Galen Ptacek
@neoschizomer.bsky.social
trying to rebuild my cool paper feed from the other site
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
So happy to announce our new preprint, “A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.” We cultured a novel amoeba from Lassen Volcanic NP (CA, USA) that divides at 63°C (145°F) 🔥 - a new record for euk growth!
#protistsonsky 🧵
#protistsonsky 🧵
November 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
So happy to announce our new preprint, “A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.” We cultured a novel amoeba from Lassen Volcanic NP (CA, USA) that divides at 63°C (145°F) 🔥 - a new record for euk growth!
#protistsonsky 🧵
#protistsonsky 🧵
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
November 21, 2025 at 9:59 AM
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Out today, our take on 6-methyladenine #6mA evolution in Eukaryotes @natgenet.nature.com. We asked a simple question, is really DNA 6mA common across the eukaryotes? The answer is "yes" if you're a unicellular eukaryote 🦠, not so if you're multicellular 🐝🌱🍄. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/9
Adenine DNA methylation associated with transcriptionally permissive chromatin is widespread across eukaryotes - Nature Genetics
Long-read sequencing in 18 unicellular eukaryotes reveals that 6mA is widespread across eukaryotes and is enriched at transcriptionally permissive regions, which are also marked by H3K4me3.
www.nature.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Out today, our take on 6-methyladenine #6mA evolution in Eukaryotes @natgenet.nature.com. We asked a simple question, is really DNA 6mA common across the eukaryotes? The answer is "yes" if you're a unicellular eukaryote 🦠, not so if you're multicellular 🐝🌱🍄. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/9
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
happy monday! new FREE newsletter piece by me and @lollardfish.bsky.social as we talk about, well, the supposed "fall of rome" yet again. this time we revisit what's known as the "Pirenne Thesis" and how some think Islam fits in all this...
#medievalsky
buttondown.com/ModernMediev...
#medievalsky
buttondown.com/ModernMediev...
Coin Flows and the "End" of the Ancient World
Revisiting Modern Assumptions about the Past
buttondown.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:39 PM
happy monday! new FREE newsletter piece by me and @lollardfish.bsky.social as we talk about, well, the supposed "fall of rome" yet again. this time we revisit what's known as the "Pirenne Thesis" and how some think Islam fits in all this...
#medievalsky
buttondown.com/ModernMediev...
#medievalsky
buttondown.com/ModernMediev...
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Impossible to resist the big brown eyes of a Tufted Titmouse who wants a peanut.
November 16, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Impossible to resist the big brown eyes of a Tufted Titmouse who wants a peanut.
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
A great teaching moment here for genetic design students:
NEVER assume any annotation that just says "promoter" and always inspect the elements along with the publication where said genetic part was designed/discovered no matter how long ago the article was written.
NEVER assume any annotation that just says "promoter" and always inspect the elements along with the publication where said genetic part was designed/discovered no matter how long ago the article was written.
Arrg, 3bp messed up my experiments lol. I was having problems getting any expression from this UBQ1 promoter from lotus, and it turns out the promoter is actually promoter+exon1+INTRON where the YAG acceptor is CRITICAL for proper splicing. Wasted 1 month on 3bp; fixed it now.
November 15, 2025 at 11:17 PM
A great teaching moment here for genetic design students:
NEVER assume any annotation that just says "promoter" and always inspect the elements along with the publication where said genetic part was designed/discovered no matter how long ago the article was written.
NEVER assume any annotation that just says "promoter" and always inspect the elements along with the publication where said genetic part was designed/discovered no matter how long ago the article was written.
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
A Washington judge said images taken by Flock cameras are "not exempt from disclosure" in public record requests.
Judge Rules Flock Surveillance Images Are Public Records That Can Be Requested By Anyone
A Washington judge said images taken by Flock cameras are "not exempt from disclosure" in public record requests.
www.404media.co
November 12, 2025 at 3:15 PM
A Washington judge said images taken by Flock cameras are "not exempt from disclosure" in public record requests.
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Autoinhibitory calcium ATPases regulate the calcium gradient required for rapid polarized growth, say Samantha Ryken, Magdalena Bezanilla and colleagues (Dartmouth College): rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#PlantBiology #Trafficking #Cytoskeleton
#PlantBiology #Trafficking #Cytoskeleton
November 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Autoinhibitory calcium ATPases regulate the calcium gradient required for rapid polarized growth, say Samantha Ryken, Magdalena Bezanilla and colleagues (Dartmouth College): rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#PlantBiology #Trafficking #Cytoskeleton
#PlantBiology #Trafficking #Cytoskeleton
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Flashback #FluorescenceFriday to some of the first light-sheet imaging we were doing. Video shows the collecting duct system of the developing kidney labeled with a pan-cytokeratin antibody. Courtesy of former talented technician Deanna Hardesty.
November 7, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Flashback #FluorescenceFriday to some of the first light-sheet imaging we were doing. Video shows the collecting duct system of the developing kidney labeled with a pan-cytokeratin antibody. Courtesy of former talented technician Deanna Hardesty.
