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Holly Smith

@hollyasmith.bsky.social
32 followers 33 following 15 posts

News & Views editor at Nature Magazine • Previously at the University of Cambridge • Biologist and certified nerd • All views my own

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Reposted by Holly Smith
jdenavascues.bsky.social @jdenavascues.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
A recent paper is out from Zheng Guo's lab, describing the mechanism balancing enteroendocrine cell numbers in the fly gut: lnkd.in/eciTmQSD So is my News and Views piece covering the paper for a wider audience: rdcu.be/fwFDB Thanks to @hollyasmith.bsky.social for editing the piece! @nature.com
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
This News & Views raises some interesting questions about assessing medical AI tools now that they're moving rapidly into clinical use. Read it at @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Medical AI has a measurement problem
The development of two medical AI assistants highlights an unnerving challenge: as the technology races ahead, what is the best way to evaluate what works?
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Dr. Jean Fan @jef.works · 21/07/2026
In this @nature.com news article, I reflect on the last 10 years of spatial transcriptomics to highlight the feedback loop between industry and academia in our unified efforts to push the boundaries of science towards improving human health: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Nature @nature.com · 21/07/2026
Spatially resolved transcriptomic technologies continue to enhance understanding of development and disease through a feedback loop involving academia and industry go.nature.com/4vCQtkb
go.nature.com
Ten years of mapping gene expression in tissues
Spatially resolved transcriptomic technologies continue to enhance understanding of development and disease through a feedback loop involving academia and industry.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Pawel Burkhardt @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Our News & Views article “Body-plan organizer in comb jellies hints at animal ancestry” now published in @nature.com 🎉 We discuss fascinating work revealing organizer activity in comb jellies & the evolution of animal development. rdcu.be/fsLWq @ruthstyfhals.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Spatial transcriptomics is ten years old! 🎉Thanks Jean Fan for this awesome perspective on the feedback loop between academia and industry that pushes science forward. Read the News & Views here at @nature.com:
nature.com
Ten years of mapping gene expression in tissues
Spatially resolved transcriptomic technologies continue to enhance understanding of development and disease through a feedback loop involving academia and industry.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Francesca Cesari @francesari.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
The first multinational representative dataset from LMICs on child sexual exploitation and abuse shows the role of technology, individual, familial and sociocultural factors in facilitating it.🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41... Read the full paper here www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Child sexual abuse enabled by digital technologies is widespread and under-reported
One in six Internet-using adolescents in parts of Africa and Asia faced technology-facilitated sexual abuse in 2020–21. As digital access expands globally, better protection is crucial.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Definitely my favourite Nature cover from recent months!!
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
How and why do people talk to chatbots about health? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
People are turning to AI chatbots to plug gaps in health information
A systematic assessment of health-related queries to a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence highlights shortfalls in health-care provision and the responsibilities of AI companies.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Sergei Koralov @sbkoralov.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Happy to share our News & Views in @nature.com on the beautiful work by Nicola et al., showing that B cells in autoimmune thyroid disease acquire mutations in checkpoint genes. Supporting the classic hypothesis of "forbidden" clones as drivers of #autoimmunity by Burnet, Goodnow… rdcu.be/fkRrI
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Joao Pedro Magalhaes @jpsenescence.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Gene expression can be used to predict age and mortality 🚨 Impressive study on transcriptomic clocks across mammalian species and tissues to predict age, lifespan and mortality. Link to original paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41... My thoughts on the study: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Universal transcriptomic hallmarks of mammalian ageing and mortality - Nature
Integration of gene expression data from multiple tissues across four mammalian species reveals conserved transcriptomic signatures of mammalian ageing and mortality and uncovers the modular...
