Coleen Murphy
@ctmurphy1.bsky.social
Scientist, citizen, mom, and occasionally athletic
The Princeton museum opening was (is) a blast! Best costumes: Frida Kahlo (several), Louvre heist crew
November 1, 2025 at 4:36 AM
The Princeton museum opening was (is) a blast! Best costumes: Frida Kahlo (several), Louvre heist crew
Saw a nice moon through a telescope tonight
October 28, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Saw a nice moon through a telescope tonight
Andrew Zwicker - physicist & Representative
October 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Andrew Zwicker - physicist & Representative
Checking in from the Princeton NJ No Kings rally
October 18, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Checking in from the Princeton NJ No Kings rally
My littlest turns 15 today!
September 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
My littlest turns 15 today!
Following directions is hard
June 18, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Following directions is hard
No Kings protest in Princeton NJ
June 14, 2025 at 7:35 PM
No Kings protest in Princeton NJ
Apparently this is now Athena's favorite place to sleep and Dash's favorite chew toy - meanwhile the scratching post hasn't been touched
Also: Abolish ICE
Also: Abolish ICE
June 8, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Apparently this is now Athena's favorite place to sleep and Dash's favorite chew toy - meanwhile the scratching post hasn't been touched
Also: Abolish ICE
Also: Abolish ICE
Of course the box is better than the toy
June 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Of course the box is better than the toy
Jane Boyer read and annotated my book cover to cover! So impressive
June 5, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Jane Boyer read and annotated my book cover to cover! So impressive
Our model is that non-autonomous regulation of memory might be a good way to extend the memory function in times of stress on a longer timescale than neurons might provide, paralleling the effects seen from blood factors that are secreted from the liver that improve cognition (Horowitz, Villeda).
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Our model is that non-autonomous regulation of memory might be a good way to extend the memory function in times of stress on a longer timescale than neurons might provide, paralleling the effects seen from blood factors that are secreted from the liver that improve cognition (Horowitz, Villeda).
So why the hypodermis? We think that the hypodermis is not just skin; it is also a highly metabolic tissue, with a transcriptome that best matches the human liver and blood plasma.
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
So why the hypodermis? We think that the hypodermis is not just skin; it is also a highly metabolic tissue, with a transcriptome that best matches the human liver and blood plasma.
Finally, we see that aged daf-2 mutants rely on CREB almost entirely for their extended memory span, so there is a shift from neurons using CREB-independent to CREB-dependent targets to extend memory.
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Finally, we see that aged daf-2 mutants rely on CREB almost entirely for their extended memory span, so there is a shift from neurons using CREB-independent to CREB-dependent targets to extend memory.
We found that CREB is required for about half of daf-2's short-term memory extension, and for all of hyp DAF-2 and OSM-11 overexpression memory extension
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
We found that CREB is required for about half of daf-2's short-term memory extension, and for all of hyp DAF-2 and OSM-11 overexpression memory extension
When we used snSeq to figure out the signaling, we found that the CREB transcription factor is broadly upregulated in neurons, including “memory” neurons, as are CREB’s targets.
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
When we used snSeq to figure out the signaling, we found that the CREB transcription factor is broadly upregulated in neurons, including “memory” neurons, as are CREB’s targets.
In the neurons, Notch signaling components (receptor LIN-12 and transcriptional co-factors SEL-8 and LAG-1) are all required for hyp DAF-2 memory - so DAF-2 degradation in the hypodermis induces OSM-11 expression and signaling to Notch in the neurons
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
In the neurons, Notch signaling components (receptor LIN-12 and transcriptional co-factors SEL-8 and LAG-1) are all required for hyp DAF-2 memory - so DAF-2 degradation in the hypodermis induces OSM-11 expression and signaling to Notch in the neurons
So, how is this skin-like tissue regulating memory? First, we sought the signal, and narrowed it down to the Notch ligand OSM-11, which is expressed in the hypodermis. Knocking osm-11 down prevents hypodermal DAF-2 memory, and overexpressing it improves memory.
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
So, how is this skin-like tissue regulating memory? First, we sought the signal, and narrowed it down to the Notch ligand OSM-11, which is expressed in the hypodermis. Knocking osm-11 down prevents hypodermal DAF-2 memory, and overexpressing it improves memory.
Even more weirdly, gene expression changes caused by this regulation by daf-2 in neurons and hypodermis are totally different.
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Even more weirdly, gene expression changes caused by this regulation by daf-2 in neurons and hypodermis are totally different.
But we were totally surprised that reduction of daf-2 in the hypodermis GREATLY improved memory! And mid-life reduction of DAF-2 in the hypodermis also improves memory in aged worms.
June 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
But we were totally surprised that reduction of daf-2 in the hypodermis GREATLY improved memory! And mid-life reduction of DAF-2 in the hypodermis also improves memory in aged worms.
Not surprisingly, reduction of daf-2 in neurons extended memory, while other tissues had no effect (including intestine, which regulates lifespan – so lifespan and memory are totally uncoupled).
June 4, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Not surprisingly, reduction of daf-2 in neurons extended memory, while other tissues had no effect (including intestine, which regulates lifespan – so lifespan and memory are totally uncoupled).
We previously found that long-lived insulin signaling daf-2 mutants also extend memory duration (Kauffman 2010, Kaletsky 2016) and memory span (Weng & Murphy, 2024). So when Meng-Qiu Dong asked us to test her tissue-specific DAF-2 strains (Zhang 2022) for memory, we were happy to.
June 4, 2025 at 8:31 PM
We previously found that long-lived insulin signaling daf-2 mutants also extend memory duration (Kauffman 2010, Kaletsky 2016) and memory span (Weng & Murphy, 2024). So when Meng-Qiu Dong asked us to test her tissue-specific DAF-2 strains (Zhang 2022) for memory, we were happy to.
So we have three different pathogenic Pseudomonas species with three different small RNAs that have perfect 16-17nt matches to three different sequences in two genes (maco-1, vab-1) that act in the same genetic pathway to regulate daf-7 expression and the switch from attraction to avoidance.
April 23, 2025 at 8:31 PM
So we have three different pathogenic Pseudomonas species with three different small RNAs that have perfect 16-17nt matches to three different sequences in two genes (maco-1, vab-1) that act in the same genetic pathway to regulate daf-7 expression and the switch from attraction to avoidance.
PF15 training also induces avoidance of PA15, P. vranovensis, and the beneficial bacterium, P. mendocina, reinforcing the idea that these mechanisms overlap - but also that avoidance of PF15 prevents attraction to beneficial food sources, so could be good to forget!
April 23, 2025 at 8:31 PM
PF15 training also induces avoidance of PA15, P. vranovensis, and the beneficial bacterium, P. mendocina, reinforcing the idea that these mechanisms overlap - but also that avoidance of PF15 prevents attraction to beneficial food sources, so could be good to forget!