i3S research honoured with the 2025 MBoC Early Career Paper Award
The article “Alternative splicing of the cargo-binding domain enables a dynein adapter to link distinct cargos to cytoplasmic dynein-1”, published in early 2025 in the journal Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) as a result of a research project developed at i3S, was honoured with the prestigious 2025 MBoC Early Career Paper Award. The prize was given to researchers Cátia Carvalho and Matilde Moreira from the “Cell Division Mechanisms” group who are the paper’s first authors.
This prize is awarded by the editorial board of the MBoC, a leading international publication from the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) that’s over 30 years old, and recognises articles of excellence led by early-career researchers. As part of the award, the authors were invited to present their work at the MBoC Award Webinar, which will take place in October, providing them with a unique opportunity to share their results with the international scientific community.
The awarded study delves into a fundamental question in cell biology: how can motor proteins transport such a large variety of cargoes along the cytoskeleton, despite relying on a limited number of adapter proteins? The team focused on cytoplasmic dynein 1, a microtubule motor, and, using the animal model C. elegans (a worm), discovered that the adapter protein ZYG-12 is capable of recruiting dynein to different cargoes – such as the nucleus and early endosomes – depending on the cellular context. These discoveries help explain how a single motor protein can perform such diverse functions, contributing to a deeper understanding of intracellular organisation.
The project began during Cátia Carvalho’s PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCBiology) at the University of Porto, under the supervision of researcher Reto Gassmann, leader of the “Cell Division Mechanisms” group and co-supervised by Daniel J. Barbosa. The work was later continued by Matilde Moreira.
“During my doctorate, while testing a hypothesis that ultimately was not confirmed, a result emerged that was as exciting as it was unexpected. This finding became a side project that accompanied me through the last years of my thesis, challenging me to apply new techniques and refine others. When I finished the main project proposed for my doctorate, this work had already taken on a life of its own with a very exciting scientific narrative. With the conclusion of my doctorate and my departure from the laboratory (2024), I was delighted to see Matilde join the story and make every effort to bring this project to fruition,” explains Cátia Carvalho.
For the researcher, this award “symbolises the value of scientific curiosity, the importance of following unexpected results, and the joy of seeing a project recognised that, in addition to the science, gave me back my motivation and enthusiasm during the most demanding moments of my research.”
After Cátia Carvalho’s doctorate was completed, Matilde Moreira, a recent master's graduate also supervised by Reto Gassmann, took on the project “with the prospect of continuing to learn and gain experience and with the added pressure of bringing Cátia’s story to life, someone who had a direct (and important) role in my scientific training.” This award, she adds, “in addition to recognising good work, is a sign that I am on the right path and an extra motivation for the next steps in my scientific career.”