Alex Guseman
@alexguseman.bsky.social
Assistant professor at UCSD Chemistry and Biochemistry. Pens fan & bbq enthusiast.
Was in downtown San Diego tonight while SfN was going on. I was in line behind a group of students who had UNC on their SfN badges and struck up a convo. They told me they were the last UNC imsd class, because it was cancelled. That shook me. UNC IMSD is the reason I didn’t quit and am still here.
November 17, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Was in downtown San Diego tonight while SfN was going on. I was in line behind a group of students who had UNC on their SfN badges and struck up a convo. They told me they were the last UNC imsd class, because it was cancelled. That shook me. UNC IMSD is the reason I didn’t quit and am still here.
Reposted by Alex Guseman
Not every mentor is for every person. I always tell grad students to listen to what folks in the lab say about a mentor, but it’s okay to also see it for yourself in a rotation. It’s about the match - finding the person who can meet your needs (which are unique!).
November 13, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Not every mentor is for every person. I always tell grad students to listen to what folks in the lab say about a mentor, but it’s okay to also see it for yourself in a rotation. It’s about the match - finding the person who can meet your needs (which are unique!).
This was a topic discussed in my group this week. anyone who might have a decent answer for this and or how to show an official transcript when they have not completed a semester yet ... we are all ears on suggestions...
Any advice on what first year grad students should enter for their GPA as they do not yet have grades? 0.0? (NA is not accepted by system)
November 7, 2025 at 7:51 AM
This was a topic discussed in my group this week. anyone who might have a decent answer for this and or how to show an official transcript when they have not completed a semester yet ... we are all ears on suggestions...
Reposted by Alex Guseman
The Leading Edge Fellows gathered this week to celebrate Zara Weinberg, a beloved member of our community. Our 7th cohort of Leading Edge Fellows (2026) will be named in her honor.
The Zara Weinberg Leading Edge Cohort application is now open! Due Feb 2.
www.leadingedgesymposium.org/apply/
The Zara Weinberg Leading Edge Cohort application is now open! Due Feb 2.
www.leadingedgesymposium.org/apply/
November 5, 2025 at 5:48 PM
The Leading Edge Fellows gathered this week to celebrate Zara Weinberg, a beloved member of our community. Our 7th cohort of Leading Edge Fellows (2026) will be named in her honor.
The Zara Weinberg Leading Edge Cohort application is now open! Due Feb 2.
www.leadingedgesymposium.org/apply/
The Zara Weinberg Leading Edge Cohort application is now open! Due Feb 2.
www.leadingedgesymposium.org/apply/
I just realized frank the bunny was the original labubu... not sure if it's kind of funny or kinda sad?
November 3, 2025 at 6:49 AM
I just realized frank the bunny was the original labubu... not sure if it's kind of funny or kinda sad?
April did a cake swap! Which resulted in a post swap cake picnic!
November 2, 2025 at 9:25 PM
April did a cake swap! Which resulted in a post swap cake picnic!
When 6 biochemically oriented PIs go out for cocktails and this is the page of the guest book the check comes out in.
November 1, 2025 at 7:27 AM
When 6 biochemically oriented PIs go out for cocktails and this is the page of the guest book the check comes out in.
Just a totally normal Halloween lecture I swear…
October 31, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Just a totally normal Halloween lecture I swear…
April and I went to a Wizard of Oz themed party tonight, she went as the beautiful and elegant glinda, and I decided to be the yellow brick road. It was a fan favorite.
October 31, 2025 at 4:58 AM
April and I went to a Wizard of Oz themed party tonight, she went as the beautiful and elegant glinda, and I decided to be the yellow brick road. It was a fan favorite.
This is absolutely heartbreaking, Zara was an absolutely wonderful person and wonderful scientist. She also had a great taste in cocktails bar as we realized we were both regulars at Butterjoint in Pgh during different timeframes. She will be dearly missed.
Zara Weinberg was a brilliant light both in and out of science. She changed the lives of everyone she interacted and loved for the better. Her legacy will live on through all of us and we will fight for a better world on behalf of her memory.
