Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
@shiraweingarten.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School
Viruses | Immunology | Ribosomes | Systems Biology
#LoveVirology
https://www.shiraweingartengabbay.com/
Viruses | Immunology | Ribosomes | Systems Biology
#LoveVirology
https://www.shiraweingartengabbay.com/
Pinned
I'm delighted to share that I will be joining the Department of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School in January 2025. The Laboratory of Systems Virology will study the dark proteome of viral genomes to understand how viruses work their magic🪄 Thrilled to be back in beautiful Boston 🌟
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Now out in Nature! We visualize infection of the RNA virus RSV in real-time with single-vRNP resolution to understand how RSV establishes viral factories, biomolecular condensates that act as sites of viral replication. A huge collaborative effort led by Dhanushika Ratnayake!
rdcu.be/e1bBW
rdcu.be/e1bBW
Pre-assembly of biomolecular condensate seeds drives RSV replication
Nature - Viral ribonucleoprotein–viral protein networks form pre-replication centres that nucleate viral factories and drive respiratory syncytial virus replication.
rdcu.be
January 28, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Now out in Nature! We visualize infection of the RNA virus RSV in real-time with single-vRNP resolution to understand how RSV establishes viral factories, biomolecular condensates that act as sites of viral replication. A huge collaborative effort led by Dhanushika Ratnayake!
rdcu.be/e1bBW
rdcu.be/e1bBW
Join us tomorrow at the #SystemsVirologyJournalClub. @lauraluebbert.com will present her work with @lpachter.bsky.social on detecting viruses at single-cell resolution and uncovering associated changes in host gene expression.
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40263451/
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40263451/
🚨 Systems Virology Journal Club – 8th Series! 🚨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
January 28, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Join us tomorrow at the #SystemsVirologyJournalClub. @lauraluebbert.com will present her work with @lpachter.bsky.social on detecting viruses at single-cell resolution and uncovering associated changes in host gene expression.
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40263451/
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40263451/
Tomorrow, at the #SystemsVirologyJournalClub, @samuelhking.bsky.social will present his work with @brianhie.bsky.social using AI genome language models to generate novel, high-fitness bacteriophages.
🚨 Systems Virology Journal Club – 8th Series! 🚨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
January 7, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Tomorrow, at the #SystemsVirologyJournalClub, @samuelhking.bsky.social will present his work with @brianhie.bsky.social using AI genome language models to generate novel, high-fitness bacteriophages.
Thank you so much!! 😊
January 7, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Thank you so much!! 😊
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Coming in at #4 in our Top 5 Countdown: virus hunters assemble!
Dr. @shiraweingarten.bsky.social at @harvardmed.bsky.social launched the Laboratory of Systems Virology. We cannot wait to see what the lab accomplishes in 2026!
https://bsky.app/profile/scienceinboston.com/post/3lsuek25o5c2f
Dr. @shiraweingarten.bsky.social at @harvardmed.bsky.social launched the Laboratory of Systems Virology. We cannot wait to see what the lab accomplishes in 2026!
https://bsky.app/profile/scienceinboston.com/post/3lsuek25o5c2f
Dr. Shira Weingarten-Gabbay (@shiraweingarten.bsky.social) from @harvardmed.bsky.social is leading the new Laboratory of Systems #Virology.
Her lab uncovers the inner workings of viruses and their interaction with the immune system to prevent current and future viral diseases: bit.ly/44peaBa
Her lab uncovers the inner workings of viruses and their interaction with the immune system to prevent current and future viral diseases: bit.ly/44peaBa
December 28, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Coming in at #4 in our Top 5 Countdown: virus hunters assemble!
Dr. @shiraweingarten.bsky.social at @harvardmed.bsky.social launched the Laboratory of Systems Virology. We cannot wait to see what the lab accomplishes in 2026!
https://bsky.app/profile/scienceinboston.com/post/3lsuek25o5c2f
Dr. @shiraweingarten.bsky.social at @harvardmed.bsky.social launched the Laboratory of Systems Virology. We cannot wait to see what the lab accomplishes in 2026!
https://bsky.app/profile/scienceinboston.com/post/3lsuek25o5c2f
A remarkable recognition in Nature’s 10 for @merbllab.bsky.social and her team at #WeizmannInstitute the mindblowing discovery of a defense mechanism in human cells mediated by proteasome-derived antimicrobial peptides 🤩
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
This scientist found a new trick of the immune system by digging through cellular rubbish
Yifat Merbl is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025.
