Stefan Schoenfelder
@stefanschoenfelder.bsky.social
Enhancers, 3D genome organisation, pluripotent stem cells
Babraham Institute and Enhanc3D Genomics
Babraham Institute and Enhanc3D Genomics
Pinned
Non-canonical enhancers control gene expression and cell fate in human pluripotent stem cells
Enhancers are key gene regulatory elements that ensure the precise spatiotemporal execution of developmental gene expression programmes. However recent findings indicate that approaches to identify en...
www.biorxiv.org
Delighted & excited to share our latest preprint on non-canonical enhancers in human pluripotent stem cells, the result of a fantastic and fun collaboration with @guenesdoganlab.bsky.social:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 below
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 below
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Join our virtual seminar!
@sedonamurphy.bsky.social presents cutting-edge research on 3D genome organisation & epigenetic memory in development, moderated by @stefanschoenfelder.bsky.social
📅 Jan 8, 4pm UK
💻 Zoom
Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#3DGenome #Epigenetics #ChromatinBiology
@sedonamurphy.bsky.social presents cutting-edge research on 3D genome organisation & epigenetic memory in development, moderated by @stefanschoenfelder.bsky.social
📅 Jan 8, 4pm UK
💻 Zoom
Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#3DGenome #Epigenetics #ChromatinBiology
January 6, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Join our virtual seminar!
@sedonamurphy.bsky.social presents cutting-edge research on 3D genome organisation & epigenetic memory in development, moderated by @stefanschoenfelder.bsky.social
📅 Jan 8, 4pm UK
💻 Zoom
Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#3DGenome #Epigenetics #ChromatinBiology
@sedonamurphy.bsky.social presents cutting-edge research on 3D genome organisation & epigenetic memory in development, moderated by @stefanschoenfelder.bsky.social
📅 Jan 8, 4pm UK
💻 Zoom
Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#3DGenome #Epigenetics #ChromatinBiology
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
New year, new beginnings! Join us for all things animal & plant devbio at the 2026 @bsdb.bsky.social meeting in Warwick!
Abstract submission closing NEXT FRIDAY 16th JAN - join us!
Abstract submission closing NEXT FRIDAY 16th JAN - join us!
Meeting schedule now online for @bsdb.bsky.social 2026 spring meeting: Molecules to Morphogenesis!
***Abstracts due in by January 16***
Join the outstanding line up! Submit your abstract for a short talk, flash talk, or poster presentation:
👇👇👇
bsdb.org/meetings/
***Abstracts due in by January 16***
Join the outstanding line up! Submit your abstract for a short talk, flash talk, or poster presentation:
👇👇👇
bsdb.org/meetings/
January 6, 2026 at 11:51 AM
New year, new beginnings! Join us for all things animal & plant devbio at the 2026 @bsdb.bsky.social meeting in Warwick!
Abstract submission closing NEXT FRIDAY 16th JAN - join us!
Abstract submission closing NEXT FRIDAY 16th JAN - join us!
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Together with @ronghuizhu.bsky.social, we are thrilled to present our new perturb-seq study of 22M primary CD4+ T cells, across donors and timepoints – the result of a decade-long collaboration between the Marson @marsonlab.bsky.social and Pritchard @jkpritch.bsky.social labs 🧵 tinyurl.com/gwt2025
Genome-scale perturb-seq in primary human CD4+ T cells maps context-specific regulators of T cell programs and human immune traits
Gene regulatory networks encode the fundamental logic of cellular functions, but systematic network mapping remains challenging, especially in cell states relevant to human biology and disease. Here, ...
tinyurl.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Together with @ronghuizhu.bsky.social, we are thrilled to present our new perturb-seq study of 22M primary CD4+ T cells, across donors and timepoints – the result of a decade-long collaboration between the Marson @marsonlab.bsky.social and Pritchard @jkpritch.bsky.social labs 🧵 tinyurl.com/gwt2025
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
This went under the radar but answers a fundamental question in Epigenetics...
From many hundreds of olfactory receptor genes, each neuron selects expression of only single one (near-randomly). How?
Outstanding work from Mathieu Boulard and colleagues
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
From many hundreds of olfactory receptor genes, each neuron selects expression of only single one (near-randomly). How?
