Let's begin the 2026 Fall Season of GIIN Seminars! 🍂 Join us live on Tuesday, September 1st at 5pm (Rome) / 11am (NYC) for an exciting webinar featuring @chiololab.bsky.social o and Jean-Yves Masson! Zoom link: uzh.zoom.us/j/6598481621...
Joshua Saldivar
@saldivar-lab.bsky.social
We study the spatial organization of the nucleus across the cell cycle and how this safeguards genome stability. Located at Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University
ICYMI: New online: Structural mechanism of TOPBP1 activating the ATR–ATRIP replication checkpoint kinase
Structural mechanism of TOPBP1 activating the ATR–ATRIP replication checkpoint kinase
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 23 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41594-026-01844-1Li et al. present cryo-EM structures of the ATR–ATRIP complex bound to the ATR-activating domains of TOPBP1 and ETAA1; these reveal distinct binding modes and allosteric mechanism of activation for TOPBP1 and ETAA1.
dlvr.it
RESEARCH PAPER: Coupling of translesion synthesis with the replisome stabilized at stalled replication forks by ATR By Yoon et al. and Satya Prakash ➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/40/13-14/1059.abstract UTMB Health #DNAreplication #DNArepair #genomestability #translesionsynthesis
Here is our article published in Nature Comm, on new players in chromatin dynamics after UV repair. This work highlights the histone chaperones DNAJC9 and MCM2 as central players in chromatin repair. Our proteomic dataset opens up new perspectives for dissecting epigenome maintenance mechanisms.
Proteomic profiling of UV damage repair patches uncovers histone chaperones with central functions in chromatin repair - Nature Communications
Chromatin states need to be maintained during DNA damage repair. Here, the authors expand the histone chaperone network involved in repair-coupled chromatin restoration and highlight a mechanistic coo...
nature.com
Now online! DNA repair drives cisplatin-induced neuronal death
DNA repair drives cisplatin-induced neuronal death
In neurons, cisplatin-induced DNA damage is repaired by NER, but low dNTP pools cause NER to promote death rather than survival. Deoxynucleoside supplementation or genetic upregulation of dNTP synthesis replenishes nucleotides and protects neurons from cisplatin, suggesting nucleoside therapy may mitigate chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity.
dlvr.it
Interested in studying nuclear condensates across the cell cycle? Our latest methods paper in STAR Protocols may be exactly what you are looking for! Here, we describe a high-throughput, novel imaging approach that tracks condensate dynamics in human cells. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Protocol for cell cycle-resolved high-content imaging of transcription condensate dynamics in human cells
Transcription condensates are dynamic, phase-separated compartments that control gene activation. Here, we present a protocol for studying transcripti…
sciencedirect.com
Excited to share our latest paper! We found that large pieces of the human genome can transfer between cells upon direct contact, endowing recipient cells with heritable phenotypic changes. @cp-cell.bsky.social (1/7) www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Excited to share a new preprint from the lab by @melissamcevoy.bsky.social The S/G2 checkpoint prevents the premature shutdown of the DNA replication program. Without it, cells fail to finish replicating their chromosomes and have severe mitotic errors. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Happy to share our new review in @annualreviews.bsky.social on abasic sites and their impact on DNA replication written by @angelotaglialatela.bsky.social. www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Endogenous Sources of Abasic Sites and Implications for DNA Replication: Mechanisms of Fork Stalling and Recovery
Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites, also known as abasic sites, are among the most frequent DNA lesions, arising spontaneously or as intermediates in base excision repair. Their structural impediment to...
annualreviews.org
New preprint out today from the lab! congrats to Celina Sanchez on this exciting work! check it out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Geneticist J. Craig Venter, best known for his role in sequencing the human genome, has died aged 79. He spoke to Nature in 2023 about AI, sequencing the ocean – and why he had no plans to stop working. go.nature.com/4d4h1ns
Geneticist J. Craig Venter: ‘I consider retirement tantamount to death’
The human genome ‘maverick’ talks sequencing the ocean, setting up a health-screening company after checking his own genes — and why he has no plans to stop.
go.nature.com
such a surreal experience visiting my alma mater 25 years later to give a seminar and meet the faculty and grad students. @uarkansas.bsky.social
Our Precision Biofabrication Hub has been awarded more than $9M from the NIH for cutting-edge biofabrication research! Researchers will develop "organs-on-a-chip" that recreate how cancers grow, spread, and respond to treatment within bone tissues:
OHSU secures $9.2 million to build next generation ‘organs on chips’ for bone related cancers
NIH awards strengthen Knight Cancer Precision Biofabrication Hub, position OHSU as a national leader in microphysiologic models of bone cancers.
