As Fran was nice enough to highlight this, I thought I'd put up a brief thread. 3 in 10 proteins that our cells make are either embedded in membranes (ion channels, adhesion molecules, etc.) or secreted (insulin, antibodies). They move through the secretory pathway.
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Esther Lederberg in the laboratory in the 1950's. Credit: Estherlederberg.com
Born #OnThisDay in 1922, Esther Lederberg was the first to isolate the lambda phage in 1951. She characterised the lysogenic phase, whereby the phage are able to integrate into the bacterial genome, staying dormant. This discovery made them a model tool of study, leading to many more breakthroughs.
Now online at mSphere with updates! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
We have wondered what a complex archaeal cell might look like ever since 2014. It’s been a long road (and the journey is far from over), but it’s a good time to pause for breath and look. These Asgard archaeal cells are a surprise! And that is the joy of being a cell biologist.
Last year it was discovered that a single bacterial NLR-like protein can recognize multiple, structurally unrelated phage proteins (Béchon et al, Kibby et al)
Now, a new study shows the same for a plant NLR. Another example how principles of immunity remain conserved from bacteria to eukaryotes
Some charts for those who don't know the extent of the US public (and private) investment in research (particularly in biomedical research) compared to other countries and institutions. The destruction of the US' scientific institutions has global implications.
This paper uncovers that HERVK LTR5Hs, a hominoid-specific retrovirus, act as epiblast enhancers with a crucial function in human pre-implantation development - stunning!
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
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📃 New paper alert!
The Zychlinsky Lab and @raunser-lab.bsky.social identified the first protein that converts chromatin into an immune effector: Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps. Now published in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Excited to share our new publication, out today in Nature! www.nature.com/articles/s41.... @kanchanj.bsky.social led this fascinating fungal-bacterial interaction project. We are grateful for our wonderful collaborators Brian Peters and David Underhill.
Check out our new preprint Metabolic imprinting drives epithelial memory during mucosal #fungal infection. Thanks to all collaborators www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
CDC employees standing up and walking out in light of the mass shootings, firings, and *waves hands in the air* everything else.
#USAnotRFK
Lets gooooo
New: In 7 months, Kennedy has broken the CDC, perhaps irreparably. For all he’s done with mass firings, gutting expertise, and attacking vaccines, Wednesday’s loss of its most senior and competent leaders—truly the CDC’s backbone—is the most consequential attack yet.
www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/c...
Vaccines do not cause autism.
As with other coronaviruses, immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is short-lived. Prioritizing older persons for vaccination saves more lives, while targeting younger persons decreases the number of infections. Banning the vaccine will predictably result in more infections, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID.
If RFK Jr. had any interest in regulating big pharma or helping americans eat better or reducing chronic illness he would not have gutted the agencies he is in charge of.
*Every* story about his alleged policy ideas should lead with this extremely elementary reality.
TL;DR: 5 justices say Trump doesn't have to immediately restore the funding, but 5 *also* signal that the underlying directives are unlawful.
That sends a fairly strong (if mixed) message that Trump will lose these cases *eventually,* but only once they're brought in the Court of Federal Claims.
This is scant comfort to NIH-funded researchers.
It would take many months or more than a year to re-file cases in Federal Claims Court, win them, and get grant money back.
It's also expensive. Lawyers fees add up.
The practical result is that all of this research is gone.
What a waste.
So glad to finally have this out with co-author @mallerybreban.bsky.social and very thankful for the many amazing people who contributed to this study and provided materials and input! 🦟🦠1/12 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧪 Senate appropriators say: NIH's budget gets a... boost!
Rather than 40% cut, NIH gets a $400M *increase* in the Senate committee bill for FY26 (about +1%).
"Congress has your back," said @murray.senate.gov.
ADVOCACY MATTERS! There's still a long road (esp in the House), so keep up pressure.
📣The @aai.org allocated $8M RESTORE Grants Program, an initiative that will focus on providing financial support to researchers whose grants were abruptly terminated or frozen in 2025 for reasons unrelated to their scientific merit! 👏
Check the details 👇
#SupportResearch
#Immunology
Wait, sometimes there are surprises. Apparently some Republicans have now grasped the immense damage to their communities caused by massive cuts to NIH funding.
We told them this beforehand, yet they still thoroughly enjoyed seeing the massive cuts…until it affected them directly.
The assault on higher education is not just about coastal elite schools. "Federal agencies terminated or were attempting to terminate more than 4,000 grants across over 600 institutions. These grants are worth between $6.9 billion and $8.2 billion combined." www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
📜 A host organelle integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
🧑🔬 Corey A.H. Allard, Amy S.Y. Lee, @nbellono.bsky.social, et al.
📔 @cellpress.bsky.social
🔗 www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
#️⃣ #PlantScience #Kleptosomes #Sacoglossan #SeaSlug #Photosynthesis
Not just Americans.....children around the world
Cutting off support of the organization that has saved the lives of 17 million children around the world in the past 2 decades
Front page @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/h...
This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible.
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...
