Marina Lusic

I started offering career advice to two junior colleagues today in separate meetings, and both times I caught myself thinking that, if I'm honest, I don't have very good advice on navigating the current funding and job climate. I think it's important to say that no one does.

Still working at 107: supercentenarian study probes genetics of extreme longevity Scientists seek to understand the factors that have allowed people in Brazil to reach their 100th or even 110th birthdays despite facing adversities.

"Another remarkable case is a 106-year-old woman who took up swimming at age 70 & won her first competition three decades later. Longevity runs in the family: she has two younger sisters over 100 & a 110-year-old aunt."

Great story from @marilenharo.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪

📣 Please spread: we’re hiring a Lab Manager! It is a critical position in our new lab. As our lab moves to Barcelona and joins the @crg.eu, we’re looking for a Lab Manager to help build the lab and set the lab atmosphere.
🔗 Apply here 👉 recruitment.crg.eu/content/jobs...

This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.

This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

The near death -- and last-minute reprieve -- of a trial for an HIV vaccine A trial was about to launch for a vaccine that would ward off the HIV virus. It would be an incredible breakthrough. Then it looked as if it would be over before it started.

A trial was about to launch for a vaccine that would ward off the HIV virus. It would be an incredible breakthrough. Then it looked as if it would be over before it started. n.pr/3NnYj0O

Was the AC/DC intentional or s pure coincidence😀congrats, definitely a great present🥳

1/ 🎄 We got our Christmas present today: "Two distinct chromatin modules regulate proinflammatory gene expression" is now published @natcellbio.nature.com doi.org/10.1038/s415.... Our study introduces a scATAC-seq-based framework for genome-wide analysis of gene regulation features.

Exciting times ahead, indeed. Looking forward to 2026 and new inspiring and productive encounters, in Germany and Uk! !!!

Omg, is it a lynx?

ERC-Plus: jackpot science or missed chance to fix academia? My reflections on ERC-Plus, Europe’s newest ultra-competitive research grant and what it tells us about the academic culture we’re…

I just published: ERC-Plus: jackpot science or missed chance to fix academia?

My reflections on ERC-Plus, Europe’s newest ultra-competitive research grant and what it tells us about the academic culture we’re building.

medium.com/p/erc-plus-j...

Extrusive and cohesive cohesin cooperate to repair double-strand breaks in DNA @science.org @albertomarin.bsky.social @gerlichlab.bsky.social @imbavienna.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Here is a copy of last year's Twitter thread explaining our preprint - jump to (21) for the new stuff 👀

Synergy between cis-regulatory elements can render cohesin dispensable for distal enhancer function

now revised and journal accepted at www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

🧵👇

Cohesin guides homology search during DNA repair using loops and sister chromatid linkages Accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is essential for genome stability, and defective repair underlies diseases such as cancer. Homologous recombination uses an intact homologous sequenc...

I am happy to share that my postdoctoral work in the @gerlichlab.bsky.social at @imbavienna.bsky.social is finally out 🎉!
Our study reveals how cohesin guides focused and accurate homology search.
Read more 👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Follow along for key insights and updates! 🧵

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

Great new collaboration with @thmllr.bsky.social and Hans-Georg Kräusslich from @ciid-heidelberg.bsky.social came out on December 1st #HIV day - nuclear speckles & HIV capsid & antivirals gallore!!!

Lab life and Christmas cookies can match when the students get creative

Our Spatial Genome Organisation 2025 attendees! Fantastic presentations, discussions & collaborations have taken place over the past 2 days, with plenty more to come. Its been a pleasure working with Karim, Irene & Matthias, looking forward to what the future holds for this brilliant series. #SGO25

🌮✨ Two conferences, one epic poster session - and yes, there’s an open bar! 🍸

We’re mixing research, tacos, and good vibes here in Mexico for #SGO25 & #ecDNA25🇲🇽

@science.org ATP-dependent remodeling of #chromatin #condensates reveals distinct #mesoscale outcomes | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Sometimes I think about how from 1935-1975ish, Bell Labs produced an insane amount of revolutionary science and technology, including 11 Nobel Prizes, the transistor, UNIX, C, the laser, the solar cell, information theory, etc. The secret? Provide scientists with ample, steady, no-strings funding.

🚀We’re hiring! Join our international team at @ciid-heidelberg.bsky.social and @uniheidelberg.bsky.social
as a PhD Student or Postdoctoral Researcher to lead cutting edge research projects at the virus-host interface

Postdoc: tinyurl.com/d5sdhbnp

PhD: tinyurl.com/bdz5e5u6

Jane Goodall, legendary primatologist, has died at age 91 Jane Goodall, primatologist who transformed our understanding of the lives of apes, has died, according to an announcement from the Jane Goodall Institute.

JUST IN: Jane Goodall, primatologist who transformed our understanding of the lives of apes, has died, according to an announcement from the Jane Goodall Institute.

In 1668, Francesco Redi challenged the idea of spontaneous generation by proving that maggots came from fly eggs, not from rotting meat. His experiment laid the foundation for modern microbiology and disproved centuries of misconceptions about life’s origins. #ScienceHistory

Nucleosome phasing by chromatin remodelers regulates macrophage lineage fidelity by preserving nucleosome arrays flanking PU.1-bound sites to prevent lineage-inappropriate transcription by C/EBPβ @cp-immunity.bsky.social www.cell.com/immunity/ful...

about the $100K H1B fee, here's some interesting details: "If an employee is in the U.S., he or she will not be subject if (i) applying to extend or amend H-1B status, or (ii) applying to change from another visa category into H-1B status from within the U.S."

World's first AI-designed viruses a step towards AI-generated life Scientists used AI to write coherent viral genomes, using them to synthesize bacteriophages capable of killing resistant strains of bacteria.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Do you think this is a matter of progress or concern?

Epigenetics: History, Molecules, and Diseases Buy Epigenetics: History, Molecules, and Diseases on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

1/ One of the questions I get asked about my book is what new they'll discover about #epigenetics.

I hope there will be a lot to learn, but maybe one of the most intriguing stories will be about the contribution of John Pugh.

www.amazon.com/Epigenetics-...

@kazu_maeshima from the Genome Dynamics Laboratory at the National Institute of Genetics (@NIG_idenken) will present groundbreaking research on chromatin organization and behavior in live cells revealed by super-resolution imaging. nyulangone.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #chromatin2025

Speaker Spotlight: Don’t miss @Anders_S_Hansen from MIT as he unpacks the secrets of distal gene regulation in space and time! Learn how enhancers find and activate their target genes—revealing new insights into the selectivity and dynamics of gene control. Reserve your seat:

Antiscience Is an Existential Threat The ideologically-motivated assault on science threatens us all.

“Antiscience has gone beyond U.S. borders to Europe, Australia, and Africa. Defeating it will require unprecedented commitment and international cooperation, not only between scientific organizations, but also their host governments.”
🧪 #Disinformation #AntiScience
time.com/7317436/scie...