nieminm.bsky.social
Natalie Niemi
@nieminm.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.5K following 110 posts
Assistant professor @WUSTLmed Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics. Mitochondria, metabolism, and cell signaling. Mom of 2. Advocate for women in science. www.niemilab.com
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nieminm.bsky.social
Natalie Niemi @nieminm.bsky.social · May 29
Very excited to share our latest work, “Mitochondrial presequences harbor variable strengths to maintain organellar function,” led by the fantastically talented @washubbsb.bsky.social graduate student Youmian Yan. A 🧵

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mitochondrial presequences harbor variable strengths to maintain organellar function
Hundreds of mitochondrial-destined proteins rely on N-terminal presequences for organellar targeting and import. While generally described as positively charged amphipathic helices, presequences lack ...
www.biorxiv.org
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
biorxiv-physio.bsky.social
bioRxiv Physiology @biorxiv-physio.bsky.social · 2d
Skeletal muscle fibre type determines mitochondrial and metabolic responses to hypoxia and pulmonary inflammation. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.06.680623v1
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
greenrat.bsky.social
Victor Tatarskiy @greenrat.bsky.social · 6d
Neat trick if you polycolonal ab's suck. Incubate them with fixed cells with a KO of your protein of interest, then spin. Protocol here: www.med.upenn.edu/markslab/ass...
I was amazed how well it worked on first try (I'm sure that I can completely eliminate unspecific bands)
#WesternBlot #cellsky
On the left - western blot of B16F10 cells wt and KO for CDK8. Our in house produced antibodies give a lot of unspecific bands. On the right same probes with antibodies preincubated with fixed CDK8 KO cells - there is a specific band and faint unspecific bands, which can be probably eliminated with increase of amount of KO cells.
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
natcellbio.nature.com
Nature Cell Biology @natcellbio.nature.com · 4d
💫NEW: @telemanlab.bsky.social & co demonstrate that #AMPK can be activated by signaling metabolite, #adenosine, under non-stress conditions during #Drosophila development. The intestine regulates adenosine levels, thus, remotely controlling wing disc AMPK activation and growth.
bit.ly/4gX6njF
Remote control of AMPK via extracellular adenosine controls tissue growth - Nature Cell Biology
Zhang et al. demonstrate that AMPK can be activated by signalling metabolite, adenosine, under non-stress conditions during Drosophila development. The intestine regulates adenosine levels, thus, remotely controlling wing disc AMPK activation and growth.
bit.ly
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
glennmasson.bsky.social
Glenn Masson @glennmasson.bsky.social · 6d
Ooohhh....GCN1 couples GCN2 to ribosomal state to initiate amino acid response pathway signaling | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
GCN1 couples GCN2 to ribosomal state to initiate amino acid response pathway signaling
During nutrient deprivation, activation of the protein kinase GCN2 regulates cell survival and metabolic homeostasis. In addition to amino acid stress, GCN2 is activated by a variety of cellular stres...
www.science.org
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
bioinfo.se
Arne Elofsson @bioinfo.se · 7d
Elaborate machinery for inserting proteins into the outer membrane of bacteria www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Elaborate machinery for inserting proteins into the outer membrane of bacteria
Bacteria in the gut use an unusual molecular apparatus to insert complex proteins into their outer membrane.
www.nature.com
10 29
Reposted by Natalie Niemi
frezzalab.bsky.social
Christian Frezza @frezzalab.bsky.social · 7d
Alternatively Spliced Citrate Synthase Supports Colorectal Cancer url: aacrjournals.org/cancerres/ar...

