Holthuis Lab

I am proud to 📣 today’s superb thesis defense by Milena Wessing on “Molecular dissection of ceramide-induced apoptosis: a bottom-up approach”. Two papers describing Milena’s heroic efforts are close to submission. It was a privilege serving as her “Doktorvater” 🥂

I am pleased to 📣 today’s superb thesis defense by Christian Schroer on “Chemical strategies for studying lipid signaling and transport”. Part of his work was recently published in the JLR; the other part will follow soon. A very proud and somewhat tipsy “Doktorvater” 🥂

Great to see this work on imaging cellular lipid logistics in Nature, where it belongs. Chapeau! Many gratulations to Andre, Alf and their co-workers!

That’s fantastic news, Fikadu! And very much deserved. Many congratulations, also to OHSU for this wise decision 🍾🍾🍾

🔥🔥🔥 (= highly recommended) 👇🏼

A university & its leadership standing for academic freedom, truth, integrity & shared values deserve support from across the globe. Those believing in these virtues greatly outnumber those who seek to undermine them. As admirer of the 1st class scientists working at UVA, I gladly signed the letter👇

Wir für Demokratie | Unabhängig & Überparteilich Demokratisches Engagement Für Dich. Für mich. Für uns alle. Wir sind ein gemeinnütziger Verein, der einen niedrigschwelligen Zugang zu demokratischer Beteiligung ermöglicht. Als Plattform für überpart...

Science is the engine of an open, pluralistic society. So scientists serve a central role in defending it. In 🇩🇪, the association „Wissenschaft für Demokratie – Wir für Dich“ was founded to strengthen the role of science in the public debate & in the fight against disinformation
wirfuerdemokratie.org

Totally agree!

Thank you so much @jamessaenz.bsky.social‬ for the inspiring #sfb1557 talk on lipid-sensitive riboswitches and the role of lipid diversity & membrane biophysics in the origin of life. A great scientist & wonderful colleague to hang out with 🍺, who is currently on the job market, but not for long… 🚴‍♂️

Rapport KNAW: Academische vrijheid in Nederland

Academische vrijheid staat onder druk en moet beter worden beschermd. Die conclusie lees je vandaag in dit KNAW-rapport: www.knaw.nl/nieuws/knaw-... Aanbevelingen o.m.: meer vrijheid van onderzoek, bescherming tegen intimidatie en minder inhoudelijke overheidsbemoeienis.

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

This is an absolute disaster. If we don't stop this, they will turn NSF into a pawn of the Trump administration. There will be no research on climate, biodiversity, or anything that isn't eugenics or AI or how to more efficiently destroy the planet for profit.

This cannot be allowed to happen.

NIH Research Funding at Risk—Take Action Now! - ASCB Along with supporting important scientific discoveries, federally funded scientific research has significant impact on state and local economies. It is estimated that, on average, every $1 of National...

Science is under attack. Proposed 40% NIH cut threatens jobs, research, and medical progress. Call your reps, governor, and mayor now—urge them to stand up for science.

www.ascb.org/science-poli...

Thank you so much for the warm welcome, @gloriusgroup.bsky.social & @gloriusfrank.bsky.social! I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful brainstorm on how to capture the complex dance of lipids during cell wounding and repair using the power of synthetic chemistry. So much left to explore and accomplish🧑‍🔬🧪🔬

Structural basis of lipid transfer by a bridge-like lipid-transfer protein - Nature The LPD-3 complex structure reveals protein–lipid interactions that suggest a model for how the native LPD-3 complex mediates bulk lipid transport and provides a foundation for mechanistic studies of ...

At membrane contact sites, bridge-like transport proteins, e.g. LPD-3, mediate bulk lipid transfer between cellular organelles. @nature see cryo-EM structure of native LDP-3, and gain insights into its functioning and interaction with other proteins and lipids.
shorturl.at/lycuz & shorturl.at/ARpUK

For everyone interested in organoid technology and skin regeneration there is a great postdoc opportunity in the Bartscherer Lab.
Check out the posting below.

www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...

www.biologie.uni-osnabrueck.de/en/research/...

