Today, I proudly graduate from
@UCBerkeley
with a PhD, a first in my family but certainly not the last. Today I celebrate little Luis! This is for you! I knew deep down that I could forge a new path. I decided to change the trajectory of my life, thanks to the guidance of my
Please help me to congratulate
@BanfieldJill
- winning the 2023 Van Leeuwenhoek Medal for her pioneering work on genome-resolved metagenomics to study diverse microbial communities leading to the addition of complete new branches to the tree of life.
@UCBerkeley
@igisci
1/2 Honored to share my journey as a first-gen scientist with
@metricausa
in
@NatureMethods
! Highlights:
• The power of diversity in STEM
• How perseverance overcomes doubts
• The impact of mentorship & support
Let's keep pushing for inclusive science!
#DiversityInSTEM
Officially doctor Valentín! 🎓 After 5 years of hard work, research, and countless cups of coffee, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve completed my PhD journey. Excited for what the future holds and grateful for all the support along the way.
#PhDDone
@BanfieldLab
@SavageCatsOnly
I'm compiling a list of papers that showed novel biochemistry (e.g. carbon fixation pathways, immunity, hydrogen metabolism) using metagenomics, and years later, these hypotheses were validated by lab work. If you know any paper(s), please comment here.
Deeply honored and humbled to receive the Best Graduate Student Oral Presentation at
@SACNAS
. With so many incredible speakers, this recognition means a lot. Thanks to my advisor
@BanfieldLab
and collaborators.
Luis Valentin-Alvarado de Santa Isabel, PR 🇵🇷 para el mundo 🌎
Dedicated to my mom, the strongest woman I know. As a single mother, you’ve given everything to see me succeed. I’m honored to be the first in our family to earn a doctorate. This PhD is not just mine, it’s ours. Thank you for being my rock.
#FirstGeneration
#DoctorMom
Nearly 20 years ago,
@BanfieldJill
, Gene Tyson & team transformed
#microbiology
with their seminal paper on genome-resolved metagenomics. Their innovative approach in reconstructing microbial genomes opened new frontiers in understanding ecosystem dynamics!
Read paper here:
3rd chapter of my dissertation finally published in
@NatureComms
! We reconstructed the first complete Asgard archaeal genomes from short reads, validated with long reads. Genome structures & metabolic insights reveal key roles in carbon/hydrogen cycling in wetlands.
Thrilled to share that I'm joining Gavin Knott's lab (
@gavinjknott
) at
@MonashBDI
,
@MonashUni
as postdoc to explore Archaea-MGE arms race using genomics, biochemistry, and structural biology. Excited to join Monash's vibrant academic community! Let's connect if you're around –
#ISME18
Tomorrow is my talk on CPR bacteria and some fascinating proteins implicated in sulfur and hydrogen metabolism. We know these tiny microbes are everywhere, but how can we link them to biogeochemical cycles? Please join me at 15:30, auditorium 3ABC.
This documentary is a fantastic introduction to the CRISPR world- from a bacteria adaptative immune system to genome editing technology and more!
#CRISPR
#genefixer
Joined Jill’s lab with a dream: to visit the birthplace of genome-resolved metagenomics. 🌏 Before graduating, I promised Jill would take us there. Dream turned reality thanks to
@Jwestrob
’s shared vision! A few months ago, Jill made it happen, guiding us to where it all began.
A new chapter unlocked! Excited to start my journey at
@MonashBDI
@MonashUni
as a research fellow! Looking forward to contributing to cutting-edge research!!
Archaea are not bacteria, and these terms are not interchangeable! It's a common mistake to refer to archaea as bacteria in general audience talks to avoid confusion. But this oversimplification is misleading. Archaea are a distinct domain of life!
For the past 4 years during my PhD I have been using culture independent methods to study microbes in the wild. The last weeks I have been playing with culture dependent methods- what a blast!
@microbesatMBL
#mainlymicrobe
Since
@CienciaPR
2014!!