Outstanding work from Mathieu Boulard and colleagues
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
The transcription of a single olfactory receptor per neuron is enforced by epigenetic silencing of their enhancers
The ability to discriminate thousands of odors in our environment requires each olfactory neuron to express a single olfactory receptor from hundreds of available genes. The biochemical mechanism enfo...
www.biorxiv.org
January 5, 2026 at 12:51 PM
This went under the radar but answers a fundamental question in Epigenetics...
From many hundreds of olfactory receptor genes, each neuron selects expression of only single one (near-randomly). How?
Outstanding work from Mathieu Boulard and colleagues
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
From many hundreds of olfactory receptor genes, each neuron selects expression of only single one (near-randomly). How?
Outstanding work from Mathieu Boulard and colleagues
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
4-year postdoctoral fellowships for women @univie.ac.at
The application consists of a short (3-page) research statement only.
Feel free to get in touch if you’re interested or would like to discuss potential projects.
careers.univie.ac.at/en/postdoc/e...
Application deadline: 2 March 2026
The application consists of a short (3-page) research statement only.
Feel free to get in touch if you’re interested or would like to discuss potential projects.
careers.univie.ac.at/en/postdoc/e...
Application deadline: 2 March 2026
E-STEEM: Postdoctoral Positions for Women in STEM and Economics - University of Vienna
Supporting women in science: Postdoctoral positions in STEM and Economics as part of the E-STEEM programme. Apply between January and March 2026.
careers.univie.ac.at
January 5, 2026 at 6:38 AM
4-year postdoctoral fellowships for women @univie.ac.at
The application consists of a short (3-page) research statement only.
Feel free to get in touch if you’re interested or would like to discuss potential projects.
careers.univie.ac.at/en/postdoc/e...
Application deadline: 2 March 2026
The application consists of a short (3-page) research statement only.
Feel free to get in touch if you’re interested or would like to discuss potential projects.
careers.univie.ac.at/en/postdoc/e...
Application deadline: 2 March 2026
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
🥂Congratulations to @grazianomartello.bsky.social & co: they optimize an in vitro human #epiblast model, which they use to show that early #TGFβ family inhibition prevents epithelial identity, while it is dispensable after epithelium formation.
👉https://rdcu.be/eVPMa
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👉https://rdcu.be/eVPMa
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development - Nature Cell Biology
The authors optimize an in vitro human epiblast model, which they utilize to show that early TGFβ family inhibition prevents epithelial identity, whereas it is dispensable after epithelium formation. ...
www.nature.com
January 4, 2026 at 5:05 PM
🥂Congratulations to @grazianomartello.bsky.social & co: they optimize an in vitro human #epiblast model, which they use to show that early #TGFβ family inhibition prevents epithelial identity, while it is dispensable after epithelium formation.
👉https://rdcu.be/eVPMa
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👉https://rdcu.be/eVPMa
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
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 Stefan Schoenfelder
The FIFA Peace Prize used to mean something
January 3, 2026 at 6:12 PM
The FIFA Peace Prize used to mean something
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Modern biology research is biased towards investigating genes that are widely conserved and present in humans. What about genes that ARE widely conserved but NOT present in humans? Can genes missing from humans tell us something about what makes our biology different from that of other animals? 1/8
December 31, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Modern biology research is biased towards investigating genes that are widely conserved and present in humans. What about genes that ARE widely conserved but NOT present in humans? Can genes missing from humans tell us something about what makes our biology different from that of other animals? 1/8
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
🌱 As of Jan 1, I started as Assistant Professor at UMC Utrecht – Center for Molecular Medicine.
Very grateful to @dewitlab.bsky.social and @jopkind.bsky.social and to the many other people who supported me along the way.
I’ll be launching the lab soon, focusing on Chromatin Systems Biology.
Very grateful to @dewitlab.bsky.social and @jopkind.bsky.social and to the many other people who supported me along the way.
I’ll be launching the lab soon, focusing on Chromatin Systems Biology.
January 2, 2026 at 1:56 PM
🌱 As of Jan 1, I started as Assistant Professor at UMC Utrecht – Center for Molecular Medicine.
Very grateful to @dewitlab.bsky.social and @jopkind.bsky.social and to the many other people who supported me along the way.
I’ll be launching the lab soon, focusing on Chromatin Systems Biology.
Very grateful to @dewitlab.bsky.social and @jopkind.bsky.social and to the many other people who supported me along the way.
I’ll be launching the lab soon, focusing on Chromatin Systems Biology.
