Maxence Nachury
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nachury.bsky.social
Maxence Nachury
@nachury.bsky.social
We study cilia, with a focus on trafficking of signaling molecules and ciliopathies. #cilia
nachurylab.ucsf.edu
Pinned
New paper! journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Postdoc extraordinaire @ireneon.bsky.social got to the bottom of a particularly vexing conundrum: The GPCR melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) is barely detectable in cilia, yet its localization to cilia is absolutely critical to body weight homeostasis.
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
For this who are unaware, the reason NIH now posts these data habitually on the data book site is… Jeremy Berg. He pioneered this openness as NIGMS Director.
Since there is some discussion that NIH institutes should not simply use paylines to determine which grants to fund, I thought I would share some old data.

These are plots of funding probability fas a function of percentile score for 9 institutes.

1/7
September 26, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Whoa - neuronal ciliary proteome! Tons to dig into here - different from kidney cilia proteome (perhaps unsurprising) and enriched for many postsynaptic proteins, strengthening previous suggestions of cilia as postsynaptic signaling structures.
@nachury.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In situ Proteomics Unveils Specialized Domains for Extrasynaptic Signaling on Neuronal Cilia
Neuronal cilia have emerged as crucial signaling hubs, yet their molecular composition and integration with synaptic communication remain poorly understood. Using a newly developed Arl13b-TurboID mous...
www.biorxiv.org
September 13, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Congrats @dutcherlab.bsky.social! Richly deserved. We need more cilia peeps in high places.
Major congratulations to our fearless leader and team captain Susan Dutcher @dutcherlab.bsky.social for being elected to the National Academy of Sciences! 🙌

Another big win for #cilia biology!!
May 2, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
How do cells keep their cilia “clean” and functional? Our new study uncovers a conserved mechanism for retrieving polyubiquitinated proteins from #cilia – a process essential for cellular signaling and health. #cellbiology #ciliopathy #ubiquitin #IFT 🧵👇 1/n
A conserved mechanism for the retrieval of polyubiquitinated proteins from cilia
The temporospatial distribution of proteins within cilia is regulated by intraflagellar transport (IFT), wherein molecular trains shuttle between the cell body and cilium. Defects in this process impair various signal-transduction pathways and cause ciliopathies. Although K63-linked ubiquitination appears to trigger protein export from cilia, the mechanisms coupling polyubiquitinated proteins to IFT remain unclear. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we demonstrate that a complex of CFAP36, a conserved ciliary protein of previously unknown function, and ARL3, a GTPase involved in ciliary import, binds polyubiquitinated proteins and links them to retrograde IFT trains. CFAP36 uses a coincidence detection mechanism to simultaneously bind two IFT subunits accessible only in retrograde trains. Depleting CFAP36 accumulates K63-linked ubiquitin in cilia and disrupts Hedgehog signaling, a pathway reliant on the retrieval of ubiquitinated receptors. These findings advance our understanding of ubiquitin-mediated protein transport and ciliary homeostasis, and demonstrate how structural changes in IFT trains achieve cargo selectivity. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Sara Elizabeth O'Brien Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded through the Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, , 8460873-01 Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, https://ror.org/05j95n956, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), , R01GM141109, R01GM143183
www.biorxiv.org
April 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
We're hiring! The Journal of Cell Biology (JCB) seeks Scientific Editor or Senior Scientific Editor, dependent on experience. Join our team in New York City! More info 👉 careers.rockefeller.edu/jobs?keyword...

#STEMjobs #LifeScienceJobs #PublishingJobs #ScienceJobs
April 29, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Have you ever wondered how GPCRs co-occupying the primary cilium might engage in cross talk? @stjuderesearch.bsky.social Graduate Student Christina Wang 👩‍🔬 wrote a BioEssay hypothesizing 5 testable models for ciliary receptor cross talk ✅ it out 🧪

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
April 28, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM

Implementation of Schedule F

This is what a lot of us have been worried about.

This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs.

BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD...

1/n
the word alert is in a purple circle
ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle
media.tenor.com
April 23, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
We close: a fan fave PTM #ubiquitin- roles in ciliary cargo retrieval by #IFT machinery as it remodels at the #cilia/ #flagellar tip, open questions re dynamics across time & space- preprint to drop soon... Amazing @sven-m-lange.bsky.social (@alanbrownhms.bsky.social lab, Harvard) #UKCilia2025 5/7
April 22, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Second (takes deep breath)

It appears that PAYMENTS FOR ALL GRANTS THROUGH THE PAYMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ARE BEING FROZEN.

