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DMartin

@drddom.bsky.social
666 followers 380 following 757 posts

Associate Prof at UWaterloo in Biology. Study autophagy & protein lipidation (S-acylation & N-myristoylation) in Huntington disease, ALS, & VCP Disease. Expect science, food, & dog pics (opinions my own) neurdyphagylab.squarespace.com

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HDBuzz @hdbuzzfeed.bsky.social · 10h
uniQure reports that after 4 years, people given high-dose AMT-130 continue to show signs of slower HD progression, providing hope for their recent regulatory submission. But the new analyses are nuanced. We unpack the hopeful but complex results in this article → en.hdbuzz.net/amt-130-at-f...
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BCCHR ResDev (DM) @resdevbcch.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
‼️ attention Canadian health researchers ‼️ #CIHR has posted the Project Grants Discussion Paper and a related *survey* cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/54821.html Please please participate 🙏
photo of the “help shape the future of the project grant program” announcement by CIHR. TEXT is accessible in the hyperlink in this post.
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Graham Dellaire @docdellaire.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Double jeopardy grant review is a thing. On re-review of a grant at CIHR the success rate goes up when you have more reviewers re-reviewing the sequential resubmission. It rises to 59% success rate if all 3 reviewers re-review a grant vs 21% with no common reviewers. Let that sink in … 🤔
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HDBuzz @hdbuzzfeed.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The CAG repeat that causes Huntington’s disease (HD) has a tendency to grow with age. New research on over 900,000 people uncovers parallel patterns and finds CAG growth can happen in many other parts of the genome. #hdresearch Read the full article → en.hdbuzz.net/studying-stu...
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Jehannine (J9) Austin @j9austin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Well, this is ...something: universityaffairs.ca/news/remove-... I am tired. So very tired. This is really hard work. #AcademicSky 🧪
universityaffairs.ca
Remove EDI from research funding decisions, parliamentary committee says - University Affairs
The Standing Committee on Science and Research says ‘discriminatory’ EDI policies are ‘weakening the quality of Canadian research’.
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Jim Woodgett @jwoodgett.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
There’s a concerted campaign to undermine EDI in Canada. The evidence behind EDI policies reducing excellence are based on abysmal, flawed evidence. Look at who feels threatened by equity, diversity and inclusion. They’re the least diverse, least equitable and most exclusive people. Just no.
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bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
GAPDH is tethered to axonal transport vesicles by S-acylation www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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André Picard @picardonhealth @picardonhealth.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Sanofi inaugurates $925-million Toronto facility that will produce seasonal flu vaccines for Canadians. Site is also designed to provide new capacity for vaccine production in event of another pandemic, by @hannay.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/business/eco... via @theglobeandmail.com
theglobeandmail.com
Sanofi inaugurates Toronto facility that will produce seasonal flu vaccines for Canadians
French pharmaceutical maker’s site is also designed to provide new capacity for vaccine production in event of another pandemic
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
But seriously, when did this happen & why? Also, am I the only one who cares? It's hard to teach students that latin words have to be italicized if they're not seeing it in the papers they read.
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HDBuzz @hdbuzzfeed.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Skyhawk Therapeutics shared data for SKY-0515, an experimental once-daily pill that targets both huntingtin and somatic instability, making it a possible “two-for-one” drug to treat HD. Read more about this exciting news on HDBuzz → en.hdbuzz.net/encouraging-...
Graphic of a megaphone with the words, "Encouraging news from Skyhawk Therapeutics!" above.Picture of pills from a pill bottle with words on text boxes: "A potential 2-for-1 approach to treat HD is safe and shows potential! SKY-0515 is an experimental once-daily pill that aims to lower huntingtin AND target somatic instability."Close up photo of a doctor checking lab results. Words in text boxes read, "In the Phase 1/2 study, SKY0515 did just that, and showed positive changes in tests of movement & thinking." But will that add up to a treatment that slows HD?"Text box: "Skyhawk's Phase 2/3 study, FALCON-HD, will tell us whether the Phase 1/2 study's promising signs hold up in a larger, placebo-controlled trial."
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Andrew Iwaniuk @evoneuro.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
For the benefit of followers who have complained to me about how I’m wrong and Canada values science and advanced education, a graph that illustrates my point #Canada
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Lesley MacNeil @steeltownworms.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
It's 2026 and a bunch of dudes just published something called the "Equity-excellence trade-off". Their central hypothesis is that CRC should not have introduced quotas that force universities to nominate women and minorities. They want to go back to a time when chairs were 80% men and mostly white.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Can someone tell me when journals stopped italicizing latin terms like in vitro or in vivo?
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Sergey Ovchinnikov @sokrypton.org · 14/09/2026
