Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 30m

Even more remarkable is the fact that Ulrich can also generate hundreds of transgenic Arabidopsis lines, perform physiological assays, and identify every flower in a Swiss meadow by its Latin name. What a catch for @imbmainz.bsky.social, and what a loss for plant science!

Julius Brennecke @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social · 12h

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 · 13h

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!

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Pauli Group (posts by Andi Pauli) @pauligroup.bsky.social · 12h

Big congrats to all, to @imbmainz.bsky.social on this amazing 'double-catch', and of course to @hohmannulrich.bsky.social & @lorenzoorts.bsky.social for starting their own labs!

To prospective PhD students interested in mechanistic question in gene regulation, check out Laura's & Ulrich's labs!

Ulrich Hohmann @hohmannulrich.bsky.social · 13h

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!

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Ulrich Hohmann @hohmannulrich.bsky.social · 13h

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!

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Daniel Bojar @dbojar.bsky.social · 2d

We're hiring! 🚀

**PhD positions:**
Computational focus:
web103.reachmee.com/ext/I005/103...
Experimental focus:
web103.reachmee.com/ext/I005/103...

**Postdoc positions:**
Computational focus:
web103.reachmee.com/ext/I005/103...
Experimental focus:
web103.reachmee.com/ext/I005/103...

Doctoral student in Natural Science Specialising in Biology

Doctoral position in Natural Science Specialising in Biology focusing on Bioinformatics The Department of Chemistry and Molecular

web103.reachmee.com

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Magnus Bauer @kinasekid.bsky.social · 12d

Phosphorylation on tyrosines control key pathways in immunity, cancer, and metabolism. For the first time, we can now design proteins that specifically recognize individual phosphotyrosines, even in disordered regions. (1/8)

Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Ben Field 🌿 @benfield1.bsky.social · 13d

Discovery of a chromatin-associated complex (CACG) of ~16 proteins that negatively regulates the expression of nutrient-starvation-induced gene. CACG is of course controlled by TOR! #PlantScience www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Nutrient-driven TOR signalling controls a chromatin-associated complex for orchestrating plant growth and stress tolerance - Nature Plants

A chromatin-associated complex, which is dynamically regulated by TOR kinase at the translational level, functions to suppress the transcription of stress-responsive genes marked by histone acetylation, thereby coordinating plant growth and stress tolerance.

www.nature.com

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Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 12d

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...

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Paul & Virginie - Centriole Lab @centriolelab.bsky.social · 27d

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.

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Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 19d

Congratulations!!!

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Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 20d

A very nice piece of work (again). Congratulations Ulrich!

Ulrich Hohmann @hohmannulrich.bsky.social · 20d

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

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Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 24d

One good way to identify what is missing or poorly understood about your favourite metabolic or signalling pathway is to teach a four-hour (6,8,12,14h) course on it. Teaching can act as a free hypothesis generator, especially if students start to asks those very basic questions....

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

nikogeldner.bsky.social @nikogeldner.bsky.social · 25d

Call for a tenure-track position at our Department of Plant Molecular Biology in Lausanne! We are searching for promising early-career researchers in the broad field of plant-organismal interactions. Deadline: November 30, 2025 - Please re-post!

career5.successfactors.eu/career?caree...

Career Opportunities: DBMV: Tenure Track Assistant Professor towards Associate Professor in the field of Plant-organism (22484)

career5.successfactors.eu

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Yasin Dagdas @plantophagy.bsky.social · 25d

This looks like a great opportunity: #Tenure-track assistant #professor position at University of Lausanne on #MPMI
career5.successfactors.eu/career?caree...

Career Opportunities: DBMV: Tenure Track Assistant Professor towards Associate Professor in the field of Plant-organism (22484)

career5.successfactors.eu

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Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 25d

Today’s department seminar on SnRK1 by Elena Baena Gonzalez from @ox.ac.uk

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Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 25d

In future, fewer applications will be approved for the SNSF's main funding scheme Project funding and for Career funding than at present. For the next three years 2026 to 2028, the Research Council will decide on the extent of these cuts each year. 🥺

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) @snsf.ch · 25d

📢 The Federal Council plans to reduce the SNSF's budget by 270 million Swiss francs. The SNSF rejects these cuts. However, in order to be prepared, it has decided to cut costs in consultation with all partners.

