Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaAlexis Barr @alexisbarr.bsky.social · 21/05/2026We're looking for a new Roving Research @mrc-lms.bsky.social A unique post for those who love research, learning new techniques & working across different teams. Must be a great communicator & well organised! Apply by 21 June: fa-evzn-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...fa-evzn-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.comInvestigator Scientist Roving ResearcherInvestigator Scientist (Roving Researcher) (LMS 2369) Salary £42,159 – 44,801 plus London Allowance (£5,560) per annum | 2 years fixed term | Full time | Closing Date: 21 June 01010
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Genome instability triggers intercellular DNA transfer between human cells: Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...cell.comGenome instability triggers intercellular DNA transfer between human cellsMammalian cells can pass damaged pieces of their genome directly to neighboring cells via contact-dependent, nanotube-like connections. These transferred DNA fragments persist and function, revealing ... 010
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Biology J-Club @cellclub.bsky.social · 14/05/2026Microtubule dynamics control the direction of cardiomyocyte growth | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...science.orgMicrotubule dynamics control the direction of cardiomyocyte growthThe adult heart grows by the addition of sarcomeres along the length or width of individual cardiomyocytes, yet how directional growth is spatially coordinated remains unclear. We found that microtubu... 0136
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 10/05/2026RNA-triggered cell killing with CRISPR–Cas12a2 www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comRNA-triggered cell killing with CRISPR–Cas12a2 - NatureCas12a2 enables RNA-triggered, sequence-specific killing of eukaryotic cells via widespread DNA shredding, allowing selective elimination of cells on the basis of gene expression, including virus-infe... 010
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Biology J-Club @cellclub.bsky.social · 08/05/2026www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comEndosome maturation is orchestrated by inside-out proton signaling through a Na+/H+ exchanger and pH-dependent Rab GTPase cycling - Nature CommunicationsThe role of lumen acidification during endosome maturation has been unclear. Here, the authors show that proton efflux via a Na+/H+ exchanger is detected by a pH-sensitive Rab GAP, which promotes endo... 032
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Toward life with a 19–amino acid alphabet through generative artificial intelligence design | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...science.orgToward life with a 19–amino acid alphabet through generative artificial intelligence designBecause all known living organisms are made from at least 20 canonical amino acids, the feasibility of life using a more simplified alphabet remains unclear. In this work, we leveraged computational d... 010
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 30/04/2026www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comNuclear N-glycosylation maintains H3K9me3 heterochromatin and genomic stability - Nature Cell BiologyTang, Dai, Qing, Zhang and colleagues describe a role for N-glycosylation in the nucleus: N-glycans modify inner nuclear membrane proteins, and the modification is implicated in the maintenance of H3K... 000
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 28/04/2026Mechanical load inhibits cancer growth in mouse and human hearts | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...science.orgMechanical load inhibits cancer growth in mouse and human heartsThe heart rarely develops cancer, and, at the same time, it lacks regenerative capacity, as cardiomyocytes stop proliferating after birth. This suggests that mechanisms limiting cardiac regeneration m... 000
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 27/04/2026Nuclear envelope budding enables export of large transcripts in muscle cells: Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...cell.comNuclear envelope budding enables export of large transcripts in muscle cellsDuring myogenesis, inner nuclear membrane buds export extremely long sarcomeric transcripts. UIF controls RNA cargo targeting into these buds, and ESCRT-III remodeling is required to internalize UIF a... 000
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 26/04/2026www.onclive.com/view/daraxon...onclive.comDaraxonrasib Demonstrates First-Line Activity With/Without Chemotherapy in Metastatic PDAC | OncLivePhase 1/2 data from 2 separate studies have shown signals of improved survival and safety with the agent, supporting its evaluation in a phase 3 trial. 100
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 25/04/2026What I learned today: Actin branch angle: around 70 degrees 😲 PNAS 1998 www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.... Actin branching, primarily mediated by the Arp2/3 complex, typically occurs at a characteristic angle of 70° ± 7° between the mother filament and the new daughter filament.pnas.orgPNASProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans... 010
