Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Evelina Tutucci @anilevetu.bsky.social · 23h

And it's out!
Our paper on the optimization of smFISH to quantify cytokine mRNAs in T cells is published in EMBO Journal.
Using this protocol, we gathered interesting insights on cytokine mRNAs co-expression and localization in these teeny tiny human cells.
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

1 10 24

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

European Research Council (ERC) @erc.europa.eu · 8h

📈 Record interest in ERC Starting Grants 2026!

4,807 proposals - a 22% increase compared to last year’s call.

👩‍🔬 Women submitted nearly 43% of proposals - the highest share ever recorded in an ERC call.

More stats 👉 bit.ly/4hcYJln

#ChooseEurope

Starting Grants 2026 applications: Facts and figures

The ERC Starting Grants 2026 call closed for applications on 14 October 2025. These are the preliminary data on submitted proposals:

bit.ly

8 36

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Julius Brennecke @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social · 1d

The 'Handler genome' of OSCs, a rare and stably growing cell line that runs a piRNA pathway to silence transposons.

Dominik (@86dominik.bsky.social) assembled the genome of this Drosophila cell line.

Besides making some cool findings, the goal was to turn this into useful resource for the field.

Dominik Handler @86dominik.bsky.social · 2d

When transposons jump, genomes diverge - even in cultured cells.
I am happy to share our new preprint: a chromosome-scale genome assembly for Drosophila OSC cells, one of the key model systems in the piRNA field, especially for nuclear piRNA biology. 🧬🧵 (1/12)

Graphical abstract: The Drosophila OSC Genome as a resource for transposon and piRNA biology. The figure illustrates the workflow and key findings. Left: De novo genome assembly using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long reads and Hi-C data generates a phased assembly distinguishing unique (blue) and repetitive (orange) sequences. Dot plot comparison between OSC-r1.01 and dm6 reference genomes shows overall synteny with extensive structural variation. Middle: A freely accessible UCSC genome browser session displays multi-omics data tracks including gene models, transposon insertions, chromatin accessibility, transcription, small RNAs, and histone modifications. Right: New insights into flamenco piRNA cluster biology reveal >730 kb transcribed from a single promoter without major splicing. Tethering assays demonstrate long-range silencing effects across the locus, and genome browser tracks show coordinated regulation of piRNA production, transcription, and chromatin state. This resource enables comprehensive studies of transposon regulation and piRNA pathway function in a widely-used Drosophila cell line.

7 18

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

David Bartel's Lab @bartellab.bsky.social · 3d

Check out the latest work from our lab, led by Arash Latifkar @ara-latifkar.bsky.social , www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

mRNA poly(A)-tail length is a battleground for coronavirus–host competition

Most eukaryotic mRNAs contain a poly(A) tail, which in post-embryonic cells enhances their stability. Many cytoplasmic RNA viruses also harbor poly(A) tails on their genomic RNA and mRNAs. Here, we re...

www.biorxiv.org

1 10 27

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Julius Brennecke @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social · 3d

Off he is ...

Ulrich is one of the most remarkable scientists I had the pleasure to work with. I learned so much from him about biochemistry, proteins, structural biology, and so much more.

Great people make great things happen.
The really great people are rare.
Ulrich is one of them ...

Ulrich Hohmann @hohmannulrich.bsky.social · 4d

Thrilled to share that I’ll be joining @imbmainz.bsky.social in February 2026 to start my own group!
We will explore new mechanisms in eukaryotic gene expression, leveraging ‘evolutionary play’ to uncover how regulation, repurposing, and hijacking shape RNA biology.
PhD positions available!

1 10 33

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Ulrich Hohmann @hohmannulrich.bsky.social · 4d

Thrilled to share that I’ll be joining @imbmainz.bsky.social in February 2026 to start my own group!
We will explore new mechanisms in eukaryotic gene expression, leveraging ‘evolutionary play’ to uncover how regulation, repurposing, and hijacking shape RNA biology.
PhD positions available!

