Preprint is up! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Trevor Docter + Ben Sorum found cannabinoids inhibit mechanosensitive K+ channels, including TRAAK mutants that cause epilepsy and FHEIG in humans. #ephys and #cryoem shows CBD competes with lipids to bind inside the channel cavity and block the pore.

So happy to finally share my final paper from my PhD! By collecting cryo-EM datasets at sub-saturating concentrations of ACh, we were able to determine a mono-liganded state of the muscle-type nAChR. This state has a fully activated alpha subunit where ACh binds… www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

One more from earlier this month! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... We found sphingolipid binding to SARS-CoV-2 M protein controls its conformation to coordinate viral assembly and release. Great collaboration with Voth + Stahelin labs led by Kim Dolan, Mandira Dutta, and Souad Amiar #cryoem #SARSCoV2

The first story from my PhD is now available on bioRxiv!: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... We determined structures of a LRRC8A:D VRAC by cryo-EM and explored the role of pore lipids in their gating. Huge thanks to the whole Brohawn lab, and especially to Steve @stevebrohawn.bsky.social and David!

Excited to share our preprint about volume regulated ion channels here! We solved structures of heteromeric LRRC8A:D channels and show how they are gated closed by pore-blocking lipids. Led by @antonylurie.bsky.social + David Kern #IonChannel #cryoem www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...