New in Science Magazine Science Advances from the Doudna Lab, Rubin Lab and Cress Lab —Identification of proteins influencing #CRISPR-associated #transposases for enhanced #GenomeEditing. Read here: https://ow.ly/U0s450XS82n#CRISPR-associated

Happy New Year from the Rubin Lab! 🎇  We're excited to start 2026 off with a fresh publication at @science.org Advances. Here, we identified a cast (😉) of host factors affecting VchCAST using genome-wide screens and validated their improvement or inhibition of CAST activity. (1/2)

Nature Microbiology turns 10! 🎂 As a special treat, we take you back to the editorial team that started it all and then fast forward to take a peek into the future of microbiology through some brilliant microbiologists. #MicroSky 🦠 www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...

🚨 Our Lab is HIRING! If you are interested in characterizing model microbiomes using genome-resolved methods, statistical/metabolic modeling, and/or machine learning please submit an application here: aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05234 #postdoc #sciencejobs #biology #microbiome

#NewResearch Diverse genomes of lytic phages are found in bacterial assemblies, challenging assumptions about the nature of the lytic lifestyle. #MicroSky 🦠 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#microsky #synbiosky www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Bacterial genomes encode a rich repertoire of antiphage systems, but we still know surprisingly little about when these systems are actually expressed. In this preprint, Lucas Paoli et al, ask what shapes antiphage systems expression in native contexts. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Troubleshooting common errors in assemblies of long-read metagenomes - @merenbey.bsky.social @banfieldlab.bsky.social go.nature.com/44P7nSm

Congrats to #BioEGSB affiliate scientist Ben Rubin and team on publication of @therubinlab.bsky.social's first lead paper!

As the year ends, we decided to select our favorite papers of 2025 Turns out, it is impossible as we love them all! So, we picked 'some' that exhibit the range of microbiology highlighted through the columns of Nature Microbiology. Here is a glimpse into #EditorPicks of 2025 #MicroSky 🦠

See this fantastic illustration from the scicomm team at @innovativegenomics.bsky.social and check out our paper! ⬇️

Cow farming is a major source of greenhouse gases. New research from IGI Investigators at UC Berkeley and UC Davis uncovers a microbial blueprint for climate-friendly cows. Read here: https://ow.ly/4wbu50XAkzZ

Restoring a gut Bifidobacterium community in early infancy In light of increasingly reduced Bifidobacterium in infant microbiomes, this Forum examines interventions that may prevent or reverse this dysbiosis, thus mitigating noncommunicable diseases www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

Transitions in lung microbiota & pneumonia Microbiota states are predictive of pneumonia subtypes & exhibit differential stability & therapy response. Disruptive forces, e.g. aspiration, associated w/changes in gene expression & microbial community www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

As 2025 wraps up, we’re looking back at some of the most intriguing microbes that made their scientific debut this year. This blog highlights standout bacterial species that caught our eye. Read the full #FEMSmicroBlog: buff.ly/2wz7k16 #NewMicrobes

Congrats to IGI's Jill Banfield, Jennifer Doudna, Mary Firestone, Patrick Hsu, Alex Marson, Kris Niyogi, Eva Nogales, Dan Nomura, and Jennifer Puck — each is on Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list for ranking in the top 1% in their field by citations!

You still have time to register for our @isbscience.org Virtual Microbiome Symposium (Dec. 12th), with 6 speakers discussing how microbial metabolites impact the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. It's free! Recordings of the talks will be available afterwards. isbscience.org/events/2025-...

A very nice Preview of our work in @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social this morning from Chrishan Fernando & Nicole D. Marino! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

Heard our lab wrapped just dropped... 🎧🔬

#ResearchBriefing Inhibitory interactions between industrial and agricultural chemicals and gut bacteria make a case for considering antibacterial activity in chemical safety assessment. #MicroSky #MicrobiomeSky 🦠🧪💻 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Check this out for the 2026 SISB (phage defense) meeting in NYC. Mark your calendar! (and note the Zoom option, if needed) sisb2026.rockefeller.edu

We're excited to share our lab's first lead paper! We developed OriGen, a language model trained to generate plasmid origins of replication. 🔄🦠 The model generates sequences that are significantly different from wild type origins and, remarkably, they allow for replication in vivo. Read it here ⬇️

We're excited to help launch the inaugural Gordon research conference on #microbiome editing, coming up in January in Pomona, CA! Learn more and register here: https://ow.ly/a6Am50X9XkE