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Okee here goes my first attempt at carbide whisker mediated plant transformation! Short thread! 🧵
1/10
1/10
November 7, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Okee here goes my first attempt at carbide whisker mediated plant transformation! Short thread! 🧵
1/10
1/10
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
#NewResearch
Single-particle genomics uncovers abundant non-canonical marine viruses from nanolitre volumes
@rstepanauskas.bsky.social & co
#microsky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Single-particle genomics uncovers abundant non-canonical marine viruses from nanolitre volumes
@rstepanauskas.bsky.social & co
#microsky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Single-particle genomics uncovers abundant non-canonical marine viruses from nanolitre volumes - Nature Microbiology
Environmental micro-compartment genomics provides efficient and high-throughput single-particle DNA sequencing that captures overlooked members of microbial communities.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:19 AM
#NewResearch
Single-particle genomics uncovers abundant non-canonical marine viruses from nanolitre volumes
@rstepanauskas.bsky.social & co
#microsky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Single-particle genomics uncovers abundant non-canonical marine viruses from nanolitre volumes
@rstepanauskas.bsky.social & co
#microsky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
We are really proud of this report from our 3 colloquia convened by the AAM and supported by the Moore Foundation. A few experts even said they would use it as their introductory textbook for this area. Please check it out!
How did life begin, and why does it matter? Scientists are tracing early microbial life–from LUCA to multicellularity–to unlock insights for biotech, climate science and even space exploration. Read the article: asm.org/articles/202...
Early Microbial Evolution | ASM.org
How did life begin, and why does it matter? Scientists are tracing early microbial life—from LUCA to multicellularity—to unlock insights for biotech, climate science and even space exploration.
asm.org
October 30, 2025 at 3:14 PM
We are really proud of this report from our 3 colloquia convened by the AAM and supported by the Moore Foundation. A few experts even said they would use it as their introductory textbook for this area. Please check it out!
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
We have a new preprint for you. Naked mole rats are very long-lived rodents and have increased translational fidelity.
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Cryo-EM structure of the naked mole-rat ribosome reveals a stabilized split 28S rRNA
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a long-lived mammal with remarkable resistance to cancer and hypoxia, suggesting the evolution of robust proteostasis networks. The ribosome, the central ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 28, 2025 at 3:24 PM
We have a new preprint for you. Naked mole rats are very long-lived rodents and have increased translational fidelity.
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral reverse transcriptases, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral reverse transcriptases, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 17, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral reverse transcriptases, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral reverse transcriptases, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
🦠🐘 From bacteria to the elephant ... with a twist. Eukaryotic telomerases originate in antiphage reverse transcriptases 🤯.
Mindblowing discovery from @stephentang23.bsky.social @sternberglab.bsky.social.
Such an incredible exaptation event uncovered through molecular genetics and genomics.
Mindblowing discovery from @stephentang23.bsky.social @sternberglab.bsky.social.
Such an incredible exaptation event uncovered through molecular genetics and genomics.
Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral reverse transcriptases, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral reverse transcriptases, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 17, 2025 at 5:43 PM
🦠🐘 From bacteria to the elephant ... with a twist. Eukaryotic telomerases originate in antiphage reverse transcriptases 🤯.
Mindblowing discovery from @stephentang23.bsky.social @sternberglab.bsky.social.
Such an incredible exaptation event uncovered through molecular genetics and genomics.
Mindblowing discovery from @stephentang23.bsky.social @sternberglab.bsky.social.
Such an incredible exaptation event uncovered through molecular genetics and genomics.
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
NEW: Biofuels globally emit more than the fossil fuels they replace, our latest study shows.
The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
October 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM
NEW: Biofuels globally emit more than the fossil fuels they replace, our latest study shows.
The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Massive undertaking with @teppo-h.bsky.social and others out. We studied 4 years (!!!) of synthetic 23 microbial species community evolution with/without antibiotic. Resistance mutations occurring over years led to stepwise restructuring and ultimately recovery of undisturbed community composition.
Evolution induced state shifts in a long-term microbial community experiment www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Evolution induced state shifts in a long-term microbial community experiment
Biological communities are complex, dynamic systems that underpin ecosystem functionality, yet their long-term dynamics and predictability remain poorly understood. Understanding how Darwinian evoluti...
www.biorxiv.org
October 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Massive undertaking with @teppo-h.bsky.social and others out. We studied 4 years (!!!) of synthetic 23 microbial species community evolution with/without antibiotic. Resistance mutations occurring over years led to stepwise restructuring and ultimately recovery of undisturbed community composition.
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
October 9, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
The koji-fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, traditionally used in Japanese brewing, is now widely used to make enzymes.
It seems its capacity for enzyme production is thanks to its unique ability to proportionally increase cell volume and nuclear number.
buff.ly/bPSNRL6
It seems its capacity for enzyme production is thanks to its unique ability to proportionally increase cell volume and nuclear number.
buff.ly/bPSNRL6
October 6, 2025 at 10:44 AM
The koji-fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, traditionally used in Japanese brewing, is now widely used to make enzymes.