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Delighted to have our work on 🧬 resilience to 🩸cancer led by @g-agarwal.bsky.social & amazing collaborators, including @kharaslab.bsky.social, published in @science.org: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🧵
January 2, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Delighted to have our work on 🧬 resilience to 🩸cancer led by @g-agarwal.bsky.social & amazing collaborators, including @kharaslab.bsky.social, published in @science.org: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🧵
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Happy to share our new review on 3D chromatin organisation by cohesin with you. It was a great pleasure to review recent advances and future prospects with @danielgerlich.bsky.social.
New Online! Organization of replicated chromosomes by DNA loops and sister chromatid cohesion
Organization of replicated chromosomes by DNA loops and sister chromatid cohesion
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 02 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00933-1Cohesin complexes regulate genome architecture through DNA loop extrusion and sister chromatid cohesion. The Review discusses how these two cohesin activities mediate the organization of replicated chromosomes and their segregation in mitosis and meiosis, DNA break repair, and age-related aneuploidy in oocytes.
bit.ly
January 2, 2026 at 11:23 AM
Happy to share our new review on 3D chromatin organisation by cohesin with you. It was a great pleasure to review recent advances and future prospects with @danielgerlich.bsky.social.
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
New Online! Organization of replicated chromosomes by DNA loops and sister chromatid cohesion
Organization of replicated chromosomes by DNA loops and sister chromatid cohesion
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 02 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00933-1Cohesin complexes regulate genome architecture through DNA loop extrusion and sister chromatid cohesion. The Review discusses how these two cohesin activities mediate the organization of replicated chromosomes and their segregation in mitosis and meiosis, DNA break repair, and age-related aneuploidy in oocytes.
bit.ly
January 2, 2026 at 3:13 AM
New Online! Organization of replicated chromosomes by DNA loops and sister chromatid cohesion
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
We are looking for a Postdoc at the Center for Gene Expression in Copenhagen. Deadline for applications is the 11th of January. If you are interested in 3D chromatin, SMC complexes, and super-resolution microscopy, join us. www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Postdocs at Center for Gene Expression in Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine - Copenhagen, Hovedstaden (DK) job with University of Copenhagen | 12849488
We are looking for 2 or more highly motivated postdocs interested in ribosome biology, 3D chromatin organisation, or regulation of protein turnove...
www.nature.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:12 AM
We are looking for a Postdoc at the Center for Gene Expression in Copenhagen. Deadline for applications is the 11th of January. If you are interested in 3D chromatin, SMC complexes, and super-resolution microscopy, join us. www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Looking to start your lab in generative biology / AI?
Come join us at the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Sanger is core-funded so you can generate data at scale to train the next generation of models and understanding. Design/Engineering/Chemistry/Proteins/Pathways!
pls RT
tinyurl.com/GenGenFaculty
Come join us at the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Sanger is core-funded so you can generate data at scale to train the next generation of models and understanding. Design/Engineering/Chemistry/Proteins/Pathways!
pls RT
tinyurl.com/GenGenFaculty
Group Leader - Generative Biology and AI
Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenge...
tinyurl.com
January 1, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Looking to start your lab in generative biology / AI?
Come join us at the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Sanger is core-funded so you can generate data at scale to train the next generation of models and understanding. Design/Engineering/Chemistry/Proteins/Pathways!
pls RT
tinyurl.com/GenGenFaculty
Come join us at the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Sanger is core-funded so you can generate data at scale to train the next generation of models and understanding. Design/Engineering/Chemistry/Proteins/Pathways!
pls RT
tinyurl.com/GenGenFaculty
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
We co-submitted this article with the work of @andersshansen.bsky.social , @irate-physicist.bsky.social , and authors, who characterize similar cre microcompartments : rdcu.be/eWK1u
Dynamics of microcompartment formation at the mitosis-to-G1 transition
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology - Goel et al. produce high-resolution three-dimensional genome structure mapping from mitosis to G1 phase to show unseen interactions between enhancers and...
rdcu.be
December 29, 2025 at 1:05 PM
We co-submitted this article with the work of @andersshansen.bsky.social , @irate-physicist.bsky.social , and authors, who characterize similar cre microcompartments : rdcu.be/eWK1u
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
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 Stefan Schoenfelder
Happy to share that my postdoc work with @jobdekker.bsky.social is out!
rdcu.be/eWHD2
We characterize interphase chromatin folding programs with distinct modes of mitotic inheritance and identify the chromosome-intrinsic capacity to form a microcompartment of active CREs during mitotic exit.
rdcu.be/eWHD2
We characterize interphase chromatin folding programs with distinct modes of mitotic inheritance and identify the chromosome-intrinsic capacity to form a microcompartment of active CREs during mitotic exit.
