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Laura Kiessling

@laurakiessling.bsky.social

Chemical biologist at MIT, passionate about glycoscience and all chemical biology

3,423 Followers  |  787 Following  |  33 Posts  |  Joined: 10.11.2024
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Posts by Laura Kiessling (@laurakiessling.bsky.social)

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Intelectin-2 is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial lectin - Nature Communications Intelectin-2 defends mucosal interfaces by crosslinking mucus and blocking microbial growth. This study reveals that mouse and human intelectin-2 recognizes galactose-rich glycans to bind and target diverse bacteriaβ€”uncovering a potent, dual-action lectin that shapes host–microbe balance.

#Immunology

Intelectin-2 is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial lectin

It binds glycans on mammalian cells (inducing mucin cross-linking) and on bacterial cells (leading to antibacterial activity)

@laurakiessling.bsky.social @kiesslinglab.bsky.social

04.02.2026 16:39 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Tumor Microenvironment Meeting Promo
YouTube video by KeystoneSymposia Tumor Microenvironment Meeting Promo

⏰ Submit short talk abstracts and/or scholarship apps by Feb 4 at 11:59 PM for the Symposium on Tumor Microenvironment.

🎀 Speaker preview: youtu.be/lyK8XkYC8cI
πŸ”— Apply: keysym.us/KSTumorMicro26

@coussenslab.bsky.social @sandramcallister.bsky.social @laurakiessling.bsky.social

#KSTumorMicro26

29.01.2026 15:09 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Fun collaboration with @thexavierlab.bsky.social and Ribbeck groups to figure out how this human lectin plays multiple roles in controlling the #microbiome: stabilizing the mucus barrier and reducing bacteria that breach it. news.mit.edu/2026/protein... #glycotime

15.01.2026 15:26 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This meeting should be very fun as the program is quite diverse. (Even chemical biologists).

13.01.2026 16:43 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Conference Overview

Join us for the 2025 Welch Conference on Chemical Research, β€œNew Horizons in Drug Discovery,” Oct. 27-28 in-person or virtually. The event is completely free! Find more information here: welch1.org/conference/c...

20.10.2025 15:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Register for the 2025 Welch Conference

Don’t miss Pamela Bjorkman’s keynote address at the 2025 Welch Conference about the need to combat future SARS-CoV-2 variants and new spillovers of SARS-like betacoronaviruses. Join in-person or virtually here: welch1.org/conference/r...

11.09.2025 18:19 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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2025 Conference Program

Looking forward to a great #chembio program hosted by @thewelchfoundation.bsky.social and organized by Kevan Shokat welch1.org/conference/c.... Great coincidence that Welch honorees are Stuart Schreiber and Pete Schultz.

26.10.2025 20:55 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Amazing news that the 5th Virtual @chembiotalks.bsky.social attracted 450 participants from 50 countries.

If you are as excited as we are, already mark next year's date (29th of September, 2026) in your calendars and make sure to suggest your favorite speakers!

#ChemSky #ChemBio #DrugDiscovery

07.10.2025 10:23 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Come join us at @stanford-chemh.bsky.social! I feel incredibly lucky to have launched my career here -- it is a fantastic place to do bold interdisciplinary science surrounded by creative & supportive colleagues. Applications are due 10/15/2025 -- DM me if you have questions about the search!

07.10.2025 18:33 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 15    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Open positions GR-SCHUHMACHER

We are hiring!

If you are looking for a postdoc position and you are interested in signaling lipids and proteomics, come join us in beautiful Switzerland!

More information on www.epfl.ch/labs/gr-schu...

12.08.2025 09:32 β€” πŸ‘ 37    πŸ” 32    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2

If you are at #FallACS2025 and like carbs, come by: My new title is Probing glycan recognition in health and disease.

19.08.2025 20:44 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Looking forward to talking today about some new ways of looking at what human lectins do. #FallACS2025

19.08.2025 20:41 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

We are so grateful for resources to help us test key ideas about glycans and #Alzheimers disease. #glycotimeπŸ§ͺ

12.06.2025 20:59 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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To overcome challenges that #neurodegenerative diseases pose, MIT’s Aging Brain Initiative has awarded seed grants for 5 innovative research projects.

Congrats to Drs. Joseph Coughlin, Giovanni Traverso, Pattie Maes, Bin Zhang, @laurakiessling.bsky.social & @eboyden3.bsky.social ! bit.ly/4mVasaV

12.06.2025 20:47 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Advisor - Fragment-based Computational Design in Bracknell, United Kingdom | Research & Development at Lilly Apply for Advisor - Fragment-based Computational Design job with Lilly in Bracknell, United Kingdom. Research & Development at Lilly

Opportunity in fragment-based design at Lilly (job available in 4 locations | UK: Bracknell | USA: Boston MA, Louisville CO, San Francisco CA) ref: R-86733 #FBD #FBDD #FBLD #CADD #CompChem #cheminformatics #ChemJobs #UKChemJobs #chemsky πŸ§ͺ
careers.lilly.com/us/en/job/R-...

