Steve West
@xrnchew.bsky.social
Love science - especially transcription and RNA regulation. Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter.
Check this out. I was in Nick's lab with Jurgi and we used to run around the University Parks thinking about RNA (whilst getting out of breath). Nick and his lab were both amazing and the main (only!) reason I became a researcher! www.sophiagenetics.com/podcasts/epi...
Episode 5: The DNA of Discovery: A Journey Through Molecular Biology
In this episode, Dr. Jurgi Camblong travels to the University of Oxford to meet Professor Nicholas Proudfoot, one of the true pioneers of molecular biology.
www.sophiagenetics.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Check this out. I was in Nick's lab with Jurgi and we used to run around the University Parks thinking about RNA (whilst getting out of breath). Nick and his lab were both amazing and the main (only!) reason I became a researcher! www.sophiagenetics.com/podcasts/epi...
Reposted by Steve West
Are you looking for a PhD starting in September 2026/27? Then do not miss the fantastic opportunity to be part of the LSI PhD Community. New positions for the LSI PhD Programme are out now. www.exeter.ac.uk/research/ins... Deadline: 26.11.2025
October 28, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Are you looking for a PhD starting in September 2026/27? Then do not miss the fantastic opportunity to be part of the LSI PhD Community. New positions for the LSI PhD Programme are out now. www.exeter.ac.uk/research/ins... Deadline: 26.11.2025
Reposted by Steve West
🚀 Excited to share my latest paper on using SHAP, to predict direct target genes of chromatin-associated factors! Check it out for insights into gene regulation and the power of explainable AI in genomics! #XAI #SHAP #Genomics
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Let's break down what we found! 👇
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Let's break down what we found! 👇
Modelling transcription with explainable AI uncovers context-specific epigenetic gene regulation at promoters and gene bodies
Author summary Genes are turned on or off through complex processes involving many proteins that interact with DNA wrapped histones and modify their structure. These changes, known as epigenetic modif...
doi.org
October 24, 2025 at 11:37 AM
🚀 Excited to share my latest paper on using SHAP, to predict direct target genes of chromatin-associated factors! Check it out for insights into gene regulation and the power of explainable AI in genomics! #XAI #SHAP #Genomics
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Let's break down what we found! 👇
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Let's break down what we found! 👇
Reposted by Steve West
Online Now: Sequential verification of transcription by Integrator and Restrictor Online now:
Sequential verification of transcription by Integrator and Restrictor
Estell and Łazowski et al. show that Integrator and Restrictor form distinct pathways for early attenuation of RNA polymerase II: Integrator acts at the promoter-proximal pause site, whereas Restrictor acts over a downstream “restriction zone.” For transcription to proceed, CDK7/9 oppose Integrator, while U1 snRNP counteracts both Integrator and Restrictor.
dlvr.it
October 21, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Online Now: Sequential verification of transcription by Integrator and Restrictor Online now:
I’m a fair-weather poster on here to say the least. However, I'm pleased to present our latest paper. A great effort from all authors and an interesting insight into transcriptional regulation (we think!).
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Sequential verification of transcription by Integrator and Restrictor
Estell and Łazowski et al. show that Integrator and Restrictor form distinct pathways
for early attenuation of RNA polymerase II: Integrator acts at the promoter-proximal
pause site, whereas Restricto...
www.cell.com
October 17, 2025 at 5:19 PM
I’m a fair-weather poster on here to say the least. However, I'm pleased to present our latest paper. A great effort from all authors and an interesting insight into transcriptional regulation (we think!).
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
We would love to support and host anyone interested in this in my lab. Get in touch if interested.
royalsociety.org/grants/newto...
royalsociety.org/grants/newto...
Newton International Fellowships | Royal Society
This fellowship is for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK.
royalsociety.org
January 30, 2025 at 9:11 AM
We would love to support and host anyone interested in this in my lab. Get in touch if interested.
royalsociety.org/grants/newto...
royalsociety.org/grants/newto...