Finally a more intuitaive way to learn pLDDT/pAE? 😎 sokrypton.github.io/protein_figh... (Character idea from @hannes-stark.bsky.social & Alex Waldherr)
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Was running through Victoria Park today listening to the audio book for Black House by @stephenking.bsky.social & Peter Straub. This plaque is very fitting & kinda creepy. IYKYK. 'Gorg! Ty! Abbalah!'
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
We just a little closer to understanding the complexity that is ZDHHC13. Check out this work from @drssfs.bsky.social with implications in Huntington Disease. ZDHHC13 Is a Catalytically Deficient Protein S-Acyltransferase That Functions via a Noncanonical Mechanism tinyurl.com/3yp958up
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Merja Joensuu @joensuulab.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
The latest publication from the lab is now out in @natureportfolio.nature.com. We show that pharmacological inhibition of NMT1 perturbs respiratory virus infectivity due to Golgi-bypassing egress, compromising spike maturation and incorporation. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🦠🧫🔬
nature.com
Inhibition of host N-myristoylation compromises the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 due to Golgi-bypassing egress - Nature Communications
Here the authors show that inhibition of host N-myristoyltransferase by IMP1088 reduces SARS-CoV-2, VSV and RSV infection across lung and nasal cells, through a Golgi-bypassing virion egress that disr...
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Merja Joensuu @joensuulab.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
NMT1 inhibition blocks N-myristoylation of newly synthesized proteins - an important fatty acid function - disturbing ER to Golgi trafficking and activating an unconventional secretory pathway from ER to plasma membrane. Wild. Congratulations to all authors! 🎉 #antiviral #SARSCoV2 #RSV #VSV
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Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I am the very model of a modern day typographer A font take on the tune “Modern Major General” by Gilbert & Sullivan #typography #fonts #graphicdesign
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Nurse Chapel 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇬🇱🇨🇺 @nurse-chapel.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
TFW when labs reach out for help to do basically the things you've tried to get funded 8 times by CIHR, but can't convince reviewers is important. At least someone's doing the research...
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
This is wild. Not sure I can remember a time where Canadians were so united. 'The very large majority (78%) believe the federal government made the right decision to reject the proposals of the Trump Administration and end the negotiations.' bruce728.substack.com/p/liberals-l...
bruce728.substack.com
Liberals lead 49%-29%. Approval of Carney government climbs to new high.
Canadian voters are galvanized by Trump’s attacks and aligned with Carney’s approach.
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#NeuroDegeneration preprints @prepub-neurodegen.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Excessive cholesterol accumulation in microglia increases neuronal synaptic vulnerability to amyloid-beta #NeuroDegeneration 🧪🧠 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I feel like I’m going to throw up
Screen shot of an Instagram post that says the academy of natural sciences is closing its museum after nearly two centuries
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
OK #Neuroscience friends. I'm teaching a grad course on New Topics in Neuroscience. What are you reading these days that excites you? Students for this class have backgrounds in theoretical Neuro, math, engineering, biochem, physiology, pharmacy, & more.
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Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
My department and the University of Manitoba is hiring a structural virologist/vaccinologist for a tenure-track position at assistant or associate level, if you know of someone or are interested the details can be found in this job ad: jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/679829/a...
jobs.sciencecareers.org
Assistant or Associate Professor in Vaccinology or Biologics - Winnipeg (Region), Manitoba job with The University of Manitoba Department of Microbiology | 679829
The candidate will be expert in applied vaccinology or therapeutic biologics related to human/zoonotic viral pathogens.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
2 grant rejections 1 manuscript - revise 1 massive manuscript submitted After the 2 grants, it took me a full day to be able to read the paper revisions. #academiclife
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
What a rollercoaster of a Friday. Got reviews back for a paper. Revisions! Not outright rejected! I'll take it.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Another Friday and another 2 grants rejected. This is definitely a big grant rejection year. But a big publication/submission year. Hope that means some grants next year. If not.....
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BCCHR ResDev (DM) @resdevbcch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
dear Canadian grant reviewers and international reviewers of Canadian grants: NOPE NOPE NOPE federal policy prohibits use of AI for grant review. **please respect the privacy / confidentiality of your peers** thank you!
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
It's currently 16.2C in my office. It's 20C outside. There is a person who can fix this in minutes, but they're not allowed. Submitted a work order on Monday. Was confirmed on Tuesday. Nothing has been done. We're literally using waterbaths to bring things to RT. #Academia
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Reposting using a Canadian News Site :-P Someone is wee bit upset. www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...
