Max Haase
@maxhaase.bsky.social
Chief Yeast Officer. Evolution, genomes, chromatin, cell cycle, centromeres, and kinetochore are scientific passions. PostDoc with Andrea Musacchio @ MPI-Dortmund. 🇺🇸 -> 🇩🇪
Pinned
Max Haase
@maxhaase.bsky.social
· Apr 25
Ancient co-option of LTR retrotransposons as yeast centromeres
The evolutionary origins of the genetic point centromere in the brewer's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a member of the order Saccharomycetales, are still unknown. Competing hypotheses suggest that t...
www.biorxiv.org
It’s out! The evolutionary origins of yeast point centromeres uncovered!
“Ancient co-option of LTR retrotransposons as yeast centromeres”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
“Ancient co-option of LTR retrotransposons as yeast centromeres”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Men will really come up with every stupid reason not to recognize their women colleagues’ contributions.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery
The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality.
www.nature.com
October 10, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Men will really come up with every stupid reason not to recognize their women colleagues’ contributions.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Apparently termites have spent the past few millennia secretly building the "equivalent to ∼4000 great pyramids of Giza" in Brazil.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
A vast 4,000-year-old spatial pattern of termite mounds
Martin et al. show that in Northeast Brazil an estimated 200 million, regularly spaced,
termite mounds are up to 4000 years old. Each mound is 2-4m high by 9 m in diameter;
they occupy 230,000 km2, an...
www.cell.com
October 2, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Apparently termites have spent the past few millennia secretly building the "equivalent to ∼4000 great pyramids of Giza" in Brazil.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Max Haase
New preprint from the lab: we show that the ability to switch mating type was lost at least 13 times independently in the evolution of S. cerevisiae. At least 27% of isolates are heterothallic with a strong association with polyploidy and heterozygosity
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Repeated losses of self-fertility shaped heterozygosity and polyploidy in yeast evolution
Evolutionary transitions in mating strategy have profound consequences for genetic variation and adaptation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mating-type switching is a central feature of the life cycle t...
www.biorxiv.org
September 16, 2025 at 6:42 PM
New preprint from the lab: we show that the ability to switch mating type was lost at least 13 times independently in the evolution of S. cerevisiae. At least 27% of isolates are heterothallic with a strong association with polyploidy and heterozygosity
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Max Haase
The BUB1 and BUBR1 paralogs scaffold the kinetochore fibrous corona | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Congratulations @vcmentowski.bsky.social for solving a remarkably challenging molecular puzzle
Congratulations @vcmentowski.bsky.social for solving a remarkably challenging molecular puzzle
The BUB1 and BUBR1 paralogs scaffold the kinetochore fibrous corona
The kinetochore fibrous corona docks on CENP-E and a second elusive receptor identified as the checkpoint protein BUB1.
www.science.org
September 15, 2025 at 4:50 AM
The BUB1 and BUBR1 paralogs scaffold the kinetochore fibrous corona | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Congratulations @vcmentowski.bsky.social for solving a remarkably challenging molecular puzzle
Congratulations @vcmentowski.bsky.social for solving a remarkably challenging molecular puzzle
One may argue unicellular life still rules the earth. Us multicellular forms are just really big and especially self-absorbed
For some three billion years, unicellular organisms ruled Earth. Then, around one billion years ago, a new chapter of life began
go.nature.com/3JyRV4S
go.nature.com/3JyRV4S
How did life get multicellular? Five simple organisms could have the answer
Single-celled species that often stick together in colonies have researchers rethinking the origin of animals.
go.nature.com
August 28, 2025 at 1:41 PM
One may argue unicellular life still rules the earth. Us multicellular forms are just really big and especially self-absorbed
People who upload preprints without the supplemental materials should go straight to jail
August 8, 2025 at 12:56 PM
People who upload preprints without the supplemental materials should go straight to jail
Reposted by Max Haase
New preprint from lab adding to recent interest in yeast centromeres. There are dramatic changes in structure, but location is conserved www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Centromeres in budding yeasts are conserved in chromosomal location but not in structure.
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has ‘point’ centromeres, which are much smaller and simpler than centromeres of most other eukaryotes and have a defined DNA sequence. Other yeast taxa have ...
www.biorxiv.org
August 1, 2025 at 1:11 PM
New preprint from lab adding to recent interest in yeast centromeres. There are dramatic changes in structure, but location is conserved www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Max Haase
Reposted by Max Haase
Finally out! Check out our new work on how M18BP1, known so far to be important for the epigenetic maintenance of centromeres, supports chromosome condensation when the cell enters mitosis. We also uncover a regulatory ménage á trois between condensin II, M18BP1 and MCPH1.
