Sascha Martens
@martenslab.bsky.social
Biochemist and cell biologist working on autophagy at the Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna
Reposted by Sascha Martens
✨ Passionate about cell biology or biochemistry? Join the Martens Lab as a postdoc to uncover why autophagy stalls at disease-linked protein aggregates - and how to restart it 🧠 Apply here ➡️ tinyurl.com/24dcrcke
November 12, 2025 at 10:32 AM
✨ Passionate about cell biology or biochemistry? Join the Martens Lab as a postdoc to uncover why autophagy stalls at disease-linked protein aggregates - and how to restart it 🧠 Apply here ➡️ tinyurl.com/24dcrcke
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Join us later today 👇
Join us for Journal Club tomorrow, November 12th, as Dr. Elias Adriaenssens presents his recently published article in Nature Cell Biology, titled “Reconstitution of BNIP3/NIX-mitophagy initiation reveals hierarchical flexibility of the autophagy machinery.”
We look forward to seeing you there!
We look forward to seeing you there!
November 12, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Join us later today 👇
Reposted by Sascha Martens
🌍Open call: Junior Group Leader positions!
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
November 10, 2025 at 1:26 PM
🌍Open call: Junior Group Leader positions!
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
New pre-print out on the stepwise recruitment to membrane of the #autophagy ULK1 complex from the @mito911.bsky.social from @martenslab.bsky.social Ian Ganley @hummerlab.bsky.social @jimhurley.bsky.social labs
with the generous support of @asapresearch.parkinsonsroadmap.org
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
with the generous support of @asapresearch.parkinsonsroadmap.org
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reconstitution of multistep recruitment of ULK1 to membranes in autophagy
The ULK1 complex (ULK1C) and the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex I (PI3KC3-C1) act together to initiate autophagy. Human ULK1C consists of ULK1 itself, FIP200, and the HORMA domain het...
doi.org
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 AM
New pre-print out on the stepwise recruitment to membrane of the #autophagy ULK1 complex from the @mito911.bsky.social from @martenslab.bsky.social Ian Ganley @hummerlab.bsky.social @jimhurley.bsky.social labs
with the generous support of @asapresearch.parkinsonsroadmap.org
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
with the generous support of @asapresearch.parkinsonsroadmap.org
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Congratulations! Claudine Kraft @kraftlabfr.bsky.social receives a prestigious ERC Synergy Grant – to find out why some protein #aggregates can be cleared by #autophagy and others not. She and her partners will harness this knowledge to improve autophagy in #ageing & #disease.
🔗 kurzlinks.de/50j8
🔗 kurzlinks.de/50j8
ERC Synergy Grant for Prof. Dr. Claudine Kraft
CIBSS speaker Prof. Dr. Claudine Kraft is part of a team receiving an ERC Synergy Grant of ten million euros for her research on how autophagy degrades large protein aggregates in health and disease.
kurzlinks.de
November 6, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Congratulations! Claudine Kraft @kraftlabfr.bsky.social receives a prestigious ERC Synergy Grant – to find out why some protein #aggregates can be cleared by #autophagy and others not. She and her partners will harness this knowledge to improve autophagy in #ageing & #disease.
🔗 kurzlinks.de/50j8
🔗 kurzlinks.de/50j8
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Thrilled to join you and Claudine to study the cell's own version of Banksy's self-shredding artwork!
November 6, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Thrilled to join you and Claudine to study the cell's own version of Banksy's self-shredding artwork!
Fantastic teamwork with @kraftlabfr.bsky.social and @jimhurley.bsky.social! Looking forward to exciting discoveries ahead. Many thanks to @erc.europa.eu for funding our proposal. @univie.ac.at @maxperutzlabs.ac.at @viennabiocenter.bsky.social
Big news! Group leader Sascha Martens has been awarded a prestigious @erc.europa.eu Synergy Grant for the collaborative project DegrAbility to explore how cells can better recycle harmful protein aggregates linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s ➡️ tinyurl.com/2zuz9jcf
@univie.ac.at
@meduniwien.ac.at
@univie.ac.at
@meduniwien.ac.at
November 6, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Fantastic teamwork with @kraftlabfr.bsky.social and @jimhurley.bsky.social! Looking forward to exciting discoveries ahead. Many thanks to @erc.europa.eu for funding our proposal. @univie.ac.at @maxperutzlabs.ac.at @viennabiocenter.bsky.social
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Another opportunity to join @maxperutzlabs.ac.at !
