The @biochemsoc.bsky.social Translation UK 2026 meeting will be at @universityofleeds.bsky.social from 30th June - 2nd July. Fantastic keynote speakers including @jbquerido.bsky.social, @nickywhiffin.bsky.social, Nicolas Locker Register and submit your abstract here: tinyurl.com/muy5kvax
Jay Brito Querido
@jbquerido.bsky.social
Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Medical School and @umlifesciences.bsky.social #cryoEM #RNA #Ribosomes #RNAsky #RNABiology #Science https://www.lsi.umich.edu/science/our-labs/brito-querido-lab
I'm thrilled to anounce that our latest study on ALS/FTD neurodegenerative diseases has been published. Very proud to be part of this excting project. Many thanks to Clotilde Lagier Tourenne for an amazing longlasting and fruitfull collaboration, #ALS #FTD #Ribosomes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Blocking RAN translation without altering repeat RNAs rescues C9ORF72-related ALS and FTD phenotypes
GGGGCC (G4C2) repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Toxicity is thought to result from the accumulation...
science.org
Join us this summer for U-M's 2026 #CryoET Data Processing Workshop! This four-day workshop will introduce participants to standard image processing packages and all aspects of cryo-ET data processing. Apply by March 20: myumi.ch/lsi-cryo-workshop-2026 @jbquerido.bsky.social @shyamalm.bsky.social
How does messenger RNA (mRNA) get out of the nucleus to become a protein? Eukaryotic mRNA is packaged, exported, and then translated in the cytoplasm. But how do these steps work? And what are open questions? Check out our new review for our take: www.annualreviews.org/content/jour... (1/3)
Excited to share a new chapter of my scientific journey in Chris Russo's group — developing a way to freeze proteins faster than they diffuse, paving the way for cryo-EM without air–water interface damage.
Chris Russo and Anastasiia Gusach have developed a new method to prepare #cryoEM samples that avoids protein damage during freezing Read more: www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/a-new-method... #LMBResearch
Today in @nature.com , we highlight how a cousin of CRISPR-Cas10, mCpol, establishes an evolutionary trap in anti-phage immune systems. Check out @erinedoherty.bsky.social and my work from @doudna-lab.bsky.social lab here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A miniature CRISPR–Cas10 enzyme confers immunity by inhibitory signalling - Nature
Panoptes, an anti-phage defence system against virus-mediated immune suppression, is revealed.
nature.com
Excited to share our latest work with @simonbullock11.bsky.social! We looked at how diverse mRNAs get selected for subcellular localization and it turns out that a single protein can recognize different RNA elements using shared features that weren’t apparent before. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
New preprint alert! 🚨👇 I'm delighted to share the latest research from @jemmabetts.bsky.social in our group: ‘A new protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting’. Huge congratulations to Jemma for the first manuscript of her PhD! ✨ www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A new protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting
Programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) is a ubiquitous translational control mechanism in RNA viruses, allowing them to change the relative abundance of proteins encoded in different reading fram...
biorxiv.org
ACA 2025 Starter Pack for attendees of the 75th Annual Meeting. Tried to include everyone, feel free to tag yourself or others missed. Connecting the community at #ACA2025! @acastructuralsci.bsky.social @rcsbpdb.bsky.social 🔗 go.bsky.app/JAmraSp
New paper out in Mol Cell, where we show how N-myristolytransferases lipidate proteins on the translating ribosome! Continuing our successful collaboration with DeuerlingLab @uni-konstanz.de & Shu-ou Chan @caltech.edu @snsf.ch @ethz.ch www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Proud to share our work where we resolved a longstanding question regarding the existence of a human telomerase dimer and provided insights into its function. Led by 3 amazing lab members in collaboration with @yiliangding.bsky.social and @rdaslab.bsky.social. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Cryo-EM structure of human telomerase dimer reveals H/ACA RNP-mediated dimerization
Telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) synthesizes telomeric repeats at chromosome ends using a telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and a telomerase RNA (hTR in humans). Previous structural work showe...
science.org
@science.org Mechanism of release factor–mediated peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis on the ribosome | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #ribosome #RNA #hydrolysis
I’m excited to share the first publication from my lab on the unexpected strategy that MCPyV, a cancer-causing virus, uses to enter cells. This was truly a team effort and I am so grateful for each of the brilliant women who contributed to this research project. journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
Temporal gating of nuclear import: How Merkel cell polyomavirus exploits the cell cycle for nuclear entry
Author summary Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) causes a rare but deadly form of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. However, many aspects of its infectious life cycle are unclear, including how...
journals.plos.org
Thank you to all the presenters and scientists from around the country who attended the LSI's 2025 #CryoEM Workshop and made the event such a successful hands-on learning experience! Thanks also to our event sponsors, SubAngstrom, @globusorg.bsky.social, @mitegen.com and @structurabio.bsky.social
Delighted to share paper on translational activity of 80S monosomes across different tissues in 🪰 in @narjournal.bsky.social thanks to fabulous team Albert Blandy Tayah Hopes Elton Vasconcelos @amy-turner96.bsky.social Bulat Fatkhullin Michaela Agapiou Juan Fontana academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Translational activity of 80S monosomes varies dramatically across different tissues
Abstract. Translational regulation at the stage of initiation can impact the number of ribosomes translating each mRNA molecule. However, the translational
academic.oup.com
I’m thrilled to share my very first first-author preprint and our lab’s latest work💫 We discovered a novel role for eIF2A in ribosome-associated quality control (RQC), challenging decades-old assumptions about its enigmatic function in translation initiation. Check it out to learn more! ⭐️ #RNA
Identified in the 1970s, the precise molecular function of the alternative initiation factor eIF2A has remained unclear. Here, we map its interactome and uncover a surprising role in ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) upon ribosome stalling. 1/x www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Identified in the 1970s, the precise molecular function of the alternative initiation factor eIF2A has remained unclear. Here, we map its interactome and uncover a surprising role in ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) upon ribosome stalling. 1/x www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The alternative initiation factor eIF2A regulates 40S subunit turnover in ribosome-associated quality control
The noncanonical translation initiation factor eIF2A plays critical roles in diverse cellular processes, including the integrated stress response, neurodegeneration and tumorigenesis. However, the pre...
