Natalia Benetti
@nataliabenetti.bsky.social
MSCA Postdoc @stemundi.bsky.social @molgen.mpg.de 🧬 | lncRNAs, epigenetics, development, evolution | PhD @marnieblewitt.bsky.social @wehi-research.bsky.social | she/her :)
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Lovely little pre-Christmas present to see this out @natcellbio.nature.com! Some 🔥 new results in here since the biorvix incl (1) a new RARE-GFP reporter ✳️🙌, (2) additional NMP quantification 🔢, (3) no neural tube patterning on RA inhibition 🙅 etc. Enjoy! 😍 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Modelling co-development between the somites and neural tube in human trunk-like structures - Nature Cell Biology
Makwana, Tilley et al. generate human stem cell-based trunk-like structures approximating Carnegie stage 13–14 of development. They use them to model and study the development of the thoracic and lumbar trunk.
www.nature.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Lovely little pre-Christmas present to see this out @natcellbio.nature.com! Some 🔥 new results in here since the biorvix incl (1) a new RARE-GFP reporter ✳️🙌, (2) additional NMP quantification 🔢, (3) no neural tube patterning on RA inhibition 🙅 etc. Enjoy! 😍 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
I am excited to share our latest study by Sara Quon in collaboration with @ajithvasanthan.bsky.social entitled “The lncRNA Dreg1 is required for optimal ILC2 development” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The long non-coding RNA Dreg1 is required for optimal ILC2 development
Gata3 is an essential transcription factor for the development of several distinct immune cell lineages such as T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILC). As such, the levels ...
www.biorxiv.org
September 2, 2025 at 5:11 AM
I am excited to share our latest study by Sara Quon in collaboration with @ajithvasanthan.bsky.social entitled “The lncRNA Dreg1 is required for optimal ILC2 development” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Come do your PhD with @stemundi.bsky.social and me to uncover mechanisms of lncRNA function using cutting-edge techniques in vivo! 🧬 Project and application details below 👇
🧬 Are you interested in synthetic biology, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and cutting-edge genomics? Apply by 07.01.2026 to join Stefan Mundlos’ lab @stemundi.bsky.social at the MPIMG. #IMPRS-BAC #gradschool! @nataliabenetti.bsky.social
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/5124667/Mund...
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/5124667/Mund...
December 11, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Come do your PhD with @stemundi.bsky.social and me to uncover mechanisms of lncRNA function using cutting-edge techniques in vivo! 🧬 Project and application details below 👇
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
An early Christmas present for those interested in chromatin and transcription! Fantastic work from @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @aleksszczurek.bsky.social . Thanks to Inge and Michiel for their help. Please repost!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
SET1/MLL complexes control transcription independently of H3K4me3
Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) at gene promoters is thought to play a central role in gene transcription. H3K4 methylation is deposited by the SET1 (A/B) and MLL (1-4) multi-protein comp...
www.biorxiv.org
December 11, 2025 at 6:09 AM
An early Christmas present for those interested in chromatin and transcription! Fantastic work from @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @aleksszczurek.bsky.social . Thanks to Inge and Michiel for their help. Please repost!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Here is a copy of last year's Twitter thread explaining our preprint - jump to (21) for the new stuff 👀
Synergy between cis-regulatory elements can render cohesin dispensable for distal enhancer function
now revised and journal accepted at www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
Synergy between cis-regulatory elements can render cohesin dispensable for distal enhancer function
now revised and journal accepted at www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
November 27, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Here is a copy of last year's Twitter thread explaining our preprint - jump to (21) for the new stuff 👀
Synergy between cis-regulatory elements can render cohesin dispensable for distal enhancer function
now revised and journal accepted at www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
Synergy between cis-regulatory elements can render cohesin dispensable for distal enhancer function
now revised and journal accepted at www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Join @mpercharde.bsky.social Lab at the MRC LMS! We have an 18mo postdoc position to cover a couple of projects (maternity leave and paper revisions). The projects are focussed on chromatin in early mouse embryos and metabolism in mouse embryonic stem cells and pluripotency.
November 27, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Join @mpercharde.bsky.social Lab at the MRC LMS! We have an 18mo postdoc position to cover a couple of projects (maternity leave and paper revisions). The projects are focussed on chromatin in early mouse embryos and metabolism in mouse embryonic stem cells and pluripotency.
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Come discuss recent breakthroughs in RNA biology, from molecules to organisms, at the EMBO | EMBL Symposium 'The complex life of RNA'! 👉 s.embl.org/ees26-12-bl
Submit your abstract by 7 July and present your research at #EESRNA 🥼
Submit your abstract by 7 July and present your research at #EESRNA 🥼
November 14, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Come discuss recent breakthroughs in RNA biology, from molecules to organisms, at the EMBO | EMBL Symposium 'The complex life of RNA'! 👉 s.embl.org/ees26-12-bl
Submit your abstract by 7 July and present your research at #EESRNA 🥼
Submit your abstract by 7 July and present your research at #EESRNA 🥼
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
📣 Paper alert!
