Trends in Genetics

Figure 1. Novel methods addressing the challenge of multi-ancestry individuals.

A new preprint Spotlight from @genomicspc.bsky.social is now live!

"Advancing methods for multi-ancestry genomics"
by Lathan Liou & Christa Caggiano

authors.elsevier.com/a/1lxdMcQbJF...

#LIBresearch: Great to see this call to rethink the value of short-read sequencing for biodiversity research — still so much potential to explore!

Proud to see LIB researchers among the co-authors. 🌿🧬
@lpodsiadlowski.bsky.social

Figure 2. ‘Top-down’ versus ‘bottom-up’ approaches for studying histone modifications. In ‘top-down’ experiments, environmentally influenced phenotypes serve as the starting point, from which molecular methods are used to reveal underlying mechanisms. This approach is in contrast to traditional ‘bottom-up’ approaches, which start with a molecule of interest and then attempt to assign function. Cartoon images adapted from [77,81,82].

"The histone code at a crossroads: history, context, and new approaches"
by Michael Werner & colleagues

"Recent ‘top-down’ approaches within an eco-evo-devo framework have been successful at finding epigenetic mechanisms in an unbiased way."

FREE till Dec 2nd:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lwwPcQbJF...

Figure 3. Sequence-independent methyltransferase as a tool to profile protein–DNA interactions.

"Sequence-independent 6mA methyltransferases for epigenetic profiling and editing"
by Shan Gao & colleagues

"The newly re-recognized DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA)...has facilitated the development of innovative chromatin profiling approaches..."

FREE till Nov 28:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lvWNcQbJF...

John Gurdon John Gurdon is at the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology in Cambridge. Educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he changed from classics to zoology. Dur...

“For Gurdon to continue in biology would be a complete waste of time both for him and for those who would have to teach him”

He proved them wrong! RIP John Gurdon

www.cell.com/current-biol...

DNA floats in the background of a texty event flyer that says "Personal genetics engagement in classrooms and communities, Learn about genetic advances and about how to bring conversations about ethical, legal, and social dimensions of genetics into classrooms and informal science learning. Tuesday October 7, 2025, 12pm EDT. brought to you by Skype a scientist and the personal genetics education and dialogue program. RSVP at linktr.ee/skypeascientist

On October 7th, learn how to communicate genetics topics to classrooms and informal settings with with @robomalley.bsky.social from @pged.bsky.social!

This is for teachers and all other kinds of educators.

RSVP for free here: givebutter.com/8TVNiA

Today's Nobel Prize announcement was a win for the field of genetics as well. Congrats to all involved!

The October 2025 cover of Trends in Genetics Description: Architectural RNAs (arcRNAs) represent a novel functional category of lncRNAs. In this issue, Tetsuro Hirose et al. describe how arcRNAs serve as blueprints for assembling membraneless organelles (MLOs) via phase separation. They show how arcRNAs, by sequestering multiple RNA-binding proteins through modular domains into MLOs, act as crucibles, sponges, or hubs to regulate gene expression. These findings highlight the essential roles of arcRNAs in organizing dynamic intracellular compartments and orchestrating diverse cellular functions. Illustration by Hiroko Uchida.

October is here!

The issue begins with a fascinating TrendsTalk with Gene Robinson and Dalton Conley on the field(s?!) of sociogenomics.

Other topics include arcRNAs (see cover), pathway-level convergence, male infertility, protist genomics, and more.

Check it out!
www.cell.com/trends/genet...

Figure 1. Graphic summary of short-read applications discussed in this review.

"The untapped potential of short-read sequencing in biodiversity research"
by Christoph Bleidorn (@cblei.bsky.social) et al

"Genomic resources have the potential to transform our understanding of the vast, still largely unknown diversity of species..."

More at:
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

#5. Communicating the Science behind Biodiversity Genomics

🔔🎙️ New episode of the #GenomicConnections Podcast! This month we discuss #ScienceCommunication and its importance for #biodiversity genomics 💬
🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/7oGP...

@iboleurope.bsky.social @biogeneurope.bsky.social @ebpgenome.bsky.social @horizoneu.bsky.social

EpiSci - 🧬 - 🧪 -
Hello, let me introduce U “happy Histone”!

Unmasked: transposable elements as drivers and targets in cancer. #TransposableElements #TEs #CancerDrivers @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social
www.cell.com/trends/genet...

Excited to share our new review in Trends in Genetics! Grateful for a great collaboration with co-first author Mitchell Grinwald!

Beyond supergenes: the diverse roles of inversions in trait evolution Chromosomal inversions are ubiquitous across the Tree of Life, with genome-wide studies revealing a bias toward smaller inversions, yet research has disproportionately focused on large, supergene-like inversions linked to discrete phenotypes. This limits our understanding of inversions' roles in trait evolution, as their size affects their potential functional impact. Investigation of smaller inversions and multi-inversion genotypes is crucial to elucidate their role in shaping continuous traits and evolutionary adaptation. Addressing this requires a shift towards a systematic study of smaller inversions and the use of experimental assays and functional annotation to identify the evolutionary forces driving different genomic trait architectures.

Online now: Beyond supergenes: the diverse roles of inversions in trait evolution

I just cleared out my methods file from the 80s and 90s- so much careful annotation, so many "Technical Tips" from Trends in Genetics! It's the only bit of clearing out that's made me quite sad.

