James Gahan

James Gahan

@jgahan.bsky.social

Associate Professor and ERC Starting Awardee at University of Galway! I work on early animal evolution with a particular interest in gene regulation and chromatin! https://gahanlab.com https://chromosome.ie/groups/gahan/ ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช He/Him

1,143 Followers 651 Following 95 Posts Joined Aug 2023
2 days ago

A chromosome-level genome assembly of the cnidarian Podocoryna is just out. Well done @pcart.bsky.social , @baxevanislab.bsky.social and the other authors
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

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21 hours ago

I use Eurogentec a lot and they provide a good service!

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1 day ago
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Excited to announce Iโ€™m starting a new lab at @gmivienna.bsky.social (Vienna BioCentre) in Sept 2026

We study how carbon fixation is inherited and maintained in algae using cryo-ET, imaging, environmental sampling&more

Looking for people who want to build the lab together, get in touch!

#teamtomo

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1 day ago
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๐Ÿ“ข Postdoc position in plant chromatin biology ๐ŸŒฑ (Strasbourg)
Apply before March 30
๐Ÿ”— www.unistra.fr/fr/recruteme...
#PlantBiology #Postdoc

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1 week ago

Iโ€™m beyond excited to see our work published in Science Advances! ๐ŸŽ‰

Deeply grateful to everyone involved โ€” and especially to @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social for the great mentorship โœจ

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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1 week ago

Final version @nature.com of our paper describing unconventional multicellular development in a choanoflagellate inhabiting an extreme environment. A ton of new data since the first @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social preprint (which we've kept updating).

A brief ๐Ÿงต (carried over from the old place)

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1 week ago
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Clonal-aggregative multicellularity tuned by salinity in a choanoflagellate - Nature The choanoflagellate Choanoeca flexa forms motile and contractile cell monolayers purely clonally, purely aggregatively or through a combination of both processesย depending on environmental conditions.

A study in Nature shows that the single-celled form of a tiny, aquatic organism can turn into a multicellular version by three different routes. The discovery adds insight to the possible origins of multicellular life, suggesting a previously unrecognized degree of flexibility. ๐Ÿงช

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1 week ago

Congratulations @thibautbrunet.bsky.social and all the authors! This is an awesome story! Very excited to have these critters in the lab now ๐Ÿ˜

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1 week ago

New preprint from Ruohan Zhong on the architecture of the Nematostella nervous system, check it out!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

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1 week ago

I came to comments to ask the exact same thing!

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1 week ago
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Molecular and Cell Biology of Symbiosis | Marine Biological Laboratory This is an immersive research-based course designed to teach basic concepts, open research questions, and facilitate state-of-the-art experimental approaches in symbiosis research.

It is happening again! Consider taking our course on the Molecular and Cell Biology of Symbiosis at
@mblscience.bsky.social. Application deadline March 4th! www.mbl.edu/education/ad...

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2 weeks ago
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Post-replicative chromatin accessibility predicts cell fate change Knudsen and colleagues use repli-ATAC-seq to compare replicated and unreplicated chromatin in two models of cell identity change. They find that lineage-specific elements are accessible earlier in rep...

DNA replication globally disrupts the epigenome. But does this create a chromatin-access opportunity for TF binding to facilitate cell identity change? Now ๐ซ๐ž๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข-๐€๐“๐€๐‚-๐ฌ๐ž๐ช shows ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ฐ chromatin opening & TF binding occurs specifically post-replication, in cellular differentiation & reprogramming!

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2 weeks ago
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Excited to announce the upcoming Jacques Monod Conference on the mechanistic and evolutionary basis of programmed DNA elimination (Sept 21โ€“25, 2026):
cjm.sb-roscoff.fr/en/conferenc...
Organized by @laurarossevo.bsky.social and myself.

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2 weeks ago
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Webinar reminder โฐ

Next Friday join us for @brianstrahl.bsky.social - from @uncchapelhill.bsky.social - webinar on 'Chromatin at the Crossroads of Gene Regulation and Genome Integrity'.

Don't miss out! See registration details below!

us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

@activemotifusa.bsky.social

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2 weeks ago
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Global reorganization of genome architecture at the transition to gametogenesis - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Huang, Rigau and colleagues observe major changes in how DNA is organized in early germ cells before they start developing into sperm or eggs. These results show that germline removes structural โ€˜memo...

Happy to share our latest paper.

Our findings uncover a unique chromatin architecture and spatial chromosome arrangement in gonadal germ cells and document that alongside global DNA demethylation, the germline epigenetic reprogramming involves reorganisation of the 3D genome.

