Watanabe Lab @JHU
@watanabelab.bsky.social
studying “ultrafast” events at synapses with innovative electron microscopy techniques. https://t.co/fKGNMx2cyo
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
Johns Hopkins scientists discover how a protein organizes message-carrying "bubbles" in brain synapses—advancing understanding of memory formation and learning. www.oneneurojhu.org/...
@watanabelab.bsky.social
@watanabelab.bsky.social
August 20, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Johns Hopkins scientists discover how a protein organizes message-carrying "bubbles" in brain synapses—advancing understanding of memory formation and learning. www.oneneurojhu.org/...
@watanabelab.bsky.social
@watanabelab.bsky.social
I am incredibly honored to receive this award! But now that I am behind the computer all day, this really is for the team! Congrats to the Watanabe lab!
Meet the 2025 ASCB Award Winners—trailblazing scientists honored for research, mentoring, education, and innovation. Celebrate excellence across all career stages in cell biology. Read more: www.ascb.org/society-news...
August 5, 2025 at 9:41 AM
I am incredibly honored to receive this award! But now that I am behind the computer all day, this really is for the team! Congrats to the Watanabe lab!
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
We're thrilled to announce the largest private gift in our 137-year history: a $25 million unrestricted donation from MBL Whitman Scientist Mark Terasaki.
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
MBL Announces Largest Ever Gift for Its Renowned Biological Education and Research Programs | Marine Biological Laboratory
Cell Biology Researcher Mark Terasaki’s $25 Million Unrestricted Gift Will Support Operations and Infrastructure Contact: Samantha Cummis scummis@mbl.edu; 973.800.4119
bit.ly
July 28, 2025 at 6:46 PM
We're thrilled to announce the largest private gift in our 137-year history: a $25 million unrestricted donation from MBL Whitman Scientist Mark Terasaki.
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
We unrestrained mice to study how they use their whiskers to learn a discrimination task. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A tactile discrimination task to study neuronal dynamics in freely-moving mice - Nature Communications
Task paradigms allowing studies on the core ethological function of the whiskers are lacking. Authors here present a task for freely moving mice that enables the study of how the brain processes touch...
www.nature.com
July 12, 2025 at 10:12 AM
We unrestrained mice to study how they use their whiskers to learn a discrimination task. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
Intersectin and endophilin condensates prime synaptic vesicles for release site replenishment
@watanabelab.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@watanabelab.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Intersectin and endophilin condensates prime synaptic vesicles for release site replenishment - Nature Neuroscience
Time-resolved electron microscopy reveals that intersectin-1 and endophilin A1 condensates hold replacement synaptic vesicles close to release sites. Without this, replacement vesicles are unavailable...
www.nature.com
July 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Intersectin and endophilin condensates prime synaptic vesicles for release site replenishment
@watanabelab.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@watanabelab.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Super excited to share that our new study is published @natneuro.nature.com today!! Here we show that intersectin and endophilin form condensates between the active zone and the reserve pool and maintain synaptic vesicles near the active zone for rapid replenishment.
rdcu.be/evi5y
rdcu.be/evi5y
July 8, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Super excited to share that our new study is published @natneuro.nature.com today!! Here we show that intersectin and endophilin form condensates between the active zone and the reserve pool and maintain synaptic vesicles near the active zone for rapid replenishment.
rdcu.be/evi5y
rdcu.be/evi5y
We wrote a review article on ultrafast endocytosis and its mechanisms and relevance to diseases. Enjoy! pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40062769/
Beyond Clathrin: Decoding the Mechanism of Ultrafast Endocytosis - PubMed
Endocytosis in nonneuronal cells requires gradual recruitment of proteins to endocytic sites for inducing membrane curvature and forming scaffolds around the neck of endocytic pits. This recruitment p...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
June 21, 2025 at 11:11 AM
We wrote a review article on ultrafast endocytosis and its mechanisms and relevance to diseases. Enjoy! pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40062769/
A new preprint alert from the lab!! Evidence for ultrafast endocytosis in inhibitory synapses!! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
June 9, 2025 at 9:43 AM
A new preprint alert from the lab!! Evidence for ultrafast endocytosis in inhibitory synapses!! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A weekend fun with the lab! Welcoming four new members to the lab!!
