Johannes Wilbertz
@jowilbertz.bsky.social
Biologist in biotech (https://www.ksilink.com/). Looking for drug targets in stem cell models with high-throughput imaging.
Counting everything I can, but still appreciating the beauty of qualitative findings.
https://johanneswilbertz.github.io/
Counting everything I can, but still appreciating the beauty of qualitative findings.
https://johanneswilbertz.github.io/
Pinned
Johannes Wilbertz
@jowilbertz.bsky.social
· Sep 17
Morphological profiling reveals neuroprotection via mitochondrial uncoupling in human dopaminergic neurons - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Morphological profiling reveals neuroprotection via mitochondrial uncoupling in human dopaminergic neurons
doi.org
🧵1/
🚨 Our new paper is out!
We used high-content morphological profiling in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons to uncover a neuroprotective mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (PD): mild mitochondrial uncoupling.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🚨 Our new paper is out!
We used high-content morphological profiling in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons to uncover a neuroprotective mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (PD): mild mitochondrial uncoupling.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
Required reading for cell biologists to get a sense of basic statistical principles!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ten essential tips for robust statistics in cell biology - Nature Cell Biology
Statistical thinking is a core part of solid, trustworthy biology. However, many studies still include insufficient sample sizes, have poor experimental design or select an incorrect statistical metho...
www.nature.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Required reading for cell biologists to get a sense of basic statistical principles!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
15 years in the making, we confirmed that mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cell - have an unusual localization in patients who experience psychosis (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorders). You’ll never guess what kind of patient cells we used to make this discovery… 🧵
October 10, 2025 at 4:47 PM
15 years in the making, we confirmed that mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cell - have an unusual localization in patients who experience psychosis (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorders). You’ll never guess what kind of patient cells we used to make this discovery… 🧵
🧵1/
🚨 Our new paper is out!
We used high-content morphological profiling in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons to uncover a neuroprotective mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (PD): mild mitochondrial uncoupling.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🚨 Our new paper is out!
We used high-content morphological profiling in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons to uncover a neuroprotective mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (PD): mild mitochondrial uncoupling.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Morphological profiling reveals neuroprotection via mitochondrial uncoupling in human dopaminergic neurons - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Morphological profiling reveals neuroprotection via mitochondrial uncoupling in human dopaminergic neurons
doi.org
September 17, 2025 at 1:15 PM
🧵1/
🚨 Our new paper is out!
We used high-content morphological profiling in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons to uncover a neuroprotective mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (PD): mild mitochondrial uncoupling.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🚨 Our new paper is out!
We used high-content morphological profiling in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons to uncover a neuroprotective mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (PD): mild mitochondrial uncoupling.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
One in 4 people carry one copy of the APOE4 allele, the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. We've just learned how that risk is mediated—the immune system
erictopol.substack.com/p/our-braini...
erictopol.substack.com/p/our-braini...
August 4, 2025 at 9:09 PM
One in 4 people carry one copy of the APOE4 allele, the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. We've just learned how that risk is mediated—the immune system
erictopol.substack.com/p/our-braini...
erictopol.substack.com/p/our-braini...
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
... and a few minutes ago our Chart-Checklist came out in @natcellbio.nature.com 🥳🎉
Gift link for #TCTeAC:
rdcu.be/eqPpi
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Gift link for #TCTeAC:
rdcu.be/eqPpi
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A checklist for designing and improving the visualization of scientific data - Nature Cell Biology
Creating clear and engaging scientific figures is crucial to communicate complex data. In this Comment, I condense principles from design, visual perception and data visualization research in a checkl...
www.nature.com
June 13, 2025 at 10:28 AM
... and a few minutes ago our Chart-Checklist came out in @natcellbio.nature.com 🥳🎉
Gift link for #TCTeAC:
rdcu.be/eqPpi
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Gift link for #TCTeAC:
rdcu.be/eqPpi
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
Elon Musk wanted to buy Wikipedia so that he could determine our society’s collective view of truth.
He couldn’t, so he created grok.
Do not let these machines be arbiters of truth. It is abundantly clear that they are being used to push absurd far-right conspiracies.
He couldn’t, so he created grok.
Do not let these machines be arbiters of truth. It is abundantly clear that they are being used to push absurd far-right conspiracies.
Musk’s AI bot Grok blames ‘programming error’ for its Holocaust denial
Grok doubted 6 million death toll, days after peddling conspiracy theory of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa
www.theguardian.com
May 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Elon Musk wanted to buy Wikipedia so that he could determine our society’s collective view of truth.
