Ben Martin
@benjaminmartin.bsky.social
Assistant Prof at McGill, Oncology & Biochem departments, Lady Davis Institute | chromatin/txn | previous member @adelmanlab, LeAnn Howe labs | he/him | Fragile Nucleosome co-organizer | FHC MNT alumn 🏑🇨🇦🦌 | https://www.martinlab.ca/
Pinned
Ben Martin
@benjaminmartin.bsky.social
· Nov 12
👋 (Re)introducing myself for all the new folks! I'm a #newPI & Assistant Professor at McGill & The Lady Davis Institute. Our lab explores chromatin & txn regulation in stem cell differentiation & cancer models, focusing on how gene duplications (paralogs) drive unique, context-dependent functions. 🧬
Reposted by Ben Martin
Tread -1- EpiSci - I am very proud to share with you our new study that you can access on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social (see link below)
"The Interaction with Nanotopographical Environment regulates nuclear mechanoresponse in mESCs via Histone Demethylase KDM3A.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
"The Interaction with Nanotopographical Environment regulates nuclear mechanoresponse in mESCs via Histone Demethylase KDM3A.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
February 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Tread -1- EpiSci - I am very proud to share with you our new study that you can access on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social (see link below)
"The Interaction with Nanotopographical Environment regulates nuclear mechanoresponse in mESCs via Histone Demethylase KDM3A.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
"The Interaction with Nanotopographical Environment regulates nuclear mechanoresponse in mESCs via Histone Demethylase KDM3A.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Ben Martin
1/ Excited to share a new preprint from the lab! We identify NSD3 as a novel regulator of chromatin 3D structure. 🧵
February 11, 2026 at 3:22 AM
1/ Excited to share a new preprint from the lab! We identify NSD3 as a novel regulator of chromatin 3D structure. 🧵
Reposted by Ben Martin
🚨Preprint alert🚨 How does chromatin “architecture” form at CTCF sites? Our new preprint with @voslab.org and @andersshansen.bsky.social shows CTCF dimerization promotes nucleosome oligomerization on chromatin. tinyurl.com/CTCF-nucleos...
February 9, 2026 at 3:04 PM
🚨Preprint alert🚨 How does chromatin “architecture” form at CTCF sites? Our new preprint with @voslab.org and @andersshansen.bsky.social shows CTCF dimerization promotes nucleosome oligomerization on chromatin. tinyurl.com/CTCF-nucleos...
Reposted by Ben Martin
We've got two exciting chromatin talks coming up on Wednesday next week:
@epijenatics.bsky.social from @jbuenrostro.bsky.social's lab and @ambystoma22.bsky.social!
register and join us: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
@epijenatics.bsky.social from @jbuenrostro.bsky.social's lab and @ambystoma22.bsky.social!
register and join us: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
February 6, 2026 at 2:58 PM
We've got two exciting chromatin talks coming up on Wednesday next week:
@epijenatics.bsky.social from @jbuenrostro.bsky.social's lab and @ambystoma22.bsky.social!
register and join us: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
@epijenatics.bsky.social from @jbuenrostro.bsky.social's lab and @ambystoma22.bsky.social!
register and join us: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Reposted by Ben Martin
Please share this with your network: Postdoctoral position available in my group.
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...
Albert Einstein College of Medicine hiring Postdoctoral position studying functional non-coding variants in neurodevelopmental disorders, Bronx, New York City, USA c in New York City Metropolitan Area...
Posted 9:40:20 PM. A postdoctoral fellow position is open with 2 years of funding from the Simons Foundation Autism…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.
www.linkedin.com
February 5, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Please share this with your network: Postdoctoral position available in my group.
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...
Reposted by Ben Martin
Final version of our paper now published.
elifesciences.org/articles/109...
Take homes:
CHD4/NuRD directly limits transcription factor residence times. At active enhancers this keeps them working efficiently. At inactive enhancers it prevents TFs from getting a foothold and causing activation. 1/n
elifesciences.org/articles/109...
Take homes:
CHD4/NuRD directly limits transcription factor residence times. At active enhancers this keeps them working efficiently. At inactive enhancers it prevents TFs from getting a foothold and causing activation. 1/n
The chromatin remodeller CHD4 regulates transcription factor binding to both prevent activation of silent enhancers and maintain active regulatory elements
CHD4 directly limits transcription factor binding to chromatin, which prevents activation of silent or cryptic enhancers but facilitates activity of active enhancers.
elifesciences.org
February 4, 2026 at 8:17 AM
Final version of our paper now published.
elifesciences.org/articles/109...
Take homes:
CHD4/NuRD directly limits transcription factor residence times. At active enhancers this keeps them working efficiently. At inactive enhancers it prevents TFs from getting a foothold and causing activation. 1/n
elifesciences.org/articles/109...