If this is correct, then no funds will be transferred to any grantee institution, at least at this time.
a cartoon of a chicken with its mouth open and a drop of blood coming out of it
ALT: a cartoon of a chicken with its mouth open and a drop of blood coming out of it
media.tenor.com
April 18, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Another moment of WTF...

The evolution of the www.covid.gov site...

Warning: May be jarring!

1/4
a man with curly hair and glasses is making a funny face and saying huh .
ALT: a man with curly hair and glasses is making a funny face and saying huh .
media.tenor.com
April 18, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Unlike eggs & mitotic cells, in adherent interphasic cells the centrosome is NOT positioned by a balance of forces along #microtubules, but by cell shape organization around the #centrosome: rupress.org/jcb/article/...
@lblanchoin.bsky.social
@manuelthery.bsky.social
@gelinmatthieu.bsky.social
April 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Review: Ripoll, von Zastrow and @emilyblythe.bsky.social discuss the evolving understanding of cellular #GPCR signaling, highlighting recent advances and noting caveats and open questions. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

#CellSignaling #Physiology
March 25, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
We are accepting submissions for our upcoming special issue - Cilia and Flagella: from Basic Biology to Disease. This issue will be coordinated by two Guest Editors: Pleasantine Mill @cilialab.bsky.social and Lotte Pedersen @lottepedersen.bsky.social.

journals.biologists.com/jcs/pages/ci...
March 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
If Trump and Musk were actively trying to kill the American scientific golden goose and chase all the talent and the next Intel and Google into free Europe, this would be a good way to do it.
March 19, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
📣Please RT. Last call! You can still register for our @embo.org meeting! Wonderful scientists and several organisations discussing the importance of cell biology towards understanding adaptation & potential mitigation mechanisms, towards climate resilience.
meetings.embo.org/event/25-cli...
Integrating cell and planetary scales to address climate resilience
The climate crisis is a multiscale problem that requires transdisciplinary expertise for understanding and engineering climate resilience. Cells are the first responders of the biosphere and yet cell…
meetings.embo.org
March 14, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
It is important for scientists to be as self-critical as possible.

I always try to say "This is a really exciting result. Why is it wrong?".

It's hard but pays off in the long run, both for me and for science.

But, you are right that postdocs and others on the job market are in a tough spot.
March 5, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
My personal view is that the biggest issues are investigators fooling themselves, not misconduct or intentional fraud and publication bias (e.g. an experiment "works" once and gets published but fails other times and these results are explained away.

con'ted
March 5, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Thank you @nytimes.com for helping me crystallize my thoughts on the current administration. Yep, most definitely UNCONVENTIONAL
March 4, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Centriole structural integrity defects are a crucial feature of hydrolethalus syndrome rupress.org/jcb/article-...
Centriole structural integrity defects are a crucial feature of hydrolethalus syndrome
HLS, an autosomal recessive ciliopathy, is associated with a mutation in the centriole protein HYLS1. This study shows that HYLS1 mutant mice exhibit devel
rupress.org
February 26, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Thanks for the info from reviewers...

All 8 CSR study section meeting scheduled today have been cancelled (due to the Federal Register announcement issue).

Some reviewers are finding out that their meetings are cancelled when they are notified by the travel agency that their tickets are cancelled.
a man is playing basketball in a gym with a sign that says `` you just got shut down '' .
ALT: a man is playing basketball in a gym with a sign that says `` you just got shut down '' .
media.tenor.com
February 19, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Thanks to all of the NIHers and their friends who reached out to me. I am still here (DM me or Signal jeremymberg.78)

I still have a very incomplete picture but based on what I have been told, the damage to NIH and to many wonderful people who work(ed) there is/was impossible for me to imagine

1/n
February 16, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
Recent interesting paper on cilia signaling in pancreatic beta-cells. Together with the last one from @nachury.bsky.social lab (see previous post), fascinating examples of complex regulation of GPCR/cAMP signaling in cilia.

www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Somatostatin triggers local cAMP and Ca2+ signaling in primary cilia to modulate pancreatic β-cell function | The EMBO Journal
imageimagePancreatic δ-cells secrete somatostatin, a paracrine factor that inhibits insulin secretion from the islet β-cells. This study shows that somatostatin is locally detected by primary cilia on...
www.embopress.org
February 14, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Reposted by Maxence Nachury
YEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHH!

Grants look like they should resume being issued.

popular.info/p/breaking-n...
BREAKING: NIH admits funding freeze is illegal, will resume issuing grants
An internal memo issued February 12 was obtained by Popular Information.
popular.info
February 12, 2025 at 8:17 PM