Paulina Morlay
@drpaulinamoreno.bsky.social
Researcher working on integrin traffic and cancer biology @ Turku Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku. All opinions are my own
Pinned
EPLINα controls integrin recycling from Rab21 endosomes to drive breast cancer cell migration
Epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN), an actin-binding protein, has been described as both a tumor promoter and tumor suppressor in different c…
bit.ly
Very happy to share Niklas Jäntti's PhD work on EPLIN /LIMA1 isoforms (α/β) in breast cancer (spoiler: both have opposing roles in integrin traffic, cell migration & clinical outcome). This might explain why EPLIN sometimes has been reported as pro- and sometimes as anti-tumorigenic: bit.ly/3Iwjtau
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Vinculin is a simple adapter protein right? Wrong!
That’s been the prevailing view for the 46 years since it was discovered.
Here we provide a new paradigm and show that vinculin is a complex mechanosensor itself, containing 6 binary switch domains.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
That’s been the prevailing view for the 46 years since it was discovered.
Here we provide a new paradigm and show that vinculin is a complex mechanosensor itself, containing 6 binary switch domains.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The mechanical response of vinculin
Vinculin buffers force via dynamic domain unfolding/refolding under physiological load and lacks a stable head-tail lock.
www.science.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Vinculin is a simple adapter protein right? Wrong!
That’s been the prevailing view for the 46 years since it was discovered.
Here we provide a new paradigm and show that vinculin is a complex mechanosensor itself, containing 6 binary switch domains.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
That’s been the prevailing view for the 46 years since it was discovered.
Here we provide a new paradigm and show that vinculin is a complex mechanosensor itself, containing 6 binary switch domains.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Our photoswitchable HaloTag is out in Angewandte Chemie @angewandtechemie.bsky.social ! We now also show that this system can be used to control emitter density in SMLM. Congrats to Franzi, Bego, and our amazing collaborators. Check it out: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
A Photoswitchable HaloTag for Spatiotemporal Control of Fluorescence in Living Cells
Photoswitchable fluorophores are critical for advanced bioimaging. Here, we develop a photoswitchable self-labeling HaloTag that can reversibly modulate the emission of a bound fluorogenic dye via a ....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 25, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Our photoswitchable HaloTag is out in Angewandte Chemie @angewandtechemie.bsky.social ! We now also show that this system can be used to control emitter density in SMLM. Congrats to Franzi, Bego, and our amazing collaborators. Check it out: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Bluesky, we need your help! Why does plain eGFP partially colocalize with actin filaments in cells? (No bleed-through, observed in multiple cell lines. Whole plasmid sequenced.) #FluorescenceFriday #Microscopy
October 24, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Bluesky, we need your help! Why does plain eGFP partially colocalize with actin filaments in cells? (No bleed-through, observed in multiple cell lines. Whole plasmid sequenced.) #FluorescenceFriday #Microscopy
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Logic-gating the HaloTag system with Conditional-Halo-ligator 'CHalo' reagents by Oliver Thorn-Seshold and team: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 24, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Logic-gating the HaloTag system with Conditional-Halo-ligator 'CHalo' reagents by Oliver Thorn-Seshold and team: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
1/12 A very special moment for me! 🎉
My first paper as corresponding author—a @jcb.org Perspective on how contact-based decision-making in collective cell migration can itself encode blueprints for complex patterns and shapes.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#cellbio #devbio #science
🧵for details
My first paper as corresponding author—a @jcb.org Perspective on how contact-based decision-making in collective cell migration can itself encode blueprints for complex patterns and shapes.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#cellbio #devbio #science
🧵for details
September 24, 2025 at 1:06 PM
1/12 A very special moment for me! 🎉
My first paper as corresponding author—a @jcb.org Perspective on how contact-based decision-making in collective cell migration can itself encode blueprints for complex patterns and shapes.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#cellbio #devbio #science
🧵for details
My first paper as corresponding author—a @jcb.org Perspective on how contact-based decision-making in collective cell migration can itself encode blueprints for complex patterns and shapes.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#cellbio #devbio #science
🧵for details
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
we found that nuclear envelope rupture triggers rapid DIAPH3 formin influx to generate a actin mesh to prevent further chromatin leakage from damaged nuclei. thanks to Pitter Huesgen @degradomics.bsky.social and @cibss.bsky.social, @chrkam.bsky.social
September 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM
we found that nuclear envelope rupture triggers rapid DIAPH3 formin influx to generate a actin mesh to prevent further chromatin leakage from damaged nuclei. thanks to Pitter Huesgen @degradomics.bsky.social and @cibss.bsky.social, @chrkam.bsky.social
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
A cell finding its way through the matrix, imaged with @joycemeiri.bsky.social on LLS.
September 19, 2025 at 10:38 AM
A cell finding its way through the matrix, imaged with @joycemeiri.bsky.social on LLS.