Have a look at our views on a recent, very interesting paper on alternative splice variants of citrate synthase.
Alternatively Spliced Citrate Synthase Supports Colorectal Cancer
Metabolic changes are a major hallmark of cancer with the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle playing a central role in this process. Remodeling of the TCA cycle occurs in cancer cells to sus...
aacrjournals.org
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
tillymommersteeg.bsky.social
Tilly Mommersteeg @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social · 7d
More new work from the lab! @idrm.ox.ac.uk @oxforddpag.bsky.social
Do all zebrafish regenerate their hearts equally? Also featuring the Mexican cavefish☺️
Thanks to all co-authors and especially the incredibly talented DPhil student Kostas Lekkos who drove the project. #zebrafish #heartregeneration
klekkos.bsky.social
kostaslekkos.bsky.social @klekkos.bsky.social · 7d
Do zebrafish regenerate their hearts equally? In our new paper at the @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social lab we uncovered variations in the regenerative response of 7 wt zebrafish strains leading us to identify a critical role of oxidative phosphorylation in long-term heart regeneration.
rdcu.be/eI1v5
Oxidative phosphorylation is required for cardiomyocyte re-differentiation and long-term fish heart regeneration
Nature Cardiovascular Research - Lekkos et al. show that a metabolic switch toward oxidative phosphorylation is required for cardiomyocyte re-differentiation and heart regeneration after injury in...
rdcu.be
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nieminm.bsky.social
Natalie Niemi @nieminm.bsky.social · 9d
In all reality, getting tenure has EVERYTHING to do with you. But not in just your talents and scientific acumen, but also in your humility and willingness to share credit to those around you. This is richly deserved and I consider myself very lucky to have you as a colleague and friend. Cheers! 🍻
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nieminm.bsky.social
Natalie Niemi @nieminm.bsky.social · 11d
Fantastic, congratulations @bradylabupenn.bsky.social!! Can’t wait to dig into this one and hope to catch up soon!
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bradylabupenn.bsky.social
Dr. Donita C. Brady of Brady Lab UPenn @bradylabupenn.bsky.social · 11d
🚨 Our 4th example of metalloallosteric regulation of kinase activity. Out today in @CellReports with @KJSsci. The ER stress sensor kinase PERK needs copper to work. Without copper, PERK can’t protect cells under stress. cell.com/cell-reports/p…
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
ibudin.bsky.social
Itay Budin @ibudin.bsky.social · 23d
Very excited to share new work out today in @natchembio.nature.com on a new approach - FACES - for selectively imaging of phospholipids and other biomolecules at spatial resolutions down to individual membrane leaflets (1/n) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Leaflet-specific phospholipid imaging using genetically encoded proximity sensors - Nature Chemical Biology
An approach combining bioorthogonal chemistry with genetically encoded fluorogen-activating proteins enables subcellular imaging of phospholipids and glycans, as well as the visualization of lipid tra...
www.nature.com
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
itaiyanai.bsky.social
Itai Yanai @itaiyanai.bsky.social · 14d
The reality in science is that creativity is not treated as a core skill while hypothesis testing is, and that is the imbalance that we want correct through the Night Science Institute!
www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/art... www.night-science.org
The Night Science Institute Is Changing How Science Teaches Creativity
In this interview with Professors Itai Yanai and Martin Lercher, explore how night science brings creativity, ideation and collaboration back into the heart of modern science.
www.technologynetworks.com
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
slavovlab.bsky.social
Slavov Laboratory @slavovlab.bsky.social · 15d
The regulation of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins is fascinating.

They are synthesized in a fully eukaryotic manner, with introns, splicing, and cytosolic ribosomes.

Yet, they are degraded by proteases that look and act bacterial.

blog.slavovlab.net/2025/09/23/m...
Mixing eukaryotic synthesis with prokaryotic degradation
The Evolutionary Balancing Act Coordinating gene regulation across two fundamentally different systems is one of the great balancing acts of life. Mitochondria embody this challenge: most of their …
blog.slavovlab.net
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
slavov-n.bsky.social
Nikolai Slavov @slavov-n.bsky.social · 16d
Some proteins are primarily regulated by one mechanism: RNA abundance, translation, or clearance.

The regulation of most proteins is dominated by different regulatory mechanisms across cell types.

Gratifyingly, this complex regulation defines simple rules ⬇️

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
cvasilescu.bsky.social
Catalina Vasilescu, PhD @cvasilescu.bsky.social · 18d
A reversible feedback mechanism regulating mitochondrial heme synthesis | bioRxiv
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A reversible feedback mechanism regulating mitochondrial heme synthesis
Proper heme biosynthesis is essential for numerous cellular functions across nearly all life forms. In humans, dysregulated heme metabolism is linked to multiple blood diseases, neurodegeneration, car...
www.biorxiv.org
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
hennelab.bsky.social
Henne lab @hennelab.bsky.social · 27d
A pleasure to write this short review on lipid droplets for
@jcb.org together with Will Prinz and amazing artist Emma Reynolds!

