Chi-Min Ho
@cmholab.bsky.social
Structural Biologist • Biochemist • Parasitologist • Co-host of ThePlungePodcast theplunge.org • Assistant Professor @ Columbia • Cryo electron microscopy/tomography of malarial membrane protein complexes. #teamtomo #cryoET #cryoEM #malaria cmholab.org
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
New work from Tahirov x Lim collaboration! @qixianghe.bsky.social from my lab contributed the cryo-EM structures for this work. We are excited to help explain how anti-HSV drugs work and to guide their future development.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@unmc.bsky.social @uwbiochem.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@unmc.bsky.social @uwbiochem.bsky.social
Structural basis of herpesvirus helicase-primase inhibition by pritelivir and amenamevir
Structural studies of HSV-1 helicase-primase revealed how pritelivir and amenamevir bind and block its helicase activity.
www.science.org
November 10, 2025 at 12:14 AM
New work from Tahirov x Lim collaboration! @qixianghe.bsky.social from my lab contributed the cryo-EM structures for this work. We are excited to help explain how anti-HSV drugs work and to guide their future development.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@unmc.bsky.social @uwbiochem.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@unmc.bsky.social @uwbiochem.bsky.social
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Seeing is believing-Plasmodium falciparum translation in action pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41202797/ #cryoem
November 8, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Seeing is believing-Plasmodium falciparum translation in action pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41202797/ #cryoem
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Excited to share our latest @nature.com: How does naloxone (Narcan) stop an opioid overdose? We determined the first GDP-bound μ-opioid receptor–G protein structures and found naloxone traps a novel "latent” state, preventing GDP release and G protein activation.💊🧪 🧵👇 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 5, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Excited to share our latest @nature.com: How does naloxone (Narcan) stop an opioid overdose? We determined the first GDP-bound μ-opioid receptor–G protein structures and found naloxone traps a novel "latent” state, preventing GDP release and G protein activation.💊🧪 🧵👇 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
I love AlphaFold—but please include PAE (Predicted Aligned Error) plots for every “interaction.” Pretty PDBs ≠ proof. If the PAE doesn’t show an interface, it ain’t one. Show the plots. Structural biology's reputation is on the line.
October 24, 2025 at 5:44 PM
I love AlphaFold—but please include PAE (Predicted Aligned Error) plots for every “interaction.” Pretty PDBs ≠ proof. If the PAE doesn’t show an interface, it ain’t one. Show the plots. Structural biology's reputation is on the line.
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Thrilled our study on heme crystal motion in #malaria @parasitesrule.org is now published @pnas.org, support from NIH, @bwfund.bsky.social, @uofutahcihd.bsky.social, UofU 3i. With Fu and Bidone labs @price.utah.edu, @uofubiochem.bsky.social, @uofuhealth.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Chemical propulsion of hemozoin crystal motion in malaria parasites | PNAS
Malaria parasites infect red blood cells where they digest host hemoglobin and release
free heme inside a lysosome-like organelle called the food v...
www.pnas.org
October 28, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Thrilled our study on heme crystal motion in #malaria @parasitesrule.org is now published @pnas.org, support from NIH, @bwfund.bsky.social, @uofutahcihd.bsky.social, UofU 3i. With Fu and Bidone labs @price.utah.edu, @uofubiochem.bsky.social, @uofuhealth.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
We have a new preprint for you. Naked mole rats are very long-lived rodents and have increased translational fidelity.
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Cryo-EM structure of the naked mole-rat ribosome reveals a stabilized split 28S rRNA
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a long-lived mammal with remarkable resistance to cancer and hypoxia, suggesting the evolution of robust proteostasis networks. The ribosome, the central ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 28, 2025 at 3:24 PM
We have a new preprint for you. Naked mole rats are very long-lived rodents and have increased translational fidelity.
