Very happy to be the parto of this great initiative that involves young investigators in the peer review. A very promising start for this initiative at @embopress.org and @reviewcommons.org. Thanks to all the postdocs for brainstorming and the trainers for the encouragement!
@embl.org @embo.org
New year and new opportunities! There is an open call for a PhD student to join our lab.
#RNA biology #circRNAs #miRNAs #neuroscience #neuroedocrinology
Please share with potential candidates 🙏🫶.
A link to the call & more details here: www.phdscanner.com/opportunitie...
Community drives great science!
Proud to help launch our postdoc meetings in Barcelona (w/ Dorota Zawada) & co-organize the International Postdoc Retreat 2026 (w/ @mariiabeliaeva.bsky.social & Federico Agustín Vignale).
Here’s to more connections in 2026!
#EMBL #ScienceTogether #EMBLBarcelona
Researchers at EMBL Barcelona have launched LimbNET, a new online platform that integrates computer modeling, experimental data, and 2D live simulations for limb development.
www.embl.org/news/science...
Come to Biomalpar xxii!!! We have an outstanding line up of speakers!!!
It is a true honor to be an organizer of Biomalpar. It was the first conference I ever attended during my 2nd PhD year so it feels special.
And don't miss the beautiful poster image from Hannah Fleckenstein!
Great session by Sara Monaco introducing ReviewCommons at the EMBL international postdoc retreat! Insightful discussion on how transparent peer review can accelerate and improve publishing #OpenScience @embl.org @saramonaco-rc.bsky.social @embo.org
Pre-print alert 🚨
We answer a longstanding question in the field. Do immune cells cause cerebral malaria?
The answer is YES!!!! And independently of P. falciparum accumulation in the brain.
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
Good morning at @embl.org Barcelona
This is figure 1, which shows key information about the included sample of dogs.
Dogs who experience neglect as puppies are more likely to be fearful and aggressive in adulthood, suggests research in Scientific Reports. go.nature.com/4pT9hKp 🧪
🚨New preprint from the lab! This work led by @akshayjg.bsky.social & @smfernandezmoya.bsky.social shows how the RNA binding protein STAU2 regulates the timing of neurogenesis in iPSC-derived human cells
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Excited to welcome Eli Weinstein, DTU & ELLIS, to Collaboratorium Symposium Nov 10-11! His work on AI & causal biology is groundbreaking, advancing how we understand molecular systems and drug discovery.
Join us! #Collaboratorium2025 #AI #Biology
At EvoMG-DN we believe that evolutionary history shapes both the human genome and its pathogens and ultimately disease susceptibility.
We will tackle health challenges from an evolutionary perspective in the topic of: ageing, cancer and infectious diseases.
#PhD #EvolutionaryBiology #MSCA
📢 Join us at the Barcelona Collaboratorium on October 2, 2025!
Markus Deserno will present “On the thermodynamics of ternary asymmetric lipid membranes”.
A deep dive into the physics behind lipid rafts and membrane complexity.🧬
#Biophysics #BarcelonaCollaboratorium
Have you ever wondered what happens with your microvessels after exposure to high temperature in fever? In this preprint former postdoc (ans soon to be PI) Viola Introini found that high temperatures cleaves glycocalyx , having severe consequences in malaria www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
credit: EMBL
Time to accelerate! ⏱️4 weeks left to apply for EMBL ARISE2 fellowship programme.
Are you interested in developing or improving technologies for life science research? #ARISE2 trains you to become a future research infrastructure leader. 🧪
Apply now! www.embl.org/training/ari...
#careers
Keystone symposia on stem-cell-based embryo models (SCBEMs). Join us in discussing the development, measurement, and manipulation of SCBEMs in California in Feb 2026!
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
Scholarship/ShortTalk Deadline: Oct 21
Early Registration Deadline: Dec 18 (Save $200!)
🚨🚨🚨
Please RT!
We're looking for a postdoc to join an exciting joint project between our lab @upf.edu & @crg.eu (Barcelona) and the Sander lab @mdc-berlin.bsky.social (Berlin) investigating how alternative splicing and microexons influences the maturation of pancreatic islets.
Deadline: 30/09/25👇
Thanks to all co-authors and to everyone who supported this work - check it out!
Pre-print alert 🚨: We have developed 2D and 3D stable iPSC endothelial-differentiation models through dox inducible ETS expression. We demonstrate endothelial identity and used these models for studying malaria pathogenesis research. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Expansion of: nature.com/articles/s41...
Our latest in @cytoskeljournal.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
reveals how a tiny DAAM1 microexon controls actin dynamics & RHOA/ROCK signaling—now showing ARC protein levels expand this synaptic orchestra! 🧠⚡ @mirimiam.bsky.social , @crg.eu , @embl.org @prbb.org
🚨Great podcast on our most recent work using
@notebooklmdeepdive.bsky.social on the role of microexon in DAAM1 in memory formation! 🧠🐁🔬🧫
🚨CLICK Here ➡️ drive.google.com/file/d/1elCs... ⬅️🚨
@mirimiam.bsky.social @maradierssen.bsky.social
@crg.eu @natcomms.nature.com @natureportfolio.nature.com
Thanks a lot Arnau!
Summarizing, we discovered that a neural-specific microexon in DAAM1 is a novel regulatory mechanism of actin cytoskeleton dynamics, which is necessary for proper memory formation and learning in mammals.
Thank you to everyone involved for putting this together!
The last step was to perform rescue experiments.
Excitingly, treatment with a ROCK inhibitor partially rescued observed phenotypes, including learning deficits!
Next, we investigated in detail the molecular mechanism of the observed phenotypes.
One of the leads guided us to increased RHOA/ROCK signaling in KO neurons! RhoA is a direct interactor of Daam1, whose activity is commonly associated with the number of “learning spines”.
With help from @maradierssen.bsky.social, we found that DAAM1-MIC KO reduced long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal neurons.
Moreover, dendritic spine analysis by @eloisaherrera.bsky.social revealed defects mainly in postsynaptic regions and a significant decrease in thin "learning spines."
Yet, the most exciting part began when we generated genetically engineered DAAM1-MIC KO mice!
We performed multiple assays to evaluate animal behavior. Strikingly, they showed clear learning impairments after microexon removal. What are the cellular and molecular bases for this?
But, does it affect neuronal function?
We KO the microexon in mESCs using CRISPR/Cas9, differentiated them into neurons in vitro, and examined changes in synaptic functioning. Microexon removal increased Ca2+ flux, suggesting enhanced neuronal firing.
@gercrcat.bsky.social
@vhir.bsky.social
Microscopy-based 🔬 biochemical assays showed that microexon inclusion significantly affects actin polymerization, both quantitatively and qualitatively, likely due to differential actin binding.
