Manx Neurobiologist

The relative calmness of Americans spooks me. If my government decided to murder its citizens in cold blood we would be pissed! But never happened, recently at least...

Properly published! Mechanosensitive currents in sensory neurons lacking PIEZO2

www.cell.com/biophysj/ful...

Published! Check out our latest work on sensory mechanotransduction. PIezo2 gene deletion barely impacts mechanically-activated currents in mouse sensory neurons. Is the cell body a good model for in vivo transduction? www.cell.com/biophysj/pdf...

We were very happy to help, in a very small way, in getting this beautiful structure out. The structure is remarkably conserved considering the famous 28S ribosomal RNA split. I suspect that the split has as yet unknown biological repercussions in this remarkable animal..

Cluster nanoarchitecture and structural diversity of PIEZO1 at rest and during activation in intact cells MINFLUX nanoscopy reveals subcellular distribution and conformational diversity of PIEZO1 channels in intact cells.

Check out this new paper from Stefan Lechner's lab showing with minflux nanoscopy how PIEZO1 channels cluster and invagininate the membrane. Glad we could make a small contribution to this nice story!
www.science.org/doi/full/10....

Sam has now started her new group at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research Diseases. Congratulations! I wish her the very best for her independent career. The time Sam spent with us was hugely successful in many respects and we will all be sad to see her go..

Mechanically-gated currents in mouse sensory neurons lacking PIEZO2 Touch sensation starts with the opening of mechanically-gated activated ion channels at neuroglial endings of mechanoreceptors in the skin. The function of around half of low threshold mechanoreceptor...

Widely accepted findings should be validated. For example, mechanically-activated currents (MA-currents) in sensory neurons depend on PIEZO2..right?. Here we show that PIEZO2 is NOT associated with a huge loss of MA-currents in sensory neurons. #ion channels #sensory www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Driver celebrates 'unbelievably unique' 50-year horse tram career Tram driver Peter Cannon is celebrating half a century working on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway.

bbc.com/news/article...

I worked as a tram driver for two summers with this fella (nearly 40 years ago!)...he is right, best job I ever had

Read about how a book about extraordinary animals with Russ Hodge and Kat Menschik came to be.
www.stiftung-charite.de/en/our-fundi....

This has been a great #lndw25 on @campusbuch.bsky.social! Thank you for everyone who made this happen! 🎉

Wonderful visit @mdc-berlin.bsky.social thanks @hannahornberg.bsky.social for the invitation and congrats @khallaf.bsky.social for showing me such cool data on naked mole rats!

Proud to a part of this great study from the lab of Annette Hammes. A new role for mechanosensitive PIEZO2 channels in the development of the coronary arteries.
www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Looking forwrd to once more presenting the wonderful naked mole-rats!

Graphic with image and text: The image shows a green abstract background with fine black and dark green thread-like lines radiating outward from a central area. A beige border surrounds the image, with repeated text "#LNDW25 | 25 YEARS" in various shades of green and red. The overlaid text reads "LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE" in white, all-caps, sans-serif font on a red rectangular background near the top. Centered is a large white "€5". Below, "CAMPUS BUCH" and "JUNE 28, 2025" appear in white, all-caps font on red background boxes.

#LNDW is celebrating 25 years of science and discovery – with a special reduced price of one night for just €5.

The #mdcBerlin and others open their labs on June 28, 2025. Visit us at #CampusBuch!
Our full program here 👉 www.mdc-berlin.de/long-night-s... 👈

I left my 50s today..celebrated by walking to the top of Snaefell. The top of the lovely Isle of man.

Back in Pretoria for more mole-rat fun..special smell and touch abilities to be measured!

Technology Transfer: Our innovations at Biovaria. Munich, 28 - 29 April

From an #AI-powered search engine for omics data to a scalable drug screening platform for neuromuscular diseases – 4 of our labs present their projects at @biovaria.bsky.social #techtransfer networking event!
www.biovaria.org/

@danilexn.bsky.social@nukappa.bsky.social @garyrlewin.bsky.social

The mechanotransduction protein STOML3 is required for proprioceptor plasticity following peripheral nerve regeneration Nerve regeneration is associated with the plasticity of sensory neurons such that even muscle afferents directed to the skin form mechanosensitive receptive fields appropriate for the new target. STO...

physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Our latest paper is now published, open access of course. Check it out! Mechanotransduction and regeneration! More to come soon..

Honored to present my work on naked mole rats from @garyrlewin.bsky.social at the @modolfor.bsky.social symposium (@silkesachse.bsky.social) during the Göttingen Neuroscience Meeting #NWG @neurowissg.bsky.social —and finally getting the famous and amazing Drosophila from @katrinvogt.bsky.social!!

Podcast: Faszination Tastsinn: Wie wir fühlen und be-greifen Der Neurobiologe Gary Lewin erforscht am Max-Delbrück-Zentrum die Geheimnisse unseres Tastsinns und kommt dabei dem Geheimnis, wie unser Fühlen funktioniert, näher. Von Anna Corves

This came out today a 26 min interview with me about touch. In German. It turned out pretty good #pain #painresearch #touch

www.ardaudiothek.de/episode/wiss...

Looking forward to a mole-rat bonanza next week!
mpinb.mpg.de/en/events/ev...

Survey shows Isle of Man wild wallaby population likely at 1,000 The latest drone survey finds a further 297 of the animals outside of the Ballaugh Curraghs area.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Wallabies are taking over the Isle of Man!

www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/ringvorlesun...
Will be giving a public lecture on touch next monday, in Freiburg!