He couldn’t, so he created grok.
Do not let these machines be arbiters of truth. It is abundantly clear that they are being used to push absurd far-right conspiracies.
He couldn’t, so he created grok.
Do not let these machines be arbiters of truth. It is abundantly clear that they are being used to push absurd far-right conspiracies.
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
Wow, just implemented the new Cellpose-SAM from @computingnature.bsky.social in NimbusImage and it's *awesome*! Give it a try!
nimbusimage.com
nimbusimage.com
May 7, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Wow, just implemented the new Cellpose-SAM from @computingnature.bsky.social in NimbusImage and it's *awesome*! Give it a try!
nimbusimage.com
nimbusimage.com
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
tl;dr: Python or R or both www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which programming language should I use? A guide for early-career researchers
Computer scientists and bioinformaticians address four key questions to help rookie coders to make the right choice.
www.nature.com
April 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
tl;dr: Python or R or both www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I explored whether scientific literature provides evidence of AI use in research publications. I analyzed the use of certain words before & after 2022 using PubMed, focusing on terms commonly used by ChatGPT (e.g., "delve") & standard scientific phrases ("in this study", "our results"). 1/n
April 10, 2025 at 7:21 PM
I explored whether scientific literature provides evidence of AI use in research publications. I analyzed the use of certain words before & after 2022 using PubMed, focusing on terms commonly used by ChatGPT (e.g., "delve") & standard scientific phrases ("in this study", "our results"). 1/n
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
Proteome-wide measurements of dose–response curves for 144 drugs reveal drug mechanisms of action go.nature.com/4a9lMs8
rdcu.be/egMl1
rdcu.be/egMl1
Decrypting the molecular basis of cellular drug phenotypes by dose-resolved expression proteomics - Nature Biotechnology
Proteome-wide measurements of dose–response curves for 144 drugs reveal drug mechanisms of action.
go.nature.com
April 9, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Proteome-wide measurements of dose–response curves for 144 drugs reveal drug mechanisms of action go.nature.com/4a9lMs8
rdcu.be/egMl1
rdcu.be/egMl1
Must-read to review for everyone who is puzzled by and maybe even tries to understand microglia plasticity.
I am so excited to share our review on microglial heterogeneity @natureneuro.bsky.social! It was a fantastic effort by the lab, led by @c9laura72.bsky.social and Alma Mohebiany. We provide a critical view on the plethora of microglial cell states in health and disease. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Microglia heterogeneity, modeling and cell-state annotation in development and neurodegeneration - Nature Neuroscience
Microglia have key roles in CNS development and neurodegeneration. Here, the authors provide an overview of microglia heterogeneity, cell-state annotation and model systems.
www.nature.com
April 8, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Must-read to review for everyone who is puzzled by and maybe even tries to understand microglia plasticity.
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
I am so excited to share our review on microglial heterogeneity @natureneuro.bsky.social! It was a fantastic effort by the lab, led by @c9laura72.bsky.social and Alma Mohebiany. We provide a critical view on the plethora of microglial cell states in health and disease. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Microglia heterogeneity, modeling and cell-state annotation in development and neurodegeneration - Nature Neuroscience
Microglia have key roles in CNS development and neurodegeneration. Here, the authors provide an overview of microglia heterogeneity, cell-state annotation and model systems.
www.nature.com
April 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
I am so excited to share our review on microglial heterogeneity @natureneuro.bsky.social! It was a fantastic effort by the lab, led by @c9laura72.bsky.social and Alma Mohebiany. We provide a critical view on the plethora of microglial cell states in health and disease. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Next time you are out of breath during a run, try switching of this annoying STOP codon in your KEAP1 gene. Or alternatively, accept that you will never run as long and fast as a horse.
Running a genetic stop sign accelerates oxygen metabolism and energy production in horses
Horses are among nature’s greatest athletes, yet the ancestral molecular adaptations fueling their energy demands are poorly understood. Within a clinically important pathway regulating redox and meta...
www.science.org
April 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Next time you are out of breath during a run, try switching of this annoying STOP codon in your KEAP1 gene. Or alternatively, accept that you will never run as long and fast as a horse.
By contrast, the absence of marathon running (or sports in general) leads probably to irreversible changes in the brain.
