Colin Conine
@colinconine.bsky.social
Small RNA biologist at UPenn & CHOP
www.coninelab.com
Interested in small RNAs, germlines, inheritance, sports, and Shiba Inu’s
www.coninelab.com
Interested in small RNAs, germlines, inheritance, sports, and Shiba Inu’s
Pinned
Colin Conine
@colinconine.bsky.social
· Apr 16
tRNA-derived RNA processing in sperm transmits non-genetically inherited phenotypes to offspring in C. elegans https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.14.648817v1
The first C. elegans paper from lab! We find that, similar to mammals, tRNA-fragments (or the new name in the field tDRs) accumulate in worm sperm and can transmit non-genetically inherited phenotypes to offspring. We also find an RNase that regulates their processing, showing that length matters
Reposted by Colin Conine
I wrote this insight for eLife. A friend said, "Why would you want to step on that rake?". Well, I guess that's just who I am. Enjoy. elifesciences.org/articles/109...
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: Twists and turns in the story of learned avoidance
Evidence that learned avoidance of a pathogenic bacterium can be transmitted to future generations in C. elegans is growing.
elifesciences.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I wrote this insight for eLife. A friend said, "Why would you want to step on that rake?". Well, I guess that's just who I am. Enjoy. elifesciences.org/articles/109...
Reposted by Colin Conine
new Lai lab paper @natsmb.nature.com! Dicer is specifically mutated in cancer, but we don't fully understand its molecular/reg impacts. with @danweihuangfu.bsky.social, we characterized the first knockin Dicer hotspot in hESCs, and found unexpected defects in miRNA biogenesis! 🧬 1/4
rdcu.be/eOc0q
rdcu.be/eOc0q
Human DICER1 hotspot mutation induces both loss and gain of miRNA function
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology - Jee et al. study a cancer hotspot allele of DICER1 that disrupts RNaseIIIb activity. Beyond ablating 5p hairpin cleavage, 3p passenger strands are...
rdcu.be
November 10, 2025 at 4:43 PM
new Lai lab paper @natsmb.nature.com! Dicer is specifically mutated in cancer, but we don't fully understand its molecular/reg impacts. with @danweihuangfu.bsky.social, we characterized the first knockin Dicer hotspot in hESCs, and found unexpected defects in miRNA biogenesis! 🧬 1/4
rdcu.be/eOc0q
rdcu.be/eOc0q
Reposted by Colin Conine
🤯This is wow! Molecular mechanism of mRNA export. by @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social @plaschkalab.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 6, 2025 at 5:20 PM
🤯This is wow! Molecular mechanism of mRNA export. by @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social @plaschkalab.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Colin Conine
Check out related work by the Mendell lab (@mendell-lab.bsky.social) and the Xie lab: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1..., www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (3/3)
Plagl1 and Lrrc58 control mammalian body size by triggering target-directed microRNA degradation of miR-322 and miR-503
Precise control of microRNA (miRNA) expression is critical during development. An important mechanism of miRNA regulation is target-directed microRNA degradation (TDMD), a pathway in which the binding...
www.biorxiv.org
November 7, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Check out related work by the Mendell lab (@mendell-lab.bsky.social) and the Xie lab: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1..., www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (3/3)
Reposted by Colin Conine
Check out the latest work from our lab, led by Daniel Lin and Lara Elcavage: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/3)
mRNA 3′ UTRs direct microRNA degradation to participate in imprinted gene networks and regulate growth
MicroRNAs direct downregulation of target mRNAs. Sometimes, however, this regulatory paradigm inverts, and a target RNA triggers the degradation of a microRNA. This target-directed microRNA degradatio...
www.biorxiv.org
November 7, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Check out the latest work from our lab, led by Daniel Lin and Lara Elcavage: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/3)
Reposted by Colin Conine
Make males live more than 400% longer and prevent sexual disfunction late in life?! We're down with it. Our latest preprint: Disruption of the insulin signaling pathway in C. elegans dramatically increases male longevity and enhances reproductive health late in life. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 6, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Make males live more than 400% longer and prevent sexual disfunction late in life?! We're down with it. Our latest preprint: Disruption of the insulin signaling pathway in C. elegans dramatically increases male longevity and enhances reproductive health late in life. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Colin Conine
Reposted by Colin Conine
🎥 G&D Tapes 🎥
G&D author, Haoming Yu tells us about their new study in #genesdev that uses epigenetic editing to probe the role of H3K4me3 at intergenic regulatory elements.
