Leon Walther
@trypsleon.bsky.social
PhD student @ Faria Lab at University of York. Structural Parasitology | Neglected Tropical Diseases | Trypanosomes | Antigenic Variation | CryoEM | RNA | Trained at @Uni Konstanz, CSSB & EMBL. Passionate backpacker and vulcano hiker. Views are my own.
Registration is open for our next TrypsClub Journal Club! 😊
If you fancy some cool Trypanosome science and a friendly supportive environment to discuss science then join us!
If you fancy some cool Trypanosome science and a friendly supportive environment to discuss science then join us!
October 10, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Registration is open for our next TrypsClub Journal Club! 😊
If you fancy some cool Trypanosome science and a friendly supportive environment to discuss science then join us!
If you fancy some cool Trypanosome science and a friendly supportive environment to discuss science then join us!
Reposted by Leon Walther
Save the dates!! @bspparasitology.bsky.social Spring Meeting 2026 will be in Bonnie Glasgow! 7-9 April 2026, with a drinks reception in Glasgow City Chambers on the 6th of April 2026!
Keep an eye on the BSP website for registration and abstract submission!
Logo by @shannaraeilean.bsky.social! 🦟
Keep an eye on the BSP website for registration and abstract submission!
Logo by @shannaraeilean.bsky.social! 🦟
September 11, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Save the dates!! @bspparasitology.bsky.social Spring Meeting 2026 will be in Bonnie Glasgow! 7-9 April 2026, with a drinks reception in Glasgow City Chambers on the 6th of April 2026!
Keep an eye on the BSP website for registration and abstract submission!
Logo by @shannaraeilean.bsky.social! 🦟
Keep an eye on the BSP website for registration and abstract submission!
Logo by @shannaraeilean.bsky.social! 🦟
Reposted by Leon Walther
Researchers from CSSB & @mpi-nat.bsky.social have generated a highly potent nanobody that neutralizes a protein essential for the herpes virus infection. Published in @nature.com, the findings promise new therapies to treat & prevent infections @leibnizliv.bsky.social @uni-hamburg.de
t1p.de/cxt7a
t1p.de/cxt7a
September 4, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Researchers from CSSB & @mpi-nat.bsky.social have generated a highly potent nanobody that neutralizes a protein essential for the herpes virus infection. Published in @nature.com, the findings promise new therapies to treat & prevent infections @leibnizliv.bsky.social @uni-hamburg.de
t1p.de/cxt7a
t1p.de/cxt7a
Join us for the first Career Talk of the 2025–2026 Tryps Club season!
Prof. Paul M. Selzer will give us an insight into anti-parasitic drug development in industry.
📅 Date: 24.09.2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 pm BST
📍 Location: Zoom
Register following link or the QR code on the poster
lnkd.in/eA7b9QRx
Prof. Paul M. Selzer will give us an insight into anti-parasitic drug development in industry.
📅 Date: 24.09.2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 pm BST
📍 Location: Zoom
Register following link or the QR code on the poster
lnkd.in/eA7b9QRx
September 4, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Join us for the first Career Talk of the 2025–2026 Tryps Club season!
Prof. Paul M. Selzer will give us an insight into anti-parasitic drug development in industry.
📅 Date: 24.09.2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 pm BST
📍 Location: Zoom
Register following link or the QR code on the poster
lnkd.in/eA7b9QRx
Prof. Paul M. Selzer will give us an insight into anti-parasitic drug development in industry.
📅 Date: 24.09.2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 pm BST
📍 Location: Zoom
Register following link or the QR code on the poster
lnkd.in/eA7b9QRx
The British Society for Parasitology (BSP) Tryps Club is pleased to share our upcoming series of events. These sessions will bring together leading experts and the wider community to exchange knowledge, highlight research, and foster collaboration in parasitology. (1/5)
September 4, 2025 at 9:17 AM
The British Society for Parasitology (BSP) Tryps Club is pleased to share our upcoming series of events. These sessions will bring together leading experts and the wider community to exchange knowledge, highlight research, and foster collaboration in parasitology. (1/5)
Reposted by Leon Walther
We’re pleased to share our new study, led by @jezieldamasceno.bsky.social, that used long-read, single molecule sequencing to reveal the full (?) picture of Leishmania DNA replication. Thanks, Mike Boemo and helpful reviewers @uofgsii.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Leishmania major chromosomes are replicated from a single high-efficiency locus supplemented by thousands of lower efficiency initiation events
DNA replication initiates at genome sites termed origins. Previous origin mapping approaches in the populations of the protozoan parasite Leishmania m…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 15, 2025 at 7:32 AM
We’re pleased to share our new study, led by @jezieldamasceno.bsky.social, that used long-read, single molecule sequencing to reveal the full (?) picture of Leishmania DNA replication. Thanks, Mike Boemo and helpful reviewers @uofgsii.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Leon Walther
Drs @singh-parul.bsky.social @trypsleon.bsky.social Maureen Cabahug @fariatrypslab.bsky.social & @jessmbryant.bsky.social review #Plasmodium & #Trypanosoma #genome organization.
