Alexey Amunts

Q-score as a reliability measure for protein, nucleic acid and small-molecule atomic coordinate models derived from 3DEM maps Q-scores are calculated for atomic models derived from 3D electron microscopy maps, measure how well the model fits the map and reflect the quality of the map itself. Here, we develop a statistical mo...

The original publication describing the metrics: ‘Q-score as a reliability measure for protein, nucleic acid and small-molecule atomic coordinate models derived from 3DEM maps’ (2025) G. Pintilie, C. Shao, Z. Wang, B. Hudson, J. Flatt, M. Schmid, K. Morris, S. Burley, W. Chiu. Acta Cryst_D81:410-422

Introducing the first 3DEM Model-Map percentile slider to the wwPDB validation report Introducing the latest wwPDB Percentile slider based on the Q-score model-map validation metric

Today, @rcsbpdb.bsky.social introduces Q-score in EM validation reports. Q-score assesses model-map fit. A new percentile slider will compare an entry’s average Q-score to the full archive and a resolution-matched subset. This would help judge whether the fit is typical for the reported resolution.

In Cambridge celebrating 25 years of ribosome structure studies. Wonderful to reconnect with friends, pioneers of the field, and engage with brilliant young scientists. Proud to be part of this community. Thank you @mrclmb.bsky.social for the amazing event! Great photos by Song, Nenad and Shaoxia

You’re the expert

1973: Max Perutz explains the solution of hemoglobin. 53 years later, we’re still waiting for someone to solve the missing pointer

He is calling it his ‘last’ ribosome talk… but who believes that

A dramatic blood moon is lighting up the sky above Churchill College as Venki @mrclmb.bsky.social delivers the plenary on ribosome synthesis, a memorable alignment of breakthrough in structural biology and the cosmos tonight.

Frozen Grants, Canceled Futures: The Human Toll of UCLA’s Research Suspension A frozen grant is more than halted experiments and lost data; it is a career derailed for many of the trainees dependent on this research support.

Speak up before more is lost. UCLA lost $600M in federal research grants, freezing work on cancer, neurodegeneration, pediatrics & more. Entire labs, careers, and patients remain in limbo. A devastating blow to US science. Trainees are hardest hit, the community must speak up before more is lost.

Sweet!

A de novo-originated gene drives rose scent diversification Genomic analysis of more than 100 Rosa species uncovers a multi-step process for the de novo origination of SCREP, a taxon-restricted gene specific to the Rosa genus, highlighting its function in modu...

The paper is a masterpiece of modern evolutionary genomics with a potential for synthetic biology. Imagine designing new genes from scratch to improve plant traits.
Beautiful work from colleagues at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan.
Link to the paper in Cell: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Its evolution involved acquiring exons, an intron, and a critical boost: a MITE transposon that jumped into its promoter turning up its expression.
Ironically, it became a repressor that shuts down the production of eugenol. Roses with working SCREP are silent, those where it's broken are fragrant.

The scent of silence! Cool research in Cell @cellpress.bsky.social to brighten up your day🌹. The mystery of why some roses are fragrant and others aren't has an answer. It's called SCREP: a rose-specific gene that evolved from non-coding DNA 16.8 million years ago 👇

The methodological difference is that this is reconstituted system enabling capturing an order of magnitude more events than previously. This allows mechanistic analysis and quantification. Shows that entry is selective for narrower cores and NPC is consistently dilates by ~5nm to facilitate passage

Direct visualization of HIV-1 core nuclear import and its interplay with the nuclear pore | EMBO reports imageimageAn in situ system that recapitulates HIV-1 nuclear import using isolated HIV-1 cores and permeabilized CD4 + T cells is combined with cryo-electron tomography, enabling high-throughput ultra...

Direct visualization of HIV-1 core nuclear import and its interplay with the nuclear pore | EMBO reports www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Stunning cryo-ET from Peijun Zhang lab: Direct visualization of HIV-1 nuclear import!
Hundreds of viral cores captured entering the nucleus. The NPC dilates to let the capsid through. A masterclass in correlative microscopy that makes it quantitative. A leap for structural virology! @emboreports.org

@natmetabolism.nature.com

Link to the Viewpoint in Nature Metabolism @naturemetabolism.bsky.social: www.nature.com/articles/s42...
that brings together experts including @analechugavieco.bsky.social, @rubenqc-lab.bsky.social, @yasesancak.bsky.social

Mitochondrial transfer is a fascinating phenomenon where cells shuttle mitos. The therapeutic potential is compelling and observational science is solid but the mechanism is a black box.
Excellent Viewpoint in @naturemetabolism.bsky.social breaks down one of cell biology’s biggest emerging mysteries

Was great to see you in Münster! Keep moving the field forward!!

Well done with everything! Keep going up!!

Fantastic studies presented by young scientists today: @noodlyscientist.bsky.social, @aliciakmichael.bsky.social, @sramundo.bsky.social, @florentwaltz.bsky.social.
Beautifully orchestrated by @cellarchlab.com
What a treat here in Münster @uni-muenster.de!

Principles of cotranslational mitochondrial protein import Selective ribosome profiling reveals that nearly 20% of mitochondrial proteins in human cells are imported during translation on cytosolic ribosomes. Cotranslational import requires an N-terminal pres...

Emmanuel Levy @elevylab.bsky.social has joined BlueSky 🌟 with a fantastic Cell paper with Shu-ou Shan, showing the interactome of the TOM complex and how cotranslational mito import prioritizes large globular domains. Beautiful science!
Give him a warm welcome 🎉
link: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Delighted to be appointed Honorary Visiting Chair Professor at Wuhan Agricultural University. This recognises our work in bioenergetics and opens exciting opportunities for international cryo-EM collaboration and joint supervision of PhD students.

Interesting post and very well written article. Just a note that cells don’t literally “make decisions,” and the DNA damage response is complex, multifactorial process involving proteins, RNAs, post-translational modifications, chromatin structure, and more. RNA is a piece of a bigger picture.

Karen did a breakthrough postdoc at @mpibp.bsky.social and went on to contribute to @berkeleylab.lbl.gov, @astbury-bsl.bsky.social and @diamondlightsource.bsky.social, institutions that shaped her path and benefited from her brilliance. Each step brought new insights and inspiration to the community

Dedicated my talk at the opening evening of Biophysical Society proton meeting to Karen Davies.
Karen's work shaped the field of bioenergetics from solving the horizontal subunit-a of ATP synthase to the structures of photosynthetic CI and more. She was a brilliant scientist, mentor and communicator

Take care, hope it will be ok. Sending best wishes

Mitochondrial origins of the pressure to sleep - Nature Research on Drosophila neurons shows links between the need to sleep and aerobic metabolism, indicating that the pressure to sleep may have a mitochondrial origin.

Mitochondrial origins of the pressure to sleep
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Your sleep pressure is powered by your mitochondria! Sleep, energy, and ageing are all connected through mitochondrial bioenergetics in neurons. Brilliant work from Gero Miesenböck’s lab, just out in Nature @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Thank you very much for highlighting @beatascienceart.bsky.social illustration of our study on mitoribosome evolution and for explaining the work behind it. It was a wonderful collaboration, and still my favourite cover! @molbioevol.bsky.social
Exciting to see how art and science come together