Condensin II activation by M18BP1
Condensin I and II promote the drastic spatial rearrangement of the human genome upon mitotic entry. While condensin II is known to initiate this proc…
www.sciencedirect.com
July 16, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Finally out! Check out our new work on how M18BP1, known so far to be important for the epigenetic maintenance of centromeres, supports chromosome condensation when the cell enters mitosis. We also uncover a regulatory ménage á trois between condensin II, M18BP1 and MCPH1.
Reposted by Max Haase
NEW pub: The role of metabolism in shaping #enzyme structures over 400 million years. Now out in @nature.com
Super grateful to have played a small role in this project - congrats to lead/corr authors Oliver, Benjamin, and Markus!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#alphafold #evolution #genomics
Super grateful to have played a small role in this project - congrats to lead/corr authors Oliver, Benjamin, and Markus!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#alphafold #evolution #genomics
July 10, 2025 at 7:57 PM
NEW pub: The role of metabolism in shaping #enzyme structures over 400 million years. Now out in @nature.com
Super grateful to have played a small role in this project - congrats to lead/corr authors Oliver, Benjamin, and Markus!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#alphafold #evolution #genomics
Super grateful to have played a small role in this project - congrats to lead/corr authors Oliver, Benjamin, and Markus!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#alphafold #evolution #genomics
Reposted by Max Haase
We have an opening for postdoctoral training! Please apply by 15th August 2025 for full consideration. Here is the ad: hittinger.genetics.wisc.edu/People/Join/...
hittinger.genetics.wisc.edu
July 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
We have an opening for postdoctoral training! Please apply by 15th August 2025 for full consideration. Here is the ad: hittinger.genetics.wisc.edu/People/Join/...
Reposted by Max Haase
A paper I have been working on with Oliver Lemke in the Ralser lab has just come out: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We used predicted structures to gain insight into the evolution of metabolic proteins in yeast.
A bit more in this linked-in post (www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...).
We used predicted structures to gain insight into the evolution of metabolic proteins in yeast.
A bit more in this linked-in post (www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...).
The role of metabolism in shaping enzyme structures over 400 million years - Nature
By combining structural biology and evolutionary genomics analyses, the evolution of enzymes over 400 million years is shown to be governed by catalytic function, metabolic network architecture, cost ...
www.nature.com
July 10, 2025 at 3:10 PM
A paper I have been working on with Oliver Lemke in the Ralser lab has just come out: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We used predicted structures to gain insight into the evolution of metabolic proteins in yeast.
A bit more in this linked-in post (www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...).
We used predicted structures to gain insight into the evolution of metabolic proteins in yeast.
A bit more in this linked-in post (www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...).
Reposted by Max Haase
This is a good time to remember that Moas, Emus, and the other ratites diverged so long ago, they FLEW to different continents, and then lost the ability to fly and became giants independently. You can't just sprinkle a few variants to make one into the other.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
July 9, 2025 at 10:34 PM
This is a good time to remember that Moas, Emus, and the other ratites diverged so long ago, they FLEW to different continents, and then lost the ability to fly and became giants independently. You can't just sprinkle a few variants to make one into the other.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
New favorite worst graphical abstract just dropped.
July 7, 2025 at 12:17 PM
New favorite worst graphical abstract just dropped.
Reposted by Max Haase
Finally out in Nature Chem Bio:
SNAP-tag2 for faster and brighter protein labeling
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thank you Steffi and Veselin.
SNAP-tag2 for faster and brighter protein labeling
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thank you Steffi and Veselin.
SNAP-tag2 for faster and brighter protein labeling - Nature Chemical Biology
SNAP-tag is a widespread tool for labeling protein for bioimaging. Now, Kühn et al. report SNAP-tag2 with increased labeling kinetics and brightness, which translates into a better performance in live...
www.nature.com
July 3, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Finally out in Nature Chem Bio:
SNAP-tag2 for faster and brighter protein labeling
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thank you Steffi and Veselin.
SNAP-tag2 for faster and brighter protein labeling
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thank you Steffi and Veselin.
Reposted by Max Haase
Reposted by Max Haase
Very happy to support someone in applying for a MCSA fellowship to work on either choanoflagellates or Nematostella! If you have a competitive CV then get in contact!
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/post...
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/post...
Postdoctoral Fellowships
The information provided on this page is a summary of the main rules and requirements for Postdoctoral Fellowships (PFs) and who can apply for them.
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu
June 25, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Very happy to support someone in applying for a MCSA fellowship to work on either choanoflagellates or Nematostella! If you have a competitive CV then get in contact!
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/post...
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/post...
This gets passed around like it was instruction manual that trump and co followed. But it’s a parody of America as it was in 2012 (and now). The fact that’s lost on so many is why Americans elected trump.
