James Saenz
@jamessaenz.bsky.social
📤 1758
📥 2232
📝 188
Geochemist and biologist, Interested in lipids, RNA, pathogens, & synthesis of life.
pinned post!
How do lipids shape life? I explore this question in my recent talk for the Build-a-Cell 🦠 seminar series. Thanks to
@kateadamala.bsky.social
for hosting! Watch it here:
youtu.be/JnF7hPCiSbI?...
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Build-a-Cell seminar James Saenz: Harnessing minimal cells to understand the living membranes
YouTube video by Build-a-Cell
https://youtu.be/JnF7hPCiSbI?si=hajD96gulK-JgDRB
7 months ago
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James Saenz
Amanda Moehring
3 days ago
Ooooh. Cool new paper on origins of life. A simple 45-nucleotide RNA molecule that can perfectly copy itself.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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A small polymerase ribozyme that can synthesize itself and its complementary strand
The emergence of a chemical system capable of self-replication and evolution is a critical event in the origin of life. RNA polymerase ribozymes can replicate RNA, but their large size and structural ...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt2760
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Junior RNA scientists
5 days ago
Junior RNA Scientists, tomorrow Feb 11th at 10AM ET is the first RNA Collaborative Seminar Series of 2026 hosted by the University of Rochester Center for RNA & the Bay Area RNA Club! Join us to hear about emerging RNA research. Sign up for zoom registration here:
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: RNA Collaborative - University of Rochester & Bay Area RNA Club (BARC) . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
Featuring: "HEXIM1 Directs a Cell Type-Specific Transcriptional Program" Laurie Steiner, MD (U Rochester) & "Mechanistic insights into complete transgene insertion by R2 retrotransposon proteins" ...
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WL7AjNS5TIOGJJp8nR7eeA
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James Saenz
eLife
9 days ago
Lipids challenge ligands to control receptors The behaviour of a receptor protein can be influenced by the presence of certain lipids in the membrane it is embedded in. 🔗
buff.ly/G1Zl6cZ
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James Saenz
Joel Boerckel
11 days ago
I present the most interesting graph ever made. HUMAN ON BICYCLE beats every other living thing.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...
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Jeremy Baskin
about 1 month ago
Thrilled to share our latest study, led by
@reikatei.bsky.social
, in
@natchembio.nature.com
! We began by asking a simple question—how do cells know if they have too much of a lipid in a particular membrane, and how do they respond to rectify this imbalance?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
More info 👇
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Membrane editing with proximity labeling reveals regulators of lipid homeostasis - Nature Chemical Biology
Coupling an optogenetic lipid-modifying enzyme with proximity labeling reveals protein networks and mechanisms regulating lipid homeostasis in the membranes of target organelles.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41589-025-02104-x
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Will Ratcliff
12 days ago
New paper out! Here's a puzzle: phototrophy, the ability to use light for energy, is one of life's great innovations. It evolved early and transformed the biosphere. But it evolved 2x. Why not just once, why not more? Our work suggests the answer is priority effects.
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
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Priority effects inhibit the repeated evolution of phototrophy - npj Complexity
npj Complexity - Priority effects inhibit the repeated evolution of phototrophy
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44260-026-00069-z
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invertebrate
13 days ago
reading about organisms that aren’t your specialty is like margins of the quorbus eplungulate, ploobular processes bent posteriorly towards the foobulum define term “eplungulate” - lacking plungae. synonym: thubulous
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James Saenz
How do lipids shape life? I explore this question in my recent talk for the Build-a-Cell 🦠 seminar series. Thanks to
@kateadamala.bsky.social
for hosting! Watch it here:
youtu.be/JnF7hPCiSbI?...
loading . . .
