Reposted by Elisa FrancoGlobal Museum @globalmuseum.bsky.social · 26/06/2026This 1679 “Sabionari” Stradivarius is the only playable guitar by Antonio Stradivari left in this world.🤗 So take just a moment to hear a sound that’s well over 300 years old! @55SweetThing #globalmuseum #music #guitar #Stradivarius 31163801866
Reposted by Elisa FrancoNature Nanotechnology @natnano.nature.com · 11/06/2026dlvr.itProgrammable RNA nanostar condensates in cellsNature Nanotechnology, Published online: 11 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41565-026-02178-1Highly tunable RNA-based synthetic condensates can be designed and engineered in mammalian cells. 072
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026There are exciting opportunities to harness our RNA droplets for cellular regulation, as modular recruitment domains incorporated into the nanostars enable selective recruitment of target RNA molecules. 030
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026Through RNA sequence design we built up to three distinct types of RNA droplets that can be expressed simultaneously and do not mix. With linker RNA motifs, we organized spatially these distinct droplets to form multi-phase compartments. 110
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026We can control where RNA droplets form (nucleus vs cytoplasm) by tuning design parameters of the nanostars (arm length, arm number, loop bonds), with large and “sticky” nanostars preferentially creating nuclear compartments. 110
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026We produced micrometer-sized RNA viscoelastic compartments formed by RNA “nanostars”, motifs that fold from a single short RNA molecule (120-300 nt) and interact through loop-loop bonds. Building on previous work with @dimichelelab1.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comModular RNA motifs for orthogonal phase separated compartments - Nature CommunicationsProtein and RNA-based condensates have emerged as biologically important alternatives to classical membrane-bound organelles. Here the authors design pure RNA condensates from nanostructured, star-sha... 100
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026RNA is more than genetic information: it can be a tool for cellular architects. In our new paper, we engineer RNA motifs to physically reorganize intracellular space in living mammalian cells. www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comProgrammable artificial RNA condensates in mammalian cells - Nature NanotechnologyModular RNA nanostar motifs spontaneously assemble into programmable synthetic condensates in the nucleus and cytoplasm, with RNA design controlling localization, sequence-specific target recruitment ... 16319
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Particularly proud that the paper includes five undergraduate students from UCLA & Pasadena City College! 110
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 03/03/2026🧬 DNA nanostars are great way to build biomolecular condensates. Add an aptamer and you can build "host condensates" that recruit & release targets. But where should the aptamer go? We show that there are several great options in our new @nanoscale-journals.rsc.org paper pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...pubs.rsc.orgMolecular recruitment and release using DNA host condensatesArtificial biomolecular condensates are a promising tool to achieve spatial self-organization in active materials and synthetic cells. DNA branched motifs known as nanostars are a particularly versati... 192
Reposted by Elisa FrancoOmar Saleh @oasaleh.bsky.social · 18/02/2026New from us in @pnas.org : We considered the limits of condensate diversity, and engineered DNA droplets to form 9 distinct, homotypic, coexisting phases. Very hard to do this except with nucleic acids. Probably you can make more than 9. (1/3) 32810
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 09/12/2025Some good news today, let's hope other countries follow suit! www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...theguardian.comAustralia’s world-first social media ban begins as millions of children and teens lose access to accountsAccounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under ban 020
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 25/09/2025NIH award reinstated 🧬 happy to be able to continue our work! 0190
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 03/09/2025Come learn about UCLA research projects that have been suspended under the Trump administration, and why they matter for all of us. 🧪 Wednesday, Sept 10 | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM 📍 Northwest corner of Westwood & Le Conte 053
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 13/08/2025Thank you Diana for including us in your beautiful project! 030
