Jens Schmidt
@jenscs83.bsky.social
Cancer Biologist, Husband, Father. Interested in Genomic Integrity, Telomeres, Autophagy, and Single Molecule Microscopy.
https://www.theschmidtlab.com/
https://www.theschmidtlab.com/
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Our paper in Science is out! @souravagrawal.bsky.social, @rlynn.bsky.social, @susvirkar.bsky.social, and the rest of the team show human RPA is a telomerase processivity factor essential for telomere maintenance. This reshapes our thinking about telomerase regulation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Human RPA is an essential telomerase processivity factor for maintaining telomeres
Telomerase counteracts telomere shortening by repeatedly adding DNA repeats to chromosome ends. We identified the replication protein A (RPA) heterotrimer as a telomerase processivity factor critical ...
www.science.org
October 30, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Our paper in Science is out! @souravagrawal.bsky.social, @rlynn.bsky.social, @susvirkar.bsky.social, and the rest of the team show human RPA is a telomerase processivity factor essential for telomere maintenance. This reshapes our thinking about telomerase regulation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
"Our findings uncovered a species survival strategy in which telomerase RNA extends telomeres for the next generation by hitchhiking on introns of germline-expressed genes." 🤯
#Celegans 🧪
#Celegans 🧪
Nematode telomerase RNA hitchhikes on introns of germline–up-regulated genes
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that elongates telomeric DNA, ensuring germline immortality. In this study, we identified the Caenorhabditis elegans telomerase RNA component 1 (terc-1), as t...
www.science.org
October 23, 2025 at 10:16 PM
"Our findings uncovered a species survival strategy in which telomerase RNA extends telomeres for the next generation by hitchhiking on introns of germline-expressed genes." 🤯
#Celegans 🧪
#Celegans 🧪
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
1/10 Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Antiviral reverse transcriptases reveal the evolutionary origin of telomerase
Defense-associated reverse transcriptases (DRTs) employ diverse and distinctive mechanisms of cDNA synthesis to protect bacteria against viral infection. However, much of DRT family diversity remains ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
1/10 Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
🚨 Excited to share my main postdoc work from the @jenscs83.bsky.social lab, now out in Cell Reports! 👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... We dissect how shelterin proteins organize at telomeres in human cancer cells—revealing distinct subcomplexes that maintain chromosome ends. 🧵
TRF1 and TRF2 form distinct shelterin subcomplexes at telomeres
The shelterin complex protects chromosome ends from aberrant DNA repair and regulates telomerase access to telomeres. Shelterin is composed of six pro…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 25, 2025 at 1:27 PM
🚨 Excited to share my main postdoc work from the @jenscs83.bsky.social lab, now out in Cell Reports! 👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... We dissect how shelterin proteins organize at telomeres in human cancer cells—revealing distinct subcomplexes that maintain chromosome ends. 🧵
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Find the plasmids here! www.addgene.org/Francesca_Bo...
Thanks for sharing protocols and materials!
Thanks for sharing protocols and materials!
August 13, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Find the plasmids here! www.addgene.org/Francesca_Bo...
Thanks for sharing protocols and materials!
Thanks for sharing protocols and materials!
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Our protocol for gene editing is online and all plasmids are on @addgene.bsky.social! CRISPR away everybody and get in touch if you need anything 🤩
Protocol for fast antibiotic resistance-based gene editing of mammalian cells with CRISPR-Cas9 #protocol #starprotocols #cellpress
Protocol for fast antibiotic resistance-based gene editing of mammalian cells with CRISPR-Cas9
Protein tagging with CRISPR-Cas9 enables the investigation of protein function in its native environment but is limited by low homology-directed repair (HDR) efficiency. Here, we present a protocol for fast antibiotic resistance-based gene editing with CRISPR-Cas9 (FAB-CRISPR), which streamlines N/C-terminal tagging using an antibiotic resistance cassette for rapid selection and enrichment of gene-edited cells. We describe in detail guide RNA and HDR donor plasmid cloning, transfection of editin...
dlvr.it
August 13, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Our protocol for gene editing is online and all plasmids are on @addgene.bsky.social! CRISPR away everybody and get in touch if you need anything 🤩
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
New preprint! We solve a mystery you didn't know existed. Mitotic cells lack new transcription but require ongoing translation. Interphase mRNA half life is only 2-4 hrs. So how do cells arrest in mitosis for hours without depleting their transcriptomes?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Global inhibition of deadenylation stabilizes the transcriptome in mitotic cells
In the presence of cell division errors, mammalian cells can pause in mitosis for tens of hours with little to no transcription, while still requiring continued translation for viability. These unique...
