Aanchal
@origichals.bsky.social
Human | Learner | PhD researcher studying SUMOylation (SUMO:SIM interactions) using Biochemistry and Structural Biology approach @msuskiewicz.bsky.social lab @cnrs.fr
A gentle, fun reminder that science isn’t just about answers, but about the long, curious wandering that gets you there. Prof. Kleanthous shares his lab’s journey with warmth, making bacteriocins feel like companions along the way rather than just subjects of study.
A gift of an article from the inimitable Colin Kleanthous as he says a moving farewell to his laboratory. A brave, unrepentant and scientifically brilliant journey is described - please have a read, friends.
www.jbc.org/article/S002...
www.jbc.org/article/S002...
Bacteriocin biophysics: From protein-protein interaction models to navigators of the bacterial cell envelope
Bacteriocins are toxins deployed by bacteria to kill their competitors. Here, I reflect
on my laboratory’s work on protein bacteriocins and their immunity proteins from Gram-negative
bacteria. We unco...
www.jbc.org
February 2, 2026 at 7:39 PM
A gentle, fun reminder that science isn’t just about answers, but about the long, curious wandering that gets you there. Prof. Kleanthous shares his lab’s journey with warmth, making bacteriocins feel like companions along the way rather than just subjects of study.
Reposted by Aanchal
How does molecular valency shape condensate assembly and function? We used the CO2-fixing organelle in algae—the pyrenoid—to find out… 🧵
Preprint here!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@cellarchlab.com @phaips.vd.st @biologyatyork.bsky.social
#Rubisco #PhaseSeparation #Condensates #Pyrenoid
Preprint here!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@cellarchlab.com @phaips.vd.st @biologyatyork.bsky.social
#Rubisco #PhaseSeparation #Condensates #Pyrenoid
January 30, 2026 at 3:21 PM
How does molecular valency shape condensate assembly and function? We used the CO2-fixing organelle in algae—the pyrenoid—to find out… 🧵
Preprint here!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@cellarchlab.com @phaips.vd.st @biologyatyork.bsky.social
#Rubisco #PhaseSeparation #Condensates #Pyrenoid
Preprint here!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@cellarchlab.com @phaips.vd.st @biologyatyork.bsky.social
#Rubisco #PhaseSeparation #Condensates #Pyrenoid
Stop scrolling and post two characters that bring you happiness :)
January 15, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Stop scrolling and post two characters that bring you happiness :)
Evolution’s cheat code in action: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Client Challenge
www.nature.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Evolution’s cheat code in action: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Aanchal
I updated ipSAE code to handle Boltz2 files properly -- non-standard chainIDs/order, PDB input as well as mmCIF; other pull requests. github.com/DunbrackLab/.... Also updated preprint--fixed Latin grammar error in title - very embarrassing and added new figure. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
pip install ipsae
from www.linkedin.com/in/ullah-sam...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5ph...
PyPI pypi.org/project/ipsae/
His github fork github.com/ullahsamee/I...
My github github.com/DunbrackLab/...
Paper www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
For designed protein binders www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
from www.linkedin.com/in/ullah-sam...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5ph...
PyPI pypi.org/project/ipsae/
His github fork github.com/ullahsamee/I...
My github github.com/DunbrackLab/...
Paper www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
For designed protein binders www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Screen binders using ipSAE
YouTube video by ProteinDesignStudio
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:06 AM
I updated ipSAE code to handle Boltz2 files properly -- non-standard chainIDs/order, PDB input as well as mmCIF; other pull requests. github.com/DunbrackLab/.... Also updated preprint--fixed Latin grammar error in title - very embarrassing and added new figure. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Magic incoming from our team soon....
And on December 15 @ 2 PM we will follow Lucija Mance
December 2, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Magic incoming from our team soon....
There are moments in life when certain people nearby just show up for you- no fanfare, no fuss, just pure goodness. And honestly? These people deserve a standing ovation, confetti cannons, and maybe even a parade.