Interphase chromosome conformation is specified by distinct folding programmes inherited through mitotic chromosomes or the cytoplasm
Nature Cell Biology - Schooley et al. find that mitotically bookmarked loci drive a transient chromosome folding state during G1 entry that is subsequently modulated by factors inherited through...
rdcu.be
December 29, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Happy to share that my postdoc work with @jobdekker.bsky.social is out!
rdcu.be/eWHD2
We characterize interphase chromatin folding programs with distinct modes of mitotic inheritance and identify the chromosome-intrinsic capacity to form a microcompartment of active CREs during mitotic exit.
rdcu.be/eWHD2
We characterize interphase chromatin folding programs with distinct modes of mitotic inheritance and identify the chromosome-intrinsic capacity to form a microcompartment of active CREs during mitotic exit.
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
As usual this time of year, started drafting the list of gene regulation conferences for 2026, enjoy! generegulation.org/conferences-...
Know of a relevant event that’s missing? Please reply below
Know of a relevant event that’s missing? Please reply below
Conferences & Schools – 2026 – Gene Regulation – Teif Lab
generegulation.org
December 29, 2025 at 3:29 PM
As usual this time of year, started drafting the list of gene regulation conferences for 2026, enjoy! generegulation.org/conferences-...
Know of a relevant event that’s missing? Please reply below
Know of a relevant event that’s missing? Please reply below
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Did you know there are 2 types of avocado varieties? A-types switch from female to male, B-types male to female, within a single day. This reciprocal sex alternation promotes cross-pollination and has a simple genetic basis. Read more in this recent preprint from the final chapter of my PhD thesis 🥑
Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies an ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado
In avocado and certain wild relatives in Lauraceae, pollination occurs via a synchronized rhythm of floral sex timing between two hermaphroditic flowering types. A-type plants present female-phase flo...
www.biorxiv.org
December 29, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Did you know there are 2 types of avocado varieties? A-types switch from female to male, B-types male to female, within a single day. This reciprocal sex alternation promotes cross-pollination and has a simple genetic basis. Read more in this recent preprint from the final chapter of my PhD thesis 🥑
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
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 Stefan Schoenfelder
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 Stefan Schoenfelder
I launched my lab at UMass Amherst this fall. We study the mechanisms of meiotic homolog pairing using advanced live‑cell and super‑resolution imaging. Currently in budding yeast, with plans to expand to other eukaryotes. #Chromosome #Meiosis #Mitosis
www.umass.edu/biology/abou...
www.umass.edu/biology/abou...
November 13, 2025 at 12:13 PM
I launched my lab at UMass Amherst this fall. We study the mechanisms of meiotic homolog pairing using advanced live‑cell and super‑resolution imaging. Currently in budding yeast, with plans to expand to other eukaryotes. #Chromosome #Meiosis #Mitosis
www.umass.edu/biology/abou...
www.umass.edu/biology/abou...
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
We probably shouldn’t have favourites amongst projects in the lab, but this one was mine. I’m so pleased we can finally share it:
Our work is now out in Nature Communications:
🔗 nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67692-7
Our work is now out in Nature Communications:
🔗 nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67692-7
nature.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:38 PM
We probably shouldn’t have favourites amongst projects in the lab, but this one was mine. I’m so pleased we can finally share it:
Our work is now out in Nature Communications:
🔗 nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67692-7
Our work is now out in Nature Communications:
🔗 nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67692-7
Reposted by Stefan Schoenfelder
Congrats @jeffgroh.bsky.social et al. Some avocado trees open female-phase flowers in the morning & then male in afternoon. Others show complementary pattern (m->f), to synchronize pollination of two types. Jeff show this to be a >45Mya polymorphism at a transcription factor across 100s of species.
Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies an ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.695989v1
December 25, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Congrats @jeffgroh.bsky.social et al. Some avocado trees open female-phase flowers in the morning & then male in afternoon. Others show complementary pattern (m->f), to synchronize pollination of two types. Jeff show this to be a >45Mya polymorphism at a transcription factor across 100s of species.