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Wolfgang Hess

@cyanolab.bsky.social
506 followers 175 following 48 posts

Interested in comparative & functional microbial genomics, RNA biology, native CRISPR systems, cyanobacteria, plant evolution & regulation of photosynthesis

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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Cyanobacterial RNA-binding protein Asl3888 is ribosome-associated and involved in C/N metabolism. It is encoded in almost all cyanobacteria, green, red, and brown algae, diatoms, cryptomonads, and pelagophytes: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @mygalperin.bsky.social
biorxiv.org
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
RNA rules: Guanidine fuels rapid resurrection of desert cyanobacteria, controlled by a guanidine-specific riboswitch: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Guanidine fuels rapid resurrection of desert cyanobacteria | PNAS
In desert ecosystems, microbial activity is driven by brief hydration pulses but is severely limited by persistent nutrient scarcity. Cyanobacteria...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
New in Nature: The planktonic microbiome of the Great Barrier Reef, showing the composition of the microbiome along a transect of the Great Barrier Reef in the Pacific Ocean. Lots of cyanobacteria and cyanophage genomes, here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
The planktonic microbiome of the Great Barrier Reef - Nature
The Great Barrier Reef Microbial Genomes Database compiles prokaryotic, viral and eukaryotic genomes from seawater collected from the Great Barrier Reef, providing a rich resource for the study of mar...
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Reposted by Wolfgang Hess
CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies @cibss.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
📣 #JobAlert The Faculty of Biology of @uni-freiburg.de invites applications for a Professorship (W3) for Bioinformatics and Molecular Genetics. ❗ Application Deadline: 15 August, 2026 🔗 kurzlinks.de/roi8 #Biology #Bioinformatics #MolecularGenetics
Job alert text with logo of University of Freiburg.
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jensrna.bsky.social @jensrna.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
New breakthrough in @NucleicAcidsRes! Transcriptional Interference (TI) protects Nostoc PCC7120🦠from toxic gene expression. This is the first independent proof that TI can be monitored in vivo via the rifi R-package. doi.org/10.1093/nar/..., doi.org/10.1038/s420...
doi.org
Antisense RNA controls the degradation of phycobilisomes in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria by a transcriptional interference mechanism
Abstract. Transcriptional interference is rarely documented in bacteria. In cyanobacteria, phycobilisomes are the major light-harvesting antennae, and thei
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
NAR Breakthrough Article: Antisense RNA controls the degradation of phycobilisomes in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria by a transcriptional interference mechanism: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
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Reposted by Wolfgang Hess
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 18/02/2026
Accurate RNA structure prediction remains a challenge, despite recent computational advances. This study presents DRFold2, a #DeepLearning framework that significantly enhances accuracy of de novo #RNAstructure prediction by increasing contact prediction precision @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4aoOQiX
Top:  A representative modeling example from Chimpanzee CPEB3 HDV-like ribozyme (PDB ID: 7QR3), with models predicted by four better-performing methods (blue cartoons) overlaid on experimental structure (gray cartoons). Left to right: DRFold2, DeepFoldRNA, AlphaFold3, RhoFold. Bottom: Structural visualization of the example from coxsackievirus B3 cloverleaf RNA (PDBID: 8DP3), showing experimental structure (left), AlphaFold3’s best prediction from 100 models (middle), and 5th model of DRfold2 (right), respectively. Structures are rainbow-colored from 5′ (blue) to 3′ (red) end.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
A new + interesting paper on the guanidine riboswitch in Synechocystis and other cyanobacteria: "Deciphering guanidine assimilation and ri"boswitch-based gene regulation in cyanobacteria for synthetic biology applications" | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Deciphering guanidine assimilation and riboswitch-based gene regulation in cyanobacteria for synthetic biology applications | PNAS
Guanidine is well known as a denaturing agent. However, recent studies have demonstrated both the widespread synthesis of guanidine, e.g., in plant...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Riding a train in China, returning from the ISPP 2025 and the Green Carbon conference.