May 19, 2025 at 10:42 PM
A weekend fun with the lab! Welcoming four new members to the lab!!
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
Excited to share our new preprint "Dynamic nanoscale architecture of synaptic vesicle fusion in mouse hippocampal neurons" www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We combine optogenetic stimulation of neurons with in situ cryo-ET to characterize membrane dynamics during synaptic vesicle fusion ❄️🔬⏱️
We combine optogenetic stimulation of neurons with in situ cryo-ET to characterize membrane dynamics during synaptic vesicle fusion ❄️🔬⏱️
February 12, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Excited to share our new preprint "Dynamic nanoscale architecture of synaptic vesicle fusion in mouse hippocampal neurons" www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We combine optogenetic stimulation of neurons with in situ cryo-ET to characterize membrane dynamics during synaptic vesicle fusion ❄️🔬⏱️
We combine optogenetic stimulation of neurons with in situ cryo-ET to characterize membrane dynamics during synaptic vesicle fusion ❄️🔬⏱️
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
New preprint from the MemTraS team ! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Great collaboration with @fronzeslab.bsky.social and Vladan Lucic to determine the first cryo electron tomography images of dopamine "synapses" extracted from adult mouse brain.
Great collaboration with @fronzeslab.bsky.social and Vladan Lucic to determine the first cryo electron tomography images of dopamine "synapses" extracted from adult mouse brain.
February 10, 2025 at 4:39 PM
New preprint from the MemTraS team ! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Great collaboration with @fronzeslab.bsky.social and Vladan Lucic to determine the first cryo electron tomography images of dopamine "synapses" extracted from adult mouse brain.
Great collaboration with @fronzeslab.bsky.social and Vladan Lucic to determine the first cryo electron tomography images of dopamine "synapses" extracted from adult mouse brain.
another piece, covering our work! Thanks to Laura Tran at the Scientist!!
www.the-scientist.com/challenging-...
www.the-scientist.com/challenging-...
Challenging the Axon’s Classic Shape
Forget the traditional tubular shape—researchers are investigating a pearl-on-a-string formation for axons, unlocking new insights into neural signaling in health and disease.
www.the-scientist.com
January 27, 2025 at 9:15 PM
another piece, covering our work! Thanks to Laura Tran at the Scientist!!
www.the-scientist.com/challenging-...
www.the-scientist.com/challenging-...
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
📆Deadline extension alert!📆
The last day to submit applications for the MBL's 2025 Neurobiology course has been moved to February 3. Don't miss your opportunity to apply!
Read more: bit.ly/3C2psks
#ScienceStartsHere
The last day to submit applications for the MBL's 2025 Neurobiology course has been moved to February 3. Don't miss your opportunity to apply!
Read more: bit.ly/3C2psks
#ScienceStartsHere
January 10, 2025 at 9:47 PM
📆Deadline extension alert!📆
The last day to submit applications for the MBL's 2025 Neurobiology course has been moved to February 3. Don't miss your opportunity to apply!
Read more: bit.ly/3C2psks
#ScienceStartsHere
The last day to submit applications for the MBL's 2025 Neurobiology course has been moved to February 3. Don't miss your opportunity to apply!
Read more: bit.ly/3C2psks
#ScienceStartsHere
another preprint to end 2024!
Wondered how synaptic vesicles are recycled in human brains? and whether you can use human brain tissues to address it? You bet! We used live human brain slices and demonstrated that ultrafast endocytosis does it!! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Wondered how synaptic vesicles are recycled in human brains? and whether you can use human brain tissues to address it? You bet! We used live human brain slices and demonstrated that ultrafast endocytosis does it!! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
December 26, 2024 at 11:48 PM
another preprint to end 2024!
Wondered how synaptic vesicles are recycled in human brains? and whether you can use human brain tissues to address it? You bet! We used live human brain slices and demonstrated that ultrafast endocytosis does it!! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Wondered how synaptic vesicles are recycled in human brains? and whether you can use human brain tissues to address it? You bet! We used live human brain slices and demonstrated that ultrafast endocytosis does it!! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here's another article, covering our work!!
www.sciencenews.org/article/axon...
www.sciencenews.org/article/axon...