@moefeliu
has opened many doors for many of us! Pioneering science communication strategies and helping our community in many ways. Un abrazo! Una mujer de visión.
#NDiSTEM2022
@sacnas
This one was special: my last talk at a international meeting as a PhD student. 2 months away from my finishing talk. Thanks to
@MateHG
,
@OzgeEyice
, and
@AMIposts
for organizing such a great meeting. It was a pleasure to present our insights on the diversity and role of
Thrilled to share that my friend
@Jwestrob
delivered an outstanding finishing talk! Join me in congratulating him on this achievement. And remember, if you bump into Jacob, don’t forget to address him as Doctor!
@BanfieldLab
GRC-Geobiology was a blast! Kudos to
@microbestalker
and
@archaearama
, for putting together a fantastic line-up of experts in deep-time geology, mineralogy, paleontology, and microbiology. Also, it was a pleasure reconnecting with former Banfield lab members and many other great
Reunited with two of my favorite nanoSIMS imaging scientists,
@Jeffinerca
and
@OrphanANME
, who were instrumental in shaping my scientific journey. Both offered invaluable guidance when I was just an undergrad. Today, I expressed my heartfelt gratitude for their early support that
Throwback to earlier this year when I bumped into
@Simone_Biles
at the airport! Now she's crushing it at the
#Paris2024
Olympics. From leading the all-around to that jaw-dropping 14.733 on beam in qualifications, she's reminding us why she's the GOAT. Can't wait to see her shine
It was an honor to stand up and tell the next generation of scientists that while academia can be challenging, there is hope and we will change for good the system! Special thanks to
@Symb10sis
for organizing this impactful event and to
@ISME_microbes
for their support. Together,
True mentors elevate, not diminish. They inspire growth, nurture potential, and fuel your dreams. Seek those who light your path, not shadow your journey.
Discover how hifi long reads (
@PacBio
) enable hundreds of contiguous MAGs in wetland soil microbiomes at
#ISME19
! Visit my poster PS1.25.025 to learn about PacBio vs. Illumina sequencing, higher quality MAGs, and recovery of circular ⭕️ genomes from bacteria and archaea 🦠.
To everyone celebrating pride month
and to everyone who is still in the process, I’m so proud of you! Your existence is valid and you are absolutely amazing. Although in my country this has caused me difficulties as a scientist, I will never go back to the closet.
#PrideMonth
#bi
My favorite moment was when we were brainstorming names for the new archaeal group
@BanfieldJill
suggested we look for a Puerto Rican goddess. I wasn’t sure one existed, but a quick search for “goddess from Puerto Rico” introduced us to Atabey. The fact that I can tell my family
7/ We've proposed a new name, honoring "Atabey," the Earth Mother from Taíno mythology of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
#Atabeyarchaeia
reflects the lineage's foundational role in soil ecosystems, much like Atabey's in her realm.
So excited to share some exciting work from the Banfield lab at ISME! If you are around please come to 3ABC: MS06 - Global biogeochemical cycles the Monday, 15 August 2022 11:45 - 12:00.
#ISME18
Happy
#LGBTQSTEMDay
! I am Microbiology PhD candidate
@UCBerkeley
. Although there are still laws in Puerto Rico against my rights, I hope one day to return to my island to educate future generations of scientists.
I will be giving a talk at
#ISME18
! I will be presenting some of my dissertation work on CPR bacteria but the most cool part will be sharing my journey (field work!!) with amazing labmates, collaborators and fearless mentors. 🦠 🧬
Advancing antiracism, diversity and equity in STEMM
@theNASciences
report with Dr Estrada, Dr. Guerrero, Dr. Vegas, Dr. Franco, Dr. Zavala and Dr. Sonia Zárate
#2023NDiSTEM
@SACNAS
¡Tiempo de explicar Borgs en español! Imagínese una extraña entidad extranjera, ni viva ni muerta, que asimila y comparte genes importantes. Una caja de herramientas flotante, probablemente llena de planos, algunos que algún día podemos aprovechar como por ejemplo CRISPR 1/13🧵
I have curated and closed many genomes (manually) with Jill and it is insane the number of errors we have fixed from both short reads and long reads assemblies. Something that I have learned during my training is you have to look at those genomes and sometimes "base por base". ;)
Reconstructing genomes from metagenomes is easy: thanks to all the assembly and binning algorithms, you just need a computer.
