iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

It has happened today 🧵. It does happen eventually, have faith! #LabLife #Endings

A parafilm roll that has reached the end of the road.

Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Very contemporary indeed! The tiny ones are perfect for an espresso ☕️! And I agree, the museum shop is missing opportunities. 📷 My own

Cups painted in dark colours with geometric patterns in light colours at the archaeological museum in Heraklion.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

The cosmic kiss: Jupiter & Venus in the sky above Heraklion #Astrosky #Venus #Jupiter 🔭

Jupiter and Venus above tree canopies and the top of a fountain ⛲️ at the bottom.

Jupiter and Venus seen in a dark sky in between blocks of flats.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

#MachineOnGenes conference about to begin in Heraklion. View from the hotel with a striking orange half moon 🌒 last night. #BiochemEvent @biochemsoc.bsky.social

View of the city of Heraklion. An orange half moon is visible low on the horizon.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Great pleasure to host Anjana Badrinarayanan @anjbadri.bsky.social at @biologyatyork.bsky.social for an awesome seminar on the mysterious ways RecA finds homologous regions in a ‘sea’ of DNA 🧬. Thanks to StarLab and Bio-Rad for supporting our Microbial Life seminar series.

Seminar speaker delivering a science talk.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

The Mill cottage and the Foss river covered by a layer of ice and snow last January.

The Raindale Mill on the Foss river bank.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Here is the result of our experiment! 😊 Thanks for this gluten-free recipe.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Dark skies stargazing. 21:38 5th April Coldingham Bay, Scottish Borders - Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Breathtaking beauty. #astrosky 🌌🔭

View of the sky in which multiple constellations are visible. Jupiter is the most luminous dot in the middle and Castor and Pollux are above it. Orion at the bottom above the roof of a building.

Ursa Major constellation in all its glory.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

📢 Interested in #chromosomes 🧬 & #archaea thriving at the edge of life? PhD project in York,UK on how archaea pass on their genome to daughter cells.Friendly supervisors: me, @steve-quinn-lab.bsky.social & @georgerheath.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project... 📅 January 7, 2026 Please RP🙏thx!

Archaeal cells whose DNA has been stained with a blue dye. Zoomed-in images of mutant cells that display chromosome segregation defects.

High-resolution images of DNA-protein complexes obtained with atomic force microscopy. Upon binding, the protein bridges distant sites, forming loops.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

A slice of paradise between lights and shadows: the #Eolian islands with smoking #Stromboli in the foreground. #Sicily #iphonephotography #sea #volcanoes #extremophiles #zen

Aerial view of the Eolian Islands off the North coast of Sicily. At the top, from left to right the island of Vulcano, Lipari, Salina and then Filicudi and Alicudi. In the middle the island of Panarea and the tiny island of Basiluzzo. In the foreground, the smoking island of Stromboli.

Eolian Islands map: Vulcano, Lipari and Salina at the top and Stromboli at the bottom.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Waxing crescent #Moon over a sea of clouds, 25th October, North Sea #astrosky #astrophotography #astronomy #Moon 🌙🔭

View of a segment of crescent Moon above a sea of clouds over the orange-red light of the sunset.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

Holgate windmill, a little jewel and proper working mill consisting of five lovingly restored floors in #York. Visited last weekend for free during #YorkUnlocked #VisitYork #Yorkshire

Holgate Windmill painted black with mill stones on the external wall and a cloudy sky in the background.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

It has been a blast 💥!Awesome atmosphere, networking & knowledge exchange at @biophychrom.bsky.social Huge thanks 🙏 to all the Participants, Rachel & Kinga from @biochemsoc.bsky.social & the Sponsors @plasmidsaurus.bsky.social @lumicks.bsky.social @emanuellissek.bsky.social @ei-science.bsky.social

Speaker delivering a talk at the meeting.

Scientists at the old Eagle 🦅& Child pub

Gala dinner at the 14th century timber-framed Hospitium in York.

