Damian Toczydlowski
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damiantoczydlowski.bsky.social
Damian Toczydlowski
@damiantoczydlowski.bsky.social
Epigeneticist, Scientist & Molecular Biologist studying epigenetic cellular memory, epigenetic inheritance & mechano-epigenomic code in gliomas.

#epigenomics #epigenetics #singlecell #chromatin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/damian-toczydlowski/
If James Watson and Francis Crick hadn't seen Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling's 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩 51 (which Maurice Wilkins showed them), would they still have come up with the idea of the double helix in 1953?
November 23, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Everything was about to change...

➡️ Mendel, memories and meaning. Nat Genet 54, 907 (2022).

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
September 20, 2025 at 10:21 AM
𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥'𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 (𝐄𝐩𝐢)𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

Do you recall the story of Gregor Mendel, the monk?

Yes, that man, who with relentless passion, crossbred his pea plants in the quiet gardens of the Augustinian monastery.

#science #genetics
September 20, 2025 at 10:17 AM
➡️ Palacios, S., Bruno, S., Weiss, R., Salibi, E., Goodchild-Michelman, I., Kane, A., Ilia, K., & Del Vecchio, D. (2025). Analog epigenetic memory revealed by targeted chromatin editing. Cell Genomics.

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.xg...

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
September 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

It might sound like science fiction...

But your cells actually have a form of memory.

Not the kind you use to remember your grocery list, but something far more sophisticated.

#epigenetics #science #genomics
September 17, 2025 at 3:52 PM
𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬

At some point, once scientists started exploring cellular epigenomes in more detail, they hit a glass ceiling.

What slowed down the progress?

#epigenetics #genomics #crispr
March 22, 2025 at 11:30 AM
➡️ Misteli, T. (2020). The Self-Organizing Genome: Principles of genome architecture and Function. Cell, 183(1), 28–45.

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
March 16, 2025 at 10:27 AM
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞?

One of the biggest surprises for geneticists came when they started breaking down the sequence of human DNA into its constituent parts.

Do you know how it went at the beginning?

#epigenetics #genomics #science
March 16, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Li, S., Chen, X., Xin, J., Liu, B., Liu, B., Hu, M., & Wong, W. H. (2025). Human stem cells with in vivo high plasticity generated by cell–cell communication. PNAS, 122(11).

DOI: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
March 12, 2025 at 12:46 PM
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, & 𝐧𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 — 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?

I will only say that we haven't had a breakthrough like this in a long time.

#regenerativemedicine #stemcells #science
March 12, 2025 at 12:41 PM
➡️ Misteli, T. (2020). The Self-Organizing Genome: Principles of genome architecture and Function. Cell, 183(1), 28–45.

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
March 11, 2025 at 2:53 PM
𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞

Our DNA – probably one of the most valuable resources that we possess – is packed in our cells in a fantastic, clever way.

#epigenetics #genomics #chromatin
March 11, 2025 at 2:50 PM
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐍𝐀 & 𝐃𝐍𝐀 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞–𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝟑𝐃 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐱

Until a certain point in the history of molecular biology, methods for DNA & RNA sequencing were developed separately.

#epigenetics #epigenomics #genomics
March 9, 2025 at 4:13 PM
➡️ Wang, D., Stevens, G., & Flotte, T. R. (2025b). Gene Therapy then and now: A look back at changes in the field over the past 25 years. Molecular Therapy.

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.ym...
March 5, 2025 at 4:59 PM
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐍𝐨𝐰, & 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝...

Gene therapies wouldn't exist if we couldn't sequence the human genome.

They wouldn't exist without the breakthroughs in genome editing or the methods to deliver what some call "fixed genes" into patients' bodies.

#genetherapy
March 5, 2025 at 4:54 PM
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝?

"Sire, Your Grace, genome, tell us who we truly are," they said.

At one time, scientists thought that sequencing the human genome would mark the end of a certain era in history.

#genomics #epigenetics
March 2, 2025 at 3:59 PM
What is Transcription, actually?

Lee, T. I., & Young, R. A. (2013). Transcriptional regulation and its misregulation in disease. Cell, 152(6), 1237–1251.

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
February 27, 2025 at 9:56 AM
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 — 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧...

Transcription?

For some, it is just a meaningless word.

To others?

A molecular process.

#transcriptomics #epigenetics #genomics
February 27, 2025 at 9:51 AM
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 (𝐞𝐩𝐢)𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐍𝐀, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐑𝐍𝐀 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝

Nucleic acids are neither "immortal" nor made of iron.

They can't be endlessly damaged.

#genomics #epigenetics
February 24, 2025 at 5:06 PM
𝐬𝐦𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐇: 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐑-𝐂𝐬𝐦-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐍𝐀 𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬

This new article from 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 is not only about a new method for imaging RNA molecules in living cells.

#CRISPR #RNA #imaging
February 22, 2025 at 5:19 PM
𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐑-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫

This epigenome editing makes a difference for all genomic scientists, especially those who are scratching their heads trying to design effective gene therapies.

#epigenetics #CRISPR #genomics
February 20, 2025 at 4:43 PM
𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲: 𝐑𝐍𝐀 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐈 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬?

Cancer has an increased tendency to accumulate genomic alterations, a phenomenon scientists call "𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲".

#epigenetics #cancer #genomics
February 16, 2025 at 1:53 PM
𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜?

Cancer is simply inhuman.

Why can a single, mutated cell become a life-threatening danger to a human being?

How can it destroy the entire organism, it belongs to.

#epigenetics #cancer #genomics
February 9, 2025 at 7:04 PM
𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐨𝐱: 𝐈𝐬 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭?

It might sound a bit puzzling...

But not every cell with a specific set of oncogenic mutations actually transforms into a cancerous cell.

#epigenetics #cancer #genomics
February 7, 2025 at 10:04 AM
𝐀 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 & 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬.

Even things as complex as thinking, forming memories, or making logical connections all come down to how our genes react to different stimuli.

#epigenetics #genomics #science
February 4, 2025 at 11:38 AM