Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Miguel Branco

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 1d

Very sad news, John Gurdon has died.

A developmental biologist's developmental biologist, Nobel prize winner

His work is the foundation of much of today's dev & stem cell bio.

An inspiration to many, including me. Always asking questions & wanting the answers

www.magd.cam.ac.uk/news/profess...

Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS (1933-2025) | Magdalene College

Magdalene College is deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS, who served as Master of the College from 1995 to 2002.

www.magd.cam.ac.uk

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

the Node @the-node.bsky.social · 1d

Applications are open for 10 ECR funded places at The Company of Biologists Workshop on 'Novelty, Co-option and Divergence During Gene Network Evolution', organised by James Hombría and Antónia Monteiro.

📅 Deadline: Friday 5 December
Further information: www.biologists.com/workshops/ju...

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

IRB Barcelona @irbbarcelona.org · 1d

🧪 We are #hiring!

▫️#Postdoc fellows
▫️#Talent & Development Section Head
▫️Talent Technician (temporary)
▫️Health, Safety and Quality Section Head
▫️Health & Safety Technician (temporary)
▫️Competitive Funding Officer
▫️Engineering Officer

& more! ➡️ bit.ly/3MR4wO8

#IRBJobs #Jobs #ScienceJobs

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

John Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 2d

VACANCY - We have an opportunity for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Howard Group, working to develop computational models of epigenetic dynamics in the Polycomb system.

www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/po...

Closing date - 9 November 2025
Salary - £37,500 - £45,350
Contract - 36 months, full-time

Postdoctoral Researcher (Howard Group) | John Innes Centre

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Howard Group at the John Innes Centre, working on cutting-edge science in the field of Computational and Systems Biology.

www.jic.ac.uk

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Tung Le @tunglejic.bsky.social · 5d

Independent research fellowships leading to tenured positions at the John Innes Centre.

Repost = nice. Thank you very much!!!

John Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 5d

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to give a seminar at the Fellows Conference, which will be held on 10 March 2026.

Candidates who win Fellowships will be offered a Tenure Track Group Leader position from the outset, initially for 5 years.

Find out more: www.jic.ac.uk/training-car...

Independent Research Fellowships Leading to Tenured Faculty Positions | John Innes Centre

The John Innes Centre (JIC), is a world leading centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences based on the Norwich Research Park, UK. We are inviting applications from outstanding researchers…

www.jic.ac.uk

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Miguel Branco @brancolab.bsky.social · 2d

Stable Maintenance of Two-Cell-Like Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells Reveals Chromatin and Super Enhancer Regulation of MERVL Elements

Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) occasionally transit into a rare two-cell-like (2C) state characterized by transient activation of endogenous retroviruses such as MERVL and expression of 2C-specific...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 7d

Join @embl.org for this conference exploring genetic and physiological impacts of transposable elements. Virtual registration is open until October 28. Learn more at plos.io/4nuqeZA.

Promotional graphic for an EMBO Workshop titled "The mobile genome: genetic and physiological impacts of transposable elements," scheduled for 4-7 November 2025, at EMBL Heidelberg and virtually. The background features abstract DNA strands and a stylized graphic of a fruit fly in orange and green tones.

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Raquel Fueyo @fueyoraquel.bsky.social · 7d

Today in @nature.com, we present our work leveraging functional genomics and human blastoids to uncover a human-specific mechanism in preimplantation development driven by the endogenous retrovirus HERVK.
Special thanks to the reviewers whose comments improved our manuscript a lot! rdcu.be/eI3tD

A human-specific regulatory mechanism revealed in a pre-implantation model

Nature - Genetic manipulation of blastoids reveals the role of recently emerged transposable elements and genes in human development.

rdcu.be

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

QMUL Centre for Epigenetics @qmulepigenetics.bsky.social · 13d

Our next guest seminar is happening on Friday, October 10th at 3.30pm GMT in the QM Innovation Centre, Clark-Kennedy LT. This will be a joint seminar with Oxford Nanopore @nanoporetech.com
and QMUL. Please book your place here: nanoporetech.swoogo.com/QMUL_Epigene... or scan the QR code below.

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Miguel Branco @brancolab.bsky.social · 13d

Another neurodegenerative disease caused by an SVA insertion. Not intron retention as seen in XPD, but aberrant splicing.

Deep Intronic SVA_E Insertion Identified as the Most Common Pathogenic Variant Associated With Canavan Disease | Neurology Genetics

Background and ObjectivesCanavan disease (CD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which biallelic pathogenic variants in ASPA result in spongiform degeneration of the cerebral white matter, leading to ...

www.neurology.org

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Cedric Feschotte @cedricfeschotte.bsky.social · 15d

📣 Our department is hiring an Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Cell and Molecular Biology to join the @weillinstitute.bsky.social PLS spread the word!
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30607

Cornell University, Molecular Biology & Genetics

Job #AJO30607, WDR-00055221 Assistant Professor, Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, US

academicjobsonline.org

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Aris Katzourakis @ariskatzourakis.bsky.social · 16d

Three jobs in our shiny new building:

Oxford Biology @biology.ox.ac.uk · 23d

Oxford Biology is growing 📢

We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology

3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.

Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3

Photo showing the inside atrium of the new Life and Mind Building

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Artem Ilin @adc34.bsky.social · 17d

Kicked off a series on #Drosophila TE discovery and naming. The first post covers elements that predate the term "mobile element", and more. artemilin.dev/posts/te_nam...

Drosophila TE name origins, Part 1 – Postdoc Postpunk

artemilin.dev

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Miguel Branco @brancolab.bsky.social · 20d

He frequently attends our seminars at QMUL!

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Rebecca Mosher @rm0sher.bsky.social · 23d

Three Associate Professor (or Professor) positions available at Oxford Biology. Come be my colleague! www.biology.ox.ac.uk/article/we-a...

We are hiring! Oxford biology has three associate professorships available as we move to new state-of-the-art facilities

www.biology.ox.ac.uk

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Alex de Mendoza @alexdemendoza.bsky.social · 27d

Very happy to have contributed to this review on "non-CG" #methylation in animals now out in @natgenet.nature.com. Working again with @obog.bsky.social and Tirsa is always a pleasure. We think this not so well studied form of methylation should be more widely considered, please read: rdcu.be/eFAEk

Non-CG DNA methylation in animal genomes

Nature Genetics - This Review discusses noncanonical DNA methylation (mCH) in animal genomes and highlights the remaining need to clarify whether mCH represents a conserved regulatory layer or a...

rdcu.be

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

The Dunn School, Oxford @dunnschool.bsky.social · 28d

We're hiring (again)!

We are looking for an associate professor in cell and molecular biology, with a particular focus on immunology (defined broadly)

If you have a great record and exciting plans, consider joining our thriving and welcoming department

www.path.ox.ac.uk/vacancy/asso...

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Miguel Branco @brancolab.bsky.social · Sep 4

Awesome! Many congrats!

Reposted by Miguel Branco

Patrick Nielsen Hayden @pnh.nielsenhayden.com · Sep 3

This, from @anthonymoser.com, is outstanding. (H/t @lecagle.bsky.social.)

"The makers of AI aren’t damned by their failures, they’re damned by their goals."

I Am An AI Hater

I am an AI hater. This is considered rude, but I do not care, because I am a hater.

anthonymoser.github.io

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Maxim Greenberg @maxvcg.bsky.social · Sep 3

🚨 🐜 is there a Bluesky starter pack for researchers who don’t study ants but who get lightheaded every time there’s an awesome ant paper? CC @mariusw.bsky.social @jrichardalbert.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants - Nature

In a case of obligate cross-species cloning, female ants of Messor ibericus need to clone males of Messor structor to obtain sperm for producing the worker caste, resulting in males from the same moth...

www.nature.com

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Miguel Branco @brancolab.bsky.social · Sep 3

😲 Seriously?!

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Iqbal Dulloo @iqbaldulloo.bsky.social · Sep 3

Having spent significant time here, the environment and support are truly amazing, and in my opinion, the best you can have in Oxford.

Matthew Freeman @mjafreeman.bsky.social · Sep 1

Are you a postdoc interested in the mechanisms of disease?

Do you have a great record and an exciting vision?

Come and start your own lab @dunnschool.bsky.social by applying for sponsorship for early career fellowships.

Deadline 30th September...pass it on!

www.path.ox.ac.uk/work-with-us...

Group Leader Career Development Fellowships - Dunn School

Are you an early career researcher interested in the cell or molecular mechanisms underlying disease? Do you have an outstanding record and an innovative research plan?

www.path.ox.ac.uk

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Miguel Branco @brancolab.bsky.social · Sep 3

gollum from the lord of the rings has blue eyes and says i need them

ALT: gollum from the lord of the rings has blue eyes and says i need them

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Transposon and Cancer Epigenetics Group @deniz-lab.bsky.social · Sep 3

Our new review is out in Trends in Cancer. We had fund writing this :) We discuss the roles of retrotransposons in immune modulation in normal and malignant
hematopoiesis. www.cell.com/trends/cance...

Reawakening retrotransposons: immune modulation in normal and malignant hematopoiesis

Retrotransposons are mobile repetitive elements that constitute around 43% of the human genome. Normally silenced through epigenetic mechanisms, retrotransposons can become reactivated in response to ...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Miguel Branco

Alex Eve @amjeve.bsky.social · Aug 29

If you've had a half-finished Node post draft in the back of your mind for a while, now there's some incentive to get it finished & out there for the community.

Remember that the Node is for all #devbio & #stemcell researchers. Register & you're free to post anything relevant without intervention.

the Node @the-node.bsky.social · Aug 27

👀 Do you have an idea for a post on the Node that you have been postponing writing for a while? This is your chance to publish your piece at last for a chance to win £200. Submit your post by 30 September 2025. 📝

thenode.biologists.com/the-node-wri...

#devbio #stemcell

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