André Marques

For decades, scientists puzzled over a genetic anomaly. They just solved it. By examining “junk DNA,” scientists are finding clues to understanding human biology.

For decades, scientists puzzled over a genetic anomaly. They just solved it. wapo.st/3VyLmlx

Done!

go.bsky.app/KqsM3kd

My department at Dartmouth Medical School is hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor. We are looking broadly for a biochemist or cell biologist. Please share this add! apply.interfolio.com/171438
@dartmouthbcb.bsky.social @futurepislack.bsky.social

Head of Service Unit Proteomics

Attention plant proteomics specialists: We are looking for a Head of our new Proteomics Unit at our international and dynamic Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social Applications are welcome until 30. Sept 2025: jobs.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/jobposting/8...

🌿🚗 Between 29 Jul–12 Aug we covered more than 2,000 km across Northeast Brazil on an unforgettable plant collection trip. Huge thanks to my PhD student Ruiyi and collaborators Profs. André Vanzela & Leonardo P. Felix—great teamwork, inspiring science, and breathtaking biodiversity! 🌱
#plantscience

Our paper showing that variation in transcription factor binding sites underlies the majority of additive genetic variance for phenotypic variation in maize is finally out!

Sadly they didn't use our suggested cover image below (made by the inimitable Andi Kur).

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

Centromeres, polyploidy, carnivorous plant, instant bookmark.

Contrasting centromere structures in carnivorous sundews uncover a dynamic evolutionary trajectory shaped by polyploidy and chromosomal remodeling Sundews (Drosera) are carnivorous plants that capture prey using mucilage-producing glands with both secretory and absorptive functions. Within a remarkably diverse clade that includes the Venus flytr...

Happy to share our new work with exciting findings, incl. different centromere organisations and all kinds of weird polyploids giving rise to the mysterious carnivorous sundews! Great word led by my postdoc Laura in collaboration with @plantgenomes.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Bimodal centromeres in pentaploid dogroses shed light on their unique meiosis - Nature Insights into the dogrose genome and centromeres explain their ability to achieve stable sexual reproduction.

Bimodal centromeres in pentaploid dogroses shed light on their unique meiosis

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

#ERGAReads | Analysis of 3 pentaploid dogrose genomes provide insights into their unique reproductive strategies & advance our understanding of genome #evolution and meiotic mechanisms in organisms with asymmetrical inheritance systems 🏵️
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@sgn.one @ceplas.bsky.social

We’re happy to present a new preprint from the lab, where we identify new mechanisms that drive the recruitment of Mre11 to recombination sites during meiosis. Work led by star student Priyanka Priyadarshini with help from colleagues and funded by the ERC and FNRS.

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

Bimodal centromeres in pentaploid dogroses shed light on their unique meiosis - Nature Insights into the dogrose genome and centromeres explain their ability to achieve stable sexual reproduction.

Bimodal centromeres in pentaploid dogroses shed light on their unique meiosis www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Unequal inheritance Against all odds the dog rose, Rosa caninae, manages to sexually reproduce with an uneven number of chromosomes. German and Czech researchers show in Nature hoe the dog rose manages this.

And still the dog rose Rosa Caninae manages to sexyally reproduce itself. German and Czech researchers show in Nature hoe the dog rose manages this.
Read more about how the dog rose manages this in my blog plantenzo.net/2025/07/08/u... 3/4

🧪 #PlantScience

Bimodal centromeres in pentaploid dogroses shed light on their unique meiosis - Nature Insights into the dogrose genome and centromeres explain their ability to achieve stable sexual reproduction.

Interesting paper on the reproduction of odd ploidy plants. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Unequal inheritance Against all odds the dog rose, Rosa caninae, manages to sexually reproduce with an uneven number of chromosomes. German and Czech researchers show in Nature hoe the dog rose manages this.

Very nice summary from @plantenzo.bsky.social about our recent paper on pentaploid dog roses

Unequal inheritance plantenzo.net/2025/07/08/u...

I like it that nature often finds a way against all odds. Take the dog rose, this rose bush manages to sexually reproduce even though it has an uneven number of chromosomes. 🧵 1/4

🧪 #PlantScience

Did you see this June 2025 Nature article decoding dogrose reproduction? Hot off the press genomics advanced by EBP-affiliate Darwin Tree of Life genomes!

🎊Double congrats!! 1️⃣great science and 2️⃣ a really beautiful cover picture🌹! And actually, a third round of congratulations for that amazing cake 😋

Thank you Stephan!

🥳 Well-deserved celebration 🥳🎉. What a wonderful tradition – fantastic science, brilliant cover picture @nature.com and awesome cake 🍰 🌹. Huge congratulations @amarques.bsky.social and team 👏👏

(2/2) 🔬 Looking for a recent success story? The June 2024 Nature article on decoding dogrose reproduction—powered by @TreeofLife and @sangerinstitute genomes—is a stellar example of an EBP-affiliated project driving breakthroughs in plant evolution and breeding.
2025 Nature Article: bit.ly/44tjHqb

(1/2) 🌍 EBP-affiliated projects worldwide are assembling genomes across the Tree of Life—building a global reference library to accelerate research, unlock evolutionary insights, and drive biotechnological breakthroughs for the benefit of all.
@sangerinstitute.bsky.social

Celebrating with our traditional paper cake! 📄🍰🌹

I am super happy to see our dog rose's paper featuring the cover of the July 3rd issue of @nature.com

read more here: tinyurl.com/dog-rose

Congrats 🎉

Diagram of two types of reproduction based on their meiosis. A. shows typical meiosis taking place in individuals with two copies of each chromosome (diploids) resulting in both male and female gametes carrying one copy of each chromosome. Fertilization restores the double copy for each chromosome. B. shows Canina meiosis in individuals carrying five copies of each chromosome (pentaploids) where male gametes only carry one copy of each chromosome and female gametes carry four copies of each chromosome. Fertilization restores the five copy for each chromosome.

Check out the Views & News piece that Joiselle Fernandes and I wrote for @nature.com on the recent work from @amarques.bsky.social and colleagues about one of the most bizarre ways to do meiosis rdcu.be/euabu.

Explained for non-experts!

What an awesome surprise from @adriangonzalo.bsky.social and Joiselle! I definitely recommend reading it 😅

Indeed 🤩

Bimodal centromeres in pentaploid dogroses shed light on their unique meiosis - Nature Insights into the dogrose genome and centromeres explain their ability to achieve stable sexual reproduction.

‪#Forschungsnews: Vererbung nach eigenen Regeln – Die scheinbar unmögliche Fortpflanzung der Hundsrosen 🌸
Einem Forschungsteam mit @amarques.bsky.social, Christiane Ritz und Aleš Kovařík ist ein Durchbruch in der Erforschung der Fortpflanzung von Hundsrosen gelungen. 👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...