December 2, 2025 at 6:53 AM
There are moments in life when certain people nearby just show up for you- no fanfare, no fuss, just pure goodness. And honestly? These people deserve a standing ovation, confetti cannons, and maybe even a parade.
Thrilled to share our PI’s new publication exploring filament ambition of FAM118A/FAM118B in NSMB.
These proteins show remarkable self-assembly with clear implications for their biological roles, proving once again that structure n function go hand in hand or in this case, subunit by subunit.
These proteins show remarkable self-assembly with clear implications for their biological roles, proving once again that structure n function go hand in hand or in this case, subunit by subunit.
Very happy to share our collaborative project on FAM118 proteins - noncanonical sirtuins that form filaments and process NAD in human and other vertebrate cells.
Filament formation and NAD processing by noncanonical human FAM118 sirtuins
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology - Baretić and Missoury et al. identify vertebrate proteins FAM118B and FAM118A as sirtuins similar to bacterial antiphage enzymes and show that...
rdcu.be
November 17, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Thrilled to share our PI’s new publication exploring filament ambition of FAM118A/FAM118B in NSMB.
These proteins show remarkable self-assembly with clear implications for their biological roles, proving once again that structure n function go hand in hand or in this case, subunit by subunit.
These proteins show remarkable self-assembly with clear implications for their biological roles, proving once again that structure n function go hand in hand or in this case, subunit by subunit.
Science just pulled up a chair at the kitchen table: a new paper explores the physics behind droplet outbursts when slicing onions
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
November 7, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Science just pulled up a chair at the kitchen table: a new paper explores the physics behind droplet outbursts when slicing onions
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Grateful to be listed as an author in this insightful review. All credits to Marcin Sir for his generosity, considering my contribution was more of a cameo than a lead role.
SUMO interactions: the 1st of two reviews which Aanchal (@origichals.bsky.social), El Hadji, and I have recently written on non-covalent interactions of SUMO is now out. The 1st covers interactions with E1, E2, and deSUMOylating enzymes; the 2nd - on interactions with SIMs etc. - will appear soon.
Non-covalent SUMO interactions with (de)conjugation enzymes
SUMOylation – a protein post-translational modification (PTM) related to ubiquitylation – involves the reversible covalent attachment of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to proteins. During th...
portlandpress.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Grateful to be listed as an author in this insightful review. All credits to Marcin Sir for his generosity, considering my contribution was more of a cameo than a lead role.
Let's connct Biology to real life examples
Cooperativity: Like applause spreading through a crowd
Transient complexes: Like birds flying in formation, then dispersing
Affinity: like gravity between planets (weak individually, but strong and inevitable when surfaces complement)
Cooperativity: Like applause spreading through a crowd
Transient complexes: Like birds flying in formation, then dispersing
Affinity: like gravity between planets (weak individually, but strong and inevitable when surfaces complement)
October 29, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Let's connct Biology to real life examples
Cooperativity: Like applause spreading through a crowd
Transient complexes: Like birds flying in formation, then dispersing
Affinity: like gravity between planets (weak individually, but strong and inevitable when surfaces complement)
Cooperativity: Like applause spreading through a crowd
Transient complexes: Like birds flying in formation, then dispersing
Affinity: like gravity between planets (weak individually, but strong and inevitable when surfaces complement)
Amazing insights to the phosphorylation world
Hot off the press! Our paper, “Global comparative structural analysis of responses to protein phosphorylation”, is now out in Nature Communications!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Global comparative structural analysis of responses to protein phosphorylation - Nature Communications
Phosphorylation is central to protein regulation, yet its structural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, the authors conduct a global, systematic analysis of phosphorylated versus non-phosphory...
www.nature.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Amazing insights to the phosphorylation world
Beauty of academia- you spend your days with minds trying to understand a basic concept, seeking solutions and not working for profit. That quiet pursuit changes the air you breathe and, eventually, you.
