Geraldine Zimmer-Bensch

How allergens make us cough and weeze — by poking holes in airway cells The immune system senses damage to cell membranes caused by pore-forming proteins and mounts a response.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Mutations in GFAP Alter Early Lineage Commitment of Organoids Mutations in GFAP alter lineage commitment of organoids. The severity of this commitment defect is dependent on the method of embryoid body formation. GFAP is expressed in iPSCs and during early st...

Check out this paper by Werner Dykstra in which we study the effects of GFAP mutations on brain organoid development. doi.org/10.1002/glia...

Group Leader – Molecular Systems Biology Unit Are you ready to lead groundbreaking research in Molecular Systems Biology? Join us at EMBL! We are seeking a motivated scientist to lead an independent research group, addressing original biological ...

Ready to lead pioneering research that bridges systems-level investigations of biological systems to molecular mechanism? The EMBL Molecular Systems Biology Unit in Heidelberg is hiring a Group Leader!

‘Sleeping’ cancer cells in the lungs can be roused by COVID and flu Inflammation from the respiratory infections seems to be the culprit, study in mice finds.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

DNMT1-mediated regulation of somatostatin-positive interneuron migration impacts cortical architecture and function - Nature Communications The function of DNMT1 (DNA methyltransferase 1) in these subsets of immature, migrating cortical inhibitory interneurons is not fully understood. This study shows that DNMT1 regulates cortical de...

🧠 Our new study is out in Nature Communications!
We show that DNMT1 regulates the migration of postmitotic cortical interneurons, with implications for cortical layering and function, and potentially disease conditions.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
Huge thanks to the amazing team/collaborators!

Inducible formation of fusion transcripts upregulates haploinsufficient CHD2 gene expression Modes of action of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are poorly understood. CHASERR is a broadly expressed lncRNA located immediately upstream of the promoter of the CHD2 gene. We show that antisense olig...

Stop the doom scrolling! A new 🗞️ from my lab, describing one of our flagship projects of many years we are super excited to share:
"Inducible formation of fusion transcripts upregulates haploinsufficient CHD2 gene expression".
A 🧵
biorxiv.org/content/earl...

US researchers must stand up to protect freedoms, not just funding Curtailment of freedoms and disregard for the rule of law in the United States is destroying the ability of science to serve the nation’s, and the world’s, interests. Researchers can take action.

The authors of a Comment article in Nature “urge STEMM scientists in the United States to avoid the mistakes of the past and instead stand together and fight for both personal and academic freedom.” #Academicsky 🧪

Here is the collective effort of 12 labs, lead by my own at the Broad to target the range of cortical interneuron subtypes! These tools should be a game changer for all of you using NHP and other less genetically amenable species! Have at it!
urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=htt...

Cherry blossoms in full bloom—nature’s quiet reminder that beauty persists, even when the world feels heavy. A moment to pause, breathe, and take in the light…

💫 New preprint from the lab: Comparing great ape cerebral organoids, we found that human-specific morphoregulatory signatures in basal radial glia characterise neocortex evolution. Fantastic work from super-talented PhD student Theresa Schütze!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

YouTube video by National Conservatism J.D. Vance | The Universities are the Enemy | National Conservatism Conference II

if any of you want to understand the depth of the attacks against american universities by the current administration and their ultimate goal, you have to watch this 👇
In my opinion, necessary to grasp the magnitude of the disaster we are facing: youtu.be/0FR65Cifnhw?...

Science is an investment that pays enormous dividends. So if you’re business-minded, it’s an offer you can’t refuse!
Here's my full speech from the Stand Up For Science rally in DC today: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eemj...

Kir7.1 is the physiological target for hormones and steroids that regulate uteroplacental function Progesterone and progestins activate Kir7.1 to control uterine excitability, offering insights for preterm birth therapy.

Honored to be part of this exciting work published in Science Advances! 🎉 Kir7.1 is the physiological target for hormones and steroids that regulate uteroplacental function - Grateful to the fantastic team behind this!👏
🔗 Read more: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

NIH ban on renewing senior scientists adds to assaults on its in-house research Policy follows firings of tenure-track scientists and suspension of training programs

More hits to #NIH:

"The Trump administration has imposed a new restriction on employment that could push out thousands of NIH’s senior scientists: The agency cannot retain scientists in 1-year to 4-year positions that have long been routinely renewed." 🧪
@jocelynkaiser.bsky.social at @science.org

RNA

xkcd.com/3056
#RNAsky

Beautiful!

