Rahul K
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theresearch.bsky.social
Rahul K
@theresearch.bsky.social
1.9K followers 640 following 270 posts
I run, ski, and engineer cells and materials; asking how nutrient sensing & signaling work: bit.ly/RK-GoogleScholar

🇪🇪: TalTech| Ex: Tartu Ülikool; 🇸🇪: Karolinska Institutet, Chalmers; 🇯🇵: Kyutech; 🇮🇳: IITD
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theresearch.bsky.social
Resource: research on yeast Rhodotorula toruloides is still a work in progress as a model organism; therefore, we performed bioinformatics analysis to provide genome annotation and maps of metabolic pathways involved in biopolymer biosynthesis and production

For more: doi.org/10.1128/aem.... #AEM
Proposed EPS biosynthesis and transport pathway in R. toruloides CCT0783, based on its genome annotation and representative gene expression data from previous omics studies. Source: https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00947-25
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Interestingly, we found that yeast Rhodotorula toruloides utilizes inorganic nitrogen, acidifying the culture environment and producing biopolymers. This phenomenon is absent in organic nitrogen utilization
Initial and final (after 120 h of cultivation) pH values, alongside the presence or absence of exopolysaccharide (EPS) in samples in different cultivation media separated by the nitrogen source and C:N ratio. Source: https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00947-25
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Intrigued by these observations, we focused on identifying what causes yeast Rhodotorula toruloides to aggregate and discovered that it produces an exopolysaccharide biopolymer
An example time-series graph of triplicate cultivation experiments showing DCW (g/L), pH, and EPS (g/L). Source: https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00947-25
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Study background: While studying the impact of salt stress on different yeasts, we discovered that Rhodotorula toruloides tends to form cellular aggregates under certain conditions, which we could prevent by adding NaCl or KCl
doi.org/10.1128/AEM....
Yeasts’ cellular and organellar cationic transporters. The rectangles around the labels indicate the absence of cationic transporters, based on the currently available sequence comparisons, in yeast Rhodotorula toruloides: Source: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.03100-20
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Pleased to share our latest #AEM publication showing that #yeast Rhodotorula toruloides’ sense and response mechanism for nitrogen can be deployed for exopolysaccharide #biopolymer production (h/t @asm.org). A brief thread 🧵

Illustration credit: Dr. Stefania Vaga (h/t @cofactor.bsky.social)
A two-panel watercolor painting of yeast showing a sense and response mechanism as it produces a biopolymer. (Illustration credit: Dr. Stefania Vaga @cofactor.bsky.social)
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2025
@riksbank.se / @scienceacademyswe.bsky.social

#NobelPrize #NobelPrize2025 #SverigesRiksbankPrize
A graphic showing the winners of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize In Economic Sciences In Memory of Alfred Nobel 2025
October 13, 2025 at 10:32 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
The Nobel Peace Prize 2025
@nobelprize.bsky.social

#NobelPrize #NobelPrize2025 #NobelPeacePrize
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina Machado for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
October 10, 2025 at 9:14 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 @nobelprize.bsky.social

#NobelPrize #NobelPrize2025
The 2025 #NobelPrize in Literature is awarded to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.”
October 9, 2025 at 12:03 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 @nobelprize.bsky.social

#NobelPrize #NobelPrize2025
An illustration showing the Nobel Prize In Chemistry 2025 - laureates and citation
October 8, 2025 at 11:01 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025

@nobelprize.bsky.social #NobelPrize #NobelPrize2025
Graphic of Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine 2025
October 7, 2025 at 10:59 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 @nobelprize.bsky.social #NobelPrize #NobelPrize2025
Graphic of Nobel Prize laureates in Physics 2025
October 7, 2025 at 10:49 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
For those who celebrate October as #NobelPrize announcements month @nobelprize.bsky.social 🎃🇸🇪🇳🇴

#NobelPrize2025 dates & time ⬇️
www.nobelprize.org/prizes/about...
Nobel Prize announcement dates for 2025
September 30, 2025 at 6:15 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Latest issue of curated #engineeredlivingmaterials feed:
biomed.news/bims-enlima/... #ELMs
via @biomednews.bsky.social

includes research on: protein abundance regulation (h/t @slavov-n.bsky.social), switchable-protein release (h/t @shrikrishnans.bsky.social ), theranostic probiotic ELMs & more 🧪
A figure with panels showing data analysis results of single-cell metabolic pulse proteomics and transcriptomics in murine trachea. Source: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.17.676955v1
September 28, 2025 at 8:38 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
Göteborg, Sweden (June 2025)
Summer sunset view at Stora Hamnkanalen, Göteborg, Sweden
August 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Latest issue of #engineeredlivingmaterials feed:
biomed.news/bims-enlima/... via
@biomednews.bsky.social

includes research on: molecular weapons (h/t @prokaryota.bsky.social), recyclable polymers, & more 🧪

