Zunlong Ke
@zunlongke.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @UT Austin | Structural Virology | cryo-EM and cryo-ET | Postdoc with John Briggs @MRC_LMB @MPI_biochem | PhD with Elizabeth Wright @GeorgiaTech @Emory
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
🌟 New Tool Alert!
We present MemPrO – a toolkit for orienting and building membrane protein systems:
✅ Membrane protein orientation ✅ Mixed membrane building ✅ Double membranes & curvature ✅ Peptidoglycan cell wall support
🔗 github.com/pstansfeld/mempro 📖 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
We present MemPrO – a toolkit for orienting and building membrane protein systems:
✅ Membrane protein orientation ✅ Mixed membrane building ✅ Double membranes & curvature ✅ Peptidoglycan cell wall support
🔗 github.com/pstansfeld/mempro 📖 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
MemPrO: A Predictive Tool for Membrane Protein Orientation
Membrane proteins play a vital role in numerous cellular processes, including ion transport, intercellular communication, and antibiotic resistance. Ensuring their accurate orientation within lipid bi...
pubs.acs.org
December 25, 2025 at 10:03 PM
🌟 New Tool Alert!
We present MemPrO – a toolkit for orienting and building membrane protein systems:
✅ Membrane protein orientation ✅ Mixed membrane building ✅ Double membranes & curvature ✅ Peptidoglycan cell wall support
🔗 github.com/pstansfeld/mempro 📖 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
We present MemPrO – a toolkit for orienting and building membrane protein systems:
✅ Membrane protein orientation ✅ Mixed membrane building ✅ Double membranes & curvature ✅ Peptidoglycan cell wall support
🔗 github.com/pstansfeld/mempro 📖 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Tired of drawing cilia or centrioles for slides and papers? I feel you.
Check out CiliaBuilder for ChimeraX → cxtoolshed.rbvi.ucsf.edu/apps/chimera...
Build custom 3D cilia & centriole models (tips + primary cilia included).
Check out CiliaBuilder for ChimeraX → cxtoolshed.rbvi.ucsf.edu/apps/chimera...
Build custom 3D cilia & centriole models (tips + primary cilia included).
December 23, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Tired of drawing cilia or centrioles for slides and papers? I feel you.
Check out CiliaBuilder for ChimeraX → cxtoolshed.rbvi.ucsf.edu/apps/chimera...
Build custom 3D cilia & centriole models (tips + primary cilia included).
Check out CiliaBuilder for ChimeraX → cxtoolshed.rbvi.ucsf.edu/apps/chimera...
Build custom 3D cilia & centriole models (tips + primary cilia included).
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Final version is out! Our large-scale cryo-ET dataset 🔬 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii 🦠 is now published in @cp-molcell.bsky.social
Huge collaborative effort! So glad to see the community already using it to develop new resources & tools.
Check it out here: shorturl.at/z4i4c
#CryoEM #CryoET
Huge collaborative effort! So glad to see the community already using it to develop new resources & tools.
Check it out here: shorturl.at/z4i4c
#CryoEM #CryoET
December 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Final version is out! Our large-scale cryo-ET dataset 🔬 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii 🦠 is now published in @cp-molcell.bsky.social
Huge collaborative effort! So glad to see the community already using it to develop new resources & tools.
Check it out here: shorturl.at/z4i4c
#CryoEM #CryoET
Huge collaborative effort! So glad to see the community already using it to develop new resources & tools.
Check it out here: shorturl.at/z4i4c
#CryoEM #CryoET
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Capsid flexibility during Ty1 virus-like particle assembly www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.17.694965v1 #cryoem
December 19, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Capsid flexibility during Ty1 virus-like particle assembly www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.17.694965v1 #cryoem
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Congratulations, Julia Mahamid!
Julia Mahamid receives the @dfg.de Leibniz Prize for her work on structural cell biology!
#LeibnizPreis
Julia Mahamid receives the @dfg.de Leibniz Prize for her work on structural cell biology!
#LeibnizPreis
Und hier sind sie – die 10 Preisträger*innen des Gottfried Wilhelm #LeibnizPreis' 2026 – ausgezeichnet für ihre exzellenten Forschungsarbeiten und Errungenschaften in der Wissenschaft! 🏆👏
Die Verleihung der Preise feiern wir am 18. März in Berlin.
Einzelheiten & Kurzprofile: sohub.io/1uv1
Die Verleihung der Preise feiern wir am 18. März in Berlin.
Einzelheiten & Kurzprofile: sohub.io/1uv1
December 11, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Congratulations, Julia Mahamid!
Julia Mahamid receives the @dfg.de Leibniz Prize for her work on structural cell biology!
