Sean Montgomery

So happy to announce our new preprint, “A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.” We cultured a novel amoeba from Lassen Volcanic NP (CA, USA) that divides at 63°C (145°F) 🔥 - a new record for euk growth!
#protistsonsky 🧵

Recurrent evolution of selfishness from an essential tRNA synthetase in Caenorhabditis tropicalis - Nature Ecology & Evolution In Caenorhabditis tropicalis, three toxin–antidote elements arose via gene duplication from the essential tRNA-synthetase subunit FARS-3. The ancestral antidote probably acquired affinity for FARS-3, ...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

How do cells adapt morphology to function? In a 🔥 preprint by @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social , with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @amyweeks.bsky.social , we identify a self-organizing single-cell morphology circuit that optimizes the feeding trap structure of the suctorian P. collini. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4k8nv926

Adenine DNA methylation associated with transcriptionally permissive chromatin is widespread across eukaryotes - Nature Genetics Long-read sequencing in 18 unicellular eukaryotes reveals that 6mA is widespread across eukaryotes and is enriched at transcriptionally permissive regions, which are also marked by H3K4me3.

Out today, our take on 6-methyladenine #6mA evolution in Eukaryotes @natgenet.nature.com. We asked a simple question, is really DNA 6mA common across the eukaryotes? The answer is "yes" if you're a unicellular eukaryote 🦠, not so if you're multicellular 🐝🌱🍄. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/9

🌍Open call: Junior Group Leader positions!

Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.

Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...

Mapping chromatin structure at base-pair resolution unveils a unified model of cis-regulatory element interactions Li et al. apply base-pair resolution Micro Capture-C ultra to map chromatin contacts between individual motifs within cis-regulatory elements and reveal a unified model of biophysically mediated enhan...

this looks very interesting with numerous implications for nuclear biology and gene expression.

Mapping chromatin structure at base-pair resolution unveils a unified model of cis-regulatory element interactions: Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

How is epigenetic information inherited? We found that CDCA7 proteins are critical players in the inheritance of DNA methylation at CG sites in plants, and this is true both in the lab and in the wild. How does this work? 🧵👇

The tiny germline chromosomes of Paramecium aurelia have an exceptionally high recombination rate and are capped by a new class of Helitrons Background. Paramecia belong to the ciliate phylum of unicellular eukaryotes characterized by nuclear dimorphism. A diploid germline micronucleus (MIC) transmits genetic information across sexual gene...

Excited to share our new preprint on BioRxiv!
A collaborative effort spanning many years and several labs to uncover what the germline chromosomes of Paramecium really look like. 🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/5

🚨Our collaboration with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @gautamdey.bsky.social is out today in @cp-cell.bsky.social
We show that #Expansion #Microscopy is a broad-spectrum modality for Euks, enabling 3D phenotypic maps rooted to phylogeny.
#ProtistsOnSky #SciComm #SciSky

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Sexual life cycle establishes the unicellular red algae Cyanidiophyceae as a genetically tractable model lineage for eukaryotic evolution The thermo-acidophilic unicellular algal class Cyanidiophyceae is the earliest-branching lineage in red algae, which diverged from Viridiplantae lineage (green algae and land plants) soon after chloro...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #protistsonsky

Chromatin profiling identifies putative dual roles for H3K27me3 in regulating cell type-specific genes and transposable elements in choanoflagellates Nature Communications - Here, the authors investigate chromatin-based gene regulation in the closest relative of animal, choanoflagellates. They uncover a putative dual role for the histone...

Very happy to see our paper published online natcomms.nature.com. Thank you to @wellcometrust.bsky.social for funding this work during my time with @robklose.bsky.social and David Booth! Thanks also to collaborators @garcialabms.bsky.social @alexdemendoza.bsky.social and the other authors!

Lab’s first paper is out!! We show the first structures of #Asgard #chromatin by #cryo-EM 🧬❄️
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...

New preprint! We unexpectedly discovered that some Caenorhabditis species delete parts of their somatic genome early in development, which fragments their chromosomes and eliminates key germline genes. Multiple lines of evidence suggest this bizarre process was present in the ancestors of C. elegans

The CRG PhD call is now open. Exciting opportunities across diverse topics and within a world-class scientific environment.

Our group is offering one PhD position to study chromatin evolution.

Consider applying or share with anyone who might be interested!

www.crg.eu/en/content/t...

A histone methyltransferase-independent function of PRC2 controls small RNA dynamics during programmed DNA elimination in Paramecium Abstract. To limit transposable element (TE) mobilization, most eukaryotes have evolved small RNAs to silence TE activity via homology-dependent mechanisms

Our latest paper on a histone methyltransferase-independent function of PRC2 controlling small RNA dynamics during programmed DNA elimination in Paramecium is now published in #NAR.
#RNAbiology #TEsky #smallRNAs #PRC2 #DNAelimination
1/5
academic.oup.com/nar/article-...

