Fran Bottanelli
@franbottanelli.bsky.social
Solver of GTPases molecular puzzles | Membranes | CRISPR | STED super-res |Accidental immunologist | Academic mother of 2 cheeky monkeys | Assistant prof at FU Berlin. | Head of the Nanoscale Membrane Dynamics Lab
Pinned
After the success of our 2023 Imaging Cell Dynamics conference, we’ll be hosting a second #JCSImaging meeting in 2026, organised by @franbottanelli.bsky.social, @guijacquemet.bsky.social, @drmichaelway.bsky.social & Giulia Zanetti.
To register your interest: www.biologists.com/meetings/jcs...
To register your interest: www.biologists.com/meetings/jcs...
Save the date for what promises to be an amazing imaging/cell biology meeting!
The time of the year when at least 1/4 of us is sick begins #letspowertheoughwinter
elmo is standing in front of a fire with the words `` so it begins '' .
ALT: elmo is standing in front of a fire with the words `` so it begins '' .
media.tenor.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:13 PM
The time of the year when at least 1/4 of us is sick begins #letspowertheoughwinter
And all of a sudden because of all this BS we will have to take a selfie at the microscope for any publication worth image to prove a human being took it.
I tried an even harder example on Gemini Pro image generation and this is quite scary/amazing. I asked for a microscopy image of around 20 HeLa cells, GFP tagged 20% nuclear, 10% membrane, +1 nuclear staining, + overlap. Image below and prompt in the following post.
November 22, 2025 at 10:37 PM
And all of a sudden because of all this BS we will have to take a selfie at the microscope for any publication worth image to prove a human being took it.
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
November 22, 2025 at 8:01 PM
• you don’t care about publishing in our crappy predatory journal
@andrewplested.bsky.social would have enjoyed this
@andrewplested.bsky.social would have enjoyed this
November 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
• you don’t care about publishing in our crappy predatory journal
@andrewplested.bsky.social would have enjoyed this
@andrewplested.bsky.social would have enjoyed this
Very excited for what promises to be a full immersion into #endosomes next year!
Excited to announce, the 93rd Biochemical Society Harden Conference will be on "Endosomal-lysosomal network dysfunction in neurodegeneration". Come and join us in early September on the beautiful south coast of England. Lots of speaker slots available from submitted abstracts!
November 20, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Very excited for what promises to be a full immersion into #endosomes next year!
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
The bioRxiv and medRxiv sites are currently inaccessible because of an issue with the Cloudflare cybersecurity service. This is affecting many sites but we’re told it’s being resolved.
November 18, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The bioRxiv and medRxiv sites are currently inaccessible because of an issue with the Cloudflare cybersecurity service. This is affecting many sites but we’re told it’s being resolved.
Kary Mullis invented the PCR while high on LSD. Let’s see how many cool ideas I come up with while listening to the Titipo theme song on a loop #academicmum
a bus and a truck are driving under a bridge
ALT: a bus and a truck are driving under a bridge
media.tenor.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Kary Mullis invented the PCR while high on LSD. Let’s see how many cool ideas I come up with while listening to the Titipo theme song on a loop #academicmum
Really enjoying writing a „current opinions piece“ but when does „current opinions“ becomes „too opinionated cell biologist opinions“? #askingforafriend
November 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Really enjoying writing a „current opinions piece“ but when does „current opinions“ becomes „too opinionated cell biologist opinions“? #askingforafriend
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
1/ It is no secret that I view the unchecked rise of liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in biology as a profound distortion of molecular biology. It conflicts with its principles, it is logically incompatible with them, and the claims made in its name have been, with rare exceptions,...
–>2
–>2
November 14, 2025 at 8:27 AM
1/ It is no secret that I view the unchecked rise of liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in biology as a profound distortion of molecular biology. It conflicts with its principles, it is logically incompatible with them, and the claims made in its name have been, with rare exceptions,...
–>2
–>2
Or „awaiting large funding grant decision“
November 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Or „awaiting large funding grant decision“
A bit of fun and energy after a day in the #STED cave collecting photons! Always nice to have @maiblab.bsky.social in Berlin!