Reposted by Elisa FrancoDi Michele Lab @dimichelelab1.bsky.social · 13/08/2025Thrilled to share this new Adv. Sci. paper by @dianatanase.bsky.social with Dino Osmanovic @rogerrubiosanchez.bsky.social @laylamalouf.bsky.social @francolab.bsky.social. We demonstrate a modular approach to program internal phase separation in DNA condensates 1/n doi.org/10.1002/advs...doi.orgInternal Phase Separation in Synthetic DNA CondensatesThe modular, programmable system of DNA nanostructures developed provides programmatic control over multiphase condensate behavior, enabling mapping onto a predictive Flory-Huggins model. This combin... 1177
Reposted by Elisa FrancoDi Michele Lab @dimichelelab1.bsky.social · 13/08/2025Simulations by Dino Osmanovic @francolab.bsky.social, based on Flory-Huggins, map well onto the experimental trends and allowed us to establish a link between the experimental order parameter and the F-H interaction parameter. Experimental (top) and simulated (bottom) snapshots below 4/n 131
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 02/08/2025We don't know yet. This is a disaster, with hundreds of research groups being hit at the same time. UCLA is a public school, we are very frugal as it is and our endowment is small. How to support my team keeps me awake at night... 020
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 01/08/2025200 engineering/life science/medical grants, including my lab's NIH MIRA, have been suspended. In case you are wondering, this means immediately stop spending = stop paying salaries for students & postdocs. www.latimes.com/california/s...latimes.comTrump freezes $200 million in UCLA science and medical research funding, citing antisemitismThe Trump administration has frozen roughly $200 million in National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and other federal agency-funded research at UCLA, citing allegations the school d... 155
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 26/06/2025We demonstrated how to make and dissolve #RNA #condensates through strand displacement using synthetic genes - excited to see this new paper out in @narjournal.bsky.social Collab w/ the Andersen group @esandersen.bsky.social academic.oup.com/nar/article/...academic.oup.comSwitchable RNA motifs for dynamic transcriptional control of RNA condensatesAbstract. RNA-driven phase separation is emerging as a promising approach for engineering biomolecular condensates with diverse functionalities. Condensate 0237
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 05/06/2025B) Some of the bands have odd “granularity” in the smears D) In lanes M2+LIC and co+S+LIC the smears look very unusual 120
Reposted by Elisa FrancoTae Seok Moon @taeseokmoon.bsky.social · 31/03/20252025 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Course in Synthetic Biology - apply! Deadline: April 14, 2025 Financial Aid: Stipend awards are available. Notifications: Applicants will be notified by May 15, 2025. meetings.cshl.edu/courses.aspx...meetings.cshl.eduSynthetic BiologyCold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meetings & Courses -- a private, non-profit institution with research programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, bioinformatics. 1129
Reposted by Elisa FrancoTom Ellis @proftomellis.bsky.social · 20/03/2025Unlike a lot of other universities right now, we are still hiring for new faculty here at Imperial in London 🎉🚨🇬🇧🫖 If you want to come and run a research group in the theme of bioengineering then apply to be my colleague before the end of April. www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...imperial.ac.ukDescriptionPlease note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities ment... 03021
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 18/03/2025If you want to read more, this very engaging book walks you through his discovery process - highs and lows. 000
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 17/03/2025Michael Faraday was the father of electromagnetism. He changed our world experiment by experiment, without any formal education, and without ever writing equations - now you can check out his original "lab books"! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...theguardian.comUnearthed notebooks shed light on Victorian genius who inspired EinsteinMichael Faraday’s illustrated notes that show how radical scientist began his theories at London’s Royal Institution to go online 150
Reposted by Elisa FrancoJeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025Bluetorial: Non-Competitive Renewal (Continuation) Awards Normally, multiyear NIH grants are paid with awards each year, pending administratively reviewed progress reports. “NIH” has been slow in making these awards. This has led to $1.83 B being withheld from institutions through February 2025.media.tenor.coma cartoon of homer simpson holding a cardALT: a cartoon of homer simpson holding a card 414368
Reposted by Elisa FrancoCathleen Crudden @cathleencrudden.bsky.social · 09/03/2025Seriously. If you are that good you shouldn’t have to work so much. Get over this BS bro culture. 1343
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 06/03/2025They replied quickly to me - that's how I learned this trick :) 100
