BREAKING NEWS
The 2024 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
I think this is BIG. MutS protein recognizes mismatches in DNA. AlphaFold3, when given the MutS sequence and long DNA with the mismatch, finds the mismatch and models the complex in the correct conformation.
A mind-blowing paper has come out today in @Nature
In 2016, JC Venter Institute scientists trimmed a bacterial genome to its barest minimum required for life to synthesize what they called a "minimal genome" (https://t.co/Rk8oZJ0bUj).
Today, a group of scientists from Indiana University reports how that minimal genome evolved over 2000 generations in comparison to the non-minimal genome.
The authors found that even when you reduce a bacterial genome to its absolute minimum where every nucleotide matters, the genome undergoes mutational events generation after generation as much as the non-minimal genome. One simply cannot stop the evolution.
Just over 300 days of evolution (equivalent to 40,000 years in humans) the minimal cell has gained everything it lacked in fitness on day one in comparison to the non-minimal cell.
When comparing the evolved traits between the minimal and non-minimal cells, the scientists found something striking. The evolutionary process increased the cell size of non-minimal cells but not that of the minimal cell. But that is not the striking part.
The scientists were able to identify the key mutation that resulted in cell size evolution. And it turned out that the mutation that helped the non-minimal cells to grow bigger is the same that helped the minimal cells to stay smaller. Growing bigger had a survival advantage for non-minimal cells and not growing bigger had a survival advantage for minimal cells. So, the mutation had a context-dependent effect. This just demonstrates that the evolutionary effects on traits have no absolute direction. All that matter is what is beneficial for the organism's survival.
The conclusion of the paper is metaphorically a quote from the Jurassic Park movie:
“Listen, if there’s one thing the history of evolution has taught us is that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories, and it crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but . . . life finds a way". (https://t.co/UlxRlb86CT)
https://t.co/zA9OAqSoAu
Deeply saddened by the loss of my supervisor and mentor, Jeff. You made me believe in myself, you were always supporting and motivating me. Being part of you lab seemed just right, a healthy working environment with the biggest help from you. A big thank you for everything.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our group leader, Prof. Jeffrey Pollard. Jeff was a passionate scientist and an outstanding mentor who will be sorely missed. We will continue his legacy through our ongoing research. Our thoughts are with his wife Ooi Thye and the family.
BREAKING: A landmark paper, published in @Nature today, warns the deep ocean circulation that forms around Antarctica could be headed for collapse, having a profound impact on marine ecosystems, according to @ProfMattEngland FAA and Dr Adele Morrison.
Here you can find a great timeline on the role of macrophages in cancer. @JPollardLab@CassettaLuca
On the cover, a macrophage diptych, an idea of Daniel Soong, designed by David Johnston.
#macrophage#monroe
Our April issue is out NOW! It's an #immunity heavy issue, with articles focused on #macrophages in cancer, immune stimulating #CAFs, #tumourmyeloidcells and the #immunoregulatory functions of cancer cells.
CHECK 👏IT👏OUT👏!
https://t.co/2PqtcowhYH
@NatResCancer
My colleague @petitprez_f is looking for a research technician for a project that focuses on spatial transcriptomics. You’ll be based in wonderful Edinburgh and remember @JPollardLab it is. ✌🏽
🚨 We're recruiting 🚨
We're looking for a Research Technician to join us, notably on a spatial transcriptomics project with @petitprez_f. The job is advertised for 1 year but can be extended for an extra year. Job description 👉 https://t.co/0IvBcEEV65
Please share around you!
There is a non-recursive formula for the Fibonacci numbers, expressing them in terms of the golden ratio and its powers.
Why should you be interested? For one, because it teaches an extremely valuable lesson about power series.
Read on to find out what.
"Coordinated cancer chaos," an oxymoron?
What we've learned from spatial genomics, #3D reconstruction, and #AI is that cancer tissue is surprisingly spatially organized and patterned
https://t.co/oGzu8J8osu @CellCellPress@vanRheenen_Lab
based on paper below