Marco Podobnik
@mpodobnik.bsky.social
Walter Benjamin Fellow at @armilabs.bsky.social Melbourne interested in developmental, regenerative and evolutionary biology. @mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social alumnus. https://marcopodobnik.wordpress.com/
Pinned
Happy to have contributed to this big story. We present new genome assemblies, genus-wide complementation and allele-specific expression analyses in hybrids between zebrafish and closely related Danio species with divergent pigment patterns. A vertebrate model genus for basic comparative biology.
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
I am so excited to share new work on a TE insertion that regulates iridescence in swordtails, led by fantastic grad student @nadiahaghani.bsky.social and with help from many coauthors! In a time that has been so difficult to navigate, this & other projects have kept my spirits up: shorturl.at/NE65A
Insertion of an invading retrovirus regulates a novel color trait in swordtail fish
For over a century, evolutionary biologists have been motivated to understand the mechanisms through which organisms adapt to their environments. Coloration and pigmentation are remarkably variable wi...
shorturl.at
November 12, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I am so excited to share new work on a TE insertion that regulates iridescence in swordtails, led by fantastic grad student @nadiahaghani.bsky.social and with help from many coauthors! In a time that has been so difficult to navigate, this & other projects have kept my spirits up: shorturl.at/NE65A
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
🔍 In our review, led by Tina Munch, a hydrocephalus neurosurgeon, we explore this question. We examined the role of cilia in human hydrocephalus and highlight a key insight: primary cilia may play a more critical role than motile cilia, particularly through their influence on brain development.
October 30, 2025 at 8:43 PM
🔍 In our review, led by Tina Munch, a hydrocephalus neurosurgeon, we explore this question. We examined the role of cilia in human hydrocephalus and highlight a key insight: primary cilia may play a more critical role than motile cilia, particularly through their influence on brain development.
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Good to see this study from Ribes & co in print: PAX3/PAX7 transcription factors control neural tube patterning by simultaneously repressing ventral fates via H3K27me3 deposition at silencers & activating dorsal fates as pioneer factors at enhancers
@ribes
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@ribes
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Dual transcriptional activities of PAX3 and PAX7 spatially encode spinal cell fates through distinct gene networks
How do transcription factors, with pleotropic functions, generate organized cellular diversity in developing tissues? This study shows that PAX3 and PAX7 orchestrate spinal cord patterning by acting a...
journals.plos.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Good to see this study from Ribes & co in print: PAX3/PAX7 transcription factors control neural tube patterning by simultaneously repressing ventral fates via H3K27me3 deposition at silencers & activating dorsal fates as pioneer factors at enhancers
@ribes
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@ribes
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
1/2 Want to become up to date with pangenomes and genome graphs and their history? Check out this fantastic review by @zbao.bsky.social!
Complexity welcome: Pangenome graphs for comprehensive population genomics
#pangenomes #plantscience #genomegraphs
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Complexity welcome: Pangenome graphs for comprehensive population genomics
#pangenomes #plantscience #genomegraphs
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
October 27, 2025 at 5:53 PM
1/2 Want to become up to date with pangenomes and genome graphs and their history? Check out this fantastic review by @zbao.bsky.social!
Complexity welcome: Pangenome graphs for comprehensive population genomics
#pangenomes #plantscience #genomegraphs
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Complexity welcome: Pangenome graphs for comprehensive population genomics
#pangenomes #plantscience #genomegraphs
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
The Question: We know the spinal cord has 11 molecularly distinct progenitor domains generating distinct neurons, but how are these linked by actual LINEAGE relationships? When do progenitors commit to specific cardinal neuron fates, and how early is that commitment resolved?
October 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
The Question: We know the spinal cord has 11 molecularly distinct progenitor domains generating distinct neurons, but how are these linked by actual LINEAGE relationships? When do progenitors commit to specific cardinal neuron fates, and how early is that commitment resolved?
Happy to have contributed to this big story. We present new genome assemblies, genus-wide complementation and allele-specific expression analyses in hybrids between zebrafish and closely related Danio species with divergent pigment patterns. A vertebrate model genus for basic comparative biology.
October 20, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Happy to have contributed to this big story. We present new genome assemblies, genus-wide complementation and allele-specific expression analyses in hybrids between zebrafish and closely related Danio species with divergent pigment patterns. A vertebrate model genus for basic comparative biology.
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
#ResearchCareers: Just finishing your #PhD and wondering if the DFG’s Walter Benjamin Programme is a #funding option for your next step in academia? Come and find out in our digital info talk on 14 October. No registration, the meeting link will be published here:
➡️ www.dfg.de/en/research-...
