Ali Maximilian Erturk
@erturklab.bsky.social
AI and tissue clearing-based technologies for health.
Director at Helmholtz Munich, Full professor at LMU Munich, and CEO of Deep Piction (@deeppiction.bsky.social)
We’re🇩🇪🇹🇷🇭🇷🇨🇳🇮🇹🇮🇳🇸🇮🇴🇲🇨🇱🇭🇺🇧🇬🇺🇦🇷🇴🇦🇹🇹🇼🏳🌈
Director at Helmholtz Munich, Full professor at LMU Munich, and CEO of Deep Piction (@deeppiction.bsky.social)
We’re🇩🇪🇹🇷🇭🇷🇨🇳🇮🇹🇮🇳🇸🇮🇴🇲🇨🇱🇭🇺🇧🇬🇺🇦🇷🇴🇦🇹🇹🇼🏳🌈
Be your own advocate. Share your preprint on social media. Write a short thread explaining the key findings. If you're not at a top-tier institution, you have to be even more proactive. Create your own audience. It shows confidence and initiative.
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Be your own advocate. Share your preprint on social media. Write a short thread explaining the key findings. If you're not at a top-tier institution, you have to be even more proactive. Create your own audience. It shows confidence and initiative.
Post to a preprint server (e.g., bioRxiv). The fear of being scooped is mostly a myth now. A preprint plants your flag, establishes priority, and gets your work seen by reviewers in your field early. It’s free advertising.
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Post to a preprint server (e.g., bioRxiv). The fear of being scooped is mostly a myth now. A preprint plants your flag, establishes priority, and gets your work seen by reviewers in your field early. It’s free advertising.
Finally, don't wait for publication day to create visibility. The work starts months earlier.
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Finally, don't wait for publication day to create visibility. The work starts months earlier.
"We developed a method to do X, which for the first time allows us to solve problem Y." No jargon.
Focus on the Story, Not Just Data: Editors are looking for a compelling narrative along with great science. What is the problem? What was the breakthrough? Why does it matter to a broad audience?
Focus on the Story, Not Just Data: Editors are looking for a compelling narrative along with great science. What is the problem? What was the breakthrough? Why does it matter to a broad audience?
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
"We developed a method to do X, which for the first time allows us to solve problem Y." No jargon.
Focus on the Story, Not Just Data: Editors are looking for a compelling narrative along with great science. What is the problem? What was the breakthrough? Why does it matter to a broad audience?
Focus on the Story, Not Just Data: Editors are looking for a compelling narrative along with great science. What is the problem? What was the breakthrough? Why does it matter to a broad audience?
Also, master your pitch!
Once you get that face-to-face meeting, you have about 60 seconds to make an impact. Don't waste it.
Nail the One-Liner: Start with a single, clear sentence that states your main finding and its importance.
Once you get that face-to-face meeting, you have about 60 seconds to make an impact. Don't waste it.
Nail the One-Liner: Start with a single, clear sentence that states your main finding and its importance.
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Also, master your pitch!
Once you get that face-to-face meeting, you have about 60 seconds to make an impact. Don't waste it.
Nail the One-Liner: Start with a single, clear sentence that states your main finding and its importance.
Once you get that face-to-face meeting, you have about 60 seconds to make an impact. Don't waste it.
Nail the One-Liner: Start with a single, clear sentence that states your main finding and its importance.
Don't just do great science and hope it gets noticed. Be strategic, be human, and actively create your opportunities.
What else would you suggest to the young generation that their papers get published well?
What else would you suggest to the young generation that their papers get published well?
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Don't just do great science and hope it gets noticed. Be strategic, be human, and actively create your opportunities.
What else would you suggest to the young generation that their papers get published well?
What else would you suggest to the young generation that their papers get published well?
Go introduce yourself. Have a real conversation. An editor who has met you and heard the passion in your voice is far more likely to remember your name and your work. That personal connection can be the single factor that gets your manuscript past the first gate and into the hands of reviewers.
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Go introduce yourself. Have a real conversation. An editor who has met you and heard the passion in your voice is far more likely to remember your name and your work. That personal connection can be the single factor that gets your manuscript past the first gate and into the hands of reviewers.
In a world flooded with cheaply generated text and emails, a real human connection should be your secret -well, it is obvious- weapon. Make this a primary mission at conferences: don't just attend talks, find the editors from the big journal you dream to publish.
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
In a world flooded with cheaply generated text and emails, a real human connection should be your secret -well, it is obvious- weapon. Make this a primary mission at conferences: don't just attend talks, find the editors from the big journal you dream to publish.
11) LipiGo: A Versatile DNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Hybrid for Precision Drug Delivery by Kadletz, Kimna, et al. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
LipiGo: A Versatile DNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Hybrid for Precision Drug Delivery
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are established carriers for nucleic acid delivery, however, achieving efficient delivery to non-hepatic tissues remains a major challenge. Here, we present LipiGo, a nanoca...
www.biorxiv.org
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
11) LipiGo: A Versatile DNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Hybrid for Precision Drug Delivery by Kadletz, Kimna, et al. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
10) @karolintschi @cerenkimna @d_jeridi @IgorKhalins @yingchen733 @IzabelaHorvath @Minde_DavidPaul @mayarbali @SiegfriedU @Sciezgin @ArthurLiesz @Farida80168644 @MarkusElsner1
LipiGo: A Versatile DNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Hybrid for Precision Drug Delivery
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are established carriers for nucleic acid delivery, however, achieving efficient delivery to non-hepatic tissues remains a major challenge. Here, we present LipiGo, a nanoca...
www.biorxiv.org
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
10) @karolintschi @cerenkimna @d_jeridi @IgorKhalins @yingchen733 @IzabelaHorvath @Minde_DavidPaul @mayarbali @SiegfriedU @Sciezgin @ArthurLiesz @Farida80168644 @MarkusElsner1
9) 🙏 Huge thanks to our amazing collaborators at @HelmholtzMunich, @LMU_Muenchen, @ISD_Research, @DeepPiction & partners who made this work possible. An incredible team effort across nanotechnology, imaging & AI.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
9) 🙏 Huge thanks to our amazing collaborators at @HelmholtzMunich, @LMU_Muenchen, @ISD_Research, @DeepPiction & partners who made this work possible. An incredible team effort across nanotechnology, imaging & AI.