I am delighted that our paper exploring the impact of Neanderthal-derived variants on the activity of a disease-associated craniofacial enhancer has been published in Development today!
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
I am delighted that our paper exploring the impact of Neanderthal-derived variants on the activity of a disease-associated craniofacial enhancer has been published in Development today!
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
November 10, 2025 at 11:11 AM
📣 Paper alert!
I am delighted that our paper exploring the impact of Neanderthal-derived variants on the activity of a disease-associated craniofacial enhancer has been published in Development today!
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
I am delighted that our paper exploring the impact of Neanderthal-derived variants on the activity of a disease-associated craniofacial enhancer has been published in Development today!
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Thrilled to start my Group Leader adventure with these and other great scientists!
We are excited to welcome @fueyoraquel.bsky.social, @sedonamurphy.bsky.social, and @jmstein.bsky.social as new group leaders at our institute!
Read more about their work:
--> www.molgen.mpg.de/2025-10-31-n...
All three are recruiting in the IMPRS PhD Call!
--> www.molgen.mpg.de/IMPRSPhDproj...
Read more about their work:
--> www.molgen.mpg.de/2025-10-31-n...
All three are recruiting in the IMPRS PhD Call!
--> www.molgen.mpg.de/IMPRSPhDproj...
Three new research groups joining the MPIMG
www.molgen.mpg.de
November 6, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Thrilled to start my Group Leader adventure with these and other great scientists!
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
🧬 Interested in dissecting dose-dependent transcriptional regulation through epigenome editing and synthetic biology for your PhD? Apply by 07.01.2026 to join the lab of @eddaschulz.bsky.social @molgen.mpg.de & #IMPRS-BAC #gradschool.
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/5099133/schu...
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/5099133/schu...
November 4, 2025 at 11:19 AM
🧬 Interested in dissecting dose-dependent transcriptional regulation through epigenome editing and synthetic biology for your PhD? Apply by 07.01.2026 to join the lab of @eddaschulz.bsky.social @molgen.mpg.de & #IMPRS-BAC #gradschool.
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/5099133/schu...
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/5099133/schu...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Work published today in @natbiotech.nature.com from Arc’s Luke Gilbert and Patrick Hsu labs presents a new way to insert large DNA sequences into the genome using engineered recombinases that don’t require DNA cutting or rely on the cell's repair machinery.
November 6, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Work published today in @natbiotech.nature.com from Arc’s Luke Gilbert and Patrick Hsu labs presents a new way to insert large DNA sequences into the genome using engineered recombinases that don’t require DNA cutting or rely on the cell's repair machinery.
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Our latest paper has just been published in Cell!
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
We developed a new method called MCC ultra, which allows 3D chromatin structure to be visualised with a 1 base pair pixel size.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
We developed a new method called MCC ultra, which allows 3D chromatin structure to be visualised with a 1 base pair pixel size.
November 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Our latest paper has just been published in Cell!
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
We developed a new method called MCC ultra, which allows 3D chromatin structure to be visualised with a 1 base pair pixel size.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
We developed a new method called MCC ultra, which allows 3D chromatin structure to be visualised with a 1 base pair pixel size.
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Here, we show that the unique regulatory landscape of ecDNA enables an ancient LINE to resurrect and act as an enhancer of Myc. This was so fun with @katerinakraft.bsky.social and @mattjones.bsky.social and others. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Enhancer activation from transposable elements in extrachromosomal DNA - Nature Cell Biology
Kraft, Murphy, Jones et al. identify extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA)-interacting elements (EIEs) enriched for transposable elements within ecDNA in colorectal cancer cells. They show that EIE 14 integrat...
www.nature.com
October 21, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Here, we show that the unique regulatory landscape of ecDNA enables an ancient LINE to resurrect and act as an enhancer of Myc. This was so fun with @katerinakraft.bsky.social and @mattjones.bsky.social and others. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Today in @nature.com, we present our work leveraging functional genomics and human blastoids to uncover a human-specific mechanism in preimplantation development driven by the endogenous retrovirus HERVK.
Special thanks to the reviewers whose comments improved our manuscript a lot! rdcu.be/eI3tD
Special thanks to the reviewers whose comments improved our manuscript a lot! rdcu.be/eI3tD
A human-specific regulatory mechanism revealed in a pre-implantation model
Nature - Genetic manipulation of blastoids reveals the role of recently emerged transposable elements and genes in human development.
rdcu.be
October 1, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Today in @nature.com, we present our work leveraging functional genomics and human blastoids to uncover a human-specific mechanism in preimplantation development driven by the endogenous retrovirus HERVK.