biorxiv.org
We are happy to share that our snR30 story is finally out in @natureportfolio.nature.com 🥳 We report the first structure of a H/ACA snoRNP acting in ribosome synthesis thereby providing a detailed structural and biochemical view of the snR30 snoRNP guiding local 18S rRNA subdomain folding. 👇👇👇
Excited to share our new @science.org paper! Led by postdocs Ruchao Peng and Xin Xu, we used cryo-EM/ET to reveal the influenza ribonucleoprotein complex structure and its strand-sliding mechanism for RNA synthesis, paving the way for new antivirals. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Molecular basis of influenza ribonucleoprotein complex assembly and processive RNA synthesis
Influenza viruses replicate and transcribe their genome in the context of a conserved ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. By integrating cryo–electron microscopy single-particle analysis and cryo–electro...
science.org
1/10 Today in @science.org in collaboration with the Liu group we report the development of a laboratory-evolved CRISPR-associated transposase (evoCAST) that supports therapeutically relevant levels of RNA-programmable gene insertion in human cells. drive.google.com/file/d/1I-Ub...
Hello Bluesky! 🌤️ We're on the Molecular Cell cover! How are ribosome levels adjusted? Stm1 not only protects ribosomes from degradation, it also promotes their biogenesis in nutrient-rich conditions. Two roles, one protein - tuned by nutrient availability. 🔗 www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Stm1 regulates Ifh1 activity revealing crosstalk between ribosome biogenesis and ribosome dormancy
Ribosome abundance is balanced by production and degradation. Bianco et al. discover that the hibernation factor Stm1 has a dual role in ribosome homeostasis. Stm1 promotes ribosome biogenesis during ...
cell.com
Read the latest issue here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
You want to start tomography? Solve structures inside cells? Reach Nyquist 😳 ? @phaips.vd.st and I have a website for you! tomoguide.github.io You'll find a tutorial on how to reconstruct tomograms, pick particles and do subtomogram averaging, using different software! Hope it will be useful !
Hey #TeamTomo, Ever been in need of a tutorial about the fundamentals of cryo-electron tomography? From preprocessing raw frames to high-res subtomogram averaging? That's why @florentwaltz.bsky.social and I made this website! tomoguide.github.io Follow the thread 1 /🧵 #CryoET #CryoEM 🔬🧪
In our newly published study we show that the proline-rich antimicrobial peptide (PrAMP) Bac5 has a distinct mode of interaction with the ribosome compared to other PrAMPs…https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/53/8/gkaf324/8126264
The structure of the Vibrio natriegens 70S ribosome in complex with the proline-rich antimicrobial peptide Bac5(1–17)
Abstract. Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) are produced as part of the innate immune response of animals, insects, and plants. The well-charact
academic.oup.com
RIOK3 mediates the degradation of 40S ribosomes: Molecular Cell www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
RIOK3 mediates the degradation of 40S ribosomes
Huang et al. identify a pathway for stress-induced 40S ribosome degradation: 40S ribosomes ubiquitylated by RNF10 are subsequently bound by the atypical kinase RIOK3, which mediates their degradation ...
cell.com
Watching Sven elucidate this mechanism from an unbiased screen onwards has been one of my favorite experiences as a PI. In these challenging times for science at Harvard, it reminds me of the sheer joy of doing science and making discoveries.
How do cells keep their cilia “clean” and functional? Our new study uncovers a conserved mechanism for retrieving polyubiquitinated proteins from #cilia – a process essential for cellular signaling and health. #cellbiology #ciliopathy #ubiquitin #IFT 🧵👇 1/n
🧬🦠🧫 @science.org RNA-mediated CRISPR-Cas13 inhibition through crRNA structural mimicry | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... meeskelab.org bit.ly/sustecheducnJiaLab #CRISPR #RNA
Congratulations to LSI Associate Director and Professor Janet Smith, Ph.D., who has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of her outstanding achievements in science: record.umich.edu/articles/fiv...
A colder frontier in cryo-EM 🧪🔬 Chris Russo’s group, inc. Joshua Dickerson, adapted #cryoEM to work at liquid helium temperatures (13 kelvins), where every frame captured contains more information than the equivalent using liquid nitrogen (81 kelvins). Read more: tinyurl.com/mwwcunkc #LMBResearch
Why can a human tolerate a drug that globally inhibits transcription? Why do transcription inhibitors not cure cancer? Our first paper of 2025 may help explain (some) of this! So incredibly proud of @tobiaswilliams.bsky.social & Ewa Michalak who led the work! www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
mRNA export factors store nascent transcripts within nuclear speckles as an adaptive response to transient global inhibition of transcription
Transcription inhibitors also disrupt nuclear export. Here, Williams et al. reveal that mRNA export factors sense transcription inhibition and adapt by storing mature export-competent mRNA in nuclear speckles. This enables rapid release when transcription resumes and ensures retention of cellular identity and viability during a transient global transcription insult.
cell.com