October 30, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This is absolutely heartbreaking, Zara was an absolutely wonderful person and wonderful scientist. She also had a great taste in cocktails bar as we realized we were both regulars at Butterjoint in Pgh during different timeframes. She will be dearly missed.
Whenever Angela talks about our work on y-crystallins/cataracts she prefaces it by showing Monet's work pre and post cataracts.
In 1911, Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt was diagnosed with cataracts, where lenses in the eye become clouded with protein deposits as we age.
A failed cataract surgery left her essentially blind. Her last painting was 1914.
Claude Monet was diagnosed with cataracts in 1912...
A failed cataract surgery left her essentially blind. Her last painting was 1914.
Claude Monet was diagnosed with cataracts in 1912...
October 29, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Whenever Angela talks about our work on y-crystallins/cataracts she prefaces it by showing Monet's work pre and post cataracts.
When you get given a box full of Shigemi tubes 😀
When you realize most of them a varian Shigemis 😭
When you realize most of them a varian Shigemis 😭
October 17, 2025 at 11:30 PM
When you get given a box full of Shigemi tubes 😀
When you realize most of them a varian Shigemis 😭
When you realize most of them a varian Shigemis 😭
nows that MoFs have won the Chem Nobel we can get back to real (bio)chemistry prizes!
a black cat sitting on top of a cauldron with a stick sticking out of its mouth .
ALT: a black cat sitting on top of a cauldron with a stick sticking out of its mouth .
media.tenor.com
October 8, 2025 at 7:27 PM
nows that MoFs have won the Chem Nobel we can get back to real (bio)chemistry prizes!
I know of a lot of high powered magnets in Pittsburgh…. But I didn’t know I could use them to move furniture !!
Lawrenceville. 46th Street. Caller says that his neighbors have a high powered magnet and are using it and other dark arts to move his furniture. Happy Halloween season.
October 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I know of a lot of high powered magnets in Pittsburgh…. But I didn’t know I could use them to move furniture !!
🐧🐧🐧🌸🌸🌸🐧🐧🐧
Thank you Marc Andre for all the memories!!!! (Picture courtesy of Father in law)
Thank you Marc Andre for all the memories!!!! (Picture courtesy of Father in law)
September 28, 2025 at 8:05 AM
🐧🐧🐧🌸🌸🌸🐧🐧🐧
Thank you Marc Andre for all the memories!!!! (Picture courtesy of Father in law)
Thank you Marc Andre for all the memories!!!! (Picture courtesy of Father in law)
anyone ever have a cytiva column valve confuse upflow and downflow?
September 18, 2025 at 12:22 AM
anyone ever have a cytiva column valve confuse upflow and downflow?
Reposted by Alex Guseman
NMRSky! Is there any way to indicate multiple peak assignments for a single spin system (I.e., exchange where two peaks for one amide are visible) in a BMRB deposition? @nmr900.bsky.social
Thanks!
Thanks!
September 15, 2025 at 11:35 PM
NMRSky! Is there any way to indicate multiple peak assignments for a single spin system (I.e., exchange where two peaks for one amide are visible) in a BMRB deposition? @nmr900.bsky.social
Thanks!
Thanks!
anyone else seeing insane tarrif charges? 24% more expensive?!?!
September 15, 2025 at 10:58 PM
anyone else seeing insane tarrif charges? 24% more expensive?!?!
Reposted by Alex Guseman
Very excited to share new work out today in @natchembio.nature.com on a new approach - FACES - for selectively imaging of phospholipids and other biomolecules at spatial resolutions down to individual membrane leaflets (1/n) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Leaflet-specific phospholipid imaging using genetically encoded proximity sensors - Nature Chemical Biology
An approach combining bioorthogonal chemistry with genetically encoded fluorogen-activating proteins enables subcellular imaging of phospholipids and glycans, as well as the visualization of lipid tra...
www.nature.com
September 15, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Very excited to share new work out today in @natchembio.nature.com on a new approach - FACES - for selectively imaging of phospholipids and other biomolecules at spatial resolutions down to individual membrane leaflets (1/n) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Me: Ugh i shouldn't have agreed to review this manuscript it does not match the abstract and is going to be a lot of work when i should be writing a grant...
