Julius Brennecke
@juliusbrennecke.bsky.social
enthusiast of transposable elements, genetic conflicts, small RNAs, Drosophila, and funky germline biology
running a lab at IMBA, Vienna BioCenter
https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/research/julius-brennecke
running a lab at IMBA, Vienna BioCenter
https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/research/julius-brennecke
Pinned
PIWI clade Argonautes are essential for transposon silencing. Without them, animals are sterile due to massive transposon activity.
But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?
PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?
PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Love RNA biology?
Join us to explore the piRNA pathway with structural and genetic approaches (see 👇👇).
PhD student/postdoc position co-supervised by Clemens Plaschka & myself.
DM or email us if you’d like to know more!
@vbcscitraining.bsky.social @imbavienna.bsky.social @impvienna.bsky.social
Join us to explore the piRNA pathway with structural and genetic approaches (see 👇👇).
PhD student/postdoc position co-supervised by Clemens Plaschka & myself.
DM or email us if you’d like to know more!
@vbcscitraining.bsky.social @imbavienna.bsky.social @impvienna.bsky.social
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
I need university administrators (and probably some other people too, but definitely university administrators) to understand something: you cannot motivate your faculty to do more research or better teaching.
They are already maximally motivated people. They did not get the job by being […]
They are already maximally motivated people. They did not get the job by being […]
Original post on discuss.systems
discuss.systems
January 6, 2026 at 12:21 AM
I need university administrators (and probably some other people too, but definitely university administrators) to understand something: you cannot motivate your faculty to do more research or better teaching.
They are already maximally motivated people. They did not get the job by being […]
They are already maximally motivated people. They did not get the job by being […]
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
When RNA Degradation 🤝 meets 🤝 Protein Degradation! tinyurl.com/E3TDMD In a collaboration of @bartellab.bsky.social and Schulman lab, we show that, in target-directed microRNA degradation (TDMD), 2-RNA-factors recruit an E3 ligase and induce the degradation of not only a protein but also RNA (1/5).
January 6, 2026 at 8:05 AM
When RNA Degradation 🤝 meets 🤝 Protein Degradation! tinyurl.com/E3TDMD In a collaboration of @bartellab.bsky.social and Schulman lab, we show that, in target-directed microRNA degradation (TDMD), 2-RNA-factors recruit an E3 ligase and induce the degradation of not only a protein but also RNA (1/5).
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
SMC and recombination enthusiasts: we updated our work describing the loop extrusion properties of budding yeast condensin and its function in biasing donor usage for mating-type switching. Lots of cool new data, check it out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
January 6, 2026 at 6:58 AM
SMC and recombination enthusiasts: we updated our work describing the loop extrusion properties of budding yeast condensin and its function in biasing donor usage for mating-type switching. Lots of cool new data, check it out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
FT captures what is almost certainly the common global attitude (among our democratic allies at least) toward trump giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
January 5, 2026 at 5:50 AM
FT captures what is almost certainly the common global attitude (among our democratic allies at least) toward trump giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Given everything happening right now, I updated this article with options for weather apps, web forms, and translation services — along with some tweaks to existing categories.
I hope it helps your transition off US tech!
I hope it helps your transition off US tech!
Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump was a mask off moment and showed the world we can’t depend on US tech companies.
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
Getting off US tech: a guide
I’m in the process of dropping US tech services. Here’s how I did it, and options you should consider.
www.disconnect.blog
January 4, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Given everything happening right now, I updated this article with options for weather apps, web forms, and translation services — along with some tweaks to existing categories.
I hope it helps your transition off US tech!
I hope it helps your transition off US tech!
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Still time to apply until January, 19th!
We are recruiting a tenure track professor in the broader area of molecular biology @zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de at Heidelberg University! www.nature.com/naturecareer... Please share and apply!
Tenure Track Professorship (W1 with Tenure Track to W3) in “Molecular Biology" (f/m/d) - Heidelberg job with Universität Heidelberg | 12850668
The Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH) and the Faculty of Biosciences invite applications for a Tenure Track Professors...
www.nature.com
January 3, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Still time to apply until January, 19th!
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
If you want to become an expert in #zebrafish research, apply for the 2026 Zebrafish Development & Genetics course! You will be working in small groups taught by leaders in the field, which can be a transformative experience!
