Kourtidis Lab
@kourtidislab.bsky.social
Where Cell-Cell adhesion meets RNAi - and other intriguing encounters. Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
https://medicine.musc.edu/departments/regenerative-medicine/research/kourtidis-lab
https://medicine.musc.edu/departments/regenerative-medicine/research/kourtidis-lab
Congratulations to the PhD Students in the lab Houda Mesnaoui and Jordan Jarvis for obtaining not one, but TWO MUSC awards each: a T32 Research Enhancement Initiative Award and an Emerging Scholars Travel Award to participate in the upcoming @ascbiology.bsky.social Cell Bio meeting. Well done both!
November 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Congratulations to the PhD Students in the lab Houda Mesnaoui and Jordan Jarvis for obtaining not one, but TWO MUSC awards each: a T32 Research Enhancement Initiative Award and an Emerging Scholars Travel Award to participate in the upcoming @ascbiology.bsky.social Cell Bio meeting. Well done both!
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
@sciencealyssa.bsky.social, @kourtidislab.bsky.social & co investigate the PIWI-piRNA pathway in #coloncancer using a nuanced bioinformatic and cell-based approach, linking the downregulation of PIWIL2 to disease progression, transposable element activation and DNA damage. doi.org/10.1242/bio....
November 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
@sciencealyssa.bsky.social, @kourtidislab.bsky.social & co investigate the PIWI-piRNA pathway in #coloncancer using a nuanced bioinformatic and cell-based approach, linking the downregulation of PIWIL2 to disease progression, transposable element activation and DNA damage. doi.org/10.1242/bio....
Big day for the lab today! Our DMD/PhD student Christina Kingsley and the PhD student Jordan Jarvis won 1st place poster and 1st place oral presentation Awards, respectively, during the MUSC College of Graduate Studies #ResearchDay! Congratulations to both!
November 8, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Big day for the lab today! Our DMD/PhD student Christina Kingsley and the PhD student Jordan Jarvis won 1st place poster and 1st place oral presentation Awards, respectively, during the MUSC College of Graduate Studies #ResearchDay! Congratulations to both!
I had a blast riding alongside more than 1500 bike riders for #lowvelo and #Hollings Cancer Center @muschealth.bsky.social to help raise money for life-saving #cancer #research! The fundraising continues, help me reach our goal! To learn more and donate: fundraise.musc.edu/fundraiser/6...
November 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
I had a blast riding alongside more than 1500 bike riders for #lowvelo and #Hollings Cancer Center @muschealth.bsky.social to help raise money for life-saving #cancer #research! The fundraising continues, help me reach our goal! To learn more and donate: fundraise.musc.edu/fundraiser/6...
Happy Halloween from our lab!
October 31, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Happy Halloween from our lab!
The big day is here! We ride again on November 1st across #Charlestonsc to support the vital mission of Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC to discover new cures and fight #cancer. 100% of donated funds go directly to life-saving cancer #research. Learn more and donate: fundraise.musc.edu/fundraiser/6...
October 27, 2025 at 2:25 PM
The big day is here! We ride again on November 1st across #Charlestonsc to support the vital mission of Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC to discover new cures and fight #cancer. 100% of donated funds go directly to life-saving cancer #research. Learn more and donate: fundraise.musc.edu/fundraiser/6...
Excited to share our most recent publication, where we delve into the roles of the #PIWI - #piRNA pathway in #transposon regulation, in #epithelial #homeostasis and #cancer. Fabulous work by the recently graduated student in the lab @sciencealyssa.bsky.social journals.biologists.com/bio/article/...
PIWIL2 downregulation in colon cancer promotes transposon activity and pro-tumorigenic phenotypes
Summary: This study investigates the PIWI-piRNA pathway in colon cancer using a nuanced bioinformatic and cell-based approach, linking the downregulation of PIWIL2 to disease progression, transposable...
journals.biologists.com
September 4, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Excited to share our most recent publication, where we delve into the roles of the #PIWI - #piRNA pathway in #transposon regulation, in #epithelial #homeostasis and #cancer. Fabulous work by the recently graduated student in the lab @sciencealyssa.bsky.social journals.biologists.com/bio/article/...