www.nature.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:32 AM
A remarkable recognition in Nature’s 10 for @merbllab.bsky.social and her team at #WeizmannInstitute the mindblowing discovery of a defense mechanism in human cells mediated by proteasome-derived antimicrobial peptides 🤩
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
🚨ATTENTION EARLY CAREER VIROLOGISTS🚨 We have a webinar on how to get a faculty position! Hear from Jean Lim,
@drsprggs.bsky.social and @tylernstarr.bsky.social. Check your email for registration link and form to submit questions in advance.
@drsprggs.bsky.social and @tylernstarr.bsky.social. Check your email for registration link and form to submit questions in advance.
December 4, 2025 at 4:00 AM
🚨ATTENTION EARLY CAREER VIROLOGISTS🚨 We have a webinar on how to get a faculty position! Hear from Jean Lim,
@drsprggs.bsky.social and @tylernstarr.bsky.social. Check your email for registration link and form to submit questions in advance.
@drsprggs.bsky.social and @tylernstarr.bsky.social. Check your email for registration link and form to submit questions in advance.
Tomorrow (Thursday) at the Systems Virology Journal Club, Noor Youssef will present her work with Debbie Marks on developing an AI model that predicts how viruses evolve to evade the immune response.
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40345199/
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40345199/
🚨 Systems Virology Journal Club – 8th Series! 🚨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
December 4, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Tomorrow (Thursday) at the Systems Virology Journal Club, Noor Youssef will present her work with Debbie Marks on developing an AI model that predicts how viruses evolve to evade the immune response.
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40345199/
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40345199/
Tomorrow at the #SystemsVirologyJournalClub Yingpu Yu will present his work with Charles Rice on the cis preference of HBV polymerase to its transcript. Spoiler alert: it involves #ribosome stalling! 😍
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38723628/
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38723628/
🚨 Systems Virology Journal Club – 8th Series! 🚨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
October 29, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Tomorrow at the #SystemsVirologyJournalClub Yingpu Yu will present his work with Charles Rice on the cis preference of HBV polymerase to its transcript. Spoiler alert: it involves #ribosome stalling! 😍
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38723628/
Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38723628/
🚨 Systems Virology Journal Club – 8th Series! 🚨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
October 20, 2025 at 2:55 PM
🚨 Systems Virology Journal Club – 8th Series! 🚨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
#BillSchneider and I are delighted to announce another round of cutting-edge talks in #SystemsVirology! 🦠💡
Join us and an outstanding lineup of speakers, starting Oct 30.
Free registration: shiraweingartengabbay.com/systems-viro... 🔬✨
Thank you for having us Akos! It was a great session.
September 30, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Thank you for having us Akos! It was a great session.
Congratulation to all the laureate and finalists and to the brilliant Maria Cecilia Canesso 🤩
Congratulations to all, especially Rockefeller's @veenapadmanaban.bsky.social, a research associate in
@sohailtavazoie.bsky.social's lab, and Maria Cecilia Campos Canesso, formerly a postdoc in @danmucida.bsky.social and @victora.bsky.social’s labs. A very well-deserved recognition!
@sohailtavazoie.bsky.social's lab, and Maria Cecilia Campos Canesso, formerly a postdoc in @danmucida.bsky.social and @victora.bsky.social’s labs. A very well-deserved recognition!
September 17, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Congratulation to all the laureate and finalists and to the brilliant Maria Cecilia Canesso 🤩
Looking forward to a terrific symposium on Synthetic Biology and it's implication in therapeutic development ✨
Excited to chair #BostonDOT 's SynBio symposium with talks from
🔸Farren Isaacs
🔸Jessica Stark @jcstark.bsky.social
🔸Shira Weingarten-Gabbay @shiraweingarten.bsky.social
🔸Abhishek Chatterjee @achemsynbio.bsky.social
🔸Wen Tseng
🔸Michael Krogh Jensen
🔸Ryan Clarke
🔸Alex Reis @alexcampreis.com
🔸Farren Isaacs
🔸Jessica Stark @jcstark.bsky.social
🔸Shira Weingarten-Gabbay @shiraweingarten.bsky.social
🔸Abhishek Chatterjee @achemsynbio.bsky.social
🔸Wen Tseng
🔸Michael Krogh Jensen
🔸Ryan Clarke
🔸Alex Reis @alexcampreis.com
September 13, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Looking forward to a terrific symposium on Synthetic Biology and it's implication in therapeutic development ✨
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Preprint: De-novo design of proteins that inhibit bacterial defenses
Our approach allows silencing defense systems of choice. We show how this approach enables programming of “untransformable” bacteria, and how it can enhance phage therapy applications
Congrats Jeremy Garb!
