Max Renner
@maxrenner.bsky.social
PI at Umeå University and UCMR | Northern Sweden | Alum: @ox.ac.uk | Structural Virology | https://renner-lab.com/ | 🇸🇪 🦠🔬 🌱
Reposted by Max Renner
Some still praise James Watson despite his racism. Same with colleagues who won’t condemn Elon Musk’s politics, hiding behind “scientists shouldn’t mix science and politics.”
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Some still praise James Watson despite his racism. Same with colleagues who won’t condemn Elon Musk’s politics, hiding behind “scientists shouldn’t mix science and politics.”
Reposted by Max Renner
November 7th, 2000.
November 7, 2025 at 2:58 PM
November 7th, 2000.
Reposted by Max Renner
Very happy to share our work on the Langya henipavirus nucleoprotein with everyone! 🥳
Check out the preprint to find more about how a serendipitous finding led us to this amazing story!
Check out the preprint to find more about how a serendipitous finding led us to this amazing story!
Our new preprint is out 🥳🥳🥳
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
November 3, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Very happy to share our work on the Langya henipavirus nucleoprotein with everyone! 🥳
Check out the preprint to find more about how a serendipitous finding led us to this amazing story!
Check out the preprint to find more about how a serendipitous finding led us to this amazing story!
Reposted by Max Renner
Proud co-supervisor of Rupesh @rupeshjayachandran.bsky.social, who has done an amazing job with this story in less than two years in Max's lab!
Our new preprint is out 🥳🥳🥳
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
November 3, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Proud co-supervisor of Rupesh @rupeshjayachandran.bsky.social, who has done an amazing job with this story in less than two years in Max's lab!
Our new preprint is out 🥳🥳🥳
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
November 3, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Our new preprint is out 🥳🥳🥳
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
👇
Reposted by Max Renner
Funders must recognise that great discoveries often come from studies that seeks to advance knowledge for its own sake
go.nature.com/3X5lbUg
go.nature.com/3X5lbUg
From MRI to Ozempic: breakthroughs that show why fundamental research must be protected
Nature - In these financially straitened times, funders must recognize that great discoveries often arise from work that was looking for something completely different.
go.nature.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Funders must recognise that great discoveries often come from studies that seeks to advance knowledge for its own sake
go.nature.com/3X5lbUg
go.nature.com/3X5lbUg
Reposted by Max Renner
This is it. Word slurry formed into answer-shaped chunks. This is what Sam Altman says is now smarter than we are.
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
October 27, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This is it. Word slurry formed into answer-shaped chunks. This is what Sam Altman says is now smarter than we are.
Reposted by Max Renner
One day, when this national nightmare is over and speaking up has no consequences, everyone will claim they were against this.
A Naperville man was hauled away by federal immigration agents Thursday morning as his two sons watched, the older boy begging them not to hurt his father and tearfully asking for a chance to speak to him before they left.
As his two sons watch and cry, ‘Pa, te amo,’ federal agents arrest man outside of Naperville apartments
A Naperville man was hauled away by federal immigration agents Thursday as his two sons cried and begged for him not to be hurt.
trib.al
October 26, 2025 at 8:34 AM
One day, when this national nightmare is over and speaking up has no consequences, everyone will claim they were against this.
Reposted by Max Renner
warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
Dr Jeremy Keown
Dr Jeremy Keown
warwick.ac.uk
October 24, 2025 at 7:58 AM
warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
Reposted by Max Renner
Thanks Petr for presenting this amazing work at cryoNET in Umeå! Congrats Moritz and all other authors!
Mysteries of trafficking of the vRNP segmented genome and assembly of influenza A virus revealed by in situ cryo-ET!
🔗 rdcu.be/eMmct
We are very excited that our paper is finally out!
🎉 Big congratulations to Moritz Wachsmuth-Melm and to everyone involved.
🔗 rdcu.be/eMmct
We are very excited that our paper is finally out!
🎉 Big congratulations to Moritz Wachsmuth-Melm and to everyone involved.
October 24, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Thanks Petr for presenting this amazing work at cryoNET in Umeå! Congrats Moritz and all other authors!