The train station in Qingdao. A light-flooded palace for high-speed trains.Inside the high-speed train Qingdao-Beijing in China. Riding at more than 300 km/h.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
„RAPDOR: Using Jensen-Shannon Distance for the computational analysis of complex proteomics dataset“ rdcu.be/eImcr : 11 authors from 3 labs. Many thanks to all for making this possible!
rdcu.be
RAPDOR: Using Jensen-Shannon Distance for the computational analysis of complex proteomics datasets
Nature Communications - RNA-binding proteins play key roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Here, Hemm et al. developed RAPDOR, a widely applicable tool based on Jensen-Shannon Distance...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
How to search for unknown RNA-binding proteins? We did GradR in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803. And now our paper „RAPDOR: Using Jensen-Shannon Distance for the computational analysis of complex proteomics dataset“ is finally out in Nature Communications, here: rdcu.be/eImcr .
rdcu.be
RAPDOR: Using Jensen-Shannon Distance for the computational analysis of complex proteomics datasets
Nature Communications - RNA-binding proteins play key roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Here, Hemm et al. developed RAPDOR, a widely applicable tool based on Jensen-Shannon Distance...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Riding a train in Lithuania.
Figure on track 1.The train is made to look nice. Forest items everywhere
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
RNA-binding proteins and photosynthesis: The RRM domain–containing protein Rbp3 interacts with ribosomes and the 3’ ends of mRNAs encoding photosynthesis proteins | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Inorganic carbon levels regulate growth via SigC signaling cascade in cyanobacteria - Kurkela - New Phytologist - Wiley Online Library nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Inorganic carbon levels regulate growth via SigC signaling cascade in cyanobacteria
Cyanobacterial growth depends on inorganic carbon (Ci; CO2 and bicarbonate) concentration, but mechanism(s) adjusting photosynthesis and growth according to Ci remain unclear. ΔrpoZ cells lacking th...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
How are fully submerged algae efficiently fixing carbon? All organisms performing oxygenic photosynthesis fix CO2 in the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle using RubisCO. But aquatic organisms have a challenge.
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Daan C. Swarts @dcswarts.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Out now: Cyanobacterial Argonautes and Cas4 family nucleases cooperate to interfere with invading DNA cell.com/molecular-ce... Most long-A pAgos interfere with invading DNA solo. Why then are cyanobacterial pAgos co-encoded with a Cas4-like protein?
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Chitrang Dani @danichitrang.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Just three days left for the deadline for oral abstract submissions for the 15th Workshop on Cyanobacteria at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN, USA) - don't miss out! Workshop dates: 4-7th June 2025. More information: web.cvent.com/event/3d0bd3.... Please share widely!
web.cvent.com
15th Workshop on Cyanobacteria. Online registration by Cvent
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
TIGR-Tas: A new family of modular RNA-guided DNA-targeting systems in prokaryotes and their viruses: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
TIGR-Tas: A family of modular RNA-guided DNA-targeting systems in prokaryotes and their viruses
RNA-guided systems provide remarkable versatility, enabling diverse biological functions. Through iterative structural and sequence homology-based mining starting with a guide RNA-interaction domain o...
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Reposted by Wolfgang Hess
Nucleic Acids Research @narjournal.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
🚨 New #Breakthrough article from @holmqvist-lab.bsky.social: "ProQ prevents mRNA degradation through inhibition of poly(A) polymerase" #RNA #Stability #Degredation #mRNA 📖 Read the full article here: doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf103
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Why did chloroplasts retain some genes from their free-living ancestors rather than transferring all of them to the nucleus following endosymbiosis? We suggest that mRNA targeting might play a role. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Does mRNA targeting explain gene retention in chloroplasts?
During their evolution from cyanobacteria, plastids have relinquished most of their genes to the host cell nucleus, but have retained a core set of ge…
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Sonja-Verena Albers @archaellum.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Would you expect that Bacteria use an archaellum for swimming? We didn't, but we found that some Chloroflexota do! Find the story here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... A little thread below 1/n
biorxiv.org
Horizontal gene transfer of the functional archaellum machinery to Bacteria
Motility in Archaea is driven by a nanomachinery called the archaellum. So far, archaella have been exclusively described for the archaeal domain; however, a recent study reported the presence of arch...