Scientific research is a driving force behind human progress. It fuels medical breakthroughs, spurs technological innovations and drives economic growth. Federal funding of research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) is absolutely critical for ensuring that the U.S. maintains its global leadership in science and technology. The unprecedented freeze on the review and issuance of federal research grants is already negatively impacting research and could have significant ripple effects. Ongoing studies may lose momentum if grant renewals or supplement requests are delayed, slowing scientific progress on research the NIH has already invested in. Researchers affiliated with the Society for Developmental Biology carry out critical research on birth defects, which kill twice as many children as cancer does. Slowed progress will delay the development of new therapies and diagnostics, and thus have real public health implications. In 2019, the total estimated cost of birth defect–associated hospitalizations was $22.2 billion. Scientific research is also critical to the U.S. economy more broadly. In 2023 alone NIH funded research not only directly supported 412 thousand jobs, but its overall economic impact rippled out to all sectors of the economy driving more than $92.89 billion in economic activity across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. It is estimated that every dollar of NIH funding generates $2.46 dollars of economic activity. Finally, federal research funding not only drives impactful research discoveries but also supports the training of the scientists, engineers, and innovators of the future. University laboratories, funded by federal grants, serve as essential training grounds for the next generation of researchers even as they push the boundaries of knowledge. This training prepares young scientists for leadership roles in both academia and industry, helping to ensure that the scientific workforce r…

The Society for Developmental Biology has released a statement on the Unprecedented Disruptions to Biomedical Research in the United States.

Call to End Freeze on Federal Grants

The White House's pause on federal grants threatens our nation’s scientific progress. Read SfN's full statement urging this Administration to lift the freeze to protect the health and security of our nation: bit.ly/4gq9i2I

Many of you may not be familiar with #NIH grants. Here are some facts to help you understand the magnitude of this disaster.
1) NIH grants are extremely difficult to get & not "free money". Researchers must have preliminary data & write detailed proposals. Mine was >200pages & took years to put

rupress.org/jgp/article/...

📢 We are recruiting group leaders!

We seek researchers who address fundamental questions in biology, including the development, the function, and the dynamics of complex biological systems.

APPLY before March 30th 2025 👉 www.ibdm.univ-amu.fr/we-are-recru...

#ScienceCareers #Marseille

"As of today, it looks as though Donald Trump is in the process of freezing federally-funded cancer research in the United States," says @chrislhayes.bsky.social

Who will protect our environment from Trump?

Non-profit environmental lawyers. They won hundreds of cases against Trump 45 and have been hiring new lawyers for months. They are ready for this moment.
Follow and donate to:
@earthjustice.bsky.social @nrdc.org @centerforbiodiv.bsky.social

It has started a movement. Cartoonists are paying homage to Ann Telnaes.

Here are two of them. Ann’s is the final. Steve Brodner, @danboriscreates.bsky.social
@anntelnaes.bsky.social

Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness Nature - Disturbances in the gut microbiota of male mice manifest as fitness defects in their offspring by affecting plancenta function, revealing a paternal gut–germline axis.

As an "EIPOD" interdisciplinary postdoc in @jamiehackett.bsky.social and our lab, @denbobalab.bsky.social found that "Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness" (2024): antibiotic treatment of male mice led to low birth weight & higher mortality in offspring

www.nature.com/artic...

Open Rank Faculty Position in David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA University of California, Los Angeles is hiring. Apply now!

Please retweet! Open rank faculty search in the basic sciences at UCLA David School of Medicine. Multiple positions are available - the application deadline is 19th January. Please apply here:

recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10062

Congratulations!!! And great that you investigate such an underinvestigated topic, that however is important to half of us at some point 😉

In Puerto Varas, Chile 🇨🇱, doing a site visit for @molbiosystems.bsky.social

Plan to join usin Sep 2025! Molbiosystems.com

Abstract Vs. Results