Emily Balskus wins Waterman Award with $1M in research funding
Two plush microbes stare up at everyone who visits Emily Balskus’ office. One, a buttercup yellow, mimics the fuzzy hotdog-shaped E. coli. Another, baker’s yeast or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is just a white sphere with eyes. Far larger than living microorganisms (and far cuter), these cuddly counterparts reveal not just Balskus’ research area, but also her admiration for her subjects. Most people fear the trillions of bacteria that live in and on the human body. But for Balskus, these microbes provide potential solutions to vast problems in human health and medicine ranging from drug metabolism to cholesterol management and even cancer. “Emily Balskus has opened up novel ways to explore and exploit the chemistry and biology of microbes that live in our bodies and how they are linked to our health,” said Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). “And we’re already seeing the potential impact.” Today, Panchanathan announced that Balskus is...