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Biology J-Club @cellclub.bsky.social · 22/04/2026www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comA pro-carcinogenic bacterial toxin binds claudin-4 to cleave E-cadherin - NatureCRISPR screening shows that claudin-4 is a receptor for the pro-carcinogenic B. fragilis toxin on colonic epithelial cells, and that this interaction promotes cleavage of E-cadherin, le... 011
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaSignal Transduction and Targeted Therapy @sigtrans-sttt.bsky.social · 23/04/2026The cryptic lncRNA-encoded microprotein TPM3P9 promotes #ccRCC tumorigenesis by driving #Oncogenic RNA splicing, revealing a novel regulatory mechanism and potential #TherapeuticTarget in #RenalCancer. #STTT #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1038/s413... 032
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 17/04/2026www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comVisualizing suborganellar lipid distribution using correlative light and electron microscopy - Nature Cell BiologyLennartz et al. introduce a correlative light and electron microscopy workflow, Lipid-CLEM, combining near-native lipid probes and on-section labelling via click chemistry. Lipid-CLEM quantitatively a... 110
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 13/04/2026The dynamics of centromere assembly and disassembly during quiescence url: rupress.org/jcb/article/...rupress.orgThe dynamics of centromere assembly and disassembly during quiescenceMarescal et al. show that quiescent cells disassemble their centromeres through the transcriptional downregulation of most centromere proteins while preser 000
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 12/04/2026www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comA single-nucleotide enhancer mutation overrides chromosomal sex to drive XX male development - Nature CommunicationsA single base pair insertion in the Sox9 enhancer, Enh13, mediates XX female-to-male sex reversal. This subtle non-coding mutation reconfigures transcriptional regulation, enhances Sox9 expression, re... 001
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaNature @nature.com · 07/04/2026This researcher created a fictional illness, and fake studies funded by the Professor Sideshow Bob Foundation and University of the Fellowship of the Ring and the Galactic Triad. LLMs warned people the illness was real. go.nature.com/48mAyh9go.nature.comScientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was realBixonimania doesn’t exist except in a clutch of obviously bogus academic papers. So why did AI chatbots warn people about this fictional illness? 26837
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaDaniel Durocher @durocher1.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Great conference, great science and great location! 063
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Chemical Biology @cp-cellchembiol.bsky.social · 23/03/2026Online now! Online now! Control of the signaling of RAS proteins by modulating their palmitoylation #chembioldlvr.itControl of the signaling of RAS proteins by modulating their palmitoylationZhu et al. report an approach to reversibly control protein S-palmitoylation by fusing the depalmitoylase APT1 to target proteins. Using RAS proteins, they show that this approach enables the dynamic modulation of RAS palmitoylation and membrane localization by an APT1 inhibitor, and offers a platform for screening RAS palmitoyltransferase inhibitors. 072
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaThe Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 23/03/2026“I think it’s a real mistake to forget where the pipeline for all this begins.” John Diffley reflects on the importance of basic research, his mission to decode DNA replication and recreate it in the lab, and the scientific optimism of the 1960s that helped shape it. www.crick.ac.uk/news/2026-03... 39143
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaScience Magazine @science.org · 20/03/2026Drugs that inhibit KRAS signaling delay the development of pancreatic cancer in mice. Learn more in a new #SciencePerspective: scim.ag/3N9Utsu scim.agKRAShing pancreatic cancer before takeoffDrugs that inhibit KRAS signaling delay the development of pancreatic cancer in mice 0336
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Chemical Biology @cp-cellchembiol.bsky.social · 19/03/2026De novo design of Ras isoform selective bindersdlvr.itDe novo design of Ras isoform selective bindersZhang et al. use deep learning-based protein design to create isoform-specific Ras binders that selectively target the disordered C termini. These tools enable precise dissection of Ras isoform functions and uncover distinct Ras dependencies that emerge during RasG12C inhibitor resistance. 042
Reposted by Tomoaki Sobajimavagnarellilab.bsky.social @vagnarellilab.bsky.social · 19/03/2026www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 195