#LeibnizPreis
Julia Mahamid receives the @dfg.de Leibniz Prize for her work on structural cell biology!
#LeibnizPreis
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
This week, check out a new #Primer on #cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET) used for visualizing 3D structures of cells with sub-nanometer resolution. 🔬🧫
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Correlative cryogenic light and electron tomography of eukaryotic cells - Nature Reviews Methods Primers
Cryogenic electron tomography provides unparalleled insights into cell biology and disease. When combined with light microscopy, it enables precise localization of regions of interest and direct corre...
www.nature.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:54 PM
This week, check out a new #Primer on #cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET) used for visualizing 3D structures of cells with sub-nanometer resolution. 🔬🧫
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
IsoNet2 determines cellular structures at submolecular resolution without averaging https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.09.693325v1
December 11, 2025 at 11:32 AM
IsoNet2 determines cellular structures at submolecular resolution without averaging https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.09.693325v1
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Calling all postdocs! Applications are open for Dept. of Molecular Biosciences 3rd Trailblazers Postdoctoral Symposium @utaustin.bsky.social. Come to Austin, meet your peers, showcase your work. Application is easy and all expenses are paid! Spread the word!
tinyurl.com/yw7ffjn9
tinyurl.com/yw7ffjn9
Microsoft Forms
tinyurl.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Calling all postdocs! Applications are open for Dept. of Molecular Biosciences 3rd Trailblazers Postdoctoral Symposium @utaustin.bsky.social. Come to Austin, meet your peers, showcase your work. Application is easy and all expenses are paid! Spread the word!
tinyurl.com/yw7ffjn9
tinyurl.com/yw7ffjn9
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Two scientists who are fast friends, one Nigerian and one American, have won the MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition for their network to catch the next disease with pandemic potential.
$100 million prize goes to dynamic duo aiming to stop next pandemic before it starts
Two scientists who are fast friends, one Nigerian and one American, have won the MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition for their network to catch the next disease with pandemic potential.
n.pr
November 22, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Two scientists who are fast friends, one Nigerian and one American, have won the MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition for their network to catch the next disease with pandemic potential.
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Prohibitins aren’t hanging out just anywhere in the membrane — they prefer the 💁♀️💎✨VIP section💅🪩🥂
Lab all-star @mmedina300kv.bsky.social maps these microdomains using cryo-ET + surface morphometrics.
s/o to #teamtomo #cryoET co-authors
@hamid13r.bsky.social
@attychang.bsky.social
@baradlab.com
Lab all-star @mmedina300kv.bsky.social maps these microdomains using cryo-ET + surface morphometrics.
s/o to #teamtomo #cryoET co-authors
@hamid13r.bsky.social
@attychang.bsky.social
@baradlab.com
Prohibitin complexes associate with unique membrane microdomains in cells https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.14.688579v1
November 17, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Prohibitins aren’t hanging out just anywhere in the membrane — they prefer the 💁♀️💎✨VIP section💅🪩🥂
Lab all-star @mmedina300kv.bsky.social maps these microdomains using cryo-ET + surface morphometrics.
s/o to #teamtomo #cryoET co-authors
@hamid13r.bsky.social
@attychang.bsky.social
@baradlab.com
Lab all-star @mmedina300kv.bsky.social maps these microdomains using cryo-ET + surface morphometrics.
s/o to #teamtomo #cryoET co-authors
@hamid13r.bsky.social
@attychang.bsky.social
@baradlab.com
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
IFL Science: “Lupus Linked To Virus That Over 95 Percent Of Us Carry – And Now We Finally Know How”
"We think it applies to 100% of lupus”
cases."
www.iflscience.com/lupus-linked...
"We think it applies to 100% of lupus”
cases."
www.iflscience.com/lupus-linked...
Lupus Linked To Virus That Over 95 Percent Of Us Carry – And Now We Finally Know How
"We think it applies to 100% of lupus cases."
www.iflscience.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:09 AM
IFL Science: “Lupus Linked To Virus That Over 95 Percent Of Us Carry – And Now We Finally Know How”
"We think it applies to 100% of lupus”
cases."
www.iflscience.com/lupus-linked...
"We think it applies to 100% of lupus”
cases."
www.iflscience.com/lupus-linked...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
MPI–Weizmann Postdoc (4-year, co-mentored)
Together with Ori Avinoam (Weizmann), we’re recruiting a postdoc to uncover membrane remodelling mechanisms in muscle development using cryo-EM of recombinant proteins, and cell imaging/CLEM. Apply here by 21.11.25 forms.gle/ZtDWUjcTBu4d...