Build-a-Cell seminar James Saenz: Harnessing minimal cells to understand the living membranes
YouTube video by Build-a-Cell
https://youtu.be/JnF7hPCiSbI?si=hajD96gulK-JgDRB
7 months ago
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James Saenz
Ryan Flynn
18 days ago
Science update from my postdoc Peiyuan Chai - his work “glycoRNA complexed with heparan sulfate regulates VEGF-A signaling” is now published
@nature.com
uncovering a new layer or glycoRNA-regulation of growth factor mediated control physiological processes
rdcu.be/e1bBX
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James Saenz
Levental Lab
22 days ago
Excited to share a new story that transformed how we think about membrane domains in the ER!
rdcu.be/eR7Cn
ER exit sites mediated by the COPII adaptor sec24D selectively recruit lipid raft-preferencing proteins for rapid ER export Wondering what’s so new and exciting? Skytorial below! 1/9
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ER exit sites mediated by the COPII adaptor sec24D selectively recruit lipid raft-preferring proteins for rapid ER export
Nature Communications - Through synchronized cargo traffic experiments, the authors explore the role of raft partitioning in ER efflux. Raft-preferring cargos show specific preferences for ER exit...
https://rdcu.be/eR7Cn
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Oded Rechavi
about 1 month ago
How's AI affecting science productivity? AI is giving scientists "tunnel vision": lots of papers on fewer topics, and discovery gets stuck in local minima. I think q.e.d is the cure for that (link to q.e.d below)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Beautiful wintry sunset seen from Hudson, Massachusetts!
about 1 month ago
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James Saenz
Thomas Gorochowski
about 1 month ago
If you are looking to integrate your latest genetic creation into the genome of your favourite bug, you might find our latest review now out in OUP Synthetic Biology useful. 🧬⚒️ Work led by Riesa Rohmat with input from Thea Irvine and Shivang Joshi.
#genome
#synbio
doi.org/10.1093/synb...
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Merry Christmas 🎄from Hamburg to Boston! 🛩️
about 2 months ago
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Last letter in the post before the holidays 🎄📮 2026 is going to be a great year!
about 2 months ago
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James Saenz
Oded Rechavi
about 2 months ago
Our🥶COOLNESS paper to date is finally published! Ice cold and lithium dramatically delay forgetting (extend memory) in C. elegans. Why? read all about it! 👇
rdcu.be/eVhn2
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Cold and lithium delay forgetting of olfactory memories in Caenorhabditis elegans
Nature Neuroscience - In this study, we identify an actively regulated process that governs the rate of forgetting in Caenorhabditis elegans, modulated by both temperature and the mood-stabilizing...
https://rdcu.be/eVhn2
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Sahar Melamed
about 2 months ago
Do viruses use RNA to rewire bacteria? Yes! In our paper in
@cp-molcell.bsky.social
RIL-seq reveals interkingdom RNA interactions during λ infection. Phages don’t just encode proteins, they use small RNAs to hijack bacterial replication and fine-tune infection.
#RNA
#Phage
doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
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Phage-encoded small RNA hijacks host replication machinery to support the phage lytic cycle
Using RIL-seq, Silverman et al. map the RNA interactome of E. coli during phage lambda infection and uncover a conserved phage-encoded sRNA that activates host replication machinery. Their findings re...
https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(25)00936-0
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Yamuna Krishnan
2 months ago
Organelles do NOT have a single uniform pH. And if you think they must, because “protons diffuse fast,” this paper is for you. A thread on why that assumption is wrong; and what we found instead. 🧵 1/n
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Tom Ellis
about 2 months ago
A long standing goal in synthetic biology is ‘PURE makes PURE’ - effectively the start of self-replicating biology in a tube from just adding biochemicals and DNA instructions. This looks like a promising breakthrough from the Maerkl lab. 👀
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🎉 Congratulations to
@anh-nhn.bsky.social
for submitting her PhD thesis, just in time for Christmas!! 🎄🦠
2 months ago
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And as we discussed,
#eierpunch
is a well-balanced sport drink, with just enough ethanol to improve focus...
