Daniel Sauter

A taxidermy oilbird is displayed on a white shelf against a pale background.

Did you know? Oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis) navigate using echolocation - just like bats (tinyurl.com/4tahavrs). Extra wild fact: their name comes from their extremely fat chicks, which were once boiled down to make oil.
📸 Anonymous, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday

The fetal trophoblast cell marker HLA-G activates a type I interferon response in primary NK cells through the receptor KIR2DL4 A fetal cell antigen interacts with a natural killer cell receptor to induce antiviral gene expression.

The fetal trophoblast cell marker HLA-G activates a type I interferon response in primary NK cells through the receptor KIR2DL4 | Science Signaling www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

DNA-protein cross-links promote cGAS-STING–driven premature aging and embryonic lethality DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs) are highly toxic DNA lesions that block replication and transcription, but their impact on organismal physiology is unclear. We identified a role for the metalloprotease...

DNA-protein cross-links promote cGAS-STING–driven premature aging and embryonic lethality | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Together with colleague and friend Carl Herrmann @uniheidelberg.bsky.social, we are looking for a motivated postdoc with experience in organoid culture and data analysis (#bioinformatics), for a project in the @hlsalliance.bsky.social Joint Postdoc call.

www.health-life-sciences.de/opportunitie...

In a new article with Kevin Groen, we review the most recent scientific developments relating to autoantibodies targeting type I interferons and their impacts on severe viral disease:
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...

Initial sites of SIV rebound after antiretroviral treatment cessation in rhesus macaques Nature Microbiology - Using a non-human primate model, the authors identified the tissue sites of initial viral rebound after discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy, demonstrating that such...

rdcu.be/e114k

A perspective article in EID on the health threats posed by Influenza D and canine coronavirus, highlighting zoonotic risk and the importance of surveillance at the animal-human interface. #OneHealth #PublicHealth

wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32…

A Eurasian jay with vibrant blue and black wing feathers and a soft brown body perches on a mossy branch, set against a blurred background.

Did you know? Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) don’t just share random snacks with their partners - they adjust their gifts based on their partner’s current cravings: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23382187/ 📸 Membeth, via Wikimedia Commons
#Birds #FeatheredFriday 🐦 🎁

📣 *Abstract submission by January 31st*

"Host adaptations to viral infections” International Meeting
May 10th-13th 2026
@cnrs.fr Station Biologique Roscoff, Brittany, France

Register & Join us +amazing international speakers!
#CNRS @cnrsbiologie.bsky.social #IRP

www.insb.cnrs.fr/fr/evenement...

A small bird with olive-green plumage and a subtle orange-brown face sits on a branch. The background is softly blurred.

Did you know? Club-winged manakins (Machaeropterus deliciosus) use their wings not just to fly, but to make music. They rub their wing feathers >100 times per second (!) to create a buzzing sound. 📸 Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0) #Birds #FeatheredFriday

🚨Job Alert🚨

Looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our multidisciplinary team of scientists. The postdoc will collaborate with world-class structural biologist Peijun Zhang to understand everything about HIV capsids and how they work via host interactions.

Spread the word!

Herpesviren schon vor 2500 Jahren im menschlichen Genom Schon vor mehr 2500 Jahren trugen Menschen Herpesviren vom Typ HHV-6 in ihrem Erbgut. Das zeigen Analysen von alter DNA aus menschlichen Skeletten, die in versc

Die virale Geschichte ist in unserem #Erbgut verankert: Menschen tragen #Herpesviren offenbar seit über 2500 Jahren in ihrer #DNA - so zeigen neue Analysen. Manche #Viren werden über Generationen vererbt. #wissenschaft.de berichtet über die spannende Koevolution: www.wissenschaft.de/gesundheit-m...

La Generalitat descarta que el origen del brote de peste porcina africana en Cataluña comenzara en un laboratorio de Barcelona “La secuenciación genética nos dice que no coinciden las muestras de jabalí con las del IRTA-CResa”, ha declarado el conseller de Agricultura, Òscar Ordeig

If you have been following the African swine fever "mystery" in Catalonia, you would have noticed that this had the early hallmarks of a "lab leak" from a nearby facility.

Turns out it wasn't, however.

h/t @acritschristoph.bsky.social @flodebarre.bsky.social

www.infobae.com/espana/2025/...

A white bellbird perched on a branch against a pale blue background, showing its bright white plumage and distinctive long wattle extending from its head. The bird is seen in profile, highlighting its dark eye and black bill.