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Nature @nature.com · 18/04/2026
A system of protein binders directs energy-generating organelles to targeted cells, potentially improving ways to treat mitochondrial dysfunction go.nature.com/42bk2wX
go.nature.com
Therapeutic mitochondria transplants made more efficient with targeting tool
A system of protein binders directs energy-generating organelles to targeted cells, potentially improving ways to treat mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
More self-reflection in research can lead to better science - as shown by a package of social & behavioural sciences papers that shows how collaborating can further the cause of reproducible, replicable & robust findings @nature.com 🧪 #SCORE @briannosek.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Cover of this week’s Nature featuring papers on reproducibility issues in social and behavioural sciences
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar @asanchez-tojar.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
My new piece "Reproducibility: how to strengthen a weak foundation" is out today @nature.com! 🎉 How reproducible is research in the social & behavioural sciences? A new study by Miske et al. assessed 600 papers across 62 journals: the results are sobering. 📄 doi.org/10.1038/d415... 📄 rdcu.be/fbcq5
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Richard @raibethlehem.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Charting the human brain’s lifelong functional organization www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Charting the human brain’s lifelong functional organization
Neuroscientists have created a continuous atlas showing how patterns of functional connectivity between brain regions change from birth to old age.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
MicroRNAs are crucial regulators of gene expression. But who watches the watchmen? Here's a deep-dive into the mechanism: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Quirky base pairing attracts rule-breaking enzymes to destroy microRNAs
MicroRNAs control gene expression by modulating the output and stability of messenger RNAs. How are these crucial regulators kept in check?
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Adele Marston @marstonlab.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
I had fun writing this N&Vs on two fascinating new papers on centromere evolution in yeast. If you’re interested in how centromeres adapt yet stay functional, here’s my take. rdcu.be/e6DD0 @nature.com @gautamdey.bsky.social @gsherloc.bsky.social @helsenjana.bsky.social @maxhaase.bsky.social
rdcu.be
How can fast-evolving DNA retain a fundamental function in cell division? | Nature
In a dividing cell, chromosome pairs are pulled apart thanks to attachment sites called centromeres. Yeast genomes reveal key steps in how centromeres have evolved. In a dividing cell, chromosome pairs are pulled apart thanks to attachment sites called centromeres. Yeast genomes reveal key steps in how centromeres have evolved.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Viral DNA found in human blood samples is usually ignored. Here it has been cleverly put to use: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Scraps of viral DNA in biobank samples reveal secrets of Epstein–Barr virus
Viral DNA that is usually dismissed when sequencing the human genome could help to uncover useful information about complex diseases.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Miguel Soares @elmiguelche.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Ageing rewires the body’s tolerance to infection www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Ageing rewires the body’s tolerance to infection
In life-threatening sepsis, the same signalling pathway that protects young mice from succumbing to organ dysfunction exacerbates damage and lethality in older animals.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I wonder how many could have predicted this finding - AI tools boost individual scientists but could limit research topics www.nature.com/articles/d41... www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Nationwide genetic screening proves effective at catching disease risk early www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Nationwide genetic screening proves effective at catching disease risk early
A study in Australia supports genetic screening in young adults before symptoms show, but the generalizability and cost–benefit ratios need to be examined in other settings.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
You thought you knew G-protein signalling... new evidence suggests you might need to think again. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Dogma-defying signalling through G proteins could lead to better pain relief
Unexpected behaviours in G proteins could be exploited to design next-generation opioid drugs that provide stronger, longer-lasting pain relief.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
A fantastic N&V giving the rundown of the 4D Nucleome Project, an effort to map the organization of human DNA inside the nucleus.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Alessandro Nai @alessandronai.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
🤖 AI chatbots can persuade voters 🗳️ @cvargiu.bsky.social and I were recently asked to review a piece for @nature.com, now out, and wrote a short digest about it TLDR: chatting with a LLM can change your mind, even if facts provided are not always accurate check it out 👇 #chatbots #persuasion
nature.com
AI chatbots can persuade voters to change their minds
Conversations with AI can sway people’s political views. Concerningly, a chatbot’s facts are not always accurate, especially when it supports right-wing positions.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
animal prattle @animal-prattle.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Nice piece from @hollyasmith.bsky.social on this from @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social et al. in @natecoevo.nature.com 🐦 Did learned vocal signals evolve from innate? 🐦 Authors study this in 21 avian hosts of brood parasites www.nature.com/articles/s41... #prattle 💬 #bioacoustics 1/2
nature.com
Learned use of an innate sound-meaning association in birds - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Over 20 species of geographically and phylogenetically diverse bird species produce convergent whining vocalizations towards their respective brood parasites. Model presentation and playback experimen...
