The Fromm Lab

23 May

0/ 💡💡💡Had one of those slightly weird moments reading something today. Two seemingly very different research traditions—starting from opposite directions—appear to be converging on almost the same conclusion about one of biology’s biggest questions: How do genomes generate phenotypes? 👇🧵

@physaliacourses.bsky.social

The annual @arcecogen.bsky.social retreat is under way! In three days we will update ourselves on progress of our group and finish two grant applications that made it to the last round of calls with Norges forskningsråd and @mohnfoundation.bsky.social. @uitnorgesarktiske.bsky.social

The Fromm Lab reposted

Physalia-courses@ONLINE

There are only 3 seats for the online course on MicroRNA Annotation and small RNA-Seq Analysis with @frommlab.bsky.social in November! If interested, check it out: www.physalia-courses.org/courses-work... #MicroRNA #smallRNAseq #Bioinformatics

physalia-courses.orgMicroRNA Annotation and small RNA-Seq Analysis23-26 November 2026

huggingface.coCarbon-A: Finding genes in known and unknown genomesA Blog post by Hugging Face Biology Research on Hugging Face

This might be big. Haven't checked quality yet huggingface.co/blog/Hugging...

cetaceangenomesproject.orgCGPThe Cetacean Genomes Project aims to facilitate the generation of reference genomes of all cetacean species.

Great project!!

ERGA - European Reference Genome Atlas@ergabiodiv.bsky.social

🐋🧬 Welcome to the new ERGA Associate Partner: the Cetacean Genomes Project! They coordinate the generation of high-quality reference genomes for all cetacean species (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) supporting research & conservation worldwide!🌊 www.cetaceangenomesproject.org @ebpgenome.bsky.social

Super happy that our Bat1k paper got the cover of Nature!!

Bat1K Genome Project@bat1kgenomes.bsky.social

From six bat species to covering 103 genomes across all 21 bat families 🦇🧬 Two beautiful batty Nature covers, years of collaboration, and an incredible community behind every genome. 🌍🌎🌏 We are proud and excited for what’s next. Our goal: sequence the genome of every bat species!

@multicellgenome.bsky.social

Super happy that our Bat1k paper got the cover of Nature!!

Bat1K Genome Project@bat1kgenomes.bsky.social

The Fromm Lab reposted

Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo

We have a new branch in the family tree of animals: Atreyea- a previously unrecognized lineage among the closest unicell relatives of animals. Led by @konsmitsi.bsky.social & @freejakoba.bsky.social together with a fantastic team of collaborators. 🔗 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... #protistsOnSky

The Fromm Lab reposted

Lutz Bachmann

@lbachmann.bsky.social

Exciting paper !!! www.nature.com/articles/s41... @frommlab.bsky.social

nature.comReference genomes and fossils revise bat family phylogeny and biogeography - NatureAn updated phylogeny of bats is presented, based on new genome assemblies and many ancient fossils and including all known bat families.

nature.comGenome project opens the next chapter for studying bat evolutionA landmark collection of bat genomes reveals fresh clues about the evolution of one of the world’s most unusual groups of mammals.

🦇 Big day for #Bat1K! Our new study is out in Nature, combining 103 bat genomes + 44 fossil taxa to explore bat evolutionary history. Very happy to have contributed microRNA complements to this huge comparative effort. 🧬🦇 tinyurl.com/352rxwsa #Genomics #Evolution #microRNA #BiodiversityGenomics

The Fromm Lab reposted

Rob Waterhouse

@rmwaterhouse.bsky.social

What a great crowd of people for the launch of @ergabiodiv.bsky.social's COST Action CONSENSA today in #Brussels www.cost.eu/actions/CA25... #biodiversity #genomics #standards ERGA members - sign up to participate!

The Fromm Lab reposted

Mike Keesey

@tmkeesey.bsky.social

30 Aug

We are getting VERY close 13,000 silhouettes! www.phylopic.org/images

phylopic.orgAll Silhouette Images on PhyloPicBrowse all the free silhouette images in PhyloPic.

The Fromm Lab reposted

Garry

@thegmcconnachie.bsky.social

25 Aug

This is why Dolly Parton will be remembered and loved ❤️📚

The Fromm Lab reposted

Lutz Bachmann

@lbachmann.bsky.social

25 Aug

Last Friday, 21. August, the seminar 'Parasitology in Modern Times' was held at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, on the occasion of my retirement. I am particularly grateful to Torsten Struck for organising the seminar and to all speakers and participants. #parasitology

The Fromm Lab reposted

Leonid Schneider

@forbetterscience.bsky.social

6 Aug

Featuring Lionel Messi!

