Daniel Sauter
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sauterlab.bsky.social
Daniel Sauter
@sauterlab.bsky.social
48 followers 69 following 15 posts
Virologist & Research Group Leader at @unituebingen.bsky.social‬
Fascinated by viruses, innate immunity, evolution — and birds 🐦
#Virology #HIV #HERVs #Retrotransposons #Birds
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
scinews.bsky.social
Three must read papers for PhD students. #scisky #PhD #science #research #academicsky

1. The importance of stupidity in scientific research

Open Access
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
November 24, 2024 at 1:54 PM
sauterlab.bsky.social
Did you know? Researchers recorded bats catching European robins (Erithacus rubecula) in mid-air—confirmed by bird distress calls and chewing sounds! 😧 😬 A chilling example of aerial predation. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41066553/
📸 Estormiz, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday
A European robin perched on a branch, its orange breast glowing in the sunlight. The bird’s round body and soft gray-brown feathers contrast with the bare branches around it.
November 14, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
rki.de
Das Nationale Referenzzentrum für Poliomyelitis und Enteroviren hat in einer Abwasserprobe aus Hamburg Polio-Wildviren vom Typ 1 nachgewiesen.

Mehr zur aktuellen Situation und den Empfehlungen für medizinisches und labortechnisches Personal im aktuellen EpidBull:
🔗 www.rki.de/DE/Aktuelles...
Beschreibung: Hellblauer Hintergrund. Oben Überschrift „Aktuelle Situation“. Darunter vier Absätze mit Icons links. Unten ein Kasten mit Glühbirnen-Symbol und Hinweistext. Ganz unten steht „Robert Koch-Institut“. Text auf der Kachel: „Aktuelle Situation“ „Das Nationale Referenzzentrum für Poliomyelitis und Enteroviren (NRZ PE) hat in einer Abwasserprobe aus Hamburg Polio-Wildviren vom Typ 1 (WPV1) nachgewiesen.“ „Die Genomsequenz zeigt eine sehr starke Ähnlichkeit mit einem genetischen Cluster in Afghanistan, wie Analysen in Zusammenarbeit mit der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) ergeben haben.“ „Die Abwasserprobe wurde in Hamburg am 6.10.2025 entnommen und im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes zum Nachweis von Polioviren im Abwasser (PIA) analysiert.“ „Die zuständige Landesstelle in Hamburg wurde informiert.“ Kasten: „Dem RKI wurden bislang keine klinischen Fälle oder Verdachtsfälle von Poliomyelitis (Kinderlähmung) übermittelt.“ Beschreibung: Hellblauer Hintergrund. Überschrift „Was bedeutet der Virusnachweis?“. Oben ein gestrichelter Kasten mit Glühbirnen-Symbol, darunter längere Absätze zu globalem Vorkommen und genetischen Eigenschaften. Unten steht „Robert Koch-Institut“. Text auf der Kachel: „Was bedeutet der Virusnachweis?“ Kasten: „Der Nachweis von Polio-Wildviren im Abwasser ist ein ungewöhnliches, aber grundsätzlich nicht unerwartetes Ereignis.“ „Polio-Wildviren zirkulieren aktuell nur noch in Afghanistan und Pakistan. In den vergangenen Jahren wurden WPV1 aber auch außerhalb dieser zwei Länder nachgewiesen: in Umweltproben im Iran (2019) und bei bestätigten Fällen in Malawi (2021) und Mosambik (2022).“ „Der aktuelle Nachweis spricht dafür, dass die Viren von mindestens einer Person ausgeschieden wurden, die sich um den Zeitpunkt der Abwasserprobenahme in Hamburg aufgehalten hat.“ „Eine Verbindung zu den zirkulierenden Impfstoff-abgeleiteten Polioviren Typ 2 (cVDPV2), die seit Ende 2024 in Abwasserproben in Deutschland und mehreren anderen europäischen Ländern nachgewiesen wurden, besteht nicht, da es sich um einen anderen Typ von Polioviren handelt.“ Beschreibung: Hellblauer Hintergrund. Überschrift „Was bedeutet der Virusnachweis?“. Mehrere Absätze zu Erkrankungsrisiken und Impfung. Unten ein großer gestrichelter Kasten mit Glühbirnen-Symbol und Erläuterung des Risikos. Ganz unten steht „Robert Koch-Institut“. Text auf der Kachel: „Was bedeutet der Virusnachweis?“ „Beide Typen von Polioviren (cVDPV2 und WPV1) können bei ungeimpften oder nicht vollständig geimpften Menschen die Erkrankung Poliomyelitis auslösen.“ „Eine vollständige Poliomyelitis-Impfung mit dem in Deutschland eingesetzten Totimpfstoff schützt zuverlässig vor der Erkrankung, jedoch nur eingeschränkt vor einer Ansteckung und Weitergabe der Erreger. Infizierte Menschen können potenziell auch andere Menschen anstecken.“ „Die Poliomyelitis-Impfquoten bei Kindern liegen in Hamburg über dem bundesweiten Durchschnitt.“ Kasten: „Das Risiko für die Bevölkerung in Deutschland durch Polio-Wildviren wird aufgrund der hohen Impfquoten und des einzelnen Nachweises im Abwasser als sehr gering eingeschätzt, auch wenn das Auftreten eines klinischen Falles bei ungeimpften Personen möglich ist.“
November 13, 2025 at 1:05 PM
sauterlab.bsky.social
Really great initiative by the Journal of Virology and @asm.org — the “New Voices in Virology” feature highlights an excellent group of early-career virologists. journals.asm.org/journal/jvi/... #virology
New Voices in Virology
Annual competition for early-career virologists to publish a minireview in JVI. Their minireviews will be peer reviewed & published in a collection.
journals.asm.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
denard.bsky.social
Come join us in beautiful Britanny, France in May 2026 for a workshop that I am organizing with @lucievirevolte.bsky.social and @psudmant.bsky.social on Rapid host adaptations to infections:

sites.google.com/berkeley.edu...
October 23, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
fraukemuecksch.bsky.social
We are looking to recruit a Ph.D. student to start in Q1 2026 for an exciting new project that is part of the newly funded SynthImmune Cluster of Excellence. Are you interested in the intersection of virology and immunology? Please see the attached info and apply at application.synthimmune.de.
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
kosuke-takada.bsky.social
We’ve identified a highly divergent betacoronavirus from South American bat that encodes a functional furin cleavage site.
Another fascinating reminder of how diverse coronavirus evolution is in wildlife reservoirs.
#Virology #VirusEvolution #Bats #Coronavirus

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats
Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of RNA viruses. Members of the genus Betacoronavirus, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome...
www.biorxiv.org
October 27, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
scinews.bsky.social
Guidance for formulating good research questions

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 31, 2025 at 3:23 PM
sauterlab.bsky.social
Did you know? Fairywrens (Malurus cyaneus) and many other bird species share a common alarm call to alert neighbors of approaching cuckoos. Could this be how shared language evolves? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41044184/ 📸 Caroline Jones, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday
A male superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) perched on a barbed wire fence. The small bird has vivid blue and black plumage on its head and upper body, with soft brown wings and a long upright blue tail, set against a blurred green background.
October 31, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
alexkupke.bsky.social
Only few days left! ⏰

Apply for the new

@gesvirologie.bsky.social

Pulication Prizes for Innovative Methods in Virology 🏆

- Biosafety, Biosecurity and Risk Mitigation 🦠

- Application of the 3R principle (Replace, Reduce, Refine) 🐭

Deadline: November 1st

g-f-v.org/en/forschung...
Research Awards | Society of Virology
g-f-v.org
October 29, 2025 at 11:40 AM
sauterlab.bsky.social
New paper out!
We show that APOBEC3B, a key repressor of retrotransposons, is downregulated in senescent cells — unleashing LINE-1 activity and fueling genomic instability and aging.
🔗 doi.org/10.1186/s13100-025-00378-5
#Retrotransposons #APOBEC3B #Senescence #Aging
Antagonistic regulation of LINE-1/Alu elements and their repressor APOBEC3B in cellular senescence - Mobile DNA
Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements-1 (LINE-1 or L1) make up approximately 21% of the human genome, with some L1 loci containing intact open reading frames (ORFs) that facilitate retrotransposition. Be...
doi.org
October 24, 2025 at 3:04 PM
sauterlab.bsky.social
Did you know? Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja) have talons that are longer than grizzly bears’ claws. A new case report documents the first scientifically confirmed attack on an adult human: tinyurl.com/bdkdxuhc
📸 Givanildo Silva, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday
A harpy eagle perched on a bare, weathered tree branch. The eagle has a powerful build, dark wings, a light-colored body, and a distinctive patterned tail. Its sharp beak is slightly open, and it gazes to the side.
October 24, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
nature.com
We asked 3,785 PhD students across 107 countries about their experiences. Where do you think the happiest doctoral candidates were?

go.nature.com/3Wzz2lL
Are these the happiest PhD students in the world?
Brazil, Australia and Italy have the highest satisfaction scores in Nature’s global 2025 PhD survey — but are these nations really the best places to do a doctorate?
go.nature.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants alter trophoblast cell fusion and syncytiotrophoblast dynamics: new insights into placental vulnerability

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants alter trophoblast cell fusion and syncytiotrophoblast dynamics: new insights into placental vulnerability - Cell Death & Disease
Cell Death & Disease - SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants alter trophoblast cell fusion and syncytiotrophoblast dynamics: new insights into placental vulnerability
www.nature.com
October 7, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
nature.com
Nature research paper: A human-specific regulatory mechanism revealed in a pre-implantation model

go.nature.com/4o2TgQs
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.
go.nature.com
October 2, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
asm.org
#MicrobiologyMonday: Can bird song shape your microbiome? 🐦Scientists propose that interactions with nature may influence gut microbiome composition, suggesting it is shaped not just by direct microbial exposure, but by multisensory experiences. #mSystem asm.social/2Cx
Beyond direct microbial colonization: multisensory experiences in nature and their potential to indirectly influence the gut microbiome via multiple biological systems and axes. For example, stress can impair gut immunity in part by downregulating NLRP6 activity, a key regulator of the inflammasome and microbial balance (42); elevated cortisol increases gut permeability (43), and nature walks (and listening to nature sounds) reduce cortisol (44) and increase parasympathetic tone (45, 46). Exposure to natural biodiverse materials can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines (27, 28). All of these processes can influence the gut environment, composition, and dynamics.
September 29, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
emma-harding.bsky.social
New paper alert 🎉
We explore the origins of deltaviruses and find they have infected and co-evolved with termites for 141 million years 🐜🕑🦴