#Trypanosome #Transcription #Chromatin #Epigenetics #Nuclear #Compartment
www.cell.com/trends/paras...
#Trypanosome #Transcription #Chromatin #Epigenetics #Nuclear #Compartment
www.cell.com/trends/paras...
August 14, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Drs @singh-parul.bsky.social @trypsleon.bsky.social Maureen Cabahug @fariatrypslab.bsky.social & @jessmbryant.bsky.social review #Plasmodium & #Trypanosoma #genome organization.
#Trypanosome #Transcription #Chromatin #Epigenetics #Nuclear #Compartment
www.cell.com/trends/paras...
#Trypanosome #Transcription #Chromatin #Epigenetics #Nuclear #Compartment
www.cell.com/trends/paras...
Reposted by Leon Walther
How do parasites strategically organise their genomes to influence gene expression? If you’re curious, check our latest review in @cp-trendsparasitol.bsky.social !
@biologyatyork.bsky.social @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @pasteur.fr
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
@biologyatyork.bsky.social @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @pasteur.fr
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
August 11, 2025 at 6:40 AM
How do parasites strategically organise their genomes to influence gene expression? If you’re curious, check our latest review in @cp-trendsparasitol.bsky.social !
@biologyatyork.bsky.social @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @pasteur.fr
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
@biologyatyork.bsky.social @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @pasteur.fr
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
What a great first experience to take part in a review with such awesome fellow scientists!
We @singh-parul.bsky.social teamed up with the amazing @fariatrypslab.bsky.social @trypsleon.bsky.social to highlight how recent technological advances have revealed exciting new features of parasite genome architecture and its impact on survival and pathogenicity:
www.cell.com/trends/paras...
www.cell.com/trends/paras...
Parasite genome organization: come together, right now!
Links between genome organization and transcription have been extensively studied
in model eukaryotes; however, recent application of state-of-the-art chromosome conformation
capture techniques to kin...
www.cell.com
August 10, 2025 at 5:38 PM
What a great first experience to take part in a review with such awesome fellow scientists!
Reposted by Leon Walther
New preprint alert! 🚨👇 I'm delighted to share the latest research from @jemmabetts.bsky.social
in our group: ‘A new protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting’. Huge congratulations to Jemma for the first manuscript of her PhD! ✨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
in our group: ‘A new protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting’. Huge congratulations to Jemma for the first manuscript of her PhD! ✨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A new protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting
Programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) is a ubiquitous translational control mechanism in RNA viruses, allowing them to change the relative abundance of proteins encoded in different reading fram...
www.biorxiv.org
July 19, 2025 at 3:10 PM
New preprint alert! 🚨👇 I'm delighted to share the latest research from @jemmabetts.bsky.social
in our group: ‘A new protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting’. Huge congratulations to Jemma for the first manuscript of her PhD! ✨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
in our group: ‘A new protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting’. Huge congratulations to Jemma for the first manuscript of her PhD! ✨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Leon Walther
Postdoc positions in structural biology of RNA processing complexes.
An ERC-funded position will dissect pre-mRNA processing pathways in the infective organism Trypanosoma brucei. An ANR-funded position will characterise large complexes in RNA modification.
Details: tinyurl.com/postdoc-RNA-...
An ERC-funded position will dissect pre-mRNA processing pathways in the infective organism Trypanosoma brucei. An ANR-funded position will characterise large complexes in RNA modification.
Details: tinyurl.com/postdoc-RNA-...
Postdoc in Structural Biology of RNA processing complexes
Postdoctoral positions in structural biology of macromolecular complexes are available in the laboratory of Dr. Eva Kowalinski at the EMBL Grenoble, France. We are looking for highly motivated and amb...
tinyurl.com
July 17, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Postdoc positions in structural biology of RNA processing complexes.
An ERC-funded position will dissect pre-mRNA processing pathways in the infective organism Trypanosoma brucei. An ANR-funded position will characterise large complexes in RNA modification.
Details: tinyurl.com/postdoc-RNA-...
An ERC-funded position will dissect pre-mRNA processing pathways in the infective organism Trypanosoma brucei. An ANR-funded position will characterise large complexes in RNA modification.
Details: tinyurl.com/postdoc-RNA-...
🧬 Join us for the 3rd Journal Club hosted by the BSP TrypsClub! 🧬
Everyone is welcome — whether you're deep into Trypanosomatid research or just curious to explore fascinating biology, this is a great space to connect, learn, and discuss exciting new science!
