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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · 18h

#TEsky #TEworldwide

Arnaud Le Rouzic @arnaudlerouzic.bsky.social · 17d

Come and join our team! A 2-year postdoc position is available in our "Genome Evolution" department at Univ Paris Saclay. We want to play with phylogenetic models accounting for horizontal transfers of transposable elements. Application& details on the official portal: emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/U...

$Object: Postdoc Position Building a phylogenetic model for horizontal transfers of transposable elements A postdoctoral position (24 months) is available to work at EGCE (Gif-sur-Yvette, France, CNRS / Université Paris-Saclay) from January 2026. Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive DNA sequences capable of promoting their own mobility. They are widespread across the tree of life and often represent a substantial fraction of eukaryotic genomes. Beyond their ability to invade genomes, TEs are frequently reported to undergo horizontal transfer, enabling their colonization of new hosts. However, understanding and predicting how horizontal transfers shape the distribution of TEs among species is far from straightforward. In particular, estimates of transfer rates based on documented cases are both biased and approximate, since transfers occurring close to speciation events are virtually undetectable. This project aims to develop explicit phylogenetic models of TE evolution that incorporate horizontal transfers, and to use these models to obtain statistical estimates of key evolutionary dynamics of TE families across species (e.g., horizontal transfer and extinction rates). The postdoctoral project will focus on exploring the impact of horizontal transfers on the distribution of TE presence/absence among related species, using statistical and/or computational approaches.$

Reposted by Toby Baril

Thiago Carvalho @cyrilpedia.bsky.social · 2d

"(...) an extremely large transposon, Teratorn, containing a herpesvirus genome, was inserted into the hoxc12a 3' UTR. This insertion decreased hoxc12a expression & (...) also affected neighboring hox genes, resulting in variations in fin size and the presence or absence of dorsal fins."

The phenotypic variation of widefins medaka is due to the insertion of a giant transposon containing a viral genome within hoxca cluster

Abstract. Phenotypic variation in species arises from genetic differences and environmental influences on gene expression. Differences in epigenetic modifi

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Dr. Tyler A. Elliott @transposableman.bsky.social · 4d

#TEsky RNA triple helix assembled by the poly(A) tail enhances retrotransposon mobilization by preventing RNA deadenylation doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

doi.org

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Joe Peters Lab @joepeterslab.bsky.social · 8d

The Peters lab is looking for a new team member! The role transposons play in evolution, basic mechanisms regulating transposition, and applying transposons as tools for genome modification with a special focus on guide RNA-directed transposition. cornell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/CornellCaree...

Technician III - Department of Microbiology

Position Summary This position will be in the lab of Dr. Joseph E. Peters in the Department of Microbiology. Research in the Peters’ lab broadly involves deciphering mechanisms in genome stability and...

cornell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Hajk-Georg Drost @hajkdrost.bsky.social · 9d

Thrilled to share what we learned from re-annotating the mobilome of the brown algae model [Ectocarpus] 🌊🌿🏖️

genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

A wonderful collaboration with @ericadinatale.bsky.social, @cssmartinho.bsky.social, @rorycraig.bsky.social, and Susana Coelho! 🎉

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Rita Rebollo @ritarebollo.bsky.social · 25d

Hi! We are looking for a PhD to work on the cross talk between transposable elements, insects and intracellular bacteria on the bioinformatics side. The PhD would be supervised by @mariefablet.bsky.social and myself along with @nicolasparisot.bsky.social Deadline December 2025! Please share! #tesky

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Raquel Garza @raquelgarza.bsky.social · Sep 8

💥 New preprint! 💥
We show that transposons are directly linked to a cell-type and region specific inflammatory state in Parkinson’s Disease 🧠🦠

What a team @jakobssonasap.bsky.social! Funded by @asapresearch.parkinsonsroadmap.org

#Parkinsons #Neuroinflammation #TEworldwide #singlecell #TEs

Johan Jakobsson @jakobssonlab.bsky.social · Sep 7

New preprint from my lab! We describe how transposable elements are activated in Parkinson’s disease, which is linked to an interferon response. We believe this study significantly advances our understanding of transposons and their role in human brains.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Activation of transposable elements is linked to a region- and cell-type-specific interferon response in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common age-related neurodegenerative disorder involving a neuroinflammatory response, the cause of which remains unclear. Transposable elements (TE) have been linked to i...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Molecular Biology and Evolution @molbioevol.bsky.social · Sep 5

Red devil spiders from the Canary Islands have a genome half the size of mainland counterparts - Pisarenco, @jrozasub.bsky.social et al. show how purifying selection against slightly deleterious DNA and TE insertions is the primary mechanism.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf206

#evobio #molbio #TEsky

How Did Evolution Halve Genome Size During an Oceanic Island Colonization?

Abstract. Red devil spiders of the genus Dysdera colonized the Canary Islands and underwent an extraordinary diversification. Notably, their genomes are ne

doi.org

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Sep 2

Barbara McClintock - Nobel Prize in 1983!

www.nobelprize.org/stories/wome...

BARBARA MCCLINTOCK - NobelPrize.org

Throughout her career, medicine laureate Barbara McClintock studied the cytogenetics of maize, making discoveries so far beyond the understanding of the time that other scientists essentially ignored ...

www.nobelprize.org

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 23

#TEsky #TEworldwide

Johan Jakobsson @jakobssonlab.bsky.social · Aug 23

New paper from our lab! We found that LINE-1 transposons contribute to early human brain development.