Reposted by Steve West
Restrictor slows early transcription elongation to render RNA polymerase II susceptible to termination at non-coding RNA loci https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.08.631787v1
January 10, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Restrictor slows early transcription elongation to render RNA polymerase II susceptible to termination at non-coding RNA loci https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.08.631787v1
Reposted by Steve West
In this study, Davidson et al. describe an alternative but conserved mechanism for RNA polymerase II transcription termination that occurs directly at T-tracts and independent of polyadenylation site-directed termination. #openaccess
Learn more here:
➡️ tinyurl.com/gd351978
Learn more here:
➡️ tinyurl.com/gd351978
January 6, 2025 at 8:16 PM
In this study, Davidson et al. describe an alternative but conserved mechanism for RNA polymerase II transcription termination that occurs directly at T-tracts and independent of polyadenylation site-directed termination. #openaccess
Learn more here:
➡️ tinyurl.com/gd351978
Learn more here:
➡️ tinyurl.com/gd351978
Happy New Year everyone. Time to crack on.
January 6, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Happy New Year everyone. Time to crack on.
Happy Christmas everyone. I'm going from sporadic posts to none - for a week or so!
December 20, 2024 at 10:33 AM
Happy Christmas everyone. I'm going from sporadic posts to none - for a week or so!
Reposted by Steve West
📢 Latest publication from the lab! We explore how cells manage the excess pA− RNAs generated by pervasive transcription. While the NEXT complex usually takes charge, in its absence, a network of tailing enzymes, export factors, and exonucleases steps in to modify and degrade these RNAs.
December 13, 2024 at 8:25 AM
📢 Latest publication from the lab! We explore how cells manage the excess pA− RNAs generated by pervasive transcription. While the NEXT complex usually takes charge, in its absence, a network of tailing enzymes, export factors, and exonucleases steps in to modify and degrade these RNAs.
www.tasteatlas.com/best/regions. This can't be right - not one from the UK. I almost choked on my baked beans!
These are the Best Food Regions in the World - TasteAtlas Awards 24/25
Best local food destinations in the world according to audience ratings for local restaurants, iconic dishes, and ingredients from the respective regions.
www.tasteatlas.com
December 13, 2024 at 10:45 AM
www.tasteatlas.com/best/regions. This can't be right - not one from the UK. I almost choked on my baked beans!
I'm taking my son to our first panto tomorrow. What's that you say? Oh yes I am!
December 11, 2024 at 10:05 PM
I'm taking my son to our first panto tomorrow. What's that you say? Oh yes I am!
Reposted by Steve West
This is great news!
While we're working on adding Altmetric and making it easier to share eLife papers directly to Bluesky, you can tag us here for a boost!
While we're working on adding Altmetric and making it easier to share eLife papers directly to Bluesky, you can tag us here for a boost!
💙 This is the one you've been waiting for! @altmetric.com has added @bsky.app as a new attention source for published research. 🙌 #SocialMedia
Altmetric is the first to track the impact of conversations about #research on Bluesky. 🦋
🔗 See our announcement: www.digital-science.com/news/altmetr...
Altmetric is the first to track the impact of conversations about #research on Bluesky. 🦋
🔗 See our announcement: www.digital-science.com/news/altmetr...
December 9, 2024 at 10:47 AM
This is great news!
While we're working on adding Altmetric and making it easier to share eLife papers directly to Bluesky, you can tag us here for a boost!
While we're working on adding Altmetric and making it easier to share eLife papers directly to Bluesky, you can tag us here for a boost!
Reposted by Steve West
As you make have seen, there is a special issue of JMB on "Controlling Transcription Elongation and Termination: More Than a Means to An End" curated by my colleague here at Pitt Karen Arndt and by Steve Buratowski from Harvard Medical School 🧪🧵 1/ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Controlling Transcription Elongation and Termination: More Than a Means to An End
www.sciencedirect.com
November 27, 2024 at 3:00 PM
As you make have seen, there is a special issue of JMB on "Controlling Transcription Elongation and Termination: More Than a Means to An End" curated by my colleague here at Pitt Karen Arndt and by Steve Buratowski from Harvard Medical School 🧪🧵 1/ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Steve West
Here it is! Congratuations to @jesskelley.bsky.social @edimitrova.bsky.social @neilblackledge.bsky.social @aleksszczurek.bsky.social and the rest of the team (Maciej, Amy, and Hieu). This was a fab collaboration with Arminja Kettenbach. Also see a lovely complementary paper from Fei Chen's group.
