Indigo V.L. Rose

Glia gang, this is for you!

In this video by our #ElectronMicroscopy team, shows a pyramidal neuron (PyC) surrounded by 8 glia brain cells – 5 microglia (MG) and 3 oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC).

🧠📈 http://microns-explorer.org

RIP Kit-Kat 💔

She was such a bright light for the UCSF community. She’s very deeply missed.

FSP1-mediated lipid droplet quality control prevents neutral lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis - Nature Cell Biology Lange et al. identify a lipid droplet quality control pathway in which FSP1 safeguards stored neutral lipids from lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the induction of ferroptosis.

Excited to share our study out in @natcellbio.nature.com! Led by @mikelangelipid.bsky.social, we identify the first #LipidDroplet lipid quality control pathway: LD-localized FSP1 protects stored lipids from oxidative damage and prevents LD-initiated #ferroptosis.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We've been doing some amazing stuff outside the astrocyte realm.
Check out our latest Oligo investigation led by @pryprk.bsky.social !

uv is the best thing to happen to the Python ecosystem in a decade - Blog - Dr. Emily L. Hunt Released in 2024, uv is hands-down the best tool for managing Python installations and dependencies. Here's why.

uv makes installing and using Python *so* easy! It works on pretty much any computer and it's lightning fast. 🔭☄️ #astrocode

If you're still using conda, pyenv, or... basically any other tool, then I can *highly* recommend switching:

Thank you Alzforum for featuring our new preprint identifying regulators of disease states of #microglia.

Project led by Amanda McQuade, computation by Reet Mishra, collaboration with the Nunez and De Jager labs.

Alzforum
www.alzforum.org/news/researc...

Preprint
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Cell autonomous microglia defects in a stem cell model of frontotemporal dementia tau - Molecular Psychiatry Molecular Psychiatry - Cell autonomous microglia defects in a stem cell model of frontotemporal dementia tau

Excited to share new work from the lab showing that FTD causing mutations in tau cause widespread defects in microglia function
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Just out in Nature! “The astrocytic ensemble acts as a multiday trace to stabilize memory.” We identified astrocytic ensembles that link experiences across days to stabilize memory nature.com/articles/s41.... New astrocyte tools are openly available at Addgene: addgene.org/Jun_Nagai/. 1/8

They’re lovely!

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.

In the early years of my PhD I remember being asked if we'd ever treat or cure diseases like HIV or Huntington's. I remember saying maybe, but not knowing if I believed. Seeing research pay off as real impact on human lives is - incredible.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

www.bbc.com/news/article...

We sure did! Jolted us awake here in central SF.

Wow now that was an earthquake! Never been shaken awake before

Announcing Rust 1.90.0 | Rust Blog Empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software.

Rust 1.90.0 is out! blog.rust-lang.org/2025/09/18/R...

Major features:
* lld as the default linker on x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
* cargo workspace publishing support built into cargo
* more const context APIs, and stabilization of new useful APIs

Wonderful to see our paper on the #organelle signatures of #neurons and #astrocytes out in final form - congratulations, Shannon Rhoads and team!🎉 t.co/BPxKlbU6Ou

Most neurodevelopmental disorders are caused by having 1 functional gene copy. Using SCN2A, we show that upregulating the functional copy rescues neuronal phenotypes. Amazing work with @neurobender.bsky.social led by Serena Tamura, Andrew Nelson, Perry Spratt & others.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Microglia-astrocyte crosstalk regulates synapse remodeling via Wnt signaling @cellcellpress.bsky.social @travisfaust.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Comic. [Building with large sign in front of it[ SIGN: Welcome to the *Biology Department* It has been [changeable sign: 3] days since we discovered something existentially horrifying about bugs that makes you question your whole reality

Biology Department

xkcd.com/3140/

David Baltimore, Nobel-Winning Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87

David Baltimore, Nobel-Winning Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87 www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/s...

View of the Golden Gate Bridge out the front window of a small airplane on a sunny day

Getting a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge! Perfect conditions this weekend.

Thanks Nat Neuro for posting about our recent paper! This project goes to show that you can have a really wacky idea and occasionally biology will throw you a bone and it will actually work!

I love this cover art so much!

Astrocyte networks span large swaths of brain The networks are plastic, connect brain regions that aren’t connected by neurons and may enable long-distance communication between astrocytes, a new preprint shows.

Astrocytes are connected by gap junctions in large, plastic networks that link brain regions not connected by neurons, a new preprint shows.

By @callimcflurry.bsky.social

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/astrocytes/a...

Ever wanted to do a CRISPR screen directly in the mammalian brain? While perturbing thousands of genes in parallel? All while targeting specific cell types? Check out our latest paper describing CrAAVe-seq, a powerful new functional genomics tool for massively parallel neuroscience research

This is an airyscan confocal movie of mitochondria (white) moving around in a mouse astrocyte. Actin filaments are in orange and microtubules are in blue.

Astrocyte specification in the mouse septum is shaped by both developmental origin and local signals - Nature Neuroscience The relative contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic factors to astrocyte heterogeneity is unknown. Using heterotropic transplantation of septal astrocytes with distinct lineage origins, we show that ...

Cool astrocyte paper!

National Cancer Institute projection of a 4% pay line in FY2026.

Good grief, the US National Cancer Institute projects it will fund only one in 25 RO1 grant applications in 2026. This is massively defunding cancer research. Despicable vandalism. www.cancer.gov/grants-train...

Tenure-track faculty search of the UCSF Biochemistry & Biophysics Department is open for applications!

We are looking for creative, innovative scientists asking fundamental questions in any area of biology.

Join our vibrant, collaborative, and supportive community!

aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF05702

Astrocytes connect specific brain regions through plastic gap junctional networks https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.18.665573v1

Higher resolution pooled genome-wide CRISPR knockout screening in Drosophila cells using integration and anti-CRISPR (IntAC) - Nature Communications Genome-wide CRISPR screens map how genes support survival and contribute to diverse biological functions. Here, the authors use antiCRISPR to enhance genome-wide CRISPR screening in Drosophila and gen...

Pooled #CRISPR screens are a staple of functional genomics in mammalian cells. Yet somehow in the best genetic model™ no equivalent system was available. Until now! The @perrimonlab.bsky.social lab now presents efficient pooled CRISPR screening in #Drosophila cells.

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