preLights

Tracking your menstrual cycle isn’t just a tool for #pregnancy planning — it’s a vital marker of overall health and a window into how the body is functioning. Yet research in this area has been slowed by the lack of animal models that truly mimic the biology of human #menstruation. In our #Perspective article recently published in #Development, we highlight a preprint from Çevrim and Kara McKinley's group that introduces an innovative chemogenetic mouse model bringing us closer to replicating human menstruation — a long‑standing challenge in the field. This model opens new opportunities for studying endometrial repair, hormone‑dependent signaling, inflammation, and tissue regeneration, moving us toward more physiologically relevant tools for #menstrualhealth research. I’m grateful to my mentor, Dr. Ripla Arora, for her support, and happy to help push forward the science of #endometrial #biology, #regeneration, and #womens #reproductivehealth. https://lnkd.in/g6bA32K5 The Company of Biologists Michigan State University MSU Genetics and Genome Sciences Michigan State University College of Human Medicine https://lnkd.in/g5vNsF9K   https://lnkd.in/gg7SerWC

🔊 New Preprint (bioRxiv & medRxiv) alert! We are excited to share our latest work on the MAP Kinases from stellar PhD student Jill von Velsen (not on LinkedIn). Jill determined the first cryoEM structures of the MAP2K MEK1 activating its substrate MAPK ERK2 at resolutions between 2.9 and 3.6A - amazing resolutions for such a small and mobile complex! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ew7Qa_Vj The main findings of the study: ✅ MEK1 binds ERK2 at multiple sites remote from the activation loop that are pathway specific ✅ Molecular details of phosphorylation of the ERK2 activation loop tyrosine revealed ✅ MEK1 can bind ERK2 in the absence of nucleotide - suggesting a processive mechanism ✅ ERK2 binding destabilises the regulatory A-helix of MEK1 leading to release of the catalytic machinery and disorder in the P-loop explaining many disease linked mutation in this region Many thanks to an amazing collaboration with Pauline JUYOUX (CM02 electron microscopist extraordinaire), Francesco Luigi Gervasio and Nicola Piasentin for wonderful MD simulations, Oscar Vadas for beautiful HDX-MS, Hayden Fisher for the SAXS data and Karine Lapouge EMBL for ITC. We used the incredible facilities ESRF - The European Synchrotron and EMBL Grenoble and many thanks to Guy Schoehn for generous support on CM02!

I’m excited to share a new preLight I wrote on a fascinating preprint by Satyajit Mayor’s group exploring how active actin flows can drive clustering and sorting of membrane components based on their differential affinities. What really drew me to this work is how it connects cytoskeletal dynamics with membrane organization in a clear, mechanistic way providing a beautiful example of how physical principles shape cellular behavior. Many thanks to the authors Abrar Bhat, PhD and Amit Das for this elegant study (link to the preprint in the preLight), and for contributing to an exciting dialogue and sharing thoughtful responses to my questions, which you can check out as well in the preLight. If you’re not familiar with preLights, it’s a great platform where early-career researchers highlight and discuss exciting new preprints - well worth checking out! You can find the preLight here: https://lnkd.in/e6i_2KuY

In my first preLights post, I highlight a preprint in which G. Turhan et al. show that CAR-macrophages can be engineered 🧬to fight glioblastoma cells while sparing healthy cells, revealing new mechanisms for cancer immunotherapy. Check it out 👇

We were delighted to be featured in the latest issue of Bluesci and to spotlight University of Cambridge students active in our the Node, preLights and FocalPlane communities. Read at https://lnkd.in/eeaxfaPR

🏆 Apply for Development's Pathway to Independence (PI) programme from The Company of Biologists. This competitive scheme supports a small number of #postdocs in the fields of #developmentalbiology, #regeneration and #stemcells as they transition to their first independent group leader position through: - 🧑🏫 tailored mentoring with a Development Editor - 🕴 professional leadership and management training - 📣 profile raising, including interviews and perspectives published in the journal - 🔗 peer-to-peer networking and support To find out more about the programme and the PI fellows we've supported in previous years, see: https://lnkd.in/eKneG867 🗓️ Applications are open now until Monday 2 February 2026.

Preprints without borders 🌎 In our latest interview, Carolina Tanigushi outlines SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online’s transition into an #OpenScience programme. Its dedicated preprint server, SciELO Preprints, is proving that language should not be a barrier to discovery. Carolina shares how this platform boosts visibility for regional research, supports journals, and can give early-career researchers faster feedback and broader reach. Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/ex6hgZm9 #ScholarlyCommunication #Preprints #SciELO

Preprints of pandemic potential - new historical piece from me on the history of bioRxiv/medRxiv, their role in the pandemic, and the way forward. The success of these projects was far from a given and is a tribute to the scientific community. It felt important to tell the story and recognize the contributions of so many: CSHL, our amazing internal team, the scientists who inspired us, & and of course CZI and our other funders for their vision in supporting us. I also wanted to document the pandemic experience. It sometimes feels like there's a collective amnesia about the period. It was a stress test for preprints, but also gave us a unique window into the incredible efforts of the scientific and medical community to combat the virus and how the world was being impacted. Hopefully the article makes clear this was a collective effort and we're profoundly grateful to all the scientists (practicing and non-practicing...) and folk in the publishing and tech communities who inspired us and took a leap of faith participating. https://lnkd.in/eh7QDn7t

Our latest collaboration has been preLighted! https://lnkd.in/dvC3mcRR Thanks to all co-authors! Nikolina Stojanović, Anja Rac, Marija Lončarić, Ana Tadijan, Mladen Paradžik, Marta Acman, Jon Humphries, Martin Humphries Ruđer Bošković Institute, Manchester Cell-Matrix Centre, The Manchester Metropolitan University, preLights