Kai Murk
@kaimurk.bsky.social
Cell & Neurobiologist. Group Leader & Lecturer at the Institute of Biochemistry, Charité Berlin. Research interest in the actin cytoskeleton and membrane trafficking in astrocytes.
Reposted by Kai Murk
Macrophages are super!
SoRA (superresolution after optical reassignment) microscopy video of a primary human macrophage transfected with Lifeact-GFP to visualize actin-rich podosomes.
Star-like appearance is due to connecting cables linking individual podosomes into a cell-wide superstructure ✨
SoRA (superresolution after optical reassignment) microscopy video of a primary human macrophage transfected with Lifeact-GFP to visualize actin-rich podosomes.
Star-like appearance is due to connecting cables linking individual podosomes into a cell-wide superstructure ✨
November 7, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Macrophages are super!
SoRA (superresolution after optical reassignment) microscopy video of a primary human macrophage transfected with Lifeact-GFP to visualize actin-rich podosomes.
Star-like appearance is due to connecting cables linking individual podosomes into a cell-wide superstructure ✨
SoRA (superresolution after optical reassignment) microscopy video of a primary human macrophage transfected with Lifeact-GFP to visualize actin-rich podosomes.
Star-like appearance is due to connecting cables linking individual podosomes into a cell-wide superstructure ✨
Reposted by Kai Murk
A fantastic paper by my @hhmijanelia.bsky.social colleague and friend Heejun Choi (who is on the job market!). Another elegant use of the Janelia Fluor dyes for cellular imaging. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Secretome translation shaped by lysosomes and lunapark-marked ER junctions - Nature
Live-cell imaging of mRNA encoding secretome proteins and translated nascent peptide markers show that secretome translation occurs at endoplasmic reticulum junctions near lysosomes, requires lun...
www.nature.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:24 PM
A fantastic paper by my @hhmijanelia.bsky.social colleague and friend Heejun Choi (who is on the job market!). Another elegant use of the Janelia Fluor dyes for cellular imaging. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Kai Murk
What a gem from @dudinlab.bsky.social @gautamdey.bsky.social @centriolelab.bsky.social in Cell! Expansion microscopy atlas of >200 eukaryotes comparing cytoskeletal architectures revealing structures not seen before. Stunning visualisation! Exactly the kind of transformative cell biology we need.
October 31, 2025 at 5:45 PM
What a gem from @dudinlab.bsky.social @gautamdey.bsky.social @centriolelab.bsky.social in Cell! Expansion microscopy atlas of >200 eukaryotes comparing cytoskeletal architectures revealing structures not seen before. Stunning visualisation! Exactly the kind of transformative cell biology we need.
Reposted by Kai Murk
This study reflects the dedication of a great team over many years. I am sincerely thankful to my co-first author Tom Bickel, to our PI Christian Madry and to all collaborators who brought their expertise and care to this work.
Read the full story here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Read the full story here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
October 25, 2025 at 3:24 PM
This study reflects the dedication of a great team over many years. I am sincerely thankful to my co-first author Tom Bickel, to our PI Christian Madry and to all collaborators who brought their expertise and care to this work.
Read the full story here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Read the full story here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Kai Murk
Microglia are the brain’s most dynamic cells, constantly extending and retracting their processes to monitor the parenchyma and respond to potential danger with inflammatory signaling.
Our new study in @ScienceAdvances @science.org explores how these functions are regulated.
Our new study in @ScienceAdvances @science.org explores how these functions are regulated.
October 25, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Microglia are the brain’s most dynamic cells, constantly extending and retracting their processes to monitor the parenchyma and respond to potential danger with inflammatory signaling.
Our new study in @ScienceAdvances @science.org explores how these functions are regulated.
Our new study in @ScienceAdvances @science.org explores how these functions are regulated.
Reposted by Kai Murk
Check out our exciting project on sex differences at the BBB
#sex_differences #astrocytes #depression
Funding: @fwf-at.bsky.social
In collaboration with @dibenedetto-lab.bsky.social
#sex_differences #astrocytes #depression
Funding: @fwf-at.bsky.social
In collaboration with @dibenedetto-lab.bsky.social
Women suffer from severe depression twice as often - but why this is so is not yet known. A possible cause could lie in the blood-brain barrier - a barrier in the brain. If it becomes "leaky", diseases can occur.
www.tugraz.at/en/news/arti...
www.tugraz.at/en/news/arti...