Leonid Schneider@forbetterscience.bsky.social

Work hard and play hard like Marcelo Kazanietz forbetterscience.com/2026/08/04/w...

forbetterscience.comWork hard and play hard like Marcelo Kazanietz“Mariana will tell your wife things that she does not want to hear. Believe when I tell you that it is not a good idea to play games with Mariana. […] you will have to pay the consequences fo…

The Fromm Lab reposted

Alex de Mendoza

@alexdemendoza.bsky.social

3 Aug

Sailing in @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social ready for summer, our study on the iconic Portuguese man o' war 🪼 is out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6.... We use (epi)genomics to understand a critter that fascinates me since childhood. Massive team effort with @obog.bsky.social, Cummins and Neely groups. 🧵

www.science.org/content/blog...

25 July

science.orgThe Assault On Science Funding Continues

25 July

Strong and correct statement about the new „science strategy“ in the U.S. published in Science www.science.org/content/blog...

science.orgscience.org

science.orgCrush-resistant air sacs allow insect larvae to exploit aquatic habitats at extreme depthThe absence of aquatic insects from pelagic marine habitats has been attributed to their air-filled tracheal respiratory system, which could implode at depth while undertaking diel vertical migrations...

25 July

Insect larvae in >200m depth! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

**1/7** 🔥 New paper out in Evolution! How predictable is genome evolution? Over the past decade, my work has explored both directions of evolution: the rise of biological complexity and the genomic simplification that accompanies parasitism. lnkd.in/dRnuX-we 🧵👇

View full thread

**7/7** Many thanks to co-corresponding author Alexander Clarke and our fantastic international team (including @pedromartinezserra.bsky.social and to the Trond Mohn Research Foundation for supporting this work. 📄 New paper: lnkd.in/dRnuX-we #Evolution #Genomics #MicroRNA #Parasitology

Earlier papers: MBE (2013): lnkd.in/dhQr_Kni GBE (2025): lnkd.in/dPVryV9z American Naturalist (2026): lnkd.in/dkhdnHn2

View full thread

**5/7** Let by Kevin Peterson we annotated and compared 480 transcription factors, 161 RNA-binding proteins, 215 DNA damage response and repair genes, and 921 conserved microRNA families across 48 bilaterian species representing 20 independent origins of parasitism.

**6/7** Despite striking ecological convergence, the tempo and mode of gene loss are governed more by evolutionary history than by ecology. Most lineages with accelerated genome reduction inherited those trajectories long before they became parasitic. Convergent phenotypes. Contingent genomes.

View full thread

**3/7** Looking across the animal kingdom revealed the opposite pattern: The gain of new microRNA families shows the strongest correlation of increasing biological complexity, highlighting the importance of regulatory innovation in the evolution of new cell types and body plans (AmNat 2026).

**4/7** Our new paper asks a simple question: **If parasites repeatedly evolve similar lifestyles, do they also lose the same genes?** Surprisingly, the answer is **mostly no**.

**2/7** We first showed that parasitic flatworms have lost numerous conserved microRNA families (MBE, 2013). Later, we found that microRNA loss occurs together with BUSCO gene loss and morphological reduction, revealing a hierarchical process of genome reduction in parasitic rotifers (GBE, 2025).

youtube.com🌊 The Ocean's Weirdest and Bizarre Evolution of Parasitic Crustaceans | Dr. Tommy LeungYouTube video by MalibuDivers

8 July

Check this amazing presentation by Tommy Leung on underwater mosquito nets and more :-)

Veeloxxy Bites@the-episiarch.bsky.social

I gave a presentation about the weird and wonderful world of parasitic crustaceans for the Malibu Divers. I talked about parasitic barnacles, tongue-biter parasites, monstrous copepods, and more! 🧪 You can check out the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FTf...

The Fromm Lab reposted

epithelial mechanics fan club

@epimechfc.bsky.social

5 July

From single-celled organisms to ciliated epithelia in metazoans, precise positioning of basal bodies (BBs), which anchor motile cilia, is essential for generating fluid flows. Here, I, @raghavan-thiaga.bsky.social, will take you on a brief tour of how cells build this spatial organization.

The Fromm Lab reposted

Alexey Amunts

@amunts.bsky.social

4 July

RNA can build. A short RNA self-assembles into a 60-subunit icosahedral cage like a viral capsid, but made entirely of RNA. The striking preprint also reveals a 57-nt RNA filament at ~2.7 Å. Congratulations, Lin Huang and colleagues! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

2 July

Had a bunch of fun presenting our work on ancient RNA #paleotranscriptomics with @lovedalen.bsky.social @marmole6.bsky.social @maridehasque.bsky.social and may more at #SMBE2026

27 June

Taking a break after an amazing #ICP2026 in Stockholm with the great team of @arcecogen.bsky.social, before heading to #SMBE2026 in Copenhagen (#noflysmbe) tomorrow: looking forward to this!! #aRNA #paleotranscriptomics

25 June

#ICP2026 @marmole6.bsky.social presenting ancientRNA Talk number 3 beautifully summarizing the young field of paleotranscriptomics and showing off the cool 🦣Mammoth RNA paper we published earlier 💪🏻

25 June

#ICP2026 Very proud of PhD student Vanessa presenting her work on the RNA of a 41000 year old moth!