Reposted by Max Renner
Visualizing influenza A virus assembly by in situ cryo-electron tomography
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Visualizing influenza A virus assembly by in situ cryo-electron tomography - Nature Communications
Influenza A virus must package eight separate genomic segments, called viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs). Using in situ cryo-electron tomography, the authors visualize how vRNPs are clustered on cell m...
www.nature.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Visualizing influenza A virus assembly by in situ cryo-electron tomography
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Max Renner
🚨 Postdoc position open!
Join us at Umeå University to study proteins that maintain mitochondrial DNA stability.
2-year fellowship | International research environment | Apply now!
🔗 umustipendie.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#Postdoc #Mitochondria #Biochemistry #AcademicJobs
Join us at Umeå University to study proteins that maintain mitochondrial DNA stability.
2-year fellowship | International research environment | Apply now!
🔗 umustipendie.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#Postdoc #Mitochondria #Biochemistry #AcademicJobs
Postdoctoral fellowship (2 years) to study proteins that maintain mitochondrial DNA
The Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within the project "Signaling of mitochondrial DNA instability". The scholarship is full-time for two year
umustipendie.varbi.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:20 AM
🚨 Postdoc position open!
Join us at Umeå University to study proteins that maintain mitochondrial DNA stability.
2-year fellowship | International research environment | Apply now!
🔗 umustipendie.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#Postdoc #Mitochondria #Biochemistry #AcademicJobs
Join us at Umeå University to study proteins that maintain mitochondrial DNA stability.
2-year fellowship | International research environment | Apply now!
🔗 umustipendie.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#Postdoc #Mitochondria #Biochemistry #AcademicJobs
Reposted by Max Renner
Very cool structure! And thanks again Jeremy for presenting it at cryoNET in Umeå recently.
Structural and functional characterisation of the Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.21.683639v1 #cryoem
October 22, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Very cool structure! And thanks again Jeremy for presenting it at cryoNET in Umeå recently.
Reposted by Max Renner
The Louvre thieves should just say they're using the pieces to train their AI algorithm and it should all be good
October 20, 2025 at 12:27 PM
The Louvre thieves should just say they're using the pieces to train their AI algorithm and it should all be good
Reposted by Max Renner
This graph says it all: instead of starting to go down, the *annual increase* of atmospheric CO2 is setting new records. We're making climate change worse at a record rate.
Turning this around should be our top priority, and it's not.
From: www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-a...
Turning this around should be our top priority, and it's not.
From: www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-a...
October 18, 2025 at 7:33 PM
This graph says it all: instead of starting to go down, the *annual increase* of atmospheric CO2 is setting new records. We're making climate change worse at a record rate.
Turning this around should be our top priority, and it's not.
From: www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-a...
Turning this around should be our top priority, and it's not.
From: www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-a...
Reposted by Max Renner
I have a PhD position available in my lab at the University of Freiburg!! If you, or someone you know, might be looking for a position using modeling and simulations to uncover secrets in (glyco-)protein structure/function relationships please take a look at our website!
www.kearnslab.org
www.kearnslab.org
October 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
I have a PhD position available in my lab at the University of Freiburg!! If you, or someone you know, might be looking for a position using modeling and simulations to uncover secrets in (glyco-)protein structure/function relationships please take a look at our website!
www.kearnslab.org
www.kearnslab.org
Reposted by Max Renner
FT Investigation: At least 30 individuals or companies that have collectively donated more than $116mn to Donald Trump’s causes have received benefits or advantages from White House moves.
Read more here: on.ft.com/497fook
Read more here: on.ft.com/497fook
October 17, 2025 at 7:30 AM
FT Investigation: At least 30 individuals or companies that have collectively donated more than $116mn to Donald Trump’s causes have received benefits or advantages from White House moves.
