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The Ragusa Laboratory

@ragusalab.bsky.social
68 followers 91 following 12 posts

We study selective autophagy in yeast using a combination of cell biology, biochemical reconstitution and structural biology.

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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Our newest paper which demonstrates the uses of GUVs for monitoring membrane tethering is now available in MBoC www.molbiolcell.org/doi/10.1091/... Congratulations to @devika-andhare.bsky.social for her amazing work.
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Dmitry Shvarev @dmitryshvarev.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
This has been a long journey and it's exiting to see our story about the Atg2-18 lipid transfer complex, headed by Sabrina Chumpen, published in @embojournal.org! Great teamwork of the labs @arnemoeller.bsky.social, Stefano Vanni, Fulvio Reggiori and Christian Ungermann! #cryoEM #autophagy #membrane
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
A huge congratulations to @devika-andhare.bsky.social for being selected as this years postdoctoral recipient of the E. Lucile Smith Award for Excellence in Biochemistry from @dartmouthbcb.bsky.social!
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Congratulations to Devika for her amazing images of GUVs with tethered liposomes which now appears on the cover of Autophagy.
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Vanni Lab at UNIFR, Switzerland @labvanni.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
Happy to share the latest from the lab, led by Daniel Alvarez, in collaboration with @lizconibear.bsky.social‬. In this AA-MD tour-de-force, we delve deep into the mechanism and energetics of lipid uptake by bridge-like lipid transfer proteins, and we learn a few interesting things along the way...
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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
media.tenor.com
a picture of an alien with the words " it 's a trap " on the bottom
ALT: a picture of an alien with the words " it 's a trap " on the bottom
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AAUP @aaup.org · 02/10/2025
🚨🚨🚨 The Trump administration has laid it out: comply with their ideological agenda or else… This is how we lose free thought in American higher education.
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Amanda Amodeo @aaamodeo.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Just a few days left to apply! If you do cool molecular/cell biology things and want to start a lab in a supportive department in New England please check out our ad.
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Jennifer Landino @jenelandino.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
📢 Pre-print alert 📢 We are excited to share the lab's first research article! We used our artificial cortex system to investigate how membrane composition regulates self-organized cortical dyanamics. Check it out here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Membrane composition-dependent patterning of Rho and F-actin in an artificial cell cortex
Cortical excitability, a phenomenon in which the cell cortex is dynamically patterned with waves of F-actin assembly, has been described in a variety of animal model systems, including embryos of mamm...
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Carlos Guardia @charlyguardia.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Excited to share the first paper from the lab! 🥳 The ATG9 and lipid droplets saga continues! Open source!
doi.org
Liver-specific loss of Atg9a perturbs lipid metabolism and hepatocyte integrity
The autophagy-related protein ATG9A is integral to cellular autophagy and lipid mobilization, yet its importance in mammalian physiology remains underexplored. Using a liver-specific conditional At...
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
I'm very excited to share out latest work now published in Autophagy. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... This work was led by Dr. Devika Andhare and demonstrates the membrane binding and clustering capabilities of Atg11 using a new reconstitution system.
tandfonline.com
Reconstitution of autophagic-like membrane tethering reveals that Atg11 can bind and cluster vesicles on cargo mimetics
Macroautophagy (hereafter, autophagy) is essential for the degradation of mitochondria from yeast to humans. Mitochondrial autophagy in yeast is initiated when the selective autophagy scaffolding p...
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Nature Structural & Molecular Biology @natsmb.nature.com · 30/05/2025
ICYMI: New online: Structure and activation of the human autophagy-initiating ULK1C:PI3KC3-C1 supercomplex
go.nature.com
Structure and activation of the human autophagy-initiating ULK1C:PI3KC3-C1 supercomplex
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 29 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01557-xAutophagy is initiated by the Unc-51-like kinase protein kinase complex (ULK1C) and class III phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase complex I (PI3KC3-C1). Here, the authors reveal the structure of the 2:1:1 core of ULK1C and its complex with PI3KC3-C1. ULK1C transitions to a 2:2:2 complex in the presence of PI3KC3-C1, suggesting a mechanism for autophagy induction.