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
It has been a little while since I have posted here on BlueSky but a huge thank you to the Kourtidis Lab team for making my defense so special! It is an honor!
Huge congratulations to Alyssa Risner @sciencealyssa.bsky.social for doing a phenomenal job and successfully defending her Thesis! Very proud of her for her hard work and outstanding contributions, but also for her being a true team player. Well done Dr. Risner, best of luck in the new life ahead!
September 3, 2025 at 11:41 PM
It has been a little while since I have posted here on BlueSky but a huge thank you to the Kourtidis Lab team for making my defense so special! It is an honor!
Huge congratulations to Alyssa Risner @sciencealyssa.bsky.social for doing a phenomenal job and successfully defending her Thesis! Very proud of her for her hard work and outstanding contributions, but also for her being a true team player. Well done Dr. Risner, best of luck in the new life ahead!
August 15, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Huge congratulations to Alyssa Risner @sciencealyssa.bsky.social for doing a phenomenal job and successfully defending her Thesis! Very proud of her for her hard work and outstanding contributions, but also for her being a true team player. Well done Dr. Risner, best of luck in the new life ahead!
Very insightful by Martin Schwartz, as always: Why would anyone want to be a scientist?
Why would anyone want to be a scientist?
Check out our new Essay from Martin Schwartz: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Check out our new Essay from Martin Schwartz: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
August 15, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Very insightful by Martin Schwartz, as always: Why would anyone want to be a scientist?
Very happy to share our latest work revealing that localization of the #RNAi machinery at #adherens junctions is a universal feature of #epithelial cells and tissues. Great work and team effort by Joyce Nair-Menon, the lab and collaborators! @sciencealyssa.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The subcellular topology of the RNAi machinery is multifaceted and reveals adherens junctions as an epithelial hub - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - The subcellular topology of the RNAi machinery is multifaceted and reveals adherens junctions as an epithelial hub
www.nature.com
July 11, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Very happy to share our latest work revealing that localization of the #RNAi machinery at #adherens junctions is a universal feature of #epithelial cells and tissues. Great work and team effort by Joyce Nair-Menon, the lab and collaborators! @sciencealyssa.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
🧪Phuong Le, Jeanne Quinn, @jfhorner.bsky.social @carajgottardi.bsky.social & co show that the adhesion protein α-catenin has a key modification that allows dividing cells to stay better connected to their neighbours, helping the tissue stick together during mechanical stress. doi.org/10.1242/bio....
April 17, 2025 at 1:39 PM
🧪Phuong Le, Jeanne Quinn, @jfhorner.bsky.social @carajgottardi.bsky.social & co show that the adhesion protein α-catenin has a key modification that allows dividing cells to stay better connected to their neighbours, helping the tissue stick together during mechanical stress. doi.org/10.1242/bio....
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
The NTDscope is a portable brightfield, darkfield, and fluorescence microscope used for the diagnosis of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Check out our latest preprint: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
March 28, 2025 at 5:37 PM
The NTDscope is a portable brightfield, darkfield, and fluorescence microscope used for the diagnosis of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Check out our latest preprint: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
A pie graph worth keeping in mind as the NIH budget plummets jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... for 356 new FDA drugs approved
March 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM
A pie graph worth keeping in mind as the NIH budget plummets jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... for 356 new FDA drugs approved
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
"When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order."
Iya Prigogine, Noble prize-winning chemist
Iya Prigogine, Noble prize-winning chemist
March 23, 2025 at 4:39 PM
"When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order."
Iya Prigogine, Noble prize-winning chemist
Iya Prigogine, Noble prize-winning chemist
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
me, as a senior PI: US science as we know it may be ending? Review these cool manuscripts? Serve on these grant review panels? Yes! All in! Going down in a blaze of glory!
undergrad PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
grad PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
post-doc PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
me, as a PI: what's this? new things? i'd love to!
grad PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
post-doc PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
me, as a PI: what's this? new things? i'd love to!