Special thanks to the reviewers whose comments improved our manuscript a lot! rdcu.be/eI3tD
Special thanks to the reviewers whose comments improved our manuscript a lot! rdcu.be/eI3tD
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
In our "Meet the First Author" series, we spoke with Magdalena Schindler and Christian Feregrino about the fascinating world of bats, how teamwork can lead to friendship, and the potential of basic research. Watch the video ⬇️ and read the full interview here: www.molgen.mpg.de/2025-16-10-m...
October 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM
In our "Meet the First Author" series, we spoke with Magdalena Schindler and Christian Feregrino about the fascinating world of bats, how teamwork can lead to friendship, and the potential of basic research. Watch the video ⬇️ and read the full interview here: www.molgen.mpg.de/2025-16-10-m...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
What mediates enhancer-promoter compatibility? Get some answers & learn about the important of the promoter-proximal
region here 👇
Congratulations @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social @danielibrahim.bsky.social on this beautiful work!!!!🥂🥂
region here 👇
Congratulations @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social @danielibrahim.bsky.social on this beautiful work!!!!🥂🥂
What is a promoter? And how does it work?
We very happy to share our latest work trying to understand enhancer-promoter compatibility.
I am very excited about the results of @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social, which changed the way I think about promoters
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We very happy to share our latest work trying to understand enhancer-promoter compatibility.
I am very excited about the results of @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social, which changed the way I think about promoters
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Enhancer-promoter compatibility is mediated by the promoter-proximal region
Gene promoters induce transcription in response to distal enhancers. How enhancers specifically activate their target promoter while bypassing other promoters remains unclear. Here, we find that the p...
www.biorxiv.org
October 16, 2025 at 3:23 PM
What mediates enhancer-promoter compatibility? Get some answers & learn about the important of the promoter-proximal
region here 👇
Congratulations @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social @danielibrahim.bsky.social on this beautiful work!!!!🥂🥂
region here 👇
Congratulations @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social @danielibrahim.bsky.social on this beautiful work!!!!🥂🥂
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
What is a promoter? And how does it work?
We very happy to share our latest work trying to understand enhancer-promoter compatibility.
I am very excited about the results of @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social, which changed the way I think about promoters
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We very happy to share our latest work trying to understand enhancer-promoter compatibility.
I am very excited about the results of @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social, which changed the way I think about promoters
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Enhancer-promoter compatibility is mediated by the promoter-proximal region
Gene promoters induce transcription in response to distal enhancers. How enhancers specifically activate their target promoter while bypassing other promoters remains unclear. Here, we find that the p...
www.biorxiv.org
October 16, 2025 at 3:06 PM
What is a promoter? And how does it work?
We very happy to share our latest work trying to understand enhancer-promoter compatibility.
I am very excited about the results of @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social, which changed the way I think about promoters
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We very happy to share our latest work trying to understand enhancer-promoter compatibility.
I am very excited about the results of @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social, which changed the way I think about promoters
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
⚠️ Paper alert: Using a novel CRISPR screening approach, we mapped the entire regulatory network controlling Xist—key for X-chromosome inactivation.
👉 We discover how sex and development signals are decoded at a single gene locus.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👇 Bluetorial
👉 We discover how sex and development signals are decoded at a single gene locus.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👇 Bluetorial
Reporter CRISPR screens decipher cis-regulatory and trans-regulatory principles at the Xist locus - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
Here Schwämmle et al. develop CRISPR reporter screens to map transcription-factor-regulatory element interactions at the Xist locus, revealing a two-step mechanism integrating developmental and X-dosage signals to initiate X-chromosome inactivation.
www.nature.com
October 6, 2025 at 1:02 PM
⚠️ Paper alert: Using a novel CRISPR screening approach, we mapped the entire regulatory network controlling Xist—key for X-chromosome inactivation.
👉 We discover how sex and development signals are decoded at a single gene locus.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👇 Bluetorial
👉 We discover how sex and development signals are decoded at a single gene locus.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👇 Bluetorial
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
❓Can a father’s environmental exposures before conception influence their offspring?
We systematically tackled this - identifying effects of paternal age, environment and genetics on early embryos - as well as confounding influences
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
We systematically tackled this - identifying effects of paternal age, environment and genetics on early embryos - as well as confounding influences
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Embryonic signatures of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance across paternal environments and genetic backgrounds | The EMBO Journal
imageimagePaternal environmental exposures have been linked with modulation of phenotype and
disease risk in offspring via largely unclear mechanisms. This study employs in vitro
fertilization and sin...
www.embopress.org
September 27, 2025 at 7:28 AM
❓Can a father’s environmental exposures before conception influence their offspring?
