Sébastien Pfeffer
@sebpfeffer.bsky.social
RNA biologist / Virologist / Principal Investigator / CNRS / Strasbourg / https://ibmc.cnrs.fr/en/laboratoire/arn-en/equipes/rna-regulation-in-viral-infections/
Working on #RNA and #virus. Mostly interested in #RNAi #microRNAs #innateimmunity #arboviruses
Working on #RNA and #virus. Mostly interested in #RNAi #microRNAs #innateimmunity #arboviruses
Pinned
Bat Dicer antiviral role and subcellular localization differ upon alphavirus infection in two distinct species
Author summary Bats are important to study as they are reservoirs for many viruses that can cause severe disease in humans. Notably, bats often show no clinical symptoms when infected with these virus...
journals.plos.org
Just in time for Christmas, here is the latest paper from the lab! Great work from @leagaucherand.bsky.social and Hugo Marie, with help from Julie Cremaschi. Funded by @frm-officiel.bsky.social, @agencerecherche.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
#RNAi is an ancestral #antiviral system that degrades viral RNA, but what about in #cnidarians? @yehumoran.bsky.social &co show that #Nematostella has an siRNA-mediated antiviral response that lacks 2ary amplification & functions as a short-term antiviral mechanism @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3N192OD
![dsRNA injection to N. vectensis zygotes triggers mild and transient gene knockdown. Top: Schematic representation of the dsRNA carrying eGFP sequence used in this study and of the transgene of the actin::eGFP line [40]. Bottom left: Heterozygous actin::eGFP embryos showing dimmer eGFP fluorescence 24 hpi of dsRNA carrying eGFP sequence (left) compared to scrambled eGFP sequence (right). Scale bars represent 500 µm. Bottom right: No difference in eGFP fluorescence of heterozygous actin::eGFP embryos is exhibited 72 hpi of dsRNA carrying eGFP sequence (left) compared to scrambled eGFP sequence (right). Scale bars represent 500 µm.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5522ztebtekoor5efelihqhb/bafkreibcytm7tkd5lfkqqb3opea5ptwopbn3yzlw633irru3v6eq2azxtq@jpeg)
January 7, 2026 at 1:58 PM
#RNAi is an ancestral #antiviral system that degrades viral RNA, but what about in #cnidarians? @yehumoran.bsky.social &co show that #Nematostella has an siRNA-mediated antiviral response that lacks 2ary amplification & functions as a short-term antiviral mechanism @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3N192OD
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Our latest paper on bat Dicer! 🦇 we show that Dicer antiviral RNAi activity is context-dependent also in bats 👩🔬 Specifically in Myotis myotis nasal epithelial cells, Dicer relocalizes to sites of viral replication upon alphavirus infection, which correlates with a proviral activity of Dicer 🦠
Just in time for Christmas, here is the latest paper from the lab! Great work from @leagaucherand.bsky.social and Hugo Marie, with help from Julie Cremaschi. Funded by @frm-officiel.bsky.social, @agencerecherche.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
Bat Dicer antiviral role and subcellular localization differ upon alphavirus infection in two distinct species
Author summary Bats are important to study as they are reservoirs for many viruses that can cause severe disease in humans. Notably, bats often show no clinical symptoms when infected with these virus...
journals.plos.org
December 23, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Our latest paper on bat Dicer! 🦇 we show that Dicer antiviral RNAi activity is context-dependent also in bats 👩🔬 Specifically in Myotis myotis nasal epithelial cells, Dicer relocalizes to sites of viral replication upon alphavirus infection, which correlates with a proviral activity of Dicer 🦠
Just in time for Christmas, here is the latest paper from the lab! Great work from @leagaucherand.bsky.social and Hugo Marie, with help from Julie Cremaschi. Funded by @frm-officiel.bsky.social, @agencerecherche.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
Bat Dicer antiviral role and subcellular localization differ upon alphavirus infection in two distinct species
Author summary Bats are important to study as they are reservoirs for many viruses that can cause severe disease in humans. Notably, bats often show no clinical symptoms when infected with these virus...
journals.plos.org
December 23, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Just in time for Christmas, here is the latest paper from the lab! Great work from @leagaucherand.bsky.social and Hugo Marie, with help from Julie Cremaschi. Funded by @frm-officiel.bsky.social, @agencerecherche.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr
Yesterday was a good day for the lab with a paper accepted (congrats @leagaucherand.bsky.social and Hugo Marie !) and a very nice Christmas dinner 🎅
December 16, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Yesterday was a good day for the lab with a paper accepted (congrats @leagaucherand.bsky.social and Hugo Marie !) and a very nice Christmas dinner 🎅
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
[ #VeilleESR #LPPR ] Pour fêter ses 20 ans, le gouvernement envisage de baisser le budget de l'@agencerecherche.bsky.social
@claire-giry.bsky.social par @antoinebeau.bsky.social et @stephaniebenz.bsky.social
@claire-giry.bsky.social par @antoinebeau.bsky.social et @stephaniebenz.bsky.social
"Le financement de nouveaux projets de recherche est menacé" : l'alerte de Claire Giry (ANR)
L'Agence nationale de la recherche fête ses 20 ans dans un contexte de grandes tensions budgétaires. Sa présidente Claire Giry revient sur son bilan et décrypte les enjeux du moment.
