Francesco De Batté
@francescodb.bsky.social
Scientist doing a PhD in synthetic and evolutionary microbiology with Tiffany Taylor and Thomas Gorochowski. Also interested in developmental biology, plants, and science communication/education. I like to make in media incl. DNA and code. He/him
Pinned
The minimal cell-cycle control system in Marchantia as a framework for understanding plant cell proliferation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.12.642684v1
🚨 Cool preprint alert! Not biased at all 😅. It was a privilege to work alongside @fromani.bsky.social and I'm so proud to have contributed to this work at the intersection of plant Synbio and EvoDevo. Enjoy!
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
What is the best strategy to win any contest?
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 20, 2025 at 10:12 PM
What is the best strategy to win any contest?
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
#OpenCloning is a an Open Source alternative to SnapGene/Benchling that supports automation and integration with other software
✅ Free
🔓 Open Source
🧬 More cloning methods than SnapGene
🤖 Can be automated with python
👨🔬 Built by a researcher — for researchers!
👉 Check it out at opencloning.org
✅ Free
🔓 Open Source
🧬 More cloning methods than SnapGene
🤖 Can be automated with python
👨🔬 Built by a researcher — for researchers!
👉 Check it out at opencloning.org
November 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
#OpenCloning is a an Open Source alternative to SnapGene/Benchling that supports automation and integration with other software
✅ Free
🔓 Open Source
🧬 More cloning methods than SnapGene
🤖 Can be automated with python
👨🔬 Built by a researcher — for researchers!
👉 Check it out at opencloning.org
✅ Free
🔓 Open Source
🧬 More cloning methods than SnapGene
🤖 Can be automated with python
👨🔬 Built by a researcher — for researchers!
👉 Check it out at opencloning.org
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
A new review paper from our lab courtesy of @jazzsynbio.bsky.social is published in Trends in Biotechnology
In this review, we look at the many opportunities for synthetic biology to be used in the research and applications of Holobionts.
In this review, we look at the many opportunities for synthetic biology to be used in the research and applications of Holobionts.
October 23, 2025 at 10:09 AM
A new review paper from our lab courtesy of @jazzsynbio.bsky.social is published in Trends in Biotechnology
In this review, we look at the many opportunities for synthetic biology to be used in the research and applications of Holobionts.
In this review, we look at the many opportunities for synthetic biology to be used in the research and applications of Holobionts.
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Moments like this, a sunrise in the desert, remind me that science begins with wonder.
Discovery starts when we pause long enough to notice. Isn't it amazing how life always finds a way to adapt and persist? And how are Plants so good at this?
#Science #Discovery #Nature #AnzaBorrego #PlantScience
Discovery starts when we pause long enough to notice. Isn't it amazing how life always finds a way to adapt and persist? And how are Plants so good at this?
#Science #Discovery #Nature #AnzaBorrego #PlantScience
October 23, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Moments like this, a sunrise in the desert, remind me that science begins with wonder.
Discovery starts when we pause long enough to notice. Isn't it amazing how life always finds a way to adapt and persist? And how are Plants so good at this?
#Science #Discovery #Nature #AnzaBorrego #PlantScience
Discovery starts when we pause long enough to notice. Isn't it amazing how life always finds a way to adapt and persist? And how are Plants so good at this?
#Science #Discovery #Nature #AnzaBorrego #PlantScience
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
I’m excited to announce the launch of my lab at EPFL in Jan 2026 🎉. We’ll combine evolution & synthetic biology to study and (re)engineer bacterial communication.
I’m recruiting PhD students to start in the first semester of 2026.
Apply via EPFL PhD programs by Nov 1
drive.google.com/file/d/1cm-t...
I’m recruiting PhD students to start in the first semester of 2026.
Apply via EPFL PhD programs by Nov 1
drive.google.com/file/d/1cm-t...
October 20, 2025 at 6:14 PM
I’m excited to announce the launch of my lab at EPFL in Jan 2026 🎉. We’ll combine evolution & synthetic biology to study and (re)engineer bacterial communication.
I’m recruiting PhD students to start in the first semester of 2026.
Apply via EPFL PhD programs by Nov 1
drive.google.com/file/d/1cm-t...
I’m recruiting PhD students to start in the first semester of 2026.
Apply via EPFL PhD programs by Nov 1
drive.google.com/file/d/1cm-t...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Emergence of population-level feedback control by transposon-plasmid coevolution
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 21, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Emergence of population-level feedback control by transposon-plasmid coevolution
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
1 week left to apply for a postdoctoral position in my group to lead the experimental component of a 5 year BBSRC project on synthetic microbial communities
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
October 20, 2025 at 9:49 AM
1 week left to apply for a postdoctoral position in my group to lead the experimental component of a 5 year BBSRC project on synthetic microbial communities
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Highly recommended👇
🚨Job alert!
🔬We have 2 new open positions (1 PhD, 1 postdoc) in our team (santosmorenolab.org) in Barcelona @upf.edu @prbb.org funded by @erc.europa.eu
If you are passionate about #SynBio and #GeneCircuits, apply now! (until Oct. 26th) 🦠🔧
Info below 👇Please RT!