March 18, 2025 at 2:52 PM
me, as a senior PI: US science as we know it may be ending? Review these cool manuscripts? Serve on these grant review panels? Yes! All in! Going down in a blaze of glory!
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
As scientist I am going through difficult times (this is understatement of the year for me!!). Past one and half months have been horrible, however I am trying to pick myself up and super excited to share my postdoc work with the community! #cellmigration
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
CD44 and Ezrin restrict EGF receptor mobility to generate a novel spatial arrangement of cytoskeletal signaling modules driving bleb-based migration
Cells under high confinement form highly polarized hydrostatic pressure-driven, stable leader blebs that enable efficient migration in low adhesion, environments. Here we investigated the basis of the...
www.biorxiv.org
March 10, 2025 at 3:36 AM
As scientist I am going through difficult times (this is understatement of the year for me!!). Past one and half months have been horrible, however I am trying to pick myself up and super excited to share my postdoc work with the community! #cellmigration
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
Francis Collins, the NIH Director for 12 years, led the Human Genome Project and other NIH efforts for 32 years, resigned today. Key words from his resignation letter
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/u...
March 1, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Francis Collins, the NIH Director for 12 years, led the Human Genome Project and other NIH efforts for 32 years, resigned today. Key words from his resignation letter
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/u...
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
I wrote a book The Creative Destruction of Medicine (2013, title adopted after Schumpeter).
This title of the book for what we are now seeing in the U.S. is just The Destruction of Medicine.
This title of the book for what we are now seeing in the U.S. is just The Destruction of Medicine.
February 14, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I wrote a book The Creative Destruction of Medicine (2013, title adopted after Schumpeter).
This title of the book for what we are now seeing in the U.S. is just The Destruction of Medicine.
This title of the book for what we are now seeing in the U.S. is just The Destruction of Medicine.
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
Make no mistake. This is an all-out attack on health in America.
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
CDC cuts expected to devastate Epidemic Intelligence Service, a ‘crown jewel’ of public health
Members of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service were warned Friday that many of them were about to be fired
www.statnews.com
February 14, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Make no mistake. This is an all-out attack on health in America.
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
The new policy to comply with the temporary restraining orders (TROs) was issued today, February 12. The first TRO, however, was issued on January 31. The NIH memo reveals that the agency has been in violation of these orders for almost two weeks.
February 12, 2025 at 7:39 PM
The new policy to comply with the temporary restraining orders (TROs) was issued today, February 12. The first TRO, however, was issued on January 31. The NIH memo reveals that the agency has been in violation of these orders for almost two weeks.
Some good news: we were finally able to submit a no cost extension for one of my grants…
February 12, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Some good news: we were finally able to submit a no cost extension for one of my grants…
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
Threats to the NIH and our research infrastructure hit me twice- once as a scientist, and again as a patient whose next option will be a clinical trial. Remember that there are real people’s lives at stake.
a phone case that says " do n't forget me " next to a phone
ALT: a phone case that says " do n't forget me " next to a phone
media.tenor.com
February 12, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Threats to the NIH and our research infrastructure hit me twice- once as a scientist, and again as a patient whose next option will be a clinical trial. Remember that there are real people’s lives at stake.
Reposted by Kourtidis Lab
Top 10 ways American Science can survive the 15% indirect cap:
1. Breed special transgenic mice that can run for days in tiny hamster wheel turbines to keep lights on.
2. Get athletic program staff to donate 1% of their salaries to the research thus raising 100 billion dollars a year.
1. Breed special transgenic mice that can run for days in tiny hamster wheel turbines to keep lights on.
2. Get athletic program staff to donate 1% of their salaries to the research thus raising 100 billion dollars a year.
February 11, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Top 10 ways American Science can survive the 15% indirect cap:
1. Breed special transgenic mice that can run for days in tiny hamster wheel turbines to keep lights on.
2. Get athletic program staff to donate 1% of their salaries to the research thus raising 100 billion dollars a year.
1. Breed special transgenic mice that can run for days in tiny hamster wheel turbines to keep lights on.
2. Get athletic program staff to donate 1% of their salaries to the research thus raising 100 billion dollars a year.