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Our new preprint is up! This is the main postdoc work of @wiesner-t.bsky.social focusing on exocytosis along the axon shaft and its regulation by the sub membrane actin-spectrin scaffold: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Read the thread below for a summary of our findings 🧵1/11
Read the thread below for a summary of our findings 🧵1/11
September 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Our new preprint is up! This is the main postdoc work of @wiesner-t.bsky.social focusing on exocytosis along the axon shaft and its regulation by the sub membrane actin-spectrin scaffold: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Read the thread below for a summary of our findings 🧵1/11
Read the thread below for a summary of our findings 🧵1/11
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Autumn 2025 Frontiers of Science talks have started today, and such a great talk we heard from Prof. Hiroki Ueda telling us why do we sleep. The auditorium was full packed!
@inflames-flagship.bsky.social @turkubioscience.bsky.social @utu.fi @dianalehotina.bsky.social
@inflames-flagship.bsky.social @turkubioscience.bsky.social @utu.fi @dianalehotina.bsky.social
September 18, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Autumn 2025 Frontiers of Science talks have started today, and such a great talk we heard from Prof. Hiroki Ueda telling us why do we sleep. The auditorium was full packed!
@inflames-flagship.bsky.social @turkubioscience.bsky.social @utu.fi @dianalehotina.bsky.social
@inflames-flagship.bsky.social @turkubioscience.bsky.social @utu.fi @dianalehotina.bsky.social
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
I've been following the field of biosensors for nearly 2 decades. This may well turn out to be the most important advance yet
erictopol.substack.com/p/biosensors...
erictopol.substack.com/p/biosensors...
Biosensors to Track Proteins and Inflammation in Our Blood in Real Time
A recording from Eric Topol's live video
erictopol.substack.com
September 14, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I've been following the field of biosensors for nearly 2 decades. This may well turn out to be the most important advance yet
erictopol.substack.com/p/biosensors...
erictopol.substack.com/p/biosensors...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Basement membranes at a glance
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Basement membranes at a glance
Summary: Basement membranes (BMs) are dynamic assemblies of secreted proteins uniquely tailored for diverse tissue supporting roles. Here, we review our current understanding of BM composition, format...
journals.biologists.com
September 11, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Basement membranes at a glance
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Tuning collagen nonlinear mechanics with interpenetrating networks drives adaptive cellular phenotypes in three dimensions | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Tuning collagen nonlinear mechanics with interpenetrating networks drives adaptive cellular phenotypes in three dimensions
This work demonstrates that changes in the nonlinear elasticity of collagen in hybrid networks tunes cell-matrix interactions.
www.science.org
September 4, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Tuning collagen nonlinear mechanics with interpenetrating networks drives adaptive cellular phenotypes in three dimensions | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
From the lab of @sarawickstrom.bsky.social
Piezo1 balances membrane and cortex tension to stabilize intercellular junctions and maintain the epithelial barrier
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Piezo1 balances membrane and cortex tension to stabilize intercellular junctions and maintain the epithelial barrier
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Piezo1 balances membrane and cortex tension to stabilize intercellular junctions and maintain the epithelial barrier
Highlighted Article: Piezo1 regulates timely maturation of cell–cell junctions into tight junction belts in epidermal keratinocytes through balancing of cortical and membrane tension; this is required...
journals.biologists.com
September 9, 2025 at 5:35 AM
From the lab of @sarawickstrom.bsky.social
Piezo1 balances membrane and cortex tension to stabilize intercellular junctions and maintain the epithelial barrier
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Piezo1 balances membrane and cortex tension to stabilize intercellular junctions and maintain the epithelial barrier
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Previous preprint is now published in RSC Chemical Biology.
If you are interested in plasma membrane labeling, see the paper! 👇
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
If you are interested in plasma membrane labeling, see the paper! 👇
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
September 8, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Previous preprint is now published in RSC Chemical Biology.
If you are interested in plasma membrane labeling, see the paper! 👇
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
If you are interested in plasma membrane labeling, see the paper! 👇
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
A new #UExM probe for #Actin!
Fun times thinking/developing/testing with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @lreymond.bsky.social !
Congrats to all !
If interested in #UExM, or #HAK-Actin, feel free to reach out !
Soon available at @spirochrome.com
#Expansion #Microscopy #ProtistsOnSky
Fun times thinking/developing/testing with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @lreymond.bsky.social !
Congrats to all !
If interested in #UExM, or #HAK-Actin, feel free to reach out !
Soon available at @spirochrome.com
#Expansion #Microscopy #ProtistsOnSky
Trouble imaging actin in ExM? Meet HAK-Actin, a probe for U-ExM, cryo-ExM & iU-ExM. Enables post-expansion labeling for max signal. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Soon at @spirochrome.com
Led by O.Mercey and @lreymond.bsky.social, in collab with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @marinelap.bsky.social
Soon at @spirochrome.com
Led by O.Mercey and @lreymond.bsky.social, in collab with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @marinelap.bsky.social
August 28, 2025 at 7:16 AM
A new #UExM probe for #Actin!
Fun times thinking/developing/testing with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @lreymond.bsky.social !
Congrats to all !
If interested in #UExM, or #HAK-Actin, feel free to reach out !