Everyone is welcome — whether you're deep into Trypanosomatid research or just curious to explore fascinating biology, this is a great space to connect, learn, and discuss exciting new science!
June 20, 2025 at 11:26 AM
🧬 Join us for the 3rd Journal Club hosted by the BSP TrypsClub! 🧬
Everyone is welcome — whether you're deep into Trypanosomatid research or just curious to explore fascinating biology, this is a great space to connect, learn, and discuss exciting new science!
Everyone is welcome — whether you're deep into Trypanosomatid research or just curious to explore fascinating biology, this is a great space to connect, learn, and discuss exciting new science!
Reposted by Leon Walther
So happy to share the first preprint from our lab on post-transcriptional regulation at the VSG expression-site body in trypanosomes. @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @york.ac.uk
Specialised RNA decay fine-tunes monogenic antigen expression in African trypanosomes
Antigenic variation is a sophisticated immune evasion strategy employed by many pathogens. Trypanosoma brucei expresses a single Variant-Surface-Glycoprotein (VSG) from a large genetic repertoire, whi...
www.biorxiv.org
May 27, 2025 at 10:28 AM
So happy to share the first preprint from our lab on post-transcriptional regulation at the VSG expression-site body in trypanosomes. @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @york.ac.uk
Join us in our first TrypsClub Career Talk featuring Julius Lukeš! Everyone interested in Trypanosomes is welcome (except PI's - sorry)!
We’re excited to kick off our first BSP-supported TrypsClub Career Talk with Prof. Julius Lukeš, Director of the Biology Centre at the Czech Academy of Sciences – an internationally renowned expert in parasitology and evolutionary protistology.
15th May, 2 pm (GMT)
Sign up: forms.gle/uyiAUsjNSLd7...
15th May, 2 pm (GMT)
Sign up: forms.gle/uyiAUsjNSLd7...
3. TrypsClub Career Talk Registration
We are pleased to invite you to our third BSP-supported TrypsClub meeting.
In our first Career Talk we will host Prof. Julius Lukeš, Director of the Biology Centre at the Institute of Parasitology, Cz...
forms.gle
May 8, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Join us in our first TrypsClub Career Talk featuring Julius Lukeš! Everyone interested in Trypanosomes is welcome (except PI's - sorry)!
Reposted by Leon Walther
🎬 This #WorldChagasDay, we're excited to announce our next short film, 'The Children of the Sierra,' about working with Indigenous Wiwa communities in #Colombia to test and treat people affected by #ChagasDisease. 📽️ Moronga Films
April 14, 2025 at 2:50 PM
🎬 This #WorldChagasDay, we're excited to announce our next short film, 'The Children of the Sierra,' about working with Indigenous Wiwa communities in #Colombia to test and treat people affected by #ChagasDisease. 📽️ Moronga Films
Reposted by Leon Walther
#ChagasDisease has the most severe impact among Latin America's impoverished communities but it is increasingly detected in other parts of the world. 100M people are at risk of infection.
bit.ly/3vFipLv
bit.ly/3vFipLv
April 14, 2025 at 9:00 AM
#ChagasDisease has the most severe impact among Latin America's impoverished communities but it is increasingly detected in other parts of the world. 100M people are at risk of infection.
bit.ly/3vFipLv
bit.ly/3vFipLv
Reposted by Leon Walther
A GRIP-ing and Tryp-ing seminar tomorrow - Joana Faria from the University of York!
2 pm (GMT) | 3 pm (CET) | 9 am (EDT)
Link - uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/8897218018...
Passcode: 987702
2 pm (GMT) | 3 pm (CET) | 9 am (EDT)
Link - uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/8897218018...
Passcode: 987702
April 10, 2025 at 1:23 PM
A GRIP-ing and Tryp-ing seminar tomorrow - Joana Faria from the University of York!
2 pm (GMT) | 3 pm (CET) | 9 am (EDT)
Link - uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/8897218018...
Passcode: 987702
2 pm (GMT) | 3 pm (CET) | 9 am (EDT)
Link - uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/8897218018...
Passcode: 987702
Join us for our next TrypsClub Journal Club!
Next @bspparasitology.bsky.social TrypsClub Journal Club will take place online on 2nd April - all students, research assistants, postdocs and techs are welcome! Discussing a paper form the Mugnier lab group, featuring a Q&A with Moinca! Sign up here - tinyurl.com/5n6pme36
1. TrypsClub Journal Club Registration
We are pleased to invite you to the second BSP supported TrypsClub meeting!
2nd April, 2 pm (GMT)
Our aim is to bring together ...
tinyurl.com
March 25, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Join us for our next TrypsClub Journal Club!