Highlighting @aatishb.bsky.social's analysis on the impact of the NSF funding disruptions
An illustration showing modeling prediction that metabolic diversity increases the ecological impacts of weapon gene transfer. Modeling scenarios for each column are shown across the top row. Bottom row: Example dynamics of the strains (attacker, target, transconjugant) during a contest using parameters that correspond to the cross (X) shown in the parameter sweeps directly below. Source: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003095
May 25, 2025 at 8:32 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
📚 A tale of two books: what science and technology could do at its best vs worst!
A screenshot of the audiobook ‘On Call’ by Dr. Tony Fauci A screenshot of the audiobook ‘Invisible Rulers’ by Renée DiResta
May 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
The Gollum Effect …
Audiobook screenshot of JRR Tolkien’s The lord of the rings: the two towers. Read by Andy Serkis who also played the role of Gollum in the LOTR movies.
May 21, 2025 at 3:51 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Can a Crabtree negative yeast show carbon overflow metabolism? Check our attempt @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social
unraveling this question 👇
An illustration showing use of sugars, and differences between inorganic and organic nitrogen metabolism, leading to biopolymer production upon acidification of cell culture environment
May 9, 2025 at 8:57 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
+1
everyone should read/listen @noupside.bsky.social’s masterpiece on information environment manipulation and its consequences, specially in the context of attacks on scientific research and education.
A cover image of book ‘Invisible Rulers’ by Renée DiResta
May 1, 2025 at 4:31 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Latest issue of #engineeredlivingmaterials feed:
biomed.news/bims-enlima/...
via @biomednews.bsky.social

includes research on: hydrogels with tensegrity structures, circular 3D printing, plug-and-play engineering of modular polyketide synthases, magnetotactic bacteria as microrobots & more 🧪
Figure illustrates a design of closed-loop recyclable photopolymer networks. (A) Molecular principle for the recyclable photopolymer network. (B) Modular network design to access diverse materials. (C) The dissociative thiol-aldehyde photochemistry. Source: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.ads3880
April 23, 2025 at 5:07 PM
theresearch.bsky.social
Excellent research from Caroline M. Ajo-Franklin and co-authors on extracellular electron transfer, titled "extracellular respiration is a latent energy #metabolism in Escherichia coli" - @cellpress.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
Graphical abstract showing extracellular respiration as a latent energy metabolism in Escherichia coli. Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.03.016
April 13, 2025 at 7:56 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
2025-03-09 Issue of #engineeredlivingmaterials feed:
biomed.news/bims-enlima/...
via @biomednews.bsky.social

includes, living materials based bio-energy device, programming of nutrient detection, a microfluidic platform for extraction & analysis of genome (h/t ceesdekker.bsky.social) & more 🧪
Design and application of living hydrogels as portable energy devices for neuron stimulation. Source: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202419249 Programming Nutrient Detection with Modular Regulators for Dynamic Control of Microbial Biosynthesis. Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssynbio.4c00720 A microfluidic platform for extraction and purification of bacterial nucleoids. Source: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LC00839A
March 9, 2025 at 9:48 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
2025-03-02 Issue of #engineeredlivingmaterials feed:
biomed.news/bims-enlima/...
@biomednews.bsky.social

includes, a platform for designing functional protein polymers, a glycan foldamer catalyst (h/t delbiancom.bsky.social), a self-strengthening mechanism in DN hydrogels & more 🧪
The illustration shows the seamless cloning of rolling-circle amplicons (SCRCA) that can function as A Novel Gene Synthesis Platform for Designing Functional Protein Polymers. Source: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202410903 A conceptual scheme of strengthening via bond scission-triggered rapid network formation in double network (DN) hydrogels. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02137-6 An illustration showing a glycan foldamer that uses carbohydrate–aromatic interactions to perform catalysis. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-01763-6
March 4, 2025 at 10:52 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
2025-02-23 Issue of #engineeredlivingmaterials feed:
biomed.news/bims-enlima/...
@biomednews.bsky.social
includes, metabolite-responsive control (h/t wilfriedweber.bsky.social), light-modulated self-assembly (h/t francolab.bsky.social), single-protein quant (h/t naturemethods.bsky.social), & more 🧪
The figure is a graphical abstract of the research article titled, "Metabolite-Responsive Control of Transcription by Phase Separation-Based Synthetic Organelles". Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssynbio.4c00633 The figure shows schematic outline of the OLS which is a single-objective, light-sheet imaging modality that provides illumination homogeneity, a large achievable FOV and superior background fluorescence rejection. OLS is suitable for SMLM and SMT measurements. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-025-02594-6 The figure shows Crystal structure and elastic bending properties of bis(acetylacetonato)copper(II) ([Cu(acac)2]. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02133-w The illustration is a graphical abstract and shows Light-Modulated Self-Assembly of Synthetic Nanotubes. Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c05452
February 23, 2025 at 10:20 AM
theresearch.bsky.social
2025-02-09 Issue of #engineeredlivingmaterials feed: biomed.news/bims-enlima/...
via @biomednews.bsky.social

This includes articles on protein-based bioplastics, synthetic biology tool kits, a recoded organism with a one-stop codon, and an ultrasound-programmable delivery platform.
The figure shows incorporation of Glycerol or HPGs as Plasticizing Additives into BSA–PEGDA-Based Aqueous Resins for Light-Based 3D Printing Affording Bioplastics with Mechanical Properties That Vary from Rigid and Strong (Obtained Natively) to Soft and Ductile (Obtained with Plasticizers). Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biomac.4c01497 The figure shows an overview of the DRIMS Platform: (a) DRIMS cloning process. (b) Primer design for insertion, replacement and mutagenesis. (c) Deletion of a region of interest from a plasmid. (d) Stages of template-free DNA synthesis and cloning of the synthesized fragment. Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssynbio.4c00649 The figure shows the design and construction of genomically recoded E. coli with a single stop codon. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08501-x The figure shows the preparation of ultrasound mechanically responsive hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs). Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08401-0
February 9, 2025 at 9:16 AM