Author | Lightnews

Reika Watanabe

@reikawatanabe.bsky.social

360 followers 400 following 52 posts

Biologist fascinated by and specialized in cellular cryo-electron tomography @ljiresearch.bsky.social. #teamtomo, #cryoET, #virology

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Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · Dec 24

Hello, old and new friends in Bluesky.
Using cryo-FIB-ET, we revealed a 9Å structure, identifying novel layers and conserved interfaces that may serve as antiviral targets. #Ebola #Virology #StructuralBiology
The full manuscript is available here
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Cordero-Vásquez Lab @cvlab.bsky.social · 14d

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UTHealth Houston has an open search for a tenure-track faculty position. If you are ready (or know someone that is) to start looking for positions, this will be a great opportunity to join the Texas Medical Center. See flyer below. 1/2

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

King Lab @kinglabipd.bsky.social · 20d

mRNA vaccines 🤝 designed nanoparticle immunogens

Science Magazine @science.org · 20d

This week's issue of #ScienceTranslationalMedicine has arrived!

New mRNA vaccines generate self-assembling nanoparticles to enhance immunity, dual-targeting "decoys" prevent metastasis and potentiate immunotherapy against melanoma in mice, and more. https://scim.ag/4n6wrKC

The cover illustrates a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA vaccine (left) producing and launching a nanoparticle immunogen (right) that elicits broad and durable immune responses.

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Peter Kenny @pwk2024.bsky.social · 20d

Opportunity in computational structural biology at ISTA (Vienna Austria) duration: 5 years with possibility of permanent contract #StructBiol #cryoEM #cryoET #chemsky 🧪
ista.ac.at/en/job/tenur...

Tenure-based Research Staff Scientist Position in Computational Structural Biology

ISTA (www.ista.ac.at) is seeking a highly skilled Staff Scientist in Computational Structural Biology to support and advance the Institute’s structural biology research through the development and imp...

ista.ac.at

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Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · 19d

Best post of the day❤️

Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Sjors Scheres @sjorsscheres.bsky.social · 19d

I just made an account and voted for this biology laboratory made of LEGO to "promote biological research and inspire more people into the world of biology". They need 10K votes. Reposting and/or voting below would be helpful. 🤗
beta.ideas.lego.com/product-idea...

Biological Laboratory | LEGO® Ideas

This is a two-floor realistic Biological Laboratory building. In this design, I try to tell stories about biologists, introduce biology concepts to general publ…

beta.ideas.lego.com

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Samara Reck-Peterson @samreckpeterson.bsky.social · Sep 29

We are hiring an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine. Come join our collaborative research environment with state-of-the-art facilities in NYC! Application review starts Oct 22.
biochem.weill.cornell.edu/join-our-fac...

Join our Faculty | Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics

Call for applications:We invite applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the newly established Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. We are conducting an open search for ou...

biochem.weill.cornell.edu

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Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · 29d

今年のノーベル生理学、医学賞を受賞された、坂口先生のインタビューが見れます！おめでとうございます！🎉　www.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/news/topi...

【速報】坂口志文先生ノーベル生理学・医学賞受賞決定！！！

www.osaka-u.ac.jp

Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Science Magazine @science.org · 29d

This year’s #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three scientists for discovering how the immune system distinguishes friend from foe. https://scim.ag/3Wt5rdi

Medicine Nobel goes to three researchers who identified immune system’s security guards

Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi discovered regulatory T cells that prevent autoimmune disease

scim.ag

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Kristen DeAngelis 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🍉 @kristenobacter.bsky.social · Oct 2

UMass Amherst Microbiology is hiring a tenure-track virologist. Come work with me! 🦠🧪
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...

Details - Assistant Professor - Virology | Human Resources | UMass Amherst

careers.umass.edu

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Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · Oct 3

A very promising start of in situ cryo-ET and imaging mass spectrometry!!!

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Dr. Jen Gunter @drjengunter.bsky.social · Oct 2

This is a fucking tragedy www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Premature baby dies of measles in Alberta outbreak's 1st death | CBC News

Alberta is reporting its first measles death since outbreaks of the highly contagious illness began in March. The province says a baby, who was born prematurely after the mother became sick, died shor...

www.cbc.ca

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Johan Duchêne @johanduchene.bsky.social · Sep 29

⚠️ Half of commercial antibodies miss their target!
So how do you pick the right one for your experiment?

