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Gabriele Zaffagnini

@gzaffagnini.bsky.social

850 followers 1.7K following 92 posts

Group Leader at CECAD, University of Cologne. Interested in reproductive aging, protein homeostasis in oocytes, super-organelles, and membrane trafficking.

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Aug 18

Here we go again! Our paper on #proteostasis in human oocytes appeared on the latest @embojournal.org cover! A great collaboration with Dexeus Mujer @bokelab.bsky.social ! 🥂👏🏻💪🏻

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · 9h

Thx @biomednews.bsky.social for preselecting!

Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · 9h

Happy Sunday!! Ready for a new spectacular issue of #cebooc?👇🏽

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: PMID 41066539 on the comparison between human and mouse ovarian aging

Special mention to PMID 41066576 by @frisophagy.bsky.social on mitochondrial selection by mitophagy in the early embryo

Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

Michele Frison @frisophagy.bsky.social · 2d

How can mitophagy be an effective quality control mechanism if mtDNA mutations reach high enough levels to cause disease?

This question led us into a dark path, full of concepts of evolutionary genetics, germline stem cell biology and mito-nuclear compatibility.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Ubiquitin-mediated mitophagy regulates the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA mutations

Mitochondrial synthesis of adenosine triphosphate is essential for eukaryotic life but is dependent on the cooperation of two genomes: nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). mtDNA mutates ~15 times as...

www.science.org

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Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

Matthew Neville @mattneville.bsky.social · 4d

Now published! Our paper on:
(1) Accurate sequencing of sperm at scale
(2) Positive selection of spermatogenesis driver mutations across the exome
(3) Offspring disease risks from male reproductive aging
[1/n]
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Sperm sequencing reveals extensive positive selection in the male germline - Nature

A combination of whole-genome NanoSeq with deep whole-exome and targeted NanoSeq is used to accurately characterize mutation rates and genes under positive selection in sperm cells.

www.nature.com

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · 7d

Happy Sunday egg-ficionados! Here come the latest papers on #oocyte cell biology:

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41027914/

Thanks @biomednews.bsky.social for preselecting! #cebooc

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Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

Adriano Bolondi @adrianobolondi.bsky.social · 10d

🚨JOB ALERT🚨

FRIENDS PLEASE SPREAD and RT

We are building a small expert team within the @bokelab.bsky.social at @crg.eu @prbb.org to investigate fundamental questions in oocyte cell biology, focusing on how proteostasis regulation influences dormancy and fertility.

See below 2 calls👇

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Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

CECAD Cologne @cecad.bsky.social · 10d

👏Congratulations to the #CECAD Cologne's Escobar-Henriques lab and Reichert lab at the @hhu.de for their latest paper in #MolecularCell: a newly discovered #ubiquitin precursor, CxUb, plays a key role in #stress resistance and #longevity.

uni.koeln/7ET86

@unicologne.bsky.social #agingresearch

A quiet ally: a ubiquitin precursor promotes stress resistance and longevity

In response to cellular stress, the protein CxUb is activated to identify damaged proteins, thereby maintaining cellular health. The discovery could lead to ways to improve the treatment of cancer and...

uni.koeln

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Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 11d

Human skin cells can be used to produce fertilizable eggs, according to research in Nature Communications. The study provides evidence that cell reprogramming could be a viable route in humans for addressing infertility, although further research is needed. go.nature.com/4nEbkAv 🧪

Human SCNT oocyte with visible spindle (bright spot inside) before fertilization

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · 14d

Happy Autumn! Here comes a very rich issue of #cebooc, read all the latest #papers on oocyte cell #biology here:

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40993317/

Kudos to @biomednews.bsky.social for preselecting!

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · 16d

It was great to attend and give a talk at the Groningen-Jena Aging Meeting (G-JAM)! Very nice conference in a great historical location! Thanks a lot to the organisers @mariaermolaeva.bsky.social and Alessandro Cellerino for the invitation! @leibnizfli.bsky.social @uni-jena.de

Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · 21d

Happy Sunday! Ready for the latest papers on #oocyte cell biology?

Here they come! biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40973727/ by @abalboula.bsky.social and @ejsm9.bsky.social

Thanks @biomednews.bsky.social for preselecting!