Some archaea—an ancient group of microorganisms—have an entirely novel genetic code, according to a new study in Science. The findings expand our understanding of how alternative genetic codes evolve and hint at new molecular tools for biotechnology applications. https://scim.ag/4omApQ7

Calling all rising juniors & seniors: Interested in biological or biomedical research? Applications for our ’26 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Program are now open! Nine weeks, hands-on research, & mentorship from some of the nation’s top scientists — learn more: bit.ly/CechFellows

Out now in Nature Communications: Convergent evolution of viral-like Borg archaeal extrachromosomal elements and giant eukaryotic viruses www.nature.com/articles/s41... @luisvalentin.bsky.social @lingdong-shi.bsky.social @martianmicrobe.bsky.social @mschoelmerich.bsky.social

The best group of lab Minions out there 🥸🧪

Our lab is looking for undergrads!⭐️ Asst. Lab Manager: Support lab operations, with potential to transition to a full-time role. Apply: forms.gle/mHufTGPZXYCk... Research Assistant: Work on microbiome editing projects using CRISPR-Cas and other synbio tools. Apply: forms.gle/GNu9kJLFjxx9...

We’re thrilled to announce IGI–Bakar Labs. This new building will allow the IGI to continue expanding our impact in health and agricultural applications of #CRISPR, and will be shared with the Bakar Labs incubator for growing biotech companies. Learn more: news.berkeley.edu/2025/07/17/c...

Out now in TIME — @jenniferdoudna.bsky.social on IGI's new initiative, teaming up with the @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social to create a new center for pediatric #CRISPR cures! Read here: ow.ly/E5un50WnbCi

✨ Berkeley Lab's @nersc.bsky.social, @delltechnologies.bsky.social, and NVIDIA announce new public-private partnership for game-changing US Dept. of Energy Doudna supercomputer, (NERSC-10, strengthening U.S. capabilities, accelerating discovery, and powering future science. 🧪

Precision gene editing medicine makes history, and it’s just getting started www.nature.com/articles/s41...

In a medical breakthrough, a team including IGI’s @urnov.bsky.social & @giannikopoulosp.bsky.social created an on-demand #CRISPR therapy for an infant with a deadly gene mutation — developed, approved, and delivered to the patient in just 6 months. Read more: ow.ly/G0Bg50VTonC #RareDisease 🧬

Phage genomes are full of mysterious proteins that could be harnessed to create new genomic tools. IGI's @doudna-lab.bsky.social & @cresslab.bsky.social with co-first authors @benadler.bsky.social & Muntathar Jamal Al-Shimary detail a new way to exploring phage genomes: ow.ly/uucL50V77n0 🧪🦠🧬

🌟 Big Give is now LIVE! Consider supporting a group of passionate young scientists running experimental teams, training initiatives, and building a synbio community by students FOR students 🧑‍🔬 bit.ly/igem-give25 #CalBigGive #iGEMBerkeley #bioengineering #syntheticbiology

The Rubin Lab had an awesome summer hosting Hampton University senior Alex Mendez under the mentorship of @atp-alker.bsky.social and @jayman1466.bsky.social last year. We're excited to see this initiative grow, and thrilled to see more students at IGI labs in the summers ahead! 🌟🧑‍🔬

Thanks to out @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social community for joining us at Stand Up For Science! @jenniferdoudna.bsky.social spoke about how NIH funding supported her PhD & NSF funding supported her development of #CRISPR genome editing. Federal funding is needed for life-saving science!

At the labs' favorite, Cholita Linda 💁

Today, the IGI turns 10! We’ve grown from a fledgling initiative focused around developing #CRISPR tools to a full-blown research institute bringing together leaders in basic & translational research! ⚕️💊🌱☀️ Take a look at our timeline & key achievements from our first decade: ow.ly/GzVt50UTsbP

Fascinating new preprint from @therubinlab.bsky.social out today: "Generating functional plasmid origins with OriGen" 🧬 🖥️🧪🦠

This is probably one of the coolest articles I have seen in a while. Haven't fully grasped it yet , but new improved annotation of plasmid replication apparatuses (very important) AND de novo replication design! This might improve our understanding of plasmids a lot.

We are thrilled to share our latest work: OriGen--the first AI system to generate functional DNA replication sequences! ⬇️ www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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The Rubin Lab had an amazing new year celebration dinner with @cresslab.bsky.social highlighting lab accomplishments throughout the past year, new members, papers, and our amazing postdoc @aalker.bsky.social's (and soon-to-be assistant professor at University of Rhode Island) birthday!

👋 Hello from the Rubin Lab's first post on Bluesky! Learn more about our research here: therubinlab.org/research