www.biorxiv.org
July 23, 2025 at 10:57 AM
New preprint! We solve a mystery you didn't know existed. Mitotic cells lack new transcription but require ongoing translation. Interphase mRNA half life is only 2-4 hrs. So how do cells arrest in mitosis for hours without depleting their transcriptomes?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Excited this study is out - we helped with an experiment on Paxx www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Dynamic assemblies and coordinated reactions of non-homologous end joining - Nature
Structures associated with the final steps of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and gap filling present new targets for NHEJ inhibition to enhance efficacy of radiotherapy and accuracy of gene editing...
www.nature.com
June 16, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Excited this study is out - we helped with an experiment on Paxx www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
New pre-print! Ryan Kim et al distinguish the roles of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint as a surveillance pathway only triggered by mitotic errors vs a mitotic timer that is required in every cell division.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
June 16, 2025 at 10:54 AM
New pre-print! Ryan Kim et al distinguish the roles of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint as a surveillance pathway only triggered by mitotic errors vs a mitotic timer that is required in every cell division.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
The 3rd Berlin Single Molecule Biophysics Course will run from 8th to 12th September at the HU-Berlin, Institute of Biology.
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
June 5, 2025 at 8:36 PM
The 3rd Berlin Single Molecule Biophysics Course will run from 8th to 12th September at the HU-Berlin, Institute of Biology.
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
Learn about single channels, single molecule TIRF, theory and analysis. Apply by 7th July at bsmbc@icloud.com. Fee waivers and bursaries available.
! Please share widely !
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Are you looking for a faculty job? We are hiring in my department at Roswell Park NOW. Contact me for details as I await the formal ad. (Please RT.)
June 4, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Are you looking for a faculty job? We are hiring in my department at Roswell Park NOW. Contact me for details as I await the formal ad. (Please RT.)
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
🧪
#neurology
#neuroskyence
tinyurl.com/bp5d8386
Another beautiful example of NIH-SPONSORED bedside to bench and back to bedside work from an outstanding clinician scientist. This work is producing some of the most compelling responses to treatment in what is arguably the worst pediatric brain tumor.
#neurology
#neuroskyence
tinyurl.com/bp5d8386
Another beautiful example of NIH-SPONSORED bedside to bench and back to bedside work from an outstanding clinician scientist. This work is producing some of the most compelling responses to treatment in what is arguably the worst pediatric brain tumor.
‘The first experiments produced just jaw-dropping results’
Stanford neuro-oncologist Michelle Monje is pursuing a cure for a deadly pediatric brain cancer – and reshaping our understanding of how cancer and brain development intersect.
tinyurl.com
May 21, 2025 at 7:53 PM
🧪
#neurology
#neuroskyence
tinyurl.com/bp5d8386
Another beautiful example of NIH-SPONSORED bedside to bench and back to bedside work from an outstanding clinician scientist. This work is producing some of the most compelling responses to treatment in what is arguably the worst pediatric brain tumor.
#neurology
#neuroskyence
tinyurl.com/bp5d8386
Another beautiful example of NIH-SPONSORED bedside to bench and back to bedside work from an outstanding clinician scientist. This work is producing some of the most compelling responses to treatment in what is arguably the worst pediatric brain tumor.
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
New preprint from the lab @kaelamakins.bsky.social Genetic interactions between 53BP1-RIF1 and DNA-PKcs for DSB repair outcomes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
53BP1/RIF1 and DNA-PKcs show distinct genetic interactions with diverse chromosomal break repair outcomes.
DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are the effective lesion of cancer radiotherapy and induce gene editing. 53BP1 accumulates at DSBs and is implicated in end joining (EJ) repair, but its influence on DS...
www.biorxiv.org
May 12, 2025 at 6:53 PM
New preprint from the lab @kaelamakins.bsky.social Genetic interactions between 53BP1-RIF1 and DNA-PKcs for DSB repair outcomes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
A great end to another Telomeres CSH meeting! It was nice to see and discuss science with many colleagues. With @cijilim.bsky.social @jenscs83.bsky.social, Stone, Nandakumar, Zappulla labs at banquet
May 4, 2025 at 2:10 PM
A great end to another Telomeres CSH meeting! It was nice to see and discuss science with many colleagues. With @cijilim.bsky.social @jenscs83.bsky.social, Stone, Nandakumar, Zappulla labs at banquet
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
🧵1/
🚨Check out our significantly updated preprint, now out on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social. Together with Sasi Conte lab, we characterize a novel role for intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in promoting RNA-binding selectivity in RNA binding proteins (RBPs): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🚨Check out our significantly updated preprint, now out on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social. Together with Sasi Conte lab, we characterize a novel role for intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in promoting RNA-binding selectivity in RNA binding proteins (RBPs): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
An intrinsically disordered region mediates RNA-binding selectivity and pro-oncogenic activities of LARP6
Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are prevalent in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), yet their roles in RNA interactions remain poorly defined. Here, we examined the structured and disordered RNA-bin...