* hypothesises a marathon runner
* hypothesises a marathon runner
The brain myelin content in marathon runners
“This study offers the striking observation that extreme exercise has a profound effect in the brain that is reflected in reversible structural alterations" @naturemetabolism.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
“This study offers the striking observation that extreme exercise has a profound effect in the brain that is reflected in reversible structural alterations" @naturemetabolism.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reversible reduction in brain myelin content upon marathon running - Nature Metabolism
Using magnetic resonance imaging on marathon runners, Ramos-Cabrer, Cabrera-Zubizarreta et al. report that the signal detected as a surrogate of myelin content is significantly reduced after exercise,...
www.nature.com
March 24, 2025 at 9:53 PM
By contrast, the absence of marathon running (or sports in general) leads probably to irreversible changes in the brain.
* hypothesises a marathon runner
* hypothesises a marathon runner
Not AI, but CRISPR A&I is what it takes to understand gene regulation.
Two CRISPR tools for combinatorial genetic perturbations reveal gene regulatory networks #NBTNV go.nature.com/3WOWHjb
rdcu.be/dItUy
rdcu.be/dItUy
Decoding gene regulation with CRISPR perturbations - Nature Biotechnology
Two CRISPR tools for combinatorial genetic perturbations reveal gene regulatory networks.
go.nature.com
March 24, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Not AI, but CRISPR A&I is what it takes to understand gene regulation.
Nice example of how to be friendly, positive, and very determined at the same time.
March 23, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Nice example of how to be friendly, positive, and very determined at the same time.
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
From 2010 to 2016 (latest data I have ), NIH research contributed to EVERY drug approved by the FDA
March 22, 2025 at 10:44 AM
From 2010 to 2016 (latest data I have ), NIH research contributed to EVERY drug approved by the FDA
Something I learned today:
Although human mitochondria contain more than 1100 proteins, only 13 of them are encoded by mtDNA.
Although human mitochondria contain more than 1100 proteins, only 13 of them are encoded by mtDNA.
March 11, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Something I learned today:
Although human mitochondria contain more than 1100 proteins, only 13 of them are encoded by mtDNA.
Although human mitochondria contain more than 1100 proteins, only 13 of them are encoded by mtDNA.
Full of interesting stuff if you're into translation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A subcellular map of translational machinery composition and regulation at the single-molecule level
Millions of ribosomes are packed within mammalian cells, yet we lack tools to visualize them in toto and characterize their subcellular composition. In this study, we present ribosome expansion micros...
www.science.org
March 7, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Full of interesting stuff if you're into translation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
"This isn’t about politics — it’s about the systematic dismantling of the very infrastructure that made American innovation possible."
Another “Continuing Crisis” post, this one covering some larger principles and explaining why I’m doing these in general:
The Continuing Crisis, Part VII: An Overview
www.science.org
March 5, 2025 at 7:59 PM
"This isn’t about politics — it’s about the systematic dismantling of the very infrastructure that made American innovation possible."
Form follows function? Not so sure about that. But morphology and calcium fluxes do not seem to follow the transcriptome. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Transcriptomic neuron types vary topographically in function and morphology - Nature
Transcriptomic profiling of neurons from the zebrafish optic tectum identified more than 60 cell types; functional imaging revealed that response tuning, morphology and connectivity of specific cell t...
www.nature.com
March 4, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Form follows function? Not so sure about that. But morphology and calcium fluxes do not seem to follow the transcriptome. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Johannes Wilbertz
"Genes are... the easy part" @philipcball.bsky.social argues biologists need to embrace complexity from the start, rather than beginning with oversimplified "one gene, one trait" models
+1
www.cell.com/cell-systems...
+1
www.cell.com/cell-systems...
Should biology put complexity first?
The dictum “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler” poses
a problem for biology. How simply can it be told without doing damage to its complex
nature? The answer might be foun...
www.cell.com
February 21, 2025 at 7:44 AM
"Genes are... the easy part" @philipcball.bsky.social argues biologists need to embrace complexity from the start, rather than beginning with oversimplified "one gene, one trait" models
+1
www.cell.com/cell-systems...
+1
www.cell.com/cell-systems...
Interesting paper about how the integrated stress response induces cell death independent from a specific stress stimulus. Also featuring some nice applications of ISRIB, a stress response inhibitor. @altoslabs.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The integrated stress response engages a cell-autonomous, ligand-independent, DR5-driven apoptosis switch - Cell Death & Disease
Cell Death & Disease - The integrated stress response engages a cell-autonomous, ligand-independent, DR5-driven apoptosis switch
www.nature.com
February 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Interesting paper about how the integrated stress response induces cell death independent from a specific stress stimulus. Also featuring some nice applications of ISRIB, a stress response inhibitor. @altoslabs.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...