November 14, 2025 at 9:59 PM
A bit of fun and energy after a day in the #STED cave collecting photons! Always nice to have @maiblab.bsky.social in Berlin!
I wish I could go back
20 years jn time and tell BSc student me how cool lipid metabolism and metabolism regulation is! Basic stuff seen through the eyes of an experienced researcher!
20 years jn time and tell BSc student me how cool lipid metabolism and metabolism regulation is! Basic stuff seen through the eyes of an experienced researcher!
pinkie pie from my little pony is smiling with a green background
ALT: pinkie pie from my little pony is smiling with a green background
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I wish I could go back
20 years jn time and tell BSc student me how cool lipid metabolism and metabolism regulation is! Basic stuff seen through the eyes of an experienced researcher!
20 years jn time and tell BSc student me how cool lipid metabolism and metabolism regulation is! Basic stuff seen through the eyes of an experienced researcher!
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
Cool paper using a new JF derivative to map synaptic proteins. And AI didn't like the generality of our general synthetic methods section (that we've used for years), so we expanded them from 2 succinct paragraphs to 1.5 gloriously unreadable pages. Better than Ambien. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Single-cell synaptome mapping of endogenous protein subpopulations in mammalian brain - Nature Communications
Synapses are diverse within a single neuron. Here, the authors present a method for single-cell synaptome imaging of endogenous protein subpopulations in the mouse brain, enabling spatial mapping of s...
www.nature.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Cool paper using a new JF derivative to map synaptic proteins. And AI didn't like the generality of our general synthetic methods section (that we've used for years), so we expanded them from 2 succinct paragraphs to 1.5 gloriously unreadable pages. Better than Ambien. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I had mentally accepted pineapple on pizza. I learnt to live with it and grew to enjoy it. BUT WHAT THE H IS THIS? Please somebody save me. #italiansabroad
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I had mentally accepted pineapple on pizza. I learnt to live with it and grew to enjoy it. BUT WHAT THE H IS THIS? Please somebody save me. #italiansabroad
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
I feel this is an excellent example of how we massively overestimate the importance of one person (genius complex). I guarantee that the double helix would have been discovered irrespective of Watson, and his remaining contributions of racism and horribleness, far outweighs his stolen valour.
Hey folks, as news of Watson's demise spreads, please don't set aside his weighty legacy of misogyny and racism. He was truly among the worst of us. www.vox.com/2019/1/15/18...
DNA scientist James Watson has a remarkably long history of sexist, racist public comments
“People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty,” he said in 2003. “I think it would be great.”
www.vox.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:17 PM
I feel this is an excellent example of how we massively overestimate the importance of one person (genius complex). I guarantee that the double helix would have been discovered irrespective of Watson, and his remaining contributions of racism and horribleness, far outweighs his stolen valour.
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
Shout out to people routinely working in their 2nd or 3rd language.
Yesterday I gave a 1-hour research seminar in French. Afterwards, my brain was pretty much done for the day.
Respect to the loads of scientists who do this daily (and usually a lot more effectively than me!)
Yesterday I gave a 1-hour research seminar in French. Afterwards, my brain was pretty much done for the day.
Respect to the loads of scientists who do this daily (and usually a lot more effectively than me!)
November 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Shout out to people routinely working in their 2nd or 3rd language.
Yesterday I gave a 1-hour research seminar in French. Afterwards, my brain was pretty much done for the day.
Respect to the loads of scientists who do this daily (and usually a lot more effectively than me!)
Yesterday I gave a 1-hour research seminar in French. Afterwards, my brain was pretty much done for the day.
Respect to the loads of scientists who do this daily (and usually a lot more effectively than me!)
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
I love to see the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, cyan) hitchhiking over microtubules (MTs, orange).
Also the membrane dynamics are lovely.
It's been a while, but here we are for a late #fluorescencefriday with some #microscopy
#scicomm #scisky @cellcommlab.bsky.social focalplane.bsky.social 🧪🔬
Also the membrane dynamics are lovely.
It's been a while, but here we are for a late #fluorescencefriday with some #microscopy
#scicomm #scisky @cellcommlab.bsky.social focalplane.bsky.social 🧪🔬
November 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I love to see the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, cyan) hitchhiking over microtubules (MTs, orange).