This was a fascinating story to work on with @ariskatzourakis.bsky.social, Jose Gabriel and @anselmojiro.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Endogenous viral elements in termite genomes reveal extensive diversity of deltaviruses and provide insights into their origins
Deltaviruses are subviral agents of animals, which, in humans, require a hepadnavirus helper for transmission. The absence of deltavirus-like endogeno…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 15, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
emma-harding.bsky.social
Do you research endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) or want to learn more about them? 🧬🤔

Consider presenting at or attending AuusiERV - an inaugural online symposium for ERV research in Australia 🇦🇺 (and abroad) 🗺️

Abstracts due 1st October!

events.humanitix.com/aussierv-2025

#ERV #retrovirus
AussiERV 2025
AussiERV: Australia’s first symposium dedicated to endogenous retroviruses. Join us for this one-day virtual event on November 7th!
events.humanitix.com
September 27, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
gesvirologie.bsky.social
Nicht alle Viren machen uns krank, tatsächlich nur ein ganz kleiner Teil von ihnen. Andere leben auf und in uns, und manche sind sogar fester Bestandteil unseres Erbguts!

Ein Einblick in die vielen Facetten der Virologie bei @quarkswdr.bsky.social:

www.ardmediathek.de/video/Y3JpZD...
Quarks: Viren: Freund und Feind! - hier anschauen
Viren gelten als Auslöser von Krankheiten und Pandemien. Doch das ist nur ein Teil der Wahrheit. Seit Milliarden Jahren wirken sie auch als Motor der Evolution. Rund acht Prozent unseres menschlichen ...
www.ardmediathek.de
September 26, 2025 at 9:44 AM
sauterlab.bsky.social
Did you know? The Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is named after the long feathers on its head, resembling quill pens tucked behind a secretary’s ear. It hunts snakes by stomping on them with its powerful feet. 📸 Hobbyfotowiki, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday
A tall Secretary bird stands in dry grassland. It has long pinkish legs, a pale gray body, black flight feathers, and a striking crest of long black quills on the back of its head, with a red-orange face patch around the eyes.
September 26, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
science.org
A new analysis of individuals living with HIV reveals key sex differences in innate immune profiles and the complexity of the HIV proviral reservoir.

Read more in #ScienceTranslationalMedicine: https://scim.ag/4mridnp
Sex differences in HIV-1 reservoir cell selection are linked to altered innate immune profiles
Sex-specific differences in immune selection of HIV-1 reservoir cells during long-term antiretroviral therapy are driven by innate immunity.
scim.ag
September 22, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
m-vincendeau.bsky.social
Check out our new paper 🎉. Thanks to everyone who was involved 🙏🏻.
 romanostrobelt.bsky.social @romanostrobelt.bsky.social · Sep 23
My first postdoc paper in @m-vincendeau.bsky.social lab is out in Frontiers in Immunology.🥳

We identified that hepatitis viruses, especially HBV, upregulate specific human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) groups that are linked with autoimmune diseases.

doi.org/10.3389/fimm...
Frontiers | HERV-K10 as a mediator of immune modulation in hepatitis infections
The human genome contains ~8% of endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), whose reactivation has been implicated in diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders....
doi.org
September 23, 2025 at 7:47 PM
sauterlab.bsky.social
Leider wurden die endogenen Retroviren mal wieder vergessen…
Die machen rund 8% unseres Genoms aus. Rechnet man das auf alle Zellen hoch, schleppt jeder Mensch (ganz grob) etwa 15 g virale DNA täglich mit sich herum. Das entspricht immerhin fünf Stück Würfelzucker!
florianaigner.at Florian Aigner @florianaigner.at · Sep 22
Verrückter Fakt des Tages: #vfdt
Alle Viren dieser Erde haben gut dreimal so viel Biomasse wie alle Menschen dieser Erde.
September 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
nature.com
Brazil hopes to turn the tide of dengue with a home-grown vaccine and an army of mosquitoes

go.nature.com/4pveeJf
How billions of hacked mosquitoes and a vaccine could beat the deadly dengue virus
Outbreaks of dengue are killing thousands of people in South America each year and getting worse. Brazil hopes to turn the tide with a home-grown vaccine and an army of mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria.
go.nature.com
September 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Daniel Sauter
nature.com
Highlights of this year’s Ig Nobel recipients include a nutrition prize for studying the preferred pizza toppings of rainbow lizards at a seaside resort in Togo

go.nature.com/4n5HQv7
Tipsy bats and perfect pasta: Ig Nobels celebrate ‘improbable’ research
The annual awards are a celebration of weird but thought-provoking science.
go.nature.com
September 19, 2025 at 9:27 AM