Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics

📢New paper in @natecoevo.nature.com!
🦇Research reveals that bat wings form by reusing existing genetic programs

By @molgen.mpg.de, @mdc-berlin.bsky.social,
@cabd-upo-csic.bsky.social (@dariloops.bsky.social‬, @fany-real.bsky.social) & CNAG (@mamartirenom.bsky.social‬)

www.cnag.eu/news/flying-...

🧬 New study from the Kinkley Lab! 🧬 In collaboration with the Vingron and Hnisz labs at the MPIMG the team has gained new insights how the epigenetic reader PHF13 regulates it´s affinity to bind to chromatin.
Read more: www.molgen.mpg.de/2025-07-28-o...
Congrats to first author Francesca Rossi!

The cover of Nature Genetics July 2025 issue. Digital art of a mouse paw skeletal prep on dark background, digits I to IV disintegrating into viral particles. A caption says “An endogenous retrovirus causes limb malformation”.

Pretty surreal to see my artwork on the cover of Nature Genetics! Big congrats to @julianeg.bsky.social, @stemundi.bsky.social and the others, and thank you Juliane for letting me help bring your research to life visually.

www.nature.com/ng/volumes/5...

Comparative single-cell analyses reveal evolutionary repurposing of a conserved gene programme in bat wing development - Nature Ecology & Evolution Single-cell comparison of developing bat and mouse limbs reveals conservation of cell populations and gene expression patterns, and suggests repurposing of genes involved in proximal limb development ...

Link to the original publication in Nature Ecology & Evolution: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congratulations also to first authors Magdalena Schindler and Christian Feregrino! Picture: Gene expression of bat wings, cell by cell. (c) Jim Hsu

Flying with hands – The evolution of bat wings

How did the bat get its wings? New research from a collaboration between the labs of Stefan Mundlos (MPIMG), Dario G. Lupiáñez, and Francisca M. Real (@cabd-upo-csic.bsky.social) show how genetic programs were reused during the evolution of mammalian flight. --> www.molgen.mpg.de/news-2025-fl...

Enhancer adoption by an LTR retrotransposon generates viral-like particles, causing developmental limb phenotypes - Nature Genetics Activation of an LTR retrotransposon inserted upstream of the Fgf8 gene produces viral-like particles in the mouse developing limb, triggering apoptosis and causing limb malformation. This phenotype c...

Finally out! 🥳 Our paper showing how a transposable element (TE) insertion can cause developmental phenotypes is now published @natgenet.nature.com 🧬🦠🐁
Below is a brief description of the major findings. Check the full version of the paper for more details: www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02248-5

Enhancer adoption by an LTR retrotransposon generates viral-like particles, causing developmental limb phenotypes - Nature Genetics Activation of an LTR retrotransposon inserted upstream of the Fgf8 gene produces viral-like particles in the mouse developing limb, triggering apoptosis and causing limb malformation. This phenotype c...

Picture shows retrotransposon viral-like particles in developmental limb malformation made by @annaamonaco.bsky.social.

Link to the original publication: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Link to News & Views article: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New paper in @natgenet.nature.com by the Mundlos lab! The team has identified the mechanism by which a retrotransposon of viral origin causes limb malformations. Congratulations to first author @julianeg.bsky.social, now group leader @mpi-ie.bsky.social!
--> www.molgen.mpg.de/news-2025-an...

In Nature Genetics, @danielibrahim.bsky.social (MPIMG/BIH) and his team have developed a bioinformatic tool to identify evolutionary conserved regulatory regions of the genome that have transformed so much over time that their DNA sequences have changed completely.

👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/4927054

📢 Don't miss! Remo Rohs, from the University of Southern California, LA will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📜 Structure-based deep learning models for predicting protein-DNA binding specificity
📆 02. JUL, 03:00 PM (CET)
📍MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/42283...

Im Podcast des Deutschlandfunks "25 Jahre Genom" teilen
Alexander Meissner, Stephan Lorenz und Daniela Piechotta vom MPIMG ihr Wissen mit uns und geben Einblicke in ihre Forschungsarbeit.

👉https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/genom-sei-der-herr-teil-2-aus-information-wird-medizin-100.html

Max Planck Prizes for MPIMG scientists

Max Planck Society prizes for our scientists! Congratulations to group leader Zack Smith, who received the 2025 Hermann Neuhaus Prize, and to postdoc Sara Hetzel, one of 28 young scientists honored with the Otto Hahn Medal.

--> Read more: www.molgen.mpg.de/news-2025-mp...
@maxplanck.de

⚠️ I am really excited to share the work of Anastasios Balaskas, an excellent PhD candidate in the lab, with the wider world. Tasos made a significant advance: generating a stem cell-based embryo model that contains both posterior and anterior neural tissues of the late-stage gastrulating embryo.