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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James Saenz
2 months ago
I have lost focus in recent weeks of what is important in
#life
. Silly me. Not anymore. 🤠🚴♀️💕 Thanks James for this
#winter
#ride
punctuated by a power
#eierpunch
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James Saenz
2 months ago
#Mastodon
, the Command Center for Large-Scale Lineage-Tracing Microscopy Datasets, is finally heading for publication (well, let's see). To
#cite
or not to cite shall no longer be the question 🙃, because the
#preprint
. Software is available in every
#Fiji
near you.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Simon Hammann
2 months ago
And let's not forget they're also glow in the dark (thanks
@chemzymes.bsky.social
)
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James Saenz
Freddy Frischknecht
2 months ago
Join us (again) for another fantastic BioMalPar meeting
@embl.org
and also a great pre-meeting
@ciid-heidelberg.bsky.social
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Good company on the 🚂 train back to
#Dresden
with
@paveltomancak.bsky.social
2 months ago
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James Saenz
Alexander Sasse
2 months ago
Had an amazing first year at Center SynGen
@zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de
! Building a computational group in an experimental institute sparked more collaboration than I imagined. If you love comp bio and working with amazing scientists, this role is a huge chance. Curious? Reach out!
t.ly/udiwJ
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Tenure Track Professorship (W1 with Tenure Track to W3) in “Molecular Biology" (f/m/d) - Heidelberg job with Universität Heidelberg | 12850668
The Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH) and the Faculty of Biosciences invite applications for a Tenure Track Professors...
https://t.ly/udiwJ
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Great idea, here’s our December 🦠❄️
#MicrobeContaminationArt
❄️🦠, by
@varvarakramkova.bsky.social
Happy Holidays from the Saenz Lab ☃️
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2 months ago
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James Saenz
Carolyn Bertozzi
2 months ago
Congratulations former postdoc
@jfhevler.bsky.social
(in transit to Roche) and the team on their work using thermal proteome profiling along with glycosylation perturbagens to discover glycan-dependent protein functions at the proteome scale 👏
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Discovering Glycosylation-Dependent Protein Function by Thermal Proteome Profiling
Protein glycosylation regulates essential cellular processes including protein folding, stability, and cell-cell interactions; however, how aberrant glycosylation impacts protein function and interact...
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.06.692499v1
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9 hours on the train 🚂 is still way more relaxing/productive than spending 3-5 hours dealing with security lines, crowded gates, and tiny seats.
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2 months ago
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James Saenz
Rita Mateus
3 months ago
Super exciting to be part of of this Research Training Group to train the next generation of material biologists :) We are already actively recruiting PhD students! Join our joint project with
@jamessaenz.bsky.social
!!!
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James Saenz
Henrik Strahl
3 months ago
Now properly published at
@natcomms.nature.com
with few additional experiments incl. demonstration of Daptomycin's ability to depolarise non-growing cells. See the original preprint-thread for a summary of our findings.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#microsky
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What a beautiful evening sky over Dresden…after a bone chilling ride through the Heide 🥶
3 months ago
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James Saenz
derek guy
3 months ago
thinking about how i get anxious writing emails because i don't want to sound like a moron while larry summers is apparently typing emails like this: u kno she dint want to talk tomorrow. make me bad pheel.
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James Saenz
Oded Rechavi
3 months ago
Looking forward to participating in this conference!
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James Saenz
André Nadler
3 months ago
Biology of bridge-like lipid transfer proteins continues to be uncovered at a rather brisk pace. These things are important... Cool paper, congratulations!
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James Saenz
J. Craig Venter Institute
3 months ago
@jcv.bsky.social
penned an obituary for Ham Smith in
@nature.com
. Since the early 90s, Ham has been a key figure at the Institute for his invaluable contributions and mentorship. "Ham was the best colleague that one could ever have in science and a great friend."