8) 🌐 Why it matters: LipiGo formulation enables liver detargeting active ligand-based cell targeting in a single platform. This flexibility could accelerate nucleic acid therapies in cancer, immunology & metabolic disease, where precise delivery is critical.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
8) 🌐 Why it matters: LipiGo formulation enables liver detargeting active ligand-based cell targeting in a single platform. This flexibility could accelerate nucleic acid therapies in cancer, immunology & metabolic disease, where precise delivery is critical.
7) 🧩 Main finding 4. Plug-and-play targeting: LipiGo’s DNA handles act as modular building blocks. Conjugating a white adipocyte–specific aptamer enabled tissue-specific mRNA delivery with enhanced uptake in white adipocytes 🎯
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
7) 🧩 Main finding 4. Plug-and-play targeting: LipiGo’s DNA handles act as modular building blocks. Conjugating a white adipocyte–specific aptamer enabled tissue-specific mRNA delivery with enhanced uptake in white adipocytes 🎯
6) 🧩 Main finding 3. LipiGo redirected mRNA translation from the liver to lymphoid organs. EGFP expression was strong in spleen, lymph nodes & thymus, while liver signal was minimal. Critically, more CD45⁺ immune cells expressed protein compared to standard LNPs.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
6) 🧩 Main finding 3. LipiGo redirected mRNA translation from the liver to lymphoid organs. EGFP expression was strong in spleen, lymph nodes & thymus, while liver signal was minimal. Critically, more CD45⁺ immune cells expressed protein compared to standard LNPs.
5 🧩 Main finding 2. LipiGo boosts uptake in key immune cell populations. Compared to conventional lipid nanoparticles, it shows stronger delivery to macrophages, dendritic cells & follicular DCs — crucial gatekeepers for immune responses.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
5 🧩 Main finding 2. LipiGo boosts uptake in key immune cell populations. Compared to conventional lipid nanoparticles, it shows stronger delivery to macrophages, dendritic cells & follicular DCs — crucial gatekeepers for immune responses.
4 ➡️ Main finding 1. DNA handles protruding from LipiGo enabled functional liver detargeting and strong spleen accumulation. Unlike conventional LNPs that mainly go to the liver, LipiGo redirects mRNA delivery to lymphoid organs.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
4 ➡️ Main finding 1. DNA handles protruding from LipiGo enabled functional liver detargeting and strong spleen accumulation. Unlike conventional LNPs that mainly go to the liver, LipiGo redirects mRNA delivery to lymphoid organs.
3 🔍 Approach: We systemically injected LipiGo and applied:
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
3 🔍 Approach: We systemically injected LipiGo and applied:
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
2 🧾 Summary: By integrating DNA handles directly into the nanoparticle structure, LipiGo changes its organ tropism, detargets the liver, and enhances delivery to immune tissues.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
2 🧾 Summary: By integrating DNA handles directly into the nanoparticle structure, LipiGo changes its organ tropism, detargets the liver, and enhances delivery to immune tissues.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
Do you feel uncomfortable pitching—adopting your slides for them, rather than focusing on all your great ideas?
#AcademicChatter #PhDLife #Postdoc #PI #CareerAdvice #Science #Leadership
9/9
#AcademicChatter #PhDLife #Postdoc #PI #CareerAdvice #Science #Leadership
9/9
September 17, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Do you feel uncomfortable pitching—adopting your slides for them, rather than focusing on all your great ideas?
#AcademicChatter #PhDLife #Postdoc #PI #CareerAdvice #Science #Leadership
9/9
#AcademicChatter #PhDLife #Postdoc #PI #CareerAdvice #Science #Leadership
9/9
Focus on getting your first position by showing how you can contribute. The primary goal is to get the position. Once you have the job, you can find the sweet spot to do more of what you want.
Without the position, you have zero chance.
8/9
Without the position, you have zero chance.
8/9
September 17, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Focus on getting your first position by showing how you can contribute. The primary goal is to get the position. Once you have the job, you can find the sweet spot to do more of what you want.
Without the position, you have zero chance.
8/9
Without the position, you have zero chance.
8/9
To make that first move, be flexible. I went to interviews in Cardiff, Göttingen, Miami, Cologne, and more, even though my family was in Munich.
7/9
7/9
September 17, 2025 at 8:18 PM
To make that first move, be flexible. I went to interviews in Cardiff, Göttingen, Miami, Cologne, and more, even though my family was in Munich.
7/9
7/9
Success gives you options. If an environment is unhappy that you are focusing on great science and publishing well as a young PI, then it's not a good environment for you for the future anyway.
6/9
6/9
September 17, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Success gives you options. If an environment is unhappy that you are focusing on great science and publishing well as a young PI, then it's not a good environment for you for the future anyway.
6/9
6/9
For the next five years, I focused on what I believed could be a breakthrough. It was a bet, and it paid off with good publications, which allowed me to move to the next level.
5/9
5/9
September 17, 2025 at 8:18 PM
For the next five years, I focused on what I believed could be a breakthrough. It was a bet, and it paid off with good publications, which allowed me to move to the next level.
5/9
5/9