Ever wanted to attend an #Epigenetics conference with amazing speakers but funding was… complicated?
Trainees, this one’s for you:
@vai.org Epigenetics Symposium
💵$50 registration for trainees
🍽️Lunch included
🥂Evening networking reception included
www.vai.org/event/2026-v...
#PhDSky #Chromatin
Thrilled to be organizing the 2026 VAI Epigenetics Symposium 🧬
May 11-13, 2026 @vai.org
Incredible speakers, great science, and lots of discussion around the intersection of epigenetics, variation, plasticity and inheritance.
Details + registration: www.vai.org/event/2026-v...
#Epigenetics
One key result: the chromatin modifier domino/SRCAP shows especially strong and conserved effects on behavior and neural function, highlighting chromatin regulation as a major node in ASD risk.
Why flies? Drosophila lets us systematically test many ASD genes in vivo, combining high-throughput behavioral assays with precise genetic manipulation. Something hard to do in mammalian systems at this scale.
New preprint on bioRxiv: We use Drosophila to functionally interrogate high-confidence autism spectrum disorder risk genes and identify a prominent role for domino/SRCAP. Huge credit to graduate student Ellen Stirtz, first author on the study. 🧬🪰
#ASD #Drosophila www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
🧬🪰🐀🪱🧑🤝🧑Join me and my co-organizers @andrewpospisilik.bsky.social @nickburton.bsky.social Derek Jannssens and Piroska Szabó for the 2026 VAI Epigenetics Symposium @vai.org.
The meeting is centered around phenotypic plasticity and variation.
For more specific topics check:
www.vai.org/event/2026-v...
Check out the new online seminar series for the developmental metabolism community @devmetphys.bsky.social. Born out of #EMBODevMet, it brings together researchers from across the field.
👉 don’t miss the inaugural event on Nov 13 subscribe now!
#DevBio #Metabolism #ScienceCommunity
🪰Finally our study is in print — and we’re thrilled to see it featured on the cover of @natmetabolism.nature.com ! 🎉 #Drosophila #DevBio
Thank you for taking the time @scholten.house.gov to meet with the Michigan delegation at the #RallyMedRes. We are grateful for your support of #FundNIH and medical research.
Thank you to @slotkin.senate.gov office for meeting and listening to the Michigan delegation #RallyMedRes Grateful for your support for #FundNIH
Thank you to Senator Peters office for meeting with the Michigan delegation #RallyMedRes and listening. Grateful to have your support for funding #FundNIH
More important than ever. Advocate for research funding #FundNIH
Excited to join the Rally For Medical Research! Everyone can advocate for sustained and predictable funding to ensure progress continues in the fight against disease and in advancing discoveries that improve lives. Contact Congress today! #FundNIH #RallyMedRes rallyformedicalresearch.org
Thank you Deborah!
This work was made possible thanks to the generous support of @vai.org and the incredible expertise of VAI core facilities.
This isn’t just a dataset, it’s a Resource.
🪰 245 single Drosophila embryos
🧬 7000+ transcripts
🧪 81 metabolites
🔄 All aligned in continuous developmental time.
🚀 Our new study is out in Nature Metabolism!
We used single-embryo metabolomics and transcriptomics to map the earliest metabolic transitions in Drosophila development, including the onset of zygotic metabolism.
Explore the dataset & findings:
🔗 rdcu.be/eAH12
#DevBio #metabolomics #Drosophila
A quote from a participant of the Workshop in 2023: "It is impressive to attend a meeting with such diversity and come away with a true sense how it all fits together."
Join us for the EMBO Workshop: Developmental Metabolism – Flows of Energy, Matter, and Information. Explore how metabolic dynamics drive cell fate, organ growth, and more.
Connect with leaders in the field, share your work, and engage in discussions.
Registration open now #EMBODevMet
New work in GENETICS from PhD student April Rickle and team: “More than meets the eye: Mutation of the white gene in Drosophila has broad phenotypic and transcriptomic effects”
academic.oup.com/genetics/art...
This is a reminder that even the most familiar genetic tools can carry unexpected weight.
@standupforscience.bsky.social in Lansing
Great question! This is the issue we are trying to highlight—different w1118 stocks can have varying phenotypes due to genetic drift. In our study, the genetic background is fully controlled, making it a true comparison of w+ vs. w-. Thanks for your interest!
Exploring the Hidden Effects of the White Gene in Drosophila 🧬👀
PhD student-led study reveals the white gene in Drosophila has widespread phenotypic and transcriptomic effects beyond eye color, challenging its use as a neutral marker. Check out our findings! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
One week left to apply to the Van Andel Institute Graduate School! 🚨 Our Ph.D. program offers exceptional mentorship, rigorous scientific training, and a curriculum to prepare you for leadership in biomedical research. Don’t miss your chance—apply now! 🧬🎓 #PhDSky
Thanks for doing this. Could you please add me to it. Thanks!
🎄 Science meets holiday cheer in our lab! Check out our handmade decorations: pipe cleaner Drosophila, fly vials, and more. 🧬✨ Wishing you a season full of creativity and discovery! #Drosophila #SciArt
The VAI @vainstitute.bsky.social Graduate School is recruiting Ph.D. students in molecular & cell biology! Get top-tier scientific training, mentorship, and prep for leadership in biomedical research. 🎓 Watch our recruiting video: youtu.be/cOTdF06MekE #PhDSky #BioMedSky
Our institute is hiring for a new faculty to join my department at any level! Incredible research support, a great community, a chance to build something while still being at a place already producing top tier research. We start reviewing apps in 2 weeks! vai.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/VAICar...
