Our study with @xiangylab is out in JVi and was selected as an Editor’s Pick. This study addresses a longstanding question in coronavirus biology: How much proofreading does SARS-CoV-2 actually need? Coronaviruses rely on nsp14 ExoN to preserve their unusually large RNA genomes, yet catalytic-site mutations were thought to be lethal in SARS-CoV-2. We combined a new continuous fluorescence assay for ExoN activity with an optimized single-bacmid reverse-genetics system to connect enzyme activity directly to viral viability and evolution. Mutations produced a graded series: K9A retained robust activity and supported efficient recovery; catalytic D90A/E92A substitutions sharply impaired ExoN yet yielded a viable, slow-growing virus; and the more disruptive K9E substitution prevented recovery. Crucially, the D90A/E92A virus maintained its engineered substitutions through serial passage while accumulating genome-wide variation,more than 400 SNPs by passage 14 versus fewer than 40 for wild type, establishing a stable mutator phenotype. The work replaces a simple “essential or dispensable” view of proofreading with a quantitative threshold model: SARS-CoV-2 can survive substantial loss of ExoN activity, but not below a minimum functional level. That insight provides a framework for understanding coronavirus genome stability, fitness, evolution, attenuation, and vulnerability to fidelity-disrupting antivirals. doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00809-26

Another step towards assembly of the coronavirus replicase. In this latest report, @Dulin_Lab and collaborators demonstrate a role of the nsp13 helicase in helping the nsp12 polymerase and accessory factors address secondary structures in the RNA template. cell.com/cell-reports/fullte…

New work from @RKirchdoerfer lab in collaboration with Jamie Arnold and @Dulin_Lab reveal the potent, inhibitory activity of arabinoside incorporation on elongation by both coronavirus and enterovirus RNA polymerases. The major problem with utilization of this class of nucleoside is the poor conversion to the triphosphate in the cell. We are now working on strategies to address that issue. jbc.org/article/S0021-9258%2…

Interested in our recent norovirus NS3 work? 👇 Join us to dig deeper! I'm recruiting a PhD candidate to investigate NS3's role in viral replication and assembly using #cryoEM, #cryoET, and other complementary techniques. 🔗 tinyurl.com/4f3t3aae Please share! 🙏

The IncaRNAto lab is seeking a motivated #PhD candidate, interested in studying #RNA structural ensemble dynamics in living cells. Here's the link to the vacancy: rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us…. Please share!

Thanks for having us on this nice work, @DanielHurdiss! ☺️

A new preprint. We reveal the response of the enterovirus polymerase to a break in the template its copying. Different from homologous recombination. This attribute will facilitate attachment of adapters to RNA for applications like nanopore sequencing. biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…

Last call before its gone! Apply by Nov 25th...

Official pictures and recap from NWO Biophysics 2024 are now available! Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of this event and hopefully until next year at NWO Biophysics 2024! View the pictures and recap here: nwobiophysics.nl/imagery. Vertaling weergeven

📢 Onderwijs en onderzoek zijn cruciaal om de grote vraagstukken van onze tijd aan te pakken! Toch bezuinigt het kabinet-Schoof €1 miljard op hoger onderwijs en wetenschap. Wij komen in actie tegen deze bezuinigingen! Teken jij ook de petitie? campagnes.degoedezaak.org/ca…

2 weeks to go! Apply for the 2 posts by Nov 25th - pls RT!

Another pre-print posted! This one a tour de force led by ⁦@dapontediaz⁩ that reveals a role for an enterovirus non-structural protein in hijacking the host secretory autophagy pathway to promote non-lytic spread of a non-enveloped virus. biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…

Please retweet 🙏: 2 @ERC_Research-funded Post-doc positions are available in our lab to investigate #RNA structural ensemble and their dynamics in living cells. Application link: rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us…

Our position for tenure-track principal investigator is still open! As junior group leader you will develop your research line within our lively scientific community. Ready to establish your own research group at the Hubrecht Institute? Apply before 15-11! hubrecht.eu/job/tenure-track…

Faculty position in RNA Biology available in our center @bcmhouston. Application deadline is November 30. nature.com/naturecareers/job…

The Els Koffeman Postdoctoral Fellowship is a unique one to launch candidates from underrepresented groups into faculty positions. Contact me or anyone else @IoP_UvA if you or someone that you know is interested link 👇🏼 academicjobsonline.org/ajo/j… deadline: 8 November 2024 🔁🙏🏼

📢 We are hiring! 🔍 🔬 PhD position in Molecular Spectroscopy - Precision measurements of trapped H2+ @VUamsterdam 🔗Read more and apply now: workingat.vu.nl/vacancies/ph…

⚠️ BREAKING: COVID Deaths Surge 25% in UK 🇬🇧 as Scientists Warn of Growing Threat from the XEC Variant Health officials in the UK have reported an increase in the number of COVID patients in hospitals, with deaths rising by over 25%.

Looking for postdoc candidate, who is interested in RNA-protein interactions, RNA localization and gene regulation. Candidates with backgrounds in biophysics (particularly single-molecule imaging), chemical biology and cell biology are all welcome to apply! Please help retweet 🙏