Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

#scientistswhocook: spaghetti with bonito (palamita in Italian) marinated in rosé wine, and bottarga.

#spaghetti
#bonito
#palamita
#bottarga

Diced bonito marinated in olive oil, rosé wine, salt, pepper.

Spaghetti with marinated bonito and bottarga.

November 17, 2025 at 2:43 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

#scientistswhocook: oven roasted rainbow trout on a bed of sliced onions, potatoes, peppers and cherry tomatoes. The fish was marinated in olive oil and rosé wine.

#rainbowtrout

November 2, 2025 at 12:03 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

🚨 New paper alert! 🚨

Our paper entitled: "Synergy between RNA editing and alternative splicing modulates the biological properties of the voltage-gated calcium channel CaV1.3" is out now on Journal of Biological Chemistry!

www.jbc.org/article/S002...

#AlternativeSplicing #RNAediting

🧵 👇

Synergy between RNA editing and alternative splicing modulates the biological properties of the voltage-gated calcium channel CaV1.3

Alternative splicing and adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing are post-transcriptional mechanisms that promote proteomic diversity in the brain. The impact of RNA editing on brain physiology is u...

www.jbc.org

October 14, 2025 at 2:34 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

#scientistswhocook: spaghetti with squid 🦑 (ink 🫟 included) in a white wine, garlic, butter and parsley sauce; pan seared swordfish with a side of grilled vegetables.

#spaghetti #squid #swordfish

Spaghetti with squid (black ink included).

Pan seared swordfish with grilled vegetables.

October 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

I just got my annual #FluShot 💉. Thanks to my employer, St. John's University, for organizing the Flu Clinic on campus every year.

#VaccinesWork
#VaccinesSaveLives

October 7, 2025 at 2:20 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

#scientistswhocook: spaghetti with fish collar meat from salmon and red snapper, in a while wine, garlic, mascarpone, and parsley sauce.

#spaghetti #salmon #RedSnapper

October 6, 2025 at 4:12 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

I'm grateful that I live in a state where I can still get the #CovidVaccine If I so choose.

Shot number 7 for me 💉 since January 2021.

#VaccinesWork
#VaccinesSaveLives

October 4, 2025 at 11:54 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

🚨 New paper alert! 🚨

Our paper entitled: "Neuron-specific Agrin splicing by Nova RNA-binding proteins regulates conserved neuromuscular junction development in chordates" is out now on @plosbiology.org !

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

#splicing #microexons #NMJ #Ciona

🧵👇

Neuron-specific Agrin splicing by Nova RNA-binding proteins regulates conserved neuromuscular junction development in chordates

Neuron-specific splicing of Agrin by Nova RNA-binding proteins is essential for neuromuscular synapse formation via acetylcholine receptor clustering. This study shows that this RNA splicing pathway i...

journals.plos.org

September 16, 2025 at 6:54 PM

Reposted by Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

PLOS Biology

@plosbiology.org

Neuron-specific splicing of Agrin by Nova is essential for AChR clustering at the NMJ. @rnadoctor.bsky.social @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social &co show that this pathway is conserved in tunicates & that the transcription factor Ebf is a key activator of Nova expression @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3VhTwig

Top left: Two-color double ISH of Nova (green) and Islet (magenta) showing co-expression in the bilaterally symmetric Motor Neuron 2 (MN2) pair of cells (arrows). Note that Nova mRNA distribution appears more nuclear than Islet in these cells at this stage. Top right: Summary model diagram of a conserved Nova-Agrin-Lrp4 pathway for AChR clustering in Ciona. Upper panel: Summary of conserved pathway, and previously unidentified Ebf-Nova regulatory connection identified in Ciona. Lower panel: Model of proposed mechanism for Ciona Nova-dependent alternative Agrin splicing via binding of KH1 and KH2 domains to two YCAY-rich NISEs identified in the intron 3′ to the Z exons (though not known in what exact orientation or configuration). Inhibitory effect of KH3 domain is relieved by the N- and C-termini. Diagram not drawn to scale. Bottom: Neural-specific CRISPR-mediated disruption of Agrin using sgRNAs results in loss of Acetylcholine receptor A1::GFP clusters (AChRA1::GFP, green) in tail muscles, driven by the Tbx6-r.b promoter. Motor neuron axons labeled by VAChT > Unc-76::mCherry in magenta.

September 15, 2025 at 9:21 AM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

#scientistswhocook: spaghetti with Acadian redfish in a garlic, white wine, mascarpone, parsley, and olive oil sauce. Paired with a Stein sparkling rosé from the Mosel region in Germany.

#spaghetti #redfish #mascarpone #sparkling #rosé #Mosel #Germany

Spaghetti with Acadian redfish in a garlic, mascarpone, white wine, parsley, and olive oil sauce.

Stein sparkling rosé from the Mosel region in Germany.

September 14, 2025 at 11:54 AM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

#scientistswhocook: #risotto with Chinese roast pork, #bokchoy, oyster #mushrooms, garlic, butter, white wine, and #parmesan cheese. Totally improvised using pork from Chinese #takeout, but it came out pretty good! 👍

August 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM

Matteo Ruggiu, PhD

@rnadoctor.bsky.social

#scientistswhocook: Mediterranean #snapper #dentex #dentice caught #spearfishing in #Sardinia #Sardegna, and roasted in the oven over a bed of potatoes with #myrtle #mirto leaves. I catch it, I clean it, I cook it, I eat it.