Together with Ori Avinoam (Weizmann), we’re recruiting a postdoc to uncover membrane remodelling mechanisms in muscle development using cryo-EM of recombinant proteins, and cell imaging/CLEM. Apply here by 21.11.25 forms.gle/ZtDWUjcTBu4d...
MPI-WIS postdoc application
Max-Planck–Weizmann Postdoc (4-year, co-mentored)
Together with Ori Avinoam (Weizmann), we’re recruiting a postdoc to uncover membrane remodelling mechanisms in muscle development using recombinant pr...
forms.gle
November 13, 2025 at 4:31 PM
MPI–Weizmann Postdoc (4-year, co-mentored)
Together with Ori Avinoam (Weizmann), we’re recruiting a postdoc to uncover membrane remodelling mechanisms in muscle development using cryo-EM of recombinant proteins, and cell imaging/CLEM. Apply here by 21.11.25 forms.gle/ZtDWUjcTBu4d...
Together with Ori Avinoam (Weizmann), we’re recruiting a postdoc to uncover membrane remodelling mechanisms in muscle development using cryo-EM of recombinant proteins, and cell imaging/CLEM. Apply here by 21.11.25 forms.gle/ZtDWUjcTBu4d...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Excited for Adam Klivans and my other colleagues at UT working in the AI space!
Already among the most powerful artificial intelligence hubs in academia, the UT Center for Generative AI is keeping its foot on the gas. “It’s exciting to accelerate discovery and to create more opportunities for our researchers to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
UT Doubles Size of One of World’s Most Powerful AI Computing Hubs
AUSTIN, Texas — The Center for Generative AI at The University of Texas at Austin, already among the most powerful artificial intelligence hubs in the
news.utexas.edu
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Excited for Adam Klivans and my other colleagues at UT working in the AI space!
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 AM
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Glad to see our antibody design paper finally out in
@nature.com
(and congrats to lead authors and everyone involved )!
At Xaira we are excited about pushing antibody design further to bind harder targets and make drugs for unmet medical needs.
Paper:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@nature.com
(and congrats to lead authors and everyone involved )!
At Xaira we are excited about pushing antibody design further to bind harder targets and make drugs for unmet medical needs.
Paper:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 5, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Glad to see our antibody design paper finally out in
@nature.com
(and congrats to lead authors and everyone involved )!
At Xaira we are excited about pushing antibody design further to bind harder targets and make drugs for unmet medical needs.
Paper:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@nature.com
(and congrats to lead authors and everyone involved )!
At Xaira we are excited about pushing antibody design further to bind harder targets and make drugs for unmet medical needs.
Paper:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Lab’s first paper is out!! We show the first structures of #Asgard #chromatin by #cryo-EM 🧬❄️
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
October 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Lab’s first paper is out!! We show the first structures of #Asgard #chromatin by #cryo-EM 🧬❄️
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Glushkova, Böhm, & Beck @maxplanck.de develop a publicly available computational method to measure the thickness of biological membranes in cryo-electron tomograms. Analysis of algae & human cells reveals systematic membrane thickness variations within & across organelles rupress.org/jcb/article/...
November 4, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Glushkova, Böhm, & Beck @maxplanck.de develop a publicly available computational method to measure the thickness of biological membranes in cryo-electron tomograms. Analysis of algae & human cells reveals systematic membrane thickness variations within & across organelles rupress.org/jcb/article/...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Systematic membrane thickness variation across cellular organelles revealed by cryo-ET pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41186573/ #cryoem
November 5, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Systematic membrane thickness variation across cellular organelles revealed by cryo-ET pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41186573/ #cryoem
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Lessons learned from a Kaggle challenge for particle picking in cryo-electron tomography [new]
Kaggle cryo-ET picking: Over-pick tol, aug, & annot key.
Kaggle cryo-ET picking: Over-pick tol, aug, & annot key.
November 5, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Lessons learned from a Kaggle challenge for particle picking in cryo-electron tomography [new]
Kaggle cryo-ET picking: Over-pick tol, aug, & annot key.
Kaggle cryo-ET picking: Over-pick tol, aug, & annot key.
Just completed 100 miles at Austin rolling through Texas Hill Country. The event is 2025 LiveStrong Challenge to support cancer research. Feeling blessed!
November 2, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Just completed 100 miles at Austin rolling through Texas Hill Country. The event is 2025 LiveStrong Challenge to support cancer research. Feeling blessed!
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
We are looking for a computational postdoc to work with us on new optimisation algorithms to make #RELION even better. Join our bubbly team at the @mrclmb.bsky.social in Cambridge, UK. 🤗 RTs appreciated.
mrc.tal.net/vx/appcentre...
mrc.tal.net/vx/appcentre...