The Fromm Lab reposted

Harmit Singh Malik

@harmitmalik.bsky.social

24 June

I know it seems like a heretical idea, but one way to figure out if a preprint is really interesting (to you) is... to read the preprint. Then, in the spirit of sharing, send a note to authors: a simple kudos or a more detailed question. I do this a dozen times a year. It's awesome. Try it.

nature.comInvestigating ancient human DNA preservation on cave walls and in rock art - Nature CommunicationsAncient DNA can be preserved on materials from archaeological floor deposits such as bones, sediments and artifacts. Here, the authors investigate whether Palaeolithic wall art can preserve human DNA ...

24 June

Great presentation by @marcfriedlander.bsky.social day 1 at #icp2026 given a primer for ancient RNA and outlook for things to come (!!!!)

The Fromm Lab reposted

ellie_ancient

@elenaessel.bsky.social

23 June

So happy and proud to see this paper out in @natcomms.nature.com today! We show that traces of human DNA can persist on cave walls for thousands of years. Absolutely fantastic work by the wonderful Alba Bossoms Mesa at @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social and a great team! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

open.substack.comOpinion: I Was Not Allowed To Type Prompts Into ChatGPT During My Chalk Talk And This Is DiscriminationBy Dr. Rachel Simmons, Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

23 June

To all PhDs and PostDocs out there :-)

Yasin Dagdas@plantophagy.bsky.social

The academic hiring system is simply not designed for candidates like me. It privileges a kind of performative intellectualism—the ability to stand at a whiteboard and extemporize about science as if you were some kind of 19th-century naturalist 😂 😂 😂 open.substack.com/pub/inprepar...

@physaliacourses.bsky.social

23 June

#icp2026 Kicks off with exciting program ahead. It will also include some cool #ancientRNA talks by @marcfriedlander.bsky.social, our PhD student Vanessa and @marmole6.bsky.social

The Fromm Lab reposted

Physalia-courses@ONLINE

19 June

🧬 Explore the world of microRNAs! Join our online course (6–9 Oct) with @frommlab.bsky.social and learn about small RNA-seq analysis, microRNA annotation, and curation using real datasets and best-practice workflows. From raw reads to validated microRNA candidates! #Bioinformatics #Genomics #RNAseq

18 June

Beautiful field-day to the Steindalsbreen Glacier 90min away from Tromsø with @arcecogen.bsky.social. Enjoying this breath-taking Nature, we were discussing the shocking retreat of the glacier, upcoming proposals, local flora and geology (plus some sampling for genome projects!).

The Fromm Lab reposted

Peter Girguis

@pgirguis.bsky.social

12 June

Please spread the word! Only three more days to sign up! Join me and other sea monst-orians in exploring sea monsters in literature, film, and more. We also earn about the creatures of the deep (spoiler: They're not monsters) See link below. I hope to see you there! bit.ly/SummerSeaMon...

The Fromm Lab reposted

Carl T. Bergstrom

@carlbergstrom.com

10 June

Replying to @carlbergstrom.com

From 500 views in the first two months to over 100,000 views in the last few days. The ADA opinion piece that was too scary to be distributed at the ADA meeting has gone full Streisand. Y'all are doing the Lord's work.

10 June

Last year we collected samples in Naples @szndohrn.bsky.social and briefly chatted about a possible project together, this year Riccardo was invited by @uitnorgesarktiske.bsky.social and we are working on a proposal together!! #Tunicata #RNA #Museomics

cell.commiRNA modules for precise, tunable control of gene expressionDu et al. engineered compact, synthetic microRNA circuits that exploit multispecific miRNA targeting to enable uniform, tunable protein expression across broad gene dosages. These modular circuits sup...

3 June

Curious new paper entitled "miRNA modules for precise, tunable control of gene expression": Molecular Cell www.cell.com/molecular-ce...

link.springer.comThe controls that got out of control - EMBO ReportsEMBO Reports - When experimental controls go wrong, it does not necessarily mean your experiment is flawed. It might well be the first sign of something unexpected.

2 June

This is such a beautiful paper.

Thiago Carvalho@cyrilpedia.bsky.social

'If a control experiment fails, does that mean that the entire experiment is poorly designed and you must restart from scratch? Often, yes— but not always. I present five examples where failed control experiments triggered entirely new fields of research.' link.springer.com/article/10.1...