Very excited that our paper describing a critical role for the PNUTS-PP1 phosphatase complex in transcription pause release is up online! This was a massive team effort with @edimitrova.bsky.social and the rest of the @robklose.bsky.social lab www.cell.com/molecular-ce... A short thread: (1/8)
The PNUTS phosphatase complex controls transcription pause release
Kelley et al. discover that the PNUTS phosphatase complex plays an essential role
in gene transcription by controlling RNA polymerase II pause release. PNUTS achieves
this through its TND, which recog...
www.cell.com
November 26, 2024 at 5:03 PM
Here it is! Congratuations to @jesskelley.bsky.social @edimitrova.bsky.social @neilblackledge.bsky.social @aleksszczurek.bsky.social and the rest of the team (Maciej, Amy, and Hieu). This was a fab collaboration with Arminja Kettenbach. Also see a lovely complementary paper from Fei Chen's group.
Reposted by Steve West
As a long-term signatory of the Declaration on Research Assessment, we thank DORA for this supportive message. There has been an ongoing move away from journal-level metrics; we hope this will only accelerate now.
Publishing requires constant innovation and renewal to remain relevant. We are concerned by the action that Clarivate is taking in regard to @elife.bsky.social but not because eLife may not be eligible for an Impact Factor but because of the chilling effect on innovation. sfdora.org/2024/11/25/c...
sfdora.org
November 25, 2024 at 10:58 AM
As a long-term signatory of the Declaration on Research Assessment, we thank DORA for this supportive message. There has been an ongoing move away from journal-level metrics; we hope this will only accelerate now.
Reposted by Steve West
Are you looking for a PhD position starting 2025/26? Then check out our website www.exeter.ac.uk/research/ins... and apply for a PhD position at the Living Systems Institute in Exeter. It could be you in the photo next year. @uniofexeter.bsky.social
November 21, 2024 at 2:26 PM
Are you looking for a PhD position starting 2025/26? Then check out our website www.exeter.ac.uk/research/ins... and apply for a PhD position at the Living Systems Institute in Exeter. It could be you in the photo next year. @uniofexeter.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve West
We are delighted to join the BlueSky community.
The Living Systems Institute at University of Exeter is a pioneering interdisciplinary research centre focused on understanding the fundamental principles of living systems and applying this knowledge to address challenges in health and life sciences.
The Living Systems Institute at University of Exeter is a pioneering interdisciplinary research centre focused on understanding the fundamental principles of living systems and applying this knowledge to address challenges in health and life sciences.
November 15, 2024 at 9:57 AM
We are delighted to join the BlueSky community.
The Living Systems Institute at University of Exeter is a pioneering interdisciplinary research centre focused on understanding the fundamental principles of living systems and applying this knowledge to address challenges in health and life sciences.
The Living Systems Institute at University of Exeter is a pioneering interdisciplinary research centre focused on understanding the fundamental principles of living systems and applying this knowledge to address challenges in health and life sciences.
Bit of snow in Exeter today. My 7 year old Son declared that this was the first snow ever in Southern England! Not quite true but given how all the roads have ground to a halt, I forgive him for thinking it might be......
November 21, 2024 at 8:37 AM
Bit of snow in Exeter today. My 7 year old Son declared that this was the first snow ever in Southern England! Not quite true but given how all the roads have ground to a halt, I forgive him for thinking it might be......
Quick intro: My lab studies mechanisms of transcriptional termination, but we like all things RNA. Important to note, we don't study DNA recombination and repair (that's the other Steve West!) but we do welcome all followers!!.
November 18, 2024 at 9:08 PM
Quick intro: My lab studies mechanisms of transcriptional termination, but we like all things RNA. Important to note, we don't study DNA recombination and repair (that's the other Steve West!) but we do welcome all followers!!.
Reposted by Steve West
Interdisciplinary PhD studentships at the Living Systems Institute
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
November 14, 2024 at 5:01 PM
Interdisciplinary PhD studentships at the Living Systems Institute
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...