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Interestingly, 28S ribosomal RNA is split. Here we investigated the structure of the ribosome by single particle cryo-EM. Take a look.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Learn how our hunt for the native structure of top antimalarial target PfATP4🧂led to the discovery of PfABP, an unknown essential binding partner, out now! @natcomms.nature.com 👉 rdcu.be/eLRlH 🦠🔬❄️
A team effort led by @mehsehret.bsky.social & Anurag Shukla @akhilvaidya.bsky.social! #cryoEM #malaria
A team effort led by @mehsehret.bsky.social & Anurag Shukla @akhilvaidya.bsky.social! #cryoEM #malaria
Endogenous structure of antimalarial target PfATP4 reveals an apicomplexan-specific P-type ATPase modulator
Nature Communications - Here, the authors present the 3.7 Å cryoEM structure of native sodium efflux pump PfATP4 from Plasmodium falciparum, revealing a bound protein that they term...
rdcu.be
October 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Learn how our hunt for the native structure of top antimalarial target PfATP4🧂led to the discovery of PfABP, an unknown essential binding partner, out now! @natcomms.nature.com 👉 rdcu.be/eLRlH 🦠🔬❄️
A team effort led by @mehsehret.bsky.social & Anurag Shukla @akhilvaidya.bsky.social! #cryoEM #malaria
A team effort led by @mehsehret.bsky.social & Anurag Shukla @akhilvaidya.bsky.social! #cryoEM #malaria
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
It was so fun to work on this with @gkocker.bsky.social and @clienkaemper.bsky.social! It is out @pnas.org
If you love olfaction and love math, this one is for you!
🦟👃🧮
When noncanonical olfaction is optimal | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
If you love olfaction and love math, this one is for you!
🦟👃🧮
When noncanonical olfaction is optimal | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
When noncanonical olfaction is optimal | PNAS
The early olfactory system is canonically described by a “one-receptor-to-one-neuron”
model: each olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) expresses a single...
www.pnas.org
October 8, 2025 at 12:42 PM
It was so fun to work on this with @gkocker.bsky.social and @clienkaemper.bsky.social! It is out @pnas.org
If you love olfaction and love math, this one is for you!
🦟👃🧮
When noncanonical olfaction is optimal | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
If you love olfaction and love math, this one is for you!
🦟👃🧮
When noncanonical olfaction is optimal | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Excited to share that our paper on mitochondrial cardiolipin dynamics is published in @natcomms.nature.com today! We provide molecular explanations for unique aspects of mitochondrial morphology and the mechanisms underlying cardiolipin-related Barth Syndrome.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Cardiolipin dynamics promote membrane remodeling by mitochondrial OPA1 - Nature Communications
This study reveals how cardiolipin governs mitochondrial morphology by modulating the activity of human OPA1 and how its replacement by monolyso-cardiolipin, as observed in Barth syndrome, impacts mitochondrial membrane-shaping mechanisms.
www.nature.com
September 30, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Excited to share that our paper on mitochondrial cardiolipin dynamics is published in @natcomms.nature.com today! We provide molecular explanations for unique aspects of mitochondrial morphology and the mechanisms underlying cardiolipin-related Barth Syndrome.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Behind every scientist is an army of workers who keep the biomedical research ecosystem running. Hear from these workers and how they contribute at www.nycures.org/ and SIGN UP to have your voice heard!
September 25, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Behind every scientist is an army of workers who keep the biomedical research ecosystem running. Hear from these workers and how they contribute at www.nycures.org/ and SIGN UP to have your voice heard!
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
We have a preprint of a book chapter for you: Structural Analysis of Membrane Proteins in Cell-Derived Microvesicles.
We describe how to image membrane proteins in mid-sized vesicles using cryo-electron tomography
zenodo.org/records/1717...
We describe how to image membrane proteins in mid-sized vesicles using cryo-electron tomography
zenodo.org/records/1717...
Structural Analysis of Membrane Proteins in Cell-Derived Microvesicles
zenodo.org
September 22, 2025 at 12:36 PM
We have a preprint of a book chapter for you: Structural Analysis of Membrane Proteins in Cell-Derived Microvesicles.