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ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
🅲🅾🅾🅻 🆃🅴🅲🅷🅽🅾🅻🅾🅶🆈 “Bacterial-MERFISH” provides ~1000-fold volumetric expansion of individual cells, charts gene expression in hundreds of thousands of cells, deciphering bacterial single-cell heterogeneity, intracellular transcriptome organization, and bacterial adaptation to µm-scale niches in vivo
science.org
Highly multiplexed spatial transcriptomics in bacteria
Single-cell decisions made in complex environments underlie many bacterial phenomena. Image-based transcriptomics approaches offer an avenue to study such behaviors, yet these approaches have been hin...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
Multicellularity is a key feature of complex life, but how to study multicellularity in bacteria and at the single cell level? Use advanced microscopy, MS imaging, flow cytometry, spatial and single-cell transcriptomics, advanced microfluidics and more. See here: journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org
Resolving spatiotemporal dynamics in bacterial multicellular populations: approaches and challenges | Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews
SUMMARYThe development of multicellularity represents a key evolutionary transition that is crucial for the emergence of complex life forms. Although multicellularity has traditionally been studied in...
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CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies @cibss.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Mark your calendars for next Tuesday: Tel Aviv University's Prof. Eilon Shani will present a #CRISPR -based toolkit that targets multiple genes at a genome-wide scale, addressing functional overlap in genetic systems and to uncover hidden mechanisms behind hormone transport. kurzlinks.de/fprn
Sharepic showing Date, Time and Place of Prof. Eilon Shani's CIBSS Seminar talk on "A Multi-targeted genome-scale CRISPR Toolbox to Overcome Functional Redundancy and Reveal Hidden Hormone Transport Mechanisms", Tuesday, January 14th 2025, Lecture Hall, Institute of Biology I, Hauptstr. 1, and online per Zoom.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
The conformational space of RNase P RNA in solution using atomic force microscopy: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
The conformational space of RNase P RNA in solution - Nature
Using a deep neural network and statistical analyses of atomic force microscopy images of individual RNA molecules enables the mapping of RNA conformational space in solution.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Not all bacteria, even of a single species, are created equal. Nor are they always unicellular. Some cyanobacteria develop heterocysts and fix nitrogen. GradR/R-DeeP analysis identified new RNA-binding proteins. Some were previously known for other functions. Others were completely uncharacterized.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
R-DeeP/TripepSVM identifies the RNA-binding OB-fold-like protein PatR as regulator of heterocyst patterning. academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
academic.oup.com
R-DeeP/TripepSVM identifies the RNA-binding OB-fold-like protein PatR as regulator of heterocyst patterning
Abstract. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are central components of gene regulatory networks. The differentiation of heterocysts in filamentous cyanobacteria i
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KleineVehnLab @kleinevehnlab.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
We are looking for a new colleague :) Please spread the word!
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 14/12/2024
ISPP-18, the "International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes" will take place September 8-12, 2025. This is the best conference in the world to learn about recent research in photosynthetic prokaryotes. Only every 3 years. Registration for ISPP-18 is now open. ispp2025-qingdao.com
ispp2025-qingdao.com
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
How Small Proteins Adjust the Metabolism of Cyanobacteria Under Stress: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
How Small Proteins Adjust the Metabolism of Cyanobacteria Under Stress
Cyanobacteria are powered by oxygenic photosynthesis located in extensive internal membrane systems, the thylakoids. Using carboxysomes, they assimilate organic from inorganic carbon. The integration...
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Jens Hör @jenshoer.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
The structure of Zorya is mind-blowing 🙀 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Structure and mechanism of the Zorya anti-phage defense system - Nature
Nature - Structure and mechanism of the Zorya anti-phage defense system
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Cyanotrans @cyanotrans.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Integration of horizontally acquired light-harvesting genes into an ancestral regulatory network in the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina MBIC11017 | mBio journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org
Integration of horizontally acquired light-harvesting genes into an ancestral regulatory network in the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina MBIC11017 | mBio
Horizontal gene transfer, the asymmetric movement of genetic information between donor and recipient organisms, is an important mechanism for acquiring new traits. In order for newly acquired gene content to be retained, it must be integrated into the ...