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3 weeks ago

Group Leader Call at the @cbitoulouse.bsky.social in
Genome biology, projects at the interface with devbio will be given particular attention. please share :)
cbi-toulouse.fr/wp-content/u...

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3 weeks ago
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Ancient co-option of LTR retrotransposons as yeast centromeres - Nature Evolutionarily related โ€˜proto-pointโ€™ centromeres providing resolution to the evolutionary origins of point centromeres are identified in yeast, and comparison shows they evolved in an ancestor with re...

Our paper is now out in Nature:

โ€œAncient co-option of LTR retrotransposons as yeast centromeresโ€

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

A short thread on how retrotransposons helped give rise to yeast point centromeres.

1/14

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3 weeks ago
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We are delighted to launch the (free!) registration for our 5th AICC symposium, hosted this year in @ucddublin.bsky.social on May 27th.

If you are interested in chromatin, gene regulation or the nucleus please join us!

allirelandchromatinconsortium.ie/annual-meeti...

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3 weeks ago
Evolution of monoamine reception and its role in cellular contractility.

How do #sponges coordinate their bodies despite lacking neurons and true muscles?

We show that sponges use monoamines to control water flow in their canals โ€” reminiscent of how adrenaline regulates blood vessels.

My PhD story, now on BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#Evolution

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3 weeks ago

Please sign up form this years AICC meeting in Dublin.

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3 weeks ago

Congratulations Omaya and Team :)

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3 weeks ago
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A ๐Ÿ†• #Ichthyosporea story
Led by@margaridaaraujo.bsky.social, in Co. @gautamdey.bsky.social & @hiralshah.bsky.social+๐Ÿ”ฅteam across @embl.org & @sciencesunige.bsky.social
We finally have a look at what #microtubules are doing during #cellularization in #Sphaeroforma
โ–ถ๏ธ tinyurl.com/MTSARC
#ProtistsOnSky

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3 weeks ago

PDRA position still open in my lab for anyone who wants to solve some outstanding questions in limb development. We have a variety of models and approaches (everything from stem cells to chicks and catsharks). Please share!

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3 weeks ago

I understand that the root is still contentious but is there not a consensus in phylogenomic analyses for monophyletic Euglenozoa?

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1 month ago
A golden blade of sugar kelp is floating against a background of clear blue water and sandy sediment. (C) Sarina Niedzwiedz

๐ŸšจWe are hiring!๐Ÿšจ

The #ROVKA project focuses on the productivity and vulnerability of Baltic brown algae populations. Join us as a scientist (2 years, 100% salary) for population genomic analyses and mesocosm experiments @geomarkiel.bsky.social @bfn-de.bsky.social

See
www.geomar.de/en/karriere/...

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1 month ago
Details | Working at Bristol | University of Bristol

3 lecturer jobs at School of Biological sciences at Bristol! Apply by March 8!
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...

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1 month ago
The Lise Meitner Excellence Programme is designed to attract and specifically promote exceptionally qualified female scientists.

A position with prospects! We offer excellent researchers again the possibility to apply for a position as a Leader of a Lise Meitner Research Group in all areas of #science. Applications are possible between February 11th and April 15th, 2026. www.mpg.de/lise-meitner... #lisemeitnergroups

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1 month ago
A promotional graphic for a workshop titled โ€œIntegrating Multi-Modal, Multi-Scale Models of Cardiovascular Disease Mechanisms.โ€ The word โ€œWorkshopโ€ appears in yellow at the top left, with the main title in large white text on a black background. Below, it lists the organisers: Jennifer Davis, Christine Mummery and Beth Pruitt. On the right, there is a yellow box stating: โ€œEarly-career researchers apply for funded places.โ€ Bottom right shows the dates โ€œ8โ€“11 November 2026โ€ and the location โ€œBuxted Park, East Sussex, UK.โ€ Bottom left displays The Company of Biologists logo.

Applications are now open for funded ECR places at our Workshop 'Integrating Multi-Modal, Multi-Scale Models of Cardiovascular Disease Mechanisms', organised by Jennifer Davis, Christine Mummery & Beth Pruitt. Find out more & apply to attend: biologists.com/workshops/no...

@sharday-penn.bsky.social

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1 month ago
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Postdoc in Archaea Microbiology - Vacancy at Aarhus University Vacancy at Department of Biology - Microbiology, Aarhus University

Postdoc position on Asgard archaea in Thiagoโ€™s new lab for someone well trained in biochemistry, cloning, and protein purification:
international.au.dk/about/profil...

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1 month ago

Perhaps some merch for the next Choanocon ๐Ÿ˜€

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