Max Renner
@maxrenner.bsky.social
560 followers 950 following 73 posts
PI at Umeå University and UCMR | Northern Sweden | Alum: @ox.ac.uk | Structural Virology | https://renner-lab.com/ | 🇸🇪 🦠🔬 🌱
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Max Renner
allostericstate.bsky.social
Yikes! In this paper the AlphaFold model of human plasminogen (PDB-8uq6) has been refined into noise (EMD-42462) using Phenix & ISOLDE. For some reason the authors even interpret side-chain interactions:
#cryoEM
Image from the EMD entry EMD-42462 for human plasminogen bound to streptococcal surface enolase. Projections of the map are shown demonstrating no protein features and radial streaks due to overfitting. EMD-424262 and PDB-8UQ6 opened in ChimeraX. Though the map is stated to be of Human Plasminogen bound to streptococcal surface enolase the authors have modelled only plasminogen in their PDB. The map shows radial streak at the surface indicative of overfitting and no clear density in the centre of the map corresponds to the model. Figure 5 from the paper describing side chain interactions of human plasminogen from the PDB 8uq6. Image showing the model to map FSC curve from Phenix which is the software used by the authors to real space refine their PDB into their cryo-EM map. The model to map FSC curve is a flat line showing no correlation exists between the cryo-EM map EMD-42462 and the PDB 8uq6.
Reposted by Max Renner
thomaszimmer.bsky.social
The recent trajectory, in broad strokes:

- Regime starts militarizing the conflict in early summer
- Regime declares all liberal/leftwing political activity as domestic terrorist or terrorism-adjacent in presidential memo
- Regime ramps up the propaganda against “the Left” across all channels
thomaszimmer.bsky.social
The regime gets more deranged every day. A rightwing conspiracy theorist assassinated a Democratic lawmaker - which the attorney general presents as an example of leftwing political violence in order to justify an authoritarian crackdown on the opposition…

We’re in incredibly dangerous territory.
atrupar.com
Bondi: "We've been living through a horrific cycle of political violence in this country ... night after night antifa wrecks havoc on the streets of our cities. In Minnesota, a gunman murdered a state lawmaker and her husband."
Reposted by Max Renner
alexisrohou.bsky.social
An insightful read. I hadn’t appreciated the links between feudalism and privatization. The author’s evocation of how future historians may look back on our era in that respect felt important, and a fruitful way to think, to me. I’m hopeful the pendulum will swing back towards effective government.
Feudalism Is Our Future
What the next Dark Ages could look like
www.theatlantic.com
Reposted by Max Renner
dereklowe.bsky.social
One week from now I plan to be out marching against the idiotic criminals running our government. I'm not "getting paid" and I'm not part of any "Pro-Hamas" group. I'm just mad as hell.

I will not be punching any police officers, nor setting fires, nor breaking any glass. Why will I turn out? (1/2)
Reposted by Max Renner
olibclarke.bsky.social
possibly stupid question - does anyone in #teamtomo or #cryoem recognize these little stacks (from EMPIAR-12549, U2OS cell lamellae)? The green circle is 300Å, and the spacing between the layers is ~50Å. The fourth, bell-shaped thing is something else, also not sure of that one..
maxrenner.bsky.social
Beautiful figures mate, looking forward to reading this!
Reposted by Max Renner
denkenny.bsky.social
✨Excited that the main project of my PhD is now available as a pre-print on #bioRxiv

Here, we used #CryoET to visualise mitochondrial proteostatic stress and together with SPA #CryoEM shed light into the functional cycle of the Hsp60:10 chaperone system. #TeamTomo

🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Max Renner
ryanmarino.bsky.social
OpenAI’s planned data centers will use more power than New York City & San Diego use at their peak consumption, combined. More power than the entire nations of Switzerland & Portugal combined. And San Altman’s buddies in this administration have been cutting all of our energy infrastructure upgrades
Sam Altman’s AI empire will devour as much power as New York City and San Diego combined. Experts say it’s ‘scary’ | Fortune
Andrew Chien told Fortune he’s been a computer scientist for 40 years but we’re close to “some seminal moments for how we think about AI and its impact on society.”
fortune.com
Reposted by Max Renner
joachim123.bsky.social
I'm excited to report that a species has been named after my son Ze Frank, "in recognition of his outstanding contributions to science communication, which have inspired curiosity, wonder, and deeper public engagement with the natural world"
The certificate by Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance, issued in Voncina, 2025, spells out that a newly described species of chiton has been formally named Craspedochiton zefranki.  This is in recognition of his outstanding contributions to science communication, which have inspired curiosity, wonder, and deeper public engagement with the natural world.
Reposted by Max Renner
lacarlson.bsky.social
Thanks to all speakers, participants and organisers of cryoNET 2025 in Umeå! It was a great meeting! See you all in Copenhagen from cryoNET 2026.

www.umu.se/en/chemical-...
cryoNET Symposium, 1-2 October 2025
Registration is closed
www.umu.se
Reposted by Max Renner
elisafadda.bsky.social
In memory of a wonderful, kind, lremarkable and infinitely inspirational human. Che la terra le sia lieve 🖤 #RIPJaneGoodall
Screenshot of the BBC announcement of the death of Jane Goodall 1934-2025
Reposted by Max Renner
scurry.bsky.social
As others have already said, this essay by James Marriott is well worth taking the time to read. Now, back to my book if I can just prise my iPhone out of my hand for a few minutes… open.substack.com/pub/jmarriot...
The dawn of the post-literate society
And the end of civilisation
open.substack.com
Reposted by Max Renner
onisillos.bsky.social
"Employees are using AI tools to create low-effort, passable looking work that ends up creating more work for their coworkers."

I'm so shocked that I might swoon 😱

(Ironically, their attempt to be constructive at the end of the article comes across as AI generated.)

hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...
AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity
Despite a surge in generative AI use across workplaces, most companies are seeing little measurable ROI. One possible reason is because AI tools are being used to produce “workslop”—content that appea...
hbr.org
Reposted by Max Renner
bachynski.bsky.social
This is huge: “A drug that provides near-perfect protection against H.I.V. with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope… making lenacapavir a realistic choice in countries with constrained resources.”
Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Max Renner
mads100tist.bsky.social
And if you think you're not next in the chopping block, you're not paying attention
Reposted by Max Renner
mads100tist.bsky.social
I am QT dunking but I think this is a case where it is warranted:
Science is political and "not wanting to see politics" as a scientist is a political choice. You may decide it's what works for you, but you need to decide how that fits with the fact your (diverse) colleagues still exist 🧪
mkeyoung.bsky.social
How to avoid politics on Bluesky 🦋 [THREAD]
When scientists left X, many hoped for a quieter space. But politics will take over your feeds unless you actively do something about it. This guide will help you if you just want to follow your scientific interest!
mikeyoungacademy.dk/researchers-...
Researchers are (also) stoking politics on Bluesky. Here is how to avoid it
When researchers migrated from X to Bluesky, the hope was for a quieter space. They wanted less outrage, and more science. But reality is biting back. So here are a few tips to avoid the politics anyw...
mikeyoungacademy.dk
Reposted by Max Renner
nexperion.net
Happy to announce "Technical Innovations Using #SerialEM: A Community Meeting", a new format of hybrid meeting David Mastronarde and I are organizing in April 2026. For more info, a preliminary list of speakers, pre-registration etc. visit
www.nexperion.net/semcm2026
Reposted by Max Renner
alisterburt.bsky.social
The SerialEM Python interface has been a huge driver of innovation at the hardware-software boundary in cryo-EM: suddenly the scientist with some programming chops can readily implement their ideas 🥰

This looks like a fantastic meeting!
nexperion.net
Happy to announce "Technical Innovations Using #SerialEM: A Community Meeting", a new format of hybrid meeting David Mastronarde and I are organizing in April 2026. For more info, a preliminary list of speakers, pre-registration etc. visit
www.nexperion.net/semcm2026
Reposted by Max Renner
ariskatzourakis.bsky.social
Fact for the day: paracetamol does not cause autism