Maya Voichek
@mayavoichek.bsky.social
Postdoc at the Brennecke lab - studying the twilight zone between transposons and endogenous retroviruses // Scientist, mom, bioart enthusiast
Pinned
Maya Voichek
@mayavoichek.bsky.social
· Mar 17
1/ Transposable elements are often called "jumping genes" because they mobilize within genomes. 🧬
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Lastly, I’m excited to join @imbmainz.bsky.social in 2026 to start my own lab. We'll explore new mechanisms in eukaryotic gene expression, leveraging ‘evolutionary play’ to uncover how regulation, repurposing, and hijacking shape RNA biology. tinyurl.com/y4x29ctt
Thanks for reading! 20/20
Thanks for reading! 20/20
Research
IMB Mainz
tinyurl.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Lastly, I’m excited to join @imbmainz.bsky.social in 2026 to start my own lab. We'll explore new mechanisms in eukaryotic gene expression, leveraging ‘evolutionary play’ to uncover how regulation, repurposing, and hijacking shape RNA biology. tinyurl.com/y4x29ctt
Thanks for reading! 20/20
Thanks for reading! 20/20
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Are you an early-stage graduate student (2nd or 3rd year) or early-stage postdoc based in the US or Canada, working primarily in Drosophila? Would you like to help improve the experience of all trainees working in Drosophila research? If so, read on.
(Please repost to reach a broad audience.)
(Please repost to reach a broad audience.)
November 12, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Are you an early-stage graduate student (2nd or 3rd year) or early-stage postdoc based in the US or Canada, working primarily in Drosophila? Would you like to help improve the experience of all trainees working in Drosophila research? If so, read on.
(Please repost to reach a broad audience.)
(Please repost to reach a broad audience.)
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Some impressions from the rather fabulous #EMBOmobilegenome Mobile Genome meeting in Heidelberg
Morning walk through the woods, exciting panel discussion, flash talks, lab community, drosophila friends, …
@events.embl.org
The transposon community is going very strong. see you all again in 2027!!
Morning walk through the woods, exciting panel discussion, flash talks, lab community, drosophila friends, …
@events.embl.org
The transposon community is going very strong. see you all again in 2027!!
November 7, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Some impressions from the rather fabulous #EMBOmobilegenome Mobile Genome meeting in Heidelberg
Morning walk through the woods, exciting panel discussion, flash talks, lab community, drosophila friends, …
@events.embl.org
The transposon community is going very strong. see you all again in 2027!!
Morning walk through the woods, exciting panel discussion, flash talks, lab community, drosophila friends, …
@events.embl.org
The transposon community is going very strong. see you all again in 2027!!
Reposted by Maya Voichek
When transposons jump, genomes diverge - even in cultured cells.
I am happy to share our new preprint: a chromosome-scale genome assembly for Drosophila OSC cells, one of the key model systems in the piRNA field, especially for nuclear piRNA biology. 🧬🧵 (1/12)
I am happy to share our new preprint: a chromosome-scale genome assembly for Drosophila OSC cells, one of the key model systems in the piRNA field, especially for nuclear piRNA biology. 🧬🧵 (1/12)
October 14, 2025 at 8:34 PM
When transposons jump, genomes diverge - even in cultured cells.
I am happy to share our new preprint: a chromosome-scale genome assembly for Drosophila OSC cells, one of the key model systems in the piRNA field, especially for nuclear piRNA biology. 🧬🧵 (1/12)
I am happy to share our new preprint: a chromosome-scale genome assembly for Drosophila OSC cells, one of the key model systems in the piRNA field, especially for nuclear piRNA biology. 🧬🧵 (1/12)
Reposted by Maya Voichek
1/ How do animals develop immunity against a newly encountered transposable element from scratch? Our study reveals that the mobility of TEs is their Achilles heel, allowing hosts to develop a powerful small RNA-mediated silencing response.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 14, 2025 at 5:09 PM
1/ How do animals develop immunity against a newly encountered transposable element from scratch? Our study reveals that the mobility of TEs is their Achilles heel, allowing hosts to develop a powerful small RNA-mediated silencing response.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Maya Voichek
We wrote a review on the free nucleotide pool as a central playground in human, bacterial, and plant immunity – now out in Nature Reviews in Immunology
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
Manipulation of the nucleotide pool in human, bacterial and plant immunity - Nature Reviews Immunology
Modification of the nucleotide pool is emerging as key to innate immunity in animals, plants and bacteria. This Review explains how immune pathways conserved from bacteria to humans manipulate the nuc...