➡️https://sohub.io/n2b1

#research #science #CHParl

Federal budget cuts: impact on the SNSF

The SNSF rejects the cuts but is preparing for them. Together with its partners, it has decided to cut costs across several funding schemes.

www.snf.ch

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Bjørn Panyella Pedersen @bjornppedersen.bsky.social · 27d

Interested in structural biology, membrane proteins, biophysics and working to understand hormone transport in plants?☘️🔬👩‍🔬🧪
We have an open PhD position:
- 3 years fully funded.
- Details and application link: www.linkedin.com/posts/plant-...
Please repost 💚

🚀 Exciting PhD opportunity in structural biology & plant science! 🌱 PhD Position – Structural and Functional Studies of Plant Membrane-Protein Transporters 📍 Molecular Biology & Genetics -… ...

🚀 Exciting PhD opportunity in structural biology & plant science! 🌱 PhD Position – Structural and Functional Studies of Plant Membrane-Protein Transporters 📍 Molecular Biology & Genetics - Aarhus Un...

www.linkedin.com

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Michael Hothorn @structplantbio.bsky.social · 27d

Congratulations Laura, well deserved!

Laura Lorenzo Orts @lorenzoorts.bsky.social · 27d

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

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Jane Langdale 🌱 🌾 @janelangdale.bsky.social · 27d

Come and join us in our new home - great colleagues and brand new facilities

Oxford Biology @biology.ox.ac.uk · 28d

Oxford Biology is growing 📢

We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology

3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.

Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3

Photo showing the inside atrium of the new Life and Mind Building

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology 🌱🧪 @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social · 28d

📢 We’re hiring!

🌱 The @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social in Potsdam is seeking a Head of Service Unit Proteomics (mass spectrometry-based proteomics).

🗓 Apply by 30.09.2025

👉 jobs.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/jobposting/8...

Head of Service Unit Proteomics

jobs.mpimp-golm.mpg.de

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Oli Clarke @olibclarke.bsky.social · Sep 13

This one is a bit of a departure from the usual and definitely a work in progress!

We found that by using ab initio reconstruction at very high res, in very small steps, we could crack some small structures that had eluded us - e.g. 39kDa iPKAc (EMPIAR-10252), below.

Read on for details... 1/x

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

RCSB Protein Data Bank @rcsbpdb.bsky.social · Sep 12

Researchers are looking to develop ABA analogs that can be sprayed on crop plants during droughts to reduce the amount of water needed during irrigation.
More at September's Molecule of the Month look at the Abscisic Acid Receptor:
pdb101.rcsb.org/motm...

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology @natsmb.nature.com · Sep 12

New online: Computational design of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins

Computational design of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 12 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01669-4The authors develop a computational method to design small DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) that target specific sequences. Designed DBPs show structural accuracy and function in both bacterial and mammalian cells for transcriptional regulation.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Debabrata Laha @thelahalab.bsky.social · Sep 11

Happy to share our work on identification of non-archetypal activity of IPK2 in producing inositol pyrophosphate 4/6-IP7 and regulating heat stress acclimation-conserved in studied land plants. Grateful to @jessenlab.bsky.social for wonderful collaborative efforts!

journals.plos.org/plosgenetics...

Conservation of heat stress acclimation by the IPK2-type kinases that control the synthesis of the inositol pyrophosphate 4/6-InsP7 in land plants

Author summary Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are eukaryote-specific cellular messengers that control a plethora of critical physiological processes, ranging from cellular metabolism to cellular e...

journals.plos.org

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Benoît Zuber @benoitzuber.bsky.social · Sep 11

Paper alert🚨
Label your protein of interest and localize it in cryoET 👁️❄️

Genetically encoded FerriTag as a specific label for cryo-electron tomography: Structure www.cell.com/structure/fu...

Genetically encoded FerriTag as a specific label for cryo-electron tomography

Wang et al. present an optimized labeling strategy for cryo-electron tomography based on genetically encoded FerriTag. This system uses rapamycin to recruit iron-loaded ferritin to target proteins, en...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Michael Hothorn

Thomas Lin Pedersen @thomasp85.com · Sep 11

I am beyond excited to announce that ggplot2 4.0.0 has just landed on CRAN.

It's not every day we have a new major #ggplot2 release but it is a fitting 18 year birthday present for the package.

Get an overview of the release in this blog post and be on the lookout for more in-depth posts #rstats

ggplot2 4.0.0

A new major version of ggplot2 has been released on CRAN. Find out what is new here.

www.tidyverse.org

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