Our newest paper which demonstrates the uses of GUVs for monitoring membrane tethering is now available in MBoC www.molbiolcell.org/doi/10.1091/... Congratulations to @devika-andhare.bsky.social for her amazing work.
The Ragusa Laboratory
@ragusalab.bsky.social
We study selective autophagy in yeast using a combination of cell biology, biochemical reconstitution and structural biology.
This has been a long journey and it's exiting to see our story about the Atg2-18 lipid transfer complex, headed by Sabrina Chumpen, published in @embojournal.org! Great teamwork of the labs @arnemoeller.bsky.social, Stefano Vanni, Fulvio Reggiori and Christian Ungermann! #cryoEM #autophagy #membrane
The EMBO Journal@embojournal.org · 3mo agoAtg18 interaction positions Atg2 for efficient lipid transfer into phagophore elongation Sabrina Chumpen Ramirez, @dmitryshvarev.bsky.social et al link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A huge congratulations to @devika-andhare.bsky.social for being selected as this years postdoctoral recipient of the E. Lucile Smith Award for Excellence in Biochemistry from @dartmouthbcb.bsky.social!
Congratulations to Devika for her amazing images of GUVs with tethered liposomes which now appears on the cover of Autophagy.
Happy to share the latest from the lab, led by Daniel Alvarez, in collaboration with @lizconibear.bsky.social. In this AA-MD tour-de-force, we delve deep into the mechanism and energetics of lipid uptake by bridge-like lipid transfer proteins, and we learn a few interesting things along the way...
bioRxiv Biophysics@biorxiv-biophys.bsky.social · last yr.The molecular mechanism of lipid uptake by membrane-anchored bridge-like lipid transfer proteins. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.01.668188v1
a picture of an alien with the words " it 's a trap " on the bottom
ALT: a picture of an alien with the words " it 's a trap " on the bottom
media.tenor.com
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 11mo agoBreaking News: The White House asked nine top universities to pledge support for President Trump’s agenda to help ensure access to research funding.
🚨🚨🚨 The Trump administration has laid it out: comply with their ideological agenda or else… This is how we lose free thought in American higher education.
Texas Conference of the AAUP@texasaaup.bsky.social · 11mo agoThe compact would require colleges to…cap the enrollment of international students + commit to strict definitions of gender…universities would also be required to change their governance structures to prohibit anything that would ‘punish, belittle + even spark violence against conservative ideas.’”
Just a few days left to apply! If you do cool molecular/cell biology things and want to start a lab in a supportive department in New England please check out our ad.
Amanda Amodeo@aaamodeo.bsky.social · last yr.My Department (Biology) at @dartmouthartsci.bsky.social is hiring this year! We have an opening for a Tenure Track Cell and/or Molecular biologist (broadly defined). Please share with your trainees/labmates/friends and reach out if you have questions. apply.interfolio.com/171625
📢 Pre-print alert 📢 We are excited to share the lab's first research article! We used our artificial cortex system to investigate how membrane composition regulates self-organized cortical dyanamics. Check it out here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Membrane composition-dependent patterning of Rho and F-actin in an artificial cell cortex
Cortical excitability, a phenomenon in which the cell cortex is dynamically patterned with waves of F-actin assembly, has been described in a variety of animal model systems, including embryos of mamm...
biorxiv.org
Excited to share the first paper from the lab! 🥳 The ATG9 and lipid droplets saga continues! Open source!
Liver-specific loss of Atg9a perturbs lipid metabolism and hepatocyte integrity
The autophagy-related protein ATG9A is integral to cellular autophagy and lipid mobilization, yet its importance in mammalian physiology remains underexplored. Using a liver-specific conditional At...
doi.org
I'm very excited to share out latest work now published in Autophagy. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... This work was led by Dr. Devika Andhare and demonstrates the membrane binding and clustering capabilities of Atg11 using a new reconstitution system.
Reconstitution of autophagic-like membrane tethering reveals that Atg11 can bind and cluster vesicles on cargo mimetics
Macroautophagy (hereafter, autophagy) is essential for the degradation of mitochondria from yeast to humans. Mitochondrial autophagy in yeast is initiated when the selective autophagy scaffolding p...
tandfonline.com
ICYMI: New online: Structure and activation of the human autophagy-initiating ULK1C:PI3KC3-C1 supercomplex
Structure and activation of the human autophagy-initiating ULK1C:PI3KC3-C1 supercomplex
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 29 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01557-xAutophagy is initiated by the Unc-51-like kinase protein kinase complex (ULK1C) and class III phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase complex I (PI3KC3-C1). Here, the authors reveal the structure of the 2:1:1 core of ULK1C and its complex with PI3KC3-C1. ULK1C transitions to a 2:2:2 complex in the presence of PI3KC3-C1, suggesting a mechanism for autophagy induction.
go.nature.com
Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025
My ongoing request: If your NSF or NIH grant was terminated--whether at Harvard or elsewhere--please report it here. NSF: grant-watch.us/submit-nsf.h... NIH: grant-watch.us/submit-nih.h... Our trackers are actively used in lawsuits and are often the only record that terminations ever occurred.