www.nature.com
July 30, 2025 at 6:05 AM
We wrote a review on the free nucleotide pool as a central playground in human, bacterial, and plant immunity – now out in Nature Reviews in Immunology
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
Reposted by Maya Voichek
We wrote a review on Transposable Elements (TEs) and almost all aspects of TE silencing and their roles in biological processes & disease.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of transposable elements and their roles in development and disease - Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
Transposable elements (TEs) comprise nearly half of the human genome. This Review discusses transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms that repress TE activity, how TEs escape this suppressio...
www.nature.com
June 30, 2025 at 1:12 PM
We wrote a review on Transposable Elements (TEs) and almost all aspects of TE silencing and their roles in biological processes & disease.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Although we didn't make it to a cover, it was so wonderful to work with @mariadiazillus.bsky.social on designing an artwork inspired by our work. Thank you Maria! We love it and will be proudly showing it around.
Rover ERV wandering around the chromatin rapped around the moons of the solar system:
Rover ERV wandering around the chromatin rapped around the moons of the solar system:
June 26, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Although we didn't make it to a cover, it was so wonderful to work with @mariadiazillus.bsky.social on designing an artwork inspired by our work. Thank you Maria! We love it and will be proudly showing it around.
Rover ERV wandering around the chromatin rapped around the moons of the solar system:
Rover ERV wandering around the chromatin rapped around the moons of the solar system:
Reposted by Maya Voichek
🚨📢 New paper alert!
A study led by Kirsten Senti and Julius Brennecke offers new insights into how ancient endogenous retroviruses diversified to exploit different cell “niches” in the fruit fly ovary, and how the host’s defenses adapted in return. https://imba.science/Brennecke_EMBOJ
A study led by Kirsten Senti and Julius Brennecke offers new insights into how ancient endogenous retroviruses diversified to exploit different cell “niches” in the fruit fly ovary, and how the host’s defenses adapted in return. https://imba.science/Brennecke_EMBOJ
June 16, 2025 at 9:40 AM
🚨📢 New paper alert!
A study led by Kirsten Senti and Julius Brennecke offers new insights into how ancient endogenous retroviruses diversified to exploit different cell “niches” in the fruit fly ovary, and how the host’s defenses adapted in return. https://imba.science/Brennecke_EMBOJ
A study led by Kirsten Senti and Julius Brennecke offers new insights into how ancient endogenous retroviruses diversified to exploit different cell “niches” in the fruit fly ovary, and how the host’s defenses adapted in return. https://imba.science/Brennecke_EMBOJ
Reposted by Maya Voichek
REFEREE 1: “I conclude with a simple, direct statement - this is the best paper I have read all year!”
#TransparentPeerReview
Co-evolving infectivity and expression patterns drive the diversification of endogenous retroviruses
@juliusbrennecke.bsky.social et al
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
#TransparentPeerReview
Co-evolving infectivity and expression patterns drive the diversification of endogenous retroviruses
@juliusbrennecke.bsky.social et al
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
June 6, 2025 at 2:18 PM
REFEREE 1: “I conclude with a simple, direct statement - this is the best paper I have read all year!”
#TransparentPeerReview
Co-evolving infectivity and expression patterns drive the diversification of endogenous retroviruses
@juliusbrennecke.bsky.social et al
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
#TransparentPeerReview
Co-evolving infectivity and expression patterns drive the diversification of endogenous retroviruses
@juliusbrennecke.bsky.social et al
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Flybase lost all of the NIH support overnight - it is a disaster for the community. Please consider donating. I just did! www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
Drosophila Genetic Database
The Drosophila Genetic Database, FlyBase, is on the brink of collapse due to the sudden termination of the FlyBase NIH grant, which includes salaries for 5 literature curators based at the University ...
