Zachary Ardern
@zachary-ardern.bsky.social
Researching the evolution of protein novelty in bacteria & viruses @Wellcome Sanger Institute 🧬
NZer, previously postdoc @KIT & TUM.
Interested in philosophies of science & religion
Married to @ankeaa.bsky.social, galactic archaeologist 🌌
NZer, previously postdoc @KIT & TUM.
Interested in philosophies of science & religion
Married to @ankeaa.bsky.social, galactic archaeologist 🌌
Reposted by Zachary Ardern
Protein Structure Evolution (ProSe) Seminar is now on BlueSky! Every 2nd Tuesday, 4PM GMT.
Sign-Up: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Organized by Claudia Alvarez Carreño, Zachary Ardern, Lars Eicholt, Carolina Sanchez-Rocha,
Sergio Romero Romero and Md. Hassan Uz-Zaman.
Sign-Up: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Organized by Claudia Alvarez Carreño, Zachary Ardern, Lars Eicholt, Carolina Sanchez-Rocha,
Sergio Romero Romero and Md. Hassan Uz-Zaman.
October 25, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Protein Structure Evolution (ProSe) Seminar is now on BlueSky! Every 2nd Tuesday, 4PM GMT.
Sign-Up: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Organized by Claudia Alvarez Carreño, Zachary Ardern, Lars Eicholt, Carolina Sanchez-Rocha,
Sergio Romero Romero and Md. Hassan Uz-Zaman.
Sign-Up: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Organized by Claudia Alvarez Carreño, Zachary Ardern, Lars Eicholt, Carolina Sanchez-Rocha,
Sergio Romero Romero and Md. Hassan Uz-Zaman.
The next Protein Structure Evolution (ProSE) seminar is this afternoon, 4pm UK time.
Stephen Fried on why some microbes refold their proteins and others don't!
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Stephen Fried on why some microbes refold their proteins and others don't!
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
The next Protein Structure Evolution Seminar will be given by Stephen Fried (JHU):
Title: “Who Cares About Protein Refolding Anyway?: Why Some Microbes Do and Others Don’t”
Date: October 14th, 5 pm CET
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Title: “Who Cares About Protein Refolding Anyway?: Why Some Microbes Do and Others Don’t”
Date: October 14th, 5 pm CET
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
October 14, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The next Protein Structure Evolution (ProSE) seminar is this afternoon, 4pm UK time.
Stephen Fried on why some microbes refold their proteins and others don't!
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Stephen Fried on why some microbes refold their proteins and others don't!
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Looking forward to re-starting the Protein Structure Evolution (ProSE) seminar series next week!
We have a great line up of talks on cutting-edge work over the next few weeks.
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
We have a great line up of talks on cutting-edge work over the next few weeks.
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
The ProSE seminars are back after a summer break. The next speaker is Nir Ben-Tal on "Contrastive learning unites sequence and structure in a global representation of protein space".
Date: September 9
Time: 5pm CET
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Please share!
🧪 #mevosky
Date: September 9
Time: 5pm CET
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Please share!
🧪 #mevosky
September 2, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Looking forward to re-starting the Protein Structure Evolution (ProSE) seminar series next week!
We have a great line up of talks on cutting-edge work over the next few weeks.
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
We have a great line up of talks on cutting-edge work over the next few weeks.
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
I'm glad to now be an academic editor for PLOS Computational Biology @plos.org, expecting to handle 1-2 manuscripts a month.
If you're a postdoc in microbial evolutionary genomics / other 'omics topics interested in review experience, let me know - I will be looking for reviewers!
If you're a postdoc in microbial evolutionary genomics / other 'omics topics interested in review experience, let me know - I will be looking for reviewers!
June 26, 2025 at 1:25 PM
I'm glad to now be an academic editor for PLOS Computational Biology @plos.org, expecting to handle 1-2 manuscripts a month.
If you're a postdoc in microbial evolutionary genomics / other 'omics topics interested in review experience, let me know - I will be looking for reviewers!
If you're a postdoc in microbial evolutionary genomics / other 'omics topics interested in review experience, let me know - I will be looking for reviewers!
Conference on large-scale analyses of eukaryotic reference genomes - with bursaries available!
coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/event/unders...
coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/event/unders...