www.lexpress.fr
December 3, 2025 at 11:47 AM
[ #VeilleESR #LPPR ] Pour fêter ses 20 ans, le gouvernement envisage de baisser le budget de l'@agencerecherche.bsky.social
@claire-giry.bsky.social par @antoinebeau.bsky.social et @stephaniebenz.bsky.social
@claire-giry.bsky.social par @antoinebeau.bsky.social et @stephaniebenz.bsky.social
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
How does fever work?
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Avian-origin influenza A viruses tolerate elevated pyrexic temperatures in mammals
Host body temperature can define a virus’s replicative profile—influenza A viruses (IAVs) adapted to 40° to 42°C in birds are less temperature sensitive in vitro compared with human isolates adapted t...
www.science.org
November 27, 2025 at 7:55 PM
How does fever work?
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
#RejoignezLeCNRS 🫵 Les concours chercheurs CNRS 2026 ouvrent le 8/12 !
Envie de faire avancer la science au sein d’un des plus grands organismes de recherche ?
👉 carrieres.cnrs.fr/concours-...
#ConcoursChercheurs #Science #Recherche #Icicarecrute #recrutement
Envie de faire avancer la science au sein d’un des plus grands organismes de recherche ?
👉 carrieres.cnrs.fr/concours-...
#ConcoursChercheurs #Science #Recherche #Icicarecrute #recrutement
November 25, 2025 at 10:02 AM
#RejoignezLeCNRS 🫵 Les concours chercheurs CNRS 2026 ouvrent le 8/12 !
Envie de faire avancer la science au sein d’un des plus grands organismes de recherche ?
👉 carrieres.cnrs.fr/concours-...
#ConcoursChercheurs #Science #Recherche #Icicarecrute #recrutement
Envie de faire avancer la science au sein d’un des plus grands organismes de recherche ?
👉 carrieres.cnrs.fr/concours-...
#ConcoursChercheurs #Science #Recherche #Icicarecrute #recrutement
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📣: I haven’t been this excited to be part of something new in 15 years… Thrilled to reveal the passion project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half!🙀🥳 (thread 👇)
October 15, 2025 at 12:22 PM
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📣: I haven’t been this excited to be part of something new in 15 years… Thrilled to reveal the passion project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half!🙀🥳 (thread 👇)
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Are bats tolerant of all viruses? With a comparative -omics approach, we show that Egyptian fruit bat cells show both antiviral and pro-inflammatory immune responses to infection with Zika virus while our Jamaican fruit bat cells are not susceptible.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
March 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Are bats tolerant of all viruses? With a comparative -omics approach, we show that Egyptian fruit bat cells show both antiviral and pro-inflammatory immune responses to infection with Zika virus while our Jamaican fruit bat cells are not susceptible.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
October 11, 2025 at 2:10 AM
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
nyti.ms
October 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
After years in the making, Joe McKellar @viroscope.bsky.social’s final PhD paper is finally out today in PNAS! 🎉 🎉🎉
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Human MX1 orchestrates the cytoplasmic sequestration of neosynthesized influenza A virus vRNPs | PNAS
Interferon-inducible Myxovirus resistance 1 (MX1) proteins are known to restrict influenza
A virus (IAV) transcription/replication process. Herein,...
www.pnas.org
October 7, 2025 at 6:26 PM
After years in the making, Joe McKellar @viroscope.bsky.social’s final PhD paper is finally out today in PNAS! 🎉 🎉🎉
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Want to connect with researchers in #GeneRegulation, small RNAs, #StructuralBiology and more? Sign up for EMBO Workshop "RNA-guided genome protection" in Caux, Switzerland, 16–20 June 2026!
Deadline: 15 March
meetings.embo.org/event/26-gen...
#DNAsky #RNAsky #EMBORNAGenomeProtection #EMBOevents 🧪
Deadline: 15 March
meetings.embo.org/event/26-gen...
#DNAsky #RNAsky #EMBORNAGenomeProtection #EMBOevents 🧪
RNA-guided genome protection
The genome carries information across generations, ensuring species survival. To preserve faithful transmission of genetic information, RNA-directed mechanisms safeguard the genome integrity in diver…
meetings.embo.org
October 6, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Want to connect with researchers in #GeneRegulation, small RNAs, #StructuralBiology and more? Sign up for EMBO Workshop "RNA-guided genome protection" in Caux, Switzerland, 16–20 June 2026!