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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Hamilton Smith obituary: molecular biologist who co-discovered precise molecular scissors for cutting DNA
Nobel laureate who helped to sequence the first bacterial and human genomes.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03635-y
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James Saenz
Markus Deserno
4 months ago
It’s a tradition that I ask my “Physics III” class to create some memes about our class material. It’s *also* a tradition that they’re super good at this. Please enjoy, like and share! 🧪 (I promised my students extra game points if this goes nano-viral!) (Front pic is my own entry.) 1/17
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Michel Cayouette
4 months ago
Our latest paper is out! While the circadian photoentrainment circuit has been extensively studied, the mechanisms regulating its development remain poorly understood. Here we show that retinal Müller glia play a key role in this process. Check it out!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Retinal glia regulate development of the circadian photoentrainment circuit
Circadian photoentrainment depends on intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which convey environmental light information to th…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725012355?via%3Dihub
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Jeremy Baskin
4 months ago
#ACSChemBio
and
#Biochemistry
invite submissions to a special issue on Lipids and Lipidation guest edited by
@chembiobryan.bsky.social
and me! Find details in the
#CallforPapers
and submit your exciting findings to one of these journals by May 31, 2026.
axial.acs.org/chemical-bio...
#lipidtime
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Call for Papers: Lipids and Lipidation | ACS Publications Chemistry Blog
This Special Issue in _ACS Chemical Biology_ will highlight the latest advancements and perspectives in the chemical biology of lipids and lipidation. Submit your manuscript by May 31, 2026.
https://axial.acs.org/chemical-biology/call-for-papers-lipids-and-lipidation
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James Saenz
Sean Carroll
4 months ago
Hilariously bad idea. In my subfield author lists are almost always alphabetical!
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James Saenz
Holthuis Lab
4 months ago
Proud to share a preprint of our paper on how bridge-like lipid transport protein VPS13C senses lysosomal membrane tension in anticipation of membrane lesions to initiate net ER-to-lysosome lipid transfer for efficient lysosomal repair
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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VPS13C/PARK23 initiates lipid transfer and membrane remodeling for efficient lysosomal repair
Perturbations in lysosome integrity are tightly linked to neurological disorders and ageing, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are incompletely understood. Using an unbiased proteomic approach,...
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.684214v1
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James Saenz
André Nadler
4 months ago
Beautiful piece of work! Congratulations!
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James Saenz
Tae Seok Moon
4 months ago
Prof. Hamilton Smith at J. Craig Venter Institute, a Nobel laureate for discovering type II restriction enzymes, passed away last night.
@jcvi.org
@nobelprize.bsky.social
A huge loss in Science, but his legacy will be remembered.
www.jcvi.org/about/hamilt...
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James Saenz
Tae Seok Moon
4 months ago
An event honoring late Prof. Clyde Hutchison at J. Craig Venter Institute
@jcvi.org
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ASM
4 months ago
Happy birthday to Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the "Father of Microbiology" and first person to observe bacteria with a microscope! 🔬 Learn how microscopes made microbiology possible, leading to innumerable insights for biology, medicine & technology.
asm.org/articles/202...
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Suddenly I See: How Microscopes Made Microbiology Possible | ASM.org
The direct observation of microorganisms in the 17th century was essential for the field of microbiology to flourish, leading to innumerable insights for biology, medicine and technology.
https://asm.org/articles/2022/june/suddenly-i-see-how-microscopes-made-microbiology-p
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The views were pretty spectacular!
#Chur
#Calanda
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4 months ago
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James Saenz
Levental Lab
4 months ago
amazing
#lipidtime
story from Tontonoz lab! Lipid scrambling and cholesterol accessibility IN T-CELLS regulates nutrient uptake in small intestine 🤯🤯 Physiology is so weird!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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T cell cholesterol transport links intestinal immune responses to dietary lipid absorption
The intrinsic pathways that control membrane organization in immune cells and their impact on cellular functions are poorly defined. We found that the nonvesicular cholesterol transporter Aster-A link...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt4169
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James Saenz
Oded Rechavi
4 months ago
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📣: I haven’t been this excited to be part of something new in 15 years… Thrilled to reveal the passion project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half!🙀🥳 (thread 👇)
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“Treat questions as threats” 😅😅
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4 months ago
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