Link between Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier and Depression
TU Graz and the University of Regensburg are investigating the interaction of different cell types at the border between blood vessels and the brain. A particular focus is on sex-specific differences.
www.tugraz.at
October 22, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Check out our exciting project on sex differences at the BBB
#sex_differences #astrocytes #depression
Funding: @fwf-at.bsky.social
In collaboration with @dibenedetto-lab.bsky.social
#sex_differences #astrocytes #depression
Funding: @fwf-at.bsky.social
In collaboration with @dibenedetto-lab.bsky.social
Very interesting paper in Science Advances by the Madry lab showing that the chloride channel Clic1 regulates morphodynamics and surveillance of #microglia via ERM proteins. These functions are chloride independent. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) is essential for microglial morphodynamics and neuroinflammation
CLIC1 regulates surveillance, morphology, and interleukin release in mouse and human brain microglia.
www.science.org
October 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Very interesting paper in Science Advances by the Madry lab showing that the chloride channel Clic1 regulates morphodynamics and surveillance of #microglia via ERM proteins. These functions are chloride independent. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#microscopymonday video on a multitalented housekeeper in the #brain: Watch amidst #neurons an #astrocyte. The astrocyte phagocytoses debris but is rather stationary compared to the bypassing #microglia cell. #Neurons thrive around the astrocyte and outgrow neurites.
October 19, 2025 at 5:32 PM
#microscopymonday video on a multitalented housekeeper in the #brain: Watch amidst #neurons an #astrocyte. The astrocyte phagocytoses debris but is rather stationary compared to the bypassing #microglia cell. #Neurons thrive around the astrocyte and outgrow neurites.
Reposted by Kai Murk
Register for the Dynamic Cell VI conference, Reading, UK, April 2026! This conference focusses on all aspects of cell dynamics, co-organised by @bscb-official.bsky.social and @biochemsoc.bsky.social with @royalmicrosoc.bsky.social and the Chinese Society for Cell Biology.
bit.ly/Dynamic-Cell-VI
bit.ly/Dynamic-Cell-VI
October 10, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Register for the Dynamic Cell VI conference, Reading, UK, April 2026! This conference focusses on all aspects of cell dynamics, co-organised by @bscb-official.bsky.social and @biochemsoc.bsky.social with @royalmicrosoc.bsky.social and the Chinese Society for Cell Biology.
bit.ly/Dynamic-Cell-VI
bit.ly/Dynamic-Cell-VI
This #microscopymonday is a cleaning day. Watch how a #microglia cell mops up and phagozytoses debris and junk in a very messy neuronal co-culture. BTW, it was a proper cleaning job → the neurons made it and formed nice networks
Phase contrast imaging started at DIV1. One frame per 20 min.
Phase contrast imaging started at DIV1. One frame per 20 min.
October 12, 2025 at 4:32 PM
This #microscopymonday is a cleaning day. Watch how a #microglia cell mops up and phagozytoses debris and junk in a very messy neuronal co-culture. BTW, it was a proper cleaning job → the neurons made it and formed nice networks
Phase contrast imaging started at DIV1. One frame per 20 min.
Phase contrast imaging started at DIV1. One frame per 20 min.
Reposted by Kai Murk
🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Susanne Wegmann on her joint professorship at DZNE and Charité!
Her research focuses on the Tau protein in neurodegenerative diseases - a strong boost for brain research in Berlin!
👉 www.dzne.de/en/news/pres...
Her research focuses on the Tau protein in neurodegenerative diseases - a strong boost for brain research in Berlin!
👉 www.dzne.de/en/news/pres...
Joint Professorship for Susanne Wegmann at DZNE and Charité
Boost for Brain Research in Berlin.
www.dzne.de
October 7, 2025 at 10:24 AM
🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Susanne Wegmann on her joint professorship at DZNE and Charité!
Her research focuses on the Tau protein in neurodegenerative diseases - a strong boost for brain research in Berlin!
👉 www.dzne.de/en/news/pres...
Her research focuses on the Tau protein in neurodegenerative diseases - a strong boost for brain research in Berlin!
👉 www.dzne.de/en/news/pres...
Something for a belayed #FluorescentFriday. #actin dynamics in differentiating neuroblastoma cells. 'It's fascinating to observe the dynamics of #actin in growth cones and filopodia, even though it's merely GFP-actin.
