Michael Trakselis

FIGNL1 inhibits homologous recombination in BRCA2 deficient cells by dissociating RAD51 filaments Homologous recombination (HR) deficiency upon Breast Cancer Gene 2 (BRCA2) loss arises from defects in the formation of RAD51 nucleoprotein filaments. We demonstrate that loss of the anti-recombinase ...

Want to know how homologous recombination defects are caused upon loss of BRCA2? Check out our recent efforts in uncovering this phenomenon just out in Science!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Among the anti-recombinases, FIGNL1 rules them all. So much that inactivating it brings BRCA2-deficient cells to life. Who is responsible for RAD51 loading without BRCA2/FIGNL1, check out the paper to find out! Great collaboration with @raychaudhurilab.bsky.social

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Human RPA is an essential telomerase processivity factor for maintaining telomeres Telomerase counteracts telomere shortening by repeatedly adding DNA repeats to chromosome ends. We identified the replication protein A (RPA) heterotrimer as a telomerase processivity factor critical ...

Our paper in Science is out! @souravagrawal.bsky.social, @rlynn.bsky.social, @susvirkar.bsky.social, and the rest of the team show human RPA is a telomerase processivity factor essential for telomere maintenance. This reshapes our thinking about telomerase regulation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Happy to share a new publication on Mechanistic Coupling of Enzyme Activities at the Replisome in JBC. We #Traklab compare and contrast strategies used across organisms to coordinate the many enzymatic processes that occur during DNA replication. Hope it is helpful. doi.org/10.1016/j.jb...

For ASBMB 2026, each meeting day will have a "theme" organized by session chairs. This theme "Racing the clock: Molecular Mechanisms of Aging" will feature Meng Wang as the keynote and is co-organized by Dan Jarosz @jaroszlab.bsky.social (?) and Roz Anderson.

Two Fun facts: 1) I wanted to call this a "pinky-trigger" mechanism but the reviewers weren't having it. and 2) I designed the graphical abstract, so blame me. 🤫

Here, we show that specific arginine residues in the little finger domain of translesion DNA polymerases act to sense 8-oxoG bypass and then communicate to restrict subsequent incorporations downstream. This has kinetic implications for reducing mutagenesis after a TLS event.

Residues in the little finger domain of the Y-family Dpo4 DNA polymerase communicate to restrict synthesis past 8-oxoguanine lesions Abstract. Endogenous reactive oxygen species are responsible for abundant 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) lesion formation in all three domains of life.

New #Traklab publication in @narjournal.bsky.social "Residues in the little finger domain of the Y-family Dpo4 DNA polymerase communicate to restrict synthesis past 8-oxoguanine lesions" academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Former NIH leaders lament ‘constant chaos’ at the agency, and caution it’s not over “It's been like living in a washing machine, it's been constant chaos,” former NIH official Jeremy Berg said at the #STATSummit

Things are at a standstill with the govt shutdown, the year has been one of 'constant chaos' at the NIH — & the worst may be yet to come folks said on my panel

Read a recap of our talk w/ @jeremymberg.bsky.social @malar0ne.bsky.social & Eric Green here

www.statnews.com/2025/10/16/f...

My scientific grandfather. What a gentleman scientist. RIP

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

It is with great sadness that the University shares the news of the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon, founder of the @gurdoninstitute.bsky.social

Read our tribute to the visionary Nobel Laureate and watch an interview from 2012, just after he won: https://bit.ly/4mM8o3r

Mona Minkara uncovers patterns in how our lungs interact with airborne viruses The 2025 Trailblazers guest editor uses computational models to study lung chemistry while building resources that help blind scientists succeed

"You couldn’t stop me from pursuing science. . . . It was just part of who I am." - Mona Minkara. cen.acs.org/physical-che... #chemsky 🧪

We have an open post-doc position in my group to study mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation using biochemical reconstitution and cryoEM.

Please get in touch if you are interested in joining this amazing team! 🔬🧬🤩
#RNA #cryoEM

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

Continuing efforts to hurt the research pipeline, the very late NSF GFRP solicitation no longer allows 2nd year PhD students to apply. Lots of these students chose not to apply last year because they were told they would have a better change once in their thesis lab www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

Epitope tag antibody collection Epitope tags are short amino acid sequences fused to a protein’s N- or C-terminus. When paired with an antibody that specifically recognizes this sequence, epit

Frequent user of epitope tags? Try ours!

IPI epitope tag antibodies & plasmids are now available through our partner @addgene.bsky.social!

buff.ly/YEuZDIp

After lagging far behind, NIH now seems on pace to spend its entire $47 billion budget by Sept. 30 A frenzy of grantmaking in August has the NIH seemingly on pace to spend its entire $47 billion budget by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30

A frenzy of grantmaking in August has the NIH seemingly on pace to spend its entire $47 billion budget by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30
www.statnews.com/2025/09/12/n...

Harvard’s research is shrinking amid the Trump administration’s freeze Even if grants at Harvard are suddenly restored, there is deep-rooted uncertainty about the damage already done and the future of basic science research in the U.S.

shocking to read over and over the stories of close colleagues who can't run their lab anymore. I know Karen well and it's heartbreaking. Also #PIinthelab! www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Heading to #FallACS2025. Check out the #TOXI program. Some great talks and award sessions. See you soon! @sturlalab.bsky.social @laurakiessling.bsky.social @acs.org

Nature: US senators poised to reject Trump’s proposed massive science cuts Committee gives first hint that policymakers might preserve, rather than slash, funding for US National Science Foundation and other agencies.

DO NOT GIVE UP!

Our advocacy is working.

A key Senate committee has indicated that it will reject Trump’s proposed cuts to science agencies including NASA and the NSF.

Keep speaking up and calling your electeds 🗣️🗣️🗣️

What an incredible few days it’s been with the amazing #Nucleic25 participants! 🌟
We can’t wait to celebrate all together at the Gala Dinner this evening! 🎉

Check out this new review (with animations, natch) of mechanisms of licensing origins of DNA replication - a wonderful (and continuing!) collaboration with Bruce Stillman @cshlnews.bsky.social and John Diffley @crick.ac.uk! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Congratulations. This looks great!

Is a photo subversive? NSF staff overcome obstacles to 75th anniversary portrait Management tried to quash outpouring of support for beleaguered agency

Hundreds of National Science Foundation staffers turned out for a group photograph to celebrate the besieged agency’s 75th anniversary—despite efforts by NSF officials to prevent the picture from being taken. scim.ag/4jcGpIt

I am so sorry 😞

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

This PhD candidate scientist/Mom is analyzing data and putting together her conference talk like a boss! 💪 #Traklab #AcademicMom

A chocolate cake with red and white decorations and lit candles shaped as the number 75. Bold text reads: ‘The NSF Turns 75 Today. What has it done over the past 7 decades?’ The background is a celebratory red with a spray-paint texture.

HAPPY 75th, NSF!

We’re celebrating this milestone by highlighting some of NSF’s most transformative accomplishments—innovations that have shaped our world and continue to drive progress in health, technology, the environment, and beyond.

Read on 🧵(1/11):

My lab is hiring 2 postdocs on an NIH-funded grant characterizing molecular & cellular changes in the human brain across menopausal transition. Other neuroepigenomics projects are also available. We plan to hire a wet lab scientist and a bioinformatician. Please RT!
kundakoviclab.com
More info 👇

Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund

Exclusive: National Science Foundation staff were told today that the agency’s 37 divisions—across all eight directorates—are being abolished and the number of programs within those divisions will be drastically reduced.