If you're looking to start your own lab in a collaborative and supportive environment, I highly recommend it!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
If you're looking to start your own lab in a collaborative and supportive environment, I highly recommend it!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Tenure-Track Professorship in Genome Biology - Vienna BioCenter, Austria job with Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna | 12848567
Launch your lab at the Max Perutz Labs and join us in our mission to analyze and reconstitute complex biological systems across scales.
www.nature.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Another opportunity to join @maxperutzlabs.ac.at !
If you're looking to start your own lab in a collaborative and supportive environment, I highly recommend it!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
If you're looking to start your own lab in a collaborative and supportive environment, I highly recommend it!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
📢 Open Call! The Max Perutz Labs invite applications for a Full Professorship in Integrative Structure Biology with a focus on in situ structural biology using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and related methods. More details ➡️ tinyurl.com/brswbymu
October 31, 2025 at 9:24 AM
📢 Open Call! The Max Perutz Labs invite applications for a Full Professorship in Integrative Structure Biology with a focus on in situ structural biology using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and related methods. More details ➡️ tinyurl.com/brswbymu
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Our latest review is now online! 👇
@martenslab.bsky.social
Mechanism of autophagy initiation by transmembrane selective autophagy receptors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
@martenslab.bsky.social
Mechanism of autophagy initiation by transmembrane selective autophagy receptors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Mechanism of autophagy initiation by transmembrane selective autophagy receptors | The EMBO Journal
EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.
www.embopress.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Our latest review is now online! 👇
@martenslab.bsky.social
Mechanism of autophagy initiation by transmembrane selective autophagy receptors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
@martenslab.bsky.social
Mechanism of autophagy initiation by transmembrane selective autophagy receptors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Position available! Team @mito911.bsky.social needs a new scientific program manager to take over from legendary super-PM @doroteaartscience.bsky.social, who is moving on to bigger things. This is a Berkeley-based position. Apply at aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05103.
September 20, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Position available! Team @mito911.bsky.social needs a new scientific program manager to take over from legendary super-PM @doroteaartscience.bsky.social, who is moving on to bigger things. This is a Berkeley-based position. Apply at aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05103.
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Finally in @nature.com 🎉
We uncovered step-wise mTORC1 activation on membrane: RAG–Ragulator recruits, RHEB pushes closer, and direct membrane contacts by RAPTOR + mTOR trigger full kinase activity.👉 The membrane is not just a platform — it’s part of the mechanism.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We uncovered step-wise mTORC1 activation on membrane: RAG–Ragulator recruits, RHEB pushes closer, and direct membrane contacts by RAPTOR + mTOR trigger full kinase activity.👉 The membrane is not just a platform — it’s part of the mechanism.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Structural basis for mTORC1 activation on the lysosomal membrane - Nature
Cryo-electron microscopy was used to study human mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation on lysosomal membranes, showing progressive recruitment by RAG–Ragulator, RHEB and R...
www.nature.com
September 17, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Finally in @nature.com 🎉
We uncovered step-wise mTORC1 activation on membrane: RAG–Ragulator recruits, RHEB pushes closer, and direct membrane contacts by RAPTOR + mTOR trigger full kinase activity.👉 The membrane is not just a platform — it’s part of the mechanism.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We uncovered step-wise mTORC1 activation on membrane: RAG–Ragulator recruits, RHEB pushes closer, and direct membrane contacts by RAPTOR + mTOR trigger full kinase activity.👉 The membrane is not just a platform — it’s part of the mechanism.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Just one more week left to get an application in! Starting my lab at the Perutz and the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social has been a fantastic opportunity that shaped me as a scientist!
📢 Open Call! The Max Perutz Labs invite applications for a Tenure-Track Professorship in Mechanistic Cell and Developmental Biology. More details ➡️ tinyurl.com/3fbkp89c
September 10, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Just one more week left to get an application in! Starting my lab at the Perutz and the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social has been a fantastic opportunity that shaped me as a scientist!