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk
June 3, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Flybase lost all of the NIH support overnight - it is a disaster for the community. Please consider donating. I just did! www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Happy #FluorescenceFriday !🌈
Today, sperm cells & developing gametes (Dapi, 🟢🟡🟠🔴) and testis muscles (Phalloidin (🔵🟢) in/on a #Drosophila non-melanogaster (guess the species and you’re the 🐐)
#cellbio #devbio #science #sciart #microscopy
Scope: Zeiss Airyscan 980❤️@zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social
Today, sperm cells & developing gametes (Dapi, 🟢🟡🟠🔴) and testis muscles (Phalloidin (🔵🟢) in/on a #Drosophila non-melanogaster (guess the species and you’re the 🐐)
#cellbio #devbio #science #sciart #microscopy
Scope: Zeiss Airyscan 980❤️@zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social
June 6, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Happy #FluorescenceFriday !🌈
Today, sperm cells & developing gametes (Dapi, 🟢🟡🟠🔴) and testis muscles (Phalloidin (🔵🟢) in/on a #Drosophila non-melanogaster (guess the species and you’re the 🐐)
#cellbio #devbio #science #sciart #microscopy
Scope: Zeiss Airyscan 980❤️@zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social
Today, sperm cells & developing gametes (Dapi, 🟢🟡🟠🔴) and testis muscles (Phalloidin (🔵🟢) in/on a #Drosophila non-melanogaster (guess the species and you’re the 🐐)
#cellbio #devbio #science #sciart #microscopy
Scope: Zeiss Airyscan 980❤️@zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social
Reposted by Maya Voichek
📣 Our new VIP3 Postdoc program is accepting applications! Wondering what's it's like to do a postdoc at the Vienna Biocenter? Find out here👇 🎉
What’s it like to be a postdoc at the Vienna BioCenter? Anna Osnato shares her experience from joining the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology.
The VIP³ PostDoc Program call is open – apply now for this unique opportunity! training.vbc.ac.at/post-docs/vi...
#VBCPostDoc
The VIP³ PostDoc Program call is open – apply now for this unique opportunity! training.vbc.ac.at/post-docs/vi...
#VBCPostDoc
June 6, 2025 at 12:07 PM
📣 Our new VIP3 Postdoc program is accepting applications! Wondering what's it's like to do a postdoc at the Vienna Biocenter? Find out here👇 🎉
Reposted by Maya Voichek
#drosophila @flybase.bsky.social request emergency funding:
"As it stands, by the end of July, 2025, there will be no future updates to FlyBase, and in the worst case scenario access to the website will also be lost" => please donate!
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
"As it stands, by the end of July, 2025, there will be no future updates to FlyBase, and in the worst case scenario access to the website will also be lost" => please donate!
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
Drosophila Genetic Database
The Drosophila Genetic Database, FlyBase, is on the brink of collapse due to the sudden termination of the FlyBase NIH grant, which includes salaries for 5 literature curators based at the University ...
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk
June 3, 2025 at 4:15 PM
#drosophila @flybase.bsky.social request emergency funding:
"As it stands, by the end of July, 2025, there will be no future updates to FlyBase, and in the worst case scenario access to the website will also be lost" => please donate!
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
"As it stands, by the end of July, 2025, there will be no future updates to FlyBase, and in the worst case scenario access to the website will also be lost" => please donate!
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Did you know? 🧪 "The Interactive Fly" is a wonderful website hosted by @socdevbio.bsky.social where you can learn about their development, the history of gene discovery/name, and it is full of super useful resources for the #DevBio community 🪰https://www.sdbonline.org/sites/fly/aimain/1aahome.htm
May 27, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Did you know? 🧪 "The Interactive Fly" is a wonderful website hosted by @socdevbio.bsky.social where you can learn about their development, the history of gene discovery/name, and it is full of super useful resources for the #DevBio community 🪰https://www.sdbonline.org/sites/fly/aimain/1aahome.htm
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Blurring the lines between retrotransposons & viruses!
sORF2 enables direct transmission of retrotransposons challenging our understanding of mobile genetic elements. #preprint @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social Lab
#preLight from Ally Simpson & Alyss Humphrey!
