Thank you @mollyherring.bsky.social for the stunning showcase π
Like what you see? Come ExM with us! Letβs flood the internet with microbial marvels π¦
#ProtistsOnSky #MicroEvoSky π§ͺπ¬π
@dudinlab.bsky.social @centriolelab.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @embl.org @erc.europa.eu @embo.org
04.02.2026 20:43 β π 99 π 31 π¬ 2 π 2
Scientists reveal how sleeping sickness parasites control their surface coat
Researchers have revealed how parasites hide thousands of antigens behind a single-colour coat and how disrupting this control could make the parasit...
New PNAS study identifies ESBX, a protein controlling which surface coat gene is active in sleeping sickness parasites - key to immune evasion.
@tiengwe-tryplab.bsky.social
@zephyris-science.bsky.social
@fariatrypslab.bsky.social
www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...
04.02.2026 14:09 β π 9 π 8 π¬ 0 π 0
Another #notTHECover unfortunately.
But this gorgeous, Tron-like vibe, drawn by the amazing @munafomarzia.bsky.social for our recent #ExM work with @gautamdey.bsky.social & @centriolelab.bsky.social will still be printed out in the lab.
Read here: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
26.12.2025 11:53 β π 100 π 19 π¬ 4 π 2
40 years of CENP-A
In 1985, Earnshaw and Rothfield published in Chromosoma a landmark discovery of the centromere-specific protein CENP-A. Subsequent research has shown that ...
The discovery of the first kinetochore proteins (CENP-A, CENP-B, CENP-C) was reported by Bill Earnshaw and Naomi Rothfield in 1985 in Chromosoma. Forty years later, Chromosoma/Chromosome Research has published a special issue (most articles are open access)
link.springer.com/collections/...
22.12.2025 10:09 β π 42 π 17 π¬ 2 π 0
Final version is out! Our large-scale cryo-ET dataset π¬ of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii π¦ is now published in @cp-molcell.bsky.social
Huge collaborative effort! So glad to see the community already using it to develop new resources & tools.
Check it out here: shorturl.at/z4i4c
#CryoEM #CryoET
19.12.2025 16:45 β π 137 π 47 π¬ 3 π 1
Evolutionary cell biology comes of age
Summary: This Perspective discusses how the discipline of evolutionary cell biology, by integrating evolutionary theory, comparative physiology and modern molecular approaches, works to understand how...
Thanks @jcellsci.bsky.social for this opportunity to contribute to your centenary collection with our take on the state of the field - 10 years after its modern reincarnation π§ͺπ
W/ @alebenoit.bsky.social @eelcotromer.bsky.social @fritzlaylin.bsky.social
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
19.12.2025 16:13 β π 83 π 33 π¬ 0 π 5
New in ACS SynBio: led by Dennis Bolshakov, we used the awesome power of yeast to define how expression levels, noise, and sequence program the dynamics of synthetic protein waves, allowing us to genetically encode new cellular timescales stable over generations!
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
17.12.2025 15:24 β π 27 π 11 π¬ 2 π 1
Are you very busy but still want to learn what Aphelids are and why they are important to understand the evolution of Fungi?
Then check out our βQuick guideβ on Aphelids published in collaboration with @deemteam.bsky.social, Sergey and GuifrΓ©. #protistsonsky
doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
15.12.2025 17:41 β π 72 π 27 π¬ 2 π 1
Anatomy and mechanics of tsetse fly blood feeding www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.08.692967v1
12.12.2025 08:15 β π 1 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Confused by all the histones that are cropping up in organisms that are decidedly NOT eukaryotes? check out our review - fantastic work by team NucEvo in the #Lugerlab
The Expanding Histone Universe: Histone-Based DNA Organization in Noneukaryotic Organisms - www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
09.12.2025 15:14 β π 180 π 80 π¬ 5 π 3
Endogenous tagging of novel proteins confirms supervised cluster predictions. Left: Tagged proteins highlighted (black) among relevant predicted clusters, resolved on neighbor-averaged imputed t-SNE. Right: Individual cell lines were generated via endogenous tagging and imaged through fluorescence microscopy for comparison with the compartment-relevant protein was predicted to. Merged microscopy images showing protein signal (green) merged with nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (blue). All imaged cells are oriented with their apical regions facing right and posterior facing left, cell membrane outlines are traced for all images except for L, showing only trace of the papilla, which lacks signal. Scale bar represents 5 ΞΌm.
