Gesa Hoffmann
@gesahoffmann.bsky.social
Postdoc at the @MPIMP in Potsdam with Marco Incarbone.
Fascinated by all things plant pathogen and trying to understand the mysteries of plant virus vertical transmission. 🦠🌱💚
Fascinated by all things plant pathogen and trying to understand the mysteries of plant virus vertical transmission. 🦠🌱💚
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
In vivo RNA structure influences the translation and stability of plant long noncoding RNAs #research #PlantCommunications cell.com/plant-commun...
October 28, 2025 at 9:35 AM
In vivo RNA structure influences the translation and stability of plant long noncoding RNAs #research #PlantCommunications cell.com/plant-commun...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Widespread and intron-rich mirusviruses are predicted to reproduce in nuclei of unicellular eukaryotes - Nature Microbiology
Environmental metagenomic explorations show that Mirusviricota lineages lack essential replication and transcription genes and contain spliceosomal introns, suggesting nuclear reproduction.
www.nature.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Great talk by @delphinem-p.bsky.social from @geminiteamlab.bsky.social yesterday: “Hijacking the Plant #Spliceosome” on how alternative splicing drives #viral infection and #tomato fruit development 🍅
Thanks to our host @incavirus.bsky.social for organizing this insightful seminar! 👏
Thanks to our host @incavirus.bsky.social for organizing this insightful seminar! 👏
November 27, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Great talk by @delphinem-p.bsky.social from @geminiteamlab.bsky.social yesterday: “Hijacking the Plant #Spliceosome” on how alternative splicing drives #viral infection and #tomato fruit development 🍅
Thanks to our host @incavirus.bsky.social for organizing this insightful seminar! 👏
Thanks to our host @incavirus.bsky.social for organizing this insightful seminar! 👏
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Looking for a #PhDposition in #PlantScience ?
Our #IMPRS @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social and @unipotsdam.bsky.social is #hiring !
📅 Apply by 10 January 2026
More info:
👉 www.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/IMPRS-PhD
Please share this post to plant it in the right feed 🌱 #PlantSciJobs
Our #IMPRS @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social and @unipotsdam.bsky.social is #hiring !
📅 Apply by 10 January 2026
More info:
👉 www.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/IMPRS-PhD
Please share this post to plant it in the right feed 🌱 #PlantSciJobs
November 28, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Looking for a #PhDposition in #PlantScience ?
Our #IMPRS @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social and @unipotsdam.bsky.social is #hiring !
📅 Apply by 10 January 2026
More info:
👉 www.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/IMPRS-PhD
Please share this post to plant it in the right feed 🌱 #PlantSciJobs
Our #IMPRS @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social and @unipotsdam.bsky.social is #hiring !
📅 Apply by 10 January 2026
More info:
👉 www.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/IMPRS-PhD
Please share this post to plant it in the right feed 🌱 #PlantSciJobs
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
And now we have Arabidopsis plants with 8 chromosomes instead of 10 and no obvious phenotypic differences, this week in @science.org
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
CRISPR-Cas–mediated heritable chromosome fusions in Arabidopsis
The genome of Arabidopsis thaliana consists of 10 chromosomes. By inducing CRISPR-Cas–mediated breaks at subcentromeric and subtelomeric sequences, we fused entire chromosome arms, obtaining two eight...
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:20 AM
And now we have Arabidopsis plants with 8 chromosomes instead of 10 and no obvious phenotypic differences, this week in @science.org
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
TEs aren’t just genomic parasites, they’re also engines of genomic novelty.
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Historic transposon mobilisation waves create distinct pools of adaptive variants in a major crop pathogen - Nature Communications
In this study, the authors analysed a large genomic dataset to trace how jumping genes shaped the global spread of a major wheat pathogen and reveal bursts of activity over decades that drove adaptati...
www.nature.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
TEs aren’t just genomic parasites, they’re also engines of genomic novelty.
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Specificity, length and luck drive gene rankings in association studies - Nature
Genetic association tests prioritize candidate genes based on different criteria.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
How many plant species are buzz pollinated? After more than six years in the making, our paper on the convergent evolution of buzz pollinated flowers is out in @journal-evo.bsky.social. Thanks @draverbee.bsky.social @roszenil.bsky.social and all co-authors for your hard work! doi.org/10.1093/evol...
October 23, 2025 at 4:50 AM
How many plant species are buzz pollinated? After more than six years in the making, our paper on the convergent evolution of buzz pollinated flowers is out in @journal-evo.bsky.social. Thanks @draverbee.bsky.social @roszenil.bsky.social and all co-authors for your hard work! doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
News for mushroom lovers: With the Flora Incognita app, you can now identify numerous #mushroom species in Central Europe based on images. These results can give you a good initial indication of what you have found 🍄 😱https://floraincognita.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:04 PM
News for mushroom lovers: With the Flora Incognita app, you can now identify numerous #mushroom species in Central Europe based on images. These results can give you a good initial indication of what you have found 🍄 😱https://floraincognita.com
It was wonderful to have Bijun with us @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social & @incavirus.bsky.social to finally "use our microscope to its full potential" as our core-facility put it! 🔬
Congrats to all, esp. @bijuntang.bsky.social and @xanderjones.bsky.social ! Super happy to be a part of this great story!