Take homes:
CHD4/NuRD directly limits transcription factor residence times. At active enhancers this keeps them working efficiently. At inactive enhancers it prevents TFs from getting a foothold and causing activation. 1/n
Reposted by Ben Martin
Principal investigator job alert @ircm.bsky.social! We are recruiting a new junior faculty member working in the field of cancer. Apply before February 22nd. Contact me if you have more questions.
www.ircm.qc.ca/en/position-...
www.ircm.qc.ca/en/position-...
Research Unit Director – IRCM Cancer Research Center
Job reference code: IRCM-Cancer
www.ircm.qc.ca
February 2, 2026 at 9:50 PM
Principal investigator job alert @ircm.bsky.social! We are recruiting a new junior faculty member working in the field of cancer. Apply before February 22nd. Contact me if you have more questions.
www.ircm.qc.ca/en/position-...
www.ircm.qc.ca/en/position-...
Reposted by Ben Martin
🧬📄 Preprint update (v2): We added new biochemical experiments that clarify how IWS1 associates with the transcription elongation complex and further define competition between IWS1 and RECQL5. 🧪⚙️
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Structural model is already available in the PDB (9MLC).
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Structural model is already available in the PDB (9MLC).
February 2, 2026 at 4:33 PM
🧬📄 Preprint update (v2): We added new biochemical experiments that clarify how IWS1 associates with the transcription elongation complex and further define competition between IWS1 and RECQL5. 🧪⚙️
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Structural model is already available in the PDB (9MLC).
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Structural model is already available in the PDB (9MLC).
Reposted by Ben Martin
New work from the lab by @eli-elder.bsky.social !! Tread to follow shortly...
Mouse embryonic stem cells exhibit cancer-like DNA methylation landscapes upon DNMT1 overexpression https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.26.701550v1
January 28, 2026 at 10:32 PM
New work from the lab by @eli-elder.bsky.social !! Tread to follow shortly...
Reposted by Ben Martin
SS18::SSX activates Polycomb target genes without BAF ❌
Instead, transcription relies on EP300 via the SS18 QPGY domain
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
➡️ Coactivator targeting emerges as a new therapeutic strategy in synovial sarcoma 🎯
Team work from @banitolab.bsky.social and @uoe-igc.bsky.social
Instead, transcription relies on EP300 via the SS18 QPGY domain
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
➡️ Coactivator targeting emerges as a new therapeutic strategy in synovial sarcoma 🎯
Team work from @banitolab.bsky.social and @uoe-igc.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org
January 28, 2026 at 10:20 AM
SS18::SSX activates Polycomb target genes without BAF ❌
Instead, transcription relies on EP300 via the SS18 QPGY domain
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
➡️ Coactivator targeting emerges as a new therapeutic strategy in synovial sarcoma 🎯
Team work from @banitolab.bsky.social and @uoe-igc.bsky.social
Instead, transcription relies on EP300 via the SS18 QPGY domain
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
➡️ Coactivator targeting emerges as a new therapeutic strategy in synovial sarcoma 🎯
Team work from @banitolab.bsky.social and @uoe-igc.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Martin
#FragileNuclesome is back tomorrow! Join us to hear about exciting talks from:
- @au-ho-yu.bsky.social in @robklose.bsky.social's group about transcriptional control by SET1/MLL complexes
- @gcloner.bsky.social at @epicypher.bsky.social about the histone PTM landscape of the immune system
- @au-ho-yu.bsky.social in @robklose.bsky.social's group about transcriptional control by SET1/MLL complexes
- @gcloner.bsky.social at @epicypher.bsky.social about the histone PTM landscape of the immune system
🥁 #FragileNucleosome is back on Jan 28! We are very excited to host @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @gcloner.bsky.social as our first speakers of 2026!
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
January 27, 2026 at 6:24 PM
#FragileNuclesome is back tomorrow! Join us to hear about exciting talks from:
- @au-ho-yu.bsky.social in @robklose.bsky.social's group about transcriptional control by SET1/MLL complexes
- @gcloner.bsky.social at @epicypher.bsky.social about the histone PTM landscape of the immune system
- @au-ho-yu.bsky.social in @robklose.bsky.social's group about transcriptional control by SET1/MLL complexes
- @gcloner.bsky.social at @epicypher.bsky.social about the histone PTM landscape of the immune system
Reposted by Ben Martin
Question for the crowd :
Do you have any examples of subunits which have a function independent of the multiprotein complex to which they belong?
I am currently thinking about writing a review (focusing on the Mediator complex and examples of specific subunit functions, such as PMID: 41414671).
Do you have any examples of subunits which have a function independent of the multiprotein complex to which they belong?
I am currently thinking about writing a review (focusing on the Mediator complex and examples of specific subunit functions, such as PMID: 41414671).