Understanding Life: Using Largescale Biodiversity Reference Genomes — 20251027
Understanding life: Using largescale biodiversity reference genomes
coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org
June 19, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Conference on large-scale analyses of eukaryotic reference genomes - with bursaries available!
coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/event/unders...
coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/event/unders...
Next ProSE seminar is today!
"Computational Insights into Protein Adaptation Across Environmental Gradients"
"Computational Insights into Protein Adaptation Across Environmental Gradients"
Join us for the next ProSE Seminar!
We are excited to welcome Sophie Heiding for a talk on "Computational Insights into Protein Adaptation Across Environmental Gradients"
Date: June 10
Time: 4PM CET
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Please share!
🧪 #MEvoSky
We are excited to welcome Sophie Heiding for a talk on "Computational Insights into Protein Adaptation Across Environmental Gradients"
Date: June 10
Time: 4PM CET
Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
Please share!
🧪 #MEvoSky
June 10, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Next ProSE seminar is today!
"Computational Insights into Protein Adaptation Across Environmental Gradients"
"Computational Insights into Protein Adaptation Across Environmental Gradients"
The exciting next seminar in our Protein Structure Evolution (ProSE) online seminar series - tomorrow!
Sign up at the link here.
Sign up at the link here.
We are pleased to announce that the next speaker in the ProSE seminar series will be Dr. Klara Hlouchova with a talk on "Protein Structure Before LUCA"
May 13, 4PM CET
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar4
Please share!
May 13, 4PM CET
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar4
Please share!
May 12, 2025 at 3:20 PM
The exciting next seminar in our Protein Structure Evolution (ProSE) online seminar series - tomorrow!
Sign up at the link here.
Sign up at the link here.
Very interesting new study from authors including Nobel Prize winner David Baker.
I'm glad that it cites one of my related papers 😀
I've faced plenty of skepticism from editors & others about the importance of this line of research, perhaps this will shift ...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
I'm glad that it cites one of my related papers 😀
I've faced plenty of skepticism from editors & others about the importance of this line of research, perhaps this will shift ...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Design of overlapping genes using deep generative models of protein sequences
In nature, viruses frequently evolve overlapping genes (OLG) in alternate reading frames of the same nucleotide sequence despite the drastically reduced protein sequence space resulting from the shari...
www.biorxiv.org
May 10, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Very interesting new study from authors including Nobel Prize winner David Baker.
I'm glad that it cites one of my related papers 😀
I've faced plenty of skepticism from editors & others about the importance of this line of research, perhaps this will shift ...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
I'm glad that it cites one of my related papers 😀
I've faced plenty of skepticism from editors & others about the importance of this line of research, perhaps this will shift ...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
To live in Cambridge is to be surrounded by amazing built history.
One favourite of mine is the Round Church, where I've had the privilege of speaking a couple of times. It was built approx. ~1130AD, likely before the first human settlement in my homeland of NZ 🤯
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_...
One favourite of mine is the Round Church, where I've had the privilege of speaking a couple of times. It was built approx. ~1130AD, likely before the first human settlement in my homeland of NZ 🤯
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_...
March 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
To live in Cambridge is to be surrounded by amazing built history.
One favourite of mine is the Round Church, where I've had the privilege of speaking a couple of times. It was built approx. ~1130AD, likely before the first human settlement in my homeland of NZ 🤯
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_...
One favourite of mine is the Round Church, where I've had the privilege of speaking a couple of times. It was built approx. ~1130AD, likely before the first human settlement in my homeland of NZ 🤯
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_...
Next up in the ProSE seminar series, tomorrow:
Come hear about my current project on protein structure evolution over the very long term!
Come hear about my current project on protein structure evolution over the very long term!
Don't miss tomorrow's ProSE Seminar with @zachary-ardern.bsky.social on "Investigating billion-year trends in protein structure evolution"
March 11, 3PM GMT
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
🧪 #MEvoSky
@lacholt.bsky.social @caro-rocha.bsky.social @hassanzaman.bsky.social
March 11, 3PM GMT
Registration link: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
🧪 #MEvoSky
@lacholt.bsky.social @caro-rocha.bsky.social @hassanzaman.bsky.social
March 10, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Next up in the ProSE seminar series, tomorrow:
Come hear about my current project on protein structure evolution over the very long term!