We describe how to image membrane proteins in mid-sized vesicles using cryo-electron tomography
zenodo.org/records/1717...
We describe how to image membrane proteins in mid-sized vesicles using cryo-electron tomography
zenodo.org/records/1717...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
🚀 Check out our new preprint on extending the scope of single-particle cryo-EM with 2D template matching!
Improved cryo-EM reconstruction of sub-50 kDa complexes using 2D template matching is now available on bioRxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Improved cryo-EM reconstruction of sub-50 kDa complexes using 2D template matching is now available on bioRxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 17, 2025 at 5:07 PM
🚀 Check out our new preprint on extending the scope of single-particle cryo-EM with 2D template matching!
Improved cryo-EM reconstruction of sub-50 kDa complexes using 2D template matching is now available on bioRxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Improved cryo-EM reconstruction of sub-50 kDa complexes using 2D template matching is now available on bioRxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
This one is a bit of a departure from the usual and definitely a work in progress!
We found that by using ab initio reconstruction at very high res, in very small steps, we could crack some small structures that had eluded us - e.g. 39kDa iPKAc (EMPIAR-10252), below.
Read on for details... 1/x
We found that by using ab initio reconstruction at very high res, in very small steps, we could crack some small structures that had eluded us - e.g. 39kDa iPKAc (EMPIAR-10252), below.
Read on for details... 1/x
September 13, 2025 at 12:05 AM
This one is a bit of a departure from the usual and definitely a work in progress!
We found that by using ab initio reconstruction at very high res, in very small steps, we could crack some small structures that had eluded us - e.g. 39kDa iPKAc (EMPIAR-10252), below.
Read on for details... 1/x
We found that by using ab initio reconstruction at very high res, in very small steps, we could crack some small structures that had eluded us - e.g. 39kDa iPKAc (EMPIAR-10252), below.
Read on for details... 1/x
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
🚀 NY-CURES Launch — Championing State-Wide Investment in Science! 🚀
Our new coalition advocates for sustained public support of New York’s vibrant biomedical research ecosystem — creating cures, economic gains & strengthening communities.
Sign up. Stay informed. Join the movement: www.nycures.org/
Our new coalition advocates for sustained public support of New York’s vibrant biomedical research ecosystem — creating cures, economic gains & strengthening communities.
Sign up. Stay informed. Join the movement: www.nycures.org/
September 4, 2025 at 4:32 PM
🚀 NY-CURES Launch — Championing State-Wide Investment in Science! 🚀
Our new coalition advocates for sustained public support of New York’s vibrant biomedical research ecosystem — creating cures, economic gains & strengthening communities.
Sign up. Stay informed. Join the movement: www.nycures.org/
Our new coalition advocates for sustained public support of New York’s vibrant biomedical research ecosystem — creating cures, economic gains & strengthening communities.
Sign up. Stay informed. Join the movement: www.nycures.org/
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Stopping Ribosomes in Action!: a publication highlight from @keandreyam.bsky.social featuring the lab of @cmholab.bsky.social of @columbiauniversity.bsky.social & colleagues.
Read more here: buff.ly/jWYKq7r
#SBGrid #CryoET
Read more here: buff.ly/jWYKq7r
#SBGrid #CryoET
Stopping Ribosomes in Action!
SBGrid member Chi-Min Ho uses cryo-electron tomography to map malaria’s ribosomes at work.
buff.ly
September 8, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Stopping Ribosomes in Action!: a publication highlight from @keandreyam.bsky.social featuring the lab of @cmholab.bsky.social of @columbiauniversity.bsky.social & colleagues.
