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Sam Lewis, Ph.D.

@samlewis.bsky.social
2.7K followers 833 following 154 posts

Assistant Professor, UC Berkeley Dept of Molecular and Cell Biology, she/her, personal account, views do not reflect those of my employer. Studying the flow of genetic information through mitochondrial networks. www.thelewislab.org

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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
American Society for Cell Biology @ascbiology.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Congratulations to Samantha Lewis of UC Berkeley, recipient of the 2026 WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research recognizing outstanding early-career scientific achievement. www.ascb.org/society-news/ascb-anno…
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
And there it is. As rumored, and as predicted by YHN from the gitgo, enhanced triage of NIH grants will continue. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-26-114: Continuation of Modifications to Peer Review Practices
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Continuation of Modifications to Peer Review Practices NOT-OD-26-114. NIH
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Jim Hurley @jimhurley.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
The ULK1 complex triggers autophagy on membranes, but with no typical membrane binding domains, how does it get there? See the answer in a brilliant collective effort out now in Science Advances: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/....
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P. Djéli Clark | The Disgruntled Haradrim @pdjeliclark.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Forgot to mention… my short story “If the Martians Have Magic” was narrated by Wil Wheaton in June on his It’s Storytime podcast. This is my 2nd story narrated by one of the TNG crew (legendary LeVar Burton narrated “The Angel of Khan el-Khalili”) and now I feel like I gotta collect the set.
podcasts.apple.com
"If the Martians Have Magic" by P. Djèlí Clark
Podcast Episode · It's Storytime with Wil Wheaton · June 17 · 1h 4m
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
🎁 for your followers then
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Compelling, sexy military SF that respects heirarchy and command structure is the Valor series, by Tanya Huff Fairly accurate representation of interactions between marines, non-coms and officers. Rated R stuff mostly occurs off-page.
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Christina Wolbrecht @cwolbrecht.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Folks, who is telling high school students -- who I am sure are smart and talented and ambitious -- to cold email college professors and volunteer to do research or collaborate with them? This is not a good idea. Please stop this.
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Thank you!
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Thanks, Emily!
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I'm honored to receive the @ascbiology.bsky.social WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research! Thank you to my lab team, my @berkeleymcb.bsky.social mentors and nominators, and my family for their support.
ASCB WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research, presented to: Samantha Lewis, UC Berkeley.
Presented to a woman or non-binary person in an early stage of their career (within seven years of appointment to an independent position at the nomination deadline) who is making exceptional scientific contributions to cell biology, is developing a strong independent research program, and exhibits the potential for continuing at a high level of scientific endeavor and leadership.
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Thank you!
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
UC Berkeley MCB @berkeleymcb.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Congrats to MCB's Diana Bautista, Samantha Lewis & Matt Welch for being ASCB Honorific Award Winners! 👏🎉@ascbbiology.bsky.social, @dianambautista.bsky.social, @samlewis.bsky.social, @mattwelchlab.bsky.social
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Jonas Blomme @jonasblomme.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Excited to share our latest preprint on #PhycologyFriday. We map out the carbon fixation pathway for the first time in a multicellular alga, the green seaweed Ulva, and reveal a unique Rubisco-Linker interaction in the pyrenoid, a chloroplast condensate. Below I summarize some key points. #seaweeds
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Jeeyun Chung @jeeyunc.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
What do lipid droplets do in neurons? Thrilled to share the 🌟1st preprint from my lab, led by Eleni Katafygiotou, showing activity-dependent formation of neuronal LDs in vitro and in vivo, and the impact of LD modulation on neuronal function and behavior. #lipidtime www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Activity-dependent lipid droplet biogenesis and turnover regulate synaptic integrity
Lipid droplets (LDs) are conserved organelles that buffer lipid storage and stress, yet their dynamics and functions in neurons remain largely unknown. Here, we report activity-dependent dynamics of n...
