Stephen Royle
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steveroyle.bsky.social
Stephen Royle
@steveroyle.bsky.social
I'm into chord changes and cell biology.

Professor - University of Warwick. Director - The Company of Biologists. Views are my own and not those of any organisation I am associated with.

Mastodon: @steveroyle@biologists.social
Lab: https://roylelab.org
Reposted by Stephen Royle
A menagerie of COS cells for #MicroscopyMonday 🧪
February 9, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
I made a map of 3.4 million Bluesky users - see if you can find yourself!

bluesky-map.theo.io

I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
Bluesky Map
Interactive map of 3.4 million Bluesky users, visualised by their follower pattern.
bluesky-map.theo.io
February 8, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
A very cool bug fact I just learned: the first published description of the process later defined as “clathrin-mediated endocytosis” – lets cells uptake large molecules; exploited by viruses – was yolk precursor internalization by maturing Aedes aegypti oocytes! 🦟 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14126875/
February 6, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Postdoc job alert at Institut Jacques Monod in Paris! Interested in fundamental membrane trafficking? We seek a postdoc to study collagen secretion as a model for core principles of how cells and their environment build each other. emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/U...
Portail Emploi CNRS - Offre d'emploi - Poste de chercheur postdoctoral en trafic membranaire fondamental et sécrétion du collagène (H/F)
Assurez-vous que votre profil candidat soit correctement renseigné avant de postuler
emploi.cnrs.fr
February 6, 2026 at 10:12 AM
I've joined the Editorial Board of @plosbiology.org

PLOS Biology is the flagship #PLOS journal in the Life Sciences. I'm looking forward to handling terrific cell biology papers for them.

#CellBiology
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
2nd postdoc job alert in the Crick Institute in London. Project will examine the role of motors & the cytoskeleton (actin, septins and microtubules) during vaccinia virus egress using biochemical, structural & cellular approaches + live cell imaging. spread the word.
crick.ac.uk/WayPostdoc20...
Postdoctoral Fellow - Cellular signalling and cytoskeletal function lab
crick.ac.uk
February 6, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Postdoc job alert in the Crick Institute in London. Are you interested in the actin cytoskeleton? I am looking for a postdoc to examine the cellular, developmental or physiological role of Arp2/3 iso-complex driven actin polymerisation. Multiple aspects available.
crick.ac.uk/WayPostdoc2026
Postdoctoral Fellow - Cellular signalling and cytoskeletal function lab
crick.ac.uk
February 6, 2026 at 8:22 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
#neuroskyence #neurosci #PainResearch 🧪💊

By @physoc.bsky.social

A brilliant scientist and leader has left us. I taught about Dr. Dolphin's work on calcium channels and gabapentin in our pharmacology curriculum.

Remembering Annette Dolphin (1951 – 2026)
Annette Dolphin (1951 - 2026)
The Society is deeply saddened to share the news that Annette Dolphin, our former President, died early on the morning of 26 January 2026.
www.physoc.org
February 5, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Busy #cellfie 🧪
February 5, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Paywalled but visible to many uni-based people

Apparently...

Much reduced MRC success rate for grants now in pipeline

Reduced MRC future funding for 'applicant-led' research

But 'life sciences remain a priority'....

Lot of room for more clarity (and recognition of effects on ECRs)
Four senior UKRI leaders appeared at a press briefing this morning in the wake of RPN stories over the last week about a shake-up to research council funding

Our story that the MRC is expecting to fund fewer grants through applicant-led calls that closed in September last year was confirmed

...
Medical Research Council ‘will fund fewer applicant-led grants’.

Confirmation from deputy leader comes as council restructures investments, with calls on hold until summer.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
February 5, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
An intracellular meteor shower. EB3 comets tracking growing microtubule plus-ends in a cultured cell.
February 5, 2026 at 5:27 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Some thoughts on the select committee appearance by the boss of UKRI, Ian Chapman yesterday. It’s a long watch but can be seen here: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...
Thread 🧵
Parliamentlive.tv
Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
parliamentlive.tv
February 4, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
🚨🚨🚨Attention, cell biologists! @jcellsci.bsky.social are recruiting a new EiC to follow in @drmichaelway.bsky.social’s footsteps & are seeking community input - link to survey 👇
After 15 years as Editor-in-chief (EiC), Michael Way @drmichaelway.bsky.social will be stepping down at the end of 2026 & we are seeking feedback from the cell biology community as part of the consultation process for appointing a new EiC.
We'd love to hear from you: www.surveymonkey.com/r/GZCC9F9
February 3, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
After 15 years as Editor-in-chief (EiC), Michael Way @drmichaelway.bsky.social will be stepping down at the end of 2026 & we are seeking feedback from the cell biology community as part of the consultation process for appointing a new EiC.
We'd love to hear from you: www.surveymonkey.com/r/GZCC9F9
February 3, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
I watched much of Ian Chapman's (Head of @ukri.org) appearance this morning at @ukparliament.parliament.uk Science, Innovation and Technology Committee..