Funded by @asapresearch.parkinsonsroadmap.org

www.cell.com/cell-genomic...

LINE-1 retrotransposons mediate cis-acting transcriptional control in human pluripotent stem cells and regulate early brain development

Adami et al. demonstrate that evolutionarily young L1s are expressed in human pluripotent stem cells and are dynamically regulated throughout neural differentiation. The study examines the role of L1s...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Genome Biology and Evolution @genomebiolevol.bsky.social · Aug 22

@robinaraya.bsky.social @naturalselection.bsky.social @kjetillsj.bsky.social et al. investigate TEs in four large inversions in Atlantic cod - TEs accumulate in breakpoints, suggesting they drive inversions through ectopic recombination.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf131

#genome #evolution #TEsky

Chromosomal Inversions Mediated by Tandem Insertions of Transposable Elements

Abstract. Chromosomal inversions play a crucial role in evolution by influencing phenotypes through the linkage of coadapted alleles. While inversions have

doi.org

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 21

#TEsky #TEworldwide

Jesse Shapiro @bjesseshapiro.bsky.social · Aug 21

I'm super bummed to be missing #ESEB2025 @eseb2025.bsky.social due to a cancelled flight! Here's a quick overview of my talk "Gene- and genome-focused perspectives on microbial pangenomes" slated to be part of The Evolution of Microbial Pangenomes -- which I recommend you attend tomorrow (Fri) !
1/n

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 21

Rapid adaptation to green lentil in seed beetles, awesome demonstration of the role of SVs in rapid adaptation over extremely short timescales! Fantastic work by Brian Kissmer at Utah State!

#ESEB2025

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 21

Huge amount of low-divergence TEs in Brown Algae…and cool patterns of accumulation in introns, lovely talk from @ericadinatale.bsky.social!

#TEsky #TEworldwide #ESEB2025

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 21

Really nice talk by @alicegodden.bsky.social on TE activation under heat stress in Zebrafish - fascinating patterns of non-reference insertions across the genome in the germline!

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 20

Thrilled to have been selected for a short talk at the EMBO mobile genome meeting in Heidelberg in November!

Want to hear about the adaptive potential of TEs but can’t wait til then, and happen to be at #ESEB2025? Come and see my talk at 16.20 today, room 120+121!

#TEsky #TEworldwide

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Akanksha Thawani, PhD @akankshathawani.bsky.social · Aug 19

Extremely excited to share that I’m joining Columbia University @columbiauniversity.bsky.social as an Assistant Professor!

We will explore how the mobile genome works—how transposons shape us, our DNA and how they can be harnessed to build useful technologies. #NewPI #RNAsky #TEsky

thawanilab.org

The Thawani Lab at Columbia University

The Thawani Lab at Columbia University describing their research on mobile genome, cryo-electron microscopy and genome engineering

thawanilab.org

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 19

Rather you than me!

Awesome insight into the role of TEs in deep sea adaptation in H. gigas. A ~19.6Gb assembly(!), and @tillysscott.bsky.social also decided to manually curate the TE families(!!!). Amazing body of work demonstrating the power of TEs to facilitate adaptation!
#TEsky #TEworldwide

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 19

Nice talk from @timothyfuqua.bsky.social on the emergence of promoters from random DNA sequences - very cool work!

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Toby Baril @tobybarilbio.bsky.social · Aug 19

At @eseb.bsky.social #ESEB2025 and want to connect with other researchers working on transposable elements?

Take a look at the #TEWorldwide #TEsky feed:

bsky.app/profile/did:...

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Erica Dinatale @ericadinatale.bsky.social · Aug 19

Transposable elements in brown algae? 🌊
Yes, they’re full of surprises ✨
Come meet Ectocarpus at #ESEB2025!

📍Room 113 - S28.03
🗓️ Thursday, 2:30pm

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Emília Santos @emiliapsantos.bsky.social · Aug 19

Unfortunately I cannot be at #ESEB2025, one of my favourite conferences, but the lab is well represented with @aleksandra-marconi.bsky.social presenting her work today on S29 @3.45pm on Transposable elements and nervous and sensory system diversification in cichlid fishes.
@eseb2025.bsky.social

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Etienne Bucher 🌾🧬🇪🇺 @plantepigenetics.ch · Aug 11

Here’s an interesting new paper on ROS1, an enzyme that removes DNA methylation and that is POSITIVELY controlled by DNA methylation.
It’s repression during heat stress 🥵🌱 is crucial to suppress transposon mobility! 🧬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Plants repress ROS1 expression to attenuate heat-induced transposon burst - Nature Plants

Plants suppress the DNA demethylase ROS1 under heat stress to limit transposon activation, preventing genome instability. This conserved mechanism balances stress adaptation with genome protection.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Javier Santoyo @jsantoyo.bsky.social · Aug 17

Pangenome analysis of transposable element insertion polymorphisms reveals features underlying cold tolerance in rice. #TransposableElements #TE #Pangenomes #RiceGenomes @natcomms.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Reposted by Toby Baril

Cedric Feschotte @cedricfeschotte.bsky.social · Apr 30

💥🥳 At long last, our latest paper is out!

Gag proteins of endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Led heroically by Sylvia Chang & @jonowells.bsky.social

A study which has changed the way I think of #transposons! No less! 🧵 1/n

Gag proteins encoded by endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development | PNAS

Transposable elements (TEs) make up the bulk of eukaryotic genomes and examples abound of TE-derived sequences repurposed for organismal function. ...

www.pnas.org

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