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Amyloid plaques in the brain capture lithium from surrounding cells, contributing to cognitive decline. What is lithium's role in the brain normally, and could lithium supplements help to treat Alzheimer's disease? Plenty of questions sparked by research in Nature. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Does lithium deficiency contribute to Alzheimer’s disease?
Lithium in the brain has been found to protect against cognitive decline. Restoring lost lithium could be a new angle from which to tackle Alzheimer’s disease.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Hillary Shulman @hcshulman.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
Thanks to @nature.com for inviting Todd Rogers and I to talk about our favorite topic: writing/speaking to engage! Below we comment on a recent article that found: - if you want people to mindlessly agree - use jargon - if you want people to actually understand - speak simply
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
I loved hearing what Todd Rogers and Hillary Shulman had to say about what experts can do to communicate science effectively. Although jargon can be helpful, clarity should be the priority! @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Scientific jargon can be ‘satisfying’ — but misleading
Research shows that jargon can make weak explanations feel complete by masking their gaps. What can experts do to communicate science effectively to laypeople?
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Understanding the origin of gender gaps in #STEM subjects is a crucial step in reducing them, because it informs education-policy practitioners about when to intervene. Read the News & Views on the maths #gendergap at @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Boys surpass girls in maths in the first year of school
A gender gap in mathematical ability arises shortly after children begin school — irrespective of the type of school they attend and their socio-economic background.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Genus-wide plant pangenome could help blend the best aspects of productive staple crops & genetically diverse but under-studied indigenous crops 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Genus-wide plant pangenome could inform next-generation crop design
A pangenome for the genus Solanum.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Current approaches to pain relief are falling short. Chemically modifying a synthetic cannabinoid could enable scientists to capitalize on the body’s natural pain-killing pathway without evoking drug tolerance or psychoactivity 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Designer cannabinoids could be the key to pain relief without adverse effects
A modified CB1-receptor agonist for analgesia without adverse effects.
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Reposted by Holly Smith
Lauren Rivera @larivera.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Interested in a nudge that can reduce the expression of racial bias in performance evaluations? In the March issue of @nature.com, I cover excellent new work by @tristanbotelho.bsky.social, Sora Jun, Demetrius Humes, and @decelles.bsky.social. Links below: urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
urldefense.com
Racial bias eliminated when ratings switch from five stars to thumbs up or down | Nature
Implementing a performance-rating system with a two-point scale instead of a five-point scale could be an easy way to temper racial prejudices and tangibly improve income equality for workers from under-represented groups. Switch in performance-rating system could reduce racial pay gap.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Defining a cell’s ‘type’ by the RNA transcripts it expresses is popular in biological research. But does transcriptomics always do a good job of capturing a cell's function? Read the discussion here @nature.com ⬇️
nature.com
Does a cell’s gene expression always reflect its function?
Transcriptionally similar neurons can be functionally diverse.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Ancient genomes from modern Ukraine and Russia reveal the origins of the Yamna people, pastoralists who migrated from the Eurasian steppe to Europe 5,000 years ago, spreading their ancestry, culture and, probably, language.
nature.com
Genetic and geographical origins of Eurasia’s influential Yamna culture
Ancient genomes from Ukraine and Russia reveal Yamna origins.
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Holly Smith @hollyasmith.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Maps of glacier surfaces across Greenland reveal that cracks are growing rapidly where land ice meets the sea — and climate change is to blame.
nature.com
The Greenland Ice Sheet is fracturing faster than expected
Cracks in Greenland's glaciers deepened by climate change.
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