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1290.full
Bluma Lesch
@haomingyu.bsky.social
G&D author, Haoming Yu tells us about their new study in #genesdev that uses epigenetic editing to probe the role of H3K4me3 at intergenic regulatory elements.
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1290.full
Bluma Lesch
@haomingyu.bsky.social
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
🎥 G&D Tapes 🎥
G&D author, Haoming Yu tells us about their new study in #genesdev that uses epigenetic editing to probe the role of H3K4me3 at intergenic regulatory elements.
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1290.full
Bluma Lesch
@haomingyu.bsky.social
G&D author, Haoming Yu tells us about their new study in #genesdev that uses epigenetic editing to probe the role of H3K4me3 at intergenic regulatory elements.
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1290.full
Bluma Lesch
@haomingyu.bsky.social
Reposted by Colin Conine
And another interesting paper from Bonasio lab @upenn.edu www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... "Pseudouridine selects RNAs for extracellular transport" noting among other things "..that MYL6 is a pU-binding protein required for secretion of RNAs." notable MYL6 is found in the Kossiakoff work as a csRBP!
Pseudouridine selects RNAs for extracellular transport
RNAs move through the extracellular space to transmit information between cells, including mammalian neurons, yet how specific RNAs are channeled into these extracellular routes is unknown. Using geno...
www.biorxiv.org
November 2, 2025 at 7:44 PM
And another interesting paper from Bonasio lab @upenn.edu www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... "Pseudouridine selects RNAs for extracellular transport" noting among other things "..that MYL6 is a pU-binding protein required for secretion of RNAs." notable MYL6 is found in the Kossiakoff work as a csRBP!
Reposted by Colin Conine
1/ Excited to share our new study with @brumbaugh-lab.bsky.social, out in @natbiotech.nature.com! P-bodies selectively sequester RNAs encoding cell fate regulators, often from the preceding developmental stage. Releasing these RNAs can drive changes in cell identity. 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Selective RNA sequestration in biomolecular condensates directs cell fate transitions - Nature Biotechnology
Stem cell differentiation is controlled by manipulating RNA condensates.
www.nature.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
1/ Excited to share our new study with @brumbaugh-lab.bsky.social, out in @natbiotech.nature.com! P-bodies selectively sequester RNAs encoding cell fate regulators, often from the preceding developmental stage. Releasing these RNAs can drive changes in cell identity. 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Colin Conine
Argonautes and small RNAs associated with nematode programmed DNA elimination https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.684123v1
October 24, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Argonautes and small RNAs associated with nematode programmed DNA elimination https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.684123v1
Reposted by Colin Conine
Big thanks to all the speakers for their excellent talks: Adelheid Soubry @jamiehackett.bsky.social @nkotaja.bsky.social @romainbarres.bsky.social
@epitep.bsky.social
Anais Vitorino-Carvalho, kaylee Holleman, amrita Raja-ravi-shankar and Blair Schneider from the @colinconine.bsky.social lab
@epitep.bsky.social
Anais Vitorino-Carvalho, kaylee Holleman, amrita Raja-ravi-shankar and Blair Schneider from the @colinconine.bsky.social lab
October 20, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Big thanks to all the speakers for their excellent talks: Adelheid Soubry @jamiehackett.bsky.social @nkotaja.bsky.social @romainbarres.bsky.social
@epitep.bsky.social
Anais Vitorino-Carvalho, kaylee Holleman, amrita Raja-ravi-shankar and Blair Schneider from the @colinconine.bsky.social lab
@epitep.bsky.social
Anais Vitorino-Carvalho, kaylee Holleman, amrita Raja-ravi-shankar and Blair Schneider from the @colinconine.bsky.social lab
Reposted by Colin Conine
microRNAs blaze into the clinic www.nature.com/articles/s41...
microRNAs blaze into the clinic - Nature Biotechnology
After decades-long struggles with microRNA-based therapeutics, Regulus hits paydirt in the clinic and in the marketplace. Is it the beginning of a trend or a one-off?
www.nature.com
October 16, 2025 at 6:13 PM
microRNAs blaze into the clinic www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Colin Conine
Did you know that the genes for critical, ancient components of protein synthesis machinery - tRNAs - are bombarded with mutations, leading to remarkable allelic diversity that likely has functional consequences? I didn't until we did this project!