➡️ www.dfg.de/en/research-...
October 2, 2025 at 10:23 AM
#ResearchCareers: Just finishing your #PhD and wondering if the DFG’s Walter Benjamin Programme is a #funding option for your next step in academia? Come and find out in our digital info talk on 14 October. No registration, the meeting link will be published here:
➡️ www.dfg.de/en/research-...
➡️ www.dfg.de/en/research-...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
The @crick.ac.uk is recruiting Early Career Group Leaders
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
Early career group leaders
We appoint researchers from across biology and biomedicine to set up their first groups at the Crick.
www.crick.ac.uk
October 10, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The @crick.ac.uk is recruiting Early Career Group Leaders
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
We are recruiting a postdoc to join our team and study neuroinflammation along the gut-brain axis. Please share it with anyone who may be interested, and do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
international.au.dk/about/profil...
international.au.dk/about/profil...
Postdoc position in Neuroinflammation - Vacancy at Aarhus University
Vacancy at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics - Neurobiology, Aarhus University
international.au.dk
September 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
We are recruiting a postdoc to join our team and study neuroinflammation along the gut-brain axis. Please share it with anyone who may be interested, and do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
international.au.dk/about/profil...
international.au.dk/about/profil...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Out @natcomms.nature.com:
our work on how the ❤️-supporting pericardium forms & acts in pediatric heart conditions.🎈🫀
Expanding our preprint & with our first HCR (thx to @thelovelylab.bsky.social!).
Congrats all! #devbio #zebrafish #CHD @cupediatrics.bsky.social @cudevbio.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eIJm5
our work on how the ❤️-supporting pericardium forms & acts in pediatric heart conditions.🎈🫀
Expanding our preprint & with our first HCR (thx to @thelovelylab.bsky.social!).
Congrats all! #devbio #zebrafish #CHD @cupediatrics.bsky.social @cudevbio.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eIJm5
September 30, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Out @natcomms.nature.com:
our work on how the ❤️-supporting pericardium forms & acts in pediatric heart conditions.🎈🫀
Expanding our preprint & with our first HCR (thx to @thelovelylab.bsky.social!).
Congrats all! #devbio #zebrafish #CHD @cupediatrics.bsky.social @cudevbio.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eIJm5
our work on how the ❤️-supporting pericardium forms & acts in pediatric heart conditions.🎈🫀
Expanding our preprint & with our first HCR (thx to @thelovelylab.bsky.social!).
Congrats all! #devbio #zebrafish #CHD @cupediatrics.bsky.social @cudevbio.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eIJm5
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Do zebrafish regenerate their hearts equally? In our new paper at the @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social lab we uncovered variations in the regenerative response of 7 wt zebrafish strains leading us to identify a critical role of oxidative phosphorylation in long-term heart regeneration.
rdcu.be/eI1v5
rdcu.be/eI1v5
Oxidative phosphorylation is required for cardiomyocyte re-differentiation and long-term fish heart regeneration
Nature Cardiovascular Research - Lekkos et al. show that a metabolic switch toward oxidative phosphorylation is required for cardiomyocyte re-differentiation and heart regeneration after injury in...
rdcu.be
October 1, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Do zebrafish regenerate their hearts equally? In our new paper at the @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social lab we uncovered variations in the regenerative response of 7 wt zebrafish strains leading us to identify a critical role of oxidative phosphorylation in long-term heart regeneration.
rdcu.be/eI1v5
rdcu.be/eI1v5
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
So happy to see my first first-author paper published! 🎈
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
Characterization of the transposable element landscape shaping the Ectocarpus genome | Genome Biology
rdcu.be
October 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
So happy to see my first first-author paper published! 🎈
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Super glad to contribute to this study on chromatin evolution in brown algae! Special thanks to Jeromine Vigneau, @borglab.bsky.social and Susana Coelho for making this happen.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Rewiring of chromatin regulation underlies the evolution of brown algal multicellularity
Chromatin structure plays a central role in regulating transcription, genome stability, and epigenetic inheritance in eukaryotes. Much of our understanding of chromatin architecture and histone post-t...