Is it too late to give Sacha Baron Cohen an Oscar for this? Not a damn lie told. 🇺🇸
June 23, 2025 at 8:36 AM
This gets passed around like it was instruction manual that trump and co followed. But it’s a parody of America as it was in 2012 (and now). The fact that’s lost on so many is why Americans elected trump.
Reposted by Max Haase
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@vcmentowski.bsky.social reports a direct interaction of BUB1 with the RZZ that is necessary for RZZ recruitment when CENP-E is depleted. This may complete the identification of the receptors of the RZZ required for fibrous corona assembly
@vcmentowski.bsky.social reports a direct interaction of BUB1 with the RZZ that is necessary for RZZ recruitment when CENP-E is depleted. This may complete the identification of the receptors of the RZZ required for fibrous corona assembly
www.biorxiv.org
June 19, 2025 at 6:23 AM
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@vcmentowski.bsky.social reports a direct interaction of BUB1 with the RZZ that is necessary for RZZ recruitment when CENP-E is depleted. This may complete the identification of the receptors of the RZZ required for fibrous corona assembly
@vcmentowski.bsky.social reports a direct interaction of BUB1 with the RZZ that is necessary for RZZ recruitment when CENP-E is depleted. This may complete the identification of the receptors of the RZZ required for fibrous corona assembly
the lesson of this is that tucker is a useful idiot for the kremlin and toppling of the Iranian regime is net loss for putin
the lesson of this isn't that tucker carlson is actually good but that you should ask these people basic factual questions instead of bullshit about politics
WATCH: “You’re a U.S. senator and you don’t know anything about the country you want to topple.”
Tucker Carlson embarrasses @sentedcruz as he pushes for war with Iran
Tucker Carlson embarrasses @sentedcruz as he pushes for war with Iran
June 18, 2025 at 5:53 AM
the lesson of this is that tucker is a useful idiot for the kremlin and toppling of the Iranian regime is net loss for putin
Insanity. HMMER is a fundamentally critical tool for biomedical research, biotechnology, AI, etc,.
NIH funding supporting the HMMER and Infernal software projects has been terminated. NIH states that our work, as well as all other federally funded research at Harvard, is of no benefit to the US.
May 29, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Insanity. HMMER is a fundamentally critical tool for biomedical research, biotechnology, AI, etc,.
Reposted by Max Haase
Just out - a collaborative effort examining gene family evolution across yeast species. We found that fast-evolving yeasts lose more genes - especially ones for splicing, metabolism, and cell division. This is consistent with their narrow metabolic niche breadth.
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Unique trajectory of gene family evolution from genomic analysis of nearly all known species in an ancient yeast lineage | Molecular Systems Biology
imageimageLarge-scale comparison of gene families across 1154 Saccharomycotina genomes revealed
that gene gains and losses drive yeast evolution. Faster-evolving lineages lose more
genes and speciate ...
www.embopress.org
May 27, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Just out - a collaborative effort examining gene family evolution across yeast species. We found that fast-evolving yeasts lose more genes - especially ones for splicing, metabolism, and cell division. This is consistent with their narrow metabolic niche breadth.
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
De-extinction is outlandishly stupid because 1) it is impossible and 2) it harms living species that are near-extinction. The PR gimmicks Colossal plays and their pseudo-scientific approach only serves to fill their pockets and to harm the ecosystems they espouse to be "saving"
Jesus. Excellent work by Michael Le Page, and utterly infuriating scenario. As Michael points out, the press release from Colossal called these dire wolves throughout. But now they want to argue that they never claimed that. Scandalous, really.
www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Colossal scientist now admits they haven’t really made dire wolves
Despite a huge media fanfare in which Colossal Biosciences claimed to have resurrected the extinct dire wolf, the company's chief scientist now concedes that the animals are merely modified grey wolve...
www.newscientist.com
May 23, 2025 at 10:03 AM
De-extinction is outlandishly stupid because 1) it is impossible and 2) it harms living species that are near-extinction. The PR gimmicks Colossal plays and their pseudo-scientific approach only serves to fill their pockets and to harm the ecosystems they espouse to be "saving"
We have the means to defeat AI-abusing students:
May 7, 2025 at 2:15 PM
We have the means to defeat AI-abusing students:
Perhaps the solution to the world's current democratic instability is to be in a constant state of perpetual elections where no one wins and no one governs? Germany taking a keen lead in this new format!
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Germany’s Merz Suffers Surprise Setback in Bid to Be Confirmed Chancellor
The conservative politician lost a first-round parliamentary vote to become leader, an upset that spells fresh uncertainty for Europe.
www.wsj.com
May 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Perhaps the solution to the world's current democratic instability is to be in a constant state of perpetual elections where no one wins and no one governs? Germany taking a keen lead in this new format!
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
www.wsj.com/world/europe...