Laura Lackner
@lllackner.bsky.social
Cell Biologist/Associate Professor at Northwestern University, runner, and lover of the outdoors. She/her.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Genuinely thrilled to share our new story with the world - an amazing collaboration with @profsharona.bsky.social and Bill Zagotta using their innovative FRET technique to study mitofusin conformational changes. Huge credit to Sophie Hurwitz for tackling this project. urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
Structural insights into GTP-coupled conformational changes in Mfn1 revealed by time-resolved transition metal ion FRET.
Outer mitochondrial membrane fusion is mediated by the mitofusin paralogs Mfn1 and Mfn2. Nucleotide-driven self-assembly and conformational changes are required for regulated membrane fusion activity,...
urldefense.com
October 10, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Genuinely thrilled to share our new story with the world - an amazing collaboration with @profsharona.bsky.social and Bill Zagotta using their innovative FRET technique to study mitofusin conformational changes. Huge credit to Sophie Hurwitz for tackling this project. urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Senate Appropriations has a modest *INCREASE* in NIH funding but it will need to be recconciled with the house cut. If you have not been calling your representative of late now would be a good time to start again
www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/ful...
www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/ful...
Full Committee Markup of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Acts | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
www.appropriations.senate.gov
July 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Senate Appropriations has a modest *INCREASE* in NIH funding but it will need to be recconciled with the house cut. If you have not been calling your representative of late now would be a good time to start again
www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/ful...
www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/ful...
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Reposted by Laura Lackner
🚨BREAKING: 300+ NIH employees call out the harm of censorship & politicized science in scathing email to Bhattacharya, demanding an end to political interference, a lift on funding freezes, & rehiring of fired staff whose work saves lives.
This is historic - insiders are blowing the whistle.
🧵(1/5)
This is historic - insiders are blowing the whistle.
🧵(1/5)
June 9, 2025 at 12:03 PM
🚨BREAKING: 300+ NIH employees call out the harm of censorship & politicized science in scathing email to Bhattacharya, demanding an end to political interference, a lift on funding freezes, & rehiring of fired staff whose work saves lives.
This is historic - insiders are blowing the whistle.
🧵(1/5)
This is historic - insiders are blowing the whistle.
🧵(1/5)
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Scientists in GA, ASCB has scheduled a virtual Hill Day on June 25. We need scientists willing to talk to their representatives about the consequences of the proposed budget slashes. Please sign up. Or, send to colleagues. Just need to be or become ASCB members. www.ascb.org/ascb-meeting...
ASCB Georgia Virtual Capitol Hill Day
ASCB Virtual Hill Day with members of the Georgia Congressional delegation.
www.ascb.org
June 5, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Scientists in GA, ASCB has scheduled a virtual Hill Day on June 25. We need scientists willing to talk to their representatives about the consequences of the proposed budget slashes. Please sign up. Or, send to colleagues. Just need to be or become ASCB members. www.ascb.org/ascb-meeting...
Reposted by Laura Lackner
When everything is "normal", writing and administering an NIH T32 program is crazy. Despite being an immense amount of work (probably the single most effort-demanding grant one can direct), it comes with no salary for the PI...
June 5, 2025 at 12:02 PM
When everything is "normal", writing and administering an NIH T32 program is crazy. Despite being an immense amount of work (probably the single most effort-demanding grant one can direct), it comes with no salary for the PI...
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Phosphatidic acid drives spatiotemporal distribution of Pex30 at ER-LD contact sites, say Morgan House, Amit S. Joshi @joshilaboratory.bsky.social and colleagues @utknoxville.bsky.social: rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#Organelles #Biochemistry #ER_literature #LipidDroplets #lipids
#Organelles #Biochemistry #ER_literature #LipidDroplets #lipids
May 30, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Phosphatidic acid drives spatiotemporal distribution of Pex30 at ER-LD contact sites, say Morgan House, Amit S. Joshi @joshilaboratory.bsky.social and colleagues @utknoxville.bsky.social: rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#Organelles #Biochemistry #ER_literature #LipidDroplets #lipids
#Organelles #Biochemistry #ER_literature #LipidDroplets #lipids
Reposted by Laura Lackner
This is MAGA's one, big, beautiful healthcare plan.
GOP Sen. Joni Ernst responds to voters saying that cutting Medicaid will kill them: “Well, we all are going to die.”
May 30, 2025 at 7:03 PM
This is MAGA's one, big, beautiful healthcare plan.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
"I have a message for America's scientists: I want to tell you how much I appreciate your work, how much I value and treasure your work, how much support you have within the Congress...we are aware of the deep damage that is being done to your profession and we are determined to make it stop" 🧪
Science is under attack. The NIH, the NSF, and our research universities.
