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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · 6d

bucolique!

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 30

Congrats!

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Alex de Mendoza @alexdemendoza.bsky.social · Aug 14

Chaetognaths have lost gene body methylation and shifted #5mC back to Transposable Elements. This reversion to the ancestral state is coupled with a simplification of DNMT3 architecture. We posit that trans-splicing might compensate.

It is an honour to have contributed to this 20y struggle ⛰️.

Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 13

After nearly twenty years in the making, our attempt at understanding what makes the chaetognath phylum so unique has finally been published! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
with #LauraPiovani @dariagavr.bsky.social @alexdemendoza.bsky.social @chemamd.bsky.social and others /1

The genomic origin of the unique chaetognath body plan - Nature

Genomic, single-cell transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses show that chaetognaths, following extensive gene loss in the gnathiferan lineage, relied on newly evolved genes and lineage-specific tandem ...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Nature @nature.com · Aug 13

A genome sequence and single-cell atlas of a marine worm species point towards bursts of gene emergence, duplication and loss as the drivers of lineage-specific body traits

go.nature.com/4oAI2nf

The perplexing body plan of arrow worms decoded

A genome sequence and single-cell atlas of a marine worm species point towards bursts of gene emergence, duplication and loss as the drivers of lineage-specific body traits.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Queen Mary School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences @qmulsbbs.bsky.social · Aug 13

New Nature study (co-authored by Queen Mary researchers) reveals that arrow worms evolved unique organs by inventing brand-new genes — not just reusing old ones. 🧬🌊

🔗 www.qmul.ac.uk/sbbs/news/it...

@qmulse.bsky.social

Cracking the Genetic Code of Arrow Worms: How Chaetognaths Got Their Unique Body Plan

www.qmul.ac.uk

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 13

Thanks to all those involved and particularly to Tachiro Goto who promoted this species as a chaetognath model! Please also check also the great News & Views by Lewin & Luo www.nature.com/articles/d41... /6

The perplexing body plan of arrow worms decoded

A genome sequence and single-cell atlas of a marine worm species point towards bursts of gene emergence, duplication and loss as the drivers of lineage-specific body traits.

www.nature.com

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 13

Finally, the enigmatic MedPost gene finds its place right where it belongs (between Meds and Posts) in an extended Hox cluster of >15 genes /5

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 13

We finally identified reversion to ancestral methylation patterns targeting mobile elements whose role in stabilising highly expressed genes was likely taken over by trans-splicing (hereby suggesting a possible role for this puzzling process) /4

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 13

We also confirmed the presence of spiralian ALG-fusions in chaetognaths despite fairly rearranged chromosomal architecture, as well as centromeres functioning without the classical CenH3 gene /3

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 13

We found that chaetognath genome is as puzzling as their body plan with extensive shuffling of gene repertoire, lots of gene novelty and loss, without evidence of WGD, which appear to be involved in the making of lineage-specific cell types /2

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Aug 13

After nearly twenty years in the making, our attempt at understanding what makes the chaetognath phylum so unique has finally been published! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
with #LauraPiovani @dariagavr.bsky.social @alexdemendoza.bsky.social @chemamd.bsky.social and others /1

The genomic origin of the unique chaetognath body plan - Nature

Genomic, single-cell transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses show that chaetognaths, following extensive gene loss in the gnathiferan lineage, relied on newly evolved genes and lineage-specific tandem ...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Nature @nature.com · Jul 31

This surprisingly relaxing footage is from SIX MILES under the ocean – and it’s the deepest ecosystem yet discovered

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Eileen Furlong @eileen-furlong.bsky.social · Jul 30

To all post-docs: The Genome Biology dept ‪@embl.org
has an Independent faculty position. Fantastic place to set up your lab –great package: core funding, fantastic Ph.D. students, cutting edge core facilities & great colleagues. Closing date Sept 19th
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...