Cell membranes sustain phospholipid imbalance via cholesterol asymmetry This work challenges a major assumption in cell biology by showing that lipid bilayers can have drastically different phospholipid abundances between their two leaflets. This lipid abundance asymmetry...

Groundbreaking study in Cell from @leventallab.bsky.social: phospholipid asymmetry is a defining feature of the plasma membrane and cholesterol fills the holes — major implications for how this membrane works. A #lipidtime must-read! www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

📯📯📯 10 days left to apply for the International Master MemBioMed "From Membrane Biology to Neuroscience & Experimental Medicine". Scholarships available for selected students to acquire intensive training in analysing the complex behavior of biomembranes and exploiting their therapeutic potential 👇👇

This is a beautiful paper. Very important implications - and further evidence for the link between lipid transbilayer movement / lipid asymmetry and directional lipid transport.

Mechanisms and functions of lysosomal lipid homeostasis In this review Ebner et al. summarize and discuss the rapidly increasing knowledge regarding the mechanisms of lysosomal lipid turnover and export as well as the pathways for the homeostatic control a...

Review @cp-cellchembiol.bsky.social @volkerhaucke-lab.bsky.social
Mechanisms and functions of lysosomal lipid homeostasis
www.cell.com/cell-chemica...

Opinion/Guest column: Gutting NIH a disaster in the marking for research, local economy Less research equates to less business between the university and these Worcester companies, spreading the pain far beyond campus borders.

Taking a cue from @cantlonlab.bsky.social, I have written an op-ed for my local newspaper about the impact of the NIH funding chaos. I'd appreciate it if you read and share. #NIH #Research #Science #Worcester

www.telegram.com/story/opinio...

Who would have ever thought of such a thing happening?

Friends! The science that we love is under threat. World-wide, there're forces seeking to make it corporate-like, focused on deliverables, or even the enemy of society. Take a stand & celebrate science & music! #theconferencetoendallconferences - Registration starts NOW!
woodstock.img.cas.cz

Pubmed has been down since yesterday. If this is a result of Trump’s NIH funding freeze, it’s extremely bad news for the scientific community not just in the USA but across the world.

2 weeks left to sing up! Membrane dynamics from single cells to whole organisms! Come and hang out with us in sunny San Feliu! Please re-post

Postdocs and PhD students hit hard by Trump’s crackdown on science As US federal grants remain frozen and budget cuts loom, anxiety and fear grip early-career researchers.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🚨🚨 We are proud to launch MemBioMed, a new international Master program offering interdisciplinary training in biomembrane research at 3 sites: Université de Côte d'Azur 🇫🇷 Università di Genova 🇮🇹 & Osnabrück University 🇩🇪. We offer 15 scholarships & encourage talented students to apply by April 6th ♻️🙏

PLOS statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity - The Official PLOS Blog Since its founding over twenty five years ago PLOS has been dedicated to advancing open science, ensuring that knowledge is accessible to…

PLOS statement. Any attempt to restrict knowledge creation or censor its dissemination undermine the core principles of scientific inquiry and obstruct progress. And they stand in direct conflict with our core values, our mission and our editorial policies theplosblog.plos.org/2025/02/plos...

Germany be wise tomorrow

Information, facts, and figures should be the basis of our democracy

Sign the petition:
www.openpetition.de/petition/onl...

TRAM-LAG1-CLN8 family proteins are acyltransferases regulating phospholipid composition TRAM–LAG1–CLN8 family proteins function as enzymes that remodel cellular phospholipids and expand the membrane lipid diversity.

Congrats to Kasparas Petkevicius on his paper just out in Science Advances - Andrew James in my lab played a key role - important implications for Battens Disease

doi.org/10.1126/scia...