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
bioRxiv Cell Biology @biorxiv-cellbio.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Structural Mechanism and Cellular Restriction of Tau Seeding from Endolysosomes www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The Trump Administration’s racist science policies have achieved some of their goals. The number of Black Principal Investigators has dropped by 10% between 2024 and 2025; while the number of Hispanic PIs has fallen by 7%. For research trainees, the numbers are far worse.
jamanetwork.com
Trends in NIH Investigators by Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Disability Status
This cross-sectional study assesses National Institutes of Health (NIH) data from fiscal years 2016-2025 comprising annual counts of principal investigators funded through research grants and fellowsh...
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Yup Pretty grim 😬
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
🚨 This proposal to cap total NIH RPGs per PI includes R00, R03, R35, and DP2. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-26-086: Request for Information: Proposal to Cap the Number of Simultaneous Research Project Grants per Principal Investigator to Support More Researchers and Maximize Scientific Productivity a...
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Request for Information: Proposal to Cap the Number of Simultaneous Research Project Grants per Principal Investigator ...
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Michael Ward @michael-e-ward.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
On July 1st, I'll be joining the faculty at UC Berkeley, with a joint appointment in the Division of Molecular Therapeutics within MCB and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
exoskeleton, filter feeders, they fight with raptorial appendages...? and they're delicious
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
What if the preprint has community reviews? Still considered 'non-peer reviewed'?
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com
Mitochondrial DNA replication is regulated by endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial contact sites, the mitochondrial calcium uniporter, and manganese
Abstract. Mitochondrial DNA replication occurs at contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria (ERMCS). Beyond the known role of t
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
ZD Dochterman @zddochterman.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
A must read for all weirdos
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
The Language of Liars by SL Huang Linguistics, astrophysics, body jumping/snatching, and it's very well-written!
torpublishinggroup.com
The Language of Liars
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Kelly Robson @kellyrobson.com · 22/04/2026
My Nebula and Hugo finalist novella is on super Kindle deal $1.49 right now! Meet Minh, cranky 83 year-old ecologist who gives no f*cks, and earnest young Kiki who only wants to learn everything Minh knows. Together, they time travel and get into big trouble.
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Jake @waveturtlejake.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
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Michael Baym @baym.lol · 17/04/2026
I’m looking for an automated way to read others’s scientific data without giving credit or acknowledgement, and also claim full credit for insights from it. And I want it to have a fitting name OAI: say no more
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Nick Fleisher @nickfleisher.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
There's also a kind of intentional myopia in focusing just on higher ed when diagnosing "declining trust." Only one of these explanations also has something to say about why there's simultaneously declining trust in elections, public health authorities, etc, in the same spaces over the same period
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
I'm excited to tell you about the most recent preprint in my lab, demonstrating that a conserved spindle matrix protein, NPP-21/TPR, is required for the stronger checkpoint in germline cells during embryogenesis in C. elegans
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Congrats to Keaton, Cam, Lena, and all coauthors! 6/6 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Diffusive spreading across dynamic mitochondrial network architectures | PNAS
In eukaryotic cells, mitochondria form networks that range from highly fused interconnected structures to fragmented populations of individual orga...
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
By analyzing mito dynamics across a variety of human cell lines, Lewis lab PhD candidate Cam found how cells can access both regimes, highlighting how mitochondrial dynamics actively tune intracellular transport!! 🚀 5/
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
As mito network connectivity increases, transport shifts from 3D spreading between clusters (“social”) to lower-dimensional diffusion within continuous networks (“physical”). 📊 This provides a unifying way to think about mitochondrial organization in the context of cell geometry! 4/
Plot of steady-state network content vs decay time across several mitochondrial connectivity regimes.
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
In this work, Keaton from the Kolover lab shows that spreading of molecules like proteins, RNA, lipids, and ions depends on key timescales ⏱️: how often mitochondria meet, fuse, and divide. 3/
Segmented mitochondria from 3 different types of cells, with sub-networks highlighted in bright colors.