Group Leader - Genome Biology Unit

Are you ready to lead groundbreaking research in Genome Biology? Join us at EMBL! We are seeking a motivated scientist to lead an independent research group addressing exciting and original biological...

embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Alex de Mendoza @alexdemendoza.bsky.social · Jul 28

Happy to see our latest work out in @molbioevol.bsky.social. We revisit the evolution of 5-methylcytosine across neglected eukaryotic supergroups, establishing an ancestral repressive role silencing genome invaders, both transposons and viral elements👾: academic.oup.com/mbe/advance-... 🧵 1/7

Repressive cytosine methylation is a marker of viral gene transfer across divergent eukaryotes

Abstract. Cytosine DNA methylation patterns vary widely across eukaryotes, with its ancestral roles being understood to have included both transposable ele

academic.oup.com

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Ferdinand Marlétaz @ferdix.bsky.social · Jul 24

Congrats!

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Sergio Menchero @sermenchero.bsky.social · Jul 24

Thrilled to share that our latest work on marsupial heterochrony is now online at @cp-devcell.bsky.social @cellpress.bsky.social @lab-turner.bsky.social @crick.ac.uk We used scRNAseq to understand the asynchronous progression of developmental programmes in marsupials www.cell.com/developmenta...

Marsupial single-cell transcriptomics identifies temporal diversity in mammalian developmental programs

Menchero et al. generate a single-cell transcriptomic atlas in the opossum and show rapid progression of transcriptional programs in specific tissues relative to morphological landmarks. This shift in...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Yi-Jyun Luo @yjluo.bsky.social · Jul 22

We're recruiting a postdoc to study animal–algal symbiosis in green hydra at Academia Sinica, Taipei. If you're interested in symbiosis, genome biology, and sequencing technologies, get in touch! More at: sgel.biodiv.tw

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Max Telford @maxjtelford.bsky.social · Jul 11

Is the deuterostome clade an artifact???

New paper with first author @anaserrasilva.bsky.social, Laura Piovani, Paschalis Natsidis and project co-led by Paschalia Kapli.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Trends in Genetics @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social · Jul 10

"Animal origins: Looping back in time"
by Omar Matar & Ferdinand Marlétaz (@ferdix.bsky.social)

This is a Spotlight on new work that helps answer the question, "how did the chromatin folding mechanisms controlling gene regulation emerge during animal evolution?"

Check it out:
rb.gy/k53o8p

Figure 1. Evolution and diversity of chromatin three-dimensional architecture at the chromosomal compartment level (A/B) and at the loop and domains level.

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Allan Carrillo-Baltodano @allancarbal.bsky.social · Jul 10

Tomorrow we'll welcome the EvoDevo community from UK and beyond @qmulsbbs.bsky.social @qmulse.bsky.social , organised by @chemamd.bsky.social @margaridamcm.bsky.social @ferdix.bsky.social @alexdemendoza.bsky.social , Roman Arguello and James Difrisco.

Poster by former lab member Giacomo Mogglioli

Poster of the 2025 UK EvoDevo meeting in London. Drawings show the development of a tea cup

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

こまちみゆた @comatimiyuta.bsky.social · Jun 26

怪虫図

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Imran Rahman @imranrahman.bsky.social · Jun 26

Delighted to share our paper in @currentbiology.bsky.social iology.bsky.social‬ with a palaeo-evo-devo perspective on the evolution of symmetry in echinoderms. Led by Steffi Woodgate with Frankie Dunn, @echinerd.bsky.social, @laurentformery.bsky.social & Sam Zamora
www.cell.com/current-biol...-5

A new Cambrian stem-group echinoderm reveals the evolution of the anteroposterior axis

Woodgate et al. describe a new bilaterally symmetrical echinoderm, Atlascystis acantha, from the Cambrian of Morocco. Comparisons of plate growth with other echinoderms reveal that Atlascystis possess...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Chris Mah @echinoblog.bsky.social · Jun 24

Whoa. Stunning Man o War- Physalia image via @K_theHermit

stinging tentacles from a man o war-Physalia sp

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

ATLASea @atlasea.bsky.social · Jun 21

ATLASea Mission – Day 6

In the dissection room, the final sampling steps are underway

🔬 Tissue fragments are collected, labeled, weighed, and logged into a data sheet for full traceability

❄️ Samples are flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196°C to preserve DNA quality for sequencing at Genoscope

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Reposted by Ferdinand Marlétaz

Uri Frank @thecocodium.bsky.social · Jun 20

I am looking for a new postdoc to join the lab. Interested in pluripotency, germ cells, and in investigating these in a genetically tractable cnidarian? Get in touch! We offer a long-term contract, excellent research environment, and a lovely city #Galway. www.urifranklab.org

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