5 30 73

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

The Virologist 🇳🇱🤙 (@Pen_Is_Mighty on Twitter) @thevirologist.bsky.social · 7d

9 100 220

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

SEBD @sebioldev.bsky.social · 10d

We are very pleased to announce our joint meeting with the German @gfeev.bsky.social and the Dutch Developmental Biology Societies, which will take place in Potsdam from the 10-13th of March 2026. Registration is now open! www.uni-potsdam.de/en/gfe-meeti...

2 29 46

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Pauli Group (posts by Andi Pauli) @pauligroup.bsky.social · 11d

Congratulations to @vdeneke.bsky.social & Andreas Blaha @impvienna.bsky.social for their research on vertebrate fertilization, which was awarded this year's ÖGMBT Life Science Research Award in Austria for basic research!

IMP @impvienna.bsky.social · 20d

🎉Congrats to our @vdeneke.bsky.social, postdoc in the @pauligroup.bsky.social, who has received the 2025 Life Sciences Research Award Austria from the ÖGMBT!

She's recognised for her groundbreaking work on the molecular mechanisms of fertilisation: www.imp.ac.at/news/article...

2 6 33

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Harvard Med Cell Biology @harvardcellbio.bsky.social · 14d

Historically, viruses were thought to primarily use host cell's translational machinery. New work from @harvardcellbio.bsky.social faculty Amy Lee reveals that a giant DNA virus encodes its own IF4F initiation complex, suggesting an unexpected evolutionary innovation. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Giant DNA viruses encode a hallmark translation initiation complex of eukaryotic life

In contrast to living organisms, viruses were long thought to lack protein synthesis machinery and instead depend on host factors to translate viral transcripts. Here, we discover that giant DNA virus...

www.biorxiv.org

39 93

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 16d

Amazing work by the Santiago lab @unil.bsky.social. The malectin-LRR receptor kinase IGP1 senses cello-oligomers to alert the plant immune system & enhance disease resistance. Very nice discovery & mechanism.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

25 37

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Teresa Rayon @trayon.bsky.social · 18d

We've updated our first #preprint from the lab! A collaboration with @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social

🔥 now including in vivo 🐭&👤 embryo data

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

1 10 40

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Markus Hafner @markushafnerrna.bsky.social · 19d

The specific motif built up by these two RBPs cannot be identified by studying each of them in isolation, so one important question we would like to raise is: How many RBPs form heteromultimeric complexes with specificity other than the sum of the individual RBPs?

Markus Hafner @markushafnerrna.bsky.social · 19d

This work was spearheaded by Masataka Suzawa in my (NIAMS) and Chen Qiu in Traci Hall’s lab (NIEHS IRP) and initiated together with Masashi Yamaji’s group at Cincinnati Children’s. Wonderful collaboration with @eugenevalkov.bsky.social and Vittorio Sartorelli.

Markus Hafner @markushafnerrna.bsky.social · 19d

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Delighted to share the story of two germline RBPs - one with little (DND1) and one with no (NANOS3) intrinsic sequence-specificity - that together build a continuous RNA binding surface recognizing a 7-mer (AUGAAUU) in target mRNA 3’UTRs, leading to deadenylation.

3 9

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Markus Hafner @markushafnerrna.bsky.social · 19d

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Delighted to share the story of two germline RBPs - one with little (DND1) and one with no (NANOS3) intrinsic sequence-specificity - that together build a continuous RNA binding surface recognizing a 7-mer (AUGAAUU) in target mRNA 3’UTRs, leading to deadenylation.

