A fabulous project led by Alessandro Barenghi & @embl.org Rome facilities (GEVF) @neilhumph.bsky.social+ Jim Sawitzke 👏👏 together with our lab.

Iterative engineering of a compact Cas9 ortholog for in vivo gene editing via single AAV delivery The development of compact and efficient CRISPR-Cas systems is crucial for biomedical and therapeutic genome editing, particularly in vivo applications based on viral delivery. Here, we performed a co...

Novel compact CRISPR systems unlock easier delivery and more applications... epigenome editing anyone 👀

Very happy to be involved in work to rationally engineer enhanced Cme2 - an ultra-high fidelity & compact Cas, delivered in vivo in a single AAV (with gRNA)

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

The transcription of a single olfactory receptor per neuron is enforced by epigenetic silencing of their enhancers The ability to discriminate thousands of odors in our environment requires each olfactory neuron to express a single olfactory receptor from hundreds of available genes. The biochemical mechanism enfo...

This went under the radar but answers a fundamental question in Epigenetics...

From many hundreds of olfactory receptor genes, each neuron selects expression of only single one (near-randomly). How?

Outstanding work from Mathieu Boulard and colleagues

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Important to raise this. Agree with Ewan, we essentially mean (a)

But (a) *may* actually also involve aspects of (b) and (c), whilst there is absolutely an influence of (d) as a context.

In this scenario of incomplete understanding I actually think ‘epigenetic’ is a useful terminology.

Fathers shape embryonic development through molecular ‘signatures’. Credits: Daniela Velasco/EMBL

New research from EMBL Rome shows how paternal environment prior to conception can shape early embryo development.

These findings are a step toward understanding the mechanism of epigenetic inheritance, opening up new possibilities for disease prevention.
www.embl.org/news/science...

Endogenous variability in transcription factor concentrations shapes their genome-wide occupancy The control of transcription factor (TF) concentrations is crucial for the precise regulation of gene expression and cell fate decisions during development. Yet, TF concentrations can display substant...

📣 New preprint from the lab - Endogenous fluctuations of transcription factor levels shape their occupancy in unexpected ways
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Huge shoutout fantastic co-first leads @mdura.bsky.social @bbbranjan.bsky.social and all authors. Great collaboration with the fabulous Ana Boskovic

Project enabled by @embl.org Human Ecosystems transversal theme! 🙏

Embryonic signatures of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance across paternal environments and genetic backgrounds | The EMBO Journal imageimagePaternal environmental exposures have been linked with modulation of phenotype and disease risk in offspring via largely unclear mechanisms. This study employs in vitro fertilization and sin...

❓Can a father’s environmental exposures before conception influence their offspring?

We systematically tackled this - identifying effects of paternal age, environment and genetics on early embryos - as well as confounding influences

www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

HDAC3 prevents enhancer hyperactivation to enable developmental transitions Dynamic gene regulation requires precise cooperation between transcription factors and chromatin modifiers at regulatory elements to achieve not only activation or repression, but also appropriate tra...

Genes are not On/Off switches. In a new preprint we show that HDAC3 is key to establish correct transcriptional dose in development. Gr8 work from N. Stamidis @ucph.bsky.social and collab. @jamiehackett.bsky.social @gregersenlab.bsky.social . Huge thx to all authors! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

🤩🤩 it’s been a while

New haircut 😁

Awhh, my lab are absolute legends!

... and it comes with a stipend!

We are looking to take on an intern at EMBL Rome, for anyone interested in CRISPR and Epigenetics training.

The traineeship is 3-12-months, in Rome (Italy), should start by July, and is supervised by the outstanding @steliostsagkris.bsky.social.

#job #internship; see info below...

Interested in doing a sabbatical at EMBL, at one of its 6 sites in Barcelona, Cambridge, Grenoble, Hamburg, Heidelberg or Rome?

Funding call with deadline 15 June, decisions in July.

www.embl.org/about/info/s...

This is great work Jake! the specificity of H3K4 editing in plants is very cool

Personally, I am partial to a microbe or two. But yes, focus would be on mammalian physiology

Absolutely

Group Leader - Molecular Mechanisms of Environmental Adaptation We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated scientist to establish and lead an independent research laboratory at the EMBL Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit in Rome. EMBL provides a unique environmen...

Want to start an independent research group? ...with core funding, outstanding facilities & a curiosity-driven culture? Join us at @embl.org

We are recruiting across research themes, inc (epi)genomics, human dev bio, predictive modelling & neurobiology👇

embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/d...

Last day to apply for a postdoc in systems epigenomics in sunny Rome!

www.embl.org/jobs/positio...

Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness Nature - Disturbances in the gut microbiota of male mice manifest as fitness defects in their offspring by affecting plancenta function, revealing a paternal gut–germline axis.

As an "EIPOD" interdisciplinary postdoc in @jamiehackett.bsky.social and our lab, @denbobalab.bsky.social found that "Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness" (2024): antibiotic treatment of male mice led to low birth weight & higher mortality in offspring

www.nature.com/artic...

Strongly recommend DNAme researchers to take a look at this important study. Consistent with work from Schubeler lab: higher-order mut in DNAme reader proteins lead to only minor transcriptional changes. Reinforces the idea that DNAme does not establish heterochromatin through reader proteins

Please RS/RT. #GordonConference on "Histone and DNA Modifications" #epigenetics #chromatin 20-25. July 2025. Il Ciocco, Italy. Great speaker lineup.
➡️Register now www.grc.org/histone-and-...

Computational with a PhD in some quantiative science, and want to make the world a better place with AI in healthcare? Want to work with some of the most innovative AI groups in the life sciences? Want to work for Europe, across Cambridge and Heidelberg, living in the UK? Two more days to apply:

One of my illustrations made an appearance at the MPI #epigenetics conference! thanks to the boss @jamiehackett.bsky.social presenting the cool science we do in the lab 🔥

EMBL Jobs We offer a wide range of challenging scientific and non-scientific positions at all of our European locations and encourage applications from international candidates at all career levels.

Hi Kitty, just pointing out this independent position. Lots of other opportunities coming up at EMBL in Rome too.

www.embl.org/jobs/positio...

MRC four-year International PhD programme: Human Genetics, Genomics and Disease Applications now open.

Interested in an #interdisciplinary PhD on the #epigenetics of human disease (or know someone who is)? Come work with us through the 2025 MRC HGU PhD program. Excellent and friendly collegiate environment and a great city:
institute-genetics-cancer.ed.ac.uk/igc-graduate...

Please share 🙏 (1/2)

What a 1-2 last few days! Huge congrats Christa 👏

The good news: you only click on the "join" button once and then you following all the pack persists in the absence of the initiating stimulus. 😀
In all seriousness, a stellar group of folks to follow.

Protein-based inheritance could be the new frontier in understanding transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Great preview from @odedrechavi.bsky.social and @ethanewe.bsky.social on a very interesting new paper from @wbderry.bsky.social lab.