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · 28d

Happy Sunday! Here is a new issue of #cebooc, featuring the latest papers on #oocyte cell biology, enjoy!

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Thanks to @biomednews.bsky.social for preselecting!

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Sep 10

Great to see our work featured in @natsmb.nature.com!! Thanks editor @dimitristypas.bsky.social for your coverage! @bokelab.bsky.social

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology @natsmb.nature.com · Sep 9

New online: A snapshot of proteostasis in human oocytes

A snapshot of proteostasis in human oocytes

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 09 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01679-2A snapshot of proteostasis in human oocytes

go.nature.com

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Sep 8

Happy Monday eggficionados, #cebooc is back! Ready for a new year of exciting papers on oocyte cell biology? Start now! 👇🏽

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40902605/

Thanks @biomednews.bsky.social for preselecting

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Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

Anna Obenauf @obenaufa.bsky.social · Sep 4

Exciting FULL PROFESSORSHIP at the Vienna BioCenter - Molecular Mechanisms of Disease Mechanisms: www.maxperutzlabs.ac.at/news/open-po... Come be our colleague!

Full Professorship in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease

The Max Perutz Labs - one of Europe’s leading institutes for basic research in the life sciences - invite applications for a Full Professorship in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease. We are seeking outst...

www.maxperutzlabs.ac.at

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Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

The EMBO Journal @embojournal.org · Aug 25

ISSUE 16
Review on metabolic diversity of plants
Resource: mouse organ-/age-specific proteome profiles
Cardiolipin inhibition of non-canonical inflammasomes
Optochemical profiling of NMDA receptor diversity
Cover: @gzaffagnini.bsky.social et al @bokelab.bsky.social
www.embopress.org/toc/14602075...

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Aug 19

Thanks Rahel! 😊

Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Aug 18

Here we go again! Our paper on #proteostasis in human oocytes appeared on the latest @embojournal.org cover! A great collaboration with Dexeus Mujer @bokelab.bsky.social ! 🥂👏🏻💪🏻

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Aug 17

Happy Sunday! Here is today's issue of #cebooc with the latest papers on #oocyte biology!

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: PMID 40803772 by @idajentoft.bsky.social @schuhlab.bsky.social in @annualreviews.bsky.social

Powered by @biomednews.bsky.social

PS: #cebooc goes on 🏖️, cu in Sept!

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Aug 10

Happy Sunday! Here is another great issue of #cebooc, bringing to you the latest papers on #oocyte cell biology!

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40768572/ on how human oocytes don't accumulate mtDNA mutations with age.

powered by @biomednews.bsky.social.

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Aug 7

Our review is on the latest cover of TiBS @cp-trendsbiochem.bsky.social!! Thanks again editor @sanniejculbertson.bsky.social for highlighting our work!

Trends in Biochemical Sciences @cp-trendsbiochem.bsky.social · Aug 7

📢 Our August issue is online!

🎨 The cover highlights a Feature Review from Stephanie Rosswag de Souza, @gzaffagnini.bsky.social, and @bokelab.bsky.social on how proteostasis functions in cellular dormancy across a number of examples, from yeast to adult quiescent stem cells and vertebrate oocytes.

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Aug 3

Happy August egg-ficionados! Enjoy this spectacular issue of #cebooc with a lot of useful methods papers!

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: Iterative oocyte immunofluorescence by
@adelaljord.bsky.social, super useful! pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40736799/

Powered by
@biomednews.bsky.social

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Jul 27

Happy Sunday! A new issue of #cebooc is here, check it out!

biomed.news/bims-cebooc/...

Highlight: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40696105/ on the metabolic regulation of embryogenesis

Thanks @biomednews.bsky.social for preselecting!

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Gabriele Zaffagnini @gzaffagnini.bsky.social · Jul 25

Congratulations Elias, awesome job!!

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Reposted by Gabriele Zaffagnini

Elias Adriaenssens @elias-adriaenssens.bsky.social · Jul 25

And it's out!

I'm thrilled to share our new paper (Adriaenssens et al., Nat Cell Biol 2025).

This paper describes a new mechanism for the initiation of autophagosome biogenesis.

We found that this WIPI-ATG13-driven pathway is preferentially used by a group of transmembrane autophagy receptors.

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