Merlin Crossley

Nucleic Acids Research (@narjournal.bsky.social) Nucleic Acids Research (NAR), from Oxford University Press, publishes the results of leading-edge research into physical, chemical, biochemical and biological aspects of nucleic acids and proteins inv...

Our latest paper, my 9th in one of my favourite journals
@narjournal.bsky.social
- transcriptional cofactors don’t just help in gene activation, they also help guide their partner transcription factors to target genes academic.oup.com/nar/article/... ##zincfingers #chromatin #epigenetics #KLF

Removal of promoter CpG methylation by epigenome editing reverses HBG silencing - Nature Communications DNA methylation is a critical component for repression of fetal haemoglobin in adult blood cells. Removing DNA methylation from the fetal haemoglobin promoter effectively upregulates the gene, opening...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our latest paper in collaboration with Mitch Weiss’s lab. We showed DNA methylation turns off fetal globin expression. I’m still not sure how important methylation is in regulating individual human genes but it represses this one.#sicklecelldisease #crispr #epigenetics

Came across a plant with many 4 and 5 leaf clovers. Is this common? #4leafclovers #fourleafclovers #5leafclovers

Non-Dire Wolves and the Process of Science Science works but it requires unwavering adherence to a system. The pollution that is misinformation is science’s enemy. As G.K. Chesterton said “If you leave a white post alone it will soon …

Several friends urged me to write about the non-Dire Wolves, so I have. But my piece is really about the fact that you can trust the process of science but not individuals or teams. Loyalty to teams is a major factor that causes misinformation to persist: crossleylab.wordpress.com/2025/04/28/2...

Like the leaves that fall from the trees, such are the generations of men

The UNSW Bilby has dressed up for Easter

I’ve never noticed this before but it looks like I’ve been living near the house of the dragon

“[If] it looks like a dire wolf and acts like a dire wolf, I'm going to call it a dire wolf,” Beth Shapiro, Colossal's chief science officer, told Wired. Oh no - I think my dog might be a Dire Wolf!

Across Australia the amount of black on the back of Magpies varies dramatically. In Sydney their backs are almost completely black.

To deal in hope – the Woolly Mouse Having big goals can be inspiring. Napoleon famously quipped “A leader is a dealer in hope.” He urged his people to aim for the impossible to achieve the maximum. Apparently, this is effectiv…

Friday is blog day at #UNSW Today the Woolly Mouse but this is more a comment on the different pressures in public and private research and different leadership styles - big visions versus realistic plans #woollymammoth #leadership #universities #biotech

crossleylab.wordpress.com/2025/03/22/t...

Good to know that Tawny Frogmouths are still in the neighbourhood

Urban fossils: elm and beech, Canberra

Possums are great. Australia has such wonderful urban wildlife. You just have to be a little nocturnal to really appreciate it though!

Birds are very comfortable on the UNSW campus. The ibis looks like it’s about to deliver a lecture!

Some people think that in the modern age art is dead. But behold, it’s thriving on the street of Inner West neighbourhoods in Sydney

We found these eggs 6 weeks ago - and now all 14 have hatched into cute little stink bugs. #insects in Australia

It’s amazing how much variation there is in frangipani flowers - in our neighbourhood in Sydney it’s considered the pinker the better

The authorities have stepped in to support and prop up this tree - the only problem is I think it’s one of those weeping varieties so all efforts may be in vain

Street art in Parramatta

This type of public clock is all you need - 6 hours and one hand, providing enough information for most occasions

An Eastern Water Skink gingerly welcomes the New Year in Sydney

Tis the time to be merry

Xmas in Sydney

Natural Christmas decorations in Sydney

Christmas in Australia

Happy Xmas everyone

Thou shalt not pass - St Andrew’s Cross spider, celebrating Christmas in Sydney