www.biorxiv.org
September 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Super glad to contribute to this study on chromatin evolution in brown algae! Special thanks to Jeromine Vigneau, @borglab.bsky.social and Susana Coelho for making this happen.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Many conserved exons in the heart and brain utilize weak 5 ′ splice sites, yet they are accurately spliced. But how? We show that splicing fidelity is actively enforced through a QKI-U6 checkpoint at the U1→U6 handover in essential cardiac genes during organogenesis.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
QKI ensures splicing fidelity during cardiogenesis by engaging the U6 tri-snRNP to activate splicing at weak 5ʹ splice sites
During organogenesis, precise pre-mRNA splicing is essential to assemble tissue architecture. Many developmentally essential exons bear weak 5'splice sites (5'SS) yet are spliced with high precision, ...
www.biorxiv.org
September 8, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Many conserved exons in the heart and brain utilize weak 5 ′ splice sites, yet they are accurately spliced. But how? We show that splicing fidelity is actively enforced through a QKI-U6 checkpoint at the U1→U6 handover in essential cardiac genes during organogenesis.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
We have a fully funded 3y postdoc position open!!!! Come join us @mpi-cbg.de and @poldresden.bsky.social to understand the role of Membranes in Controlling Biogenic Crystallization :) this is part of our #HFSP funded project with @noemijimenezrojo.bsky.social and @vmonje.bsky.social! Applications👇
The #MaxPlanckPostdocProgram offers a guaranteed contract of at least 3 years, targeted mentoring, and career workshops. The call for applications is open now! 🚀 Take advantage of this opportunity and browse the job vacancies. www.mpg.de/en/max-planc...
September 1, 2025 at 9:17 PM
We have a fully funded 3y postdoc position open!!!! Come join us @mpi-cbg.de and @poldresden.bsky.social to understand the role of Membranes in Controlling Biogenic Crystallization :) this is part of our #HFSP funded project with @noemijimenezrojo.bsky.social and @vmonje.bsky.social! Applications👇
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Now published @natecoevo.nature.com with @annika-nichols.bsky.social, our latest on the evolution of 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 across 𝟲𝟬 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 of cichlid fishes! doi.org/10.1038/s415...
with members of the @schierlab.bsky.social and Salzburger labs, as well as the burgeoning Shafer lab @uoftcellsysbiol.bsky.social
with members of the @schierlab.bsky.social and Salzburger labs, as well as the burgeoning Shafer lab @uoftcellsysbiol.bsky.social
August 28, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Now published @natecoevo.nature.com with @annika-nichols.bsky.social, our latest on the evolution of 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 across 𝟲𝟬 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 of cichlid fishes! doi.org/10.1038/s415...
with members of the @schierlab.bsky.social and Salzburger labs, as well as the burgeoning Shafer lab @uoftcellsysbiol.bsky.social
with members of the @schierlab.bsky.social and Salzburger labs, as well as the burgeoning Shafer lab @uoftcellsysbiol.bsky.social
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Super excited that our latest work is out!
We use optogenetics to dynamically control and study the formation of morphogen gradients.
If you are interested in optogenetic tools and/or how cells shape and process extracellular signals, check out @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social's thread and the paper.
We use optogenetics to dynamically control and study the formation of morphogen gradients.
If you are interested in optogenetic tools and/or how cells shape and process extracellular signals, check out @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social's thread and the paper.
Our latest: We developed a chemo-optogenetic system for precise spatiotemporal control of morphogen production. Using dual light + small molecule control of Sonic Hedgehog production, we recapitulated neural tube patterning in vitro & measured spread of Shh
🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Investigating morphogen and patterning dynamics with optogenetic control of morphogen production
Morphogen gradients provide the patterning cues that instruct cell fate decisions during development. Here, we establish an optogenetic system for the…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 27, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Super excited that our latest work is out!
We use optogenetics to dynamically control and study the formation of morphogen gradients.
If you are interested in optogenetic tools and/or how cells shape and process extracellular signals, check out @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social's thread and the paper.
We use optogenetics to dynamically control and study the formation of morphogen gradients.
If you are interested in optogenetic tools and/or how cells shape and process extracellular signals, check out @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social's thread and the paper.