A few points and new information that bioscientists may find interesting...

A 🧵
February 3, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Peeking inside a cellular galaxy #cellfie 🧪
February 3, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Last week, RPN broke a string of stories on significant changes to funding across a number of research councils (see thread below)

This morning, UKRI chief executive is appearing at the Commons science committee, where he is being asked about them by MPs

Here are some key moments so far 🧵
February 3, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
In case you ever wondered about the differences between magrittr pipe and base pipe 🤔

This table is taken from a great stackoverflow answer by @GeorgKindermann

stackoverflow.com/questions/67...

#rstats #dataviz #phd
February 2, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Mitosis lovers, get ready for Dubrovnik! 🔬🎉
I’m super excited to be organizing the 4th Mitotic Spindle Conference with Nenad Pavin, and we can’t wait to see you there!
Want your abstract to be selected for a talk? Submit by Feb 8!
www.phy.pmf.unizg.hr/~mitosis/
#SpindleCroatia2026
February 2, 2026 at 8:22 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Quick science policy thread 1

Changes in the governance of UK science since the mid 1980s make it extremely hard to be strategic (that was the point), in terms of both process (dropped) and capability (hollowed out).
February 1, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
How do librarians decide which peer-reviewed biomedical journals are worth subscribing to?

Genuine question from a journal editor who’s realizing this is a huge blind spot.
February 2, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Structure of the adaptor protein 4 (AP-4) complex revealed! AP-4 exists in a dynamic equilibrium between closed and open conformations in solution. ARF1 does not shift this equilibrium but is required—together with cargo—for membrane recruitment. rdcu.be/e1ozM
January 29, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
The reforms to UKRI under Ian Chapman are only just starting, but there are already worries about what they mean for the bread and butter, applicant-led funding calls at research councils

While UKRI insists comparisons with previous years are impossible, figures from December suggest...
January 28, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Do you want to know more about how Retromer regulates Rab7 activity in yeast? Of course you do. Check out the new collaboration with Andreas Mayer with work led by Catarina Alves and Kevin Chen.
The GTPase activating protein Gyp6 binds Retromer and inactivates Rab7/Ypt7 to coordinate the formation of endosomal carriers
The Retromer coat is conserved in all eukaryotes and is crucial for the correct intracellular sorting of many transmembrane receptors and lysosomal hydrolases. Retromer is an effector of the late endosomal small GTPase RAB7 and is also implicated in its inactivation required for proper endosomal maturation. Here, we explore the role of controlled GTP hydrolysis by the RAB7 ortholog Ypt7 in the formation of Retromer-coated membrane carriers in yeast. Proximity labelling and genetic ablation identify the GTPase Activating Protein (GAP) Gyp6 as a critical regulator of Ypt7 activity in the context or Retromer. Structural studies show that Retromer recruits Gyp6 through its Vps29 subunit, which recognises a specific PL motif and a secondary binding site in the C-terminal domain of Gyp6. This interaction does not occur with other yeast GAPs. Ablation of the Gyp6-Retromer interface or the catalytic activity of Gyp6 leads to the accumulation of tubular structures on endo-lysosomal compartments and to increased association of Ypt7 with Retromer and its cargo Vps10. These results support a model in which Gyp6 controls the switch from Ypt7-dependent Retromer coat assembly and cargo collection to the departure of the carrier through membrane fission and uncoating. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. National Health and Medical Research Council, https://ror.org/011kf5r70, APP2016410 Swiss National Science Foundation, https://ror.org/00yjd3n13, 31003A_179306, 310030_204713, 10.006.083
www.biorxiv.org
January 28, 2026 at 1:25 AM
Reposted by Stephen Royle
Excited to announce that our #PUFFFIN plasmids are finally available on @addgene.bsky.social to make PUFFFIN neighbour labelling even more accessible. You can find the plasmids here www.addgene.org/Sally_Lowell/ and our paper here link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Big thanks @cellysally.bsky.social!
Addgene: Sally Lowell Lab Materials
www.addgene.org
January 26, 2026 at 9:50 AM