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Cynthia Wolberger

@cwolberger.bsky.social
2.2K followers 107 following 98 posts

Professor and Director, Dept. of Biophysics & Biophysical Chemistry Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, structural biologist, lover of chromatin and ubiquitin, fan of the active voice.

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Reposted by Cynthia Wolberger
Yuan He @yuanhejhu.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A big week for the lab! Two new papers on how cells repair DNA double-strand breaks: one on getting NHEJ started in chromatin, one on processing the ends before ligation. Years of work by a fantastic team.
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Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Millennium math problem solved by OpenAI may have "regurgitated" competitors unpublished work... also they spent more than $22 million in computing power in one week to scoop them. techcrunch.com/2026/09/08/o...
techcrunch.com
OpenAI fought dirty on career-making math problem, says NYU mathematician | TechCrunch
There is a $1 million bounty for the first person providing a solution to the Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem.
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Weizmann Institute of Science @weizmann.ac.il · 31/08/2026
We, the Weizmann Institute of Science community, deeply mourn the passing of Prof. Ada Yonath - Nobel Laureate and a Model of Scientific Perseverance. May her memory be a blessing. bit.ly/ada-yonath-eng
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Adam Phillippy @aphillippy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
For the past 30 years, “whole-genome sequencing” has been a misnomer. Today the T2T Consortium publishes a dozen papers heralding a future of truly complete genomes for humans and nearly any vertebrate 👨‍🔬🐒🐦🐀🦒🐎🫏🐹🐟 (sorry, no salamanders): www.cell.com/consortium/t... 🧵[1/15]
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
For shame, Elife. Left-handed DNA??!
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Addgene @addgene.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Twenty years ago, Addgene co-founder Melina Fan, PhD, couldn’t get the plasmids she needed for her research, so she helped build a better way to share them. 🧬 On Aug. 1, Melina stepped into a new role as Chief Scientific Advisor. A thank-you and a look at what’s next:
twp.ai
blog.addgene.org
Thank You, Melina: A New Chapter After 20 Years
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I posted a comment about the proposed OMB regulations online but have yet to see it appear. Has anyone else had this experience? I received a confirmation email, so I know they received it (on July 10).
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Fascinating finding with direct clinical implications: Placental nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide modulates the timing of labor | Science www.science.org/doi/full/10....
science.org
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Margaret Johnson @mejohnson81.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Self-assembly can help cells make decisions: see Sam's awesome work!
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Johns Hopkins University @jhu.edu · 26/05/2026
NIH has allocated just 33% of its normal budget this year, putting critical medical breakthroughs at risk. Johns Hopkins President Ron Daniels and University of Kansas Chancellor Dr. Douglas Girod are calling on the government to release it before the damage becomes permanent. bit.ly/4f3GuzR
hub.jhu.edu
President Daniels in WSJ op-ed: Get the federal science money flowing
JHU president, University of Kansas chancellor urge federal agencies to release congressionally appropriated funds to fuel America's research engine
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I was told that I needed to request permission to collaborate with physicians from European countries before testing the effects of patient mutations they identified on an enzyme we study. For each collaborator, NIH is asking for email, institution, street address, phone number (!!). Insane.
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Johns Hopkins Arts & Sciences @jhuartssciences.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Congratulations to historian Richard Kagan, neuroscientist Ulrich Mueller, political scientist Vesla Weaver, and biophysicist Sarah Woodson on being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. hub.jhu.edu/2026/04/30/a...
hub.jhu.edu
Four from Johns Hopkins elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Richard Kagan, Ulrich Mueller, Vesla Weaver, and Sarah Woodson among 252 individuals recognized for excellence in their fields
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
The irony - painting in background shows George Washington, who had his troops vaccinated against smallpox.
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Alex @purplechrain.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Hegseth saying “The Pharisee Press” should be a fully mask off moment. He is saying “The Jewish Press”. But Christians of all political stripes are so devoted to using Pharisees as a rhetorical prop that liberal Christians regularly insist it’s totally fine, no matter how many Jews try to explain.