Congrats to all, esp. @bijuntang.bsky.social and @xanderjones.bsky.social ! Super happy to be a part of this great story!
October 10, 2025 at 7:09 AM
It was wonderful to have Bijun with us @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social & @incavirus.bsky.social to finally "use our microscope to its full potential" as our core-facility put it! 🔬
Congrats to all, esp. @bijuntang.bsky.social and @xanderjones.bsky.social ! Super happy to be a part of this great story!
Congrats to all, esp. @bijuntang.bsky.social and @xanderjones.bsky.social ! Super happy to be a part of this great story!
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
How do geminiviruses maximize their limited coding capacity? Our recent preprint uncovers splicing of viral transcripts as one more strategy used by this viral family. We show that RNA splicing is prevalent in the geminivirus TYLCV — and required for infectivity! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Pervasive splicing in a plant DNA virus
Viruses maximize their limited coding space through strategies that increase transcript and protein diversity. In mammalian viruses, splicing is a well-established mechanism for proteome expansion, ye...
www.biorxiv.org
October 3, 2025 at 1:13 PM
How do geminiviruses maximize their limited coding capacity? Our recent preprint uncovers splicing of viral transcripts as one more strategy used by this viral family. We show that RNA splicing is prevalent in the geminivirus TYLCV — and required for infectivity! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
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
October 2, 2025 at 6:10 PM
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...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
🦠🌱 New review in Annual Review of Virology:
Double-stranded RNA sensing underpins antiviral immunity in plants, linking RNA silencing, RNA decay, PTI & ETI. By Manfred Heinlein (IBMP)
#PlantScience #Virology #rna
▶️https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-092623-101447
Double-stranded RNA sensing underpins antiviral immunity in plants, linking RNA silencing, RNA decay, PTI & ETI. By Manfred Heinlein (IBMP)
#PlantScience #Virology #rna
▶️https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-092623-101447
September 28, 2025 at 8:12 PM
🦠🌱 New review in Annual Review of Virology:
Double-stranded RNA sensing underpins antiviral immunity in plants, linking RNA silencing, RNA decay, PTI & ETI. By Manfred Heinlein (IBMP)
#PlantScience #Virology #rna
▶️https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-092623-101447
Double-stranded RNA sensing underpins antiviral immunity in plants, linking RNA silencing, RNA decay, PTI & ETI. By Manfred Heinlein (IBMP)
#PlantScience #Virology #rna
▶️https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-092623-101447
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here it comes, first preprint from my postdoc time at @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social in the lab of @claudiakohler11.bsky.social
Here it comes, first preprint from my postdoc time at @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social in the lab of @claudiakohler11.bsky.social
Samplify: A versatile tool for image-based segmentation and annotation of seed abortion phenotypes
Automated seed phenotyping has wide applications in research and agriculture and relies on easy-to-use platforms and pipelines. Seed phenotyping in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana poses a signi...
www.biorxiv.org
September 27, 2025 at 4:20 PM
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here it comes, first preprint from my postdoc time at @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social in the lab of @claudiakohler11.bsky.social
Here it comes, first preprint from my postdoc time at @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social in the lab of @claudiakohler11.bsky.social
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Do not miss it!
1st Place
2025 Small World in Motion Competition
"Self-pollination in a flower of thymeleaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)"
Credit
Jay McClellan
🧪 #Science #SciComm #Nature #Photography
1- www.nikonsmallworld.com
2- www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/20...
1st Place
2025 Small World in Motion Competition
"Self-pollination in a flower of thymeleaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)"
Credit
Jay McClellan
🧪 #Science #SciComm #Nature #Photography
1- www.nikonsmallworld.com
2- www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/20...
September 27, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Do not miss it!
1st Place
2025 Small World in Motion Competition
"Self-pollination in a flower of thymeleaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)"
Credit
Jay McClellan
🧪 #Science #SciComm #Nature #Photography
1- www.nikonsmallworld.com
2- www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/20...
1st Place
2025 Small World in Motion Competition
"Self-pollination in a flower of thymeleaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)"
Credit
Jay McClellan
🧪 #Science #SciComm #Nature #Photography
1- www.nikonsmallworld.com
2- www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/20...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
🚀 Our new paper is out @natmethods.nature.com!
Kuffer & Marzilli engineered conditionally stable MS2 & PP7 coat proteins (dMCP & dPCP) that degrade unless bound to RNA, enabling ultra–low-background, single-mRNA imaging in live cells.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧬 www.addgene.org/John_Ngo/
Kuffer & Marzilli engineered conditionally stable MS2 & PP7 coat proteins (dMCP & dPCP) that degrade unless bound to RNA, enabling ultra–low-background, single-mRNA imaging in live cells.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧬 www.addgene.org/John_Ngo/
September 22, 2025 at 6:27 PM
🚀 Our new paper is out @natmethods.nature.com!