October 27, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Beauty of academia- you spend your days with minds trying to understand a basic concept, seeking solutions and not working for profit. That quiet pursuit changes the air you breathe and, eventually, you.
As a PhD student, I've been buried in bits and bytes of structural biology and biochemistry for the past two years and yet honestly I feel like I know absolutely nothing. Take an amino acid residue, for instance.
October 24, 2025 at 9:35 PM
As a PhD student, I've been buried in bits and bytes of structural biology and biochemistry for the past two years and yet honestly I feel like I know absolutely nothing. Take an amino acid residue, for instance.
Science literally got its own taste:
doi.org/10.1063/5.02...
Einstein would’ve loved this dish. Time, temperature, and relativity- all served al dente!
doi.org/10.1063/5.02...
Einstein would’ve loved this dish. Time, temperature, and relativity- all served al dente!
Phase behavior of Cacio e Pepe sauce
“Pasta alla Cacio e pepe” is a traditional Italian dish made with pasta, pecorino cheese, and pepper. Despite its simple ingredient list, achieving the perfect
doi.org
October 6, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Science literally got its own taste:
doi.org/10.1063/5.02...
Einstein would’ve loved this dish. Time, temperature, and relativity- all served al dente!
doi.org/10.1063/5.02...
Einstein would’ve loved this dish. Time, temperature, and relativity- all served al dente!
Trust me, success is finding a team with whom you can laugh with.
Also needs to be said that (as some folks know) our software packages are named after birds, so while I was away, the lab filled my office with birds... ...but honestly... *very* tastefully.
Will stay for the foreseeable future!
Will stay for the foreseeable future!
October 3, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Trust me, success is finding a team with whom you can laugh with.
Cryo-EM captures the elusive moment when E1 hands off SUMO to E2- a molecular relay that’s been mostly guesswork until now. The structures reveal E1 doing dramatic shape-shifting to line up perfectly for the transfer, like enzyme origami in action.
New online: Cryo-EM structures reveal the molecular mechanism of SUMO E1–E2 thioester transfer
Cryo-EM structures reveal the molecular mechanism of SUMO E1–E2 thioester transfer
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 25 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01681-8This study reveals how human small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) E1 recruits its E2 partner UBC9 and transfers SUMO1 through large structural changes, uncovering key mechanisms that ensure specificity and fidelity in SUMOylation, an essential protein modification pathway.
go.nature.com
September 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Cryo-EM captures the elusive moment when E1 hands off SUMO to E2- a molecular relay that’s been mostly guesswork until now. The structures reveal E1 doing dramatic shape-shifting to line up perfectly for the transfer, like enzyme origami in action.
Today we stepped into world of crystallography with Proxima2 beamline at SOLEIL synchrotron.
So what did we learn? Imagine convincing a tiny, perfect crystal to spill its atomic secrets by blasting it with an intense X-ray beam until it diffracts in a very specific, beautiful pattern.
So what did we learn? Imagine convincing a tiny, perfect crystal to spill its atomic secrets by blasting it with an intense X-ray beam until it diffracts in a very specific, beautiful pattern.
September 26, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Today we stepped into world of crystallography with Proxima2 beamline at SOLEIL synchrotron.
So what did we learn? Imagine convincing a tiny, perfect crystal to spill its atomic secrets by blasting it with an intense X-ray beam until it diffracts in a very specific, beautiful pattern.
So what did we learn? Imagine convincing a tiny, perfect crystal to spill its atomic secrets by blasting it with an intense X-ray beam until it diffracts in a very specific, beautiful pattern.
The Angst of Losing Protein Midway: A Protein That Never Made It to the SDS-PAGE.
You were so close. Just a few fractions away from your pure, precious protein. You’ve spent days, maybe weeks, growing cultures, lysing cells, spinning lysates, filtering, calibrating columns, babysitting gradients.