So today, I have a message for America's scientists:
youtu.be/MeoZDPy5cIY?...
So today, I have a message for America's scientists:
youtu.be/MeoZDPy5cIY?...
A Message to Scientists
YouTube video by Sen. Adam Schiff
youtu.be
May 28, 2025 at 10:03 PM
"I have a message for America's scientists: I want to tell you how much I appreciate your work, how much I value and treasure your work, how much support you have within the Congress...we are aware of the deep damage that is being done to your profession and we are determined to make it stop" 🧪
Reposted by Laura Lackner
New story up in Nature from @maxkozlov.bsky.social
NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE
Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE
Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com
May 28, 2025 at 9:17 PM
New story up in Nature from @maxkozlov.bsky.social
NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE
Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE
Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Laura Lackner
All of NIH funding to Northwestern University is frozen. This pause includes noncompeting approved funding, new and competing grants with fundable scores. No reimbursements for money already spent have been received since March. This situation is rarely reported so please Please get the word out!
May 23, 2025 at 5:56 PM
All of NIH funding to Northwestern University is frozen. This pause includes noncompeting approved funding, new and competing grants with fundable scores. No reimbursements for money already spent have been received since March. This situation is rarely reported so please Please get the word out!
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Excited to present first publication from the Joshi lab, now in @jcb.org
Here, we show that phosphatidic acid regulates Pex30 distribution at ER subdomains for lipid droplet biogenesis by binding to dysferlin domain.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
Here, we show that phosphatidic acid regulates Pex30 distribution at ER subdomains for lipid droplet biogenesis by binding to dysferlin domain.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
Phosphatidic acid drives spatiotemporal distribution of Pex30 at ER-LD contact sites | Journal of Cell Biology | Rockefeller University Press
In this study, we show that Pex30 dysferlin domain binds PA through its two hydrophobic regions adjacent to beta sheets. We propose that, PA, a precursor f
rupress.org
May 23, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Excited to present first publication from the Joshi lab, now in @jcb.org
Here, we show that phosphatidic acid regulates Pex30 distribution at ER subdomains for lipid droplet biogenesis by binding to dysferlin domain.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
Here, we show that phosphatidic acid regulates Pex30 distribution at ER subdomains for lipid droplet biogenesis by binding to dysferlin domain.
rupress.org/jcb/article/...
Reposted by Laura Lackner
It's not just Northwestern and Harvard, I have gotten credible (confidential) reports from several other schools (including state schools) that the NIH is defaulting on federal commitments there too.
Seems like there may be a big story here for an investigative reporter willing to take it on
Seems like there may be a big story here for an investigative reporter willing to take it on
Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025
May 21, 2025 at 1:14 AM
It's not just Northwestern and Harvard, I have gotten credible (confidential) reports from several other schools (including state schools) that the NIH is defaulting on federal commitments there too.
Seems like there may be a big story here for an investigative reporter willing to take it on
Seems like there may be a big story here for an investigative reporter willing to take it on
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025
May 18, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Grant freezes versus terminations feel different, but they have the same practical effect.
We should start treating freezes as terminations, both of which can be undone by HHS / NIH whenever they want—or by court order if they refuse. They’re all illegal.
We should start treating freezes as terminations, both of which can be undone by HHS / NIH whenever they want—or by court order if they refuse. They’re all illegal.
Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025
May 19, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Grant freezes versus terminations feel different, but they have the same practical effect.
We should start treating freezes as terminations, both of which can be undone by HHS / NIH whenever they want—or by court order if they refuse. They’re all illegal.
We should start treating freezes as terminations, both of which can be undone by HHS / NIH whenever they want—or by court order if they refuse. They’re all illegal.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Definitely worth the 5 minutes to watch. Succinct summation of what is being thrown away
important historical perspective on the value of federal funding of basic research at universities: "These are the building blocks of America's extraordinary strength, created over the last 100 years, and they are now being dismantled in 100 days" 🧪
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qk4...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qk4...
Fareed’s Take: Trump is gutting what made American science great
YouTube video by CNN
www.youtube.com
May 13, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Definitely worth the 5 minutes to watch. Succinct summation of what is being thrown away
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Every NIH-funded researcher should read this.
The NIH Funds-Ghosting, A Follow Up Report talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-n...
The NIH Funds-Ghosting, A Follow Up Report
Two days ago I wrote about a pattern operating largely under the...
talkingpointsmemo.com
May 8, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Every NIH-funded researcher should read this.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Professors and researchers at Chicago-area universities said federal funding cuts are leaving research projects unfinished.