30.05.2025 05:52 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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a white and orange cat is standing on its hind legs on a tiled floor . ALT: a white and orange cat is standing on its hind legs on a tiled floor .

Brief victory celebration and NEW ASSIGNMENT

More than 27,000 comments posted regarding Schedule F implementation!

1/n

23.05.2025 13:23 β€” πŸ‘ 56    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4
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Stanford.Berkeley.UCSF Next Generation Faculty Symposium

Are you a postdoc/grad student preparing to launch a faculty search? Do you have a track record of excellence in research, leadership, mentorship & community engagement? Apply to the 2025 Next Generation Faculty Symposium: www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com! Pls repost! (1/3)

12.05.2025 18:06 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The images show the ManLAM stays associated with cells in the macrophage even after a few days. Wish the macrophages were better at killing M. tuberculosis… We @kiesslinglab.bsky.social hope to use this labeling for better #TB diagnostics. #chemtwitterπŸ§ͺ

05.05.2025 21:53 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Stephanie along with Chi-Wang Ma, @lsoyoung.bsky.social @vicmarando.bsky.social, Greg Babunovic, @thebrysonlab.bsky.social used bioorthogonal labeling with oxaziridines to follow the glycan in infected macrophages. This is the first example of labeling a single type of glycan in cells (we think).

05.05.2025 21:53 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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New molecular label could lead to simpler, faster tuberculosis tests MIT chemists found a way to identify a complex sugar molecule in the cell walls of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest pathogen. This labeling could lead to simpler, faster TB tests.

Lead author @ssmelyansky.bsky.social spearheaded a strategy to label a single sulfur-containing glycan called ManLAM on the cell envelope of the bacteria that cause #TB. news.mit.edu/2025/new-mol... or here: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... πŸ§ͺ #glycotime @mitchemistry.bsky.social

05.05.2025 21:53 β€” πŸ‘ 69    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2

We are so excited to see the cool science that will come out of your group #chemsky

29.04.2025 21:05 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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the word alert is in a purple circle ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle

ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM

Implementation of Schedule F

This is what a lot of us have been worried about.

This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs.

BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD...

1/n

23.04.2025 18:03 β€” πŸ‘ 364    πŸ” 447    πŸ’¬ 17    πŸ“Œ 59
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πŸ™ We need your help πŸ™

The government continues to cancel grants at both NIH and NSF to censor science it doesn't like.

We're tracking terminations to organize and advocate. Please report your terminated grants:

NIH:
forms.gle/J2znQ7y7YpeP...

NSF: airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni...

w/ @noamross.net

19.04.2025 01:25 β€” πŸ‘ 624    πŸ” 489    πŸ’¬ 16    πŸ“Œ 30
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We’re thrilled to feature an incredible lineup of plenary speakers at #Glyco27!

These experts will share cutting-edge insights and the latest advancements in glycomics across areas of health, including immunology, neuroscience and more!
Register today: glyco27.org/en/begin

@glycotime.bsky.social

13.02.2025 18:10 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

These kinds of cuts are taking place when #TB rates are rising, including in the US. They dovetail with USAID cuts to #TB programs.

16.04.2025 12:34 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Job opportunity in SF to work at a small startup with the first PhD graduate of the Lieberman Lab!

04.04.2025 20:28 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

A new means of selectively imaging the inner mycolate of mycobacteria using a compound that covalently modifies an enzyme intercepts to create a new intermediate with the Kim lab, @thebrysonlab.bsky.social and the Bernhardt lab. #TB

27.03.2025 23:36 β€” πŸ‘ 32    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Confronting risks of mirror life Broad discussion is needed to chart a path forward

Thanks to Ratmir Derda we have an articulate reply to:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
putting glycans back into the picture! @laurakiessling.bsky.social @anneimb.bsky.social @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social @molinarotony.bsky.social @dbojar.bsky.social @siglecdude.bsky.social

27.02.2025 13:30 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 3

This is really beautiful research showing how the glycocalyx changes with aging and its impact on the blood-brain barrier.

28.02.2025 04:03 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Melanie Samuel

Melanie Samuel

For the Idaho Statesman πŸ₯”, Professor Melanie Samuel explains how science funding drives cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancerβ€” and the devastating impact of mass firings in Health & Human Services.
Happy Homecoming πŸ§ͺπŸ§¬πŸ”¬πŸ 
www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/read...

27.02.2025 19:20 β€” πŸ‘ 60    πŸ” 26    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 6