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Quentin Smith

@qmsmith.bsky.social

173 followers 217 following 36 posts

🧬⭕ | DNA Topology & DNA binding proteins! Postdoc: @bostonchildrens.bsky.social @harvardmed.bsky.social PhD: @mrc-lms.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

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Quentin Smith @qmsmith.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Finally the Mentorship Session had panelists across science, including: @valdavinson.bsky.social @timcraggs.bsky.social @esisamakis.bsky.social @sulianamanley.bsky.social They all provided excellent insight into careers across biophysics including publishing, industry and academia.

Mentorship component with panelists Valda Vinson, Evangelos Sisimakis, Tim Craggs and Suliana Manley from left to right.

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Quentin Smith @qmsmith.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

The two day experience had lots of talks and poster sessions with our peers with some time to wonder and enjoy the views around Les Diablerets!

Sunny Switzerland, path in Les Diablerets with river on the right and mountains in the back. Pretty clear skies too.

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Quentin Smith @qmsmith.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

We kicked off the event with our Keynote Speaker @sulianamanley.bsky.social who explored mitochondrial biology using super resolution and SMART microscopy, she also gave us advice on progressing through our early careers by embracing failures and broadening our scopes for opportunities.

Prof Suliana Manley presenting her Keynote Lecture in a conference room.

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Quentin Smith @qmsmith.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

7/11 Additionally, we observe that the HNH domain engages with a 15 Å swing closer to the target strand scissile phosphate when bound to (-)SC DNA. We suggest that this is the reason for accelerated cleavage activity observed with (-)SC substrates. ⏩

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Quentin Smith @qmsmith.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

6/11 Next, we performed Cryo-EM to determine how Cas9 engages (-)SC substrate at an atomistic level! We observe a beautiful density of the entire DNA minicircle Cas9 complex - which we term the ‘Diamond Ring’. 🧬💍

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Quentin Smith @qmsmith.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

5/11 To gain structural insight into how Cas9 engages with these (-)SC minicircles, we collaborated with the @alicepyne.bsky.social lab to perform AFM. We observe structural defects with (-)SC DNA minicircles that are resolved upon Cas9 binding! ✅

These are a series of Atomic Force Microscopy snapshots, showing relaxed (left), negatively supercoiled (middle) and negatively supercoiled Cas9 complexes (right).

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Quentin Smith @qmsmith.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

🔬 Calling all early-career researchers (ECRs) for the GRS Single Molecule Approaches to Biology! 🌎 Location: Les Diablerets, Switzerland 📆 Save the date: June 27-28, 2026 🔗 More information: www.grc.org/single-molec... #biology #biophysics #single-molecule #microscopy #ECR

Visual advertisement providing details for the 2026 Single Molecule Approaches to Biology GRS in Les Diablerets, Switzerland in June 27-28, 2026. Two-day event for early-career single-molecule biophysicists, with a keynote session, 12 selected talks, 2 poster sessions, and mentorship component. For more information contact Alba or Quentin or see the official GRS website.

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