January 27, 2026 at 1:31 PM
Question for the crowd :
Do you have any examples of subunits which have a function independent of the multiprotein complex to which they belong?
I am currently thinking about writing a review (focusing on the Mediator complex and examples of specific subunit functions, such as PMID: 41414671).
Do you have any examples of subunits which have a function independent of the multiprotein complex to which they belong?
I am currently thinking about writing a review (focusing on the Mediator complex and examples of specific subunit functions, such as PMID: 41414671).
Reposted by Ben Martin
Come to hear Alan's great new story on SET1/MLL proteins and transcription next Wednesday. @fnucleosome.bsky.social
🥁 #FragileNucleosome is back on Jan 28! We are very excited to host @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @gcloner.bsky.social as our first speakers of 2026!
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
January 21, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Come to hear Alan's great new story on SET1/MLL proteins and transcription next Wednesday. @fnucleosome.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Martin
🥁 #FragileNucleosome is back on Jan 28! We are very excited to host @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @gcloner.bsky.social as our first speakers of 2026!
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
January 21, 2026 at 10:48 AM
🥁 #FragileNucleosome is back on Jan 28! We are very excited to host @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @gcloner.bsky.social as our first speakers of 2026!
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
📋Please don't forget to register for our 2026 seminar series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Reposted by Ben Martin
The Vlaming lab continues to grow!
It's an exciting time in the Vlaming lab: we've just had our 2nd PhD student join, and the 3rd is joining in February. Now, we're looking to recruit a postdoc!
It's an exciting time in the Vlaming lab: we've just had our 2nd PhD student join, and the 3rd is joining in February. Now, we're looking to recruit a postdoc!
January 15, 2026 at 9:33 PM
The Vlaming lab continues to grow!
It's an exciting time in the Vlaming lab: we've just had our 2nd PhD student join, and the 3rd is joining in February. Now, we're looking to recruit a postdoc!
It's an exciting time in the Vlaming lab: we've just had our 2nd PhD student join, and the 3rd is joining in February. Now, we're looking to recruit a postdoc!
Reposted by Ben Martin
Happy New Year!🎉 We hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays! If you have an exciting chromatin/transcription story, or if you know someone with one, please fill out the form or get in contact with us! 😉
forms.gle/TBi38UgYxPAB...
forms.gle/TBi38UgYxPAB...
January 5, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Happy New Year!🎉 We hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays! If you have an exciting chromatin/transcription story, or if you know someone with one, please fill out the form or get in contact with us! 😉
forms.gle/TBi38UgYxPAB...
forms.gle/TBi38UgYxPAB...
Reposted by Ben Martin
I finally got around to putting together a quick overview of what my book is all about.
youtu.be/xPt1xy4_i-o?...
#epigenetics #epigeneticsbook #epigenome
youtu.be/xPt1xy4_i-o?...
#epigenetics #epigeneticsbook #epigenome
Epigenetics: History, Molecules, and Diseases -- Book overview
YouTube video by John Greally
youtu.be
January 2, 2026 at 7:26 PM
I finally got around to putting together a quick overview of what my book is all about.
youtu.be/xPt1xy4_i-o?...
#epigenetics #epigeneticsbook #epigenome
youtu.be/xPt1xy4_i-o?...
#epigenetics #epigeneticsbook #epigenome
Reposted by Ben Martin
Hot from the press: Using single-cell chromatin accessibility and gene expression across ~300,000 cells, we show that prostate cancer dissemination involves phenotypic plasticity over clonal selection, with malignant cells converging toward an inflammatory-like state during lymph node spread.
Prostate cancer cells converge to an inflammatory-like state upon metastatic dissemination - Nature Communications
Understanding tumor heterogeneity and its impact on prostate cancer progression remains elusive. Here, single nucleus snATAC and snRNA sequencing of a multi-loci sampled cohort of advanced prostate ca...
www.nature.com
December 23, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Hot from the press: Using single-cell chromatin accessibility and gene expression across ~300,000 cells, we show that prostate cancer dissemination involves phenotypic plasticity over clonal selection, with malignant cells converging toward an inflammatory-like state during lymph node spread.
Reposted by Ben Martin
Excited to finally share what I’ve been working on during my PhD 😊 Best holiday gift EVER!
We just posted a new preprint from the @dphansti.bsky.social 👇
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
🧵
We just posted a new preprint from the @dphansti.bsky.social 👇
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
🧵
Stress-induced loss of CTCF reveals an alternative, promoter-based mode of cohesin looping
Cells continually encounter environmental stressors that challenge homeostasis. How three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure contributes to these stress responses, particularly under hyperosmotic co...
www.biorxiv.org
December 22, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Excited to finally share what I’ve been working on during my PhD 😊 Best holiday gift EVER!