The DND1-NANOS3 complex shapes the primordial germ cell transcriptome via a heptanucleotide sequence in mRNA 3'UTRs

The RNA-binding proteins DND1 and NANOS3 are essential for primordial germ cell survival. Their co-immunoprecipitation and overlapping loss-of-function phenotypes suggest joint function, yet how they ...

www.biorxiv.org

11 22

Laura Lorenzo Orts @lorenzoorts.bsky.social · 19d

I'll think about this book the next time I get stuck on a Deutsche Bahn train! 😅

7

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Ulrich Hohmann @hohmannulrich.bsky.social · 23d

How are RNAs sorted for export vs. degradation in the nucleus? In collaboration with @heick.bsky.social’s lab we (@clemensplaschka.bsky.social and @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social labs) discovered a direct mechanistic link between the export and decay machineries: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/x)

Molecular basis of polyadenylated RNA fate determination in the nucleus

Eukaryotic genomes generate a plethora of polyadenylated (pA+) RNAs[1][1],[2][2], that are packaged into ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs). To ensure faithful gene expression, functional pA+ RNPs, in...

www.biorxiv.org

2 42 82

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Sara Wickstrom @sarawickstrom.bsky.social · Sep 12

My lab @mpi-muenster.bsky.social is looking for a computational biologist with a passion for imaging and spatial biology. A staff scientist position with long-term perspective! Apply and spread the word 🙏 jobs.mpi-muenster.mpg.de/jobposting/0...

Computational image analyst (m/f/d)

The Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster, Germany, has an opening for a

jobs.mpi-muenster.mpg.de

1 86 87

Laura Lorenzo Orts @lorenzoorts.bsky.social · 26d

Thank you so much, Yasin! 🙂

1

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Julius Brennecke @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social · 28d

Love RNA biology?

Join us to explore the piRNA pathway with structural and genetic approaches (see 👇👇).

PhD student/postdoc position co-supervised by Clemens Plaschka & myself.

DM or email us if you’d like to know more!

@vbcscitraining.bsky.social @imbavienna.bsky.social @impvienna.bsky.social

Julius Brennecke @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social · 29d

PIWI clade Argonautes are essential for transposon silencing. Without them, animals are sterile due to massive transposon activity.

But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?

PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer

www.cell.com/molecular-ce...

20 18

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Julius Brennecke @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social · 29d

PIWI clade Argonautes are essential for transposon silencing. Without them, animals are sterile due to massive transposon activity.

But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?

PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer

www.cell.com/molecular-ce...

2 41 89

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Jack Bravo @jpkbravo.bsky.social · Sep 15

Join us for the Austrian Cryo-EM Symposium Nov 11–12 at @istaresearch.bsky.social!

Top speakers, cutting-edge cryo-EM, and a chance to explore Vienna & the ISTA campus.

Register now 👉 cryoem-symposium.pages.ist.ac.at #cryoEM #teamtomo

17 42

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Paul & Virginie - Centriole Lab @centriolelab.bsky.social · Sep 15

Be our new colleague! 🎉
The Dept of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Geneva is hiring an Assistant Professor or Associate Professor.

👉 More details here: lnkd.in/e8Z9eAm4
👉 Our department: mocel.unige.ch

Please feel free to share this opportunity with your network.

48 42

Laura Lorenzo Orts @lorenzoorts.bsky.social · Sep 15

I am excited to announce that I will be moving to IMB Mainz next year! The Winter call for the IPP PhD program is now open; if you are interested in maternal #mRNA regulation and #translation in early vertebrate development, please apply! Deadline: 16 October.

More info: www.imb.de/students-pos...

Laura Lorenzo Orts

IMB Mainz

www.imb.de

2 25 64

Reposted by Laura Lorenzo Orts

Science Magazine @science.org · Sep 5

“Just when you think you’ve seen it all, social insects reveal another surprise.” https://scim.ag/47sVFyS

Ant queen lays eggs that hatch into two species

Bizarre discovery of interspecies cloning “almost impossible to believe,” biologists say

scim.ag

2 43 110

Laura Lorenzo Orts @lorenzoorts.bsky.social · Sep 4

Super cool, Vinay! Congratulations! 😁🎉

1