Come hear about my current project on protein structure evolution over the very long term!
We have an exciting programme of talks for the ProSE seminars (Protein Structure Evolution).
The first session was an inspiring and provocative talk by leader in the field Prof. Andrei Lupas.
Next up, 11th March, I'll be speaking about my work on evolution over extremely long time periods.
The first session was an inspiring and provocative talk by leader in the field Prof. Andrei Lupas.
Next up, 11th March, I'll be speaking about my work on evolution over extremely long time periods.
Sign up for the ProSE Seminars on protein structure evolution. The full program includes talks on deep-time fold divergence, fold switches, and early protein evolution.
Next up: @zachary-ardern.bsky.social
📅 March 11, 3PM GMT
🔗 tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
#ProteinEvolution #StructuralBiology 🧪
Next up: @zachary-ardern.bsky.social
📅 March 11, 3PM GMT
🔗 tinyurl.com/prose-seminar2
#ProteinEvolution #StructuralBiology 🧪
February 21, 2025 at 11:29 AM
We have an exciting programme of talks for the ProSE seminars (Protein Structure Evolution).
The first session was an inspiring and provocative talk by leader in the field Prof. Andrei Lupas.
Next up, 11th March, I'll be speaking about my work on evolution over extremely long time periods.
The first session was an inspiring and provocative talk by leader in the field Prof. Andrei Lupas.
Next up, 11th March, I'll be speaking about my work on evolution over extremely long time periods.
Reposted by Zachary Ardern
🧬 New research reveals that
encoded & non-genetic protein variants shape the human proteome in ways previously unknown! These **alternative proteoforms** expand protein function bypassing genetic constraints.
🔗 Check it!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#Proteomics #CentralDogma
#Translation
encoded & non-genetic protein variants shape the human proteome in ways previously unknown! These **alternative proteoforms** expand protein function bypassing genetic constraints.
🔗 Check it!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#Proteomics #CentralDogma
#Translation
Encoded and non-genetic alternative protein variants expand human functional proteome
Each stage of the Central Dogma contributes to proteome diversity through mechanisms such as heterozygosity, somatic mutations, transcriptional errors, and translational errors. As a result, a diverse...
www.biorxiv.org
February 18, 2025 at 9:09 PM
🧬 New research reveals that
encoded & non-genetic protein variants shape the human proteome in ways previously unknown! These **alternative proteoforms** expand protein function bypassing genetic constraints.
🔗 Check it!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#Proteomics #CentralDogma
#Translation
encoded & non-genetic protein variants shape the human proteome in ways previously unknown! These **alternative proteoforms** expand protein function bypassing genetic constraints.
🔗 Check it!:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#Proteomics #CentralDogma
#Translation
Reposted by Zachary Ardern
Delighted to share our preprint on the evolution of pandemic cholera at its global source in the ganges basin!
doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.03.25321585
doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.03.25321585
Evolution of Pandemic Cholera at its Global Source
The seventh pandemic of cholera, caused by the 7th Pandemic El Tor Lineage (7PET) Vibrio cholerae, was previously shown to have emanated in three global waves from the Bay of Bengal, bordering Banglad...
www.medrxiv.org
February 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Delighted to share our preprint on the evolution of pandemic cholera at its global source in the ganges basin!
doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.03.25321585
doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.03.25321585
Join our new seminar series on protein structure evolution!
This is an exciting and rapidly growing new field drawing on multiple subfields of biology. 💡🦠🧬🌱🐘
Monthly discussions, open to any interested students or researchers.
This is an exciting and rapidly growing new field drawing on multiple subfields of biology. 💡🦠🧬🌱🐘
Monthly discussions, open to any interested students or researchers.
Join the ProSE Seminar Series! A monthly discussion on the #Evolution of #ProteinStructure 🧪
Next up: Andrei Lupas
“Highly repetitive genomic ORFs: a source of new fibrous proteins?”
11th February | 3 PM GMT
🔗 Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar1
Next up: Andrei Lupas
“Highly repetitive genomic ORFs: a source of new fibrous proteins?”
11th February | 3 PM GMT
🔗 Register here: tinyurl.com/prose-seminar1
January 30, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Join our new seminar series on protein structure evolution!
