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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Together, our results show extensive diversity in how vTRs control host transcription. This work was lead by @jaice-rottenberg.bsky.social and an amazing team of collaborators.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Finally, vTR-regulated genes were enriched at genetic risk loci for autoimmune, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases, providing candidate mechanisms through which viral infection may interact with host genetic variation to influence disease risk.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

These activities can also depend strongly on cellular state. During an antiviral response, some vTRs retained their regulatory effects while others changed substantially. 39 vTRs suppressed immune pathways normally induced by infection, including IFN, NF-κB, and antigen-presentation pathways.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

We identified several mechanisms by which vTRs affect host regulatory networks: direct DNA binding, cooperation or antagonism with human TFs, interactions with host proteins, transcriptional activation/repression, and changes in chromatin accessibility.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

vTR orthologs tended to have similar effects, but there was substantial functional divergence. We also observed convergent regulatory strategies across unrelated viruses.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

We systematically characterized 95 vTRs from 31 viruses, integrating transcriptomics, protein-DNA and protein-protein interaction assays, and measurements of transcriptional activity. We found extensive effects on immune signaling, cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage/repair, signaling, and metabolism.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Although hundreds of viral transcriptional regulators (vTRs) have been identified, we know little about the host pathways they rewire to promote replication and persistence or their mechanisms of action. In our new paper, we addressed this gap across human viruses. 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Functional characterization of viral transcriptional regulators reveals extensive rewiring of host pathways - Nature Communications

The authors here show how viral transcriptional regulators reprogram human gene activity through diverse mechanisms, revealing shared strategies used by different viruses to control host pathways and ...

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The lab turns 10 today! 🎉 Huge thanks to all past and current lab members who made it possible. It’s been an amazing decade of exciting science, with some of our most exciting work still to come. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have shared this journey with such wonderful people!

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Amazing work! Glad to have contributed to this groundbreaking study!

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

It’s been a pleasure to organize the Rules of Protein-DNA Recognition meeting in Cancun. Spectacular talks and an amazing and supportive scientific community!

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

We work on gene regulatory networks, in particular related to viruses.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Excited to share this collaborative review with @dsegre.bsky.social and @devmoy.bsky.social. We discuss common issues with context-specific genome-scale metabolic network models and provide recommendation for future model development.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Amazing work by Tommy Taslim, Joseph Finkelberg, Susan Kales, and many other members of Ryan's and my lab. 8/8

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Finally, we found several CREs that are activated by different signals, such as interferon gamma and dexamethasone, which may contribute to viral reactivation or immune evasion mechanisms. 7/8

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

We also show how that the genomes of different herpesviruses have very different CRE landscapes, with different proportion of promoter-like, proximal, distal, and CTF-only CREs, different activity levels, and different localization. 6/8

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

One of these regions (Psi) is present in most adenoviral vectors and contributes to basal transgene expression. We mutated this region, without affecting packaging capacity, which led to reduced basal activity and increased inducibility. 5/8

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

We also identify many novel CREs in adenoviral genomes, some conserved across strains and isolates and others highly variable. 4/8

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

By testing multiple isolates and performing saturation mutagenesis experiments, we identify regions in the HPV long control region that are highly variable in activity and the nucleotide changes responsible for such variability. 3/8

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Contrary to human CREs, most virus CREs are promoter-like and overlap with coding sequences. These CREs are regulated by TFs such as SP/KLF, ETS factors, CREB, YY1 and others. 2/8

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Exited to share our recent work on viral cis-regulatory elements in collaboration with @tewhey.bsky.social! We identified >2000 CREs across the genomes of 27 human-infecting dsDNA viruses from the Herpesvirus, Adenovirus, Papillomavirus, and Polyomavirus families. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 1/8

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 28/04/2025

Deaths from heart disease down 75%, that’s NIH. Deaths from stroke down 75%, that’s NIH. HIV/AIDS no longer a death sentence, that’s NIH. 99% of FDA approved drugs in the last decade, that’s NIH. Please show this video to anyone who doesn’t understand why the NIH is so important.

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Congrats Polly!!! Super well-deserved!

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Exited to share our recent work on TF isoforms! Amazing work by @kaiamattioli.bsky.social Luke Lambourne and Clarissa Santoso and many other collaborators.

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Mark Cuban @mcuban.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

From 2010 to 2016 (latest data I have ), NIH research contributed to EVERY drug approved by the FDA

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 18/03/2025

Scientists are unfairly and devastatingly seeing their grants cut and careers thrown into uncertainty, yet are still working 24/7 to continue their research, treat patients, talk to journalists, advocate with elected officials, and keep the public informed about potential threats. Absolute heroes!

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Kelton Minor @keltonminor.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

There are days in life that shake you. I’m shattered 💔 to share that I just found out that the US Government terminated my 2024 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (~$2 million), threatening my long-promised assistant professor job at Columbia University & academic career... 1/🧵

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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Scientists have just cured pancreatic cancer in some patients with personalized mRNA vaccines. Pancreatic cancer. And this Trump administration wants to throw it all away. They’re throwing away a cure for cancer.

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Rachael Sirianni, PhD @docsirianni.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

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Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

The Stand Up For Science protests have kicked off worldwide. Thousands of scientists demonstrated in solidarity with their US counterparts across France to defend the scientific community. (📹 @Margot_Brunet_) #3E #FranceProtests #USprotests #March7Science #StandUpForScience #Mar7

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Ben Ewen-Campen @benforward3.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

✊Massive turnout for STAND UP FOR SCIENCE rally in Boston #StandUpForScience

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Juan Fuxman Bass @fuxmanlab.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Standing up for science in Boston!

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 02/03/2025

WHERE WILL YOU BE ON MARCH 7TH!? Head to www.standupforscience2025.org/local-event-information/ or the link in our bio to find your closest event—or add one if you're hosting one! #standupforscience2025

Map of Stand Up for Science events, with official SUFS events in Red and solidarity events in Blue

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Hank Green @hankgreen.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

We are experiencing an assault on science unparalleled by anything I’ve seen in my life. It’s not one issue or another anymore, the entire institution is under attack by the most powerful individuals in the country. This Friday, where will you be? standupforscience2025.org

standupforscience2025.org

STAND UP FOR SCIENCE

March 7, 2025. Washington DC and nationwide. Because science is for everyone.

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Joe Allen @joeallenjoe.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

This framing is their framing, and NYT took the bait. The correct and accurate framing is: “Deep cuts to medical research threatens progress on cancer and heart disease research, costs the economy $80B, and threatens 300,000 jobs across red and blue states”

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Sen. Adam Schiff @schiff.senate.gov · 08/02/2025

Trump & Musk are making massive cuts to the National Institutes of Health. I know there is a lot going on right now, but this is one of worst things they have done so far, will affect cancer research and trials, the search for cures, innovation and competitiveness, our universities. Your lives.

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Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

In North Carolina NIH FUNDING: $2.28B JOBS SUPPORTED: 25,081 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY SUPPORTED: $5.39B

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Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA @krutikakuppalli.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

NIH doesn’t just support infectious disease research—it drives breakthroughs in cancer, childhood diseases, heart disease, diabetes & more. Thanks to NIH, we have: 💉 Cancer immunotherapy ❤️ Cholesterol-lowering statins 🩸 Insulin for diabetes Investing in NIH = investing in life-saving discoveries.

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately. The move halts a large slice of money for most universities and research institutions virtually overnight, imperiling vital research in everything from cancer to heart disease. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

washingtonpost.com

NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately

The move halts a large slice of money for most universities and research institutions virtually overnight, imperiling vital research in everything from cancer to heart disease.

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