👉 prelights.biologists.com/highlights/d...
sORF2 enables direct transmission of retrotransposons challenging our understanding of mobile genetic elements. #preprint @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social Lab
#preLight from Ally Simpson & Alyss Humphrey!
👉 prelights.biologists.com/highlights/d...
Direct cell-to-cell transmission of retrotransposons - preLights
Blurring the lines between retrotransposons & viruses! sORF2 enables envelope-independent, direct cell-to-cell transmission of retrotransposons in Drosophila, challenging our understanding of mobile g...
prelights.biologists.com
May 21, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Blurring the lines between retrotransposons & viruses!
sORF2 enables direct transmission of retrotransposons challenging our understanding of mobile genetic elements. #preprint @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social Lab
#preLight from Ally Simpson & Alyss Humphrey!
👉 prelights.biologists.com/highlights/d...
sORF2 enables direct transmission of retrotransposons challenging our understanding of mobile genetic elements. #preprint @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social Lab
#preLight from Ally Simpson & Alyss Humphrey!
👉 prelights.biologists.com/highlights/d...
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Stop for a second and try to imagine this: a heat shock protein relocalizes to the cell surface and mediates dsRNA binding and internalization!
Intrigued? Read our newly minted paper in Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Congrats to all the authors and thanks to reviewers and editor!
Intrigued? Read our newly minted paper in Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Congrats to all the authors and thanks to reviewers and editor!
Hsc70-4: An unanticipated mediator of dsRNA internalization in Drosophila
Hsc70-4 localizes to the cell surface of Drosophila cells, binds to exogenous dsRNA, and mediates its internalization.
www.science.org
May 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Stop for a second and try to imagine this: a heat shock protein relocalizes to the cell surface and mediates dsRNA binding and internalization!
Intrigued? Read our newly minted paper in Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Congrats to all the authors and thanks to reviewers and editor!
Intrigued? Read our newly minted paper in Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Congrats to all the authors and thanks to reviewers and editor!
Reposted by Maya Voichek
We are hiring! Join the BioOptics team as a Data Scientist in Image Analysis and contribute to the team’s mission of providing microscopy applications, flow cytometry, and image analysis services. Link below. #europe #research #lifesciences
May 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM
We are hiring! Join the BioOptics team as a Data Scientist in Image Analysis and contribute to the team’s mission of providing microscopy applications, flow cytometry, and image analysis services. Link below. #europe #research #lifesciences
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Online now at @cp-cell.bsky.social , the culmination of a 12-year effort. 🧵 to follow later this evening
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Repeat-element RNAs integrate a neuronal growth circuit
SINEs of recovery: A subset of small RNAs encoded by repetitive genomic elements are
induced by nerve lesion to regulate protein synthesis and enhance axonal growth.
www.cell.com
May 16, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Online now at @cp-cell.bsky.social , the culmination of a 12-year effort. 🧵 to follow later this evening
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Maya Voichek
💥🥳 At long last, our latest paper is out!
Gag proteins of endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led heroically by Sylvia Chang & @jonowells.bsky.social
A study which has changed the way I think of #transposons! No less! 🧵 1/n
Gag proteins of endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led heroically by Sylvia Chang & @jonowells.bsky.social
A study which has changed the way I think of #transposons! No less! 🧵 1/n
Gag proteins encoded by endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development | PNAS
Transposable elements (TEs) make up the bulk of eukaryotic genomes and examples abound
of TE-derived sequences repurposed for organismal function. ...
www.pnas.org
April 30, 2025 at 10:45 AM
💥🥳 At long last, our latest paper is out!