Group photo with St Mary’s Abbey ruins in the background

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

#BioPhyChrom25 gala dinner at the 14th century #Hospitium venue in York, and @agnesnoy.bsky.social talk. Lots of discussion and ideas for BioPhyChrom2027… Great vibes and atmosphere! @biophychrom.bsky.social @damelab.bsky.social @vslioy.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @biochemsoc.bsky.social 🧬

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Bolling Hall, Bradford What a nice piece of #Yorkshire history. Music and a talk on the astronomer and mathematician Abraham Sharp. Thanks @handhyorkshire.bsky.social for highlighting this spot 😊.

Front facade of Bolling Hall with the large main hall’s window in the middle. Some small bushes in the foreground.

Print showing the front facade of Bolling Hall.

The blue bedroom: a bedroom furnished with a four-poster blue bed, oak floor.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

The countdown for #BioPhyChrom2025 is nearly over: -2 days to go… What a fête of chromosome biology & physics!🧬 Safe journey everyone! ✈️🚂 @vslioy.bsky.social @damelab.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @biochemsoc.bsky.social @biophychrom.bsky.social www.eventsforce.net/biochemsoc/f...

Front entrance to York Minster cathedral with a blue sky background.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

One week to go for The Biology & Physics of Chromosomes VII, but there is still time to register! Join us! 🧬🧬🧬 @biophychrom.bsky.social @biochemsoc.bsky.social @vslioy.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @damelab.bsky.social

River Ouse in York and the Hospitium, the conference banquet venue.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

For #Yorkshire day, an interesting and lovely tour of the historic market town of Pontefract (Broken Bridge) organised by John @handhyorkshire.bsky.social Thanks to John and David for the nice tour.

$Painting of Pontefract castle by Alexander Keirincx$ $The Counting House, Pontefract.$

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Chromosome enthusiasts, York is calling! Join us at The Biology & Physics of Chromosomes www.eventsforce.net/biochemsoc/f... Late breaking abstract deadline 📆 7 August @biophychrom.bsky.social @vslioy.bsky.social @damelab.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @biochemsoc.bsky.social #microsky

Wild flower meadow in the foreground with York Minster in the background.

River Ouse in York and along the bank the Hospitium hall where the conference dinner will take place. The Hospitium was part of St Mary’s Abbey that was built during Medieval times.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Just few days left to register for this chromosome biology fête! 🧬🧬🧬 ⏳📆 16 July www.eventsforce.net/biochemsoc/f... @vslioy.bsky.social @damelab.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @biochemsoc.bsky.social @biophychrom.bsky.social

Poster advertising the Biology and Physics of Prokaryotic Chromosomes conference that will be held in York, 16-19 September 2025.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Same street, same houses and view, A.D. 2025. Thanks for sharing the beautiful black & white photo. #York #YorkMinster

York Minster in the background and old, picturesque houses on the side of the street.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

York calling! 📣 🧬🧬🧬 Join us at www.biochemistry.org/events-and-t... ⏳⏰ Early bird deadline approaching soon, 16 July! Do not miss out! Half of the talks selected from abstracts. @damelab.bsky.social @vslioy.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @biochemsoc.bsky.social @biophychrom.bsky.social

View of a street in York with old houses on both sides and the towers of York Minster in the background.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Chromosome Enthusiasts, join us at The Biology & Physics of Prokaryotic Chromosomes 🧬! Friendly community, fantastic speakers line-up, grant writing session for ECRs. Early-bird deadline approaching soon. @damelab.bsky.social @vslioy.bsky.social @graingerlab.bsky.social @biophychrom.bsky.social

Flyer advertising The Biology and Physics of Prokaryotic Chromosome conference that will be held in York, 16-19 September 2025.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Stars, galaxies and a black hole in a humble blue petunia. #Astrosky 🪐🔭 #iPhonePhotography

A blue-purple petunia with white spots resembling stars and galaxies in the blue sky.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

My humble attempts at taking photos of the solar eclipse with my iPhone. The only way I could see the eclipse was through the reflection on my phone camera, where the eclipse appears upside down. Snapshots at 10:40 and 11:04 UK time. 🔭🌝🌞 #Astrosky #Astrophotography #eclipse #iPhone #Reflection

View of the sky with the sun behind clouds showing an orange and purple halo on the clouds. On the top right is the green reflection of the sun on my iPhone camera showing the eclipse of the sun.

