Cells can be highly motile, moving in and out of a microscope’s field of view. Understanding complex life cycles is difficult without continuous observation. To overcome this challenge, we’ve developed a 3D-printed microchamber device to confine cells for long-term visualization.
Quantifying movement is a powerful window into cellular functions. However, cells can generate movement through a variety of complex mechanisms. Here, we generate a flexible framework for comparing an especially variable type of motility: cellular crawling.
Even with many tools available, categorizing species is tough. We used data from Raman spectroscopy, a form of label-free imaging, to infer phylogenetic patterns among several dozen diverse microbial taxa, offering a non-destructive and rapid way to dissect species relationships.
Prachee Avasthi, Tara Essock-Burns, Galo Garcia III, Jase Gehring, David Q. Matus, David G. Mets, and Ryan York
TE
+3
Published: May 03, 2023
Constraining motile microorganisms for live imaging often requires costly microfluidics or optical traps to keep them in view. We used patterned stamps and agar to make versatile, inexpensive “microchambers” and offer a way to predict the right chamber size for a given organism.
Prachee Avasthi, Ben Braverman, Tara Essock-Burns, Galo Garcia III, Cameron Dale MacQuarrie, David Q. Matus, David G. Mets, and Ryan York
BB
TE
+7
Published: Jun 23, 2023
We’re crossing C. reinhardtii and C. smithii algae for high-throughput genotype-phenotype mapping. In preparation, we’re comparing the parents to uncover unique species-specific phenotypes.
Feridun Mert Celebi, Seemay Chou, Erin McGeever, Austin H. Patton, and Ryan York
SC
+4
Published: Sep 29, 2023
We want to find and use evolutionary innovations to solve present-day problems. We developed NovelTree, an efficient phylogenomic workflow that will empower us to decode the evolutionary traces of these innovations across the tree of life.
It is commonly assumed that phenotypes arise from the cumulative effects of many independent genes. However, we show that by accounting for dependent and nonlinear biological relationships, we can generate models that predict phenotypes with great accuracy.
Genetic models of complex traits often rely on incorrect assumptions that drivers of trait variation are additive and independent. An information theoretic framework for analyzing trait variation can better capture phenomena like allelic dominance and gene-gene interaction.
Prachee Avasthi, Brae M. Bigge, Dennis A. Sun, and Ryan York
BB
TR
DS
+1
Published: Feb 14, 2024
We've applied ProteinCartography, a tool for protein family exploration, to the well-studied actin family. We’re able to categorize actins and related proteins into distinguishable functional buckets, and we uncovered some surprising hypotheses that could prompt further study.
Prachee Avasthi, Brae M. Bigge, Ilya Kolb, David G. Mets, Manon Morin, Austin H. Patton, and Ryan York
BB
IK
DM
+5
Published: Mar 06, 2024
We outline a comparative approach to investigate protein function by correlating the presence or absence of a protein with species-level phenotypes. We applied this strategy to a novel actin isoform in fungi but didn’t find an association with any of the phenotypes we considered.
Prachee Avasthi, Megan L. Hochstrasser, Jasmine Neal, Austin H. Patton, and Ryan York
RY
Published: Mar 05, 2024
We’re seeking feedback on NovelTree, our modular phylogenomic workflow. We’d appreciate your insights into how we can improve gene family inference, incorporate protein structure predictions, and expand to whole-genome data as input.
We’ve developed an easy-to-assemble apparatus and software for the automated collection of visible biological phenotypes such as growth, macroscopic morphology, motion, reflectance, and fluorescence.
Prachee Avasthi, Brae M. Bigge, Atanas Radkov, Harper Wood, and Ryan York
BB
DS
+2
Published: May 31, 2024
We aim to validate ProteinCartography, a tool for structure-based protein clustering, by evaluating two foundational hypotheses: that proteins within a cluster have similar functions and proteins in different clusters have differing functions.
Prachee Avasthi, Brae M. Bigge, Atanas Radkov, Harper Wood, and Ryan York
BB
DS
+2
Published: May 31, 2024
The human deoxycytidine kinase, a member of the nucleoside salvage pathway, has been studied extensively. We’ll use this family to assess our structure-based protein clustering tool, ProteinCartography. We’d love feedback on how we might work with this protein for validation.
Prachee Avasthi, Brae M. Bigge, Ben Braverman, Tara Essock-Burns, Ryan Lane, David G. Mets, Austin H. Patton, and Ryan York
BB
TE
+7
Published: May 31, 2024
To test its utility in analyzing biological samples, we built an open-source Raman spectrometer and collected spectra from chilis, beer, and algae. We could stratify samples, classify replicates, and link spectra with quantitative traits of beer (ABV) and chilis (perceived heat).
Prachee Avasthi, Brae M. Bigge, Atanas Radkov, Harper Wood, and Ryan York
BB
DS
+2
Published: May 31, 2024
We’re using the well-studied superfamily of small monomeric GTPases, the Ras GTPases, to evaluate our structure-based clustering tool, ProteinCartography. We’re seeking feedback on working with this protein family and determining which individual proteins to study.
Brae M. Bigge, Adair L. Borges, Seemay Chou, Elizabeth A. McDaniel, Kira E. Poskanzer, and Ryan York
BB
SC
RD
+5
Published: Aug 09, 2024
Inspired by wasps co-opting viral capsids to deliver genes to the caterpillars they parasitize, we looked for capsid-like proteins in other species. We found capsid homologs in ticks and other parasites, suggesting this phenomenon could be wider spread than previously known.
Many protein prediction and design models rely on evolutionary comparisons. We show that popular databases are phylogenetically biased, influencing the statistical utility of the known protein universe in important ways.