Soon available at @spirochrome.com
#Expansion #Microscopy #ProtistsOnSky
Fun times thinking/developing/testing with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @lreymond.bsky.social !
Congrats to all !
If interested in #UExM, or #HAK-Actin, feel free to reach out !
Soon available at @spirochrome.com
#Expansion #Microscopy #ProtistsOnSky
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Elias Tillandz Prize awarded at the BioCity Symposium to scientific publications on breast cancer recurrence and cancer gene overactivation www.utu.fi/en/news/pres...
Elias Tillandz Prize awarded at the BioCity Symposium to scientific publications on breast cancer recurrence and cancer gene overactivation
The Elias Tillandz prize for the best scientific publication of 2024 was presented for two groundbreaking cancer studies.
www.utu.fi
August 28, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Elias Tillandz Prize awarded at the BioCity Symposium to scientific publications on breast cancer recurrence and cancer gene overactivation www.utu.fi/en/news/pres...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Repeated heatwaves can age you as much as smoking or drinking
"Long-term study suggests that the more heatwaves people are exposed to, the more it accelerates body ageing."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Long-term study suggests that the more heatwaves people are exposed to, the more it accelerates body ageing."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 28, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Repeated heatwaves can age you as much as smoking or drinking
"Long-term study suggests that the more heatwaves people are exposed to, the more it accelerates body ageing."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Long-term study suggests that the more heatwaves people are exposed to, the more it accelerates body ageing."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
A fascinating paper! I think in hindsight, us scientists are all expecting this to happen when we knockout something. But to actually characterise its effects and see it happening in real time is still eye opening. Watch out for Transcriptional Adaptation!
If you find a difference in phenotype between knockout and inhibitor/knockdown, transcriptional adaptation may be the culprit. This remarkable phenomenon demonstrates the robustness & complexity of cells, but can hamper CRISPR-based investigations if you aren't aware of it!
doi.org/10.1242/jcs....
doi.org/10.1242/jcs....
Transcriptional adaptation after deletion of Cdc42 in primary T cells
Highlighted Article: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of Cdc42 in primary T cells triggers transcriptional adaptation, leading to enhanced T cell function. Chemical inhibition with CASIN is highly specif...
doi.org
August 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
A fascinating paper! I think in hindsight, us scientists are all expecting this to happen when we knockout something. But to actually characterise its effects and see it happening in real time is still eye opening. Watch out for Transcriptional Adaptation!
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Automated optogenetic control of hundreds of cells in parallel. Each cell is individually steered, collectively acting as a "tissue printer". Preprint & code out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 21, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Automated optogenetic control of hundreds of cells in parallel. Each cell is individually steered, collectively acting as a "tissue printer". Preprint & code out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Pathologists have used nuclear & tissue shapes to diagnose #cancer for decades, but what is the molecular basis for this? In our latest work, we develop a computational pipeline to figure this out in #colorectalcancer! Check out 🧵& preprint #mechanobiology #stemcells www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 15, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Pathologists have used nuclear & tissue shapes to diagnose #cancer for decades, but what is the molecular basis for this? In our latest work, we develop a computational pipeline to figure this out in #colorectalcancer! Check out 🧵& preprint #mechanobiology #stemcells www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
💡 Always a good time to be reminded: "if you fuse your protein of interest to GFP or EGFP to study the protein's behavior ... you are using a tag with a serious drawback."
Same goes for anything that doesn't have 'm' in its name (looking at you, dTomato and StayGold)
Same goes for anything that doesn't have 'm' in its name (looking at you, dTomato and StayGold)
When is a Monomer not a Monomer? The Top Three Ways Your Favorite Fluorescent Protein Oligomerizes in Cells
Many commonly used fluorescent proteins form dimers producing artifacts in a variety of experimental settings. Learn how to avoid these artifacts.
blog.addgene.org
July 29, 2025 at 4:04 PM
💡 Always a good time to be reminded: "if you fuse your protein of interest to GFP or EGFP to study the protein's behavior ... you are using a tag with a serious drawback."
Same goes for anything that doesn't have 'm' in its name (looking at you, dTomato and StayGold)
Same goes for anything that doesn't have 'm' in its name (looking at you, dTomato and StayGold)
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
It has taken medical science 200 years to advance humans to the point where people are so healthy and living so long that they can deny that science and medicine is what got us here.
July 30, 2025 at 11:57 AM
It has taken medical science 200 years to advance humans to the point where people are so healthy and living so long that they can deny that science and medicine is what got us here.
Reposted by Paulina Morlay
A paper in Nature Neuroscience suggests that the brain detects when a potential source of infection enters the immediate surroundings and prepares the body’s immune defenses. This may occur even before physical contact is made, in a virtual reality environment. go.nature.com/45cCSF7 #medsky 🧪
July 29, 2025 at 1:12 PM
A paper in Nature Neuroscience suggests that the brain detects when a potential source of infection enters the immediate surroundings and prepares the body’s immune defenses. This may occur even before physical contact is made, in a virtual reality environment. go.nature.com/45cCSF7 #medsky 🧪