Career musings, ways to study biology: Take it out of the living thing (e.g. biochemistry), break it (e.g. knockouts), study it in the living thing (e.g. omics methods, microscopy), build new biology (e.g. move parts from one organism to another).

That moment when you realize your 'failed' experiment disproving your hypothesis can be reframed as a really interesting result that deserves investigation

Thanks to NCSU College of Engineering for the fun highlight! engr.ncsu.edu/news/2021/04/2…

Very excited to finally be sharing this work! Huge thanks to an awesome team of collaborators!

For easy/free access to our story on how eating xanthan gum affects our microbiomes, here's a #SharedIt link to our paper: rdcu.be/cKTfn

Are processed foods unintentionally engineering our microbiomes? Happy to share a "Behind the Paper" post on how it's important to be open to new hypotheses and reviewer critiques to make your science stronger! microbiologycommunity.nature.com/posts/are-proc… #behindthepaper

In a Nature Portfolio Microbiology Community post, Matthew P. Ostrowski shares how consumption of xanthan gum —a common food additive in the human diet— is influencing human microbiomes and possibly human health. #BehindThePaper go.nature.com/36xGUO2

Is Xanthan Gum Safe? An article on a new study that a lab at the University of Michigan asked me to write: glutenfreerecipebox.com/is-xanthan-gum… #xanthangum #glutenfreebaking #glutenfree #glutenfreefood #glutenfreeingredients #celiac #celiacdisease #glutenintolerance #glutenintolerant

If you ever wanted to say you’re a molecular ichthyologist, check out this PhD position with my great collaborators (although I’m pretty sure the fish will be normal size!)

Sometimes you lyophilize oligosaccharides and they turn out like deep sea hydrothermal vents! Happy Friday everyone!

Applications OPEN for a great conference! Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes for Glycan Conversions grc.org/carbohydrate-a… Lots of opportunities for talks from grad students and postdocs! Don't forget to apply to the associated GRC as well!

Aspiring science communicators should check out the Lasker Foundation Essay Contest Lasker Foundation! Even if your essay isn't chosen, you can share your essay with your networks to start important conversations. laskerfoundation.org/education/essa…

Friendly reminder to submit your abstracts for Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes for Glycan Conversions! Speakers and discussion leaders for the GRS will be chosen from submitted abstracts within the next month! grc.org/carbohydrate-a…

I’m happy to share that I’ve started a new position as Scientist, Biomarker Discovery at Amgen! Thanks to everyone who helped me get here! Looking forward to trying to make a real world impact on improving people’s lives with science!

Very excited to see my team’s work on xanthan gum discussed in Chris van Tulleken’s new book “Ultra-processed People”! Chris van Tulleken 🏳️‍🌈 Friendly reminder to see the full paper at rdcu.be/cKTfn and follow some of my awesome team: @SabinaLLaRosa Phil b. Pope @EricCMartens1