Gerry Hammond

Jesus stands on a kick stool to highlight key points from his presentation written at the very top of a high white board

Congratulations to Jesus Calixto on passing his comprehensive exam - loved this power move showcasing the towering knowledge of MARCKS proteins he's accrued in two years!

From the conclusion: "In living cells, however, biochemical reactions are embedded within tightly coupled feedback networks... persistent shifts in homeostatic behavior, often implicitly assumed to result from a single biochemical reaction, are in fact nontrivial outcomes."

Distinct impact of PI(4)P flux on PI(4,5)P2 steady states and oscillations | PNAS Plasma membrane (PM) phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] regulates indispensable processes such as exocytosis, endocytosis, and actin...

A fascinating look at the frankly bonkers, still-mysterious relationship between master membrane regulator PIP2 and its precursor. Another classic from Min Wu's lab!

The origin of life wasn't fat-free James Sáenz studies how fatty molecules might have helped life get started

Lipids are kind of the ignored middle children of origins of life research. It's time they got a bit of attention, too!

This week's post is a Q&A with geoscientist-turned-??? (interdisciplinary folks know the struggle) @jamessaenz.bsky.social about why there's no cutting the fat from origins. 🧪

Membrane editing with proximity labeling reveals regulators of lipid homeostasis - Nature Chemical Biology Coupling an optogenetic lipid-modifying enzyme with proximity labeling reveals protein networks and mechanisms regulating lipid homeostasis in the membranes of target organelles.

Thrilled to share our latest study, led by @reikatei.bsky.social, in @natchembio.nature.com! We began by asking a simple question—how do cells know if they have too much of a lipid in a particular membrane, and how do they respond to rectify this imbalance?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
More info 👇

Yes, but likely only the very scarce signaling lipids. More coming soon...

Claire defends her thesis in front of a slide of “Britishisms” she’d had to look up

Congratulations @cwecks.bsky.social on a first class thesis defense! It’s been a privilege to work with you for the last 6 years. And touche casting shade on my britishisms!

Cool new paper (www.jbc.org/article/S002... from my lab spearheaded by graduate students Sushant @sushantsuresh.bsky.social and Alex @alexlouiseshaw.bsky.social . This was a very cool collaboration with the Scott Hansen, Jennifer Cobb, Tamas Balla labs

Channeling my Robert Millikan!

So much looking forward to get going!

Tenure-track Position in Biophysics at Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Physics Location: Pittsburgh, PA Open Date: Sep 19, 2025 Description The Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics. The appointment is intended to be at the Assistant Professor level, but exceptional candidates at a higher level may also be considered. We seek outstanding candidates with a strong record in cellular and subcellular biophysics. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, uncovering how key characteristics of living systems arise from the interplay between supramolecular cellular structures, how the emergent cellular circuitry defines goals and enables robust decision making, and how metabolic resources are allocated. This encompasses understanding of how information is learned, stored, transduced, and processed across subcellular structures. Applicants with theoretical, data science, or experimental backgrounds within biological physics are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will strengthen and extend research programs of current biophysics faculty in the Department of Physics and collaborate with broader life science activities across many departments at CMU and the wider Pittsburgh area. More details on Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/174360

I am super excited to announce that we have a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics open in the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon! 🧪

Interfolio link: apply.interfolio.com/174360

PLEASE, share widely across the blue skies!

Let me briefly explain what we're looking for:

1/10

Josh Morgan discusses how progress in cell biology is hindered by significance testing and the need for a shift to effect size estimation. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

📕 In #Reproducibility and Best Practices in Cell Biology: rupress.org/jcb/collecti...

Always good to read JB and his lab's insights into one of the most important cancer targets, especially with their incredibly clear illustrations. So simple a basic cell biologist can follow it!

The plasmids are available on addgene now.

Note, we did control for competition with an endogenous PA effector (Nir2). However, your mileage may vary – like ethanol, too much PILS-Nir1 may impair your cells’ ability to signal via PA 😂

Announcing our new PA biosensor, PILS-Nir1 – seen here in HeLa cells during PLC activation #lipidtime #phospholipids

Read the OA paper in JCB

How do swelling lysosomes not burst? Because they literally suck more lipids into their membranes from the ER via this protein straw. Amazing piece of this particular molecular puzzle from my colleague jay tab!

This is such a beautiful mechanism for #phosphoinositide mediated regulation of integral membrane protein. Highly recommended #lipidtime read!!

This is the author of an eye-opening paper - tracking back through evolution to figure out the still very enigmatic function of a lipid kinase. It’s changed my view on these enzymes, and leaves me with many questions. That's what all the best papers do!

Congratulations!

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 ...

Whoa! Your weekend #lipidtime read: Our best view yet of lipids flowing along a bridge. Stunning work! If only we could see the “one-way” sign…

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The inage is flier for the session stating the 9 am start and room number W179

The last #lipids and membranes session at #asbmb25 starts at 9 am. Hear everything you didn’t know about the biology of neurodegeneration!

Flier stating you can find out how lysosomal lipid BMP is really made

Join us for a firecracker of a #lipids and membranes session on lysosomal lipids at 9 am tomorrow #asbmb25

Delegates line up to grill the speaker

They’re lining up to learn more after @wumin-lab.bsky.social gave a fantastic talk on dynamic PI signaling in the opening #lipids and membranes session at #asbmb25!

Emma speaks at the podium

Emma Drew from U Oregon giving an amazing talk in the first #lipids and membranes session at #ASBMB2025. Single molecule experiments to show real time activation of a lipid phosphatase 🤯

Volker Haucke kicks off our #lipids and membranes theme at #ASBMB25! Fantastic session

And I am giving a talk tomorrow morning #asbmb25! Cheers Batman

A view of the massive and packed auditorium

Excited for the start for #ASBMB25!

This poster has the ASBMB logo and a molecular model of the cell, with the room number W179 and time, Sunday 9 am

We have some #lipids talks at #asbmb25 on PI signaling that will blow your mind! Join us Sunday at 9 a.m. in room W179

📣For lipid-focused sessions at #ASBMB25, add the symposium on #lipids and membranes, organized by @gerryhammond.bsky.social of the University of Pittsburgh and @judisimcox.bsky.social of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, to your schedule: www.asbmb.org/annual....

Image of three covers of Journal of Cell Science

Did you know…
It’s free to publish in Journal of Cell Science – there are no submission charges, page charges or colour fees. We also plant a tree for every peer-reviewed article we publish🌳
For details, visit our website:
journals.biologists.com/jcs/pages/re...