Did you know? White bellbirds (Procnias albus) produce the loudest bird song. With 125 dB, it is louder than a chainsaw. Males aim this call at females, potentially damaging their hearing. Listen to it here: tinyurl.com/4tmper2x. 📸 Daderot, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0) #Birds #FeatheredFriday

Research on HIV's conical capsid ultimately led to lenacapavir, the first capsid inhibitor. The drug's double-decade journey underscores the value of basic science research today to support the generation of innovative drugs for the future. Read the story: asm.org/articles/202...

KHNYN is a manganese-dependent endoribonuclease required for ZAP-mediated antiviral restriction Abstract. Zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is a cytoplasmic protein central to host innate immunity to viral infection. ZAP has no intrinsic catalytic a

academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Latest article from Rebecca Youle in Taylor lab at Crick in collaboration with Chad Swanson and my labs on the enzymatic activity of KHNYN, cofactor for ZAP
It is a highly active endoribonuclease with cleavage site preferences and an absolute dependence on manganese

Fully decorated interior of a city bus, with blue and golden ornaments and garlands.

The #Tübingen bus company is taking the holiday season seriously. Getting to work on the "glitter bus" today.

SOS: RNA-processing mechanism rescues genes from invasive DNA Transposable elements can insert into genes, disrupting protein-coding potential. Researchers discover a mode of RNA processing, ‘SOS splicing’, that provides a quick fix.

All living organisms face the problem of parasites - but what happens when DNA has invaded the genome?

go.nature.com/3MDiJCq

Great news for everyone working on EVs and viruses: the #GFV2026 meeting will include a full session on #ExtracellularVesicles in Viral Infection! Looking forward to the discussions and abstracts from our communities.
📅 17–20 March 2026, Heidelberg
📝 Abstracts: 4 Jan 2026
🔗 virology-meeting.de

A close-up of a turkey vulture with a red, featherless head and dark brown feathers against a blue sky.

Did you know? Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) are attracted by ethyl mercaptan, which was added to odorless gas by US oil companies. If vultures circled a pipeline, it meant a leak: gwern.net/doc/biology/.... 📸 ALAN SCHMIERER, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0) #Birds #FeatheredFriday

The genetic architecture of HIV-1 virulence Abstract. The virulence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) is partly determined by viral genetic variation. Finding individual genetic variants affe

academic.oup.com/ve/article/1...

A rare but real adverse event.
And apparently not just limited to the adeno-based vaccines.

The effect of shingles vaccination at different stages of the dementia disease course A natural experiment found that herpes zoster vaccination reduced the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment and deaths due to dementia, indicating that the vaccine may slow the progression of dement...

The effect of shingles vaccination at different stages of the dementia disease course: Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

A new path to spillover: MHC-II entry of influenza A viruses Spillover of influenza A viruses from animals to humans represents a threat to our health. This Perspective discusses emerging research that suggests some influenza A viruses can enter host cells via…

Spillover of #influenza A viruses from animals to humans represents a threat to our health. In this Perspective, Silke Stertz @virology.uzh.ch discusses emerging research that suggests some influenza A viruses can enter host cells via MHC-II receptors across species 🧪 #virology plos.io/4pP3Gnq

The human endogenous retroviral envelope HEMO protein interacts with BACE2: Novel partnership acquired in the primate lineage | PNAS Endogenous retroviruses (ERV) represent 8 to 10% of mammalian genome. While most ERV are defective, a few retroviral genes, such as the envelope sy...

Very nice study by the Heidmann lab. The human endogenous retroviral envelope HEMO protein interacts with BACE2: Novel partnership acquired in the primate lineage | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

New mpox strain identified in England It's a mix of two major types of the virus, and has been found in someone who recently returned from Asia.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A hooded crow with black and grey feathers stands on a stone ledge, facing the camera, against a plain, light-grey background.

Did you know? In Sweden, wild crows (Corvus sp.) are rewarded with food for picking up cigarette butts. The startup Corvid Cleaning found that these clever birds can be trained to collect butts, helping reduce urban waste.
📸 Retired electrician, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday

Lenacapavir-induced capsid damage uncovers HIV-1 genomes emanating from nuclear speckles - The EMBO Journal Following cell entry, HIV-1 capsids enter the nucleus by passage through nuclear pores and reach nuclear speckles with subsequent uncoating of the reverse-transcribed genome and its integration into s...

New paper out!

How can we force HIV genomes out of their capsid shells and what can we learn about HIV biology doing so?

Hint: capsid inhibitors actively re-route nuclear HIV complexes, and expose genomes via intriguing structural effects!
open access:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
read below

🚨 We are hiring a group leader in Virology at CIRI !

Join us in the beautiful city of Lyon 🇫🇷

Deadline on March 31st 2026

Our paper on the second Berlin patient came out in Nature today and I’m really happy we can share this story on World AIDS Day. I want to thank everyone on the team and all co-authors for their work over the years.

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