Jonathan Fenn
@jfennbio.bsky.social
Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Nottingham - looking at the epigenetic impacts of captivity and consequences for animal fitness.
For anyone attending SMBE next week, I will be speaking about miRNA evolution and placental morphology in this Wednesday session 🧬
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution@official-smbe.bsky.social · 2mo ago#SMBE2026 S22: Evolution of gene regulation: insights from novel molecular and statistical approaches 🗓️ Wed Jul 1, 1:20pm - Part 1 🗓️ Wed Jul 1, 3:50pm - Part 2 🔗 smbe2026.org/programme
Come and work with our group! 2 very cool PhD positions up for grabs - the first on stop codon readthrough...(1/2)
Professor Mary J O'Connell@evol-molly.bsky.social · 5mo agoCome join us for a PhD at the University of Manchester :
If you are looking for activities to do for the #BritishScienceWeek, take a look at our “How are proteins made?” from RiboCode sLoLa project. Designed for schools in the UK and Ireland, ages 7-11 (~KS2/Second to Fifth Class/P4-7). Download the free resources and enjoy:) ribocode.org/resources/
PanForest: predicting genes in genomes using random forests academic.oup.com/bioinformati... #jcampubs
PanForest: predicting genes in genomes using random forests
AbstractMotivation. The presence or absence of some genes in a genome can influence whether other genes are likely to be present or absent. Understanding t
academic.oup.com
It was a great privilege to be involved with this paper on a new T2T zebra finch genome, working on the miRNA side of things. Have a read of the preprint now!
bioRxiv Genomics@biorxiv-genomic.bsky.social · 10mo agoThe complete genome of a songbird https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.14.682431v1
Talk from @jfennbio.bsky.social at #ESEB2025 on this work. I didn't catch the actual predictive accuracy in the talk - from the paper, I glean that it's >90%!
Jonathan Fenn@jfennbio.bsky.social · last yr.Take a look at our work on miRNAs and their involvement with placental phenotypes. It's great to see this work finally see the light of day - huge thanks to everyone involved with the manuscript.
The day finished off strong with loads of great talks in the Genomics of Evolutionary Innovations symposium! I'm pleased to report that my talk went well ☺️ 🎨🖌️ #eseb2025 #eseb #esebconference @eseb2025.bsky.social @jfenn.bsky.social @timothyfuqua.bsky.social
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025! I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113 @eseb2025.bsky.social
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025! I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113 @eseb2025.bsky.social
In Nature Genetics, @danielibrahim.bsky.social (MPIMG/BIH) and his team have developed a bioinformatic tool to identify evolutionary conserved regulatory regions of the genome that have transformed so much over time that their DNA sequences have changed completely. 👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/4927054
Why do imperfect mimics (such as many hoverflies) exist? We created 3D printed replicas of flies, wasps and our own custom intermediates and then "asked" various predators what they thought of our 3D stimuli. Read all about it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mapping the adaptive landscape of Batesian mimicry using 3D-printed stimuli - Nature
Birds have an excellent ability to learn to discriminate harmless insects from those that they mimic on the basis of subtle differences in appearance.
nature.com
Take a look at our work on miRNAs and their involvement with placental phenotypes. It's great to see this work finally see the light of day - huge thanks to everyone involved with the manuscript.
Professor Mary J O'Connell@evol-molly.bsky.social · last yr.How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
biorxiv.org
It's great to see this work lead by @klarawanelik.bsky.social published - voles which are superspreaders of pathogenic bacteria have distinct gut microbiota: doi.org/10.1186/s425...
Superspreaders have lower gut microbial alpha-diversity and distinct gut microbial composition in a natural rodent population - Animal Microbiome
The microbiome is well known to drive variation in host states (e.g. behaviour, immunity) that would be expected to modulate the spread of infectious disease—but the role of microbiotal interactions i...
doi.org
It's great to see this work lead by @klarawanelik.bsky.social published - voles which are superspreaders of pathogenic bacteria have distinct gut microbiota: doi.org/10.1186/s425...
Superspreaders have lower gut microbial alpha-diversity and distinct gut microbial composition in a natural rodent population - Animal Microbiome
The microbiome is well known to drive variation in host states (e.g. behaviour, immunity) that would be expected to modulate the spread of infectious disease—but the role of microbiotal interactions i...
doi.org
Great to see this review of specialised ribosomes from Alan in our group, and his colleagues in RiboCode, published today. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Specialized ribosomes: integrating new insights and current challenges | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Variation in the composition of different ribosomes, termed ribosome heterogeneity, is a now well established phenomenon. However, the functional implications of this heterogeneity on the regulation of protein synthesis are only now beginning to be ...
royalsocietypublishing.org
I will be speaking about miRNAs and placental phenotypes at PopGroup this afternoon at 14.15 in LT3 - come along if you're here!
When I'm not doing research, I occasionally write about video games, and in this piece that just went up @unwinnable.com I try to combine the two. Specifically, I look at the difficulties of simulating the natural world in a game. Have a read if that sounds at all interesting!
Unwinnable@unwinnable.com · 2y ago"So how can we bridge the gap between the complexity of the real natural world, and the games which attempt to emulate it: beautiful, impressive, but ultimately shallow simulacra?" @jfenn.bsky.social imagines how games can incorporate more realistic ecosystems:
‘A place of joy’: why scientists are joining the rush to Bluesky For me, it certainly feels good to be here! @natureportfolio.bsky.social @bsky.app www.nature.com/articles/d41...
‘A place of joy’: why scientists are joining the rush to Bluesky
Researchers say the social-media platform — an alternative to X — offers more control over the content they see and the people they engage with.
nature.com
In my ongoing quest to leave Twitter, I'm hoping use this account for sharing my research, and publicising the work of the O'Connell lab here at the University of Nottingham. I'm looking at the evolution of microRNA - the discovery of which recently earned a Nobel Prize! tinyurl.com/552ph6xh
Nobel Prize goes to microRNA researchers
US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun helped explain how genes work inside the human body.
tinyurl.com