Mark your calendars for the next incarnation of the Biology and Physics of the Prokaryotic Chromosome meeting to be held in Paris on July 6-9, 2027. See the web site for further information biophychrom2027.sciencesconf.org

Last week, RPN broke a string of stories on significant changes to funding across a number of research councils (see thread below) This morning, UKRI chief executive is appearing at the Commons science committee, where he is being asked about them by MPs Here are some key moments so far 🧵

Seconded!

Check out our new review in Nature Reviews Genetics on de novo emerged genes and proteins. How they emerge, are lost and persist - and how de novo emerged proteins relate to randomized proteins! @bornberglab.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

@sandraduharcourt.bsky.social is the best. Go work with her!

A reminder to sign up for the 2026 EMBO archaeal meeting im Cambridge: meetings.embo.org/event/26-arc.... Registration is open. We are looking forward to hosting you!

Archaea fans (and the archaeal-curious) — please spread the word and register! Early sign-ups really help us plan, so if you know you’ll come, please register now.

The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany, seeks expressions of interest for open Max Planck Director positions. For details: http://www.evolbio.mpg.de/3856225/Directors. #job

Need a bit of escapism? Not exactly Lord of the Rings, but in similar vein: doi.org/10.1038/s443...

A new year brings new opportunities: we are looking to fill a permanent professorship position with a Microbiologist preferably with expertise on archaeal biology, RNA biology or imaging techniques to unravel cell biology in prokaryotes! Please share and/or apply :)! www.nature.com/naturecareer...

Looking to start your lab in generative biology / AI? Come join us at the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social Sanger is core-funded so you can generate data at scale to train the next generation of models and understanding. Design/Engineering/Chemistry/Proteins/Pathways! pls RT tinyurl.com/GenGenFaculty

Calling all archaeal enthusiasts! 🔬🔥 From molecular machines to microbial communities, Archaea never fail to surprise us! We are excited to announce the 2026 EMBO Workshop on the Molecular Biology of Archaea, 6–10 July in Cambridge, UK! Sign up here: meetings.embo.org/event/26-arc... #ArchaeaSky

Are you a long-time fan of Archaea, an extremophile-phile, or are you simply curious? Either way, we have good news. We’re delighted to announce the 2026 EMBO Workshop on Archaea, 6–10 July. Sign up: meetings.embo.org/event/26-arc... We look forward to seeing you in Cambridge, UK. Please repost!

Are you a long-time fan of Archaea, an extremophile-phile, or are you simply curious? Either way, we have good news. We’re delighted to announce the 2026 EMBO Workshop on Archaea, 6–10 July. Sign up: meetings.embo.org/event/26-arc... We look forward to seeing you in Cambridge, UK Please repost!!

Delighted to share our new preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... We address a longstanding question about the role of the topoisomerase reverse gyrase in hyperthermophiles. Great collaboration with Baranello and @tobiaswarnecke.bsky.social groups. #Archaeasky #Microsky

Everybody ready for #EMBOevoChromo25 ? I, for one, cannot wait. It's like scientific Christmas come early :)

This looks like a nice illustration of the regression-to-the-mean aspect of LLMs.

Yay! Go Matt!

The CRG PhD call is now open. Exciting opportunities across diverse topics and within a world-class scientific environment. Our group is offering one PhD position to study chromatin evolution. Consider applying or share with anyone who might be interested! www.crg.eu/en/content/t...

The CRG PhD call is open! 🌟 A truly special place, world-class facilities, an inspiring community, and a training team that really cares about helping each student reach their full potential. My lab will be recruiting (moving next year), as will many amazing new colleagues! #CRGPhD2026 #CRGBarcelona

We are recuiting two new Associate Professors here in Oxford Biochemistry. Come join us! Reach out to me if you have any questions. Please repost! tinyurl.com/mr3m7bd3

Our latest paper on a histone methyltransferase-independent function of PRC2 controlling small RNA dynamics during programmed DNA elimination in Paramecium is now published in #NAR. #RNAbiology #TEsky #smallRNAs #PRC2 #DNAelimination 1/5 academic.oup.com/nar/article-...

