The Schmitt Lab is at ASBMB! Check out our posters over the next few days!

A flyer advertising Schmitt Lab posters at ASBMB 2026 on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

The Schmitt Lab will be at ASBMB 2026! Check out our posters and learn about what the Schmitt Lab has been up to!

🎇PINK1-SPARK: A phase separation-based biosensor for PINK1 activity! Find the plasmids here: www.addgene.org/browse/artic...

Visualizing PINK1 Activity Dynamics in Single Cells with a Phase Separation-Based Kinase Activity Reporter Phosphatase and tensin homologue-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays roles in mitophagy, cell death, and regulation of cellular bioenergetics. Current approaches for study...

Today our paper reporting on our new PINK1 biosensor is out! We are very excited about the future use of this tool to study PINK1 biology. Plasmids are available on Addgene & we are preparing a protocol paper. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

We are depositing plasmids with @addgene.bsky.social and will update when plasmids are available!

This is the work of the Gln Dream Team™️ led by Jack, with Michael & Sid. Many thanks to Teagan, Katie, & Tiffany for their help with/ iGlo, and our amazing collaborators @tarateslaa.bsky.social (w/ Eddy) & Ajit Divakaruni (w/ Nataly) for their help with metabolomics, respirometry & tracing!

🌟New from the Schmitt Lab!🌟 We have developed a new cpEGFP-based biosensor for glutamine, iGlo. We use iGlo to measure gln uptake and the dynamics of gln production & use in cytoplasm & mito matrix. We also show the temporal crosstalk between gln & glucose metabolism. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Danielle and Jason standing behind a large sign that reads “Pacifichem 2025”

Made it to Pacifichem and checked out posters with @jasonzxzhang.bsky.social! My talk on the Schmitt Lab’s recent biosensor work is on Wednesday!

The Schmitt Lab will be at Pacifichem! Danielle is giving a talk on Wednesday, Dec 17 at 2:50 pm on our work developing amino acid biosensors in the afternoon session of “Genetically-Encoded and Chemigenetic Tools for Analysis and Control of Biological Systems” in the Honolulu Convention Center.

A photo card featuring all members of the Schmitt Lab outdoors that says "Happy Holidays From The Schmitt Lab".

Happy Holidays from the Schmitt Lab

Group photo of the Schmitt Lab

Tonight was the Annual Schmitt Lab Holiday Party! This year Kinase Subgroup cleaned up at charades. We are also big fans of the ThermoFisher Holiday Sweater.

Plasmids for PINK1-SPARK are now available on Addgene! Find them here: www.addgene.org/browse/artic...

This fantastic work, which highlights the utility of combining single cell imaging with ‘omics, was led by undergrads Kasey & Arnav, in collaboration with @doctorbou.bsky.social @tarateslaa.bsky.social. Special thanks to Alexia, Declan, Teagan, and Eddy for their help with ‘omics!

🔬New Preprint Alert 🔬 How is AMPK regulated by oxidative stress? We use functional imaging to uncover spatial regulation of AMPK activity during oxidative stress by LKB1 & CaMKK2. Combining imaging with proteomics & metabolomics, we find AMPK works to promote the cellular redox response.

The Schmitt Lab peaking out from some columns with Danielle standing in the middle.

Schmitt Lab Photo Day!

This work is led by Katie, with her partner in PINK1 Alexia, with help from Michael, Anna, and Ethan. Congrats everyone!

Visualizing PINK1 Activity Dynamics in Single Cells with a Phase Separation-Based Kinase Activity Reporter Phosphatase and tensin homologue-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays roles in mitophagy, cell death, and regulation of cellular bioenergetics. Current approaches for study...

🎀 New from the lab 🎀 We used the SPARK design for kinase biosensors to develop a PINK1 biosensor, PINK1-SPARK. We used PINK1-SPARK to measure PINK1 activity in multiple cell types & when using HaloTag, for multiplexing! Plasmids coming soon, check out the preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Ivy League universities paid hundreds of millions to settle with Trump. Is UCLA next? President Trump's higher education battle comes to the University of California. After the Department of Justice found that UCLA had violated Jewish students' civil rights, the administration froze hu...

“It backfired,” said one senior administrator at UCLA, reflecting the sense of whiplash felt among many who were interviewed. “Within hours of announcing our settlement, the DOJ was on our back.”

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Opinion: Cuts in federal funding hammer STEM students and San Diego region This year’s federal funding cuts are severely impacting STEM research and education, threatening the future of innovation and our nation’s health and technological advancement. These cuts hav…

Science is foundational to the San Diego region. Cuts in federal funding will harm STEM training and education and threaten this foundation. Call your congress people and demand NO CUTS to science funding!

UCLA tells researchers to 'immediately stop spending' after Trump administration freezes grant funds The Trump administration cited alleged antisemitism at UCLA as a reason for suspending the funding. Years worth of research could be lost, one UCLA researcher said.

A story from LAist (local LA public radio) about the freezing of funds. I have had my grant frozen, so has nearly everyone else i know. laist.com/news/climate...

Then, we had a CV workshop to review the differences between a CV and resume, and critiqued some CVs. Then, it was time for cake to celebrate 3 years of the Schmitt Lab! We had a great day spending some time reflecting on our goals and learning some new skills and eating berry Chantilly cake.

Following lunch, we then had a workshop on how to use Illustrator, which is super helpful for all the manuscripts in preparation!

Then, we had a goal-setting workshop. This year, everyone was given the prompt, "What are your goals for the next year? How do you want to achieve these goals? Using graphics, pictures, words, etc to create your vision board." Everyone created vision boards and then shared their goals.

Today the Schmitt Lab had our 2nd Annual Professional Development Day! To start the day, we reviewed the State of the Lab, and discussed plans for current and future funding and publications. Next, we reviewed statistics and what the null hypothesis is.

Katarina sitting in front of a banner that says “PhD candidate”.

🎉Congrats Katarina, who passed her advancement to candidacy today! 🥳

Alexia holding a bottle of prosecco.

🥳 Congrats Alexia, who has advanced to candidacy! Alexia did a wonderful job! 🍾

Members of the Schmitt Lab holding their awards.

Selfie of the Schmitt Lab.

Today at the @uclacb.bsky.social several members of the Schmitt Lab received awards for excellence in research and teaching. 🎉 Congrats, everyone! 🥳

Teagan holding a wrench symbolizing the tool she is making.

🎉 Congrats Teagan, who advanced to candidacy today! Teagan is co-mentored by Danielle & @tarateslaa.bsky.social. Teagan did a great job! 🥳

You should check out Owl Bar if you get a chance!! It’s right around the corner from Brewer’s Art (I lived a block from Brewers Art in grad school). Owl Bar is an old speakeasy!

Tiffany, holding a bottle of fancy water, in front of a sign that says PhD candidate.

🎉Congrats to Tiffany, who advanced to candidacy today! She did a great job! 🥳