Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 7d

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

AAUP @aaup.org · 6d

🚨🚨🚨

The Trump administration has laid it out: comply with their ideological agenda or else…

This is how we lose free thought in American higher education.

Texas Conference of the AAUP @texasaaup.bsky.social · 6d

The compact would require colleges to…cap the enrollment of international students + commit to strict definitions of gender…universities would also be required to change their governance structures to prohibit anything that would ‘punish, belittle + even spark violence against conservative ideas.’”

Cristian Farias @cristianfarias.com · 7d

Honey, wake up: New unconstitutional extortion just dropped. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

26 32

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Amanda Amodeo @aaamodeo.bsky.social · 9d

Just a few days left to apply! If you do cool molecular/cell biology things and want to start a lab in a supportive department in New England please check out our ad.

Amanda Amodeo @aaamodeo.bsky.social · Aug 14

My Department (Biology) at @dartmouthartsci.bsky.social is hiring this year! We have an opening for a Tenure Track Cell and/or Molecular biologist (broadly defined).

Please share with your trainees/labmates/friends and reach out if you have questions.

apply.interfolio.com/171625

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

6 3

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Jennifer Landino @jenelandino.bsky.social · Aug 1

📢 Pre-print alert 📢 We are excited to share the lab's first research article! We used our artificial cortex system to investigate how membrane composition regulates self-organized cortical dyanamics. Check it out here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Membrane composition-dependent patterning of Rho and F-actin in an artificial cell cortex

Cortical excitability, a phenomenon in which the cell cortex is dynamically patterned with waves of F-actin assembly, has been described in a variety of animal model systems, including embryos of mamm...

www.biorxiv.org

4 8 22

The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · Sep 5

This paper looks super cool. Congrats Greg, Jen and the whole team. I can't wait to read this paper and think about the implications for other membrane systems.

1

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Carlos Guardia @charlyguardia.bsky.social · Sep 3

Excited to share the first paper from the lab! 🥳 The ATG9 and lipid droplets saga continues! Open source!

Liver-specific loss of Atg9a perturbs lipid metabolism and hepatocyte integrity

The autophagy-related protein ATG9A is integral to cellular autophagy and lipid mobilization, yet its importance in mammalian physiology remains underexplored. Using a liver-specific conditional At...

doi.org

4 8 16

The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · Sep 3

Thanks Lars.

The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · Sep 3

I'm very excited to share out latest work now published in Autophagy.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

This work was led by Dr. Devika Andhare and demonstrates the membrane binding and clustering capabilities of Atg11 using a new reconstitution system.

Reconstitution of autophagic-like membrane tethering reveals that Atg11 can bind and cluster vesicles on cargo mimetics

Macroautophagy (hereafter, autophagy) is essential for the degradation of mitochondria from yeast to humans. Mitochondrial autophagy in yeast is initiated when the selective autophagy scaffolding p...

www.tandfonline.com

1 3 9

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology @natsmb.nature.com · May 30

ICYMI: New online: Structure and activation of the human autophagy-initiating ULK1C:PI3KC3-C1 supercomplex

Structure and activation of the human autophagy-initiating ULK1C:PI3KC3-C1 supercomplex

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 29 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01557-xAutophagy is initiated by the Unc-51-like kinase protein kinase complex (ULK1C) and class III phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase complex I (PI3KC3-C1). Here, the authors reveal the structure of the 2:1:1 core of ULK1C and its complex with PI3KC3-C1. ULK1C transitions to a 2:2:2 complex in the presence of PI3KC3-C1, suggesting a mechanism for autophagy induction.

go.nature.com

9 18

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Cathy Gao-Howard MD MS @catgaohow.bsky.social · May 18

Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025

18 610 1.5K

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · May 14

My ongoing request:

If your NSF or NIH grant was terminated--whether at Harvard or elsewhere--please report it here.

NSF: grant-watch.us/submit-nsf.h...

NIH: grant-watch.us/submit-nih.h...

Our trackers are actively used in lawsuits and are often the only record that terminations ever occurred.

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · May 14

NSF appears to be terminating hundreds of its grants to Harvard, per internal sources at NSF and at Harvard. At least one division has had all its grants cut.