The message-sending part of neurons may be blobby, not smooth
Axons can be shaped like strings of pearls, research in mice and people show. How that shape may influence brain signaling is not yet clear.
www.sciencenews.org
December 17, 2024 at 4:00 PM
Here's another article, covering our work!!
www.sciencenews.org/article/axon...
www.sciencenews.org/article/axon...
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
Study finds axons are not the cylindrical tubes pictured in books but more like pearls on a string.
Article Link: www.oneneurojhu.org/2024/12/10/s...
“These findings challenge a century of understanding about axon structure,” says lead researcher Shigeki Watanabe, Ph.D. @watanabelab.bsky.social
Article Link: www.oneneurojhu.org/2024/12/10/s...
“These findings challenge a century of understanding about axon structure,” says lead researcher Shigeki Watanabe, Ph.D. @watanabelab.bsky.social
December 10, 2024 at 5:56 PM
Study finds axons are not the cylindrical tubes pictured in books but more like pearls on a string.
Article Link: www.oneneurojhu.org/2024/12/10/s...
“These findings challenge a century of understanding about axon structure,” says lead researcher Shigeki Watanabe, Ph.D. @watanabelab.bsky.social
Article Link: www.oneneurojhu.org/2024/12/10/s...
“These findings challenge a century of understanding about axon structure,” says lead researcher Shigeki Watanabe, Ph.D. @watanabelab.bsky.social
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
This new study, led by Shigeki Watanabe and partially conducted in the MBL’s Neurobiology course, challenges a fundamental tenet in neuroscience about the shape of axons and proposes a new model for understanding how information is transmitted in the brain. #science 🧪 🧠
A String of Pearls: Study Challenges Long-held Beliefs about Nerve Cell Shape and Function | Marine Biological Laboratory
WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- In a provocative new study, scientists challenge a fundamental tenet in neuroscience about the shape of axons -- the long, thin filaments radiating from nerve cells that transmit ...
www.mbl.edu
December 4, 2024 at 7:45 PM
This new study, led by Shigeki Watanabe and partially conducted in the MBL’s Neurobiology course, challenges a fundamental tenet in neuroscience about the shape of axons and proposes a new model for understanding how information is transmitted in the brain. #science 🧪 🧠
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
Did we conceive the structure of neurons incorrectly all these years?
nature.com/articles/s41...
not smooth, cylindrical strands but a string of pearls?
it's controversial
science.org/content/arti...
@science.org
nature.com/articles/s41...
not smooth, cylindrical strands but a string of pearls?
it's controversial
science.org/content/arti...
@science.org
Membrane mechanics dictate axonal pearls-on-a-string morphology and function - Nature Neuroscience
Axons have always been assumed to be cylindrical. Using in silico modeling and cryopreservation of tissues, Griswold et al. demonstrate that unmyelinated axons of the mammalian central nervous system ...
nature.com
December 2, 2024 at 10:13 PM
Did we conceive the structure of neurons incorrectly all these years?
nature.com/articles/s41...
not smooth, cylindrical strands but a string of pearls?
it's controversial
science.org/content/arti...
@science.org
nature.com/articles/s41...
not smooth, cylindrical strands but a string of pearls?
it's controversial
science.org/content/arti...
@science.org
Reposted by Watanabe Lab @JHU
Important article that challenges the classic view of axons as simple tubes. To what extent they fluctuate in diameter is up for debate - see some thoughts in this commentary piece in @science.org. Exciting time for axon scientists!
December 2, 2024 at 10:33 AM
Important article that challenges the classic view of axons as simple tubes. To what extent they fluctuate in diameter is up for debate - see some thoughts in this commentary piece in @science.org. Exciting time for axon scientists!
Excited to share our latest findings, now published @NatureNeuro www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We found unmyelinated axons exhibit pearls-on-a-string morphology's due to their membrane mechanical properties.
Threads will follow!
We found unmyelinated axons exhibit pearls-on-a-string morphology's due to their membrane mechanical properties.
Threads will follow!
December 2, 2024 at 10:02 AM
Excited to share our latest findings, now published @NatureNeuro www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We found unmyelinated axons exhibit pearls-on-a-string morphology's due to their membrane mechanical properties.
Threads will follow!
We found unmyelinated axons exhibit pearls-on-a-string morphology's due to their membrane mechanical properties.
Threads will follow!