Quick Check Needed
mrc.tal.net
October 29, 2025 at 9:17 AM
We are looking for a computational postdoc to work with us on new optimisation algorithms to make #RELION even better. Join our bubbly team at the @mrclmb.bsky.social in Cambridge, UK. 🤗 RTs appreciated.
mrc.tal.net/vx/appcentre...
mrc.tal.net/vx/appcentre...
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
Ever seen a pumpkin under a microscope? 🎃🔬
This Halloween, Raymond Wightman & Daniel Sparrow used @slcuplants.bsky.social’s powerful imaging tools to reveal:
🔬 Skin detail with the #Keyence microscope
💡 Beta-carotene via #Raman spectroscopy
❄️ Flash-frozen oval cells via cryo-SEM
#HappyHalloween
This Halloween, Raymond Wightman & Daniel Sparrow used @slcuplants.bsky.social’s powerful imaging tools to reveal:
🔬 Skin detail with the #Keyence microscope
💡 Beta-carotene via #Raman spectroscopy
❄️ Flash-frozen oval cells via cryo-SEM
#HappyHalloween
October 31, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Ever seen a pumpkin under a microscope? 🎃🔬
This Halloween, Raymond Wightman & Daniel Sparrow used @slcuplants.bsky.social’s powerful imaging tools to reveal:
🔬 Skin detail with the #Keyence microscope
💡 Beta-carotene via #Raman spectroscopy
❄️ Flash-frozen oval cells via cryo-SEM
#HappyHalloween
This Halloween, Raymond Wightman & Daniel Sparrow used @slcuplants.bsky.social’s powerful imaging tools to reveal:
🔬 Skin detail with the #Keyence microscope
💡 Beta-carotene via #Raman spectroscopy
❄️ Flash-frozen oval cells via cryo-SEM
#HappyHalloween
Reposted by Zunlong Ke
New lab preprint!
@zestytoast.bsky.social tagged a scarce mycobacterial protein in M. smegmatis with TwinStep but got… something? @kjamali.bsky.social's ModelAngelo built models & @martinsteinegger.bsky.social's FoldSeek IDed them as the biotin-containing MCC & LCC complexes
🧵
tinyurl.com/ukny4ptz
@zestytoast.bsky.social tagged a scarce mycobacterial protein in M. smegmatis with TwinStep but got… something? @kjamali.bsky.social's ModelAngelo built models & @martinsteinegger.bsky.social's FoldSeek IDed them as the biotin-containing MCC & LCC complexes
🧵
tinyurl.com/ukny4ptz
October 30, 2025 at 3:21 AM
New lab preprint!
@zestytoast.bsky.social tagged a scarce mycobacterial protein in M. smegmatis with TwinStep but got… something? @kjamali.bsky.social's ModelAngelo built models & @martinsteinegger.bsky.social's FoldSeek IDed them as the biotin-containing MCC & LCC complexes
🧵
tinyurl.com/ukny4ptz
@zestytoast.bsky.social tagged a scarce mycobacterial protein in M. smegmatis with TwinStep but got… something? @kjamali.bsky.social's ModelAngelo built models & @martinsteinegger.bsky.social's FoldSeek IDed them as the biotin-containing MCC & LCC complexes
🧵
tinyurl.com/ukny4ptz
The biophysics class I taught recently did kinesin walks hand-over-hand model (2004, Science), with reference to the inchworm model (2002,Science). Students discussed danced to mimic the two models, super fun!
Thanks to the shortage of giant squid due to meteorological disturbance El Niño in 1983!
Thanks to the shortage of giant squid due to meteorological disturbance El Niño in 1983!
Another undergraduate paper discussion today! This time we are doing Ron Vale's 1985 kinesin trifecta. Focusing on [1] & [3]. 🧪🔬
[1] www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
[2] www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
[3] www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
[4] www.ibiology.org/cell-biology...
[1] www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
[2] www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
[3] www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
[4] www.ibiology.org/cell-biology...
Identification of a novel force-generating protein, kinesin, involved in microtubule-based motility
Axoplasm from the squid giant axon contains a soluble protein translocator that induces movement of microtubules on glass, latex beads on microtubules…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 25, 2025 at 5:32 AM
The biophysics class I taught recently did kinesin walks hand-over-hand model (2004, Science), with reference to the inchworm model (2002,Science). Students discussed danced to mimic the two models, super fun!
Thanks to the shortage of giant squid due to meteorological disturbance El Niño in 1983!
Thanks to the shortage of giant squid due to meteorological disturbance El Niño in 1983!