Kuffer & Marzilli engineered conditionally stable MS2 & PP7 coat proteins (dMCP & dPCP) that degrade unless bound to RNA, enabling ultra–low-background, single-mRNA imaging in live cells.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧬 www.addgene.org/John_Ngo/
Kuffer & Marzilli engineered conditionally stable MS2 & PP7 coat proteins (dMCP & dPCP) that degrade unless bound to RNA, enabling ultra–low-background, single-mRNA imaging in live cells.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧬 www.addgene.org/John_Ngo/
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Out First Release in @science.org this week:
A large scale analysis of the epigenetics of transposable elements in Arabidopsis shows transgenerational stability
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
A large scale analysis of the epigenetics of transposable elements in Arabidopsis shows transgenerational stability
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Transposable elements are vectors of recurrent transgenerational epigenetic inheritance
DNA methylation loss at transposable elements (TEs) can affect neighboring genes and be epigenetically inherited in plants, yet the determinants and significance of this additional system of inheritan...
www.science.org
September 22, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Out First Release in @science.org this week:
A large scale analysis of the epigenetics of transposable elements in Arabidopsis shows transgenerational stability
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
A large scale analysis of the epigenetics of transposable elements in Arabidopsis shows transgenerational stability
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Interested in #virulence? Not sure what it is - or how to explain it? Just curious? 🧐🦠🧬🦋
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
Ecology and evolution of virulence
Silva and King discuss the concept of virulence and the ecological and evolutionary
factors that shape it.
www.cell.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Interested in #virulence? Not sure what it is - or how to explain it? Just curious? 🧐🦠🧬🦋
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Samplify: A versatile tool for image-based segmentation and annotation of seed abortion phenotypes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.18.677122v1
September 21, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Samplify: A versatile tool for image-based segmentation and annotation of seed abortion phenotypes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.18.677122v1
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
That’s a wrap on an amazing conference #PlantsandPeople ! 🎉 Huge thanks to all participants for your energy, to our speakers and panelists for inspiring insights, and to our sponsors for making it all possible. 🌟 Until next time! 🙏
#PnP25 #Targenomix #metaSysX
#PnP25 #Targenomix #metaSysX
September 17, 2025 at 6:19 AM
That’s a wrap on an amazing conference #PlantsandPeople ! 🎉 Huge thanks to all participants for your energy, to our speakers and panelists for inspiring insights, and to our sponsors for making it all possible. 🌟 Until next time! 🙏
#PnP25 #Targenomix #metaSysX
#PnP25 #Targenomix #metaSysX
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Six more years—plus a lot of blood, sweat, and tears—later, we are thrilled to finally share it: a cytological framework of female meiosis in Arabidopsis!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A cytological framework of female meiosis in Arabidopsis
Female and male meiosis often differ in many aspects, such as their duration and the frequency as well as the positioning of crossovers. However, studying female meiosis is often very challenging and ...
www.biorxiv.org
August 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Six more years—plus a lot of blood, sweat, and tears—later, we are thrilled to finally share it: a cytological framework of female meiosis in Arabidopsis!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Attention plant proteomics specialists: We are looking for a Head of our new Proteomics Unit at our international and dynamic Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social Applications are welcome until 30. Sept 2025: jobs.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/jobposting/8...
Head of Service Unit Proteomics
jobs.mpimp-golm.mpg.de
August 23, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Attention plant proteomics specialists: We are looking for a Head of our new Proteomics Unit at our international and dynamic Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social Applications are welcome until 30. Sept 2025: jobs.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/jobposting/8...
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
Finally a method to identify plant RNA-binding proteins! 🧬 This enables so much new biology to discover from immunity to development! 🤯 🪴 Established by the incredible Victor Sanchez with @havandenburg.bsky.social @uva.nl Congratulations!!
Protocol for capturing the RNA-binding proteome from plants using orthogonal organic phase separation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.29.667348v1
July 29, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Finally a method to identify plant RNA-binding proteins! 🧬 This enables so much new biology to discover from immunity to development! 🤯 🪴 Established by the incredible Victor Sanchez with @havandenburg.bsky.social @uva.nl Congratulations!!
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
One more week to apply for this exciting Professorship in Plant Sciences at Uni Halle! Join our vibrant plant research community 🌱
Info 👉 wcms.itz.uni-halle.de/download.php...
@unihalle.bsky.social @snp2prot.bsky.social
Info 👉 wcms.itz.uni-halle.de/download.php...
@unihalle.bsky.social @snp2prot.bsky.social
wcms.itz.uni-halle.de
July 17, 2025 at 11:12 AM
One more week to apply for this exciting Professorship in Plant Sciences at Uni Halle! Join our vibrant plant research community 🌱
Info 👉 wcms.itz.uni-halle.de/download.php...
@unihalle.bsky.social @snp2prot.bsky.social
Info 👉 wcms.itz.uni-halle.de/download.php...
@unihalle.bsky.social @snp2prot.bsky.social
Reposted by Gesa Hoffmann