Also me: oooo invitation to review another manuscript that I know is going to be interesting...✅
*sigh* at least this 2nd one will be easy
Also me: oooo invitation to review another manuscript that I know is going to be interesting...✅
*sigh* at least this 2nd one will be easy
September 10, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Me: Ugh i shouldn't have agreed to review this manuscript it does not match the abstract and is going to be a lot of work when i should be writing a grant...
Also me: oooo invitation to review another manuscript that I know is going to be interesting...✅
*sigh* at least this 2nd one will be easy
Also me: oooo invitation to review another manuscript that I know is going to be interesting...✅
*sigh* at least this 2nd one will be easy
How the fuck am I supposed to plan my lab finances if my grants keep getting terminated and reinstated and terminated again?
End rant.
End rant.
August 21, 2025 at 10:01 PM
How the fuck am I supposed to plan my lab finances if my grants keep getting terminated and reinstated and terminated again?
End rant.
End rant.
Reposted by Alex Guseman
Want to attend #bps2026 in San Francisco but need help with funding to get there? BPS offers travel awards for students and scientists at every career level.
Deadline to apply is October 3
(and you have to submit your abstract by October 1!)
Deadline to apply is October 3
(and you have to submit your abstract by October 1!)
BPS2026 Travel Awards | Biophysical Society
Travel Award FAQs
buff.ly
August 18, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Want to attend #bps2026 in San Francisco but need help with funding to get there? BPS offers travel awards for students and scientists at every career level.
Deadline to apply is October 3
(and you have to submit your abstract by October 1!)
Deadline to apply is October 3
(and you have to submit your abstract by October 1!)
Reposted by Alex Guseman
UCSD is holding a town hall with @repscottpeters.bsky.social this Wednesday to urge him to oppose proposed research funding cuts in the FY2026 budget, set for a vote in September. Please RSVP below and share widely. Everyone is welcome.
form.laborbase.org/251675765832...
form.laborbase.org/251675765832...
August 15, 2025 at 5:52 PM
UCSD is holding a town hall with @repscottpeters.bsky.social this Wednesday to urge him to oppose proposed research funding cuts in the FY2026 budget, set for a vote in September. Please RSVP below and share widely. Everyone is welcome.
form.laborbase.org/251675765832...
form.laborbase.org/251675765832...
anyone have bead bath bead suggestions that are affordable?
Or any hacks, can I go to wally world and by 500 worth of BB gun ammo (on my p-card) thats made of the same material?
Or any hacks, can I go to wally world and by 500 worth of BB gun ammo (on my p-card) thats made of the same material?
August 15, 2025 at 12:03 AM
anyone have bead bath bead suggestions that are affordable?
Or any hacks, can I go to wally world and by 500 worth of BB gun ammo (on my p-card) thats made of the same material?
Or any hacks, can I go to wally world and by 500 worth of BB gun ammo (on my p-card) thats made of the same material?
Thrilled to share this manuscript from my lab where we looked at how glycopolymers that compose the glycocalyx influence protein folding and protein-protein interactions via macromolecular crowding.
TLDR: The Glycocalyx stabilizes protein folding and PPIs
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
TLDR: The Glycocalyx stabilizes protein folding and PPIs
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Glycopolymers stabilize protein folding and protein-protein interactions via enthalpic interactions
Macromolecular crowding is ubiquitous to physiological environments, perturbing the thermodynamics and kinetics of proteins via excluded volume and nonspecific chemical interactions. While crowding ha...
www.biorxiv.org
August 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Thrilled to share this manuscript from my lab where we looked at how glycopolymers that compose the glycocalyx influence protein folding and protein-protein interactions via macromolecular crowding.
TLDR: The Glycocalyx stabilizes protein folding and PPIs
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
TLDR: The Glycocalyx stabilizes protein folding and PPIs
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...