Read more here: on.ft.com/497fook
Read more here: on.ft.com/497fook
Reposted by Max Renner
Success rates for Europe’s leading research grants are declining as a surge in applications far outweighs the funds available
go.nature.com/479Sni6
go.nature.com/479Sni6
Is academic research becoming too competitive? Nature examines the data
Applications for European research grants increased in 2025. Scientists say they’re feeling the competition.
go.nature.com
October 17, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Success rates for Europe’s leading research grants are declining as a surge in applications far outweighs the funds available
go.nature.com/479Sni6
go.nature.com/479Sni6
Reposted by Max Renner
Dear European colleagues, I strongly advise you to forcefully repudiate this initiative before they end up in a position to influence policy. Let me know if I can help.
October 16, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Dear European colleagues, I strongly advise you to forcefully repudiate this initiative before they end up in a position to influence policy. Let me know if I can help.
Reposted by Max Renner
Yikes! In this paper the AlphaFold model of human plasminogen (PDB-8uq6) has been refined into noise (EMD-42462) using Phenix & ISOLDE. For some reason the authors even interpret side-chain interactions:
#cryoEM
#cryoEM
October 12, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Yikes! In this paper the AlphaFold model of human plasminogen (PDB-8uq6) has been refined into noise (EMD-42462) using Phenix & ISOLDE. For some reason the authors even interpret side-chain interactions:
#cryoEM
#cryoEM
Reposted by Max Renner
The recent trajectory, in broad strokes:
- Regime starts militarizing the conflict in early summer
- Regime declares all liberal/leftwing political activity as domestic terrorist or terrorism-adjacent in presidential memo
- Regime ramps up the propaganda against “the Left” across all channels
- Regime starts militarizing the conflict in early summer
- Regime declares all liberal/leftwing political activity as domestic terrorist or terrorism-adjacent in presidential memo
- Regime ramps up the propaganda against “the Left” across all channels
The regime gets more deranged every day. A rightwing conspiracy theorist assassinated a Democratic lawmaker - which the attorney general presents as an example of leftwing political violence in order to justify an authoritarian crackdown on the opposition…
We’re in incredibly dangerous territory.
We’re in incredibly dangerous territory.
Bondi: "We've been living through a horrific cycle of political violence in this country ... night after night antifa wrecks havoc on the streets of our cities. In Minnesota, a gunman murdered a state lawmaker and her husband."
October 12, 2025 at 8:48 AM
The recent trajectory, in broad strokes:
- Regime starts militarizing the conflict in early summer
- Regime declares all liberal/leftwing political activity as domestic terrorist or terrorism-adjacent in presidential memo
- Regime ramps up the propaganda against “the Left” across all channels
- Regime starts militarizing the conflict in early summer
- Regime declares all liberal/leftwing political activity as domestic terrorist or terrorism-adjacent in presidential memo
- Regime ramps up the propaganda against “the Left” across all channels
Reposted by Max Renner
An insightful read. I hadn’t appreciated the links between feudalism and privatization. The author’s evocation of how future historians may look back on our era in that respect felt important, and a fruitful way to think, to me. I’m hopeful the pendulum will swing back towards effective government.
Feudalism Is Our Future
What the next Dark Ages could look like
www.theatlantic.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:56 PM
An insightful read. I hadn’t appreciated the links between feudalism and privatization. The author’s evocation of how future historians may look back on our era in that respect felt important, and a fruitful way to think, to me. I’m hopeful the pendulum will swing back towards effective government.
Reposted by Max Renner
One week from now I plan to be out marching against the idiotic criminals running our government. I'm not "getting paid" and I'm not part of any "Pro-Hamas" group. I'm just mad as hell.
I will not be punching any police officers, nor setting fires, nor breaking any glass. Why will I turn out? (1/2)
I will not be punching any police officers, nor setting fires, nor breaking any glass. Why will I turn out? (1/2)
October 11, 2025 at 2:58 PM
One week from now I plan to be out marching against the idiotic criminals running our government. I'm not "getting paid" and I'm not part of any "Pro-Hamas" group. I'm just mad as hell.
I will not be punching any police officers, nor setting fires, nor breaking any glass. Why will I turn out? (1/2)
I will not be punching any police officers, nor setting fires, nor breaking any glass. Why will I turn out? (1/2)