Application deadline: March 2
www.mbl.edu/education/ad...
Application deadline: March 2
www.mbl.edu/education/ad...
January 3, 2026 at 9:02 AM
If you want to become an expert in #zebrafish research, apply for the 2026 Zebrafish Development & Genetics course! You will be working in small groups taught by leaders in the field, which can be a transformative experience!
Application deadline: March 2
www.mbl.edu/education/ad...
Application deadline: March 2
www.mbl.edu/education/ad...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Looking for a great first read for 2026? Look no further:
Fantastic work spearheaded by my courageous colleague @changweiyu.bsky.social, with surprising findings not only for small RNA but also for exosome and gene expression aficionados
Fantastic work spearheaded by my courageous colleague @changweiyu.bsky.social, with surprising findings not only for small RNA but also for exosome and gene expression aficionados
Intrigued by a long-standing conundrum in small RNA biology—how nuclear Argonaute proteins silence transposons when they *need* target transcription for their own recruitment—we studied the piRNA pathway.
And found a hidden RNA-decay axis from Piwi to the RNA exosome.
And found a hidden RNA-decay axis from Piwi to the RNA exosome.
RNA decay via the nuclear exosome is essential for piwi-mediated transposon silencing https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.16.694471v1
January 2, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Looking for a great first read for 2026? Look no further:
Fantastic work spearheaded by my courageous colleague @changweiyu.bsky.social, with surprising findings not only for small RNA but also for exosome and gene expression aficionados
Fantastic work spearheaded by my courageous colleague @changweiyu.bsky.social, with surprising findings not only for small RNA but also for exosome and gene expression aficionados
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
The cryo cyclical multiplexing expansion microscopy (Cy-ExM) preprint from
@seweryn-galecki.bsky.social , @kevin-dean.bsky.social et al is online.
20 targets across an entire cell. Mr. Snouty also joined the fun.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@seweryn-galecki.bsky.social , @kevin-dean.bsky.social et al is online.
20 targets across an entire cell. Mr. Snouty also joined the fun.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 2, 2026 at 7:39 PM
The cryo cyclical multiplexing expansion microscopy (Cy-ExM) preprint from
@seweryn-galecki.bsky.social , @kevin-dean.bsky.social et al is online.
20 targets across an entire cell. Mr. Snouty also joined the fun.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
@seweryn-galecki.bsky.social , @kevin-dean.bsky.social et al is online.
20 targets across an entire cell. Mr. Snouty also joined the fun.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Genome editing in brown algae! 🧬🪸🌿 Now out in Cell Reports Methods!
Excited to share this highly efficient, transgene-free CRISPR–Cas genome editing protocol for brown algae, requiring no cloning and no specialized equipment.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cr...
#CRISPR #BrownAlgae
@mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Excited to share this highly efficient, transgene-free CRISPR–Cas genome editing protocol for brown algae, requiring no cloning and no specialized equipment.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cr...
#CRISPR #BrownAlgae
@mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
January 2, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Genome editing in brown algae! 🧬🪸🌿 Now out in Cell Reports Methods!
Excited to share this highly efficient, transgene-free CRISPR–Cas genome editing protocol for brown algae, requiring no cloning and no specialized equipment.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cr...
#CRISPR #BrownAlgae
@mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Excited to share this highly efficient, transgene-free CRISPR–Cas genome editing protocol for brown algae, requiring no cloning and no specialized equipment.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cr...
#CRISPR #BrownAlgae
@mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Stanek et al. studied the Drosophila "dot chromosome” to investigate chromosome-specific size expansion, focusing on four species whose dot chromosomes are 2- to 15-fold larger compared to D. melanogaster.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf304
#evobio #molbio #drosophila
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf304
#evobio #molbio #drosophila
December 30, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Stanek et al. studied the Drosophila "dot chromosome” to investigate chromosome-specific size expansion, focusing on four species whose dot chromosomes are 2- to 15-fold larger compared to D. melanogaster.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf304
#evobio #molbio #drosophila
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf304
#evobio #molbio #drosophila
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
“Development, regulatory genomics & AI on April 22-24 www.stowers.org/events/stowe...