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Mitochondria aren’t static; they form dynamic networks that constantly fuse, divide, and move. 🔄 Depending on the conditions, they can behave like a tightly connected “physical network” or a loose “social network” of transient interactions. 2/
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Excited to share a new collaborative paper with Lena Koslover's team, fueled by @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social Metabolism Across Scales Program 🧪 1/ www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Diffusive spreading across dynamic mitochondrial network architectures | PNAS
In eukaryotic cells, mitochondria form networks that range from highly fused interconnected structures to fragmented populations of individual orga...
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
where did you order these?
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
I had a wonderful time connecting with the research community at the Buck last week! Special thanks to Saam Doroodian, Malene Hansen, and Ashley Webb!
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
I-75 Scientist @flscitriguy.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
NIGMS is signed onto the F31 NOFO. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-GM-26-002: Notice of NIGMS Participation in PA-25-422 "Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31)"
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Notice of NIGMS Participation in PA-25-422
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Reposted by Sam Lewis, Ph.D.
Devine lab @devinelab.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
⚡️We are excited to share a new paper from the lab by @drkhole.bsky.social in @cp-cellrepmethods.bsky.social - suggesting MitoTracker dyes are not a reliable tool for detecting intercellular mitochondrial transfer❗️ www.cell.com/cell-reports...
cell.com
MitoTracker transfers from astrocytes to neurons independently of mitochondria
The mitochondrial dye MitoTracker is commonly used to investigate intercellular mitochondrial transfer (IMT), particularly between astrocytes and neurons. Hole et al. compare MitoTracker with a geneti...
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
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Jordy F. Botello @jbotello.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Some molecular machines, like ribosomes, can persist for long periods of time in cells. Could molecular aging of ribosomes shape how proteins are made? In our new preprint we track ribosomes as they age in cells and uncover unexpected effects on translation (1/10) www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
On my way to DC and looking forward to this exciting mini-symposium! #ASBMB26
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Robert Hill @bobalhill.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Megan Doty et al discovered that myelin remains for weeks after cortical axons degenerate. We call the sheaths without an axon de-axoned myelin. During the slow, asynchronous, degeneration, microglia don't play a major role in clearing the axon or de-axoned myelin. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
seen this? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39069657/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Organelle-Targeted Laurdans Measure Heterogeneity in Subcellular Membranes and Their Responses to Saturated Lipid Stress - PubMed
Organelles feature characteristic lipid compositions that lead to differences in membrane properties. In cells, membrane ordering and fluidity are commonly measured using the solvatochromic dye Laurdan, whose fluorescence is sensitive to lipid packing. As a general lipophilic dye, Laurdan stains all …
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Yes bsky.app/profile/biot...
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mechanical twerk @ruhee.ca · 08/02/2026
No Kings includes Draft Kings
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Meghna Gupta @meghnag27.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
We are organizing a mini-symposium on "Membrane and Organelle Dynamics" at ASBMB 2026! #ASBMB @asbmb.bsky.social @aydinlab.bsky.social and I have put together a fantastic lineup of speakers for Day 1 morning. Come learn about some cutting-edge research in the field.
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Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Thank you, Lorena! Happy to see this online 😁 🎉
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Lorena Oli @olifiersl.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Check out my first @prelights.bsky.social article, based on some great work done by Dr. Tejashree Waingankar & @samlewis.bsky.social at UC Berkeley 🔬🧬🧠 prelights.biologists.com/highlights/s...
prelights.biologists.com
Self-renewal of neuronal mitochondria through asymmetric division - preLights
Neurons contain “hotspots” for mitochondrial biogenesis at distal branch points
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James Barrett @james-r-barrett.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
How does molecular valency shape condensate assembly and function? We used the CO2-fixing organelle in algae—the pyrenoid—to find out… 🧵 Preprint here!: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @cellarchlab.com @phaips.vd.st @biologyatyork.bsky.social #Rubisco #PhaseSeparation #Condensates #Pyrenoid
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