Preprints in Motion

This week we discuss organoids and assembloids as models of neurodegenerative diseases with Sònia Sabaté Soler ( @scisonias ), a PhD student from the University of Luxembourg ( @uni_lu ). Find out about how 2D stem cells cultures are differentiated into complex 3D midbrain organoids which contain multiple cell types. We also discuss how microglia can be incorporated into the organoids to generate...

A really exciting special episode this week, as we talk to co-founders of BioRxiv ( @biorxivpreprint) and MedRxiv ( @medrxivpreprint ) Richard Sever ( @cshperspectives ) & John Inglis ( @JohnRInglis ). We discuss how they met and started with BioRxiv along with the challenges they faced. We then chat about the considerations when accepting or rejecting preprints, or why certain papers are reje...

This week we discuss DNA recorders with Theresa Loveless ( @TheresaLovele12 ), a Post Doc, at UC Irvine. DNA recorders can turn transient events into stable genomic ones and have been used to investigate cell fates and lineages. Join us as we find out more about how this is achieved and the incredible technology behind it!! We also chat about Theresa’s experience of preprinting and academia, and h...

This week we discuss an amazing new technique developed by Dr Jakub Gemperle ( @GemperleJakub ), a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Manchester ( @OfficialUoM ). This technique uses 3 different inducible systems to allow on-demand control of endogenous genes, including being able to remove genes and then re-express them. A nice all in one package of techniques, great fo...

This week is our Christmas Episode! In this episode the Preprints in Motion team get together and discuss exciting, new preprints with a festive theme. We talk about smart soil, mitochondria DNA in relation to COVID 19, shock absorber stress granules as well as a discussion on nepotistic journals and much more including festive cheer and merriment.   Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from...

This week we discuss the exocyst with Dr Hannes Maib @hannes_maib a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of Dundee @dundeeuni !! He explains the complexities of the exocyst as well as the exciting biochemistry and binding assays used to understand its formation. In addition Hannes speaks candidly about starting working in a new lab as a Post-Doc, his views of hierarchical journal systems and...

This week we discuss prefigurative politics in academia with Stefano Davide Vianello, a PhD student at @EPFL_en in Switzerland. This is the idea that in order to change how a system works we should act in a way that reflects the change we want to see. In Stefano’s case: preprinting to be the end goal and he has therefore submitted a preprint without any intention of submitting it to a journal. We...

This week we discuss mice in space and the impact of prolonged space flight and how this can relate to austraunoughts with Jessica L Braun @jess_l_braun a PhD Student at the Brock University @BrockUniversity . Jessica speaks about her work looking at soleus and tibialis anterior muscles of mice which have spent 35-37 days on the international space station comparing Ca2+ uptake and SERCA function....

This week we discuss Parkinson’s Disease and single molecule spectroscopy with Dr Derrick Lau, a PostDoc at the University of New South Wales ( @UNSW ). Single molecular spectroscopy can be used to track the formation and purification of α-synuclein aggregates, a hallmark of PD, and potentially lead to a tool for early diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. We discuss how single molecular spectroscopy...

This week we discussed the transfer of mitochondria from macrophages to cancer cells with Dr Chelsea Kidwill & Joseph Casalin, a Post-Doctoral Research Associate and PhD student at University of Utah ( @UUtah ) in the school of medicine. We delve into why this transfer occurs, the mechanism of transfer and how this impacts the recipient cells. We also speak to Joseph about his alternative scho...

This week we discuss The Paywall Movie with Professor Jason Schmitt, chair of communication and Media at Clarkson University. We talk about academic publishing, the problems of the current system and more.  In 2018, UK universities spent over £210 million on publication costs (access etc). This could have paid for; 700 ECR fellowships or 6500 postdocs or >8500 technicians or 3,500 PhDs (4y...

This week we discuss how published nucleotide sequences are not always correct or to be trusted with Yasunori Park and Professor Jennifer A Byrne ( @JAByrneSc i ), a research Assistant and PI at the University of Sydney ( @Sydney_uni ). We delve into the details of their nifty new text mining tool (Blast and Seek) which highlights papers with incorrect nucleotide sequences. We also discuss the mos...

This week we discuss high throughput CRISPR/Cas9 screening and how these have been adapted to investigate novel treatments for COVID-19 with Emily Sherman a former Post Doc and Brian Emmer ( @ brianemmer ), a new PI at University of Michigan ( @UMIntMed ) In this episode we cover details on how to conduct a high throughput CRISPR/Cas9 screen, the exciting advances in NextGen sequencing as well as...

This week we discuss BET inhibitors and fibroblast activation with Michael Alexanian @m_alexanian a Postdoctoral researcher at Gladstone Institutes @Gladstoneinst . Michael explains how BET inhibitors have emerged as a potent tool to reversibly interfere with enhancers to promoter signalling. This has been shown to ameliorate heart failure in mouse models and is a highly translatable method of pre...

This week we discuss how to non-destructively extract and sequence DNA from historical mosquito and tsetse fly samples from the Natural History Museum’s collection. We discover a new method for doing just that with Dr Petra Korlevic ( @petrathepostdoc ), a Post-doctoral researcher at the EMBL-EBI ( @emblebi )/Sanger Institute ( @sangerinstitute ), and Dr Erica McAlister ( @flygirlNHM ), Senior Cur...

It's all-change at Preprints in Motion this week! Host Jonny Coates takes on the role of guest, while Producer Emma Wilson and Editor John D Howard step in front of the mic for a change and co-host, to bring you a background discussion on the history, and pros and cons of Preprints. Analysis of changes between preprints and their published versions - https://bit.ly/2ZEY5X3 Role of preprints in the...

This week we focus on limb regeneration in amphibians and ask how far away are we from mammalian regeneration? Maybe not as far as we think. We join Dr Can Aztekin @CanAztekin , a recent PhD graduate from Gurdon Institute @GurdonInstitute and current PI in EPFL, Switzerland @EPFL_en . We discuss regeneration in general and a novel tool to investigate different factors involved with regeneration. W...

This week it’s something a little different! We chat with Dr Michele Avissar-Whiting ( @maw_tweets ) Editor in Chief of Research Square. Research Square is a Preprint platform which aims to make research communication publishing quicker, easier and fairer. We speak about their editing and reviewing process, open access journals as well as general Preprint chat! Other links Michele’s scholarly kitc...

Join us as we learn why referencing Wikipedia might not be such a bad idea. We speak to Omer Benjakob @omerbenj , Jonathan Sobel @JonathanSobel1 & Rona Aviram @rona_av who have been investigating the scientific backbone of Wikipedia pages and how referencing on Wikipedia has changed over the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss how Wikipedia manages to reliably keep up to date with a constantly evolv...

This week join our host Jonny coates as he speaks with Dr Bart Vos, a research associate at the Munster University, as he reveals just how much he likes microscopes. Together they discuss how to build a high resolution LEGO microscope and how these can be used as useful teaching tools for kids and adults alike. They then delve in the world of academic science, the pros, the cons and why we should...

Preprints in Motion is a shiny podcast diving into the fast paced world of preprinted science. Preprints have accelerated the speed at which scientific findings are shared and have helped to move academia towards a more equitable place. Join immunologist and open-science advocate Dr Jonny Coates as he talks to the early career researchers behind some of freshest preprints and learn more about thei...