Read more here: buff.ly/jWYKq7r
#SBGrid #CryoET
Read more here: buff.ly/jWYKq7r
#SBGrid #CryoET
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Want to know how lipidation of some nascent chains takes place by NMT2-- Check our latest work on how NAC couples Protein Synthesis with Nascent Polypeptide Myristoylation on the Ribosome out today @embojournal.org: www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
August 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Want to know how lipidation of some nascent chains takes place by NMT2-- Check our latest work on how NAC couples Protein Synthesis with Nascent Polypeptide Myristoylation on the Ribosome out today @embojournal.org: www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Cryo-EM of fertilisation complex Pfs230-Pfs48/45 from malaria parasites! 💕
FREE ACCESS reprint link found here: findaresearcher.wehi.edu.au/tham
📱click on 🌎 and last link
💻 last link on the left hand side
#malaria #transmission #cryoEM #ScienceResearch
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
FREE ACCESS reprint link found here: findaresearcher.wehi.edu.au/tham
📱click on 🌎 and last link
💻 last link on the left hand side
#malaria #transmission #cryoEM #ScienceResearch
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Cryo-EM structure of endogenous Plasmodium falciparum Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 fertilization complex
Malaria parasite fertilization occurs in the midgut of a female Anopheles mosquito. Blocking fertilization within the mosquito can prevent malaria transmission. Plasmodium falciparum Pfs230 and Pfs48/...
www.science.org
August 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Cryo-EM of fertilisation complex Pfs230-Pfs48/45 from malaria parasites! 💕
FREE ACCESS reprint link found here: findaresearcher.wehi.edu.au/tham
📱click on 🌎 and last link
💻 last link on the left hand side
#malaria #transmission #cryoEM #ScienceResearch
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
FREE ACCESS reprint link found here: findaresearcher.wehi.edu.au/tham
📱click on 🌎 and last link
💻 last link on the left hand side
#malaria #transmission #cryoEM #ScienceResearch
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
New online: Integrated structural biology of the native malarial translation machinery and its inhibition by an antimalarial drug
Integrated structural biology of the native malarial translation machinery and its inhibition by an antimalarial drug
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 18 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01632-3Integrated structural biology approach leveraging in situ cryo-electron tomography reveals molecular details of the native malarial translation elongation cycle and its perturbation by cabamiquine, a potent antimalarial drug candidate.
go.nature.com
August 18, 2025 at 11:15 AM
New online: Integrated structural biology of the native malarial translation machinery and its inhibition by an antimalarial drug
Our #CryoET story on how a top antimalarial drug candidate perturbs the native malarial translation machinery is out @natsmb.nature.com🥳 rdcu.be/eBbrH
A massive team effort led by @leonieanton.bsky.social Meseret Haile & Wenjing Cheng in collaboration with Jerzy Dziekan & the Alan Cowman! #TeamTomo
A massive team effort led by @leonieanton.bsky.social Meseret Haile & Wenjing Cheng in collaboration with Jerzy Dziekan & the Alan Cowman! #TeamTomo
Integrated structural biology of the native malarial translation machinery and its inhibition by an antimalarial drug
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology - Integrated structural biology approach leveraging in situ cryo-electron tomography reveals molecular details of the native malarial translation...
rdcu.be
August 18, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Our #CryoET story on how a top antimalarial drug candidate perturbs the native malarial translation machinery is out @natsmb.nature.com🥳 rdcu.be/eBbrH
A massive team effort led by @leonieanton.bsky.social Meseret Haile & Wenjing Cheng in collaboration with Jerzy Dziekan & the Alan Cowman! #TeamTomo
A massive team effort led by @leonieanton.bsky.social Meseret Haile & Wenjing Cheng in collaboration with Jerzy Dziekan & the Alan Cowman! #TeamTomo
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Right now, the continuation of many restored NIH grants relies on the SCOTUS shadow docket. SCOTUS is not immune to pressure.
Also, if you are represented by one of the 14 R senators that called for the restoration of NIH grants, please write them a thank you. Good behavior should be rewarded.
Also, if you are represented by one of the 14 R senators that called for the restoration of NIH grants, please write them a thank you. Good behavior should be rewarded.
National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Association
When political ideologies interfere with science, everyone loses.
open.substack.com
July 27, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Right now, the continuation of many restored NIH grants relies on the SCOTUS shadow docket. SCOTUS is not immune to pressure.
Also, if you are represented by one of the 14 R senators that called for the restoration of NIH grants, please write them a thank you. Good behavior should be rewarded.