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
(1/2)
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
(1/2)
Nuclear-encoded tRNA genes harbor substantial allelic diversity in three nematode species
Cytosolic transfer RNAs, which are encoded as hundreds of genes in eukaryotic nuclear genomes, experience exceptionally high rates of mutation and have been hypothesized to carry significant mutationa...
www.biorxiv.org
October 16, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Did you know that the genes for critical, ancient components of protein synthesis machinery - tRNAs - are bombarded with mutations, leading to remarkable allelic diversity that likely has functional consequences? I didn't until we did this project!
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
(1/2)
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
(1/2)
Reposted by Colin Conine
Male mice that exercise can pass their newly gained fitness on to male offspring.
If the same holds true in humans, researchers say, fathers could help improve the health of any future children by staying in shape themselves. https://scim.ag/47igpZm
If the same holds true in humans, researchers say, fathers could help improve the health of any future children by staying in shape themselves. https://scim.ag/47igpZm
Well-exercised male mice appear to pass fitness to their male offspring
Surprising epigenetic effect relies on snippets of RNA packaged within sperm
scim.ag
October 13, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Male mice that exercise can pass their newly gained fitness on to male offspring.
If the same holds true in humans, researchers say, fathers could help improve the health of any future children by staying in shape themselves. https://scim.ag/47igpZm
If the same holds true in humans, researchers say, fathers could help improve the health of any future children by staying in shape themselves. https://scim.ag/47igpZm
Reposted by Colin Conine
Reposted by Colin Conine
The somatic DNA methylation landscape
Figure from our #Review by Zachary D. Smith, Sara Hetzel & Alexander Meissner: DNA methylation in mammalian development and disease go.nature.com/3DlswZn
Free to read here: rdcu.be/dQEND
Figure from our #Review by Zachary D. Smith, Sara Hetzel & Alexander Meissner: DNA methylation in mammalian development and disease go.nature.com/3DlswZn
Free to read here: rdcu.be/dQEND
May 28, 2025 at 11:25 AM
The somatic DNA methylation landscape
Figure from our #Review by Zachary D. Smith, Sara Hetzel & Alexander Meissner: DNA methylation in mammalian development and disease go.nature.com/3DlswZn
Free to read here: rdcu.be/dQEND
Figure from our #Review by Zachary D. Smith, Sara Hetzel & Alexander Meissner: DNA methylation in mammalian development and disease go.nature.com/3DlswZn
Free to read here: rdcu.be/dQEND
Reposted by Colin Conine
Hot off the press from the RTI: mRNA initiation and termination are spatially coordinated
buff.ly/vwSuPWC #RNA #RNATherapeutics
buff.ly/vwSuPWC #RNA #RNATherapeutics
mRNA initiation and termination are spatially coordinated - PubMed
Transcriptional initiation and termination decisions drive messenger RNA (mRNA) isoform diversity but the relationship between them remains poorly understood. By systematically profiling joint usage of...
buff.ly
October 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Hot off the press from the RTI: mRNA initiation and termination are spatially coordinated
buff.ly/vwSuPWC #RNA #RNATherapeutics
buff.ly/vwSuPWC #RNA #RNATherapeutics
Reposted by Colin Conine
RESEARCH PAPER: A noncanonical Pol III-dependent, Microprocessor-independent biogenesis pathway generates a germline-enriched miRNA family
By Sakhawala et al. and Katherine McJunkin
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/19-20/1198.abstract
By Sakhawala et al. and Katherine McJunkin
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/19-20/1198.abstract
October 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM
RESEARCH PAPER: A noncanonical Pol III-dependent, Microprocessor-independent biogenesis pathway generates a germline-enriched miRNA family
By Sakhawala et al. and Katherine McJunkin
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/19-20/1198.abstract
By Sakhawala et al. and Katherine McJunkin
Learn more here:
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/19-20/1198.abstract
Reposted by Colin Conine
Now published! Our paper on:
(1) Accurate sequencing of sperm at scale
(2) Positive selection of spermatogenesis driver mutations across the exome
(3) Offspring disease risks from male reproductive aging
[1/n]
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(1) Accurate sequencing of sperm at scale
(2) Positive selection of spermatogenesis driver mutations across the exome
(3) Offspring disease risks from male reproductive aging
[1/n]
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Sperm sequencing reveals extensive positive selection in the male germline - Nature
A combination of whole-genome NanoSeq with deep whole-exome and targeted NanoSeq is used to accurately characterize mutation rates and genes under positive selection in sperm cells.