Deadline: 15 March
meetings.embo.org/event/26-gen...
#DNAsky #RNAsky #EMBORNAGenomeProtection #EMBOevents 🧪
Deadline: 15 March
meetings.embo.org/event/26-gen...
#DNAsky #RNAsky #EMBORNAGenomeProtection #EMBOevents 🧪
Today was a great day for Charline Pasquier, who successfully defended her PhD thesis in front of the jury composed of @annemarthe.bsky.social @ericci-aeruginosa.bsky.social, Stefania Millevoi and Jean-Luc Imler. Congratulations to her for a brilliant defense! 🍾
September 16, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Today was a great day for Charline Pasquier, who successfully defended her PhD thesis in front of the jury composed of @annemarthe.bsky.social @ericci-aeruginosa.bsky.social, Stefania Millevoi and Jean-Luc Imler. Congratulations to her for a brilliant defense! 🍾
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
September 10, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Genome-wide mapping of RNA-protein associations through sequencing go.nature.com/4gmf1Ii
Genome-wide mapping of RNA-protein associations through sequencing - Nature Biotechnology
A resource of human RNA-protein associations is produced using a sequencing-based method.
go.nature.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Genome-wide mapping of RNA-protein associations through sequencing go.nature.com/4gmf1Ii
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Phages, viruses that infect bacteria, could help fight antibiotic resistance, but phage–host interactions are not yet sufficiently understood. Researchers from #HIRI, JMU & HZI now successfully interfered with phage reproduction using ASOs.
Just out in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Just out in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Phages, viruses that infect bacteria, could help fight antibiotic resistance, but phage–host interactions are not yet sufficiently understood. Researchers from #HIRI, JMU & HZI now successfully interfered with phage reproduction using ASOs.
Just out in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Just out in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
Our work on the function of miR-51/miR-100 is out! miR-100 is widely conserved across eumetazoans but its function has been mysterious. Emilio Santillán found in worms it regulates signaling and extracellular matrix genes, some of which seem to be conserved targets! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
An ancient and essential miRNA family controls cellular interaction pathways in C. elegans
A microRNA that arose at the origin of eumetazoans regulates cell adhesion and signaling in C. elegans through conserved targets.
www.science.org
September 3, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Our work on the function of miR-51/miR-100 is out! miR-100 is widely conserved across eumetazoans but its function has been mysterious. Emilio Santillán found in worms it regulates signaling and extracellular matrix genes, some of which seem to be conserved targets! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
New paper from Bin Cao, showing that placenta-specific KO of ADAR1 is embryonic lethal.
ADAR1 as a Placental Innate Immune Rheostat Sustaining the Homeostatic Balance of Intrinsic Interferon Response at the Maternal‐Fetal Interface
This study reveals that ADAR1, an RNA-editing enzyme, fine-tunes immune responses in the placenta by preventing the accumulation of immunogenic double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) from interferon-stimulate...
advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 22, 2025 at 11:28 AM
New paper from Bin Cao, showing that placenta-specific KO of ADAR1 is embryonic lethal.
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
#InterferonPower! Thrilled for our latest work @cp-cell.bsky.social! With @danielboehmer.bsky.social, we dug into tons of papers & created what we hope will be a go-to resource for immunologists & non-immunologist about type I, II, III (& IV😉) #interferons! Free👉 authors.elsevier.com/a/1leKGL7PXu...
August 21, 2025 at 3:20 PM
#InterferonPower! Thrilled for our latest work @cp-cell.bsky.social! With @danielboehmer.bsky.social, we dug into tons of papers & created what we hope will be a go-to resource for immunologists & non-immunologist about type I, II, III (& IV😉) #interferons! Free👉 authors.elsevier.com/a/1leKGL7PXu...
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
I've seen this on Bluesky and had to try it myself. The image below was the response to the prompt: "Show me a diagram of the US presidents since Herbert Hoover, with their names and years in office under their photos" Bravo, OpenAI, bravo.
August 8, 2025 at 7:08 PM
I've seen this on Bluesky and had to try it myself. The image below was the response to the prompt: "Show me a diagram of the US presidents since Herbert Hoover, with their names and years in office under their photos" Bravo, OpenAI, bravo.
Reposted by Sébastien Pfeffer
RNA N-glycosylation enables immune evasion and homeostatic efferocytosis by chemically caging acp3U. Excited to report this work lead by Vinnie @vinnieviruses.bsky.social and in collaboration with @vijayrathinam.bsky.social in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 6, 2025 at 3:36 PM
RNA N-glycosylation enables immune evasion and homeostatic efferocytosis by chemically caging acp3U. Excited to report this work lead by Vinnie @vinnieviruses.bsky.social and in collaboration with @vijayrathinam.bsky.social in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...