Plaschka lab

This was a fantastic joint effort between Paul Welzl from our lab and allepasse.bsky.social of the fbzt.bsky.social lab. Make sure to check out Alessandro’s in-depth thread here bsky.app/profile/alle.... 3/3

By combining RNA-FISH with a DNA-PAINT approach, we resolved mRNAs in the nucleus and cytoplasm using super-resolution microscopy. We observed distinct ultrastructures and transcript-specific patterns for different mRNAs. Altogether, we provide a new tool for studying the cellular life of mRNA. 2/3

mRNA is a key polymer of life. While its sequence is linear, its function requires its 3D organization. Yet what does a mRNA look like in 3D? In collaboration with the fbzt.bsky.social, we developed a method to visualize mRNA in 3D and at the nanoscale inside human cells. tinyurl.com/r858t6ff 1/3

Our leaving gift and starter-pack for @hohmannulrich.bsky.social to open his new lab at @imbmainz.bsky.social! Ulrich has made many exciting contributions to RNA packaging. We will miss him and his dry humor, and can't wait to see what he will discover in his lab!

I’m thrilled to share that our project, FATERNA, has been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant! We’ll explore the mechanisms of pre-mRNA fate control. Huge thanks go to our awesome research team, colleagues, and the fantastic support from @impvienna.bsky.social & @viennabiocenter.bsky.social CP.

Huge thanks to Belén Pacheco-Fiallos for wonderful illustrations! This image highlights one of the key steps: how mRNA might export through the nuclear pore complex. (3/3)

With @rupertfaraway.bsky.social and @thezenklusen.bsky.social , we discuss the proteins and mechanisms that may control mRNA packaging, organization, and export. (2/3)

How does messenger RNA (mRNA) get out of the nucleus to become a protein? Eukaryotic mRNA is packaged, exported, and then translated in the cytoplasm. But how do these steps work? And what are open questions? Check out our new review for our take: www.annualreviews.org/content/jour... (1/3)

One more thing! Keep an eye out for discoveries and opportunities from the @hohmannulrich.bsky.social lab! They open their doors in February 2026 at the @imbmainz.bsky.social in Mainz, Germany. Get in touch! (4/4)

A big ‘Thank you’ to our collaborators: @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social lab, colleagues at the @impvienna.bsky.social, and the entire Vienna BioCenter. Thank you to our reviewers, editor Florian Ullrich, and funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, the ERC and FWF. (3/4)

mRNA recognition and packaging by the human transcription–export complex - Nature Cryo-electron microscopy and tomography structures of reconstituted and endogenous human mRNA ribonucleoprotein complexes bound to the transcription–export complex reveal how mRNAs are packaged a...

Building on our recent work on nuclear mRNA-protein complexes (www.nature.com/articles/s41...), we combined molecular & cellular approaches to show how the RNA clampase UAP56 and other proteins orchestrate this process – beautifully detailed in Ulrich’s thread! bsky.app/profile/hohm... (2/4)

Messenger RNA is made in the nucleus before it is exported to the cytoplasm for translation. But how are only correctly made mRNAs chosen and remodeled in the nucleus for export?
Our new paper investigates the nuclear events leading to human mRNA export. www.nature.com/articles/s41.... (1/4)

Congrats to Dr. @julsportell.bsky.social
on her PhD! Her journey as a joint student (Brennecke/Our Lab) led to key insights into gene silencing. Paper: www.cell.com/molecular-ce.... Journey: www.viennabiocenter.org/about/news/t.... CP.

Building on our recent work on nuclear mRNA-protein complexes (www.nature.com/articles/s41...), we combined molecular & cellular approaches to show how the RNA clampase UAP56 and other proteins orchestrate this process – beautifully detailed in Ulrich’s thread! bsky.app/profile/hohm...

Molecular basis of polyadenylated RNA fate determination in the nucleus Eukaryotic genomes generate a plethora of polyadenylated (pA+) RNAs[1][1],[2][2], that are packaged into ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs). To ensure faithful gene expression, functional pA+ RNPs, in...

How are RNAs sorted for export vs. degradation in the nucleus? In collaboration with @heick.bsky.social’s lab we (@clemensplaschka.bsky.social and @juliusbrennecke.bsky.social labs) discovered a direct mechanistic link between the export and decay machineries: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/x)