A. M. Smith

Facile determination of the Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus of polyacrylamide gels and polydimethylsiloxane

The paper presents a method to measure Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus of polyacrylamide gels and PDMS using tensile tests and compares results with shear rheology.

Natural and engineered isoforms of the inflammasome adaptor ASC form non-covalent, pH-responsive hydrogels

The paper demonstrates that natural and engineered ASC isoforms form non-covalent, pH-responsive hydrogels through self-assembly, revealing their potential for bioinspired material design.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from Patients Attending a Medical Laboratory, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar between 2014-2020: Phenotypic and Genomic characterization in a Subset of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates.

This paper reports antimicrobial susceptibility and genomic data of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Madagascar, identifying resistance patterns and genetic mechanisms.

Modification of amyloplast size in wheat endosperm through mutation of PARC6 affects starch granule morphology

This study shows that mutating PARC6 in wheat increases amyloplast size and alters starch granule morphology without affecting plant growth or grain yield.

Incorporating environmental time series into species distribution models

This paper develops a deep learning approach for species distribution models using environmental time series data, achieving accurate predictions without simplifying temporal and spatial variables.

Computational pipeline provides mechanistic understanding of Omicron variant of concern neutralizing engineered ACE2 receptor traps

The paper develops a computational pipeline combining Rosetta and cryo-EM to analyze ACE2 receptor traps' binding to SARS-CoV-2 variants, showing high affinity and neutralization capabilities against Omicron and Delta.

Glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins influence the elastic response of synovial fluid nanofilms on model oxide surfaces

This study investigates how glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins affect the elastic response of synovial fluid nanofilms on oxide surfaces, showing that film elasticity depends on component integrity.

CryoEM and AI reveal a structure of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2, a multifunctional protein involved in key host processes.

The paper uses cryo-EM and AlphaFold2 to determine the structure of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2, revealing its zinc-binding site and potential interactions with host proteins.

Dynamic pneumococcal genetic adaptations support bacterial growth and inflammation during coinfection with influenza

This study identifies bacterial genes critical for pneumococcal virulence and immune modulation during influenza coinfection using transposon mutagenesis and in vivo analysis.

The pathway of starch synthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves

The paper resolves a 20-year controversy by showing that ADPG pyrophosphorylase in chloroplasts, not sucrose synthase in the cytosol, is the primary source of ADPG for starch synthesis in Arabidopsis leaves.

COVID-19 virtual patient cohort reveals immune mechanisms driving disease outcomes

The paper develops a computational model of COVID-19 immunopathology to identify immune mechanisms driving severe disease outcomes.

A broadly resolved molecular phylogeny of New Zealand cheilostome bryozoans as a framework for hypotheses of morphological evolution

The paper constructs a molecular phylogeny of New Zealand cheilostome bryozoans to test morphological evolution hypotheses and finds that lower taxonomic levels are robust while higher-level systematics need rethinking.

An ultra-potent synthetic nanobody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by locking Spike into an inactive conformation

This paper develops a potent synthetic nanobody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by locking its Spike protein in an inactive conformation, enabling aerosol delivery as a prophylactic or therapeutic agent.

Molecular phylogeny of historical micro-invertebrate specimens using de novo sequence assembly

This study uses historical micro-invertebrate specimens to resolve phylogenetic relationships among cheilostome bryozoans using de novo sequencing and assembly.

OPTN translocates to an ATG9A-positive compartment to regulate innate immune signalling and cytokine secretion

The paper shows OPTN regulates innate immune signaling by forming a perinuclear compartment with ATG9A, and disease mutations disrupt this process, affecting cytokine secretion.

A Critical, Nonlinear Threshold Dictates Bacterial Invasion and Initial Kinetics During Influenza

The paper identifies a nonlinear dose threshold for bacterial invasion during influenza, showing how virus-induced macrophage depletion affects bacterial growth kinetics.