CSU-W1 SoRa Spinning disk #microscopy performed at the AMBIO facility (Charité).
CSU-W1 SoRa Spinning disk #microscopy performed at the AMBIO facility (Charité).
October 4, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Something for a belayed #FluorescentFriday. #actin dynamics in differentiating neuroblastoma cells. 'It's fascinating to observe the dynamics of #actin in growth cones and filopodia, even though it's merely GFP-actin.
CSU-W1 SoRa Spinning disk #microscopy performed at the AMBIO facility (Charité).
CSU-W1 SoRa Spinning disk #microscopy performed at the AMBIO facility (Charité).
Reposted by Kai Murk
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
Upcoming 'Advanced Bioimaging' Symposium at 19th of November at the Charité to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our AMBIO imaging facility
September 30, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Upcoming 'Advanced Bioimaging' Symposium at 19th of November at the Charité to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our AMBIO imaging facility
Reposted by Kai Murk
Eric Peterman @errricpeterman.bsky.social, Jeffrey Rasmussen @jraslab.bsky.social @uwbiology.bsky.social & colleagues discover that microtubules regulate tissue-level navigation in skin-resident macrophages.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Article: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Article: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
September 24, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Eric Peterman @errricpeterman.bsky.social, Jeffrey Rasmussen @jraslab.bsky.social @uwbiology.bsky.social & colleagues discover that microtubules regulate tissue-level navigation in skin-resident macrophages.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Article: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Article: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Back to the roots, where my personal #actin journey started: the Zoological Institute of the @tu-braunschweig.de. It was great to meet old friends at the Farewell party of my PhD supervisor Martin Rothkegel, who sparked my interest in the #cytoskeleton.
September 5, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Back to the roots, where my personal #actin journey started: the Zoological Institute of the @tu-braunschweig.de. It was great to meet old friends at the Farewell party of my PhD supervisor Martin Rothkegel, who sparked my interest in the #cytoskeleton.
Reposted by Kai Murk
⏰ Reminder: The early bird registration and abstract submission for our 5th Day of Intravital Microscopy close on September 5!
Don’t miss your chance to join us in Tübingen on 18–19 Sept. Secure your spot today!
👉 bit.ly/3IOlJtJ
Don’t miss your chance to join us in Tübingen on 18–19 Sept. Secure your spot today!
👉 bit.ly/3IOlJtJ
5th Day of Intravital Microscopy - German BioImaging
Intravital microscopy (IVM) enables the observation and precise quantification of cellular processes within native tissue microenvironments, with resolutions unmatched by other techniques. This powerf...
bit.ly
September 1, 2025 at 8:25 AM
⏰ Reminder: The early bird registration and abstract submission for our 5th Day of Intravital Microscopy close on September 5!
Don’t miss your chance to join us in Tübingen on 18–19 Sept. Secure your spot today!
👉 bit.ly/3IOlJtJ
Don’t miss your chance to join us in Tübingen on 18–19 Sept. Secure your spot today!
👉 bit.ly/3IOlJtJ
Reposted by Kai Murk
📢📢Hiring 2 Research Assistants & 2 Postdocs at Emory University in Atlanta to study cytoskeletal biophysics/biochemistry. Please RT.
RAs: great for recent bachelor's/master's in Physics/Bio/Chem/Biochem. Email CV and interests to shekhar@emory.edu.
More info: www.shekharlab.org
RAs: great for recent bachelor's/master's in Physics/Bio/Chem/Biochem. Email CV and interests to shekhar@emory.edu.
More info: www.shekharlab.org
August 29, 2025 at 3:50 AM
📢📢Hiring 2 Research Assistants & 2 Postdocs at Emory University in Atlanta to study cytoskeletal biophysics/biochemistry. Please RT.
RAs: great for recent bachelor's/master's in Physics/Bio/Chem/Biochem. Email CV and interests to shekhar@emory.edu.
More info: www.shekharlab.org
RAs: great for recent bachelor's/master's in Physics/Bio/Chem/Biochem. Email CV and interests to shekhar@emory.edu.