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Woodson Lab @woodsonlab.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
🚨New paper alert! Using single molecule TIRF microscopy, we show that Nop1 destabilizes RNA structure via transient, nonspecific interactions — until specific assembly of native ribosomal complexes takes over. Congrats, Wilson! 🎉 academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com
Fibrillarin/Nop1 perturbs RNA folding and assembly independently of liquid–liquid phase separation
Abstract. The liquid–liquid phase-separated environment of the eukaryotic nucleolus is proposed to benefit ribosome assembly by chaperoning rRNA folding an
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Unreal pub in SpringerNature Scientific Reports. "This work look for Soret and Dufour thing on MHD flow for micropolar fluid on sheet with hole stretch, also see hot from electric and warm from move, which old study no much talk." "www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-…
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Johns Hopkins University @jhu.edu · 22/02/2026
Happy Birthday, Hopkins! 2/3💙
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Get this over with already so we can see the figure skating.
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Johns Hopkins Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology @johnshopkinsbmb.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
It is with deep sadness that we share that Michael J. Matunis, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has passed away. (1/4)
publichealth.jhu.edu
In Memoriam: Michael Matunis, 1964-2026 | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
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Muhammad Jbara @jbaram.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Engineering Light-Responsive Transcription Factors via Strategic Masking of Post-translational Modification Residues pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org
Engineering Light-Responsive Transcription Factors via Strategic Masking of Post-translational Modification Residues
The development of synthetic transcription factors (TFs) that generate functional outputs in response to specific stimuli holds significant promise for modulating key cellular processes in both basic ...
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day I remember my grandmother, Cywia Wolberger, and aunts, Aliza and Perel Wolberger, who were murdered in the Warsaw Ghetto. Never again.
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Let’s see what @charlesmbrenner.bsky.social has to say about this…..
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
For a few moments of distraction in these trying times, check out the Cheetah Cub Cam at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute: nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/chee...
nationalzoo.si.edu
Cheetah Cub Cam
The Cheetah Cub Cam streams live from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
I am going to scream if one more person sends me a schedule but calls it an "itinerary." itinerary = planned route or journey, or a document recording it. It is from the Latin, "itinerarium," which means route of travel. Please spread the word!!
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Apply now to join the Johns Hopkins Program in Molecular Biophysics! Our interdisciplinary Ph.D. program trains students to explore the physical principles underlying biology — from molecules to cells. Open to both U.S. and international applicants. Application deadline Dec. 1 : pmb.jhu.edu
pmb.jhu.edu
Home | Program in Molecular Biophysics
The Program in Molecular Biophysics (PMB) trains PhD students to do cutting-edge biophysics research using the methods of biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, engineering, and computer science.
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
I’ve been enjoying your drawings but especially love this one ! 💕
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Because sometimes we just need a laugh:
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Muhammad Jbara @jbaram.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Chemical Engineering of Transcription Factors Uncovered Cell-Permeable μMax Modulators l @jacs.acspublications.org pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org
Chemical Engineering of Transcription Factors Uncovered Cell-Permeable μMax Modulators
Transcription factor engineering has emerged as a powerful strategy for generating novel proteins for fundamental research and biomedical applications. Although various analogs have been developed, th...
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Denis Wirtz @deniswirtz.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Prof. Jasmina Wiemann has been selected for a prestigious Packard fellowship. This the first recognition of a paleobiologist by the Foundation! That is 8 Packard Fellows in 6 years for Johns Hopkins University. Prof. Wiemann's website is the stuff of movies: www.jasminawiemann.com
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
This is, without any exaggeration, exactly how Putin and Orbán proceeded — using antisemitism to discredit the idea of civil society and political opposition, and as an excuse to undo the rule of law. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/u...
nytimes.com
Justice Dept. Official Pushes Prosecutors to Investigate George Soros’s Foundation
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Alexis Verger 🧬🧫🧪 @alexis-verger.cpesr.fr · 24/09/2025
iFold, sorry, SimpleFold, by Apple arxiv.org/html/2509.18...