www.biorxiv.org
April 15, 2025 at 11:36 PM
🧵1/
🚨Check out our significantly updated preprint, now out on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social. Together with Sasi Conte lab, we characterize a novel role for intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in promoting RNA-binding selectivity in RNA binding proteins (RBPs): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🚨Check out our significantly updated preprint, now out on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social. Together with Sasi Conte lab, we characterize a novel role for intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in promoting RNA-binding selectivity in RNA binding proteins (RBPs): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
And on other news. My first contribution to science as a postdoc with @stirlingchurchman.bsky.social is out! We discuss the knowns and unknowns of post-transcriptional splicing. It was really fun to write with the great @karinechoquet
New online! The regulation and function of post-transcriptional RNA splicing
The regulation and function of post-transcriptional RNA splicing
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 11 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41576-025-00836-zPost-transcriptional splicing has emerged as a key layer of gene expression regulation but is challenging to differentiate from co-transcriptional splicing. The authors review methodologies to detect post-transcriptional splicing, the mechanisms controlling splicing timing and how the temporal regulation of splicing affects gene expression.
www.nature.com
April 11, 2025 at 7:29 PM
And on other news. My first contribution to science as a postdoc with @stirlingchurchman.bsky.social is out! We discuss the knowns and unknowns of post-transcriptional splicing. It was really fun to write with the great @karinechoquet
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Telomere Community 🧬 Can't wait for the new CSHL Monograph? Our review on unusual structure at Telomeric repeats is now live on Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives! Grab a few free PDFs here: cshperspectives.cshlp.org/cgi/reprint/... #CHSL #AcademicSky #Science @ezeta.bsky.social @cshlnews.bsky.social
March 20, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Telomere Community 🧬 Can't wait for the new CSHL Monograph? Our review on unusual structure at Telomeric repeats is now live on Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives! Grab a few free PDFs here: cshperspectives.cshlp.org/cgi/reprint/... #CHSL #AcademicSky #Science @ezeta.bsky.social @cshlnews.bsky.social
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Happy to share our latest pre-print!
We solved the cryoEM structures of human DNA repair factor MRN bound to DNA and to TRF2. Main work of Yilan, Filiz @filizkuybu.bsky.social and Hengjun. Great collab within the @sfb1361.bsky.social and @genecenter-lmu.bsky.social 🧬🔨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We solved the cryoEM structures of human DNA repair factor MRN bound to DNA and to TRF2. Main work of Yilan, Filiz @filizkuybu.bsky.social and Hengjun. Great collab within the @sfb1361.bsky.social and @genecenter-lmu.bsky.social 🧬🔨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Structural basis for DNA double-strand break sensing by human MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 and its TRF2 complex
The MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex is a central, multifunctional factor in the detection, signaling and nucleolytic processing of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). To clarify how human MRN binds generi...
www.biorxiv.org
March 17, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Happy to share our latest pre-print!
We solved the cryoEM structures of human DNA repair factor MRN bound to DNA and to TRF2. Main work of Yilan, Filiz @filizkuybu.bsky.social and Hengjun. Great collab within the @sfb1361.bsky.social and @genecenter-lmu.bsky.social 🧬🔨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We solved the cryoEM structures of human DNA repair factor MRN bound to DNA and to TRF2. Main work of Yilan, Filiz @filizkuybu.bsky.social and Hengjun. Great collab within the @sfb1361.bsky.social and @genecenter-lmu.bsky.social 🧬🔨
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Plasmids for our destabilized MCP (dMCP) & PCP (dPCP) coat proteins are now on @addgene.bsky.social here: www.addgene.org/browse/article/28252367/
These proteins are degraded by cells except when bound to their RNA hairpin targets (MS2 & PP7): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.21.624393v1
These proteins are degraded by cells except when bound to their RNA hairpin targets (MS2 & PP7): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.21.624393v1
March 3, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Plasmids for our destabilized MCP (dMCP) & PCP (dPCP) coat proteins are now on @addgene.bsky.social here: www.addgene.org/browse/article/28252367/
These proteins are degraded by cells except when bound to their RNA hairpin targets (MS2 & PP7): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.21.624393v1
These proteins are degraded by cells except when bound to their RNA hairpin targets (MS2 & PP7): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.21.624393v1
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Cash lab is hiring a junior specialist/lab manager. Please feel free to reach out to me for details!