Reposted by Sascha Martens
📣 Don't miss out on the upcoming @mito911.bsky.social webinar featuring Katie Drerup, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin.
👇 Reserve your spot using the link below.
📅 September 8
⏰ 11:00 AM EST
RSVP: bit.ly/4mUJeAc
👇 Reserve your spot using the link below.
📅 September 8
⏰ 11:00 AM EST
RSVP: bit.ly/4mUJeAc
September 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM
📣 Don't miss out on the upcoming @mito911.bsky.social webinar featuring Katie Drerup, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin.
👇 Reserve your spot using the link below.
📅 September 8
⏰ 11:00 AM EST
RSVP: bit.ly/4mUJeAc
👇 Reserve your spot using the link below.
📅 September 8
⏰ 11:00 AM EST
RSVP: bit.ly/4mUJeAc
Reposted by Sascha Martens
We are looking for a Master’s student to join a project on in vitro reconstitution of signaling networks in pathogen–host interactions: combine protein biochemistry, fluorescence microscopy & image analysis. Deadline: September 15.
Find out more and apply here: ist.ac.at/en/job/maste...
Find out more and apply here: ist.ac.at/en/job/maste...
Master Thesis Position – Loose Research Group
Our Group
The Loose lab at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) is looking for a highly motivated Master student to join our research on the in vitro reconstitution of signaling n...
ist.ac.at
September 1, 2025 at 9:15 AM
We are looking for a Master’s student to join a project on in vitro reconstitution of signaling networks in pathogen–host interactions: combine protein biochemistry, fluorescence microscopy & image analysis. Deadline: September 15.
Find out more and apply here: ist.ac.at/en/job/maste...
Find out more and apply here: ist.ac.at/en/job/maste...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Glad to share the final version of our story about the UBR4 complex, an E4 ligase protein quality control hub @science.org. Now with more cryo-EM structures and a deeper dive into substrate recognition, especially escaped mitochondrial proteins @clausenlab.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
August 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Glad to share the final version of our story about the UBR4 complex, an E4 ligase protein quality control hub @science.org. Now with more cryo-EM structures and a deeper dive into substrate recognition, especially escaped mitochondrial proteins @clausenlab.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Happy to share our work on the structure and function of the unusual E3 ligase ZNFX1 @cp-cell.bsky.social. It uses a nucleic acid-activated transthiolation mechanism, ubiquitinating and clustering RNA to protect cells in an immune response. @clausenlab.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
A split-site E3 ligase mechanism enables ZNFX1 to ubiquitinate and cluster single-stranded RNA into ubiquitin-coated nucleoprotein particles
Grabarczyk et al. show the structure and mechanism of a non-canonical ubiquitin ligase,
which is activated through nucleic-acid-induced oligomerization and is critical for
cell survival during immune ...
www.cell.com
August 27, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Happy to share our work on the structure and function of the unusual E3 ligase ZNFX1 @cp-cell.bsky.social. It uses a nucleic acid-activated transthiolation mechanism, ubiquitinating and clustering RNA to protect cells in an immune response. @clausenlab.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
A lipid transfer-dependent feedback loop activates ATG9A compartments in autophagy initiation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.16.670665v1
August 18, 2025 at 10:30 AM
A lipid transfer-dependent feedback loop activates ATG9A compartments in autophagy initiation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.16.670665v1
Reposted by Sascha Martens
So happy to see @doroteaartscience.bsky.social 's art on the cover!
🏖️Our August issue's out!
Cover: Flexibility of #autophagy initiation
👉🏼Review on #metabolism in #embryogenesis #devbio
👉🏼Review on #DNArepair
🔬 #ribosomes #neurodevelopment #mitophagy #ferroptosis #stemcells #epigenetics #leukemia #antitumor immunity & more!
www.nature.com/ncb/volumes/...
Cover: Flexibility of #autophagy initiation
👉🏼Review on #metabolism in #embryogenesis #devbio
👉🏼Review on #DNArepair
🔬 #ribosomes #neurodevelopment #mitophagy #ferroptosis #stemcells #epigenetics #leukemia #antitumor immunity & more!
www.nature.com/ncb/volumes/...