arxiv.org
SimpleFold: Folding Proteins is Simpler than You Think
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🦋🕊️🦋GinLy47 @ginly47.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
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Ed Twomey @cryoet.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
🚨🧠🔬 A major breakthrough in molecular neuroscience: I am excited to share a new story from our lab, published in accelerated format today by @nature.com: "Delta-type glutamate receptors are ligand-gated ion channels" Read more here (free article link): rdcu.be/eGIKz
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
A giant in molecular biology and virology has passed. RIP David Baltimore. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/s...
nytimes.com
David Baltimore, Nobel-Winning Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87
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Pierre Polyester @canadian-critic.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
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Benoit Bruneau @benoitbruneau.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
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...
washingtonpost.com
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.
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Denis Wirtz @deniswirtz.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
These are the most challenging times for early-career scientists and engineers. My team is doing its bit to help by maintaining and even expanding our database of funding opportunities for early-career researchers. We found 437 of them. Download it freely here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-...
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Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
On Sept 30 in Baltimore MD I will deliver the annual Michael Klag and Lucy Meoni Lecture at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social publichealth.jhu.edu/events/2025/...
publichealth.jhu.edu
Global Vaccines and Immunizations in a Time of Global Boiling, Megacities, and Anti-Science | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
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Jeff Lengyel & TEM Team at Thermo Fisher Scientific @jefflengyeltemteam.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
See our new article in Structure! Sub-3 Å resolution protein structure determination by single-particle #cryoEM at 100 keV. Really exciting results with 100kV Tundra Cryo-TEM. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Sub-3 Å resolution protein structure determination by single-particle cryo-EM at 100 keV
Cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) has transformed structural biology by providing high-resolution insights into biological macromolecules. We report s…
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Kevin Gardner @nmrkaygee.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Absolutely outrageous interference in NIH extramural funding by OMB dropping this evening. Damaging to our nation’s world leadership, innovation, and training today and for years in the future. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
Trump Administration Puts New Chokehold on Billions in Health-Research Funding
The National Institutes of Health can’t award grants to outside researchers under a new White House restriction.
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Karolin Luger @nucleosomepolice.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
#cryoEM confluence in Munich #womeninSTEM
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Powerful story from Kate Zernike from the NYT Covers the diversity of young scientists targeted by the anti-DEI BS. Definitely worth a read and a share. [Gift link] www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u...
nytimes.com
The Surprising Scientists Hit by Trump’s D.E.I. Cuts
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
It’s been a fantastic conference- many thanks to organizers Wei Yang and David Lilley. #Nucleic25
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Beyond shocking. I'm afraid to see what's next. (free article) www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/u...
nytimes.com
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Paging @charlesmbrenner.bsky.social ......
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RCSB Protein Data Bank @rcsbpdb.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
Researchers have discovered previously undetected chemical bonds within archived protein structures, revealing an unexpected complexity in protein chemistry. phys.org/news/2025-0...
phys.org
A new complexity in protein chemistry: Algorithm uncovers overlooked chemical linkages
Proteins are among the most studied molecules in biology, yet new research from the University of Göttingen shows they can still hold surprising secrets. Researchers have discovered previously undetected ...
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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 25/05/2025
“Institutions counted, facts carried weight, and shame was a deterrent. That for a long time was the way of American political life. A lot of brave people died protecting it. Remember them today, thank them, and know that we can, in time, get it back.” open.substack.com/pub/michael9...
open.substack.com
Memorial Day
Goodbye To All That...
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Chiara Masnovo @chiaramasnovophd.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Having a hard time processing this. HHMI is pausing all competitions. Very demoralizing for early career scientists like me @hhmi.org
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Craig Kaplan @triggerloop.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Current situation at Harvard Medical School for NIH grants view.u.hms.harvard.edu?qs=3ed8c01b9...
view.u.hms.harvard.edu
Harvard Medical School
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Oh, no...
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