We have a PhD opportunity available in our group @johninnescentre.bsky.social through the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership. Help us uncover the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs. Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...

Three Bicentenary research fellowships on offer at @officialuom.bsky.social @fbmh-uom.bsky.social for exceptional ECRs with <3y postdoc experience 3yrs salary + £30k pa research expenses Do you have a great idea & want to join @mermanchester.bsky.social? www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/sup...

I'm recruiting a postdoc to figure out how aerobic methanotrophic bacteria oxidise methane in anoxic freshwater sediment environments: international.au.dk/about/profil... Come to Aarhus University in Denmark and work on this 2-year project funded by @villumfonden.bsky.social!

Hard to find a more knowledgable team to understand cell biology in an evolutionary context!

Ok, so the ancient Greeks massively misled me about the number of body fluids... bad sense of humor.

Become my colleague @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social ! 2 Associate Professorships in the areas of - prokaryotic/eukaryotic microbiology - metabolism my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Open Call for Expressions of Interest: become a Max Planck Director & redefine what’s possible in science! We offer scientific independence, long-term stable funding & exceptional infrastructure. Lead your own department & open new frontiers of research. Apply by 31 Oct 2025 → www.mpg.de/directors

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

I found this interesting. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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...

Dear scientific community, I am looking for two postdoctoral structural biologists to join my group at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Please re-post: Interested in chromatin and its evolution? Good news! There's still time to join us in beautiful Catalonia (9-12 Dec) to discuss eukaryotic, bacterial, archaeal, and viral chromatin and how it all hangs together meetings.embo.org/event/24-evo... Abstract deadline: 30 September

Please re-post: If you know (or are!) somebody who might fancy doing a PhD (Oct 2026 start) in my group @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social, working on chromatin evolution in prokaryotes (or other things we're interested in), please have a look at www.bioch.ox.ac.uk/supervisors-...

Thanks @markowenmartin.bsky.social for choosing to highlight our recent article on archaeal-bacterial conflict in this week's episode of "This Week in Microbiology"! asm.org/podcasts/twi...

There is still some time left to apply for these two Group Leader positions in Plant Biology and Microbe-Plant Interactions. Spread the word, apply & become our colleague @johninnescentre.bsky.social

🚨 Imagine a bacterium that refuses to follow the textbook: It grows as tangled filaments, divides unevenly, reshapes its own membranes… and even builds grappling hooks. Meet Litorilinea aerophila — and here’s why it blew our minds.

One of the worst excesses of capitalism are fast-track queues in theme parks.

This first-author publication is my… first! Archaea kill bacteria by targeting their Achilles’ heel: peptidoglycan. Big shoutout to @ahocher.bsky.social‬, @valeriesoo.bsky.social‬, Pauline Misson, @tobiaswarnecke.bsky.social‬ and MRC LMS Proteomics. A thread 🔽 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Archaea are often surrounded by bacteria. But is there ever active conflict between the two? Can archaea kill bacteria? If so, how do they do it? Work by @romainstrock.bsky.social shows that some archaea can kill bacteria by secreting peptidoglycan hydrolases. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Introducing my children to the very best of German music: m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmi0...

I like this. Currently for no other reason than that its conclusions support my intuition. I hope I still like it when I've finished reading it :) academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...

Happy to share our new paper out today in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social in collaboration with @tobiaswarnecke.bsky.social @akihisaosakabe.bsky.social about how evolution can do big things with small changes. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Chromosome enthusiasts, York is calling! Join us at The Biology & Physics of Chromosomes www.eventsforce.net/biochemsoc/f... Late breaking abstract deadline 📆 7 August @biophychrom.bsky.social @vslioy.bsky.social @damelab.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @biochemsoc.bsky.social #microsky

We are looking for new colleagues to come join us in Galway as group leaders (Junior and Senior). The Centre for Chromosome Biology is a great place and it is a good time to join. Please reach out if you want to chat about the opportunity! www.nature.com/naturecareer...

Haven't read this (yet) but LOVE the figure.