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Stacey Ogden 🦔 @labogden.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Reading the old* literature from your field is ALWAYS a good idea 🧪 *Papers from before you started your research project. *Papers you haven't read since they came out ~years~ ago. *Papers from pioneers in your field.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
They sorted the dogs into Hogwarts Houses last week. Ruby was a Hufflepuff. No surprise. She's afraid of everything, but very smart (and cute). (No funds went to She who must not be named)
A sad looking, but incredibly cute, American bully dog is wearing the sorting hat from Harry Potter. The photo is framed by imagery from the Hufflepuff house, including the motto/attributes of Hufflepuff; kindness, loyalty, dedication. A sad looking, but incredibly cute, American bully dog is getting ready to pose with the sorting hat from Harry Potter. There's a small pen at in front of her saying Hufflepuff. In the back drop is a poster of Hogwarts.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Ugh. It's 16-17C in my lab and the one guy who can fix it isn't allowed to anymore unless we submit a work order. And it took 24 hours just for the work order to be initiated. We can't do any experiments (maybe a ligation) at this temp.
static.klipy.com
Jon Snow Freezing Cold in the Snow
ALT: Jon Snow Freezing Cold in the Snow
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Reese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A massive update: At least ~15 companies~ are selling scientists antibodies using faked validation data. We've documented 18,000+ manipulated images on 17,000+ products sold by leading laboratory suppliers including Thermo Fisher, Abcam, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Millipore Sigma and Bio-Techne. 1/🧵
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Government of British Columbia @governmentofbc.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Watch Dr. Kopstick's story and hear why he chose to build his future in BC. Know a health-care worker in the US? Share this story, or tag them in the comments, and let them know BC's hiring.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Anyone else feel like someone watched Canadian Bacon & Idiocracy and asked how do we make these two movies happen?
static.klipy.com
John Candy Smile
ALT: John Candy Smile
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Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Paging Jamil Jivani and Danielle Smith
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
If it found me at all over the past 5 days, this is how your email found me.
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boehninglab @boehninglab.com · 17/08/2026
New paper from @kodakandlag.bsky.social journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
journals.biologists.com
DHHC21 is a STIM1 protein S-acyltransferase that modulates immune function in vivo
Depletion of calcium from ER stores leads to the activation of calcium channels on the plasma membrane known as store-operated calcium entry. The proteins STIM1 and STIM2 function as ER calcium sensor...
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Sarah Yip @yiplab.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Looking for a postdoc in addiction and neuroimaging!! Check out medicine.yale.edu/biomedical-i... Message me directly if you are interested in hearing about opportunities to apply to work with the YIP lab :)
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Sarah Whorley, Ph.D. 🦬⚔️ @dralgaegirl.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Tenure Track job alert! We're hiring someone to teach Microbiology and Genetics! Know someone on the job market? Must have a PhD. Position is mostly teaching (65%) but research expected. Send them my way! Will have official ad details soon 🧪🦠🧬
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The infrastructure at many Canadian institutions is frankly embarrassing. I can't imagine what the total cost in time & lost research because university admin & government won't invest in the things we need.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
To make it worse they ran out of almost all meals. @aircanada.bsky.social Almost no options by the time they got to us and we weren't even halfway down the plane.
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DMartin @drddom.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Finally taking vacation & heading to BC. But we've been sitting on the tarmac for almost 2 hours. Somehow we're too heavy to land in Kelowna due to the fires. Not sure how we're going to get lighter unless we're just burning fuel.
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HDBuzz @hdbuzzfeed.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Day 3 of #HD2026 put the huntingtin protein (HTT) under the microscope. Researchers shared new insights into HTT1a, next-generation HTT-lowering approaches, somatic expansion, brain circuitry, and why boosting healthy HTT might help. Read our roundup here: en.hdbuzz.net/hd2026-milto...
The final day of HD2026 put the huntingtin protein (HTT) under the microscope.Researchers shared:

- new insights into HTT1a
- next-generation HTT-lowering approaches
- why boosting healthy HTT might help

 And lots more!
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HDBuzz @hdbuzzfeed.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Welcome to Day 3 of the #HD2026 Milton Wexler Biennial Symposium, where HDBuzz is reporting live for this final day of talks. Morning sessions will focus on huntingtin (HTT), including a fragment of the expanded HTT protein that seems to be extra harmful.
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Cailyn Creative @cailyncreative.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
My dream is to improve scientific literacy and reduce barriers to scientific knowledge. I love my fellow scientists and community; however, there are critical issues with knowledge accessibility that impact how effectively we are able to communicate cutting-edge research to lay audiences.
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