It seems its capacity for enzyme production is thanks to its unique ability to proportionally increase cell volume and nuclear number.
buff.ly/bPSNRL6
It seems its capacity for enzyme production is thanks to its unique ability to proportionally increase cell volume and nuclear number.
buff.ly/bPSNRL6
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
⚠️New paper ➡️ isolating >600 freshwater microbes using dilution-to-extinction and low-nutrient, lake-mimicking media.
🤯Expands cultured diversity to ~70 % of detected genera and enables physiological studies of streamlined oligotrophs.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#protistsonsky
🤯Expands cultured diversity to ~70 % of detected genera and enables physiological studies of streamlined oligotrophs.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#protistsonsky
Bringing the uncultivated microbial majority of freshwater ecosystems into culture - Nature Communications
A large fraction of aquatic bacteria remains uncultured. Here, the authors cultivated 627 strains of abundant freshwater bacteria from 14 European lakes, thus generating a collection that includes many previously uncultured, oligotrophic bacteria that may serve as model organisms.
www.nature.com
October 5, 2025 at 11:26 AM
⚠️New paper ➡️ isolating >600 freshwater microbes using dilution-to-extinction and low-nutrient, lake-mimicking media.
🤯Expands cultured diversity to ~70 % of detected genera and enables physiological studies of streamlined oligotrophs.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#protistsonsky
🤯Expands cultured diversity to ~70 % of detected genera and enables physiological studies of streamlined oligotrophs.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#protistsonsky
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Filamentous cheater phages drive bacterial and phage populations to lower fitness
Pseudomonas aeruginosa VS Pf phage
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @nanamikubota.bsky.social, @shellyscrib.bsky.social and @vscooper.micropopbio.org
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#PhageSky
Pseudomonas aeruginosa VS Pf phage
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @nanamikubota.bsky.social, @shellyscrib.bsky.social and @vscooper.micropopbio.org
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#PhageSky
Filamentous cheater phages drive bacterial and phage populations to lower fitness
Kubota et al. show that bacteria can use their filamentous phage to outcompete other
bacteria, but increased phage production enables the evolution of cheater miniphages
with truncated genomes. Miniph...
www.cell.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Filamentous cheater phages drive bacterial and phage populations to lower fitness
Pseudomonas aeruginosa VS Pf phage
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @nanamikubota.bsky.social, @shellyscrib.bsky.social and @vscooper.micropopbio.org
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#PhageSky
Pseudomonas aeruginosa VS Pf phage
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @nanamikubota.bsky.social, @shellyscrib.bsky.social and @vscooper.micropopbio.org
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#PhageSky
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
A long road to the Cover of Science!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Localized glutamine leakage drives the spatial structure of root microbial colonization
Plant roots release exudates to encourage microbiome assembly, which influences the function and stress resilience of plants. How specific exudates drive spatial colonization patterns remains largely ...
www.science.org
October 3, 2025 at 12:45 PM
A long road to the Cover of Science!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Today in @nature.com , we highlight how a cousin of CRISPR-Cas10, mCpol, establishes an evolutionary trap in anti-phage immune systems.
Check out @erinedoherty.bsky.social and my work from @doudna-lab.bsky.social lab here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Check out @erinedoherty.bsky.social and my work from @doudna-lab.bsky.social lab here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A miniature CRISPR–Cas10 enzyme confers immunity by inhibitory signalling - Nature
Panoptes, an anti-phage defence system against virus-mediated immune suppression, is revealed.
www.nature.com
October 1, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Today in @nature.com , we highlight how a cousin of CRISPR-Cas10, mCpol, establishes an evolutionary trap in anti-phage immune systems.
Check out @erinedoherty.bsky.social and my work from @doudna-lab.bsky.social lab here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Check out @erinedoherty.bsky.social and my work from @doudna-lab.bsky.social lab here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
Efficient navigation in magnetotactic bacteria requires an optimal combination of swimming speed, magnetic moment and body size.
buff.ly/wmdBbD1.
buff.ly/wmdBbD1.
Heads or tails
Efficient navigation in magnetotactic bacteria requires an optimal combination of swimming speed, magnetic moment and body size.
elifesciences.org
September 29, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Efficient navigation in magnetotactic bacteria requires an optimal combination of swimming speed, magnetic moment and body size.
buff.ly/wmdBbD1.
buff.ly/wmdBbD1.
Reposted by Galen Ptacek
🌱 Using ‘compelling’ methods, including #CryoET, researchers mapped spinach thylakoid membranes at single-molecule precision, revealing how photosynthetic complexes are organised and settling long-standing debates on chloroplast architecture.
buff.ly/j3TSIkn
buff.ly/j3TSIkn
September 28, 2025 at 10:28 PM
🌱 Using ‘compelling’ methods, including #CryoET, researchers mapped spinach thylakoid membranes at single-molecule precision, revealing how photosynthetic complexes are organised and settling long-standing debates on chloroplast architecture.
buff.ly/j3TSIkn
buff.ly/j3TSIkn