news.ohsu.edu
celebrated the lab's phenomenal graduate students for grad student appreciation week
Our H1 paper is out #ScienceAdvances: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... @masaashimazoe.bsky.social et al. reveal that linker histone H1 acts as a liquid-like glue to organize chromatin in live cells. 🎉 Fantastic collab with @rcollepardo.bsky.social @janhuemar.bsky.social and others—huge thanks! 🙌 1/
Excited to share our @natprot.nature.com paper on using RNA proximity labeling to map subcellular RNA transcriptomes. We’ve been working in this area for a while and wanted to create a resource paper to guide the uninitiated reader. rdcu.be/fblvI
APEX-seq maps transcriptome-wide subcellular RNA localization in living cells
Nature Protocols - This Protocol describes the transcriptome-wide labeling of RNAs in a particular subcellular compartment using proximity biotinylation by localized APEX2 enzyme and subsequent...
rdcu.be
RNF25 confers mRNA damage tolerance by curbing activation of the integrated stress response
RNF25 confers mRNA damage tolerance by curbing activation of the integrated stress response
Zhao et al. show that azacytidine-induced cytotoxicity is primarily mediated by its incorporation into mRNA. This triggers detrimental activation of the integrated stress response, which is restrained by the ubiquitin ligase RNF25, revealing RNA damage as a central component of azacytidine treatment and identifying an mRNA-damage tolerance pathway.
dlvr.it
Another great opportunity for genome integrity / replication stress aficionados to attend two excellent seminars with a simple click. Join us in a few days (Tue April 7th)! 👇
Microhomology-mediated end joining acts directly on replication forks to repair single-ended double-strand breaks
Microhomology-mediated end joining acts directly on replication forks to repair single-ended double-strand breaks
Li et al. uncover a new mechanism, fork-MMEJ, at broken replication forks that repairs seDSBs with characteristics distinct from the canonical MMEJ (cMMEJ). This study provides insights into replication-associated DSB repair, implicates microhomology-mediated chromosomal rearrangements in cancer, and offers potential therapeutic strategies to selectively target cancer cells.
dlvr.it
🔬 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗖𝗦 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀! 🧬 The American Cancer Society is pleased to announce $80.7 million in new cancer research grants that will go into effect this spring. Altogether, ACS is funding 128 new grants at 71 institutions this cycle. amercancer.co/Spring2026Gr...
Using #SingleMolecule imaging we find that TFs: -boost co-transcriptional #ribosomal #RNA processing! -their binding #dynamics fundamentally differ for mRNA (transient) versus rRNA #transcription (stable)! @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social Anastasiia Chaban @embl.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
NIGMS is signed onto the F31 NOFO. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-GM-26-002: Notice of NIGMS Participation in PA-25-422 "Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31)"
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Notice of NIGMS Participation in PA-25-422
grants.nih.gov
Engineering intrinsically disordered regions for guiding genome navigation
Engineering intrinsically disordered regions for guiding genome navigation
Liu et al. design and test synthetic IDRs based on simple design rules derived from mutation-based analysis of 25 native TF IDRs. They show that hydrophobic amino acids endow activity, acidic ones prevent autoinhibition, and hydrophilic ones can tune specificity.
dlvr.it
Precise control of transcription condensates across S phase balances linker histone expression with DNA replication, ensuring genome stability
Precise control of transcription condensates across S phase balances linker histone expression with DNA replication, ensuring genome stability
Marmolejo et al. uncover transcription condensate dynamics at histone locus bodies across the cell cycle. These dynamics are governed by cell cycle (DDK and CDK1/2) and checkpoint (ATR-CHK1) kinases to precisely control the “on/off” of histone gene transcription and maintain genome integrity.
dlvr.it
I am excited to share the first paper from the Saldivar lab! A special thank you to all who contributed. Precise control of transcription condensates across S phase balances linker histone expression with DNA replication, ensuring genome stability: Molecular Cell www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Precise control of transcription condensates across S phase balances linker histone expression with DNA replication, ensuring genome stability
Marmolejo et al. uncover transcription condensate dynamics at histone locus bodies across the cell cycle. These dynamics are governed by cell cycle (DDK and CDK1/2) and checkpoint (ATR-CHK1) kinases t...
cell.com
Dear Colleagues, Delighted to share that our first lab paper is now published in Nature.!!! 😊😊😊 We identify a previously concealed “safety limit” in DNA replication program: cells intrinsically rate-limit PCNA via PAF15, shaping strand-specific and global replication dynamics. 👉 rdcu.be/e1bBt
PAF15–PCNA exhaustion governs the strand-specific control of DNA replication
Nature - PCNA–PAF15 has a key role in determining replisome dynamics during genome replication and protecting against genome instability.
rdcu.be
I am recruiting postdoctoral fellows to develop new research directions in the lab. We study transcriptional regulation through biomolecular condensates in development and disease, with an emphasis on first-principles and mechanistic discovery. Please repost or share with colleagues.