August 12, 2025 at 7:53 PM
So happy to see @doroteaartscience.bsky.social 's art on the cover!
Reposted by Sascha Martens
If you’re enjoying some calm while others are on holiday, here’s a #NEW #preprint to dive into — led by the brilliant @vbcscitraining.bsky.social student A. Abdrakhmanov:
👇 A quick thread + link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
👇 A quick thread + link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Ancestral P-body proteins rewired for autophagic recycling in the early land plant Marchantia polymorpha
Processing bodies (P-bodies) are conserved ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules central to RNA metabolism across eukaryotes. Although the mechanisms underlying their assembly are well understood, the path...
www.biorxiv.org
August 11, 2025 at 5:44 AM
If you’re enjoying some calm while others are on holiday, here’s a #NEW #preprint to dive into — led by the brilliant @vbcscitraining.bsky.social student A. Abdrakhmanov:
👇 A quick thread + link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
👇 A quick thread + link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
New research reports the identification of a Mitophagic Stress Response ("MitoSR" - mmm, catchy!) activated by mitochondrial damage in neurons & operating in parallel to canonical Pink1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 10, 2025 at 11:38 AM
New research reports the identification of a Mitophagic Stress Response ("MitoSR" - mmm, catchy!) activated by mitochondrial damage in neurons & operating in parallel to canonical Pink1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
The rapidly expanding role of LC3-interacting regions in #autophagy. New Perspective from Brian North, @doroteaartscience.bsky.social, Christopher Shoemaker and colleagues (Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College): rupress.org/jcb/article/...
July 31, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The rapidly expanding role of LC3-interacting regions in #autophagy. New Perspective from Brian North, @doroteaartscience.bsky.social, Christopher Shoemaker and colleagues (Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College): rupress.org/jcb/article/...
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Congratulations @kev-in-situ-et.bsky.social and the whole team on in situ cryo-ET images of OA-induced mitochondria damage and Parkin-dependent mitophagy out now tinyurl.com/25b82cp4. We couldn't have done it without in situ guru @wilflinglab.bsky.social and mito guru @samlewis.bsky.social .
July 31, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Congratulations @kev-in-situ-et.bsky.social and the whole team on in situ cryo-ET images of OA-induced mitochondria damage and Parkin-dependent mitophagy out now tinyurl.com/25b82cp4. We couldn't have done it without in situ guru @wilflinglab.bsky.social and mito guru @samlewis.bsky.social .
Reposted by Sascha Martens
Structural and cell biology NPG publication two-fer today: lysosome signaling structural biology tinyurl.com/mt3uc96k with @robzonculab.bsky.social and mitophagy initiation tinyurl.com/3rpjyfjt with @martenslab.bsky.social @lazaroulab.bsky.social and @hummerlab.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Structural and cell biology NPG publication two-fer today: lysosome signaling structural biology tinyurl.com/mt3uc96k with @robzonculab.bsky.social and mitophagy initiation tinyurl.com/3rpjyfjt with @martenslab.bsky.social @lazaroulab.bsky.social and @hummerlab.bsky.social
Reposted by Sascha Martens
And it's out!
I'm thrilled to share our new paper (Adriaenssens et al., Nat Cell Biol 2025).
This paper describes a new mechanism for the initiation of autophagosome biogenesis.
We found that this WIPI-ATG13-driven pathway is preferentially used by a group of transmembrane autophagy receptors.
I'm thrilled to share our new paper (Adriaenssens et al., Nat Cell Biol 2025).
This paper describes a new mechanism for the initiation of autophagosome biogenesis.
We found that this WIPI-ATG13-driven pathway is preferentially used by a group of transmembrane autophagy receptors.
July 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM
And it's out!
I'm thrilled to share our new paper (Adriaenssens et al., Nat Cell Biol 2025).
This paper describes a new mechanism for the initiation of autophagosome biogenesis.
We found that this WIPI-ATG13-driven pathway is preferentially used by a group of transmembrane autophagy receptors.
I'm thrilled to share our new paper (Adriaenssens et al., Nat Cell Biol 2025).
This paper describes a new mechanism for the initiation of autophagosome biogenesis.
We found that this WIPI-ATG13-driven pathway is preferentially used by a group of transmembrane autophagy receptors.