Dan Garisto@dangaristo.bsky.social · last yr.NSF appears to be terminating hundreds of its grants to Harvard, per internal sources at NSF and at Harvard. At least one division has had all its grants cut.
As anticipated, the White House has officially requested an $18 billion cut to the FY2026 #NIH budget (among lots of other cuts). The full guidance from the White House to the appropriations committee is linked. NIH is on page 12. #braindrain #sciencexit www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
whitehouse.gov
In 100 days in office, US President Donald Trump has destabilized eight decades of government support for science. This has included terminating more than 1,000 grants in areas such as climate change, cancer, and HIV prevention. Will US science survive Trump 2.0? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Many congratulations to @pallavisgadgil.bsky.social for being awarded the Lucille Smith award for excellence in Biochemistry. This award is in honor of the memory of Dr. Lucille Smith. The first woman at Dartmouth to attain the rank of full professor!
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
the word alert is in a purple circle
ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle
media.tenor.com
Over 200 people laid off or furloughed on my campus due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding NIH funding. We can expect this number to grow. I warned people of this in an op-ed in February, but was told I was being alarmist. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/b...
UMass Chan Medical School lays off or furloughs about 200 employees after NIH funding shortfall - The Boston Globe
The cuts come after the school saw a $30 million funding shortfall from long delays in funding new research grants from the National Institutes of Health.
bostonglobe.com
Exclusive: Weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered NIH to pull $250 million in biomedical research grants to Columbia University, the agency is freezing all remaining grant money owed to the university until further notice. scim.ag/4if5Rg1
NIH freezes all research grants to Columbia University
Amid negotiations with Trump, the university could risk losing nearly $700 million
scim.ag
I have learned that the directors of ALL: PREP, IMSD, and IRACDA programs across the country have received similar cancelation notices. This follows previous cancellations of MARC and URISE programs. This further dismantles the mechanisms that enable scientific training opportunities for SO MANY.
Ryan Hernandez@rdhernand.bsky.social · last yr.You want to know the best way to show thanks for chairing a study section? Early the next morning sent them a termination notice for their PREP training grant.
Today I received notice that our IMSD T32 has been terminated. This program was the culmination of ~10 years of work we put into building our community. I don’t quite have the words. 💔
Dr. Richard Youle was fired today. He is an eminent scientist who has done important work on brain diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s. Musk and Trump are stopping NIH research into cures, for diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s. Americans did not vote for this.
WIRED@wired.com · last yr.NEW: The doctor behind breakthrough Parkinson’s research was among the scientists purged from the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency. www.wired.com/story/doctor...
In situ cryo-ET visualization of mitochondrial depolarization and mitophagic engulfment https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.24.645001v1
We just had our first grant terminated. This was a U19 AViDD grant (grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...). It was set to end next month, although many in the consortia were hoping for NCEs.
www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-r...
NEW: Baldwin, Welch Announce Former NIH Director, Researchers, Clinical Trial Patients as Witnesses for Forum on Trump’s NIH Cuts | U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) announced the...
baldwin.senate.gov
All institutions across the U.S. should band together now to protect freedom of speech and scientific integrity. We can not wait any longer we have already lost so much. www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...
To stop intimidation, Eisgruber needs your help
When targeting one institution is a bald attempt to divide and conquer, as is the case with Columbia, it is essential for a coalition or group of institutions and individuals to stand up together.&nbs...
dailyprincetonian.com
Here at Princeton, we’re amplifying our university president’s leadership. It’s time for everyone - faculty, students, staff - to speak out. tl;dr: rights can’t be blackmailed. From me and science colleagues: www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...
To stop intimidation, Eisgruber needs your help
When targeting one institution is a bald attempt to divide and conquer, as is the case with Columbia, it is essential for a coalition or group of institutions and individuals to stand up together.&nbs...
dailyprincetonian.com
Major update over the weekend to our spreadsheet tracking terminated NIH grants. 👇 Improvements include: - more grant metadata, including Congressional reps and their phone numbers - data from more sources to complement PI-submitted information - better data integrity and reproducibility 1/
Rescinded NIH Grants
docs.google.com
