Vol. 13 / No. 8 / September 2014 THE MEMBER MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY CONTENTS NEWS FEATURES PERSPECTIVES 2 28 38 ON THE COVER PUNKS WHO PUBLISH OPEN LETTERS 2015 CALLS FOR 29 Introduction Open letter to the incoming cohort 3 30 Milo Aukerman of Descendents of graduate students EDITOR’S NOTE 32 Dexter Holland of e Ospring 34 Greg Gran of Bad Religion 40 SUBMISSIONS EDUCATION 4 22 A response to the NIH Biomedical Research PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Workforce Working Group Report HOBBIES e curse of committees and clubs We know that a life in science can be grueling. We also know that some of you 43 have very interesting or unusual ways of blowing o steam or nding your Zen. 6 PROFESSIONAL DEVLOPMENT We would like to feature your essays, poems, artwork or multimedia reecting on MEMBER UPDATE Passive obstructionism scientists’ pastimes. We welcome all creative interpretations of the theme. You could send us a photo of you shooting hoops or jumping out of an airplane. You could 44 send us a video of you jamming with your band. You could send us a poem about a 8 NIH UPDATE OUTREACH childhood hobby or otherwise abandoned escapes. You could write about a hobby enjoyed by someone else — perhaps a gure in science history or one of your men- 44 Scientists talking genetics with the public tors. And you could send us a rant about how you don’t have time for such frivolity. 9 46 ASBMB grants help UAN chapters NEWS FROM THE HILL do outreach Regular maintenance required 12 44 GENERATIONS is collection of essays, poems and artwork will explore generations in a very 10 loosely dened way. You might have come from a family of scientists. You might NEWS have insights about parenting while doing science. You might have something to say New JBC/Herb Tabor about generations of cell lines or scientic lines of inquiry. You might have a story Young Investigator Award winners to tell about a line of researchers mentored by one scientist. Interpret the theme as you will. It is not a boundary but rather a springboard for the making of meaning. 12 RETROSPECTIVE Roy P. Mackal, 1935 – 2013 DEADLINES FOR HOBBIES AND GENERATIONS: Dec. 31, 2014. FORMAT: We’ll print some; others, we will post online. Some might appear both in print 13 and online. IN MEMORIAM SUBMISSIONS: Email (to [email protected]) your manuscripts as Word documents, static images as JPEG or TIFF les (the higher the resolution the better), audio as mp3 or 16 28 38 mp4 les, and videos in something like QuickTime, Vimeo or YouTube. Please indicate to JOURNAL NEWS In the rst part which series you are submitting in your email subject line. of our “Defying Stereotypes” 20 series, Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay and LIPID NEWS Geo Hunt write about three punk rockers who also do 22 science. For image 2015 ANNUAL MEETING credits see page 36. SEPTEMBER 2014 ASBMB TODAY 1 ON THE COVER EDITOR’S NOTE THE MEMBER MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Defying stereotypes Death notices OFFICERS COUNCIL MEMBERS Steven McKnight Natalie Ahn magine you are at a social event, paths away from the lab bench. e ne important but sobering duty spective article. It’s especially helpful he abandoned the bench to track President Squire J. Booker such as a wedding reception or number of workers with STEM I have as editor of this maga- when colleagues oer to write it. down elusive beasts. He apparently Jeremy M. Berg Karen G. Fleming I a birthday party. Between toasts Ph.D.s employed in academia has O zine is to report the deaths of Another consideration is how long remained an ASBMB member until Past President Gregory Gatto Jr. and appetizers, somebody asks you decreased by nearly 20 percent since our members. We have thousands of ago the member passed away. In most his death last year. Karen Allen Daniel Leahy what you do. For most people, it’s members, of course, and I certainly cases, if more than a few months have I found lots of reporting on Secretary 1973 (1), with almost 30 percent now Anjana Rao not a big deal to answer the ques- employed in nonresearch positions don’t know them all personally, but I passed, a news magazine like ours Mackal’s adventures, including a Toni Antalis Jared Rutter Treasurer tion. But for you, as scientists, it’s a appreciate that a stranger to me is a has, by industry standards, missed its People magazine interview with Brenda Schulman (2). Setting aside the implications for very special person to another. window. But there are exceptions, like him before he set o for the Congo Michael Summers dreaded question, because as soon as the future of the scientic enterprise, EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS you announce your profession, you these trends show that the traditional, In most cases, word of a recent one in this month’s issue. swamps to nd what might have