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
We are hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow to study congenital heart defects and cardiomyopathies in rare genetic disorders using hiPSCs as a model @armilabs.bsky.social
Apply here:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Apply here:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
August 20, 2025 at 9:14 AM
We are hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow to study congenital heart defects and cardiomyopathies in rare genetic disorders using hiPSCs as a model @armilabs.bsky.social
Apply here:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Apply here:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Out after peer review, collaborative study from Nordborg & Weigel labs with help from many others. Not the largest collection of new Arabidopsis thaliana genomes, but we hopefully put forward some good ideas for how to think about pangenomes and their analysis!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 20, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Out after peer review, collaborative study from Nordborg & Weigel labs with help from many others. Not the largest collection of new Arabidopsis thaliana genomes, but we hopefully put forward some good ideas for how to think about pangenomes and their analysis!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Hot off the press!!! Proudly presenting our lab's new review on how do cells communicate to control organ size :) We focus specially on dynamic connections that operate at different timescales to regulate organ growth and morphogenesis. #devbio #SizeandShape www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Start-Shape-Stop: Cell communication mechanisms controlling organ size
Accurate growth control is critical for the achievement of proportional organs during animal development and repair processes. Either extra or deficie…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 9, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Hot off the press!!! Proudly presenting our lab's new review on how do cells communicate to control organ size :) We focus specially on dynamic connections that operate at different timescales to regulate organ growth and morphogenesis. #devbio #SizeandShape www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
We are searching for an enthusiastic scientist to join our team and establish annual killifish as a model system for early developmental biology and biophysics! @embl.org @embldbunit.bsky.social
Apply here:
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/EMBL/job/Hei...
Please re-post 🙏
Apply here:
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/EMBL/job/Hei...
Please re-post 🙏
August 8, 2025 at 9:01 AM
We are searching for an enthusiastic scientist to join our team and establish annual killifish as a model system for early developmental biology and biophysics! @embl.org @embldbunit.bsky.social
Apply here:
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/EMBL/job/Hei...
Please re-post 🙏
Apply here:
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/EMBL/job/Hei...
Please re-post 🙏
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
Wrote a big review with my friend and colleague @varshneylab.social on the state-of-the-art in CRISPR used experimentally in vivo. We wanted to focus on their use in experimental vertebrate animals (apparently passé now but we persist).
CRISPR-based functional genomics tools in vertebrate models - Experimental & Molecular Medicine
Recent advances in DNA sequencing have allowed scientists to gather vast amounts of genetic data, but understanding what those sequences actually do requires additional tools that allow scientists to ...
www.nature.com
July 31, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Wrote a big review with my friend and colleague @varshneylab.social on the state-of-the-art in CRISPR used experimentally in vivo. We wanted to focus on their use in experimental vertebrate animals (apparently passé now but we persist).
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
📢 Neuro Evo Devo meeting
Virginie Courtier organizes a meeting regarding the latest research on development, evolution and neurobiology using as model organisms birds, fishes, butterflies and Drosophila
📆 Tuesday, August 26th
📍 Institut Jacques Monod
Informations and program 🔗 buff.ly/p3qkFLW
Virginie Courtier organizes a meeting regarding the latest research on development, evolution and neurobiology using as model organisms birds, fishes, butterflies and Drosophila
📆 Tuesday, August 26th
📍 Institut Jacques Monod
Informations and program 🔗 buff.ly/p3qkFLW
July 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM
📢 Neuro Evo Devo meeting
Virginie Courtier organizes a meeting regarding the latest research on development, evolution and neurobiology using as model organisms birds, fishes, butterflies and Drosophila
📆 Tuesday, August 26th
📍 Institut Jacques Monod
Informations and program 🔗 buff.ly/p3qkFLW
Virginie Courtier organizes a meeting regarding the latest research on development, evolution and neurobiology using as model organisms birds, fishes, butterflies and Drosophila
📆 Tuesday, August 26th
📍 Institut Jacques Monod
Informations and program 🔗 buff.ly/p3qkFLW
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
TransTag enables simple and efficient transgene mapping in zebrafish via tagmentation: Cell Reports Methods www.cell.com/cell-reports...
TransTag enables simple and efficient transgene mapping in zebrafish via tagmentation
Meng et al. develop a method called TransTag for simple and efficient mapping of Tol2-based
transgenes in zebrafish. TransTag robustly identifies transgene insertion sites and
offers an alignment-free...
www.cell.com
July 8, 2025 at 4:42 PM
TransTag enables simple and efficient transgene mapping in zebrafish via tagmentation: Cell Reports Methods www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Reposted by Marco Podobnik
We take for granted that our hands have two sides and can articulate in an endless number of ways. But what about a fish’s fin? Can a fish know something “like the back of its fin,” or have its future told with a fin palm reading? Check out this bluetorial to find out 👇🧪🧬🐟 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
July 7, 2025 at 6:47 AM
We take for granted that our hands have two sides and can articulate in an endless number of ways. But what about a fish’s fin? Can a fish know something “like the back of its fin,” or have its future told with a fin palm reading? Check out this bluetorial to find out 👇🧪🧬🐟 doi.org/10.1101/2025...