tinyurl.com/Syttt
🧵
Our approach allows silencing defense systems of choice. We show how this approach enables programming of “untransformable” bacteria, and how it can enhance phage therapy applications
Congrats Jeremy Garb!
tinyurl.com/Syttt
🧵
Synthetically designed anti-defense proteins overcome barriers to bacterial transformation and phage infection
Bacterial defense systems present considerable barriers to both phage infection and plasmid transformation. These systems target mobile genetic elements, limiting the efficacy of bacteriophage-based t...
www.biorxiv.org
September 2, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Preprint: De-novo design of proteins that inhibit bacterial defenses
Our approach allows silencing defense systems of choice. We show how this approach enables programming of “untransformable” bacteria, and how it can enhance phage therapy applications
Congrats Jeremy Garb!
tinyurl.com/Syttt
🧵
Our approach allows silencing defense systems of choice. We show how this approach enables programming of “untransformable” bacteria, and how it can enhance phage therapy applications
Congrats Jeremy Garb!
tinyurl.com/Syttt
🧵
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
SPEAR (bacterial nanosynringe) enables loading of different types of cargo (including folded ribonucleoproteins and single-stranded DNA) and targeting of defined cell types both in vitro and in vivo
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@natbiotech.nature.com @zhangf.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@natbiotech.nature.com @zhangf.bsky.social
August 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM
SPEAR (bacterial nanosynringe) enables loading of different types of cargo (including folded ribonucleoproteins and single-stranded DNA) and targeting of defined cell types both in vitro and in vivo
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@natbiotech.nature.com @zhangf.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@natbiotech.nature.com @zhangf.bsky.social
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Excited to share our new @natmicrobiol.nature.com paper revealing the most complete arenavirus glycoprotein complex (GPC) structures to date 🤩 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Molecular organization of the New World arenavirus spike glycoprotein complex - Nature Microbiology
Cryo-EM structures of the full-length Junin virus and Machupo virus spike glycoprotein complexes stabilized in the prefusion conformation. Analyses reveal features that regulate glycoprotein pH-depend...
www.nature.com
August 9, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Excited to share our new @natmicrobiol.nature.com paper revealing the most complete arenavirus glycoprotein complex (GPC) structures to date 🤩 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Super interesting insights on the evolutionary constrains on synonymous codons 🤩 "Our results suggest that cotranslational localization and translational accuracy, more than cotranslational protein folding, are major drivers of selective pressure on codon choice in eukaryotes."
This preprint from Helen Sakharova is one of the coolest things to come out of my lab: “Protein language models reveal evolutionary constraints on synonymous codon choice.” Codon choice is a big puzzle in how information is encoded in genomes, and we have a new angle. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Protein language models reveal evolutionary constraints on synonymous codon choice
Evolution has shaped the genetic code, with subtle pressures leading to preferences for some synonymous codons over others. Codons are translated at different speeds by the ribosome, imposing constrai...
www.biorxiv.org
August 9, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Super interesting insights on the evolutionary constrains on synonymous codons 🤩 "Our results suggest that cotranslational localization and translational accuracy, more than cotranslational protein folding, are major drivers of selective pressure on codon choice in eukaryotes."