View of the reflection of the sun on my iPhone camera, showing the ongoing sun eclipse. The reflection is surrounded by branches of an apricot tree in bloom.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

And this is a sneak peek 👀 of the 14th century venue for the meeting final dinner. www.biochemistry.org/events-and-t...

River Ouse in the foreground and The Hospitium venue in the York museum gardens.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Fancy a journey back in time to Roman Eboracum by walking on the city walls?And a visit to the Norman Clifford Tower? A stroll down the Middle Age Shambles? All this whilst enjoying a full immersion into chromosome biology? 🧬 Join us at The Biology & Physics of Prokaryotic Chromosomes! 🦠🧪🧬

A tower of the Roman walls on top of a green hill with some daffodils 🌼 and a blue sky in the background.

Merchant Gate Hall and surrounding gardens.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Can I tempt some young minds to consider Old York for a PhD? Some days left to apply. Open to applicants WORLDWIDE 🌎.

River Ouse at sunset with some orange light on the horizon.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Great seminar by Nynke Dekker @nynkedekkerlab.bsky.social today for our #Microbial_Life seminar series in the Department of Biology 🧬🧪🦠, University of York. Thanks for sharing your latest research findings! Thanks to Starlab and Unilever for sponsoring the series.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Surprise n. 6: SegB bridges long-distance sites forming loops and loop hubs! SegB short-range and long-range activities support a role in DNA organization.

Atomic force microscopy images showing that SegB can bridge distant DNA sites and form loops.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Suprise n. 5: SegB exhibits short-range DNA compaction activity.

Atomic force microscopy images showing SegB binding to DNA.
DNA contour length measurements.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

We show that SegB sites are enriched in the A compartment and that they are almost entirely intragenic, suggesting a role for SegB in chromosome organization.

SegB enrichment peaks identified through ChIP-seq in S. acidocaldarius and location of the peaks in the A and B compartments of the chromosome.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Surprise n. 3: SegB binds to multiple sites scattered across the Saccharolobus solfataricus chromosome. A cluster of high-enrichment ChIP peaks is located in the region encompassing the segAB locus, but interesting peaks elsewhere too...

SegB binding sites identified through ChIP-seq.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Deletion of segAB genes results in growth and chromosome segregation defects.

Phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy images of DAPI-stained S. solfataricus mutant cells, including examples of aberrant chromosome segregation phenotypes. Anucleate cells are indicated by the white arrows.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Surprise n. 1: SegB orthologues show variability in length. SegB proteins from Metallosphaera can be as long as 300 aa and contain perfect repeats! 😮 Surprise n. 2: AF2 predicts that the repeat domain folds into a remarkable Beta-helix!

Amino acid sequence of Metallosphaera hakonensis SegB and AF2 structure prediction of monomer and dimer.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Previously, we identified two proteins, SegA & SegB, which form a minimal chromosome segregation machine in Sulfolobales. Here we show that SegAB are widespread across archaea & present in both Thermoproteota and Euryarchaeaota.

Diagram showing genes encoding for SegB orthologues and their genomic neighbours.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Stargazing after sunset, three shiny planets 🪐 in the company of stars ✨ #astrosky #astrophotography 🪐🔭

Night sky with some sunset light on the horizon, Jupiter shining in the top right corner, Auriga constellation in the top left corner and Orion in the bottom right corner.

Night sky with shiny ✨ superstar Venus in the middle and below it Saturn 🪐.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Mars, Castor and Pollux almost aligned tonight. #astrosky #astrophotography 🌙 🪐🔭

View of the night sky with the top of a sycamore tree in the foreground. Mars, Castor and Pollux on the top right corner. The Moon is behind the tree.

Night sky looking North. Mars is visible below Castor and Pollux in the Gemini ♊️ constellation. Moon at the bottom next to a sycamore tree. The constellation of Canis Minor on the right at the edge of the image.

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Daniela Barillà @danielabarilla.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

And another flies the nest 🪺! Congratulations to Dr Joe McGrory for passing his PhD viva! 🥂🍾🏆🎉🎊 Heartfelt thanks 🙏 to the examiners, Heath Murray @murraylab.bsky.social and Michelle Hawkins.

Joe and the examiners celebrating the big achievement.

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