David Zappulla

We have now published @MCBJournal our secondary-structure model for the 1212 nt 𝘚. 𝘱𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘦 telomerase RNA, derived largely from bioinformatic and phylogenetic analyses of genomic data. Furthermore, our 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰 studies: (1) map TER1 RNA's functionally important domains vs. dispensable regions (2) show that the three-way junction can be repositioned in the RNA while still providing its essential function. These findings regarding the fission-yeast telomerase RNA are reminiscent of what we have found in the *evolutionarily distant* organism 𝘚. 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘦. Overall, studying telomerase RNP in yeasts continues to advance our understanding of the RNA world, while also getting us closer to cancer- and aging-inhibiting interventions. #d1e257" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… @LehighU @Lehigh_CAS @BioLehigh @tandfonline

Remarkable and awesome Congrats @Regeneron and congrats to science for discoveries that unlock step changes in human well being

📢🎉@hhmi_science competition for the next cohorts of #HannaGray Fellows and #FreemanHrabowski Scholars opening 11/3/2026. Senior postdocs and faculty within 7 years of appointment. Up to $10M over 10 yrs, + salary & benefits. Spread the word and consider applying! bit.ly/4vhC0LA

Hello, Moon. It’s great to be back. Here’s a taste of what the Artemis II astronauts photographed during their flight around the Moon. Check out more photos from the mission: nasa.gov/artemis-ii-mul…

Strep throat is both a terrible illness particularly when left untreated. And to get it diagnosed and treated is, for many people, terribly burdensome - costing time to get into a do , money to see a doc, time waiting for a result… This is why we started Anywhere Dx - to make strep testing and getting treatment simple and accessible

We live in a world where strep testing hasn’t changed in 20 years. But it can, and we’re ready for it. And then we’re going to do it again. With UTIs, STIs, and more. Are you with us? Let’s go. WeFunder.com/anywheredx

Self-replicating molecules such as RNA are considered a plausible foundation for the origin of life on Earth. A remarkably small RNA molecule of only 45 nucleotides (QT45) that can synthesize itself and its complementary strand is now published in Science: science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

ABSOLTELY CRAZY EVENT IN GREENLAND +7.1C Qanaaq at 76N pulverized its January record Dozens of records have been smashed in pieces allover Greenland every days for the past several weeks: Definitely One of the most extreme events the world has ever seen,anywhere,anytime.

Remarkable story of high school team who used CRISPR to make a rapid diagnostic test strip for Lyme disease, speeding dx from 2 weeks to days

Thank you very much to Peter Baumann for his expert input in this extensive project focused on fission yeast! baumannlab.org/people# And thank you also to my lab's co-authors for their years of great research leading to this published product!

We have now published @MCBJournal our secondary-structure model for the 1212 nt 𝘚. 𝘱𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘦 telomerase RNA, derived largely from bioinformatic and phylogenetic analyses of genomic data. Furthermore, our 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰 studies: (1) map TER1 RNA's functionally important domains vs. dispensable regions (2) show that the three-way junction can be repositioned in the RNA while still providing its essential function. These findings regarding the fission-yeast telomerase RNA are reminiscent of what we have found in the *evolutionarily distant* organism 𝘚. 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘦. Overall, studying telomerase RNP in yeasts continues to advance our understanding of the RNA world, while also getting us closer to cancer- and aging-inhibiting interventions. #d1e257" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… @LehighU @Lehigh_CAS @BioLehigh @tandfonline

Here are some of the prior papers regarding telomerase RNA and its role as a flexible scaffold in the RNP complex: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=telomera…

Don’t get it twisted. If SNAP goes, know who to blame…

“The results from this study demonstrate how powerful mRNA medicines truly are and that they are revolutionising our treatment of cancer,” Dr. Coller told ecancer. blackenterprise.com/mrna-covid-vac…

BREAKING: Horrific flooding in Santa Cruz, Jamaica, as Historic Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall. I fear that the destruction from this storm will be catastrophic.

Nevermind, beaten. -4.75C. The driest eye in recorded history in every basin on earth.

Prof. Hamilton Smith at J. Craig Venter Institute, a Nobel laureate for discovering type II restriction enzymes, passed away last night. A huge loss in Science, but his legacy will be remembered. @JCVenterInst @NobelPrize jcvi.org/about/hamilton…

Wow! Early results from MD Anderson show mRNA COVID vaccines may enhance cancer immunotherapy. Vaccinated patients starting checkpoint inhibitors within 100 days of vaccine lived nearly 2x as long. A powerful example of how NCI mRNA investments may redefine cancer treatment.

For those potentially interested in doing a Ph.D. in biology, our graduate program @LehighU is wonderful! We have labs studying a broad range of topics. 🧬 bio.cas.lehigh.edu/graduate/docto… Our Open House is online on 10/29/25 at 11 AM EDT. See the link below to register. Attending grants candidates an application fee waiver. See you there!

Another win for vaccines: A new study finds that reactivation of the virus that causes shingles (VZV) is linked to higher dementia risk…and shingles vaccination cuts that risk by up to 35%. It suggests something extraordinary: dementia may have a modifiable viral trigger.

Novavax Availability Update 📢 Giant Food (has stores in DE, MD, VA, and DC) maintains a page listing locations that offer Novavax: - Rockville - Glen Burnie - Baltimore - Frederick - Clarksville - Abingdon - District Heights - Springfield - Reston - Charlottesville No ETA yet.