Constraints on chromosome evolution revealed by the 229 chromosome pairs of the Atlas blue butterfly The genome of the Atlas blue butterfly contains ten times more chromosomes than most butterflies, and more than any other known diploid animal. Wright et al. show that this extraordinary karyotype is ...

How many chromosomes can an animal have?

In our paper out now in @currentbiology.bsky.social we show that the Atlas blue butterfly has 229 chromosome pairs- the highest in diploid Metazoa! These arose by rapid autosome fragmentation while sex chromosomes stayed intact.
www.cell.com/current-biol...

In November, TiG's editor, Maria Smit, will be attending the Fusion Conference (@fusionconf.bsky.social) on Endogenous Retrotransposable Elements & Human Diseases in Mexico.

The final poster and registration deadline is fast approaching.

Join us! 🧬

www.fusion-conferences.com/conference/187

Striking diversity of male-killing symbionts and their mechanisms Symbiosis is a fundamental characteristic of eukaryotic biology. Arthropods, including insects, often harbor maternally inherited endosymbiotic microb…

Our new review paper with @daisukekageyama.bsky.social is out in Trends in Genetics (@cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social)!
We summarise the current knowledge on the diversity of male-killing microbes and their mechanisms.

Available here:
🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Figure 1. Diversity of male-killing (MK) endosymbionts across arthropods.

"Striking diversity of male-killing symbionts and their mechanisms"
by Hiroshi Arai (@haraipapilio.bsky.social), Daisuke Kageyama (@daisukekageyama.bsky.social) & co

"Why [and how] do maternally inherited endosymbionts kill male hosts?"

Find out here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

"Synthetic gametes and the Non-Identity Problem: The babies of tomorrow"
by Adrian Villalba & Joona Räsänen

"Bioethical discussions concerning reproduction have progressed from selection...to modification...We advance the discussion further, turning attention to creation..."

shorturl.at/d6IUH

Figure I. Origins of transposable element (TE)-encoded and TE-derived proteins in cancer.

"Unmasked: transposable elements as drivers and targets in cancer"
by Ting Wang & colleagues

"This review synthesizes a growing body of work that positions TEs as both catalysts and antagonists of the tumor state."

Check it out!
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

📣Final call! Anyone willing to share thoughts on AlphaGenome with us?

Figure 1. Key dimensions of the Human Phenotype Project (HPP) as a blueprint for precision health.

"Complex diseases meet deep phenotyping and generative AI"
by Jordi Merino (@jmerino.bsky.social)

The recently published Human Phenotype Project is "a landmark study [that] offers a blueprint for the future of medicine."

FREE till Oct. 29th with this link:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lk-dcQbJF...

TiG's September issue is live!

Many thanks to Yichen Si and Hyun Min Kang for the cover image, which illustrates the power and precision of submicron-level spatial transcriptomics. Thanks also to Jun Hee Lee, who helped lead the accompanying Review.

For the TOC, see
www.cell.com/trends/genet...

Figure 1. One focus of sociogenomics has been species living in complex societies that have produced the most elaborate products of social evolution, such as those depicted here.

"A tale of two sociogenomics: Shall the twain ever meet?"
by Gene E. Robinson & Dalton Conley

In this TrendsTalk article, we meet two leaders in sociogenomics, who help us better understand both the animal and human ‘sides’ of this evolving field.

Check it out!

www.cell.com/trends/genet...

Figure 2. Synthesis-dependent microhomology-mediated end joining.

"Interruptions impact clinical features of repeat expansion diseases, but how are they gained and lost?"
by Vincent Dion & co

"We propose that synthesis-dependent microhomology-mediated end joining accounts for most, if not all, documented interruptions."

authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

Figure 1. Decision map for choosing the taxonomic type (yellow boxes) depending on a type of organism (violet boxes).

"Towards DNA-based taxonomy of prokaryotes and microeukaryotes"
by Leho Tedersoo & colleagues

"Here, we analyze the pros and cons of DNA-based taxonomic approaches and propose guidelines and examples for their appropriate use..."

FREE till Oct 18 at this link:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lh5wcQbJF...

Extrachromosomal Circular DNA Conference | Fusion Conferences Extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA) is rapidly emerging as a groundbreaking frontier in biomedical science and is now recognized as a key player in nearly 30% of cancer patients, where it drives onc...

TiG's editor, Maria Smit, will be attending the
‪@fusionconf.bsky.social on Extrachromosomal Circular DNA in Riviera Maya, Mexico in November.

Join us! 🧬⭕🧬

The registration/talk/poster deadlines are coming up in September. Check out the details here:

www.fusion-conferences.com/conference/189

Glad to see this out! We discussed the confusion around the ever-growing list of clubroot resistance genes and what truly qualifies as the novel ones. The clubroot community needs a consistent nomenclature to keep track of the real progress. @jiaxuwu.bsky.social , @edelplopez.bsky.social

Happy to see this out! @jiaxuwu.bsky.social, @sohambio.bsky.social & I tackle the growing confusion in clubroot resistance gene naming. We call for a common nomenclature and a shared database to speed up durable resistance 🧬 🥦

Thank you @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social for a great editorial process!