🔬We have 2 new open positions (1 PhD, 1 postdoc) in our team (santosmorenolab.org) in Barcelona @upf.edu @prbb.org funded by @erc.europa.eu
If you are passionate about #SynBio and #GeneCircuits, apply now! (until Oct. 26th) 🦠🔧
Info below 👇Please RT!
October 9, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Highly recommended👇
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
🛠️New tool from the lab! #SHARK🦈: a new strain to support complex cloning of transient R6K expression plasmids – perfect for genome engineering. Work led by the talented Shivang Joshi and all strains and strain assembly tools enroute to Addgene. #synbio doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM
🛠️New tool from the lab! #SHARK🦈: a new strain to support complex cloning of transient R6K expression plasmids – perfect for genome engineering. Work led by the talented Shivang Joshi and all strains and strain assembly tools enroute to Addgene. #synbio doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Microbial stem cells support productivity in dedicated factory cells in an asymmetrically dividing E. coli system
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 6, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Microbial stem cells support productivity in dedicated factory cells in an asymmetrically dividing E. coli system
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
**Please Repost**
Pallavi Singh Lab is looking for two Postdocs to join our team studying how plants balance carbon, water, and resilience in a changing climate.
PlantPlug PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
REVOLUTION PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
Deadline: October 15.
Pallavi Singh Lab is looking for two Postdocs to join our team studying how plants balance carbon, water, and resilience in a changing climate.
PlantPlug PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
REVOLUTION PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
Deadline: October 15.
October 4, 2025 at 11:20 AM
**Please Repost**
Pallavi Singh Lab is looking for two Postdocs to join our team studying how plants balance carbon, water, and resilience in a changing climate.
PlantPlug PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
REVOLUTION PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
Deadline: October 15.
Pallavi Singh Lab is looking for two Postdocs to join our team studying how plants balance carbon, water, and resilience in a changing climate.
PlantPlug PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
REVOLUTION PDRA: vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
Deadline: October 15.
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Genetic controllers for enhancing the evolutionary longevity of synthetic gene circuits in bacteria
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
Genetic controllers for enhancing the evolutionary longevity of synthetic gene circuits in bacteria - Nature Communications
Engineered gene circuits often degrade over time due to mutation and selection. Here the authors use a host-aware modelling framework to develop genetic controllers to sustain synthetic gene expression. They identify a range of design trade-offs in production, robustness and long-term performance.
doi.org
October 2, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Genetic controllers for enhancing the evolutionary longevity of synthetic gene circuits in bacteria
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Loved having a chance this weekend to showcase the science behind bioluminescence & talk about the bioluminescent bays of Puerto Rico at the Harvard Museum's Celebremos Puerto Rico 🕺🇵🇷!
September 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Loved having a chance this weekend to showcase the science behind bioluminescence & talk about the bioluminescent bays of Puerto Rico at the Harvard Museum's Celebremos Puerto Rico 🕺🇵🇷!
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
🎉 London SynBio Network is back! Join us on 25th of September.
🧬 Surpassing Nature – Metabolic engineering for novel biological CO2 fixation routes
Ari Satanowski
💐 Open Flower: designer flowers for art and education
Nick Desnoyer
➡️ Register at: events.humanitix.com/london-synbi...
🧬 Surpassing Nature – Metabolic engineering for novel biological CO2 fixation routes
Ari Satanowski
💐 Open Flower: designer flowers for art and education
Nick Desnoyer
➡️ Register at: events.humanitix.com/london-synbi...
London SynBio Network 10
London SynBio afterwork talks and networking event on Thursday 25th of September
events.humanitix.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:31 PM
🎉 London SynBio Network is back! Join us on 25th of September.
🧬 Surpassing Nature – Metabolic engineering for novel biological CO2 fixation routes
Ari Satanowski
💐 Open Flower: designer flowers for art and education
Nick Desnoyer
➡️ Register at: events.humanitix.com/london-synbi...
🧬 Surpassing Nature – Metabolic engineering for novel biological CO2 fixation routes
Ari Satanowski
💐 Open Flower: designer flowers for art and education
Nick Desnoyer
➡️ Register at: events.humanitix.com/london-synbi...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Marchantia berteroana at 3000 meters above the sea level. Vallecitos, Mendoza.
September 12, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Marchantia berteroana at 3000 meters above the sea level. Vallecitos, Mendoza.
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Synthetic promoters has relied on naturally occurring TFs or Cas9. With de novo designed DNA binding proteins, there are so much potential for synbio, whether it's targeting natural promoters or designing synthetic ones.
New online: Computational design of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins
Computational design of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 12 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01669-4The authors develop a computational method to design small DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) that target specific sequences. Designed DBPs show structural accuracy and function in both bacterial and mammalian cells for transcriptional regulation.
go.nature.com
September 12, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Synthetic promoters has relied on naturally occurring TFs or Cas9. With de novo designed DNA binding proteins, there are so much potential for synbio, whether it's targeting natural promoters or designing synthetic ones.