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaThe EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · 20/03/2026Loss of the ubiquitin ligase targeting factor KEAP1 induces NRF2-driven reductive stress, revealing KEAP1-dependent therapeutic vulnerabilities of KEAP1-mutant NSCLC, particularly under metabolic stress @idikic.bsky.social @diefenbacherlab.bsky.social and coworkers link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comTargeting ubiquitin signaling vulnerabilities in KEAP1-inactivated lung cancer - The EMBO JournalLung cancer cells rely on protein homeostasis regulators, particularly the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), to sustain malignancy. Genetic alterations in UPS components, such as E3 ubiquitin ligases... 042
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Biology J-Club @cellclub.bsky.social · 20/03/2026link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comCa²⁺ leakage is a conserved signal for non-canonical ATG8/LC3 lipidation and membrane repair - The EMBO JournalEndomembrane damage of intracellular vesicles triggers signals that activate membrane repair in mammalian cells to restore homeostasis. However, the signals that drive diverse membrane repair recruitm... 072
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaPhil Biggin @philbiggin.bsky.social · 20/03/2026Happy to see our work on SLCO2A1 with @smlea.bsky.social, Nakanishi and Newstead labs out now. Important insight into how prostaglandin and many drugs are transported. Hats off to @weitse-hsu.bsky.social for computational work! @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comStructural basis for prostaglandin and drug transport via SLCO2A1Nature Communications - SLCO2A1 (also known as OATP2A1) is responsible for the transport of eicosanoids, including prostaglandins (PGs), as well as of a subset of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory... 13011
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 06/03/2026Just realised, only 663 accesses since June last year…🫠 100
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 23/01/2026I just like the image they created😂 My PI is not offering any support or guidance on my PhD project, what should I do? www.nature.com/articles/d41...nature.comMy PI is not offering any support or guidance on my PhD project, what should I do?A safety engineer feels abandoned by their principal investigator. How should they find support? 000
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaAlexis Barr @alexisbarr.bsky.social · 03/12/2025New lab preprint! We find that Wee1 phosphorylates Cdh1(FZR1) and suppresses APC/C(Cdh1) activity to promote S-phase entry A fantastic team effort from the combined forces of @lavuillemenot.bsky.social, Lucas Morales, Calin-Mihai Dragoi & Beth Pennycook www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...biorxiv.orgWee1 opposes APC/C(Cdh1) activity to promote S-phase entryWee1 phosphorylates and inhibits CDK activity to inhibit mitotic entry and establish a G2 DNA damage checkpoint. Consequently, Wee1 inhibitors are in clinical trials, developed to be synthetically let... 1166
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Biology J-Club @cellclub.bsky.social · 06/10/2025www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medic...nobelprize.orgNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.” 031
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaNature Cell Biology @natcellbio.nature.com · 26/02/2025☕️Fulcher et al. show that #MDM2 times mitosis through self-catalysed ubiquitination and proteasomal destruction, triggering G1 arrest following delays in #mitosis associated with chromosome instability and #aneuploidy. bit.ly/3EXaAoNbit.lyMDM2 functions as a timer reporting the length of mitosis - Nature Cell BiologyFulcher et al. show that MDM2 times mitosis through self-catalysed ubiquitination and proteasomal destruction, triggering G1 arrest following delays in mitosis associated with chromosome instability and aneuploidy. 0131
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaDaniel Durocher @durocher1.bsky.social · 10/09/2025New work from the lab! 🔬 We report that DDIAS is a new component of the mitotic CIP2A-TOPBP1 pathway of genome maintenance. 1/n www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...biorxiv.orgMitotic single-stranded DNA suppression by DDIASIncomplete DNA replication and chromosome breakage during mitosis pose major threats to chromosome segregation. The CIP2A-TOPBP1 complex acts to mitigate this peril, but its exact role is not yet unde... 24917
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaJournal of Cell Biology @jcb.org · 25/08/2025Multiple golgins are required to support extracellular matrix secretion, modification and assembly, say George Thompson, Nicola Stevenson and colleagues @bristoluni.bsky.social: rupress.org/jcb/article/... #Organelles #Biochemistry #Trafficking #Golgi 062
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 23/08/2025www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comTargeting G1–S-checkpoint-compromised cancers with cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors - NatureDual cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors selectively kill small cell lung cancer cells and other cancer cells with high E2F activity. 010
