Edda Schulz

Robust pan-junctional reinforcement preserves the gut epithelial barrier under mechanical stress Epithelia are specialized tissue barriers that safeguard the organism's internal milieu from the hostile external environment, a function critically dependent on intercellular junctions. In the colon,...

Ever wondered how adult organs preserve epithelial barrier integrity while continuously exposed to mechanical stress? We tackled this question in our new preprint – led by our brilliant PhD student Vishnu Krishnakumar! (1/11)
🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

coffee breaks inspire the coolest things, no? It certainly inspired this wonderful project – a kids book on a robin that takes you under its wing on its journey to their wintering grounds. gorgeously illustrated @co-la.bsky.social and beautifully written by a #dreamteam within @sfb1372.bsky.social

Enhancer-promoter compatibility is mediated by the promoter-proximal region Gene promoters induce transcription in response to distal enhancers. How enhancers specifically activate their target promoter while bypassing other promoters remains unclear. Here, we find that the p...

What is a promoter? And how does it work?

We very happy to share our latest work trying to understand enhancer-promoter compatibility.
I am very excited about the results of @blanka-majchrzycka.bsky.social, which changed the way I think about promoters

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

Calico cat on a neutral background. Image is AI generated with Adobe Firefly.

New paper! In female mammals, one X-chromosome is inactive in each cell. In some cats, this causes typical color patterns, depending on which X is active and the color it codes for. The @eddaschulz.bsky.social lab found a new regulatory principle behind X-inactivation. 1/2 Note: AI generated image

Wonderful opportunity to work with Martin Howard and my group trying to understand how chromatin influences gene transcription and expression. Integration of theory, modelling, and experimentation. Come and join the team!
Please repost!

jobs.jic.ac.uk/Details.asp?...

Reporter CRISPR screens decipher cis-regulatory and trans-regulatory principles at the Xist locus Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 06 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41594-025-01686-3Here Schwämmle et al. develop CRISPR reporter screens to map transcription-factor-regulatory element interactions at the Xist locus, revealing a two-step mechanism integrating developmental and X-dosage signals to initiate X-chromosome inactivation.

New online: Reporter CRISPR screens decipher cis-regulatory and trans-regulatory principles at the Xist locus

Thank you, Max!

Happy to share the 2nd part of my PhD @natsmb.nature.com!

Using CRISPR screens, we uncover the TF-RE wiring underlying Xist regulation. Since the preprint, we've added a titration of Xist, showing that XCI is directly dependent on Xist levels.

Check the Bluetorial by @eddaschulz.bsky.social 👇

Happy to see this insightful and rigorous work published in its final form! Congrats to all authors and in particular to super hard-working first author @tschwammle.bsky.social and to @eddaschulz.bsky.social for the brilliant guidance.

Thanks, Raquel!

🥂 Congratulation to first author Till Schwämmle @tschwammle.bsky.social and all co-authors! @gemnov.bsky.social @nellykanata.bsky.social @jjfroehlich.bsky.social @melissabothe.bsky.social @alexandrammar.bsky.social @aybuge-altay.bsky.social @molgen.mpg.de

Violin plots showing the fraction of X-linked reads coming from the inactive X as a function of Xist expression level. The plot shows that lower Xist expression results in weaker X-chromosome silencing.

🎯 Why It Matters: High Xist Levels are required for silencing the entire chromosome.
🎛️ Using CasTuner and enhancer deletions we show that Xist expression and silencing efficiency are dose-dependent 📈: reduced Xist RNA = impaired X-chromosome silencing

🔹 Phase 2 (High-Level Boost): Late TFs activate distal enhancers
→ They drive high Xist RNA levels needed for robust silencing.

The Xist switch has two distinct phases:
🔹 Phase 1 (Binary ON/OFF): Early TFs target proximal regulatory elements
→ They sense X-chromosome number (XX vs XY) to trigger initial Xist upregulation—ensuring female-specific activation.

A cell with two X chromosomes must silence one to survive.
This is done by the Xist gene, a master regulator that coats one X in RNA.
But how does Xist KNOW when to turn on—and only in females?
🔬 Our new study reveals a two-step regulatory logic that decodes sex and development.

Reporter CRISPR screens decipher cis-regulatory and trans-regulatory principles at the Xist locus - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Here Schwämmle et al. develop CRISPR reporter screens to map transcription-factor-regulatory element interactions at the Xist locus, revealing a two-step mechanism integrating developmental and X-dosage signals to initiate X-chromosome inactivation.

⚠️ Paper alert: Using a novel CRISPR screening approach, we mapped the entire regulatory network controlling Xist—key for X-chromosome inactivation.
👉 We discover how sex and development signals are decoded at a single gene locus.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👇 Bluetorial

Congratulations, Raquel!

congratulations, Jan and team! Sounds really exciting!

Wow, that's great! I'm really happy to hear that!

Congratulations, Andi and team!

Congratulations, Dr. Kalita!!!

Cell biology enthusiasts: We look forward to the #DGZ meeting in Heidelberg in October to celebrate 50 years of @dgz.bsky.social! 4 keynote speakers, 12 DGZ workgroups showcasing the latest in their fields & DGZ awardees 2025 will present. Register by Sept 15. www.zellbiologie.de/dgz-internat...

🧬 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!

Great Paper! Congrats, Henrik and team!

I'm really happy to see the work from my Master's thesis published! 🎉

Shoutout to everyone who helped make this happen — especially @albaperez.bsky.social for the amazing mentorship and Alfred for the opportunity to work on this cool project!

Check it out 👀

Calling all aspiring Postdocs! One extra week to apply to join our exciting HFSP-funded project to uncover how chromatin moves to function.

Deadline July 15th.

www.mdc-berlin.de/career/jobs/...

Congratulations, Ingrid!

Congratulations, Ina! Very well deserved!

Congratulations, Nadine! So well deserved!

We are looking for a research assistant to join our lab and support ongoing projects with genome engineering in mouse embryonic stem cells! Please get in touch if you are interested.
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...