Julius Lucks, a chemical engineering professor at Northwestern, speaks on if another sector could fund university research.
to.wttw.com/3Ygl3T8
Julius Lucks, a chemical engineering professor at Northwestern, speaks on if another sector could fund university research.
to.wttw.com/3Ygl3T8
April 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Professors and researchers at Chicago-area universities said federal funding cuts are leaving research projects unfinished.
Julius Lucks, a chemical engineering professor at Northwestern, speaks on if another sector could fund university research.
to.wttw.com/3Ygl3T8
Julius Lucks, a chemical engineering professor at Northwestern, speaks on if another sector could fund university research.
to.wttw.com/3Ygl3T8
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Everyone please read and act! 👇
ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM
Implementation of Schedule F
This is what a lot of us have been worried about.
This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs.
BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD...
1/n
Implementation of Schedule F
This is what a lot of us have been worried about.
This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs.
BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD...
1/n
the word alert is in a purple circle
ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle
media.tenor.com
April 23, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Everyone please read and act! 👇
Reposted by Laura Lackner
I feel like we need to keep saying this because it’s so insane: This is a legal U.S. resident who has been detained for over a month now for his political opinions.
The Department of Homeland Security denied Mahmoud Khalil permission to attend the birth of his first child, who was delivered at a New York hospital on Monday, according to emails reviewed by The New York Times.
Mahmoud Khalil’s Son Arrives After ICE Refuses to Let Him Attend Birth
Mr. Khalil, a permanent resident detained in Louisiana, had requested a monitored furlough for the birth. His request was denied in less than an hour.
www.nytimes.com
April 22, 2025 at 1:28 AM
I feel like we need to keep saying this because it’s so insane: This is a legal U.S. resident who has been detained for over a month now for his political opinions.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Thirty-eight of 43 experts cut last month from the boards that review the science and research that happens in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health are female, Black or Hispanic, according to an analysis by the chairs of a dozen of the boards.
Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards
Scientists, with expertise in fields that include mental health, cancer and infectious disease, typically serve five-year terms and were not given a reason for their dismissal.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 16, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Thirty-eight of 43 experts cut last month from the boards that review the science and research that happens in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health are female, Black or Hispanic, according to an analysis by the chairs of a dozen of the boards.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Sen Van Hollen met with El Salvador's Vice President Félix Ulloa, who told him that the reason they are holding Kilmar Abrego Garcia at CECOT is because the Trump admin is paying them to do so.
They also provided no evidence that Abrego Garcia is part of MS-13 or committed any crimes.
They also provided no evidence that Abrego Garcia is part of MS-13 or committed any crimes.
April 16, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Sen Van Hollen met with El Salvador's Vice President Félix Ulloa, who told him that the reason they are holding Kilmar Abrego Garcia at CECOT is because the Trump admin is paying them to do so.
They also provided no evidence that Abrego Garcia is part of MS-13 or committed any crimes.
They also provided no evidence that Abrego Garcia is part of MS-13 or committed any crimes.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
Donald Trump wants to illegally send American citizens to this notoriously inhumane prison in El Salvador.
“Home-growns are next. The home-growns. You gotta build about five more places.”
The constitutional crisis is here.
“Home-growns are next. The home-growns. You gotta build about five more places.”
The constitutional crisis is here.
April 16, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Donald Trump wants to illegally send American citizens to this notoriously inhumane prison in El Salvador.
“Home-growns are next. The home-growns. You gotta build about five more places.”
The constitutional crisis is here.
“Home-growns are next. The home-growns. You gotta build about five more places.”
The constitutional crisis is here.
Reposted by Laura Lackner
I am a professor at Columbia University. All of the student NIH training grants have been canceled and now there are reports that ALL funding will be frozen. Why are Universities not banding together and speaking out publicly and forcibly about governmental attacks on biomedical research?
April 11, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I am a professor at Columbia University. All of the student NIH training grants have been canceled and now there are reports that ALL funding will be frozen. Why are Universities not banding together and speaking out publicly and forcibly about governmental attacks on biomedical research?
Reposted by Laura Lackner
“If the goal were to identify and address problems at these agencies in a good-faith manner, that would be one thing. But what is going on is akin to performing open-heart surgery on a patient who is not particularly sick using a blunt axe.”
2/2
2/2
April 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM
“If the goal were to identify and address problems at these agencies in a good-faith manner, that would be one thing. But what is going on is akin to performing open-heart surgery on a patient who is not particularly sick using a blunt axe.”
2/2
2/2