You were so close. Just a few fractions away from your pure, precious protein. You’ve spent days, maybe weeks, growing cultures, lysing cells, spinning lysates, filtering, calibrating columns, babysitting gradients.
September 17, 2025 at 2:16 AM
The Angst of Losing Protein Midway: A Protein That Never Made It to the SDS-PAGE.
You were so close. Just a few fractions away from your pure, precious protein. You’ve spent days, maybe weeks, growing cultures, lysing cells, spinning lysates, filtering, calibrating columns, babysitting gradients.
You were so close. Just a few fractions away from your pure, precious protein. You’ve spent days, maybe weeks, growing cultures, lysing cells, spinning lysates, filtering, calibrating columns, babysitting gradients.
Mitophagy receptors’ IDRs trigger ER fragmentation and ER-phagy when transplanted at the ER membrane.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The intrinsically disordered regions of organellophagy receptors are interchangeable and control organelle fragmentation, ER-phagy and mitophagy flux - Nature Cell Biology
Rudinskiy et al. examine organellophagy receptor features, finding modules of functionally conserved intrinsically disordered regions and defining shared features despite sequence divergence, such as ...
www.nature.com
September 14, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Mitophagy receptors’ IDRs trigger ER fragmentation and ER-phagy when transplanted at the ER membrane.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Today’s serotonin boost? My personal timer appearing while I was making gourmet meals for bacteria.
Who needs diamonds when you have surprise lab tools?
#PhDlife
Who needs diamonds when you have surprise lab tools?
#PhDlife
September 10, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Today’s serotonin boost? My personal timer appearing while I was making gourmet meals for bacteria.
Who needs diamonds when you have surprise lab tools?
#PhDlife
Who needs diamonds when you have surprise lab tools?
#PhDlife
Reposted by Aanchal
I supervise an excellent postdoc who's looking for a postdoc or associate position in < 1 yr. Highly skilled in chem biol and biochem (peptide synthesis, native chem ligation, bacterial expression, purification, intein-based splicing, crystallography, interaction assays). Contact me if interested.
September 5, 2025 at 5:41 AM
I supervise an excellent postdoc who's looking for a postdoc or associate position in < 1 yr. Highly skilled in chem biol and biochem (peptide synthesis, native chem ligation, bacterial expression, purification, intein-based splicing, crystallography, interaction assays). Contact me if interested.
SUMOylation studies just got a serious upgrade! Fresh out of the lab- our team including our brilliant chemist PostDoc just published a clean, streamlined way to purify SUMO E2 and SUMO RANGAP. Whether one is into structural biology or biochemical wizardry, this toolkit is your new best friend.
We are happy to have contributed a protocol to a book on SUMO methods (work mainly by postdoc El Hadji Cisse and engineer Stéphane Goffinont): link.springer.com/protocol/10....
Production and Purification of SUMO-UBC9 and SUMO-RANGAP1CTD
SUMOylation is a post-translational modification catalyzed by a multi-step enzymatic cascade. To gain structural biology insights into the last step of this process, where SUMO is transferred from a S...
link.springer.com
September 2, 2025 at 6:33 PM
SUMOylation studies just got a serious upgrade! Fresh out of the lab- our team including our brilliant chemist PostDoc just published a clean, streamlined way to purify SUMO E2 and SUMO RANGAP. Whether one is into structural biology or biochemical wizardry, this toolkit is your new best friend.
Amazing work with solid experimental backing and crystal structures. BindCraft is here to stay.
Exciting to see our protein binder design pipeline BindCraft published in its final form in @Nature ! This has been an amazing collaborative effort with Lennart, Christian, @sokrypton.org, Bruno and many other amazing lab members and collaborators.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 27, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Amazing work with solid experimental backing and crystal structures. BindCraft is here to stay.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.
August 24, 2025 at 4:59 PM
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.