Gag proteins of endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led heroically by Sylvia Chang & @jonowells.bsky.social
A study which has changed the way I think of #transposons! No less! 🧵 1/n
Gag proteins of endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led heroically by Sylvia Chang & @jonowells.bsky.social
A study which has changed the way I think of #transposons! No less! 🧵 1/n
Reposted by Maya Voichek
I have exhorted others to share positive news even in these uncertain times for US science.
I am really excited that @tamanash.bsky.social’s first paper on the remarkable evolutionary gymnastics of dual-host viruses (even in single codons) is now online.
Follow along here 🧪🧵
I am really excited that @tamanash.bsky.social’s first paper on the remarkable evolutionary gymnastics of dual-host viruses (even in single codons) is now online.
Follow along here 🧪🧵
Our study exploring the evolutionary mechanism of alphavirus opal codon retention is now online! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A conserved opal termination codon optimizes a temperature-dependent trade-off between protein production and processing in alphaviruses
Alphaviruses optimize viral polymerase production and polyprotein processing at distinct temperatures via a premature stop codon.
www.science.org
April 18, 2025 at 11:11 PM
I have exhorted others to share positive news even in these uncertain times for US science.
I am really excited that @tamanash.bsky.social’s first paper on the remarkable evolutionary gymnastics of dual-host viruses (even in single codons) is now online.
Follow along here 🧪🧵
I am really excited that @tamanash.bsky.social’s first paper on the remarkable evolutionary gymnastics of dual-host viruses (even in single codons) is now online.
Follow along here 🧪🧵
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Our field has lost an amazing scientist, mentor, and old friend. Benny, along with Mike Hoffman, had a brilliant idea in the early 1980s. The first oncogenes were being cloned and they realized if we wanted to understand their roles in cancer, we needed to understand their normal function 1/n 🧪
April 16, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Our field has lost an amazing scientist, mentor, and old friend. Benny, along with Mike Hoffman, had a brilliant idea in the early 1980s. The first oncogenes were being cloned and they realized if we wanted to understand their roles in cancer, we needed to understand their normal function 1/n 🧪
Reposted by Maya Voichek
Do you have transposon-related research cooking, with some cool results you are exciting to share? Start thinking about registering to #EMBOMobileGenome workshop! Nov 4-7 2025 in Heidelberg. One of the historical TE meetings, with a diverse and welcoming community. www.embl.org/about/info/c...
1/3
1/3
The mobile genome: genetic and physiological impacts of transposable elements
www.embl.org
April 2, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Do you have transposon-related research cooking, with some cool results you are exciting to share? Start thinking about registering to #EMBOMobileGenome workshop! Nov 4-7 2025 in Heidelberg. One of the historical TE meetings, with a diverse and welcoming community. www.embl.org/about/info/c...
1/3
1/3
Reposted by Maya Voichek
we received so many nice comments for this work on this platform, it is really wonderful. Thank you all so much!!
1/ Transposable elements are often called "jumping genes" because they mobilize within genomes. 🧬
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
March 20, 2025 at 9:24 PM
we received so many nice comments for this work on this platform, it is really wonderful. Thank you all so much!!
Reposted by Maya Voichek
This new mechanism of retrotransposon invasion will be a landmark finding in retrotransposon biology
Very creative and thorough genetic and mechanistic dissection.
Excited to see what studies of more transposon-encoded peptides and proteins like sORF2 will uncover!
biology is just really cool
Very creative and thorough genetic and mechanistic dissection.
Excited to see what studies of more transposon-encoded peptides and proteins like sORF2 will uncover!
biology is just really cool
1/ Transposable elements are often called "jumping genes" because they mobilize within genomes. 🧬
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
March 17, 2025 at 8:42 PM
This new mechanism of retrotransposon invasion will be a landmark finding in retrotransposon biology
Very creative and thorough genetic and mechanistic dissection.
Excited to see what studies of more transposon-encoded peptides and proteins like sORF2 will uncover!
biology is just really cool
Very creative and thorough genetic and mechanistic dissection.
Excited to see what studies of more transposon-encoded peptides and proteins like sORF2 will uncover!
biology is just really cool