More info: www.shekharlab.org
Reposted by Kai Murk
We are featuring David Stephens, a former @jcellsci.bsky.social Editor, as an extraordinary biologist this week. The JCS-David Stephens Prize for the best JCS paper is also named after him. #100biologists
August 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
We are featuring David Stephens, a former @jcellsci.bsky.social Editor, as an extraordinary biologist this week. The JCS-David Stephens Prize for the best JCS paper is also named after him. #100biologists
Reposted by Kai Murk
I am looking forward to speak about computational astrocyte models ⭐️🧠
Join us this Thursday for the last #AstrocyteCafe session of this edition!!!
Looking forward to hearing the talks by Rowy Avishek,
@lewisholt.bsky.social and
@astrocytenet.bsky.social !😍😎
Register for our free mailing list or email us to get the link ;)
Looking forward to hearing the talks by Rowy Avishek,
@lewisholt.bsky.social and
@astrocytenet.bsky.social !😍😎
Register for our free mailing list or email us to get the link ;)
August 6, 2025 at 5:31 AM
I am looking forward to speak about computational astrocyte models ⭐️🧠
Sometimes it is really cool to have Malaria - as a research subject. Awesome work by the @freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social lab on an atypical Arp2/3 complex and its role in Plasmodium DNA segregation. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An atypical Arp2/3 complex is required for Plasmodium DNA segregation and malaria transmission - Nature Microbiology
A unique Arp2/3 complex in malaria parasites enables DNA segregation during the rapid formation of male gametes by safeguarding the attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle.
www.nature.com
August 3, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Sometimes it is really cool to have Malaria - as a research subject. Awesome work by the @freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social lab on an atypical Arp2/3 complex and its role in Plasmodium DNA segregation. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Just great. It seems so that here in Germany every decent sequencing company got swallowed by @eurofinsnl.bsky.social. Everything is way more complicated now. We can just hope that their sequencing service has been improved (we did change to other suppliers back in a day for a reason...).
June 23, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Just great. It seems so that here in Germany every decent sequencing company got swallowed by @eurofinsnl.bsky.social. Everything is way more complicated now. We can just hope that their sequencing service has been improved (we did change to other suppliers back in a day for a reason...).
Reposted by Kai Murk
Awesome malaria study out now in Nature Microbiology:
An atypical Arp2/3 complex is required for Plasmodium DNA segregation and malaria transmission
By Franziska Hentzschel, Matthias Marti, Freddy Frischknecht & colleagues!
@freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An atypical Arp2/3 complex is required for Plasmodium DNA segregation and malaria transmission
By Franziska Hentzschel, Matthias Marti, Freddy Frischknecht & colleagues!
@freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An atypical Arp2/3 complex is required for Plasmodium DNA segregation and malaria transmission - Nature Microbiology
A unique Arp2/3 complex in malaria parasites enables DNA segregation during the rapid formation of male gametes by safeguarding the attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle.
www.nature.com
June 13, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Awesome malaria study out now in Nature Microbiology:
An atypical Arp2/3 complex is required for Plasmodium DNA segregation and malaria transmission
By Franziska Hentzschel, Matthias Marti, Freddy Frischknecht & colleagues!
@freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An atypical Arp2/3 complex is required for Plasmodium DNA segregation and malaria transmission
By Franziska Hentzschel, Matthias Marti, Freddy Frischknecht & colleagues!
@freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Kai Murk
The 3rd Berlin Single Molecule Biophysics Course will run from 8th to 12th September at the HU-Berlin, Institute of Biology.
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
June 5, 2025 at 8:36 PM
The 3rd Berlin Single Molecule Biophysics Course will run from 8th to 12th September at the HU-Berlin, Institute of Biology.
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
Our review Schiweck et al. on #astrocytes, their morphology, and #cytoskeleton cracked today the mark of 200 citations (according to @researchgate.bsky.social). It is very encouraging to see that it has been useful for so many researchers. www.frontiersin.org/journals/cel...
Frontiers | Important Shapeshifter: Mechanisms Allowing Astrocytes to Respond to the Changing Nervous System During Development, Injury and Disease
Astrocytes are the most prevalent glial cells in the brain. Historically considered as “merely supporting” neurons, recent research has shown that astrocytes...
www.frontiersin.org
May 29, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Our review Schiweck et al. on #astrocytes, their morphology, and #cytoskeleton cracked today the mark of 200 citations (according to @researchgate.bsky.social). It is very encouraging to see that it has been useful for so many researchers. www.frontiersin.org/journals/cel...