#Diplonemids are among the most diverse & abundant #protists in the deep #ocean. This study localises >5,000 proteins of #Paradiplonema papillatum, revealing #organelle compartmentalisation, including a membrane coated with carbohydrate-degrading enzymes @plosbiology.org π§ͺ plos.io/3XvmpIO
04.12.2025 17:30 β π 19 π 7 π¬ 0 π 0
Differential contributions of Ξ² tubulin isotypes to acentrosomal oocyte meiosis in C. elegans https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.03.692175v1
04.12.2025 08:30 β π 2 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Our new paper is out in Nature Communications! π
We explore how Toxoplasma gondii organizes parasite development, combining cell biology and expansion microscopy to reveal new structural insights.
#Toxoplasma @meissnerlab.bsky.social @natcomms.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
28.11.2025 11:41 β π 22 π 6 π¬ 2 π 0
Our attempt to give multinucleate cells the spotlight they deserve (seriously, theyβre everywhere), led by the fearless @mrosjac.bsky.social and with @Markus Ganter
doi.org/10.32942/X2M...
Weβd love your feedback while this goes through the peer review process!
#MicroEvoSky
#ProtistsonSky π§ͺπ
26.11.2025 14:05 β π 63 π 23 π¬ 4 π 2
How do new centromeres evolve while staying compatible with the division machinery?
Discover it in our new Nature paper! We show centromeres transition gradually via a mix of drift, selection, and sex, reaching new states that still work with the kinetochore.
π doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09779-1
26.11.2025 16:21 β π 184 π 84 π¬ 8 π 8
How do cells adapt morphology to function? In a π₯ preprint by @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social , with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @amyweeks.bsky.social , we identify a self-organizing single-cell morphology circuit that optimizes the feeding trap structure of the suctorian P. collini. π§΅ tinyurl.com/4k8nv926
18.11.2025 16:15 β π 131 π 55 π¬ 4 π 11
A huge thank you to all my co-authors for this great collaboration!
@ritatewari.bsky.social @davidguttery.bsky.social @zeeshanm.bsky.social @eelcotromer.bsky.social
24.11.2025 16:07 β π 2 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Our new preprint describes Plasmodium NEK4 as a key regulator coupling meiotic initiation and morphogenesisβa critical step for malaria transmission. This involves MTOC-driven nuclear movement strikingly analogous to "horsetail" movement in fission yeast.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
24.11.2025 16:07 β π 6 π 2 π¬ 1 π 0
A Trypanosoma brucei cell visualized by confocal microscopy after ultrastructure expansion. The cell was immunolabelled for the BILBO1 protein (yellow) and stained with fluorescent NHS-ester (grey). The flagellar pocket is highlighted in pink. Credit: Marie ZelenΓ‘
The flagellar pocket collar (FPC) is a cytoskeletal structure essential for nutrient uptake & immune evasion in #Trypanosome. @mbonhivers.bsky.social &co use U-ExM to provide novel insights into FPC biogenesis, and reveal 2 unknown cytoskeletal structures @plosbiology.org π§ͺ plos.io/4n3bWi6
10.10.2025 16:14 β π 37 π 8 π¬ 0 π 4
Time for a thread!π§΅ How different is the molecular organization of thylakoids in βhigherβ plantsπ±? To find out, we teamed up with @profmattjohnson.bsky.social to dive into spinach chloroplasts with #CryoET βοΈπ¬. Curious? ..Read on!
#TeamTomo #PlantScience π§ͺ π§Άπ§¬ πΎ
elifesciences.org/articles/105...
1/π§΅
25.09.2025 18:00 β π 135 π 42 π¬ 3 π 6
π± Using βcompellingβ methods, including #CryoET, researchers mapped spinach thylakoid membranes at single-molecule precision, revealing how photosynthetic complexes are organised and settling long-standing debates on chloroplast architecture.
buff.ly/j3TSIkn
20.09.2025 13:59 β π 68 π 18 π¬ 3 π 7
Our 2025 Sep issue bit.ly/2N9R8Es reviews species sanitation & structural resilience in malaria control, animal trypanosomosis control, parasite genome organization, Leishmania attachment in sandflies, nonchemotherapeutic nematode control, tick & host microbiotas, parasitic neural manipulation &more
04.09.2025 15:24 β π 13 π 7 π¬ 6 π 1
Title slide being projected on a screen for the BSP trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis seminar
View of Ceske BudΔjovice from above. Beautiful city with coloured houses on a clear sunny day
A big welcome to everyone who has joined us for the @bspparasitology.bsky.social trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis meeting this week in the beautiful city of Ceske BudΔjovice!
