A new article in the Cornell Chronicle on Forage Evolution, a new startup from my lab: news.cornell.edu/stories/2025... @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Gluconobacter, edited by Alia based on new knowledge by Joe making something interesting. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Alia, Eugene, Daria and Eugene planning some genetic engineering based on Joe's genetic screen of Gluconobacter today in the lab. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

As we look to build an early warning system in our Forecasting Tipping Points programme, we're partnering with Telescope and the Ditchley Foundation to convene experts + ensure actionable information reaches the people it needs to. Learn more about FTP: link.aria.org.uk/ftp-programm...

Now official: we’re looking for postdocs for 2026 and beyond. If you want to use your synbio skills and the growing Microbe-Mineral Atlas to build cutting-edge biomining technologies read more below: docs.google.com/document/d/1... And apply here: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30906

We’re starting to look for postdocs for 2026 and beyond. Nothing official yet, but if you want to use your synbio skills and the growing Microbe-Mineral Atlas to build cutting-edge biomining technologies read more below: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Here's a great new article covering my lab's work (with Chris Mason, Esteban Gazel, Matt Schrenk, Sarah Kreps) on the Microbe-Mineral Atlas in @sciam.bsky.social. www.scientificamerican.com/article/engi... @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

@buzbarstow.bsky.social will be joining us for the third annual STANYS/PRI Institute: Finding Climate Change Solutions From Across the Sciences! #STANYS #scienceteachers www.stanysconference.org/special-even...

Another shot of Joe working on a mineral-dissolution assay for the Microbe-Mineral Atlas. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

A high-throughput mineral-dissolution assay. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Joseph Lee hard at work on a high-throughput mineral-dissolution assay this afternoon for the Microbe-Mineral Atlas. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Meredith Silberstein (at the whiteboard) leading a discussion of high-throughput screening at the Engineered Living Materials Institute meeting this afternoon.

Joe preparing for the next Microbe-Mineral Atlas sampling trip. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

We're getting ready for our next Microbe-Mineral Atlas sampling trip, this time out west. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

How can we accelerate rock weathering and get metals for sustainable energy technologies? A new paper by Luke Plante compares three mineral-dissolving microbes. Gluconobacter oxydans, the most genetically engineerable, leads by a long way: doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Thanks to Dan Goodwin and @homeworld.bsky.social for having me and Esteban Gazel on their podcast to discuss the Microbe-Mineral Atlas and synthetic biology and sustainability: 🎧Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... 🎧Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7gzl...

The McClintock Shed next to the Cornell Botanical Gardens, about a 5 minute walk from my lab. Transposons, so important to our work, were discovered here.

The totally magic new Atkinson Hall at @cornelluniversity.bsky.social today. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social.

An ATV used for transport underground in the Empire State Mine. @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Kyle at the open pit at the Empire State Mine during the first Microbe-Mineral Atlas sampling trip. Searching for new genes and new microbes for biomining. I took this with a ruggedized Pentax WG-90. I dropped it in the mud in the mine and it kept on shooting.

Seen in Forest Home, NY.

Everyone who went to a No Kings or Pride event today: you are my favorite people! Everyone who wanted to but couldn’t because of fear or worry or life or whatever — are also my favorite people. There will be more chances. Be as loud as you can!

In case this narrative gets lost in the shuffle: the Boston No Kings/Yaaaas Queens parade was pure JOY. People danced, cheered, and held up signs in support of trans people, immigrants, diversity, and each other

Thanks to Daniel and Dustin from rare earth exchanges for hosting me yesterday to talk about biomining rare earth elements. You can see the conversation here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ysz... @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Inside of Gates Hall yesterday afternoon.

We survived our trip underground at the Empire State Mine in Gouverneur, NY looking for genes and microbes that could accelerate mining for the Microbe-Mineral Atlas. @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

More photos from our Microbe-Mineral Atlas workshop here: flic.kr/s/aHBqjChiVE @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

More photos from our trip underground for the Microbe-Mineral Atlas here: flic.kr/s/aHBqjChqA5 @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Ok, here's a slightly better photo: The Microbe-Mineral Atlas workshop is wrapped up! Thanks to everyone who came! @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social.

The Microbe-Mineral Atlas workshop is wrapped up! Thanks to everyone who came! @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social.

A new article on work by Esteban Gazel and me on biomining metals for advanced technologies and and CO2 sequestration is up on the Cornell Chronicle: news.cornell.edu/stories/2025... @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social.

Preparing for the first sampling trip for the Microbe-Mineral Atlas in the @cornelluniversity.bsky.social rock garden yesterday. @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social.

Forest Home yesterday evening:

Alexa Schmitz's new paper on engineering a super rare earth element bio-mining microbe, is out in Communications Biology! Supported by Cornell Atkinson, @arpae.bsky.social, @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social, and the Conrad family. www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Congratulations Sabrina! Sean: thanks for coming out for the PhD ceremony! @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social.

Stay strong @harvard.edu

Japan is full of amazing Americana. I saw these t-shirts at Narita on Tuesday morning. Someone in Japan loves @harvard.edu, @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, @michiganstateu.bsky.social, Yale and UCLA too!

Bye Japan! Sendai is somewhere on the horizon.

Back in the 🇺🇸 after almost 7 weeks in 🇯🇵. I felt exhausted going into the trip, but I feel like I can take it on.

Approaching LAX from the north this morning.

Seen in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo this morning. Someone still loves Cornell.

How does Gluconobacter oxydans dissolve minerals to get metals for energy technologies or CO2 sequestration? A new paper out today in Comms Biology by Sabrina Marecos in my lab tells us more about this. www.nature.com/articles/s42... @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social.

How do you accelerate rock weathering and mineralization of CO2 without breaking the bank? Joseph Lee shows how Gluconobacter can be far more effective than organic acids: www.nature.com/articles/s41... @cornellcals.bsky.social, @cornellengineering.bsky.social

Our new paper on the theory of rare earth separation with engineered microbes is up on iScience today! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @cornellcals.bsky.social , @cornellengineering.bsky.social

We really need the Ass Deans account on Bluesky

Congratulations to Bryce Brownfield, who's graduating from the lab today to found Forage Evolution!

Bryce Brownfield's review on the structural biology of Golgi trafficking has been published! authors.elsevier.com/a/1kqrY3PA3s... Bryce is now a postdoc in the @buzbarstow.bsky.social lab, we miss him dearly!

If you need a scale bar to know how big a hot dog sausage is, you've got a bigger problem: you've never had a hot dog!

We've got to get past these ultra-long checklists when we are finalizing a paper. I'm not convinced they do anything for scientific integrity, and just succeed in raising my blood pressure. If you're going to cheat, you're going to cheat, no form is going to stop that.

It’s an honor to receive the ACS Chem Biol Young Investigator Award! I’m most grateful for the contributions from all past & present lab members — it is an award for all of you as much as for me. (& also grateful to still be considered young 😅) axial.acs.org/chemical-bio... @acsbiol.bsky.social 1/2