CoE). Nikon Centers of Excellence are st...
molbio.princeton.edu
August 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Celebrating Princeton's 10 years as @NikonUSA Center of Excellence! User community lunch: 8/18, Hands on workshops with super resolution AXR-NSPARC confocal microscope system: 8/20-29. BYO test samples! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/ni...
Take away the shame of being bad at something: “That’s why you go to school, to learn and get better at things!” Interview of MolBio grad alum and professor Michi Taga *03 leading up to Many Minds, Many Stripes graduate alumni conference. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/mi...
Michi Taga *03, Professor, Dept of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley
“There is an expectation that if you’re smart it will be easy. Part of my goal in teaching is to take away that assumption.” Taga’s approach in class and in her lab is the development of a growth mind...
molbio.princeton.edu
August 8, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Take away the shame of being bad at something: “That’s why you go to school, to learn and get better at things!” Interview of MolBio grad alum and professor Michi Taga *03 leading up to Many Minds, Many Stripes graduate alumni conference. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/mi...
Last Thursday, 90+ Summer Undergraduate Research Program participants (rising seniors who are MolBio majors) presented posters to the department detailing their research so far. Faculty, grad students and postdocs came for science -- not the $160 worth of chips, cookies and seltzer!
August 4, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Last Thursday, 90+ Summer Undergraduate Research Program participants (rising seniors who are MolBio majors) presented posters to the department detailing their research so far. Faculty, grad students and postdocs came for science -- not the $160 worth of chips, cookies and seltzer!
Congrats🥂 to assistant professor Ai Ing Lim, selected as a 2025 HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. Studying maternal-offspring immune partnership, Lim aims to improve women’s reproductive health and optimize immune trajectories for future generations. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/li...
Lim named 2025 HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar
In 2022, HHMI launched the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars program to support outstanding basic researchers, including physician-scientists, who have strong potential to become leaders in their fields. Sch...
molbio.princeton.edu
July 11, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Congrats🥂 to assistant professor Ai Ing Lim, selected as a 2025 HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. Studying maternal-offspring immune partnership, Lim aims to improve women’s reproductive health and optimize immune trajectories for future generations. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/li...
Reposted by Princeton MolBio
“Basic scientific research is so appealing to me because, despite it being very frustrating and a lot of work, the payout is so amazing,” explains @fsantoriello.bsky.social, a postdoctoral researcher in HHMI Investigator Bonnie Bassler’s lab at Princeton.
June 21, 2025 at 8:18 PM
“Basic scientific research is so appealing to me because, despite it being very frustrating and a lot of work, the payout is so amazing,” explains @fsantoriello.bsky.social, a postdoctoral researcher in HHMI Investigator Bonnie Bassler’s lab at Princeton.
“Policy is ultimately about people, and scientists need to be in those rooms—not just reacting after it’s made but helping shape it from the start.” MolBio grad alum and policy expert Ali Nouri *06 interview, leading up to the Many Minds, Many Stripes conference. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/al...
Ali Nouri *06, Molecular Biologist, Policy Strategist, National Security Advisor, Teacher
The career path of Ali Nouri *06 defies categorization but reveals a consistent through line: using scientific thinking to serve the public good. In this profile by Molecular Biology graduate student ...
molbio.princeton.edu
July 9, 2025 at 4:13 PM
“Policy is ultimately about people, and scientists need to be in those rooms—not just reacting after it’s made but helping shape it from the start.” MolBio grad alum and policy expert Ali Nouri *06 interview, leading up to the Many Minds, Many Stripes conference. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/al...
Liz Gavis' research group has long studied RNA localization and translational control in animal development, and she now takes on a new role as the fifth Chair of the Dept. of Molecular Biology. Her term as Chair began on July 1, 2025. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/li...
Liz Gavis: on the future as Chair
I am currently on a listening tour, meeting one-on-one with every faculty member in the Department to hear what people are thinking and if they have ideas for where they think the department should be...
molbio.princeton.edu
July 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Liz Gavis' research group has long studied RNA localization and translational control in animal development, and she now takes on a new role as the fifth Chair of the Dept. of Molecular Biology. Her term as Chair began on July 1, 2025. molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/li...
David MacMillan, professor of Chemistry, named Distinguished Scholar to the Ludwig Cancer Research Princeton Branch opening a new chapter in cancer research for the Macmillan lab. He joins MolBio faculty Yibin Kang and Lydia Lynch @lydialynch.bsky.social. www.princeton.edu/news/2025/06...
Nobel laureate David MacMillan joins Princeton’s fight against cancer
MacMillan has been named a Distinguished Scholar in the Princeton Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, which leverages the power of collaboration across scientific fields to advance can...
www.princeton.edu
June 16, 2025 at 4:25 PM
David MacMillan, professor of Chemistry, named Distinguished Scholar to the Ludwig Cancer Research Princeton Branch opening a new chapter in cancer research for the Macmillan lab. He joins MolBio faculty Yibin Kang and Lydia Lynch @lydialynch.bsky.social. www.princeton.edu/news/2025/06...
Reposted by Princeton MolBio
🧬Happy Transposon Day!
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
June 16, 2025 at 12:05 PM
🧬Happy Transposon Day!
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
Grad student Lena Basta and mentor Danelle Devenport uncover organizing principles of tissue polarity in mammalian skin. “Planar cell polarity is, by definition, a multicellular process. Our work demonstrates that it is also mechanistically multicellular.” molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/ba...
Basta and Devenport: Going deep on PCP in skin
The next time a house cat graces you with its presence to demand your admiration, you’ll have the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway to thank for that sleek and neat fur coat; the PCP pathway organize...
molbio.princeton.edu
June 10, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Grad student Lena Basta and mentor Danelle Devenport uncover organizing principles of tissue polarity in mammalian skin. “Planar cell polarity is, by definition, a multicellular process. Our work demonstrates that it is also mechanistically multicellular.” molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/ba...
Jonathan St. Ange (Murphy lab) awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Award for 2025-2026 academic year! St. Ange will continue his studies and research at Université de Bordeaux🍷 while improving his French🇫🇷 and refining his palate!🍔 Congrats! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/jo...
Jonathan St. Ange Receives Fulbright U.S. Student Award for 2025-2026
Jonathan St. Ange, a Ph.D. Student in Molecular Biology at Princeton University, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to conduct research in Molecular Biology in France for the 2025-202...
molbio.princeton.edu
June 6, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Jonathan St. Ange (Murphy lab) awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Award for 2025-2026 academic year! St. Ange will continue his studies and research at Université de Bordeaux🍷 while improving his French🇫🇷 and refining his palate!🍔 Congrats! molbio.princeton.edu/news/2025/jo...
MolBio Alumni Goin’ Back and Standing Up! Reunions 2025. MolBio undergraduate and graduate alumni made the pilgrimage back to campus and to Lewis Thomas Lab over the weekend of May 22-25. pumolbio.smugmug.com/2025-MolBio-...
June 5, 2025 at 7:17 PM
MolBio Alumni Goin’ Back and Standing Up! Reunions 2025. MolBio undergraduate and graduate alumni made the pilgrimage back to campus and to Lewis Thomas Lab over the weekend of May 22-25. pumolbio.smugmug.com/2025-MolBio-...