preLights

🚨Preprint! Happy to share the research from my PhD “Genome delivery of a contractile tailed phage and its superinfection exclusion mechanism”. We use cryoEM to study the genome ejection of the phage T4, revealing how the tape measure protein regulates the process.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

New preprint on the limits of detecting higher-order interactions in microbial communities.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We find that the dominance of additive and pairwise interactions on community function may not reflect biological simplicity, but fundamental limits of statistical detection.

Excited to share this preprint that describes my latest work on using GPUs to accelerate processing of RNA-seq data.

The title says it all: "RNA-seq analysis in seconds using GPUs" now on biorxiv www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... and github github.com/pachterlab/k...

Figure 1 shows they key result

A new preprint with Matthew Schmitt, @kiseokmicro.bsky.social and Vincenzo Vitelli makes a huge step forward in learning functional groups of components in complex biological systems. It's dimension reduction that speaks to biological function. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Had an absolutley brilliant time at #KSEmbryology26 a few weeks ago and was really inspired by all the great talks and posters there 🤩 Here's a list of the #preprints I noticed from presenters 👇 - check it out and please let me know if I've missed any!

prelights.biologists.com/prelists/key...

Cell-intrinsic compliance mechanism enables release of tensile stress to prevent tissue rupture - preLights The soft and flowing will prevail: fly extraembryonic tissue actively softens to keep the embryo from tearing itself apart.

The soft and flowing will prevail: fly extraembryonic tissue actively softens to keep the embryo from tearing itself apart. 🪰

Another insightful post by Ruoheng Li on work from Yu-Chiun Wang (yuchiunwang.bsky.social) & team #preprint #DevBio

#preLight ⬇️

prelights.biologists.com/highlights/c...

First preprint from the lab! Using intracellular recordings & analysis of 2-photon imaging data, we show that spiking & neuromodulatory input during experience drive a reorganization of visuomotor inputs in V1 layer 2/3 neurons, consistent with enhanced visuomotor cancellation - bioRxiv link below.

Another preprint is out from the Neal Lab! 🎉

Excited to share the first systematic side-by-side comparison of ERAD Derlin paralogs, revealing distinct cellular functions for Derlin-1, Derlin-2, and Derlin-3.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

spotLights Ep 17: Teodora talks RPE ageing & mechanics #biology #science #preprints YouTube video by The Company of Biologists

Highlighting preprint stories from within the preLights community 📽️

Here, Teodora narrates her preprint showing that functional decline in the ageing retinal epithelium results from a change in the mechanical balance of the tissue due to natural cell loss!

#Short ⬇️
www.youtube.com/shorts/CWYRX...

Apply to become a Preprint Editor Development

We are inviting experienced researchers to apply to become Preprint Editors, a new type of editorial role responsible for handling our 'In preprints' articles and forging links with preprint literature. #prepints

Learn more and apply before 30 March 2026:
journals.biologists.com/dev/pages/pr...

Preprint Editors – Development's next step into the preprint landscape Summary: This Editorial announces a call for Preprint Editors in Development to help expand the journal's relationship with preprints by curating our ‘In preprints’ articles.

New from @dev-journal.bsky.social: we're launching a new initiative and hiring Preprint Editors to help navigate the growing world of preprints in developmental & stem cell biology

Join our community & shape the future of research

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

New version of our preprint on bioRxiv about bioRxiv up. Now that’s what I call a revision – 6 years after the first version!
It has new data about our progress and highlights from a massive user survey. 1/n
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

New preprint out on bioRxiv!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Can conjugative plasmids be used to control plasmid and pathogen spread?

Follow me down the rabbit hole that led to this story 🧵

Cooperation between cortical and cytoplasmic forces shapes planar 4-cell stage embryos - preLights How to make a 4-cell square ascidian embryo? Cytoplasmic pulling rotates centrosomes, cortical forces lock the plane.

How to make a 4-cell square ascidian embryo? Cytoplasmic pulling rotates centrosomes, cortical forces lock the plane.

Corentin Mollier & Shivani Dharmadhikari highlight a #preprint from Silvia Caballero-Mancebo & team @rdumollard.bsky.social

#preLight ⬇️
prelights.biologists.com/highlights/c...

A drought stress-induced MYB transcription factor regulates pavement cell shape in leaves of European aspen (Populus tremula) - preLights Leaf pavement cells look deceptively simple, yet their shapes encode developmental history and environmental response. A MYB transcription factor contributes to fine-tuning this process in aspen.

Leaf pavement cells may look simple, yet their shapes encode developmental history & environmental response.

@srobertgroup.bsky.social show that a MYB transcription factor contributes to fine-tuning this process in aspen. #preprint

#preLight by Jeny Jose ⬇️
prelights.biologists.com/highlights/a...