We discuss 5 pervasive questions surrounding these remarkable little lipid organelles.

doi.org/10.1083/jcb....
Lipid droplets: Open questions and conceptual advances around a unique organelle | Journal of Cell Biology | Rockefeller University Press
Henne and Prinz discuss the lipid droplet field and pervasive questions surrounding droplets and their roles in physiology and disease.
doi.org
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nieminm.bsky.social
Natalie Niemi @nieminm.bsky.social · 29d
Congrats @muirlab.bsky.social and all involved! Love the tis but a scratch model - A+!
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
muirlab.bsky.social
Muir Lab @muirlab.bsky.social · 29d
Super excited to share our new preprint from @cssheehan.bsky.social on how the tumor microenvironment causes drug resistance in pancreatic cancer: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Tumor nutrient stress gives rise to a drug tolerant cell state in pancreatic cancer
Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the standard-of-care treatment for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, chemotherapy only has modest effects at improving patient survival due...
www.biorxiv.org
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
thesilvalab.bsky.social
Gustavo Silva lab at Duke @thesilvalab.bsky.social · 29d
It is really cool to see our work being feature on the cover of the newest issue of @cp-trendsbiochem.bsky.social !

The design is great and captures the complexity of the system! I hope you enjoy the article!
cp-trendsbiochem.bsky.social
Trends in Biochemical Sciences @cp-trendsbiochem.bsky.social · Sep 4
📢 Our September issue is now online!

🎨 The cover "Fine-tuning translation under stress" highlights a Review from @thesilvalab.bsky.social‬ and co in the ribosome ubiquitination code.

Cover designed by Katie Kirby from the VI4 AIR program.

Access the full issue 👉 www.cell.com/trends/bioch....
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
natmetabolism.nature.com
Nature Metabolism @natmetabolism.nature.com · 29d
Cellular pan-chain acyl-CoA profiling reveals SLC25A42/SLC25A16 in mitochondrial CoA import and metabolism
Nature Metabolism, Published online: 09 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s42255-025-01358-yBy developing a method that allows detection of transient, low-abundance acyl-CoA species, Liu et al. provide a thorough characterization of coenzyme A dynamics and subcellular partitioning.
bit.ly
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
cellforganized.bsky.social
Anthony Vecchiarelli @cellforganized.bsky.social · Aug 26
My MCDB dept is accepting applications for a faculty position at the Assistant Professor level!

Applications Due by October 15, 2025

We welcome applications from all areas of physiology and neuroscience, spanning molecular, cellular, systems, and organismal levels.

lsa.umich.edu/mcdb/news-ev...
MCDB Opens Search for Faculty | U-M LSA Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB)
MCDB welcomes applications at the Assistant Professor level from outstanding biological scientists in all areas of physiology and neuroscience, spanning molecular, cellular, systems, and organismal le...
lsa.umich.edu
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
mehr.nz
samuel mehr @mehr.nz · Sep 8
Other people: there's no way that'll fit under the word limit

Academics:
a man is making a face and the words watch this are above him
Alt: Usher watch this
media.tenor.com
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
mehr.nz
samuel mehr @mehr.nz · Sep 8
hi, i'm an academic. my primary skills involve condensing a grant proposal to 60% of its current size, and emailing
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
jcb.org
Journal of Cell Biology @jcb.org · Sep 3
Our new collection offers cell biologists practical, expert-driven guidance and best practices in the design, execution, and analysis of experiments, and the subsequent communication of their results to their peers. 👉 rupress.org/jcb/collecti...

#Reproducibility
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Reposted by Natalie Niemi
flysci.bsky.social
Ginger Hunter @flysci.bsky.social · Sep 2
🧪🪰We are hiring, please help us get the word out! The official ads will be up very soon & I'll link to them later.
My lab is looking to recruit/hire at all levels:
1. A technician/post-bacc researcher to start ~fall 2026
2. A postdoc to start sometime in 2026
3. At least one graduate student (RA)
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