Andrew Maclean

Andrew Maclean

@macleanlab.bsky.social

MRC research fellow at the University of Edinburgh working on parasite metabolism.

313 followers337 following16 posts

Andrew Maclean reposted

Andrew Maclean reposted

1/ 🧵 Two classic mitochondrial pathways the TCA cycle and OXPHOS are taught as linked but distinct pathways. I’m happy to share our new work out in @cp-cell.bsky.social showing that in Acanthamoeba they're physically linked—with a TCA enzyme incorporated in ATP synthase. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

cell.comAcanthamoeba ATP synthase structure reveals the TCA cycle is tethered to OXPHOSAcanthamoeba castellanii, a pathogenic amoeba, belongs to an evolutionary branch distinctly removed from humans and fungi. Cryo-EM of the organism’s ATP synthase enzyme using raw mitochondrial lysates...

Congratulations to Barrack and all the other authors. Great work 🥳

Andrew Maclean reposted

Andrew Maclean reposted

This week, our paper came out in @jem.org showing that: This week, our paper came out in @JEM showing that: 1. Long-lived Tim-4+ macrophages are present in the lamina propria and submucosa/muscularis. 2. Macrophage-derived TGF-beta is key to instructing macrophage identity in the lamina propria.

New study from Jayaraman, Prise, et al. from the Grainger & @tovah-shaw-lab.bsky.social labs @edinburghbiology.bsky.social @lydiabeckeriii.bsky.social challenges the prevailing paradigm that long-lived gut #macrophages are restricted to the muscularis. rupress.org/jem/article/...

Andrew Maclean reposted

Andrew Maclean reposted

Thank you so much to everyone who made it to #BSP2026 in beautiful, sunny Glasgow!!! (We asked the weather to behave while everyone was around)! The @bspparasitology.bsky.social 2027 meeting will be in Cardiff! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves! Like Glasgow, People Make #Parasitology! 🥳🧬🧫🔬

Andrew Maclean reposted

Check out our first lab preprint: A real team effort to understand the Plasmodium GAPM proteins, which form part of a essential bridge between the parasite's cytoskeleton and motility apparatus. Below is a sneak peek of some beautiful microscopy - light and electron! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Andrew Maclean reposted

Job opportunity for a #FlowCytometry technician, School of Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK. We do cool flow with fungi, bacteria, diatoms, space particles, as well as mammalian cells. Spectral, conventional and sorts. Join us! Details here: elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.comFlow Cytometry TechnicianWe are looking for an enthusiastic person to join the flow cytometry facility in the King’s Buildings campus at the School of Biological Sciences in the University of Edinburgh. This role involves pro...

Andrew Maclean reposted

It feels cheesy when people say this but it really was a privilege to be part of this work. Our recent paper (led by the fantastic Ben Royer @swallacelab.bsky.social) shows how engineered Ecoli can turn the main product of PET plastic breakdown it into an anti-Parkinsons drug (L-DOPA) rdcu.be/e84ZO

rdcu.beMicrobial upcycling of plastic waste to levodopaNature Sustainability - The production of high-value chemicals can involve energy-intensive processes, necessitating sustainable production strategies. Here the authors present a circular...

Andrew Maclean reposted

Like #hemocytes? I'm advertising a 3 year, BBSRC #postdoc position, in #Edinburgh, using #Drosophila & human cells to understand sex differences in the regulation of #macrophage function, an exciting collaboration with the Bénézech and Wood labs. Please share! 🪰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQU604/p...

jobs.ac.ukPostdoctoral Research Associate at The University of EdinburghDiscover an exciting academic career path as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

Andrew Maclean reposted

Join us next Friday to learn about working with different parasites and enhance your parasitology network!

SPPIRIT Network@sppirit-network.bsky.social

Join us on March 20th, 3 pm British time for SPPIRIT Forum meeting! We will explore the differences in research of different parasites, from the techniques available to day-to-day lab work, with our invited speakers, covering kinetoplastids, apicomplexans, and schistosoma. Register on link below:

Andrew Maclean reposted

Andrew Maclean reposted

📆 Join us for the scientific session of the ParaFrap Next Generation in Parasitology Workshop (May 18-21, 2026, Montpellier) ! 🧑‍🔬 Junior PIs will present their work. Registration is free but mandatory (includes lunch & coffee breaks). Spots are limited, register now! 👉 forms.gle/bYsb47iZG7pR...

