Joined May 2015
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Jun 11
The algal pyrenoid fixes ~1/3 of global carbon, relying on a unique membrane-within-condensate architecture. How is this architecture built? We discovered that the protein MITH1 draws membranes into the pyrenoid condensate by promoting wetting! 🌿💧biorxiv.org/content/10.64898…
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Jun 11
The algal pyrenoid fixes ~1/3 of global carbon, relying on a unique membrane-within-condensate architecture. How is this architecture built? We discovered that the protein MITH1 draws membranes into the pyrenoid condensate by promoting wetting! 🌿💧biorxiv.org/content/10.64898…
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Jun 11
Congratulations to Sabrina Ergun, Claire Dignazio, Jonathan Bouvette, Haoyu Wu, Eric Franklin, and Claire McWhite!
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Jun 11
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The US National Science Foundation (NSF) — a major funder of basic research — has restricted the flow of new research grants to a group of elite universities, Nature has learnt.
go.nature.com/4uMeoxS
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Now published @PNASNews!
SAGA1 and SAGA2 localize the starch sheath to the pyrenoid in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.25…
We genetically disconnected starch from the matrix in the algal pyrenoid!
A saga1;saga2 double mutant lacks a pyrenoid starch sheath!
Our model: SAGA1 & SAGA2 locally initiate starch on the pyrenoid surface by enriching starch precursors.
🌞🦠🔬🔌👀
biorxiv.org/content/10.6...b…
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Martin Jonikas retweeted
Apr 20
To all scientists immigrants: This is an amazing opportunity. The Vilcek family is super generous and has rewarded many immigrant scientists including Nobel Laureate @kkariko. Hope everyone eligible applies !
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Apr 21
Congrats, Alex!! Well deserved!
Alexander Ploss, Princeton’s Harry C. Wiess Professor of Life Sciences and Molecular Biology, and the co-director of the Global Health Program, was awarded a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship in the field of medicine and health. 🥂 princeton.edu/news/2026/04/2…
ALT Alexander Ploss, Harry C. Wiess Professor of Life Sciences and Molecular Biology, Princeton University. Photo by C. Todd Reichart.
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Mar 18
Congrats, @Shan_He_lab and Linnea Lemma!
Today in Nature Cell Biology, a collaborative effort across labs (Jonikas, Wingreen, Brangwynne) at Princeton discovers the key to regulating a biomolecular condensate. Congrats to first authors Shan He and Linnea Lemma! molbio.princeton.edu/news/20…
ALT First authors Shan He, former postdoctoral research scholar in the Martin Jonikas lab, now Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Linnea Lemma, current postdoctoral research scholar jointly advised by Martin Jonikas (MOL) and Clifford Brangwynne (CBE). Photo of He courtesy of the author. Photo of Lemma by Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy.
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Mar 18
Now published @NatureCellBio!
Kinase KEY1 controls pyrenoid condensate size throughout the cell cycle by disrupting phase separation interactions
nature.com/articles/s41556-0…
11 Oct 2025
Algal pyrenoids—condensates that mediate ~1/3 of Earth’s CO2 fixation—change size and number as cells divide. Our data suggest a simple control mechanism: a kinase that continuously ejects material from the condensate! ☀️🌍🔬💧 #Biophysics #Photosynthesis
biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…
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Congrats to Tori, Micah, Aastha, and @LianyongW!
Grateful to @hhmi_science, @NIH, @NSF, @gatesfoundation, and @FCDOGovUK for supporting the work.
We genetically disconnected starch from the matrix in the algal pyrenoid!
A saga1;saga2 double mutant lacks a pyrenoid starch sheath!
Our model: SAGA1 & SAGA2 locally initiate starch on the pyrenoid surface by enriching starch precursors.
🌞🦠🔬🔌👀
biorxiv.org/content/10.6...b…
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We genetically disconnected starch from the matrix in the algal pyrenoid!
A saga1;saga2 double mutant lacks a pyrenoid starch sheath!
Our model: SAGA1 & SAGA2 locally initiate starch on the pyrenoid surface by enriching starch precursors.
🌞🦠🔬🔌👀
biorxiv.org/content/10.6...b…
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4 Nov 2025
Nice examples of key discoveries that created industries and were only possible by funding basic exploratory research. nature.com/articles/d41586-0…
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27 Oct 2025
Now published @PlantPhys nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…
1 Nov 2024
Excited to share our latest preprint!
Proteomic analysis of the pyrenoid-traversing membranes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reveals novel components biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…
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27 Oct 2025
Congrats to the team including @Shanhe_PU, @lsquared64, @almcalvo, @lianyongw, @Ashwani_Rai1, @brangwynnelab, and Ned Wingreen! Grateful to @HHMINEWS , @NSF, @DOEScience, @NIH, and @HFSP for supporting this interdisciplinary project.
11 Oct 2025
Algal pyrenoids—condensates that mediate ~1/3 of Earth’s CO2 fixation—change size and number as cells divide. Our data suggest a simple control mechanism: a kinase that continuously ejects material from the condensate! ☀️🌍🔬💧 #Biophysics #Photosynthesis
biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…
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17 Oct 2025
How did the US become the global leader in science and technology? Answer: decades of federal investment in basic research, including through the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. aps.org/apsnews/2025/10/quie…
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11 Oct 2025
Algal pyrenoids—condensates that mediate ~1/3 of Earth’s CO2 fixation—change size and number as cells divide. Our data suggest a simple control mechanism: a kinase that continuously ejects material from the condensate! ☀️🌍🔬💧 #Biophysics #Photosynthesis
biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…
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3 Oct 2025
Exciting new study from @aburlacot and @Yeh_Lab ! A genome-wide CRISPR screen in diatoms!
18 Sep 2025
📣 📣 Wondering what allow diatoms to grow in the ever-changing environment 🌦️of the ocean🌊?
Check out or latest work where we develop genome-wide CRISPR screen to unravel the genes🧬 critical for diatoms under dynamic light conditions☀️🌥️👇
Spoiler alert: it is (almost) not about NPQ 👀 and CEF is heavily involved 🫣
doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.15.6…
Amazing collaborative work with @Yeh_Lab
Attached image from @Sarah_Frail
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29 Sep 2025
Lev’s latest comic strip! For a school project on the properties of matter!
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18 Sep 2025
I was deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of Steve Long @LongLab. He was a pioneer and an inspiration to so many of us. Find his obituary here: renner-wikoffchapel.com/obit…
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8 Aug 2025
Congratulations to the 2025 Gilliam Fellows @HHMINEWS!
hhmi.org/programs/gilliam-fe…
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