Sailing in @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social ready for summer, our study on the iconic Portuguese man o' war 🪼 is out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6.... We use (epi)genomics to understand a critter that fascinates me since childhood. Massive team effort with @obog.bsky.social, Cummins and Neely groups. 🧵

Happy to share the final version of our study on the evolution of chromatin states across eukaryotes, out today in @natgenet.nature.com Led by @crisnava.bsky.social and @seanamontgomery.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41... Some highlights below

Diversity and evolution of chromatin regulatory states across eukaryotes - Nature Genetics

This study introduces iChIP2, a low-input chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing method that profiles histone post-translational modifications (hPTMs) simultaneously across diverse eukar...

nature.com

⏰ One week to go! ISRB Webinar | Zone 2 (Europe, West Asia, Africa): 🗓 July 14, 2026 at 16:00 Europe/Berlin 🎤 Eric Röttinger, PhD 🎤 Ulrich Technau More info: isrbio.org/webinars

🏅Thrilled to see @yehumoran.bsky.social elected to the membership of @embo.org! Yehu was instrumental in forming an #ecology & #evolution advisory board for our journals while serving as Academic Editor, where he now continues as an advisor. #EMBOMembers2026 www.embo.org/press-releas...

Seventy-one leading scientists elected to the EMBO Membership – Press releases – EMBO

The new EMBO Members and Associate Members are recognized for their outstanding achievements in the life sciences

embo.org

Very saddened to learn that @wellcometrust.bsky.social has decided to no longer fund Irish researchers through their discovery grants. This is a major blow for those who do truly blue skies research in Ireland as the ecosystem (i.e. @researchireland.ie) only funds research with perceived "impact"!

We are seeking to appoint a new permanent faculty member in the broad areas of molecular cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, or genomics. The search is driven by excellence rather than research area. See link below for details. tinyurl.com/2jy4rj3r

Research and Innovation Bill 2023: Open Letter to Minister Simon Harris - Sign the Petition! c.org/rBZc8xQcy5 via @Change

Sign the Petition

Research and Innovation Bill 2023: Open Letter to Minister Simon Harris

c.org

Here’s the last major paper from the PhD of @paulknabl.bsky.social. We were trying to understand what BMP signaling does in the sea anemone Nematostella when it is not patterning its second body axis. Check out Part 1 in BMC Biol. 2025; and here's is our Part 2 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

The anti-neural role of BMP signaling is a consequence of its ancestral function in dorsoventral patterning

Bilaterian animals with centralized nervous systems have patterns of BMP signaling activity gradient that suggest an “anti-neural” ancestral role, but the evidence for this remains unclear. This study...

journals.plos.org

We are looking for a new colleague to join us in Galway. The position is in Biochemistry and if research focus lines up we hope the successful person will join us in the Centre for Chromosome biology (chromosome.ie). Reach out if you are interested in applying! tinyurl.com/2jy4rj3r

New funding opportunity from the Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative. We’re inviting teams of two researchers to pursue ambitious, high-risk projects advancing aquatic symbiosis (marine + freshwater). Open globally. Details + how to apply:  moore.org/SymbiosisRFP #RFP #AquaticSymbiosis

Genome expansions and regulatory contact entanglement help preserve ancestral metazoan synteny https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.14.717158v1

🚨 Why can’t mammals regenerate limbs like frog tadpoles or salamanders? In our new paper in @science.org , we show that species-specific oxygen sensing acts as a gatekeeper for initiating limb regeneration 🐭🐸 🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #EvoDevo

I'm hiring! I have 2 open positions: 🔬 Postdoc 🧪 Research associate We study how animal multicellularity evolved by exploring the molecular logic of cell adhesion using cell biology, 'omics, and tool-building in non-model organisms. Come join us! Details and application links 👇 Please repost

Proud to share this work with @kevinchalut.bsky.social and Byron Mui. Why do some injuries scar while others regenerate? Using digit tip models, we show the ECM is a key driver. HA-rich ECM promotes regeneration, and boosting it can shift healing away from fibrosis. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Hands up if you love chromatin & structural biology 🙋‍♂️ On Friday April 24th we will be joined by @kjarmache.bsky.social from NYU for his webinar 'Chromatin-Modifying Complexes in Gene Activation and Silencing'. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... @activemotifusa.bsky.social

Our study on shape diversity in cnidarians is now published. The final version includes extensive new data that substantially extend the original bioRxiv preprint. Congrats to everyone who contributed to this work! www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... @embl.org

Deciphering mechanical determinants of morphological evolution

A comparative analysis of cnidarian larval morphogenesis combined with active surface theory identifies a set of mesoscale mechanical modules that predict species-specific shapes. Manipulating these m...

cell.com

A chromosome-level genome assembly of the cnidarian Podocoryna is just out. Well done @pcart.bsky.social , @baxevanislab.bsky.social and the other authors www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

We are delighted to launch the (free!) registration for our 5th AICC symposium, hosted this year in @ucddublin.bsky.social on May 27th. If you are interested in chromatin, gene regulation or the nucleus please join us! allirelandchromatinconsortium.ie/annual-meeti...