The most humble scientist I know and a true legend
Charlie Rice is the only scientist who could get a Nobel Prize for his findings and give a keynote address at #ASV2025 and never mention he won a Nobel Prize! #LoveVirology
July 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
The most humble scientist I know and a true legend
On my way to #ASV2025. Two flights canceled due to weather ⛈️ but should make it on time! Join us for a terrific symposium tomorrow morning on #NextGenerationVirology with
#BenhurLee #JesseBloom #LisaWagner @wchnicholas.bsky.social and #IleanaCristea. Safe travel everyone! #LoveVirology
#BenhurLee #JesseBloom #LisaWagner @wchnicholas.bsky.social and #IleanaCristea. Safe travel everyone! #LoveVirology
July 13, 2025 at 8:38 PM
On my way to #ASV2025. Two flights canceled due to weather ⛈️ but should make it on time! Join us for a terrific symposium tomorrow morning on #NextGenerationVirology with
#BenhurLee #JesseBloom #LisaWagner @wchnicholas.bsky.social and #IleanaCristea. Safe travel everyone! #LoveVirology
#BenhurLee #JesseBloom #LisaWagner @wchnicholas.bsky.social and #IleanaCristea. Safe travel everyone! #LoveVirology
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Get ready for ASV 2025! The 2025 American Society for Virology meeting will be hosted by McGill University and held at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada from July 14 - 17, 2025. Abstract submission, travel award apps, and registration are now open! asv.org/asv2025/regi...
Register 2025 | American Society for Virology
The 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology! Dates: July 14 – 17, 2025 (Monday – Thursday) Palais des congrès de Montréal Host: McGill University *TEACHER TRAVEL GRANTS: Applications…
asv.org
December 4, 2024 at 6:25 PM
Get ready for ASV 2025! The 2025 American Society for Virology meeting will be hosted by McGill University and held at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada from July 14 - 17, 2025. Abstract submission, travel award apps, and registration are now open! asv.org/asv2025/regi...
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Dr. Shira Weingarten-Gabbay (@shiraweingarten.bsky.social) from @harvardmed.bsky.social is leading the new Laboratory of Systems #Virology.
Her lab uncovers the inner workings of viruses and their interaction with the immune system to prevent current and future viral diseases: bit.ly/44peaBa
Her lab uncovers the inner workings of viruses and their interaction with the immune system to prevent current and future viral diseases: bit.ly/44peaBa
June 30, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Dr. Shira Weingarten-Gabbay (@shiraweingarten.bsky.social) from @harvardmed.bsky.social is leading the new Laboratory of Systems #Virology.
Her lab uncovers the inner workings of viruses and their interaction with the immune system to prevent current and future viral diseases: bit.ly/44peaBa
Her lab uncovers the inner workings of viruses and their interaction with the immune system to prevent current and future viral diseases: bit.ly/44peaBa
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
"This work by Shira highlights new dark matter in viral genomes that can influence disease and how we design vaccines," says Charles Rice. "It’s yet another layer of biology that was not appreciated but opens up exciting new opportunities for exploration."
June 30, 2025 at 5:34 PM
"This work by Shira highlights new dark matter in viral genomes that can influence disease and how we design vaccines," says Charles Rice. "It’s yet another layer of biology that was not appreciated but opens up exciting new opportunities for exploration."
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
A recent study from @shiraweingarten.bsky.social, a former postdoc in the Rice laboratory, revealed 4,208 previously unknown proteins that are made by viruses such as influenza and H.I.V. using a new technique called massively parallel ribosome profiling.
Shining a Light on the World of Tiny Proteins
www.nytimes.com
June 30, 2025 at 5:34 PM
A recent study from @shiraweingarten.bsky.social, a former postdoc in the Rice laboratory, revealed 4,208 previously unknown proteins that are made by viruses such as influenza and H.I.V. using a new technique called massively parallel ribosome profiling.
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Pan-viral ORFs discovery using massively parallel ribosome profiling www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Pan-viral ORFs discovery using massively parallel ribosome profiling
Defining viral proteomes is crucial to understanding viral life cycles and immune recognition but the landscape of translated regions remains unknown for most viruses. We have developed massively para...
www.science.org
June 13, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Pan-viral ORFs discovery using massively parallel ribosome profiling www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
Congratulation @shiraweingarten.bsky.social! Beautiful work!
If you love #viruses, #ribosomes, and genomic #darkmatter, this thread is for you!! 💫
We're excited to share our new publication developing Massively Parallel Ribosome Profiling (MPRP), which uncovered ~4,000 hidden proteins in ~700 viral genomes. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We're excited to share our new publication developing Massively Parallel Ribosome Profiling (MPRP), which uncovered ~4,000 hidden proteins in ~700 viral genomes. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
June 17, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Congratulation @shiraweingarten.bsky.social! Beautiful work!