Link to apply here: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07011
Lab website here: cash4rhogefs.faculty.ucdavis.edu
Link to apply here: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07011
Lab website here: cash4rhogefs.faculty.ucdavis.edu
February 26, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Cash lab is hiring a junior specialist/lab manager. Please feel free to reach out to me for details!
Link to apply here: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07011
Lab website here: cash4rhogefs.faculty.ucdavis.edu
Link to apply here: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07011
Lab website here: cash4rhogefs.faculty.ucdavis.edu
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
🥳Just published @nature.com. Over 25 years after the discovery of SPO11 as the enzyme responsible for initiating meiotic recombination, we finally succeeded in reconstituting its DNA cleavage activity.🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
SPO11 dimers are sufficient to catalyse DNA double-strand breaks in vitro - Nature
A biochemical system recapitulates the hallmarks of meiotic double-strand break formation, with mouse SPO11 catalysing break formation in the absence of any partners and remaining covalently atta...
www.nature.com
February 19, 2025 at 4:52 PM
🥳Just published @nature.com. Over 25 years after the discovery of SPO11 as the enzyme responsible for initiating meiotic recombination, we finally succeeded in reconstituting its DNA cleavage activity.🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thanks @franbottanelli.bsky.social for leading this effort!
Addition genome editing plasmids are available on our labs addgene page.
www.addgene.org/Jens_Schmidt/
Addition genome editing plasmids are available on our labs addgene page.
www.addgene.org/Jens_Schmidt/
February 19, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Thanks @franbottanelli.bsky.social for leading this effort!
Addition genome editing plasmids are available on our labs addgene page.
www.addgene.org/Jens_Schmidt/
Addition genome editing plasmids are available on our labs addgene page.
www.addgene.org/Jens_Schmidt/
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Long in the making but our protocol for gene editing is online! FAB CRISPR is super easy and allows the generation of N and C terminal fusions with TurboID, SNAP, Halo and mStayGold. A single cloninf step to generate HDR templates! arxiv.org/abs/2502.12675 1/n
Fast Antibiotic resistance-Based gene editing of mammalian cells with CRISPR-Cas9 (FAB-CRISPR)
Protein tagging with CRISPR-Cas9 enables the investigation of protein function in its native environment but is limited by low homology-directed repair (HDR) efficiency causing low knock-in rates. We ...
arxiv.org
February 19, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Long in the making but our protocol for gene editing is online! FAB CRISPR is super easy and allows the generation of N and C terminal fusions with TurboID, SNAP, Halo and mStayGold. A single cloninf step to generate HDR templates! arxiv.org/abs/2502.12675 1/n
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
I maxed out my credit card, emptied my savings account, and took out a loan to move from Alabama to Bethesda, MD. I don’t even qualify for unemployment since I’ve only worked at NIH for a month. I will be financially and medically devastated.
Seeking suggestions for anywhere that’s hiring!!
Seeking suggestions for anywhere that’s hiring!!
Today, along with 2,000 other NIH employees, I had to clear out my office 😭
It was truly the honor of my life to work with such incredibly passionate people focused on improving human health. I’ve never experienced a more positive culture where *everyone* cared about their job and serving others.
It was truly the honor of my life to work with such incredibly passionate people focused on improving human health. I’ve never experienced a more positive culture where *everyone* cared about their job and serving others.
February 14, 2025 at 11:49 PM
I maxed out my credit card, emptied my savings account, and took out a loan to move from Alabama to Bethesda, MD. I don’t even qualify for unemployment since I’ve only worked at NIH for a month. I will be financially and medically devastated.
Seeking suggestions for anywhere that’s hiring!!
Seeking suggestions for anywhere that’s hiring!!
Reposted by Jens Schmidt
Making intrabodies from antibodies just got easier! Learn how we made 𝟭𝟵 intrabodies to bind and light up peptides and histone modifications in live cells. And thanks to Academia, all sequences are freely available. (video credit: Yuko Sato @YukoSatoT2) (1/15)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
February 12, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Making intrabodies from antibodies just got easier! Learn how we made 𝟭𝟵 intrabodies to bind and light up peptides and histone modifications in live cells. And thanks to Academia, all sequences are freely available. (video credit: Yuko Sato @YukoSatoT2) (1/15)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...