But those who actually LOOK at their MAGs from short-read assemblies will lose a lot of comfort (yet learn a lot in the process).
1/ Just visited the AMD site at the Richmond mine — the birthplace of the first metagenome assembled genomes by the
@BanfieldLab
. An incredible moment standing where groundbreaking science began. 📍
#MetagenomicsHistory
At least 3,000 were students! The future of STEM is bright. I connected with so many 🇵🇷 assistant professors and shared with me their experiences and are there for me to support my academic journey. Thanks
@sacnas
for this experience, representation matters.
#NDiSTEM2022
Well we want to study anoxic phototrophy, phages, sulfur metabolism (among other cool things) but we need to isolate the key players. No problem, we can do it here! Here is the limonada v2 team making media to isolate some cool bugs from Trunk river.
Pre-print alert 🚨 This interdisciplinary research reveals diverse and ancient lineages of [FeFe]-hydrogenases in archaea! From genome-resolved metagenomics, phylogenomics to biochemistry 🧬 🦠
#hydrogenases
1/4 Sneak peak below of our new paper that shifts multiple principles and rewrites textbooks on hydrogen cycling / hydrogenases. A vast team effort, blending genomics, biochemistry, and phylogenetics, co-led with
@BanfieldLab
,
@Berggrenlab
and
@anjspa1
.
I had the opportunity to discuss
@francesarnold
career path and research platform to high school students from Puerto Rico (virtually). “I want to see all the chemistries been done by bacteria” -Frances Arnold
I’ll be in London for the upcoming Molecular Microbial Ecology Group (MMEG) meeting at Queen Mary University of London. If you’re in the area, feel free to connect with me! Looking forward to engaging discussions and new collaborations.
#MMEG2023
GSIng for Biochemistry at Cal this semester was one of the best experiences that I had so far as graduate student (a challenge!). Thanks to this anonymous student that left me this letter. If I just can inspire one individual to purse their dreams-just that-don’t ask for more. 🐻
This was a very fun project! We discussed how CRISPR technology can be used for COVID-19 diagnostic. 🧬 ✂️ The future of viral diagnostics is bright! Available in English and Spanish!
Ever wondered about genome-resolved metagenomics? Interested in AlphaFold or learn about new archaeal lineages? Don’t miss my talk at 12:00 PM in the Microbiology session of
#SACNAS23
! Dive deep into the genomic frontier. 🧬🦠
#2023NDiSTEM
@SACNAS
I have been so lucky to work with a very supportive, talented and collaborative lab. I have so much profound gratitude for previous and current mentors. 🥹🥹 stay tuned we are just scratching the surface.
Two amazing weeks teaching soil microbiology, CRISPR Biology and how we can harness the power these powerful technologies to have a better world 🗺 . Great time with these talented high school students.
#nexgenofscientists
Happy international microorganism day! Metagenomics and the discovery and analysis of innumerable lineages of new organisms, including CPR!
@LAHug_
et al. A new view of the Tree of Life, Nature Microbiology (2016) Luef et al. 2015, Nature Comm.
@BanfieldLab
@UCBerkeley
@igisci
Exciting start to the Social Lives of Viruses meeting!
@sociovirology
from
@ucdavis
kicked things off with a fascinating talk on strain-specificity and context-dependence in virus-virus interactions, focusing on influenza virus reassortment and defective viral genomes.
7/ We've proposed a new name, honoring "Atabey," the Earth Mother from Taíno mythology of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
#Atabeyarchaeia
reflects the lineage's foundational role in soil ecosystems, much like Atabey's in her realm.
This is not only about posting on social media that we are in solidarity but also taking the message to our work environment, reflecting and taking action. I'm here listening, learning, reflecting, and educating!