📢 Don't miss! Eugenio Fornasiero of University Medical Center Göttingen will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📜 Proteome turnover and spatial nano-mapping: an integrated view of brain physiology and aging
📆 30. JUN, 11:00 AM (CET)
📍 MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/42143...

At our #DahlemColloquium Postdoc Daniel Ming-Kang Lee spoke with Cassandra Extavour from Harvard University about her scientific journey, inclusion in academia, and how her second career as a part-time soprano singer shapes her scientific work.
Interview 👉 www.molgen.mpg.de/news-2025-me...

📢 Don't miss!
Wayo Matsushima of École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📜 Gene regulatory evolution driven by transposable elements and their controllers
📆 20. JUN, 11:00 AM (CET)
📍MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/41978...

📢 Don't miss! Leeat Keren of Weizmann Institute of Science will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📜 Spatial proteomics for next generation pathology
📆 16. JUN, 11:00 AM (CET)
📍MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/41528...

Probing condensate microenvironments with a micropeptide killswitch - Nature Targeting a non-natural micropeptide ‘killswitch’ to several biomolecular condensates altered condensate compositions and revealed condensate functions in human cells

Work is a collaboration with @matthewkraushar.bsky.social, @aktast.bsky.social and the MPIMG Service Groups FACS, microscopy, sequencing and mass spec, as well as researchers from Austria, the US and Switzerland. Link to the publication: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New paper in @nature.com by Yaotian Zhang and @henriniskanen.bsky.social (Hnisz Lab)! A micropeptide, the "Killswitch", alters the physical state of biomolecules in condensates. This tool solidifies dynamic, liquid-like droplets, affecting their function.
Read more: www.molgen.mpg.de/4884827

The journey culminated on May 12th, invited by the 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹, Dylan gave a multidisciplinary talk.
🎙️ Now, the adventure continues with the launch of a multilingual 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 series of exceptional individuals from diverse backgrounds.
🌍 Follow the journey: www.berlin-barcelona.com

This spring, Dylan Liabeuf, postdoc at the Vallier Lab, launched the 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻–𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, an ambitious public health journey at the intersection of 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, and 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Dylan was joined and supported by a remarkable community of inspiring 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲s, and 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀.

Work is a collaboration with @matthewkraushar.bsky.social, @aktast.bsky.social and the MPIMG Service Groups FACS, microscopy, sequencing and mass spec, as well as researchers from Austria, the US and Switzerland. Link to the publication:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

In @nature.com Yaotian Zhang and @henriniskanen.bsky.social from the Hnisz Lab discovered a micropeptide, the "Killswitch," which alters the physical state of biomolecules in condensates. This tool solidifies dynamic, liquid-like droplets, affecting their function.
--> www.molgen.mpg.de/4884827

📢 Don't miss! Stefani Spranger of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📜 Not all anti-tumor immune responses are alike: why tissue site matters
📆 11. JUN, 11:00 AM (CET)
📍 MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/41863...

📢 Don't miss! Irina Mohorianu of Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, GB will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📆 05. JUN, 11:00 AM (CET)
📍 MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/41862...

Starting January 2026, Alexander Meissner and Aydan @bulutkarslioglu.bsky.social will join the ImmunoPreCept excellence cluster, which will receive up to €10M from the @dfg.de. Project will deal with early prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Read more: www.molgen.mpg.de/news-2025-cl...

📢 Don't miss!

Prof. Debora Marks of Harvard Medical School, Boston will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📜 Generative AI to accelerate protein design for health and sustainability goals
📆 04. JUN, 03:00 PM (CET)
📍 MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/41915...

An unforgettable day full of fun and team spirit at the #BerlinerFirmenlauf! 🏃‍♂️🌞
With 39 colleagues, bright sunshine, and our MPG running shirts, we set off on May 21. Together, we conquered the 5.5 km and celebrated our team spirit at the Brandenburg Gate. Thank you to everyone who participated! 👍

📢 Don't miss! Matthew C. Lorincz of University of British Columbia will speak at our #DahlemColloquium!
📜 Chromatin-guided DNA methylation of CpG island promoters: insights from the mouse germline & early embryo
📆 02. JUN, 11:00 AM (CET)
📍 MPIMG, Berlin
🔗 www.molgen.mpg.de/events/41523...

On May 22, we had the pleasure of welcoming a delegation of US students as part of the STEM & Enterprise LAUNCH program.
Participants explored study and career opportunities at our institute, with focus on the "International Max Planck Research School for Biology and Computation" (#IMPRS-BAC).