Brett Collins
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brettcollins.bsky.social
Brett Collins
@brettcollins.bsky.social
Structural biologist studying proteins that move things from A to B. University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience. Centre for Cell Biology of Chronic Disease.
He/Him.
https://imb.uq.edu.au/research-groups/collins
Reposted by Brett Collins
Wow I am blown away by this new data on Australia's climate views

Highest levels of outright science denial since 2009. Highest level of 'gov't is doing too much' (!!!)

And more people afraid of 'self aware AI' than climate.

What a nightmare set of results

pca.st/episode/6577...
November 26, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
November 25, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
DECRA success rate is the lowest in 14 years, since 2012 (1st year the scheme ran).

What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…

DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
🚨 #DECRA #DE26 announcement:

❗️Outcomes announced publicly for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026❗️

See ARC's RMS for list ➡️ https://rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/Download/Report/a3f6be6e-33f7-4fb5-98a6-7526aaa184cf/285

/bot
November 25, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
ARC says they’ll announce DECRA and LIEF outcomes tomorrow (Tuesday 25th Nov).

In recent times these announcements have been around 11am Canberra time. With 2 schemes on the same day, I assume they’ll announce one of them later in the day (probably DECRA first).
November 23, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
What do David Bowie, Queen & #inflammasomes have in common? Read our new review to find out! Deep dive into #NLRP1, #Inflammasomes, and innate immunity — covering activation, regulation & disease links. Great work from lab members Jeremy Yap & Kinga Duszyc!
authors.elsevier.com/a/1ly0C3vVUP...
authors.elsevier.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
November 22, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
How does messenger RNA (mRNA) get out of the nucleus to become a protein? Eukaryotic mRNA is packaged, exported, and then translated in the cytoplasm. But how do these steps work? And what are open questions? Check out our new review for our take: www.annualreviews.org/content/jour... (1/3)
November 21, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
#CSIROcuts

A DMer has reported that researchers working in areas Minister Ayers said would be cut (nutrition) first found this out via media reports of the Minister’s statements.

It wasn’t ’til the following day that CSIRO told them their specific area would be targeted.

Nice.
November 21, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
We got a large Helmholtz Bioengineering grant with Oliver Daumke, Artur Yakimovich, Alina Bazarova, and Dietrich Ruess to use protein design to target cancer.

Five open postdoctoral positions in Generative AI & Protein Engineering. Share & apply!

jobrxiv.org/job/max-delb...
Postdoctoral Positions in Protein Engineering
Post a job in 3min, or find thousands of job offers like this one at jobRxiv!
jobrxiv.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
We’re inspired by a recent WEHI-led study that has the potential to transform how ovarian cancer is treated.

Read the article here: www.wehi.edu.au/news/blood-t...

Read the Nature Communications paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

@twistbioscience.com @wehi-research.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Finally out in @nature.com! We uncovered a mechanistic framework for a general and conserved mRNA nuclear export pathway. www.nature.com/articles/s41.... 1/
November 19, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
now i've seen everything... 😱
don't care what anybody says but #protists are cognitive
Cellular structure self-organizes through an interplay between internal mechanisms and external cues. The single-celled suctorian P. collini builds a trap structure to capture large prey using microtubule feeding tentacles, creating feedback between cell morphology and prey availability.
November 19, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
This is all so predictable and boring - so why does it keep happening?
www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...
Facts among the first casualties in war against renewable energy
Opponents to climate action are deliberately using details out of context, and have done so countless times in the past.
www.thenewdaily.com.au
November 20, 2025 at 12:37 AM
My thoughts too Jenny.
So much opportunity for Australia to lead, and so much apathy by decision makers
November 19, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Save the CSIRO

Our national science & research agency is now facing more job cuts than under Tony Abbott

Call on the Albanese Govt to fund the scientists & research we need to tackle big issues we face from climate to food security and everything in between

www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Do you want to do some frontier of knowledge research? There's still time to register for the next webinar of @hfspo.bsky.social

By far one of the best agencies I've worked with for my beloved HFSP project, even if it's a bumpy road...no risk no glory...

www.hfsp.org/hfsp-events/...
HFSP Webinar 2025: Research Grants | Human Frontier Science Program
www.hfsp.org
November 19, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Excited to share our new preprint in collaboration with Ahmet Yildiz's lab. Check out how our team uncovers a novel binding footprint and motor regulation mechanism for MAP9 Congrats to Burak Cetin and @aryantaheri.bsky.social

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 18, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Aussies, please consider signing this petition to show your support for Australian science. The sector is already on its knees. 🇦🇺 🧪 actionnetwork.org/petitions/cs...
November 19, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Alphafold (released 5 yrs ago) won the 2024 Nobel in Chemistry. If you don’t work in protein structures, you may not know what it is.

Ira talks w/John Jumper (Nobel recipient) about what Alphafold is, what it does well & doesn’t do well, & where it's headed.

www.sciencefriday.com/segments/alp...
How Alphafold Has Changed Biology Research, 5 Years On
Google's tool for predicting how proteins “fold” turns 5 this year. How is it fitting into biological research—and where is it going?
www.sciencefriday.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
"CSIRO 350 job cuts a damning indictment on Government priorities, misses 'golden opportunity' on research" my column on the CSIRO research cuts #ThePoint
thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...
CSIRO 350 job cuts a damning indictment on Government priorities, misses 'golden opportunity' on research
The announcement this week that CSIRO are to cut 350 research jobs is another damning indictment on Australia’s ongoing failure to prioritise research and development.
thepoint.com.au
November 19, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Alternate between AlphaFold3 "hallucinations" and fixed-backbone sequence design to generate or optimize proteins.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 18, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Reposted by Brett Collins
This is our national science agency. 440 jobs last year. Another 350 soon. 🤦🏾‍♀️
“CSIRO has announced it will slash up to 350 jobs as the national science agency grapples with long-term financial challenges … with current funding failing to keep pace with the rising costs of running a modern science agency.”

Not “challenges”. They’re choices. 😡
CSIRO to cut up to 350 research jobs in major overhaul
After 440 positions were slashed last year, the CSIRO has announced more staff cuts across the country in a bid to remain financially viable.
www.abc.net.au
November 18, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Reposted by Brett Collins
Are you looking for female speakers in CryoEM for seminars and conferences? Are you a woman in CryoEM and not yet on the ‚woman in CryoEM‘ list? Find your speakers and add/update name and affiliation! docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
November 18, 2025 at 10:18 AM