Stowers Research Conferences: Development, Regulatory Genomics & AI
Organized by Julia Zeitlinger, Ph.D., Neşet Özel, Ph.D., and Tatjana Sauka-Spengler, Ph.D.
www.stowers.org
December 30, 2025 at 2:38 AM
“Development, regulatory genomics & AI on April 22-24 www.stowers.org/events/stowe...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
2025 was an exciting year for AITHYRA, time to THANK our employees, stakeholders and the scientific community, who helped #AITHYRA, the new Research Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence of the Austrian Academy of Sciences to thrive and become visible. aithyra.at/news/
December 31, 2025 at 7:50 AM
2025 was an exciting year for AITHYRA, time to THANK our employees, stakeholders and the scientific community, who helped #AITHYRA, the new Research Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence of the Austrian Academy of Sciences to thrive and become visible. aithyra.at/news/
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
I love my job but it takes a vacation for me to remember how much it keeps me under a high mental load. After a week I start to think about things I would like to learn and do and then it all inevitably gets buried during work time. Much of my work load is voluntary and I still keep it too high.
December 31, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I love my job but it takes a vacation for me to remember how much it keeps me under a high mental load. After a week I start to think about things I would like to learn and do and then it all inevitably gets buried during work time. Much of my work load is voluntary and I still keep it too high.
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Absolutely thrilled to share the latest work from my lab focused on the variation and evolution of human centromeres among global populations! We assembled 2,110 human centromeres, identifying 226 new major haplotypes and 1,870 α-satellite HOR variants. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
December 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Absolutely thrilled to share the latest work from my lab focused on the variation and evolution of human centromeres among global populations! We assembled 2,110 human centromeres, identifying 226 new major haplotypes and 1,870 α-satellite HOR variants. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Blog post: Just quit
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
Just quit
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Blog post: Just quit
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
☕Shen, @zgelashvili.bsky.social and Niethammer developed an inner #NuclearMembrane tension sensor and demonstrated that ER–nuclear membrane contiguity acts as a mechanical buffer.
bit.ly/3MZM6PF
bit.ly/3MZM6PF
Endoplasmic reticulum disruption stimulates nuclear membrane mechanotransduction - Nature Cell Biology
Shen, Gelashvili and Niethammer developed an inner nuclear membrane tension sensor and demonstrated that ER–nuclear membrane contiguity acts as a mechanical buffer.
bit.ly
December 30, 2025 at 5:18 PM
☕Shen, @zgelashvili.bsky.social and Niethammer developed an inner #NuclearMembrane tension sensor and demonstrated that ER–nuclear membrane contiguity acts as a mechanical buffer.
bit.ly/3MZM6PF
bit.ly/3MZM6PF
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
⏪ G&D RECAP ⏪
🗓️ November 2025
RESEARCH PAPER: A kinetic ruler controls mRNA poly(A) tail length
By Gabs et al. and Matti Turtola
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1377.full
#RNAprocessing #mRNA #polyadenylation #ribonucleoprotein #CPAC
🗓️ November 2025
RESEARCH PAPER: A kinetic ruler controls mRNA poly(A) tail length
By Gabs et al. and Matti Turtola
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1377.full
#RNAprocessing #mRNA #polyadenylation #ribonucleoprotein #CPAC
December 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
⏪ G&D RECAP ⏪
🗓️ November 2025
RESEARCH PAPER: A kinetic ruler controls mRNA poly(A) tail length
By Gabs et al. and Matti Turtola
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1377.full
#RNAprocessing #mRNA #polyadenylation #ribonucleoprotein #CPAC
🗓️ November 2025
RESEARCH PAPER: A kinetic ruler controls mRNA poly(A) tail length
By Gabs et al. and Matti Turtola
➡️ https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/39/21-22/1377.full
#RNAprocessing #mRNA #polyadenylation #ribonucleoprotein #CPAC
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
🚨🚨🚨Places on the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social 2026 Summer School now available! Fantastic opportunity for undergrads to get 1st-hand research experience with world-class facilities at a great campus in the heart of Europe. Details 👇 @vbcscitraining.bsky.social
The Vienna BioCenter Summer School 2026 call is now open for talented undergrads, it's a great opportunity for students who are interested in graduate study in the life sciences. Pim Huis in 't Veld from Max Perutz Labs Vienna is recruiting! Please share
https://training.vbc.ac.at/summer-school/
https://training.vbc.ac.at/summer-school/
December 30, 2025 at 1:18 PM
🚨🚨🚨Places on the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social 2026 Summer School now available! Fantastic opportunity for undergrads to get 1st-hand research experience with world-class facilities at a great campus in the heart of Europe. Details 👇 @vbcscitraining.bsky.social
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Activator-promoter compatibility in mammals - Hcfc1 is a key and intrinsically CGI-promoter-specific co-activator that cannot activate non-CGI promoters. Lead by @nemcko.bsky.social & Kevin Sabath in collab. with @plaschkalab.bsky.social @impvienna.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... (1/2)
Activator-promoter compatibility in mammals: a CpG-Island-specific co-activator directly bridges transcription factors to TFIID
Transcription from CpG island (CGI) promoters controls the expression of two-thirds of mammalian genes, yet despite their prevalence, it remains unknown whether CGI-specific co-activators with intrins...