Picture of an Oculina patagonica colony. Some of the individual polyps in the colony have a brown-yellow colour, indicating that they harbour symbiotic algae. Others are completely white and lack algae.

Close-up picture of symbiotic Oculina polyps.

Hot off the press! Our latest work on the evolution of facultative symbiosis in stony corals, focusing on a remarkable Mediterranean species: Oculina patagonica.

🪸 🌊

#evobio #corals #coralbiology

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Opportunity for a Master’s/Bachelor’s student:
- Join us for up to 5 months 🗓️
- Build computational/mathematical models 💻
- Learn about genotype-phenotype maps and evolution 🧬
- Work closely with PhD student Manuela Giraud - full info here:
www.crg.eu/en/content/t...

Happy to share the Biodiversity Cell Atlas white paper, out today in @nature.com. We look at the possibilities, challenges, and potential impacts of molecularly mapping cells across the tree of life.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Brown algae up to some interesting strategies regarding gene repression, losing all "traditional" pathways while expanding the DOT1 (H3K79me writer) protein family! I hope to learn more at the EMBO workshop next month in Barcelona!

Activity of most genes is controlled by multiple enhancers, but is there activation coordinated? We leveraged Nanopore to identify a specific set of elements that are simultaneously accessible on the same DNA molecules and are coordinated in their activation. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A genetically tractable non-vertebrate system to study complete camera-type eye regeneration Nature Communications - Accorsi et al. show that the apple snail Pomacea canaliculata has eyes similar to humans and can fully regenerate them. They then developed genetic tools to establish these...

Evolution’s eye game is wild, but mollusks take it to another level

CRISPR in apple snails gives us a new model to dissect how nature rebuilds complex organs like the camera-type eyes we humans possess

It turns out Evolution doesn’t just innovate, it rewinds, remixes, & regenerates

rdcu.be/ezw0t

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in Corallochytrium limacisporum,a key species for understanding animal origins | Open Biology Microbial holozoans are the closest unicellular relatives of animals. They share a substantial gene repertoire with animals and exhibit complex life cycles. Studying these organisms is crucial for und...

Very happy to share our new paper where we develop CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in our favorite unicellular relative of animals, Corallochytrium limacisporum! With @sebasn1.bsky.social @multicellgenome.bsky.social Elena and Claudio.

Check it out:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

Academic poaching: when other PIs steal your trainees There are many toxic behaviors in academia, but one we rarely talk about is #AcademicPoaching. Have you ever been a victim?

I just published: Academic poaching: when other PIs steal your trainees

There are many toxic behaviors in academia, but one we rarely talk about is #AcademicPoaching. Have you ever been a victim?

#AcademicChatter #AcademicSky #phdchat

medium.com/p/academic-p...

And another opportunity! Any postdocs looking forward to start your lab on a tenure track? Supportive environment, great core facilities and an outstanding PhD program.

Conservation of chromatin states and their association with transcription factors in land plants The complexity of varied modifications of chromatin composition is integrated in archetypal combinations called chromatin states that predict the local potential for transcription. The degree of conse...

New Pre-print! A long-standing question for transcription factor biology is how their chromatin context dependency works in plants. In this collaboration with Fred Berger lab, we present some new ideas not only in Arabidopsis but also in Marchantia. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We are looking for new colleagues to come join us in Galway as group leaders (Junior and Senior). The Centre for Chromosome Biology is a great place and it is a good time to join. Please reach out if you want to chat about the opportunity!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...

Pls. share widely

Calling all transposon fans & lovers of genetic innovation

MOBILE GENOME welcomes you in Heidelberg, Nov. 4–7 2025

→ Vibrant & friendly community
→ Cutting-edge talks from mechanisms to physiology
→ Plenty of surprises (TEs never stop innovating)

submit abstract by July 29

We are looking for a student to continue our work on chromatin evolution:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The project with @seanamontgomery.bsky.social will focus on chromatin state readers across eukaryotes.

More info: recruitment.crg.eu/content/jobs...

Sorry, the ad image didn't look so good in dark mode, here it is again!

Diversity and evolution of chromatin regulatory states across eukaryotes Histone post-translational modifications (hPTMs) are key regulators of chromatin states[1][1],[2][2], influencing gene expression, epigenetic memory, and transposable element repression across eukaryo...

To get a taste of what we do, check out our recent work: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... and rdcu.be/eeaLN