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Cathy Gao-Howard MD MS @catgaohow.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025
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Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
My ongoing request: If your NSF or NIH grant was terminated--whether at Harvard or elsewhere--please report it here. NSF: grant-watch.us/submit-nsf.h... NIH: grant-watch.us/submit-nih.h... Our trackers are actively used in lawsuits and are often the only record that terminations ever occurred.
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Sean Ryder @seanryderphd.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
As anticipated, the White House has officially requested an $18 billion cut to the FY2026 #NIH budget (among lots of other cuts). The full guidance from the White House to the appropriations committee is linked. NIH is on page 12. #braindrain #sciencexit www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
whitehouse.gov
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Nature @nature.com · 29/04/2025
In 100 days in office, US President Donald Trump has destabilized eight decades of government support for science. This has included terminating more than 1,000 grants in areas such as climate change, cancer, and HIV prevention. Will US science survive Trump 2.0? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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Soni Lacefield @lacefieldlab.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Many congratulations to @pallavisgadgil.bsky.social for being awarded the Lucille Smith award for excellence in Biochemistry. This award is in honor of the memory of Dr. Lucille Smith. The first woman at Dartmouth to attain the rank of full professor!
Pallavi holding an award certificate.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM Implementation of Schedule F This is what a lot of us have been worried about. This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs. BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD... 1/n
media.tenor.com
the word alert is in a purple circle
ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle
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Sean Ryder @seanryderphd.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Over 200 people laid off or furloughed on my campus due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding NIH funding. We can expect this number to grow. I warned people of this in an op-ed in February, but was told I was being alarmist. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/b...
bostonglobe.com
UMass Chan Medical School lays off or furloughs about 200 employees after NIH funding shortfall - The Boston Globe
The cuts come after the school saw a $30 million funding shortfall from long delays in funding new research grants from the National Institutes of Health.
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Science Magazine @science.org · 09/04/2025
Exclusive: Weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered NIH to pull $250 million in biomedical research grants to Columbia University, the agency is freezing all remaining grant money owed to the university until further notice. scim.ag/4if5Rg1
scim.ag
NIH freezes all research grants to Columbia University
Amid negotiations with Trump, the university could risk losing nearly $700 million
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Ryan Hernandez @rdhernand.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
I have learned that the directors of ALL: PREP, IMSD, and IRACDA programs across the country have received similar cancelation notices. This follows previous cancellations of MARC and URISE programs. This further dismantles the mechanisms that enable scientific training opportunities for SO MANY.
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Kristen Kwan @blockintheback.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Today I received notice that our IMSD T32 has been terminated. This program was the culmination of ~10 years of work we put into building our community. I don’t quite have the words. 💔
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Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Dr. Richard Youle was fired today. He is an eminent scientist who has done important work on brain diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s. Musk and Trump are stopping NIH research into cures, for diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s. Americans did not vote for this.
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bioRxiv Cell Biology @biorxiv-cellbio.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
In situ cryo-ET visualization of mitochondrial depolarization and mitophagic engulfment www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
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Jason McLellan @mclellanlab.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
We just had our first grant terminated. This was a U19 AViDD grant (grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...). It was set to end next month, although many in the consortia were hoping for NCEs.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-r...
baldwin.senate.gov
NEW: Baldwin, Welch Announce Former NIH Director, Researchers, Clinical Trial Patients as Witnesses for Forum on Trump’s NIH Cuts | U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) announced the...
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
All institutions across the U.S. should band together now to protect freedom of speech and scientific integrity. We can not wait any longer we have already lost so much. www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...
dailyprincetonian.com
To stop intimidation, Eisgruber needs your help
When targeting one institution is a bald attempt to divide and conquer, as is the case with Columbia, it is essential for a coalition or group of institutions and individuals to stand up together.&nbs...
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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Here at Princeton, we’re amplifying our university president’s leadership. It’s time for everyone - faculty, students, staff - to speak out. tl;dr: rights can’t be blackmailed. From me and science colleagues: www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...
dailyprincetonian.com
To stop intimidation, Eisgruber needs your help
When targeting one institution is a bald attempt to divide and conquer, as is the case with Columbia, it is essential for a coalition or group of institutions and individuals to stand up together.&nbs...