15 400 440

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Sean Ryder @seanryderphd.bsky.social · May 2

As anticipated, the White House has officially requested an $18 billion cut to the FY2026 #NIH budget (among lots of other cuts). The full guidance from the White House to the appropriations committee is linked. NIH is on page 12. #braindrain #sciencexit

www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

www.whitehouse.gov

2 1 2

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Nature @nature.com · Apr 29

In 100 days in office, US President Donald Trump has destabilized eight decades of government support for science.

This has included terminating more than 1,000 grants in areas such as climate change, cancer, and HIV prevention.

Will US science survive Trump 2.0?

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

9 260 440

The Ragusa Laboratory @ragusalab.bsky.social · Apr 25

Congratulations!!

2

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Soni Lacefield @lacefieldlab.bsky.social · Apr 25

Many congratulations to @pallavisgadgil.bsky.social for being awarded the Lucille Smith award for excellence in Biochemistry. This award is in honor of the memory of Dr. Lucille Smith. The first woman at Dartmouth to attain the rank of full professor!

1 6 76

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Apr 23

ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM

Implementation of Schedule F

This is what a lot of us have been worried about.

This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs.

BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD...

1/n

the word alert is in a purple circle

ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle

media.tenor.com

18 450 360

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Sean Ryder @seanryderphd.bsky.social · Apr 17

Over 200 people laid off or furloughed on my campus due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding NIH funding. We can expect this number to grow. I warned people of this in an op-ed in February, but was told I was being alarmist.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/b...

UMass Chan Medical School lays off or furloughs about 200 employees after NIH funding shortfall - The Boston Globe

The cuts come after the school saw a $30 million funding shortfall from long delays in funding new research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

www.bostonglobe.com

1 4 5

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Science Magazine @science.org · Apr 9

Exclusive: Weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered NIH to pull $250 million in biomedical research grants to Columbia University, the agency is freezing all remaining grant money owed to the university until further notice. scim.ag/4if5Rg1

NIH freezes all research grants to Columbia University

Amid negotiations with Trump, the university could risk losing nearly $700 million

scim.ag

83 470 740

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Ryan Hernandez @rdhernand.bsky.social · Apr 2

I have learned that the directors of ALL: PREP, IMSD, and IRACDA programs across the country have received similar cancelation notices. This follows previous cancellations of MARC and URISE programs. This further dismantles the mechanisms that enable scientific training opportunities for SO MANY.

Ryan Hernandez @rdhernand.bsky.social · Apr 2

You want to know the best way to show thanks for chairing a study section? Early the next morning sent them a termination notice for their PREP training grant.

Ryan Hernandez @rdhernand.bsky.social · Apr 1

Just completed day 2 of chairing a NIH study section. Brain is tired after intently listening and leading discussions of ~40 apps. So fulfilling to hear the passion people have for others' science, and heartwarming to see so many people who care about the training and environment of others 🫶 (299!)

9 98 150

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Kristen Kwan @blockintheback.bsky.social · Apr 2

Today I received notice that our IMSD T32 has been terminated. This program was the culmination of ~10 years of work we put into building our community. I don’t quite have the words. 💔

23 21 72

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · Apr 2

Dr. Richard Youle was fired today. He is an eminent scientist who has done important work on brain diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s.

Musk and Trump are stopping NIH research into cures, for diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s. Americans did not vote for this.

WIRED @wired.com · Apr 2

NEW: The doctor behind breakthrough Parkinson’s research was among the scientists purged from the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency. www.wired.com/story/doctor...

Doctor Behind Award-Winning Parkinson’s Research Among Scientists Purged From NIH

Leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency, were swept up Tuesday in the Trump administration's latest firing blitz.

www.wired.com

9 120 260

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

bioRxiv Cell Biology @biorxiv-cellbio.bsky.social · Mar 25

In situ cryo-ET visualization of mitochondrial depolarization and mitophagic engulfment https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.24.645001v1

5 4

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Jason McLellan @mclellanlab.bsky.social · Mar 25

We just had our first grant terminated. This was a U19 AViDD grant (grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...). It was set to end next month, although many in the consortia were hoping for NCEs.

9 25 46

Reposted by The Ragusa Laboratory

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Mar 24

www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-r...

NEW: Baldwin, Welch Announce Former NIH Director, Researchers, Clinical Trial Patients as Witnesses for Forum on Trump’s NIH Cuts | U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) announced the...

www.baldwin.senate.gov

30 82