#BlackintheIvory
#BlackAndSTEM
#BlackInSTEM
@primerahora
Lastima que este sea el ejemplo de muchos jóvenes en Puerto Rico que aspiran ser los próximos que controlan el punto en x o y lugar. La vida fácil, mucho dinero y prendas de algo valor. Me indigna tanto ver que esta persona dice ser artista.
Thrilled to announce that I'll be an Asst Professor at
@UF_MCS
starting this fall🥳
As 1st gen, female, and Mexican, the odds were against me, & at times, I thought it would be impossible.
Thanks to the support of family, friends, colleagues, & mentors we changed the odds! 🥹🙌🫶
@PRicansInSTEM
Wepa! Luis Valentin, (UPRH) currently PhD candidate at UC-Berkeley. My thesis aims to advance the science and technology of genome editing by discovering and harnessing new CRISPR-Cas and related systems through a combination of bioinformatics and biochemistry.
#PRepresentando
We are pleased to introduce our panellists for the Diversity in STEM panel at ISME19:
@greeninglab
,
@Rehab_Abdallah
,
@sarilog
, David Ojo and
@luisarchaeota
.
The session will be moderated by ISME ECSC Chair
@Symb10sis
.
Meet us on Thursday, August 22, from 13:30-14:30 at Ballroom!
One of my students today: Hello Esteemed Professional Biochemistry Legend. I will catch-up on the resources you send out for biochemistry after. Thank you for all you do Luis. Also, you sometimes stay up all night doing work, or doing things for us. We appreciate you.🥲
HHMI News: We are proud to announce our 33 new
#HHMIInvestigators
. These individuals have the potential to make transformative discoveries over time and we look forward to seeing where their ideas lead them.
When asked- Prof. Jennifer Doudna did not hesitate to accept the invitation to give a talk to undergraduate and high school students from Puerto Rico. It should be noted that the majority of the audience will be minorities in STEM.
#womeninSTEM
@NobelPrize
@igisci
@doudna_lab
Le invitamos a participar de una charla virtual con la Dra. Jennifer Doudna, galardonada por el Premio Nobel de la Química (2020) por descubrir CRISPR. ¡No se pierdan esta gran oportunidad!
.
.
.
17 de noviembre a las 11:45a.m.
Transparency in science is crucial, especially for early career scientists. Let’s open the gates of knowledge, encourage data sharing, and foster collaborations. Every scientist, regardless of their career stage, deserves a voice in our collective quest for truth.
2019 Simons Early Career Investigators in Marine Microbial Ecology and Evolution Announced. CONGRATULATIONS to
@rmbundy
a great mentor and scientist!
“In elementary school, Valentin-Alvarado reached out to Maria E. Thiele Solivan, a ninth-grade science teacher, who nurtured his science curiosity through to high school graduation. That year, he was a finalist at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. She helped
1/2 Honored to share my journey as a first-gen scientist with
@metricausa
in
@NatureMethods
! Highlights:
• The power of diversity in STEM
• How perseverance overcomes doubts
• The impact of mentorship & support
Let's keep pushing for inclusive science!
#DiversityInSTEM
@ADiaz_PhD
has been one of those mentors who may not be officially on my academic record but has provided invaluable support throughout my journey.
Always seek out those individuals who will cheer you on, even when the path ahead seems insurmountable.
A well-deserved recognition to a scientist who continues to make remarkable contributions in his field. Congratulations,
@luisarchaeota
, on your outstanding presentation at the
#2023NDiSTEM
@SACNAS
conference.
Today in Microbial Physiology course we discussed the metalloenzymes involved in Nitrogen Cycle and we introduced the “hot-bunking” mechanism proposed by
@MakASaito
and also used the
@oceanproteinpo1
to look the distribution of our fav proteins in the ocean.
Big day at IGI! We received our first samples for
#COVID19
diagnostic testing, hand-delivered by Dori Tieu of the
@CityofBerkeley
Fire Department this morning.
We will test our firefighters continuously to make sure they stay healthy.
#igicoronatesting