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 06/03/2025I had this issue too. Try with your NSF ID instead of UCLA authentication. Doesn't fix the problem but you should be able to login. Set up Google authenticator it's very easy. 100
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 02/03/2025I've been having persistent issues logging into eRA today, anyone else? 000
Reposted by Elisa FrancoEric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 01/03/2025Francis Collins, the NIH Director for 12 years, led the Human Genome Project and other NIH efforts for 32 years, resigned today. Key words from his resignation letter www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/u... 6131231380
Reposted by Elisa FrancoRahul K @theresearch.bsky.social · 23/02/20252025-02-23 Issue of #engineeredlivingmaterials feed: biomed.news/bims-enlima/... @biomednews.bsky.social includes, metabolite-responsive control (h/t wilfriedweber.bsky.social), light-modulated self-assembly (h/t francolab.bsky.social), single-protein quant (h/t naturemethods.bsky.social), & more 🧪 063
Reposted by Elisa FrancoCraig Kaplan @triggerloop.bsky.social · 22/02/2025Deeply concerned about NSF. They fired more people than they needed and now leadership is illegally reclassifying employees as probationary. www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...reuters.comUS science agency reclassifies hundreds of workers as probationary, US lawmaker saysNational Science Foundation administrators reclassified hundreds of employees from permanent to probationary status in violation of labor contracts, according to a U.S. lawmaker and agency employee. 05345
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 18/02/2025How can complex dynamics emerge from phase-separated matter? 🤔 Simple chemical reactions can trigger periodic or chaotic behavior in dense phases! Cool simulations by Dino Osmanovic 💥 w/ support by @sloanfoundation.bsky.social #PhaseSeparation #Matter2Life journals.aps.org/pre/abstract... 0103
Reposted by Elisa FrancoBeth Popp Berman @epopppp.bsky.social · 18/02/20251/ I am seeing a lot of comments on the slashing of NIH support along the lines of “universities should just spend their huge endowments.” I’m the last person to cheer on the institutional stratification rising endowments have contributed to. But let me explain why this is not a solution. 421237524
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 15/02/2025Sure. Is it acceptable for someone to make tens of billions in taxpayer money and also have the authority to decide what programs/people are unnecessary or suboptimal? 100
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 14/02/2025was it a single unelected friend infiltrating every single agency? 100
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 14/02/2025Happy #Valentine's day with some colorful #DNA #condensates that decided to assemble into a heart ❤️ 💚 ❤️ 💚 ❤️ 💚 091
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 12/02/2025🚨 New Preprint Alert! 🚨 Dose-response curves measure how cells react to inputs, but what about how long the input stays high? Our latest work shows that some circuits can flip the script of temporal dose: short stimuli can trigger sustained responses & vice versa! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 070
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 07/02/2025NIH to implement a 15% indirect cost rate. "This policy shall be applied to all current grants for go forward expenses from February 10, 2025 forward as well as for all new grants issued." Devastating for US scientific institutions. Am I understanding this right? grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...grants.nih.govNOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost RatesNIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD 100
Reposted by Elisa FrancoAmy Feldman @amyfeldman7.bsky.social · 22/01/2025If you’ve been directly impacted by a pause or cancellation of an NIH study session, we @forbes.com would like to talk to you 7527501599
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 07/01/2025#UCLA QCbio qcb.ucla.edu is looking for a new director! recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10007 Please sharerecruit.apo.ucla.eduDirector, Institute for Quantitative and Computational BiosciencesUniversity of California, Los Angeles is hiring. Apply now! 001
Reposted by Elisa FrancoErik Poppleton @poppleton.phd · 07/01/2025Abstract submission for FNANO is now open! They’re due Feb 1! Join us at molecular programming’s annual celebration of design, interfaces and applications (and also skiing) 🧬 www.fnano.orgfnano.orgFoundations of Nanoscience 0106
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 20/12/2024I do too for the same reasons, but after scoping your ideas and getting them funded, it would be great to have time to actually do the research. We are pulled away from research by dozens of other urgent daily tasks, including more grant deadlines, reporting, admin, teaching... 020
Elisa Franco @francolab.bsky.social · 20/12/2024The article describes common frustrations for PIs - "pure academic publishing and grant-getting above all else". 210