been Dorothy Beckett ASBMB TODAY EDITORIAL pretty much know what the reaction stereotypical view of scientists is death trickles in. In early July, Cindy sent what I “the last of the dinosaurs.” I watched Mary Roberts Co-chairs, 2015 Annual ADVISORY BOARD will be. crumbling. Our executive director, Barbara thought at rst was a typical death videos of him and about creatures I’d Meeting Program Charles Brenner Scientists are assumed to be e series also will explore how Gordon, who seems to know just notice, but I couldn’t have been more never heard of. I cruised cryptozool- Committee Chair about everybody, often spots death wrong. She provided a link to an ogy websites – some serious and some Michael Bradley socially inept and far too smart for the characteristics and qualities that Peter J. Kennelly announcements and lets me know. obituary, like she usually does. She not so much. (Cryptozoology, by the Chair, Education and Floyd “Ski” Chilton mere mortals. While people in other make scientists who they are also Professional Development Cristy Gelling professions are understood to come in make musicians, athletes, artists and Cindy Whalen, our membership also provided a link to a Wikipedia way, is the study of hidden animals Committee Peter J. Kennelly all shapes and sizes, those of us with others who they are. Our hope is that coordinator, periodically checks our page, which was a little odd. And she and often derided as a eld.) Daniel Raben list of emeritus members so that she included a note: “I love this one.” I Mackal passed away on Sept. 13, Chair, Meetings Committee Rajini Rao lives in science are dened by cari- nonscientist readers will appreciate Yolanda Sanchez can keep our records updated. And was intrigued. 2013. I’ve written an obituary for this Takita Felder Sumter cature: Only certain kinds of people that being a scientist doesn’t mean Chair, Minority Aairs Shiladitya Sengupta are scientists, and scientists are only anything other than enjoying science sometimes members will notify us I clicked the rst link. e headline longtime member who was not at all Committee Carol Shoulders certain kinds of people. and that scientist readers will appreci- when their colleagues have passed read, “Loch Ness Monster & Mokele- representative of our general mem- omas Baldwin In a series of articles launching in away. Mbembe Researcher, Cryptozoologist bership but who was nonetheless a Chair, Outreach Committee ate that they have what it takes to do ASBMB TODAY this issue of ASBMB Today, we aim anything they want. Hence the name You might wonder how we deter- Roy P. Mackal Has Died.” It wasn’t larger-than-life character. You can nd Bob Matthews Angela Hopp mine which obituaries to include making sense. is fellow was an the article on page 12. I apologize for Chair, Public Aairs Editor, [email protected] to alter, if not completely vanquish, of this series: “Defying stereotypes.” Advisory Committee in the magazine. If the member has ASBMB member? its lateness, but I hope you enjoy it. Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay this stereotypical image of a scientist. Kathleen Collins Sr. Science Writer, e series presents proles of indi- made key discoveries or held leader- As a matter of fact, Mackal joined Chair, Publications [email protected] ship positions with the society or its the society in 1953, back when he was Sincerely, Committee viduals who have scientic know-how Marnay Harris journals, we do our best to recognize a young biochemistry faculty member Angela Hopp Martha J. Fedor Designer, [email protected] but who have made their names in Editor-in-chief, JBC his or her contributions in a Retro- at the University of Chicago, before Editor, ASBMB Today Ciarán Finn completely dierent elds. Some Herbert Tabor Web Assistant, [email protected] of those featured might be obvious; Co-editor, JBC Karen Schools Colson others might surprise you. In some A. L. Burlingame Director of Publications, Editor, MCP [email protected] cases, science clearly has inspired their Edward A. Dennis Barbara Gordon current work; in others, science has UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN THE MOLECULAR SCIENCES 2014 Joseph L. Witztum Executive Director, served as only a stepping stone along Co-editors, JLR [email protected] their career paths. Regardless of how at Minnesota State University Moorhead those featured in this series got to where they are now, their stories Minnesota State University Moorhead invites Keynote speaker: For information on advertising, contact Fox Associates Inc. undergraduate researchers and mentors from the Catherine Smith, MMSc. at 800-440-0231 or [email protected]. demonstrate that having a science background doesn’t limit the possi- surrounding area to participate in a regional meeting Inuenza Division, bilities of what someone can of the ASBMB Undergraduate Aliate Network.