Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · 17d

On the train to Montpellier for the #EMBOsumoylation conference - looking forward to the 2nd recurrence of this #EMBOevents workshop and to the latest research in the SUMO field!
meetings.embo.org/event/25-sum...

SUMOylation: From discovery to translation

Sumoylation is an essential post-translational modification that regulates thousands of target proteins in a dynamic manner. Small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs) can be attached to target proteins …

meetings.embo.org

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Sep 4

I continue to be astounded by the recent resurgence of intriguing studies revolving around #PARPs and the interplay of ADP-ribosylation with other PTMs! Latest example that we published in @embojournal.org:

The EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · Aug 29

A general rather than site- & function-specific role for protein modification by ADP-ribosylation?
@kfeijszaja.bsky.social , Roko Zaja and coworkers find that labeling by #PARP7 facilitates ubiquitin-dependent degradation of multiple targets upon proteotoxic stress
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Sep 2

Was fun to work on this manuscript - never would have thought that an E1 enzyme could be involved in selecting a particular #ubiquitin -like protein isoform over another!

The EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · Aug 26

What is the basis & significance of SUMO1 vs SUMO2/3 conjugation preference? Jo Morris et al find that mitotic deacetylation biases SUMO E1 SAE2 towards #SUMO1 conjugation onto NuMA to ensure faithful chromosome segregation
#RefereedPreprint c/o @reviewcommons.org
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

The EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · Sep 2

Our RNA & translation editor Cornelius Schneider is excited to be at #EMBLProtein starting tomorrow – make sure to say Hi to him and drag him to your posters 😀
@events.embl.org ‬

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Jul 16

Fascinating new insights into evolutionary conservation/diversification/repurposing in the chromosome segregation machinery!

Stan Yatskevich @stanislauy.bsky.social · Jul 15

Happy to share our latest work on the structure and assembly of holocentric kinetochores! Huge thanks to Ines for a very fruitful collaboration, Claudio for all the support, and congratulations to Christine and all co-authors!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Jun 13

hasn't been an issue anymore in recent years, almost no-one opts out anymore. Maybe because we allow removal of referee figures that authors may want to include in future studies

Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Jun 13

Opt-out frequency was up to 1/3 when we first started our Transparent Peer Review process @embojournal.org but I don't recall any obvious trends towards certain author groups

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Jun 10

Another week, another great conference - happy to be at #EESAgeing on home turf

EMBL Events @events.embl.org · May 27

📣 If you still want to join #EESAgeing you can do so by signing up for virtual participation 💻

⏰ You have until 3 June to register here: https://s.embl.org/ees25-05-bl

Don't miss this international event that will focus on the molecular mechanisms of ageing and age-related diseases 🧬⏳

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

NPR @npr.org · Jun 5

Senate Democrats warn Trump plan to wipe out public broadcasting funding will shut down stations, eliminate essential services. But House GOP scheduled to vote to clawback $1.1 billion next week.

Partisan battle lines form over Trump's plan to defund NPR & PBS

Senate Democrats warn Trump plan to wipe out public broadcasting funding will shut down stations, eliminate essential services. But House GOP scheduled to vote to clawback $1.1 billion next week.

n.pr

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Cahir O'Kane @cahirokane.bsky.social · Jun 5

This vital resource @flybase.bsky.social is in acute peril: its funding blocked by the vindictiveness of Trump. Emergency funds needed *now*, pending longer term solutions. Personal donations from Europe can be made here (UK taxpayers can gift-aid); other routes also possible. US appeal to follow.

Drosophila Genetic Database

The Drosophila Genetic Database, FlyBase, is on the brink of collapse due to the sudden termination of the FlyBase NIH grant, which includes salaries for 5 literature curators based at the University ...

www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

The EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · Jun 5

A scary situation!

Lucas Waltzer @lucaswaltzer.bsky.social · Jun 3

#drosophila @flybase.bsky.social request emergency funding:
"As it stands, by the end of July, 2025, there will be no future updates to FlyBase, and in the worst case scenario access to the website will also be lost" => please donate!

www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...

Drosophila Genetic Database

The Drosophila Genetic Database, FlyBase, is on the brink of collapse due to the sudden termination of the FlyBase NIH grant, which includes salaries for 5 literature curators based at the University ...

www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Retraction Watch @retractionwatch.com · Jun 4

‘Anyone can do this’: Sleuths publish a toolkit for post-publication review

@averyorrall.bsky.social reports on an initiative from @reeserichardson.bsky.social and colleagues

‘Anyone can do this’: Sleuths publish a toolkit for post-publication review

For years, sleuths – whose names our readers are likely familiar with – have been diligently flagging issues with the scientific literature. More than a dozen of these specialists have teamed up to cr...

retractionwatch.com

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Román González-Prieto @romangp.bsky.social · Jun 4

If you are interested in pursuing a postdoc combining proteomics a genomics with functional molecular biology to study ubiquitin (-like) signaling in genome biology we are looking for candidates for the next MSCA Fellowships call!!!!