1/5
Happy by a recent biorxiv pre-print about DARNA (PD-T7-3) anti-phage defense system. This system is activated by binding to ssDNA, presented by phage SSB, to cleave tRNA in the anti-codon loop.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Imaging Reveals Spatiotemporal Divergence in Morphogenesis and Cell Lineage Specification between in-vivo and in-vitro Mouse Embryo during Pre- and Peri-implantation -... Environment is vital: development of in vitro mouse embryos lag behind their in vivo counterparts

Environment is vital: #development of in vitro mouse embryos lag behind their in vivo counterparts 🐁

New post from Heather Pollington on a recent #preprint from Huanhuan Yang. Includes an insightful discussion with the author.

#preLight ⬇️
prelights.biologists.com/highlights/c...

Newest collaborative paper out now on biorxiv - new genome and VSG arrangements in T. congolense, excellent work by Marija!

In the words of @scotomorph.bsky.social T. congolense ≠ T. brucei www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

@rmc9z.bsky.social @keithrmatthews.bsky.social

Resilience to cardiac aging in Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus - preLights Greenland sharks and the Quest for cardiac immortality! The authors of this study characterize the aging profile of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), to evaluate their resilience to cardi...

Greenland sharks & the Quest for cardiac immortality ❤️ 🦈

Theodora Stougiannou highlights fascinating new work from Elena Chiavacci & colleagues studying a shark living in the abyss where temperatures are around 2°C! #preprint

#preLight ⬇️
prelights.biologists.com/highlights/r...

Evolution of monoamine reception and its role in cellular contractility.

How do #sponges coordinate their bodies despite lacking neurons and true muscles?

We show that sponges use monoamines to control water flow in their canals — reminiscent of how adrenaline regulates blood vessels.

My PhD story, now on BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#Evolution

New preprint @biorxiv-devbio.bsky.social by Harshath Amal and colleagues from our lab @uni-muenster.de shows how a BMP #morphogen gradient is translated into graded junctional permeability by tuning adhesion and actomyosin contractility in #Drosophila
See tinyurl.com/yhbwd9xh
@sfb1348.bsky.social

FIRST post here on Bluesky - we’re excited to share that our large spatial transcriptomics study of the human dlPFC in schizophrenia is now available on bioRxiv📄: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... (1/9)

🧵 Thread: What happens when transcription isn’t properly shut off during mitosis? Our new preprint explores just that 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

We posted a biorxiv preprint on structural bioinformatics, AlphaFold modeling & machine learning on predicting specificity of E3 ligase ring domains for different E2 enzymes. 1/4

Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Models/data (UbiqCore website): dunbrack.fccc.edu/ubiqcore

PPARδ activation in microglia drives a transcriptional response that primes phagocytic function while countering inflammatory activation - preLights PPAR excellence: microglial transcription factor shows potential as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease

PPAR excellence: microglial transcription factor shows potential as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. #neuroscience 🧠

Isabel Paine highlights work from Jacob S. Deyell & colleagues #preprint

#preLight ⬇️
prelights.biologists.com/highlights/p...

Cannibalism as a mechanism to offset reproductive costs in three-spined sticklebacks - preLights Trying to understand why stickleback males cannibalize their offspring

Trying to understand why stickleback males cannibalize their offspring 🫣🐟

Tina Nguyen highlights a study delving “deep into understanding the complexity of this phenomenon and why it might be advantageous”. #preprint #ecology

#preLight ⬇️👀
prelights.biologists.com/highlights/c...

Long in the making, but happy to present the Chlamydomonas chlororibosome!
Cryo-ET🔬reveals a large new domain on the small subunit, built from multiple extensions in conserved ribosomal proteins.
bioRxiv 📖: shorturl.at/q44tG
This suggests greater chlororibosome diversity than expected!
1/n 🧵

1/3 New bioRxiv preprint from the lab: “Minute-scale coupling of chromatin marks and transcriptional bursts”. Led by Xiohui Gao & Chaebeen Ko. bioRxiv : www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

The lipidomic architecture of the mouse brain - preLights Lipids get the space they deserve: Fusar Bassini et al. pioneer a MALDI-MS imaging and computational analysis, bring membrane lipids and their spatial organization to the spotlight and provide evidenc...

At the Centre for Regenerative Medicine #UoE, ECRs discuss preprints + now publish their discussions on #preLights!

First #preprint they highlight brings membrane lipids & their spatial organization to the spotlight. @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social

#preLight ⬇️
prelights.biologists.com/highlights/t...

Excited to share our work on epithelial multilayering - identifying why stem cell stay in the basal layer and how and why differentiating cells move up. Great collab with @manningresearch.bsky.social and Niessen labs! Check out preprint and great summary below www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...