We systematically tackled this - identifying effects of paternal age, environment and genetics on early embryos - as well as confounding influences
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
We systematically tackled this - identifying effects of paternal age, environment and genetics on early embryos - as well as confounding influences
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Ready to establish your own research group at the Hubrecht Institute for Molecular and Developmental Biology? We’re seeking a tenure-track group leader to develop an innovative research line within our vibrant scientific community. Learn more & apply! https://f.mtr.cool/jncxfqkuds
September 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Ready to establish your own research group at the Hubrecht Institute for Molecular and Developmental Biology? We’re seeking a tenure-track group leader to develop an innovative research line within our vibrant scientific community. Learn more & apply! https://f.mtr.cool/jncxfqkuds
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Out today. 🙏 again to everyone for this wonderful piece of work, in particular to Aurelie @aurhin.bsky.social Chase @chasebolt.bsky.social and Brent @homeobox.bsky.social. 🙏 also to the Harris lab @fish4walking.bsky.social and @neilshubin.bsky.social @biology-unige.bsky.social @college-de-france.fr
September 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Out today. 🙏 again to everyone for this wonderful piece of work, in particular to Aurelie @aurhin.bsky.social Chase @chasebolt.bsky.social and Brent @homeobox.bsky.social. 🙏 also to the Harris lab @fish4walking.bsky.social and @neilshubin.bsky.social @biology-unige.bsky.social @college-de-france.fr
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
Ever wondered how to get a gastruloid to grow a head?
The Bulut-Karslioğlu lab figured out that by growing different stem cell aggregates in high and low oxygen and later assembling them, you can get gastruloids with a fully formed neural tube. Check out our "In preprints": doi.org/10.1242/dev....
The Bulut-Karslioğlu lab figured out that by growing different stem cell aggregates in high and low oxygen and later assembling them, you can get gastruloids with a fully formed neural tube. Check out our "In preprints": doi.org/10.1242/dev....
In preprints: gastruloids get (a)head
A major breakthrough in the field of mammalian embryology is the development of stem-cell based embryo models. Derived from pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent ...
doi.org
September 16, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Ever wondered how to get a gastruloid to grow a head?
The Bulut-Karslioğlu lab figured out that by growing different stem cell aggregates in high and low oxygen and later assembling them, you can get gastruloids with a fully formed neural tube. Check out our "In preprints": doi.org/10.1242/dev....
The Bulut-Karslioğlu lab figured out that by growing different stem cell aggregates in high and low oxygen and later assembling them, you can get gastruloids with a fully formed neural tube. Check out our "In preprints": doi.org/10.1242/dev....
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
I am excited to announce that we are looking for a Lab Manager @fmiscience.bsky.social in Basel. If you want to be part of a growing team investigating development and tissue formation, and are enthusiastic about helping set up a new lab, please check out the role:
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
September 14, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I am excited to announce that we are looking for a Lab Manager @fmiscience.bsky.social in Basel. If you want to be part of a growing team investigating development and tissue formation, and are enthusiastic about helping set up a new lab, please check out the role:
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
🚨 Job Alert: we seek a Lab Manager for @juliabatki.bsky.social's new group (start Mar 2026), which will study cell fate regulation during organ development. Join the Batki's group to drive experiments & lab operations! Apply at: www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
September 2, 2025 at 9:03 AM
🚨 Job Alert: we seek a Lab Manager for @juliabatki.bsky.social's new group (start Mar 2026), which will study cell fate regulation during organ development. Join the Batki's group to drive experiments & lab operations! Apply at: www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
Reposted by Natalia Benetti
A bit late, but I finally got around to writing an accessible piece about @julianeg.bsky.social 's cover article from July. In case you needed something else to worry about in this day and age! 🦠
tinyurl.com/mrx5tfre
#scicomm #devbio #transposons
tinyurl.com/mrx5tfre
#scicomm #devbio #transposons
Awakening monsters in the dark (genome)
Hidden in our DNA are “jumping genes” that usually stay silent. But sometimes they wake up, reshaping bodies in dramatic ways. A strange mutation in mice showed how one rogue element near a key lim…
tinyurl.com
September 7, 2025 at 8:33 AM
A bit late, but I finally got around to writing an accessible piece about @julianeg.bsky.social 's cover article from July. In case you needed something else to worry about in this day and age! 🦠
tinyurl.com/mrx5tfre
#scicomm #devbio #transposons
tinyurl.com/mrx5tfre
#scicomm #devbio #transposons