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Netherlands Cancer Institute @nkinl.bsky.social · Jun 5

Today, these amazing NKI researchers are pushing their limits by climbing the Alpe d’Huez. Go for it lovely people! We are proud to see so many of you dedicate your time and effort to supporting cancer research.
With @oncodeinstitute.bsky.social

#AlpedHuZes #cancerresearch #ad6 #NKI

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Jun 4

Grateful for the opportunity to meet with so many enthusiastic early-career scientists and sharing behind-the-scenes insights with them #wUeBI2025

GRK2243 @grk2243.bsky.social · Jun 3

New day, new opportunities for connection! Conference participants meet with the EMBO Journal editor, Hartmut Vodermaier, for an engaging discussion on publishing, peer review, and the future of scientific communication. A valuable and inspiring exchange!

#wUeBI2025

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Jun 2

Excited that the symposium #wUeBI2025 @grk2243.bsky.social is now about to start - looking forward to exciting news from the #ubiquitin field, and to meeting this great community again!

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · May 19

Ever wondered how it would be as an Editor?
Here's your chance to try as an absence cover with our wonderful colleagues from @emboreports.org!

EMBO Reports @emboreports.org · May 19

Want to join our team? We are looking for an editor.

-> embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/d...

Scientific Editor, EMBO reports

Job title: Scientific Editor, EMBO Reports (Absence cover) Contract duration: 12 months, starting September 2025 Starting salary: Basic gross salary 4,459.95 euros/month subject to national tax and so...

embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com

Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · Apr 8

Tariffs xkcd.com/3073

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · Mar 17

Lungfish xkcd.com/3064

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Apr 8

Great to get to publish another one on the emerging connections between ADP-ribosylation, immune signaling, ubiquitin and protein aggregation/degradation

Anthony Leung @leunglab.bsky.social · Apr 8

🥳 Out now @embojournal.org!
Interferon induces a new class of p62 bodies, with #antiviral & #immunotherapy implications.
p62 is usually linked to #autophagy — but not here.
These are driven by PARP14-mediated ADP-ribosylation & rely on #ubiquitin #proteasome system. www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Interferon-induced PARP14-mediated ADP-ribosylation in p62 bodies requires the ubiquitin-proteasome system | The EMBO Journal

imageimageInterferon induces the formation of ADP-ribosylation (ADPr)-enriched p62 bodies, requiring PARP14 and p62. Unlike canonical p62 bodies, these ADPr-enriched structures are independent of auto...

www.embopress.org

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Iannacone Lab @iannaconelab.bsky.social · Apr 1

💡Exciting news! Our latest study, in collaboration with Prof. Mirela Kuka’s lab, is out now—uncovering how T cell–derived IFN-γ can suppress T follicular helper (TFH) cells and limit antibody responses. 🚀🧵(1/10) www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

T-cell-derived IFN-γ suppresses T follicular helper cell differentiation and antibody responses | The EMBO Journal

imageimageSubcutaneous infection by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is characterized by skewed CD4+ T-cell polarization, as well as severely impaired differentiation of T follicular helper (...

www.embopress.org

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

The EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · Apr 1

Highlighted in Issue 7:
Lysosome-CDK4/6 co-targeting in cancer therapy
Algal spliceosome structure
Also:
Opposite synaptic plasticity effects of Ras isoforms
Novel biosensor for spatiotemporal dynamics of STING activation
Cover: @plenart.bsky.social and coworkers
www.embopress.org/toc/14602075...

This cover highlights the article PLK1 inhibition delays mitotic entry revealing changes to the phosphoproteome of mammalian cells early in division by M. Gobran, P. Lenart and colleagues. HeLa Kyoto cells treated with the PLK1 inhibitor BI2536 spend prolonged periods of time in a prophase-like state with condensed chromosomes. Cells stained with 5-SiR-Hoechst imaged on a spinning disk confocal microscope.

Scientific image by Monica Gobran

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

Maria Polychronidou @mpolychronidou.bsky.social · Mar 28

From large language models (LLMs) to large reasoning models (LRMs) based on chain-of-thought. Are LRMs "“genuinely reasoning” or “merely mimicking” the kinds of human reasoning that is in the pretraining or post-training data"?
Interesting read ➡️ www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Artificial intelligence learns to reason

Julia has two sisters and one brother. How many sisters does her brother Martin have?Solving this tiny puzzle requires a bit of thinking. You might mentally picture the family of three girls and one b...

www.science.org

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Hartmut Vodermaier @hvodermaier.bsky.social · Mar 27

Not to over-rate journal rankings - but this is nevertheless surely good news!

EMBO Press @embopress.org · Mar 25

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Journal Rankings 2025 are out and @embojournal.org, @emboreports.org, @embomolmed.org , @molsystbiol.org all ranked in Tier1 (top 5%). Quality is appreciated in China! cf. www.fenqubiao.com

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Reposted by Hartmut Vodermaier

The EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · Mar 17

Lu Gan (甘露) and collaborators use cryo-electron tomography to reveal the nanoscale architecture of human #chromatin in situ: G1 and metaphase chromatin is devoid of mega-complexes beyond dinucleosome regularities
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

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