This is an exciting and rapidly growing new field drawing on multiple subfields of biology. 💡🦠🧬🌱🐘
Monthly discussions, open to any interested students or researchers.
This is an exciting and rapidly growing new field drawing on multiple subfields of biology. 💡🦠🧬🌱🐘
Monthly discussions, open to any interested students or researchers.
I'm excited to be co-hosting a seminar series on Protein Structure Evolution, presenting some of the exciting work in this field.
Talk 1:
Speaker: Andrei Lupas
Topic: "Highly repetitive genomic ORFs: a source of new fibrous proteins?"
📅 Feb. 11, 3PM GMT
🔗 tinyurl.com/prose-seminar1
Please share!
Talk 1:
Speaker: Andrei Lupas
Topic: "Highly repetitive genomic ORFs: a source of new fibrous proteins?"
📅 Feb. 11, 3PM GMT
🔗 tinyurl.com/prose-seminar1
Please share!
January 24, 2025 at 8:57 AM
I'm excited to be co-hosting a seminar series on Protein Structure Evolution, presenting some of the exciting work in this field.
Talk 1:
Speaker: Andrei Lupas
Topic: "Highly repetitive genomic ORFs: a source of new fibrous proteins?"
📅 Feb. 11, 3PM GMT
🔗 tinyurl.com/prose-seminar1
Please share!
Talk 1:
Speaker: Andrei Lupas
Topic: "Highly repetitive genomic ORFs: a source of new fibrous proteins?"
📅 Feb. 11, 3PM GMT
🔗 tinyurl.com/prose-seminar1
Please share!
Reposted by Zachary Ardern
Michael Lynch, Evolutionary Cell Biology (2024): “Many biologists are content to live in a pure Dawkinsian world in which every aspect of biological diversification was set down for adaptive reasons, but details at the molecular and cellular level suggest that this vision is far from the truth.”
December 14, 2024 at 2:49 AM
Michael Lynch, Evolutionary Cell Biology (2024): “Many biologists are content to live in a pure Dawkinsian world in which every aspect of biological diversification was set down for adaptive reasons, but details at the molecular and cellular level suggest that this vision is far from the truth.”
A recent talk I gave at the Faraday Institute for Science & Religion, Cambridge, relating recent developments to some old very big questions; and based partly on some forthcoming scientific work, is now online:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYxl...
www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/event/dr-zac...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYxl...
www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/event/dr-zac...
Are there Underlying Principles of Protein Evolution? Reconsidering Law and Purpose in Biology
YouTube video by The Faraday Institute
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2024 at 5:44 PM
A recent talk I gave at the Faraday Institute for Science & Religion, Cambridge, relating recent developments to some old very big questions; and based partly on some forthcoming scientific work, is now online:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYxl...
www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/event/dr-zac...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYxl...
www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/event/dr-zac...
Reposted by Zachary Ardern
A starter pack of scientists working in molecular evolution and population genetics, with an emphasis on the human and virological. go.bsky.app/2xnyMrS
November 12, 2024 at 4:52 PM
A starter pack of scientists working in molecular evolution and population genetics, with an emphasis on the human and virological. go.bsky.app/2xnyMrS
Hello 🦋!
I'm a research fellow investigating the evolution of protein novelty (sequence, structure, function) and 'overlapping genes' in bacteria and viruses. Based in beautiful Cambridge, UK, working @Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Further info on my research & other interests: www.zacharyardern.com
I'm a research fellow investigating the evolution of protein novelty (sequence, structure, function) and 'overlapping genes' in bacteria and viruses. Based in beautiful Cambridge, UK, working @Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Further info on my research & other interests: www.zacharyardern.com
Convergent Wanderings --- not all who wander are lost
Not all who wander are lost
www.zacharyardern.com
November 17, 2024 at 1:24 PM
Hello 🦋!
I'm a research fellow investigating the evolution of protein novelty (sequence, structure, function) and 'overlapping genes' in bacteria and viruses. Based in beautiful Cambridge, UK, working @Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Further info on my research & other interests: www.zacharyardern.com
I'm a research fellow investigating the evolution of protein novelty (sequence, structure, function) and 'overlapping genes' in bacteria and viruses. Based in beautiful Cambridge, UK, working @Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Further info on my research & other interests: www.zacharyardern.com