Sam Witus
switus.bsky.social
Sam Witus
@switus.bsky.social
Postdoc at UC Berkeley MCB via UW Biochemistry. ACS fellow. Keen on using genetics to unravel new molecular mechanisms.
Reposted by Sam Witus
This October I’m drawing one molecule a day inspired by proteins in pdb @rcsbpdb.bsky.social

Day 3/31
Prompt CROWN

Coronavirus spike protein. The crown sits on one of its three receptor-binding domains - a key element for successful infection.

Pdb: 6ZWV

Next prompt is MURKY and I’m at loss
October 4, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Reposted by Sam Witus
For decades, human genome editing has been limited to small, localized modifications.

Today, in a new paper published in @science.org , researchers from Arc's Hsu lab show that bridge recombinase technology is capable of large-scale genomic rearrangements in human cells.
September 25, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
Excited that our study identifying TRIP12 - an essential E3 ligase mutated in a neurodevelopmental disease - as a critical component of the oxidative stress response is now online. Congratulations to Andrew, Devlon and Jenny! @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Dynamic regulation of the oxidative stress response by the E3 ligase TRIP12
Centered on the transcription factor NRF2 and its E3 ligase CUL3KEAP1, the oxidative stress response protects cells from damage by reactive oxygen spe…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 11, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
New discovery from our team defining how human brain cancers rewire the metabolism of the normal brain published this week @nature.com and led by stellar postdoc Drew Scott (comentored by @lyssiotislab.bsky.social and currently on job market with a K99/R00). www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Rewiring of cortical glucose metabolism fuels human brain cancer growth - Nature
The cortex fuels essential physiological processes with glucose-derived carbon, while gliomas fuel their aggressiveness by rerouting glucose carbon pathways and scavenging alternative carbon sources s...
www.nature.com
September 6, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
New York Times story with profiles of researchers whose grants were terminated.

[Gift Link]

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/o...
Opinion | America First? Not When It Comes to Your Health.
www.nytimes.com
August 24, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
Motherfucking wind farms…
July 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
I wish our media had the knowledge for pushback. NIH is not a business. Funds science that no business would touch. Provides momentum for science that companies run with. Trains a pipeline of scientists for pharma/biotech. That Vought’s own kid has the quality of life because of NIH funded research
July 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
Many congratulations to Heegwang Roh for being selected as a Jane Coffin Childs postdoctoral fellow! Go Heegwang!

www.jccfund.org/wp-content/u...
www.jccfund.org
June 24, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
BRCA1 turned 30 🎉
To celebrate, Jos Jonkers and I explored three decades of BRCA1 research - what we’ve learned about its biology, its role in tumorigenesis and future directions to improve the life of BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Now out in Cancer Discovery ⬇️: aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...
Thirty Years of BRCA1: Mechanistic Insights and Their Impact on Mutation Carriers
Abstract. Thirty years ago, the cloning of the first breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1, marked a milestone in our understanding of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. This discovery initiate...
aacrjournals.org
March 3, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by Sam Witus
I created a brief spreadsheet of reductions I've heard of so far. Any additions you know of (especially if you have the links/receipts) would be great: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Graduate Reductions Across Biomedical Sciences (2025)
docs.google.com
February 22, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Happy to have contributed to this nice follow up finding from the lab of Trisha Davis showing that centromere specific nucleosomal DNA sequence contributes to force transmission in fully reconstituted kinetochores.

elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
Force transmission through the inner kinetochore is enhanced by centromeric DNA sequences
elifesciences.org
February 22, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Reposted by Sam Witus
It’s been a tough few weeks. My 10yo daughter was diagnosed with a very rare, aggressive cancer called interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS). I’m reaching out to identify clinicians/patients who have encountered pediatric IDCS or other (non-LCH) dendritic or histiocytic sarcomas cases.
February 8, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
In a great collaboration with @hummerlab.bsky.social and the Kräusslich lab: HIV capsid doesn't break at the NPC; instead, it cracks open the NPC itself! Details in Cell: authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S... @mpibp.bsky.social @uniheidelberg.bsky.social A thread below:
January 17, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by Sam Witus
New to #ubiquitin? Been with it for a while? Either way this review may be for you 🤩

Excited to share our review article in @molcell.bsky.social, diving deep into everything #ubiquitin
Read here 👉: kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...

@cellpress.bsky.social
@wehi-research.bsky.social
January 17, 2025 at 2:19 AM