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaThe EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · 01/08/2025Review in issue 15: Midbrain organoid models of dopaminergic system WIP1 affects the mitotic timer Legionella affects autophagy by SNARE phoshoribosyl-ubiquitination Dysfunctional mitochondria trap proteins between their membranes Cover by @meunierlab.bsky.social www.embopress.org/toc/14602075... 072
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 15/07/2025Our co-author Luke nicely describes our EMBO J paper on LinkedIn - have a look: www.linkedin.com/posts/luke-j...linkedin.comVery excited to share our latest paper on the effect of DNA damage in the preceding G2 phase on the mitotic timer pathway! | Luke J. FulcherVery excited to share our latest paper on the effect of DNA damage in the preceding G2 phase on the mitotic timer pathway! Cells that experience delays in mitosis, indicative of problems in aligning... 000
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaTrends in Cell Biology @cp-trendscellbio.bsky.social · 08/07/2025Time as a danger signal promoting G1 arrest after mitosisdlvr.itTime as a danger signal promoting G1 arrest after mitosisCell cycle checkpoints preventing the replication and inheritance of damaged DNA are crucial for maintaining genome stability and stopping the growth of damaged cells. Canonical checkpoints do this by preventing passage between cell cycle phases until damage has been repaired, or by promoting cell cycle exit. Herein we review checkpoint integration between cell cycle phases, specifically findings showing that extended spindle assembly checkpoint surveillance in mitosis is a danger signal triggering G1 cell cycle arrest. Evidence linking mitotic delays induced by activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint with positive and negative regulators of the G1 DNA damage checkpoint target p53 is discussed, with a focus on time-dependent changes to a p53-binding deubiquitinating complex USP28–53BP1 and the p53 ubiquitin-ligase mouse double minute homologue 2 (MDM2), respectively. 023
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 24/06/2025Huge thanks to members of the Barr Lab, EMBOJ Editor Hartmut @hvodermaier.bsky.social and all reviewers! 0114
Tomoaki Sobajima @tomogolgier.bsky.social · 20/06/2025Wait for a follow-up paper from “Team Timer” being published online soon. There will be lots of (colourful) cell tracking out there 🔜 100
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaCell Biology J-Club @cellclub.bsky.social · 31/05/2025Oxr1 and Ncoa7 regulate V-ATPase to achieve optimal pH for glycosylation within the Golgi apparatus and trans-Golgi network | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...pnas.orgOxr1 and Ncoa7 regulate V-ATPase to achieve optimal pH for glycosylation within the Golgi apparatus and trans-Golgi network | PNASMaintenance of pH within membranous organelles is crucial for cellular processes such as posttranslational modifications, ligand–receptor interacti... 043
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaLüders Lab @luderslab.bsky.social · 24/05/2025During #mitosis, before assembling the mitotic spindle, the early mouse embryo lacking #centrosomes uses #actin rather than #microtubules for chromosome congression 👀👇🏼 082
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaNature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 10/05/2025Nature reports on the momentum that is building for PROTAC treatments, which eliminate disease-causing proteins, including those responsible for difficult-to-treat childhood cancers. 🧪 go.nature.comHow protein-slayer drugs could beat some of the cruellest cancersMomentum is building for PROTAC treatments that eliminate disease-causing proteins, including those responsible for difficult-to-treat childhood cancers. 03913
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaChristie Wilcox @nerdychristie.bsky.social · 04/03/2025Genetically altered 'woolly mice' express several mammoth-like traits, including the animal's iconic coat. The cuteness, meanwhile, is a complete coincidence. That and more of the best in @science.org and science in this edition of #ScienceAdviser: www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪 813738
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaOxford Biochemistry @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social · 12/02/2025The Barr lab @ox.ac.uk has discovered the important role of cell division timing mechanisms in the formation of cancer. The research, funded by Cancer Research UK, provides valuable insight into how damaged cells are normally stopped from growing. ⬇️ bit.ly/202502-barrbit.lyCancer beats the clockNew research unveils the important role of cell division timing mechanisms in the formation of cancer 0108
Reposted by Tomoaki SobajimaOxford Biochemistry @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social · 09/01/2025Congratulations to Francis Barr and his team! 011