We just posted a new preprint from the @dphansti.bsky.social 👇
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
🧵
We just posted a new preprint from the @dphansti.bsky.social 👇
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
🧵
Reposted by Ben Martin
@pravrutharaman.bsky.social got super intrigued about EZHIP/CATACOMB, previously identified as a histone H3K27M mimic of PRC2. You can read about her efforts here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... We hope these analyses will help spur more analyses in this very cool gene! 1/
Dynamic evolution of EZHIP, an inhibitor of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 in mammals
The Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) is an ancient, conserved chromatin-interacting complex that controls gene expression, facilitating differentiation and cellular identity during development. It...
www.biorxiv.org
December 13, 2025 at 10:08 PM
@pravrutharaman.bsky.social got super intrigued about EZHIP/CATACOMB, previously identified as a histone H3K27M mimic of PRC2. You can read about her efforts here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... We hope these analyses will help spur more analyses in this very cool gene! 1/
Reposted by Ben Martin
Very excited to share our work on locus level transposable elements in development with the @fnucleosome.bsky.social community!
🧬🎉Join us on Dec 17th for our last session of 2025! 🎉🧬Two fantastic talks on transcriptional regulation:
🔬JB Lalanne on developmental enhancers (and starting a lab in 2025?)
🔬 @rberrens.bsky.social on transposable elements in development
📋Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
🔬JB Lalanne on developmental enhancers (and starting a lab in 2025?)
🔬 @rberrens.bsky.social on transposable elements in development
📋Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
December 12, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Very excited to share our work on locus level transposable elements in development with the @fnucleosome.bsky.social community!
Reposted by Ben Martin
🧬🎉Join us on Dec 17th for our last session of 2025! 🎉🧬Two fantastic talks on transcriptional regulation:
🔬JB Lalanne on developmental enhancers (and starting a lab in 2025?)
🔬 @rberrens.bsky.social on transposable elements in development
📋Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
🔬JB Lalanne on developmental enhancers (and starting a lab in 2025?)
🔬 @rberrens.bsky.social on transposable elements in development
📋Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
December 11, 2025 at 6:54 PM
🧬🎉Join us on Dec 17th for our last session of 2025! 🎉🧬Two fantastic talks on transcriptional regulation:
🔬JB Lalanne on developmental enhancers (and starting a lab in 2025?)
🔬 @rberrens.bsky.social on transposable elements in development
📋Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
🔬JB Lalanne on developmental enhancers (and starting a lab in 2025?)
🔬 @rberrens.bsky.social on transposable elements in development
📋Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Reposted by Ben Martin
An early Christmas present for those interested in chromatin and transcription! Fantastic work from @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @aleksszczurek.bsky.social . Thanks to Inge and Michiel for their help. Please repost!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
SET1/MLL complexes control transcription independently of H3K4me3
Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) at gene promoters is thought to play a central role in gene transcription. H3K4 methylation is deposited by the SET1 (A/B) and MLL (1-4) multi-protein comp...
www.biorxiv.org
December 11, 2025 at 6:09 AM
An early Christmas present for those interested in chromatin and transcription! Fantastic work from @au-ho-yu.bsky.social and @aleksszczurek.bsky.social . Thanks to Inge and Michiel for their help. Please repost!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Ben Martin
Confused by all the histones that are cropping up in organisms that are decidedly NOT eukaryotes? check out our review - fantastic work by team NucEvo in the #Lugerlab
The Expanding Histone Universe: Histone-Based DNA Organization in Noneukaryotic Organisms - www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
The Expanding Histone Universe: Histone-Based DNA Organization in Noneukaryotic Organisms - www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
December 9, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Confused by all the histones that are cropping up in organisms that are decidedly NOT eukaryotes? check out our review - fantastic work by team NucEvo in the #Lugerlab
The Expanding Histone Universe: Histone-Based DNA Organization in Noneukaryotic Organisms - www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
The Expanding Histone Universe: Histone-Based DNA Organization in Noneukaryotic Organisms - www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Reposted by Ben Martin
🔔Join us next Wednesday for #FragileNucleosome! 2 fantastic talks on chromatin regulation:🔬 @mariamafau.bsky.social on ZIC2's dual role in neural induction 🔬 @jhenninger.bsky.social on how RNA-binding proteins drive transcription
📋Register here for the entire series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
📋Register here for the entire series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
November 26, 2025 at 10:16 AM
🔔Join us next Wednesday for #FragileNucleosome! 2 fantastic talks on chromatin regulation:🔬 @mariamafau.bsky.social on ZIC2's dual role in neural induction 🔬 @jhenninger.bsky.social on how RNA-binding proteins drive transcription
📋Register here for the entire series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
📋Register here for the entire series: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...