www.nature.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Now published! Our paper on:
(1) Accurate sequencing of sperm at scale
(2) Positive selection of spermatogenesis driver mutations across the exome
(3) Offspring disease risks from male reproductive aging
[1/n]
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(1) Accurate sequencing of sperm at scale
(2) Positive selection of spermatogenesis driver mutations across the exome
(3) Offspring disease risks from male reproductive aging
[1/n]
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Colin Conine
Our paper on clonal expansions in Sperm is out in Nature www.nature.com/articles/s41...
If you are interested in working at an intersection of Mendelian genomics/Population genetics/Clonal expansions +Cancer genetics/ and of course mutagenesis, please rich out about postdoc in my lab
If you are interested in working at an intersection of Mendelian genomics/Population genetics/Clonal expansions +Cancer genetics/ and of course mutagenesis, please rich out about postdoc in my lab
October 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Our paper on clonal expansions in Sperm is out in Nature www.nature.com/articles/s41...
If you are interested in working at an intersection of Mendelian genomics/Population genetics/Clonal expansions +Cancer genetics/ and of course mutagenesis, please rich out about postdoc in my lab
If you are interested in working at an intersection of Mendelian genomics/Population genetics/Clonal expansions +Cancer genetics/ and of course mutagenesis, please rich out about postdoc in my lab
Reposted by Colin Conine
Generation of modified cows and sheep from spermatid-like haploid embryonic stem cells go.nature.com/42wdD05
Generation of modified cows and sheep from spermatid-like haploid embryonic stem cells - Nature Biotechnology
Haploid embryonic stem cells for cattle and sheep are produced, opening new reproductive possibilities.
go.nature.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Generation of modified cows and sheep from spermatid-like haploid embryonic stem cells go.nature.com/42wdD05
Reposted by Colin Conine
Protamine lacunae preserve the paternal chromatin landscape in sperm https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.03.680364v1
October 6, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Protamine lacunae preserve the paternal chromatin landscape in sperm https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.03.680364v1
Reposted by Colin Conine
Check out this new Levine-Lampson collaboration, led by the talented Hyuk-Joon Jeon.
We explored the consequences of inheriting long telomeres from dad and short telomeres from mom. Or the reciprocal. Turns out, parent-of-origin matters (in mice, at least).
authors.elsevier.com/c/1loW-3QW8S...
We explored the consequences of inheriting long telomeres from dad and short telomeres from mom. Or the reciprocal. Turns out, parent-of-origin matters (in mice, at least).
authors.elsevier.com/c/1loW-3QW8S...
authors.elsevier.com
October 4, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Check out this new Levine-Lampson collaboration, led by the talented Hyuk-Joon Jeon.
We explored the consequences of inheriting long telomeres from dad and short telomeres from mom. Or the reciprocal. Turns out, parent-of-origin matters (in mice, at least).
authors.elsevier.com/c/1loW-3QW8S...
We explored the consequences of inheriting long telomeres from dad and short telomeres from mom. Or the reciprocal. Turns out, parent-of-origin matters (in mice, at least).
authors.elsevier.com/c/1loW-3QW8S...
Reposted by Colin Conine
**POSTDOC POSITION** My lab (www.goyallab.org) at Northwestern and CZ Biohub Chicago looking for a postdoctoc in quantitative biology. We work on a range of topics, including single-cell cancer plasticity, modeling single-cell perturbations, theory, and stem-embryo models. contact via email. Pls RT
Goyal Lab
www.goyallab.org
September 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
**POSTDOC POSITION** My lab (www.goyallab.org) at Northwestern and CZ Biohub Chicago looking for a postdoctoc in quantitative biology. We work on a range of topics, including single-cell cancer plasticity, modeling single-cell perturbations, theory, and stem-embryo models. contact via email. Pls RT