Andrew Maclean reposted

A great collaboration of my group with @herassr.bsky.social and @heick.bsky.social groups searching for mammalian dsRNAs and their importance to human disease 🧬

Ana Gázquez-Gutiérrez@anagazquezg.bsky.social

I'm so happy to share our latest paper! Now out in @narjournal.bsky.social 🥳 Did you know that transposable elements embedded in mRNAs can form dsRNA and activate innate immunity? 🧬🦠 Have a look! academic.oup.com/nar/article/... #TEsky #RNAsky #RNAbiology #immunity #NAR

Andrew Maclean reposted

🚨 Postdoc position 🚨 I’m moving back to Switzerland this summer to launch my lab at the University of Zurich and am recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow (start: late 2026). Details & application: jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie.... Please share! 😊

jobs.uzh.chUZH: PostdocThe newly founded Cryptosporidium lab at the Institute of Parasitology focuses on the genetic and transcriptomic basis of parasite virulence and persistence in Cryptosporidium and is committed to incl...

Andrew Maclean reposted

Plants use cell-surface and intracellular receptors that collaborate to detect pathogens🦠. We discovered that a key #ubiquitin recognition event recruits both receptor types into an unexpected dual receptor complex that boost the translation of defence proteins and establishes robust #PlantImmunity👇🏾

bioRxiv Plant Bio@biorxiv-plants.bsky.social

Ubiquitin recognition integrates plant immune signaling by cell-surface and intracellular receptors https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.06.703835v1

Congratulations to Barrack, we are very excited to welcome him here in Edinburgh.

obcbioimaging.bsky.social@obcbioimaging.bsky.social

Congratulations to Barrack Owino on passing his PhD viva! Barrack used a range of our LM and EM systems to do his research on Leishmania. We will miss you Barrack; @macleanlab.bsky.social you've gained a gem!

Andrew Maclean reposted

Andrew Maclean reposted

Andrew Maclean reposted

Happy to share with you our work on how the interferon response impacts embryonic development 🦠Mammalian embryos contain endogenous dsRNAs that resemble viruses and can be misrecognised by the dsRNA sensor MDA5. Thanks to all collaborators, we could not have done it without you 🤩 rdcu.be/eWMfA

rdcu.beDouble stranded RNA sensing is silenced during early embryonic developmentNature Communications - The type I interferon response is suppressed during early development, making embryos susceptible to pathogens. Here, the authors show that this suppression contributes to...

Andrew Maclean reposted

I am pleased to share our latest preprint, detailing the characterisation of BDF7 in Leishmania. This non-canonical bromodomain factor is essential for the parasite to live inside the host macrophage and has a parasite specific function compared to the host ortholog , ATAD2. Details in the link:

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

A non-canonical role for the ATAD2 ortholog BDF7 in nucleolar ribosome maturation and amastigote survival in Leishmania mexicana. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.23.692120v1

Andrew Maclean reposted

Was a lot of fun working with @sheinerlab.bsky.social and Julius Lukes and his lab to explore the weird mitochondria of these under explored parasites. Thanks to all the authors.

SheinerLab@sheinerlab.bsky.social

Perkinsus marinus is an important marine pathogen yet we know little about its biology. @macleanlab.bsky.social reports here complexome work of whole parasite and mitochondria mapping the essential mitochondrial enzymes and kickstarting future functional studies. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Andrew Maclean reposted

In the early 1980ies the labs of Cordingley, Boothroyd and Borst discovered that the LSU rRNA of T. brucei is processed into 6 fragment. Now more than 30 years later Simona Amodeo at al. found the factors that mediate these trypanosomatid-specific processing events. academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

academic.oup.comA trypanosome-specific complex mediates late-stage processing of cytosolic LSU rRNAAbstract. Unlike most eukaryotes, Trypanosoma brucei processes its cytosolic large subunit (LSU) RNA into six fragments. The factors responsible for these

Andrew Maclean reposted

Save the date! The next instalment of Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes is a GO! Join us next year for a programme of talks, posters, ECR/networking activities. Website and registration details to follow in the coming weeks. See you October 5-10 2026 in beautiful San Feliu!!

Interested in parasitology? Looking to do a PhD? Cone join me and @geordieparasit.bsky.social in Edinburgh as we try and work out how human parasites get their vitamins.

The Geordie Parasitologist@geordieparasit.bsky.social

🎓 Funded #PhD studentships in pathogen biology and parasitology *Cell and Molecular Biology*; *Host-pathogen interactions* Part of the EastBio Doctoral Landscape Award Based in the Edinburgh area of Scotland PhD 1: bit.ly/Host-pathoge... PhD 2: bit.ly/Parasite-sca... @uoe-eid.bsky.social