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Deciphering microbial spatial organization: insights from synthetic and engineered communities url: academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...
Deciphering microbial spatial organization: insights from synthetic and engineered communities
Abstract. Microbial communities are frequently organized into complex spatial structures, shaped by intrinsic cellular traits, interactions between communi
academic.oup.com
September 10, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Deciphering microbial spatial organization: insights from synthetic and engineered communities url: academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
We are looking for a PDRA for the PlantPlug project, turning parasitic plants into programmable bio-modules! Using mistletoe as a novel chassis, we are exploring the frontiers of inter-species communication.
Apply online by 15/10/2025.
*RP*
#PlantSciencesJobs
vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
Apply online by 15/10/2025.
*RP*
#PlantSciencesJobs
vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
September 10, 2025 at 6:01 PM
We are looking for a PDRA for the PlantPlug project, turning parasitic plants into programmable bio-modules! Using mistletoe as a novel chassis, we are exploring the frontiers of inter-species communication.
Apply online by 15/10/2025.
*RP*
#PlantSciencesJobs
vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
Apply online by 15/10/2025.
*RP*
#PlantSciencesJobs
vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Cancer is an evolutionary disease, but does knowing a cancer’s evolutionary past help predict its future? Out today in @nature, we learnt the evolution of 2000 lymphoid cancers and found it was highly correlated with clinical outcomes! (1/7)
rdcu.be/eFrrc
rdcu.be/eFrrc
Fluctuating DNA methylation tracks cancer evolution at clinical scale
Nature - Cancer evolutionary dynamics are quantitatively inferred using a method, EVOFLUx, applied to fluctuating DNA methylation.
rdcu.be
September 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Cancer is an evolutionary disease, but does knowing a cancer’s evolutionary past help predict its future? Out today in @nature, we learnt the evolution of 2000 lymphoid cancers and found it was highly correlated with clinical outcomes! (1/7)
rdcu.be/eFrrc
rdcu.be/eFrrc
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
SynBio UK London 2025. Submit your abstract and register before 12 September for earlybird discount.
Join us in London for the 10th anniversary of SynBio UK, the premier conference for synthetic and engineering biology. Submit your abstract for consideration as a poster or oral communication and register before 12 September to save £50 🧪 : www.eventsforce.net/biochemsoc/2...
September 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
SynBio UK London 2025. Submit your abstract and register before 12 September for earlybird discount.
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
🚨I have a fully funded 4-year #PhD opportunity in my lab on 'Tuneable multi-input genetic logic circuits for designer probiotics'.🦠 We'll be throwing all the tech we have at this one to make reliable engineering of diverse microbes a reality. Applicants must be UK national...
September 3, 2025 at 9:00 AM
🚨I have a fully funded 4-year #PhD opportunity in my lab on 'Tuneable multi-input genetic logic circuits for designer probiotics'.🦠 We'll be throwing all the tech we have at this one to make reliable engineering of diverse microbes a reality. Applicants must be UK national...
Educational and entertaining video demonstrating a system for building interactive multi-neighbourhood cellular automata. Well worth a watch
September 1, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Educational and entertaining video demonstrating a system for building interactive multi-neighbourhood cellular automata. Well worth a watch
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Can a virus help uncover Turing patterns in nature? In this @commsbio.nature.com paper, researchers show how the tulip breaking virus triggers the expression of a pigment that can display a broad range of (observable) stripe patterns @philipcball.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 27, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Can a virus help uncover Turing patterns in nature? In this @commsbio.nature.com paper, researchers show how the tulip breaking virus triggers the expression of a pigment that can display a broad range of (observable) stripe patterns @philipcball.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
Guest video 3/5 while I'm on leave is now up! It's by a former SoME winner, covering key ideas in statistical mechanics to create a simple and discrete model mirroring the behavior of a fluid transitioning between a liquid and gaseous state. Enjoy!
youtu.be/itRV2jEtV8Q
youtu.be/itRV2jEtV8Q
Simulating Phase Change | Guest video by Vilas Winstein
YouTube video by 3Blue1Brown
youtu.be
August 28, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Guest video 3/5 while I'm on leave is now up! It's by a former SoME winner, covering key ideas in statistical mechanics to create a simple and discrete model mirroring the behavior of a fluid transitioning between a liquid and gaseous state. Enjoy!
youtu.be/itRV2jEtV8Q
youtu.be/itRV2jEtV8Q
Reposted by Francesco De Batté
1 month of liverwort growth in 12 seconds.
The thallus of Marchantia polymorpha grows slow and steady, creeping over its substrate.
The thallus of Marchantia polymorpha grows slow and steady, creeping over its substrate.
August 27, 2025 at 4:26 PM
1 month of liverwort growth in 12 seconds.
The thallus of Marchantia polymorpha grows slow and steady, creeping over its substrate.
The thallus of Marchantia polymorpha grows slow and steady, creeping over its substrate.