Jonathan Fenn
@jfennbio.bsky.social
Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Nottingham - looking at the evolution of microRNA and its impact on phenotypes.
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
November 18, 2025 at 10:49 AM
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
It was a great privilege to be involved with this paper on a new T2T zebra finch genome, working on the miRNA side of things. Have a read of the preprint now!
The complete genome of a songbird https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.14.682431v1
October 21, 2025 at 11:19 AM
It was a great privilege to be involved with this paper on a new T2T zebra finch genome, working on the miRNA side of things. Have a read of the preprint now!
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
Talk from @jfennbio.bsky.social at #ESEB2025 on this work. I didn't catch the actual predictive accuracy in the talk - from the paper, I glean that it's >90%!
Take a look at our work on miRNAs and their involvement with placental phenotypes. It's great to see this work finally see the light of day - huge thanks to everyone involved with the manuscript.
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 20, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Talk from @jfennbio.bsky.social at #ESEB2025 on this work. I didn't catch the actual predictive accuracy in the talk - from the paper, I glean that it's >90%!
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
The day finished off strong with loads of great talks in the Genomics of Evolutionary Innovations symposium!
I'm pleased to report that my talk went well ☺️ 🎨🖌️
#eseb2025 #eseb #esebconference
@eseb2025.bsky.social @jfenn.bsky.social @timothyfuqua.bsky.social
I'm pleased to report that my talk went well ☺️ 🎨🖌️
#eseb2025 #eseb #esebconference
@eseb2025.bsky.social @jfenn.bsky.social @timothyfuqua.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The day finished off strong with loads of great talks in the Genomics of Evolutionary Innovations symposium!
I'm pleased to report that my talk went well ☺️ 🎨🖌️
#eseb2025 #eseb #esebconference
@eseb2025.bsky.social @jfenn.bsky.social @timothyfuqua.bsky.social
I'm pleased to report that my talk went well ☺️ 🎨🖌️
#eseb2025 #eseb #esebconference
@eseb2025.bsky.social @jfenn.bsky.social @timothyfuqua.bsky.social
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025!
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
August 17, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025!
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025!
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
August 17, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025!
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
In Nature Genetics, @danielibrahim.bsky.social (MPIMG/BIH) and his team have developed a bioinformatic tool to identify evolutionary conserved regulatory regions of the genome that have transformed so much over time that their DNA sequences have changed completely.
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/4927054
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/4927054
July 3, 2025 at 9:22 AM
In Nature Genetics, @danielibrahim.bsky.social (MPIMG/BIH) and his team have developed a bioinformatic tool to identify evolutionary conserved regulatory regions of the genome that have transformed so much over time that their DNA sequences have changed completely.
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/4927054
👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/4927054
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
Why do imperfect mimics (such as many hoverflies) exist? We created 3D printed replicas of flies, wasps and our own custom intermediates and then "asked" various predators what they thought of our 3D stimuli. Read all about it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mapping the adaptive landscape of Batesian mimicry using 3D-printed stimuli - Nature
Birds have an excellent ability to learn to discriminate harmless insects from those that they mimic on the basis of subtle differences in appearance.
www.nature.com
July 2, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Why do imperfect mimics (such as many hoverflies) exist? We created 3D printed replicas of flies, wasps and our own custom intermediates and then "asked" various predators what they thought of our 3D stimuli. Read all about it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Take a look at our work on miRNAs and their involvement with placental phenotypes. It's great to see this work finally see the light of day - huge thanks to everyone involved with the manuscript.
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
www.biorxiv.org
July 2, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Take a look at our work on miRNAs and their involvement with placental phenotypes. It's great to see this work finally see the light of day - huge thanks to everyone involved with the manuscript.
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
www.biorxiv.org
June 30, 2025 at 3:05 PM
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
It's great to see this work lead by @klarawanelik.bsky.social published - voles which are superspreaders of pathogenic bacteria have distinct gut microbiota:
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
Superspreaders have lower gut microbial alpha-diversity and distinct gut microbial composition in a natural rodent population - Animal Microbiome
The microbiome is well known to drive variation in host states (e.g. behaviour, immunity) that would be expected to modulate the spread of infectious disease—but the role of microbiotal interactions i...
doi.org
May 6, 2025 at 8:10 AM
It's great to see this work lead by @klarawanelik.bsky.social published - voles which are superspreaders of pathogenic bacteria have distinct gut microbiota:
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
It's great to see this work lead by @klarawanelik.bsky.social published - voles which are superspreaders of pathogenic bacteria have distinct gut microbiota:
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
Superspreaders have lower gut microbial alpha-diversity and distinct gut microbial composition in a natural rodent population - Animal Microbiome
The microbiome is well known to drive variation in host states (e.g. behaviour, immunity) that would be expected to modulate the spread of infectious disease—but the role of microbiotal interactions i...
doi.org
May 6, 2025 at 8:10 AM
It's great to see this work lead by @klarawanelik.bsky.social published - voles which are superspreaders of pathogenic bacteria have distinct gut microbiota:
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
doi.org/10.1186/s425...