Who is joining the event tomorrow?👀 Don't forget to register here: bit.ly/45T8mRR

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: All Ireland Chromatin Consortium February 2026 - Edith Heard. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

The All-Ireland Chromatin Consortium was established in 2021 to foster collaborations between researchers located across the whole of Ireland, promote scientific exchange, and to facilitate networking...

bit.ly

All-Ireland Chromatin Consortium@aicc-ireland.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We are excited to be bringing you two webinars from world leaders in epigenetics this month! 🧬 📅Feb 13th- Edith Heard from @crick.ac.uk 📅Feb 27th- @brianstrahl.bsky.social from @uncchapelhill.bsky.social Don't miss out! See registration details below! @activemotifusa.bsky.social

We are thrilled that our study on the evolution of gene regulation in mammalian cerebellum development – led by @ioansarr.bsky.social, @marisepp.bsky.social and @tyamadat.bsky.social, in collaboration with @steinaerts.bsky.social – is now out in @ScienceMagazine! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The evolution of gene regulation in mammalian cerebellum development

Gene regulatory changes are considered major drivers of evolutionary innovations, including the cerebellum’s expansion during human evolution, yet they remain largely unexplored. In this study, we com...

science.org

Kaessmann Lab@kaessmannlab.bsky.social · last yr.

How does gene regulation shape brain evolution? Our new preprint dives into this question in the context of mammalian cerebellum development! rb.gy/dbcxjz Led by @ioansarr.bsky.social, @marisepp.bsky.social and @tyamadat.bsky.social, in collaboration with @steinaerts.bsky.social

Have you ever wondered what difference it makes to have 1 or 2 X chromosomes in your cells? ✨ I’m excited to share that our paper is now out! Looking for some X-mas content featuring an actual X? 🎄 Here’s the paper: 👉 www.cell.com/current-biol...

X chromosome dosage in respiratory stem cells is critical for post-embryonic development and survival

Tournière et al. uncover the biological roles of sex chromosome dosage compensation, showing it is broadly dispensable except in the respiratory system during metamorphosis, where X chromosome dose de...

cell.com

Out today, our take on 6-methyladenine #6mA evolution in Eukaryotes @natgenet.nature.com. We asked a simple question, is really DNA 6mA common across the eukaryotes? The answer is "yes" if you're a unicellular eukaryote 🦠, not so if you're multicellular 🐝🌱🍄. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/9

Adenine DNA methylation associated with transcriptionally permissive chromatin is widespread across eukaryotes - Nature Genetics

Long-read sequencing in 18 unicellular eukaryotes reveals that 6mA is widespread across eukaryotes and is enriched at transcriptionally permissive regions, which are also marked by H3K4me3.

nature.com

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD, has today announced €34.5 million in funding to support 39 cutting-edge research projects under the Frontiers for the Future Programme. Read here: www.researchireland.ie/news/frontiers-for-the-future/

Nature suggests you use their "Manuscript Adviser" bot to get advice before submitting I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:

Chaetognaths have lost gene body methylation and shifted #5mC back to Transposable Elements. This reversion to the ancestral state is coupled with a simplification of DNMT3 architecture. We posit that trans-splicing might compensate. It is an honour to have contributed to this 20y struggle ⛰️.

Ferdinand Marlétaz@ferdix.bsky.social · 12mo ago

After nearly twenty years in the making, our attempt at understanding what makes the chaetognath phylum so unique has finally been published! www.nature.com/articles/s41... with #LauraPiovani @dariagavr.bsky.social @alexdemendoza.bsky.social @chemamd.bsky.social and others /1

We are excited to highlight our Rising Star Awardee, Dr. Can Aztekin @canaztekin.bsky.social whose work highlighting the importance of oxygen in regulating regeneration is inspiring. #Onetowatch

Announcing this year's Life Time Achievement Award. The one and only amazing Professor Brigette Galliot. Our inspiration with both her research and her service.

Cnidarian-Microbe Interactions Fully-funded postdoctoral position is available in the Gibson Lab at the Stowers Institute to investigate any aspect of cnidarian-microbe interactions. Strong background in coral symbiosis or eukaryotic microbiology preferred. Contact Matt Gibson: mg2@stowers.org

Happy to see our latest work out in @molbioevol.bsky.social. We revisit the evolution of 5-methylcytosine across neglected eukaryotic supergroups, establishing an ancestral repressive role silencing genome invaders, both transposons and viral elements👾: academic.oup.com/mbe/advance-... 🧵 1/7

Repressive cytosine methylation is a marker of viral gene transfer across divergent eukaryotes

Abstract. Cytosine DNA methylation patterns vary widely across eukaryotes, with its ancestral roles being understood to have included both transposable ele

academic.oup.com

Our study on a male-essential microRNA and the evolution of other dosage compensation mechanisms in birds is now out in Nature! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A male-essential miRNA is key for avian sex chromosome dosage compensation - Nature

Birds have evolved a unique sex chromosome dosage compensation mechanism involving the male-biased microRNA (miR-2954), which is essential for male survival by regulating the expression of dosage-sens...

nature.com