Also the membrane dynamics are lovely.
It's been a while, but here we are for a late #fluorescencefriday with some #microscopy
#scicomm #scisky @cellcommlab.bsky.social focalplane.bsky.social 🧪🔬
Also the membrane dynamics are lovely.
It's been a while, but here we are for a late #fluorescencefriday with some #microscopy
#scicomm #scisky @cellcommlab.bsky.social focalplane.bsky.social 🧪🔬
They call it “hairdresser appointment”, I call it “haircut plus free one hour conversation class with a real Berliner” #expatslife
November 7, 2025 at 1:35 PM
They call it “hairdresser appointment”, I call it “haircut plus free one hour conversation class with a real Berliner” #expatslife
Vibe of the day is I am about to be hit by either amazing or horrible news. I hope I am in home office so I can either curl up in bed and cry or scream #PIlife
November 6, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Vibe of the day is I am about to be hit by either amazing or horrible news. I hope I am in home office so I can either curl up in bed and cry or scream #PIlife
Thanks to my PhD students hanging out with the #membraneband people I am now expected to compose songs for my graduating students. Thanks @delevoyecedric.bsky.social and co.
November 4, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Thanks to my PhD students hanging out with the #membraneband people I am now expected to compose songs for my graduating students. Thanks @delevoyecedric.bsky.social and co.
Maybe I should have not quit my rock band to do a PhD but I should have quit my PhD to become a rock star #thoughtsoftheday
November 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Maybe I should have not quit my rock band to do a PhD but I should have quit my PhD to become a rock star #thoughtsoftheday
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
#MembraneTraffickers! Our next online seminar is this Thursday, Nov 6 at 5 PM CEST!
We’ll hear from @agatawitkowska.bsky.social on mechanical control of neurotransmission and @abdourachidthiam.bsky.social on lipid storage mechanisms in health and disease.
Spread the word and join the discussion!
We’ll hear from @agatawitkowska.bsky.social on mechanical control of neurotransmission and @abdourachidthiam.bsky.social on lipid storage mechanisms in health and disease.
Spread the word and join the discussion!
November 3, 2025 at 7:33 PM
#MembraneTraffickers! Our next online seminar is this Thursday, Nov 6 at 5 PM CEST!
We’ll hear from @agatawitkowska.bsky.social on mechanical control of neurotransmission and @abdourachidthiam.bsky.social on lipid storage mechanisms in health and disease.
Spread the word and join the discussion!
We’ll hear from @agatawitkowska.bsky.social on mechanical control of neurotransmission and @abdourachidthiam.bsky.social on lipid storage mechanisms in health and disease.
Spread the word and join the discussion!
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
Join @felixmendu.bsky.social, @franbottanelli.bsky.social, and me for this edition of #MembraneTrafficking seminars for this month's discussions on the molecular mechanisms underlying membrane biology.
More info: felixcampelo.wixsite.com/membranetraf...
Slack channel: join.slack.com/t/membranetr...
More info: felixcampelo.wixsite.com/membranetraf...
Slack channel: join.slack.com/t/membranetr...
MEMBRANE TRAFFICKING | Membrane Trafficking
felixcampelo.wixsite.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Join @felixmendu.bsky.social, @franbottanelli.bsky.social, and me for this edition of #MembraneTrafficking seminars for this month's discussions on the molecular mechanisms underlying membrane biology.
More info: felixcampelo.wixsite.com/membranetraf...
Slack channel: join.slack.com/t/membranetr...
More info: felixcampelo.wixsite.com/membranetraf...
Slack channel: join.slack.com/t/membranetr...
Reposted by Fran Bottanelli
ERC starter grant applications from US researchers nearly triple in 2025 compared to 2024 as Trump restricts funding. Good for "Choose Europe" initiatives, but dire for global and national science, given the limited volume of non-US funding available.
Trump’s university backlash drives US researchers towards Europe
EU grant applications hit record in 2025 amid surge in interest from American academics
www.ft.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:37 AM
ERC starter grant applications from US researchers nearly triple in 2025 compared to 2024 as Trump restricts funding. Good for "Choose Europe" initiatives, but dire for global and national science, given the limited volume of non-US funding available.