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Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Major update over the weekend to our spreadsheet tracking terminated NIH grants. 👇 Improvements include: - more grant metadata, including Congressional reps and their phone numbers - data from more sources to complement PI-submitted information - better data integrity and reproducibility 1/
docs.google.com
Rescinded NIH Grants
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Columbia’s Capitulation Will Hurt Us All www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Universities Gave Us the iPhone, the Jet Engine and Gatorade. We’re Tossing That Away. (Gift Article)
The postwar compact on research that powered America’s economic and military dominance is under threat.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Bare bones dashboard is up... (Including the first Advisory Council meeting posted in the Federal Register) jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...
media.tenor.com
a woman says " it 's a start " while looking at the camera
ALT: a woman says " it 's a start " while looking at the camera
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
I just heard that a Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) grant from the NIH, with several years still remaining on the project, was terminated. PREP has existed for 25 years and trained thousands of scientists. The potential loss of PREP is a huge loss for the scientific community.
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Last week @standupforscience.bsky.social rally at Dartmouth I spoke with a colleague about the deletion of critical training programs from the NIH's website including the PREP program. PREP has been around since 2000 and has trained thousands of scientists but now its gone from the NIH's website.
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Sean Ryder @seanryderphd.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
This is a helpful set of actions to take from someone who seems to be on the inside. www.reddit.com/r/academia/c...
reddit.com
What To Do If Your Grant is Suspended
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Mary Munson @marymunson4.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
From my fabulous colleague: "Worst of all, patients and their families who rely on UMass Chan scientists to develop new therapies will be left with no options, no hope and nowhere to go."
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Very important to get this word out!
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Dan Nomura @dannomura.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
I’m a standing member on the Chemical Biology and Probes (CBP) NIH study section that was supposed to meet tomorrow. It just got postponed this afternoon with a date yet to be determined….
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Justin Bollinger @bollinger.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
I was hoping that my first bsky post would be more cheerful. I recently joined NIH (NIEHS) as a PO. I fought hard for this position and was so excited to support health science from a new vantage point… I picked up my life and moved to NC. Unfortunately, my time at NIEHS was short lived.
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Our manuscript describing the role of Atg11 in binding and clustering vesicles during selective autophagy is updated on bioRxiv. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 31/01/2025
www.forbes.com/sites/roncar...
forbes.com
One More Time: Why Diversity Leads To Better Team Performance
Discussions on diversity in the workplace can be heated and contentious. But the data still shows more diverse teams outperform their less diverse peers. Here's how.
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Dr Emma Hodcroft @firefoxx66.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
It's all gone. They've taken down all the CDC datasets from data.cdc.gov Data that's critical for public health & research. Data paid for by citizens. That the government now censors. "Do not fear those who tell the truth. Fear those who try to hide it. They are willing to sacrifice other things."
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Yamuna Krishnan @krishnanyamuna.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
With the simultaneous onslaught on all US Govt institutions, it’s striking to see the institutions comply so readily. “The strength of a country depends on the strength of its institutions.” Econ Nobel Prize ‘24.
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Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Several Graduate T32s (G-RISE, IMSD, Bridges to the Doctorate) and the MARC T34 (for undergraduates) training grants now have expiration dates of today, 1/30/2025.
Screenshot of Grants Notice for NIH G-RISE training grant with expiration date of January 30, 2025. Screenshot of Grants Notice for NIH Bridges to Doctorate training grant with expiration date of January 30, 2025. Screenshot of Grants Notice for NIH MARC training grant with expiration date of January 30, 2025. Screenshot of Grants Notice for NIH IMSD training grant with expiration date of January 30, 2025.
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Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Recipients of CDC funding have started receiving some, uh, interesting letters. I’m told that some (health departments, university medical centers, etc) have asked for clarification or pushed back, since contracts may require 30 days or more for changes to be made. But, well, here we are.
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Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · 31/01/2025
Agree! The NIH and academic institutions are rushing to implement changes and freezes in response to executive orders that could be illegal or rescinded in days. Maybe we should push back a little, yeah?🧪
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The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
We get so focused on research it can be hard to take a step back and listen to other peoples stories. Check out Dartmouth postdoc Sukrut Kamerkar's excellent perspective on supporting one another, published in Science. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
I was consumed by my academic struggles—until a friend’s troubles put them in perspective
“Our challenges may all be different, but they are all real and important—if only we can truly listen,” this scientist writes
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