01.09.2025 20:17 β π 13 π 6 π¬ 1 π 0
Sub-cellular chemical mapping in bacteria using correlated cryogenic electron and mass spectrometry imaging
Congrats Hannah Ochner and authors on this important paper! Strong collaboration with @kiranrpatil.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
@mrclmb.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social
31.08.2025 18:44 β π 142 π 62 π¬ 3 π 4
New work on ARK1 (AURKB?) in Plasmodium (malaria parasite) with @ritatewari.bsky.social and Pushkar Sharma. CPC in Plasmodium is (ofcourse..) different compared to conventional models: two INCENPs, no borealin/survivin - mainly at spindle microtubules/MTOCs. Special thanks to @ryanase.bsky.social!
31.08.2025 12:26 β π 5 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Pleased to share our new preprint: "Plasmodium ARK1 regulates spindle formation during atypical mitosis and forms a divergent chromosomal passenger complex". Many thanks to our collaborators.
@ritatewari.bsky.social @eelcotromer.bsky.social @davidguttery.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
28.08.2025 13:12 β π 5 π 3 π¬ 0 π 1
New paper is out! We have studied the cute tiny Discocelia plataet sp. n. to obtain the first molecular data of the order Discocelida and clarify its cell structure. All this for a better understanding of the evolution of Cercozoa.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
26.08.2025 17:53 β π 45 π 20 π¬ 2 π 3
Such a great story! A pathogen within a pathogen π€―. Made me think of all Totiviridea family that infect protozoan parasites including Trichomonas vaginalis and Giardia lamblia. Always wondered if Tryps have these too and whether the pathology is partly due to a hidden bug.
16.08.2025 09:58 β π 5 π 4 π¬ 1 π 0
Parasite cell biology, science and microscopes (with a garnish of computers, graphics and graphic design). Runs a research lab in the University of Edinburgh.
PhD: sand fly/ mosquito π¦ biologist . Interested in everything parasite-microbiota-vector interactions. Full time Chelsea fan/ LH44 π
Molecular parasitologist studying how pathogens evade host immunity...tracking antimicrobial resistance spread in West Africa. One Health advocate! strong believer in open and community science #Scientist, #dad & #global health advocate. π¦ π§¬π¬ππ
Profile picture: Toxoplasma image taken by Omar Harb
Banner picture: Plasmodium from Volker Heussler
SNSF Ambizione Project Leader
Looking at tiny frozen mitochondria with big microscopes π¬ cryoEM/cryoET
Green organisms πΏ & evolution π¦
Biozentrum, hosted in the Engel Lab, CH
π«π· -> π©πͺ -> π¨π
Website: https://www.waltzresearch.com/
MRC research fellow at the University of Edinburgh working on parasite metabolism.
Postdoctoral Researcher @ Laura Kirkman lab, Weill Cornell Medicine, studying how human malaria parasites repair their DNA and maintain the integrity of their genome and use it for generating new var genes.
Postdoc @SophieMartinLab.bsky.social studying #GPCR and #MAPK signalling in fission yeast. Alumnus of @mjafreeman.bsky.social and @jordanraff.bsky.social
A Cell Press journal publishing literature reviews and commentaries in all parasitology disciplines. 2024 IF 6.6; CiteScore 11.6. See our posts on Linkedin. Homepage: https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/home
Cell biologist. Yeasts -> Trypanosoma brucei. Ox -> Ed.
Chief Yeast Officer. Evolution, genomes, chromatin, cell cycle, centromeres, and kinetochore are scientific passions. PhD w/ Jef Boeke, PostDoc w/ Andrea Musacchio @ MPI-Dortmund. πΊπΈ (π§->π½) -> π©πͺ
Postdoctoral fellow in the Keeling Lab @ UBC studying marine protistan symbionts. Previously: del Campo Lab & Coral Reef Futures Lab π πͺΈπ𧬠He/Him π³οΈβπ
Cellular biophysicist at NC State. My lab combines approaches from physics, biology, and engineering to ask how biological molecules self-assemble into cellular-scale machinery that transduces force and performs mechanical functions.
Aquatic Ecosystem Analyses π¦ Protists and their interactions.
http://kennethdumack.de
Building an infrastructure for volume EM (vEM) to serve the bioscience research community one slice at at time.
Scientist working on genome evolution, viruses, computational molecular evolution, and experimental evolution. π©πΌβπ¬ πͺπΊπ³π±πͺπΈπ«π·π¦πΉ
https://veelab.univie.ac.at/