Also, if you are represented by one of the 14 R senators that called for the restoration of NIH grants, please write them a thank you. Good behavior should be rewarded.
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Submit your method to our denoising challenge!!! 👍
If unsupervised approaches are your thing, also check out the unsupervised denoising challenge and submit your solutions (the challenge is from last year, but we are still taking entries from everyone who is interested).
👉 ai4life-mdc24.grand-challenge.org
👉 ai4life-mdc24.grand-challenge.org
AI4Life Microscopy Denoising Challenge - Grand Challenge
Wellcome to AI4Life-MDC24! In this challenge, we want to focus on an unsupervised denoising of microscopy images. By participating, researchers can contribute to a critical area of scientific research...
ai4life-mdc24.grand-challenge.org
July 14, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Submit your method to our denoising challenge!!! 👍
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
Proud to share our work where we resolved a longstanding question regarding the existence of a human telomerase dimer and provided insights into its function. Led by 3 amazing lab members in collaboration with @yiliangding.bsky.social and @rdaslab.bsky.social.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Cryo-EM structure of human telomerase dimer reveals H/ACA RNP-mediated dimerization
Telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) synthesizes telomeric repeats at chromosome ends using a telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and a telomerase RNA (hTR in humans). Previous structural work showe...
www.science.org
July 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Proud to share our work where we resolved a longstanding question regarding the existence of a human telomerase dimer and provided insights into its function. Led by 3 amazing lab members in collaboration with @yiliangding.bsky.social and @rdaslab.bsky.social.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
DEGRONOPEDIA - a web server for identifying and predicting protein degradation signals across eukaryotic proteomes. Detailed guide by Natalia Szulc @lumirare.com and Wojciech Pokrzywa @wpokrzywa.bsky.social in Methods in Enzymology. @ispt-proteinterm.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
July 9, 2025 at 8:32 AM
DEGRONOPEDIA - a web server for identifying and predicting protein degradation signals across eukaryotic proteomes. Detailed guide by Natalia Szulc @lumirare.com and Wojciech Pokrzywa @wpokrzywa.bsky.social in Methods in Enzymology. @ispt-proteinterm.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
In our latest preprint on bioRxiv, we present the in situ structure of
the human gap junction at 14 Å resolution using cryo-ET.
The structure provides a blueprint for investigating how connexin
regulation shapes intercellular communication in health and disease.
the human gap junction at 14 Å resolution using cryo-ET.
The structure provides a blueprint for investigating how connexin
regulation shapes intercellular communication in health and disease.
July 8, 2025 at 5:33 AM
In our latest preprint on bioRxiv, we present the in situ structure of
the human gap junction at 14 Å resolution using cryo-ET.
The structure provides a blueprint for investigating how connexin
regulation shapes intercellular communication in health and disease.
the human gap junction at 14 Å resolution using cryo-ET.
The structure provides a blueprint for investigating how connexin
regulation shapes intercellular communication in health and disease.
Reposted by Chi-Min Ho
An Evaluation of Biomolecular Energetics Learned by AlphaFold
by Lyu, Herschlag et al
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Interesting comparison of AF2/3 structures with the PDB (AF2 appears better)
Reminder: The PDB itself is probably biased relative to solution conformational ensembles and energetics
by Lyu, Herschlag et al
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Interesting comparison of AF2/3 structures with the PDB (AF2 appears better)
Reminder: The PDB itself is probably biased relative to solution conformational ensembles and energetics
July 5, 2025 at 4:23 PM
An Evaluation of Biomolecular Energetics Learned by AlphaFold
by Lyu, Herschlag et al
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Interesting comparison of AF2/3 structures with the PDB (AF2 appears better)
Reminder: The PDB itself is probably biased relative to solution conformational ensembles and energetics
by Lyu, Herschlag et al
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Interesting comparison of AF2/3 structures with the PDB (AF2 appears better)
Reminder: The PDB itself is probably biased relative to solution conformational ensembles and energetics