www.biorxiv.org
December 30, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Activator-promoter compatibility in mammals - Hcfc1 is a key and intrinsically CGI-promoter-specific co-activator that cannot activate non-CGI promoters. Lead by @nemcko.bsky.social & Kevin Sabath in collab. with @plaschkalab.bsky.social @impvienna.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... (1/2)
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Do transcriptional activators work on any promoter? Our data says no. 🙅♂️
Despite driving ~2/3 of mammalian genes, CpG island (CGI) promoters have remained a puzzle. We identified >50 activators that are exclusively compatible with this promoter class. 🧬
Despite driving ~2/3 of mammalian genes, CpG island (CGI) promoters have remained a puzzle. We identified >50 activators that are exclusively compatible with this promoter class. 🧬
December 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Do transcriptional activators work on any promoter? Our data says no. 🙅♂️
Despite driving ~2/3 of mammalian genes, CpG island (CGI) promoters have remained a puzzle. We identified >50 activators that are exclusively compatible with this promoter class. 🧬
Despite driving ~2/3 of mammalian genes, CpG island (CGI) promoters have remained a puzzle. We identified >50 activators that are exclusively compatible with this promoter class. 🧬
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
#TEsky Blinded by the lights? Re-examining the adaptive role of transposable elements in plants with population genomics doi.org/10.1016/j.pb...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 29, 2025 at 2:59 PM
#TEsky Blinded by the lights? Re-examining the adaptive role of transposable elements in plants with population genomics doi.org/10.1016/j.pb...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
A free, open-access library of high-quality organism illustrations for science communication
A free, open-access library of high-quality organism illustrations for science communication
We create vector graphics of model organisms and emerging biological research organisms to enhance our publications. We’re sharing these editable graphics under a CC0 license for other scientists to...
doi.org
December 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
A free, open-access library of high-quality organism illustrations for science communication
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
Join @stirlingchurchman.bsky.social,
@moffittlab.bsky.social, @saramostafavi.bsky.social, me and all speakers for the 2026 CSHL meeting Systems Biology: Global Regulation of Gene Expression, March 11-14. Abstract deadline January 9! More infos and registration at meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.asp...
@moffittlab.bsky.social, @saramostafavi.bsky.social, me and all speakers for the 2026 CSHL meeting Systems Biology: Global Regulation of Gene Expression, March 11-14. Abstract deadline January 9! More infos and registration at meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.asp...
December 29, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Join @stirlingchurchman.bsky.social,
@moffittlab.bsky.social, @saramostafavi.bsky.social, me and all speakers for the 2026 CSHL meeting Systems Biology: Global Regulation of Gene Expression, March 11-14. Abstract deadline January 9! More infos and registration at meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.asp...
@moffittlab.bsky.social, @saramostafavi.bsky.social, me and all speakers for the 2026 CSHL meeting Systems Biology: Global Regulation of Gene Expression, March 11-14. Abstract deadline January 9! More infos and registration at meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.asp...
Reposted by Julius Brennecke
🚨 Alarm!!! 🚨
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...
Deep Learning for Microscopy Image Analysis
Topics The following will be covered extensively during lectures, exercises, and project work: Image denoising and restoration (fully supervised and self-supervised) Image translation (e.g.,
www.janelia.org
December 28, 2025 at 7:06 PM
🚨 Alarm!!! 🚨
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...