Great to see this review of specialised ribosomes from Alan in our group, and his colleagues in RiboCode, published today.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Specialized ribosomes: integrating new insights and current challenges | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Variation in the composition of different ribosomes, termed ribosome heterogeneity, is a now well established phenomenon. However, the functional implications of this heterogeneity on the regulation of protein synthesis are only now beginning to be ...
royalsocietypublishing.org
March 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Great to see this review of specialised ribosomes from Alan in our group, and his colleagues in RiboCode, published today.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
I will be speaking about miRNAs and placental phenotypes at PopGroup this afternoon at 14.15 in LT3 - come along if you're here!
January 8, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I will be speaking about miRNAs and placental phenotypes at PopGroup this afternoon at 14.15 in LT3 - come along if you're here!
miRNA back in the news!
Our miRNA story is now in @science.org ! We found a microRNA, not a protein, that finally solved a long-standing evolutionary mystery of wing coloration in butterflies and moths. (1/n)
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A microRNA is the effector gene of a classic evolutionary hotspot locus
In Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the genomic region around the gene cortex is a “hotspot” locus, repeatedly implicated in generating intraspecific melanic wing color polymorphisms across 100 mi...
www.science.org
December 6, 2024 at 11:57 AM
miRNA back in the news!
When I'm not doing research, I occasionally write about video games, and in this piece that just went up @unwinnable.com I try to combine the two. Specifically, I look at the difficulties of simulating the natural world in a game. Have a read if that sounds at all interesting!
"So how can we bridge the gap between the complexity of the real natural world, and the games which attempt to emulate it: beautiful, impressive, but ultimately shallow simulacra?"
@jfenn.bsky.social imagines how games can incorporate more realistic ecosystems:
@jfenn.bsky.social imagines how games can incorporate more realistic ecosystems:
Shadows of Worlds Unto Themselves - Unwinnable
A big limitation of videogame ecosystems is their strong focus on predation and conflict.
buff.ly
December 4, 2024 at 11:17 AM
When I'm not doing research, I occasionally write about video games, and in this piece that just went up @unwinnable.com I try to combine the two. Specifically, I look at the difficulties of simulating the natural world in a game. Have a read if that sounds at all interesting!
Reposted by Jonathan Fenn
‘A place of joy’: why scientists are joining the rush to Bluesky
For me, it certainly feels good to be here!
@natureportfolio.bsky.social @bsky.app
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
For me, it certainly feels good to be here!
@natureportfolio.bsky.social @bsky.app
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
‘A place of joy’: why scientists are joining the rush to Bluesky
Researchers say the social-media platform — an alternative to X — offers more control over the content they see and the people they engage with.
www.nature.com
November 22, 2024 at 6:49 AM
‘A place of joy’: why scientists are joining the rush to Bluesky
For me, it certainly feels good to be here!
@natureportfolio.bsky.social @bsky.app
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
For me, it certainly feels good to be here!
@natureportfolio.bsky.social @bsky.app
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
In my ongoing quest to leave Twitter, I'm hoping use this account for sharing my research, and publicising the work of the O'Connell lab here at the University of Nottingham.
I'm looking at the evolution of microRNA - the discovery of which recently earned a Nobel Prize!
tinyurl.com/552ph6xh
I'm looking at the evolution of microRNA - the discovery of which recently earned a Nobel Prize!
tinyurl.com/552ph6xh
Nobel Prize goes to microRNA researchers
US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun helped explain how genes work inside the human body.
tinyurl.com
October 14, 2024 at 8:57 AM
In my ongoing quest to leave Twitter, I'm hoping use this account for sharing my research, and publicising the work of the O'Connell lab here at the University of Nottingham.
I'm looking at the evolution of microRNA - the discovery of which recently earned a Nobel Prize!
tinyurl.com/552ph6xh
I'm looking at the evolution of microRNA - the discovery of which recently earned a Nobel Prize!
tinyurl.com/552ph6xh