Here’s the solution 👉
Antibody characterization data (all tested in KO cells) are now available at:
🔗 onlygoodantibodies.co.uk

Tested by @ycharos.bsky.social & @oga-community.bsky.social

OGA - Only Good Antibodies Community

onlygoodantibodies.co.uk

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Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · Sep 27

I think this might explain why we tend to see non-vitrified ice more frequently in nucleus than surrounding cytoplasm by cryo-FIB-ET.

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Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · Sep 27

Conserved nucleocytoplasmic density homeostasis drives cellular organization across eukaryotes | Nature Communications share.google/1S8f1xeAJa0E...

Conserved nucleocytoplasmic density homeostasis drives cellular organization across eukaryotes - Nature Communications

Cells can regulate their mass density. Here, the authors demonstrate how eukaryotes establish and maintain a lower density in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm via pressure balance, and how deviations emerge during pathophysiological states like senescence.

share.google

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Guenter Resch @nexperion.net · Sep 23

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

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Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · Sep 23

😳

Reika Watanabe @reikawatanabe.bsky.social · Sep 23

Congrats to all authors. Beautiful structure; I am curious to figure out the biological functions of these elaborate, conserved structures.

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Dawid Zyla @dzyla.bsky.social · Sep 17

Our second paper explores the mechanism by which fusion-targeting antibodies neutralize the measles virus. It was exciting to integrate structural biology, virology, and biophysics to demonstrate that these F-targeting antibodies can provide complete protection against measles infection.

bioRxiv Immunology @biorxiv-immuno.bsky.social · Sep 17

Structural and Mechanistic Basis for Antibody Neutralization of the Measles Fusion Protein https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.11.675466v1

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Dawid Zyla @dzyla.bsky.social · Sep 16

One of our new manuscripts is now available on bioRxiv! Stay tuned!

bioRxiv Immunology @biorxiv-immuno.bsky.social · Sep 16

Uncovering the features of Measles-targeting human antibodies elicited by the MMR vaccine https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.09.675230v1

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @drtedros.who.int · Sep 14

Vaccination of frontline health workers and contacts of people infected with #Ebola has begun in the #DRC’s Kasai Province where an outbreak of the disease has been declared: www.afro.who.int/countries/de...

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Janelia Research Campus @hhmijanelia.bsky.social · Sep 5

📢 Conduct your PhD thesis research at Janelia.

🎓 Apply by Dec 3 for our joint graduate programs with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in neuroscience & cross-disciplinary biology.

🌐 Collaborate across disciplines
🛠️ Work with tool builders
🤝 Train in a supportive environment

➡️ janelia.org/graduate

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · Sep 9

Important and timely study
Pregnant women face higher risks from Ebola: maternal mortality up to 89%, and nearly all pregnancies lost. Until now, they’ve been excluded from Ebola vaccine trials. A landmark phase 3 RCT in Rwanda changes [email protected]
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Heterologous two-dose Ebola vaccine regimen in pregnant women in Rwanda: a randomized controlled phase 3 trial - Nature Medicine

In this phase 3 trial, a two-dose Ebola vaccine regimen in healthy pregnant women in Rwanda was found to be safe and immunogenic in women and offspring through passive transfer.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · Sep 10

Identification of a novel biological role of arenavirus NP exonuclease (exoN) activity in a safe Pichinde virus model https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.09.675144v1

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

Marc Bühler @marcbuhler.bsky.social · Sep 8

We are hiring-join us!

FMI science @fmiscience.bsky.social · Sep 8

🚨 We're hiring, please share! The FMI seeks a tenure-track Group Leader (Assistant Prof) in Structural Biology 🔬
Innovative scientists in genome regulation, RNA metabolism, or protein homeostasis—especially using cutting-edge approaches—apply now at www.fmi.ch/education-ca...

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Reposted by Reika Watanabe

cryoEM papers @cryoempapers.bsky.social · Sep 7

Ultracold cryogenic TEM with liquid helium and high stability pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40911601/ #cryoem

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