Reposted by Leon Walther
Delighted to have been part of this great work driven by @marketanovotna.bsky.social in the Horn lab, showing the power of precision editing to study the direct role of histone modifications on gene expression regulation! Check it out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Precision-edited histone tails disrupt polycistronic gene expression controls in trypanosomes
Transcription of protein coding genes in trypanosomatids is atypical and almost exclusively polycistronic. In Trypanosoma brucei, approximately 150 polycistrons, and 8000 genes, are constitutively tra...
www.biorxiv.org
March 24, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Delighted to have been part of this great work driven by @marketanovotna.bsky.social in the Horn lab, showing the power of precision editing to study the direct role of histone modifications on gene expression regulation! Check it out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Leon Walther
New cryo-EM/ET story - a brilliant collaboration with Sergey Melnikov's lab in Newcastle @sergeymelnikov.bsky.social and Stefan Pfeffer's lab in Heidelberg @pfeffercryolab.bsky.social. Great work in particular by Karla Helena-Bueno and @sophiekopetschke.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Structurally heterogeneous ribosomes cooperate in protein synthesis in bacterial cells - Nature Communications
Cells can simultaneously produce structurally dissimilar ribosomes, suggesting functional specialization of distinct ribosome populations. Here, the authors show that distinct ribosomes cooperate rath...
www.nature.com
March 21, 2025 at 9:30 AM
New cryo-EM/ET story - a brilliant collaboration with Sergey Melnikov's lab in Newcastle @sergeymelnikov.bsky.social and Stefan Pfeffer's lab in Heidelberg @pfeffercryolab.bsky.social. Great work in particular by Karla Helena-Bueno and @sophiekopetschke.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Leon Walther
Funded PhD project with myself, Prof. Paul Denny at Durham University and Dr Kalesh Karunakaran at Teeside University now open for applications!
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Uncovering the adaptation mechanism that generate dormant forms of Leishmania microbes with omics approaches at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Uncovering the adaptation mechanism that generate dormant forms of Leishmania microbes with omics approaches at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
March 17, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Funded PhD project with myself, Prof. Paul Denny at Durham University and Dr Kalesh Karunakaran at Teeside University now open for applications!
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Leon Walther
Happy to share this highlight of our latest work on the minor spliceosome structure
The Galej Group provides new insights into the minor spliceosome, a vital RNA-protein complex involved in gene expression.
These results allow a better understanding of its mechanism, whose dysfunction is associated with several genetic disorders.
#MolBiol 🧪🧬🧶
www.embl.org/news/science...
These results allow a better understanding of its mechanism, whose dysfunction is associated with several genetic disorders.
#MolBiol 🧪🧬🧶
www.embl.org/news/science...
February 12, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Happy to share this highlight of our latest work on the minor spliceosome structure
Attention fellow Trypanosomatid researchers! Join the first Journal Club hosted by the newly founded TrypsClub. It's a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Tryps researchers, discuss exciting science, and network with peers from around the world!
The British Society For Parasitology @bspparasitology.bsky.social is supporting the TrypsClub, a new journal club for the international community of researchers working on trypanosomatid parasites. The first meeting will be on 21st February 2025 at 14:00 GMT. Sign up here: shorturl.at/7Ay9y
1. TrypsClub Journal Club Registration
We are pleased to invite you to the first BSP supported TrypsClub meeting!
Our aim is to bring together researchers working with trypanosomatid parasites, discuss recent publications and get to know ...
shorturl.at
February 12, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Attention fellow Trypanosomatid researchers! Join the first Journal Club hosted by the newly founded TrypsClub. It's a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Tryps researchers, discuss exciting science, and network with peers from around the world!
Reposted by Leon Walther
Now almost 450 signatories to my open letter calling on the @royalsociety.org to stand up for its values & deal with the widespread concerns raised by Elon Musk's Fellowship. Please consider signing & sharing: forms.gle/miDciq35oxyw...
List of signatories here: occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2025/...
List of signatories here: occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2025/...
Open letter to the President of the Royal Society – time to stand up for your values
If you wish to show your support for the letter below regarding apparent inaction by the Royal Society in the face of breaches of its code of conduct by Elon Musk FRS, please sign below. I invite anyo...
forms.gle
February 12, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Now almost 450 signatories to my open letter calling on the @royalsociety.org to stand up for its values & deal with the widespread concerns raised by Elon Musk's Fellowship. Please consider signing & sharing: forms.gle/miDciq35oxyw...
List of signatories here: occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2025/...
List of signatories here: occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2025/...
Reposted by Leon Walther
Are you interested in #trypanosomes #biomolecularcondensates and/or #geneexpression? We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc to work with with us in the beautiful city of York!
Please share!
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...
Please share!
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...
January 16, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Are you interested in #trypanosomes #biomolecularcondensates and/or #geneexpression? We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc to work with with us in the beautiful city of York!
Please share!
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...
Please share!
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...