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Sophie Zoe Farkas @sophiezoe.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
I love this tradition at @biologyunifreiburg.bsky.social, every December the student representatives visit each floor and sing Christmas carols for us.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
Cytosine N4-methylation by the DNA methyltransferase M.Ssp6803II is required for the proper expression level of protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase, HemJ. All details in our new paper in DNA Research: academic.oup.com/dnaresearch/...
academic.oup.com
Epigenetic control of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis by m4C DNA methylation in a cyanobacterium
Abstract. Epigenetic DNA modifications are pivotal in eukaryotic gene expression, but their regulatory significance in bacteria is less understood. In Syne
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
The secrets of RNase P. This endoribonuclease is ubiquitous, but only in bacteria it is a ribozyme. We have characterized Ssr1238, a YlxR/DUF448 family protein to interact with the RNase P RNA in cyanobacteria. Details in our new paper: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Interactors and effects of overexpressing YlxR/RnpM, a conserved RNA binding protein in cyanobacteria
Throughout the tree of life RNA-binding proteins play important roles, but they are poorly characterized in cyanobacteria. Overexpression of the predicted RNA-binding protein Ssr1238 in the cyanoba...
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Cyanotrans @cyanotrans.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Cyanobacteria from marine oxygen-deficient zones encode both form I and form II Rubiscos | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
We have a DFG-funded Phd position for 3 years to study gene regulation in cyanophages. This is at Cyanolab in beautiful Freiburg/Germany, from Jan 2025, or later. More details here: cyanolab.de/index.php
cyanolab.de
Cyanolab
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
The "5th base": Bacteriophages that infect cyanobacteria, also called cyanophages, are full of surprises. In the genome of cyanophage S-2L, adenine (A) is completely replaced by diaminopurine (Z). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Noncanonical DNA polymerization by aminoadenine-based siphoviruses
DNA polymerase DpoZ catalyzes replication of the unusual Z nucleotide–containing genome found in certain bacteriophages.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Congratulations to Luisa for her excellent Ph.D. defense on "Unravelling the RNA Binding Proteome of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803"! Lots of new insight into the RNA biology of cyanobacteria. And 1 paper out, 1 in press, 2 more coming.
Photo of Luisa Hemm at her Ph.D. defense at the University of Freiburg on November 7, 2024.
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Branko Rihtman @cyanoney.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
This is so freaking cool!! Heterotrophs sense metabolites from phage-infected Syns BEFORE they have lysed and rush to the scene to wait for the burst of delicious nutrients when the cells lyse. Microbial version of vultures circling above a sick animal in the desert.
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 15/02/2024
What is Autonomous Replication sequencing and how does the big pSYSX plasmid of Synechocystis replicate? www.frontiersin.org/journals/mic...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 20/12/2023
Iceland volcano eruption winter 2023. One of the best sources of information is GutnTog, directly from Iceland: www.youtube.com/channel/UCR-...
youtube.com
GutnTog
WELCOME TO GUTN TOG! GOOD DAY! My name is Roman and I am from Iceland. Here I publish videos from my travels and explorations, adventures and hikes.. My channel primarily deals in documenting Volcan...
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Wolfgang Hess @cyanolab.bsky.social · 30/11/2023
Paleomycin. If you have never heard about this, read the new paper by Hansen et al.: www.nature.com/articles/s41....
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Jan-Willem Veening @veeninglab.com · 16/11/2023
First ever approval of a CRISPR-based gene editing therapy! crisprtx.com/about-us/pre...
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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 12/11/2023
Excellent opportunity for a Research Assistant/ Associate to work on integrases and DNA 🧬 recombination with fabulous Laura Spagnolo (University of Glasgow) www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DEA872/r... 🧪🦠🧫 #Microsky
jobs.ac.uk
Research Assistant/Associate (Based at Research Complex at Harwell, Oxfordshire) at University of Gl...
Discover an exciting academic career path as a Research Assistant/Associate (Based at Research Complex at Harwell, Oxfordshire) at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!
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Sophia @favolapalatine.bsky.social · 20/10/2023
Leopoldina und @dfg_public bekräftigen anlässlich der anstehenden Beratungen von Bundesrat und Bundestag ihre Unterstützung für den Regelungsansatz der Europäischen Kommission für den Umgang mit neuen genomischen Techniken in der #Pflanzenzucht: leopoldina.org/genomische-tec… #GMO #GVO
Screenshot des Original-Twitter-Posts der Leopoldina.
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Ralf Reski @reskilab.bsky.social · 16/10/2023
Nice coverage of our Takakia paper in Cell: This moss survived 165 million years — and now it's under threat from climate change Ancient plant survived the formation of the Himalayas, but might now be facing extinction. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
This moss survived 165 million years — and now it's under threat from climate change
Ancient plant survived the formation of the Himalayas, but might now be facing extinction. Ancient plant survived the formation of the Himalayas, but might now be facing extinction.
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