Buck Samuel

organismal biologist | PI @BCM_Microbiome | continually amazed by microbes and their superpowers | #microbiome #Celegans | he/him
(@microbeMinded.bsky.social)

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

Happy to share new lab paper in @CurrentBiology driven by postdoc @Microbe_Fan and student Jessica Weckhorst on identifying #insulin signaling as key regulator of the gut #microbiome in #Celegans.

FIND IT HERE: https://t.co/KRLrWUySam

cc: @bcm_microbiome @bcmhouston

1/n

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

@Soph_astro After establishing a defined microbiome in the lab, we found later that worms from France, USA and other parts of the world shared similar types of microbiomes.

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

Incredible for #CBIOMES highlight by @Space_Station! 100K+ tiny worms, gut #microbiome, and a week in orbit — all to understand how microgravity reshapes host-microbiome interactions. Grateful to the whole team! The science is just getting started. 🪱🚀 #WormsinSpace

[International Space Station @Space_Station]

Scientists are studying how the gut microbiome changes in space! 🦠

CBIOMES just wrapped up aboard the space station, and the results could help us improve methods to protect astronaut gut health on future space missions.

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

@Soph_astro Après avoir établi un microbiome défini en laboratoire, nous avons découvert par la suite que des vers provenant de France, des États-Unis et d'autres régions du monde partageaient des types de microbiomes similaires. https://t.co/tBKFuJRpka

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

@Space_Station Thanks so much for highlighting our #CBIOMES research on the @Space_Station! #wormsInSpace

[Jessica Meir @Astro_Jessica]

And the science begins! Remember the new experiments we promised with the arrival of the @northropgrumman Cygnus? Today we conducted MVP Cell‑09, which examines the effects of bacterial infection (Streptococcus pneumoniae) on heart tissue in microgravity. By leveraging the unique environment of space, where muscle tissue undergoes accelerated atrophy and bacterial infections can become more severe, researchers hope to create an enhanced model for studying how pneumonia damages the heart.

Here, I am replacing the media (the nutrients that the cells need to grow) for the cells. I also prepared some of the units for RNA analysis and put them in the freezer, to be eventually returned to the ground for further experimentation.

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

@Space_Station @Astro_Jessica Many thanks / Merci beaucoup to @Soph_astro for expertly completing our first set of experiments of #microbiome impact on host responses to microgravity!

#CBIOMES #wormsinspace #iss #spacebiology

[International Space Station @Space_Station]

Researchers are refining ways to grow food for future missions! 🌱🫛

Veg-06 recently arrived to the space station to study how spaceflight impacts plant-microbe interactions. A process that may provide the necessary nitrogen these plants need to grow.

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

Shoutout to our #microbiome experiments on the #ISS! #CBIOMES #wormsinspace #spacebiology #Celegans

[International Space Station @Space_Station]

Learning to grow plants in space, observing worms to develop "living medicines," and prepping for new computers wrapped up the week for the Exp 74 crew. https://t.co/ICP7bJU3pE

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

Next launch attempt of thousands of tiny astronauts on CRS-24 to the #ISS on 4/11/26 at 7:40am EST!

https://t.co/yieAfTQIDo...

#wormsinspace #microbiome #spacex #spacebiology #Celegans #CBIOMES

[From the Labs at Baylor College of Medicine @BCMFromtheLabs]

A @NASA-funded investigation on the #ISS brings together B. Samuel @microbeMinded, S. Vanapalli and M. Driscoll to address #microgravity effects on the #gutMicrobiome and what that means on long-duration missions. https://t.co/zp3E4PVKVR @bcmhouston @TexasTech @RutgersU

[From the Labs at Baylor College of Medicine @BCMFromtheLabs]

A @NASA-funded investigation on the #ISS brings together B. Samuel @microbeMinded, S. Vanapalli and M. Driscoll to address #microgravity effects on the #gutMicrobiome and what that means on long-duration missions. https://t.co/zp3E4PVKVR @bcmhouston @TexasTech @RutgersU

[Katherine Aird @airdlab]

Cutting NIH funds hurts all Americans.

Why? Three main reasons:

#1: These funds support a huge industry in all 50 states. For every $1 of NIH funding generated, there is a short-term return of ~$2.46 in economic activity1. The $4B in cuts will take away $10B from the economy.

[Blair Benham-Pyle, PhD (she/her) @BlairBenhamPyle]

If you are worried about how @NIH’s proposed 15% cap on research support will impact American competitiveness and biomedical innovation, call your reps! The more they hear from us as constituents and private citizens, the more likely they are to fight for science.

[CBS News @CBSNews]

Here's our guide to states that allow same-day voter registration on Election Day — meaning you can still show up, register and cast your vote today.

For more info, visit https://t.co/SKg5fl0Q4f or your local elections website, or read our story here: https://t.co/iHXixR4Evp

[Di Rienzi Lab @dirienzilab]

The formal job ad for our technician position is posted! Join us and help us learn more about oxytocin in the gut!
https://t.co/iOP6JrraB3

[Mike Tisza @MikeTisza]

I'm opening the doors to my very own microbial genomics research lab at @BCMFromtheLabs in Houston, TX. I'm looking for talented biologists to join me on this journey through sequence space. Featuring:
- Wastewater and human virome
- Phages, all of them
- Microbial epigenomes

[From the Labs at Baylor College of Medicine @BCMFromtheLabs]

Congratulations, @BenhamPyleLab, @BoeynaemsSteven and @HongjieLi5, recipients of a 2024 @NIH Director's New #Innovator Award! @bcmhouston @BCMCancerCenter @bcmgenetics @TCHResearchNews @CPRITTexas https://t.co/i4rUS0GWiN

[Buck Samuel @microbeMinded]

@BlairBenhamPyle @bcmhouston @HongjieLi5 @BoeynaemsSteven @Planaria1 @longhua_guo @stanfordcbio @dianyang1117 A huge congrats!!!