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Kathrin Leppek

@katleppek.bsky.social
2.3K followers 1.6K following 123 posts

Prof TT Uni Bonn & University Hospital Bonn | RNA & ribosome & biochemistry & innate immunology | Postdoc Barna Lab Stanford | PhD Stoecklin Lab DKFZ ZMBH Uni Heidelberg | triplet | www.leppeklab.org

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Sometimes the mentees cheer on the mentor…
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Nature @nature.com · 04/09/2026
Ada Yonath obituary: Crystallographer who overcame ‘impossible’ challenge of mapping the ribosome go.nature.com/4xIUyVW
go.nature.com
Ada Yonath obituary: Crystallographer who overcame ‘impossible’ challenge of mapping the ribosome
Nobel laureate persisted despite widespread derision and revolutionized structural biology by protecting fragile crystals.
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Yann Lamborelle finishes his MSc thesis with us today! He was in our lab from 01-09/2026 under the supervision of PhD student Samyukta Narayanan. He did a joint thesis in the MCB MSc program with Elvira Mass's lab @masslab.bsky.social and Daria Hirschmann in her lab at @unibonn.bsky.social.
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Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 31/08/2026
Sad news. Yonath was/is a legend indeed. Now there are only 4 living female @nobelprize.org laureates in chemistry. There are 20 living Nobel Prize winners just at Stanford right now.
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Weizmann Institute of Science @weizmann.ac.il · 31/08/2026
We, the Weizmann Institute of Science community, deeply mourn the passing of Prof. Ada Yonath - Nobel Laureate and a Model of Scientific Perseverance. May her memory be a blessing. bit.ly/ada-yonath-eng
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Science Magazine @science.org · 27/08/2026
On the citizen science platform Eterna, #AI methods matched expert human players at inventing sequences that fold into an RNA pseudoknot, a structure in which loops pair with distant parts of the same molecule. Learn more this week in Science: scim.ag/4wOqvuE
Each diagram is a designed RNA pseudoknot, a structure in which loops pair with distant parts of the same molecule. On the citizen science platform Eterna, artificial intelligence methods matched expert human players at inventing sequences that fold into these shapes, opening a route to automatically designing RNA therapeutics, sensors, and catalysts from scratch.

Image: J. Townley et al., Science 393 , 931 (2026); Adapted by N. Jessup/Science
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Fusion Conferences @fusionconf.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Our speaker line-up is almost complete for #TCCO, do you wish to be a part of it? There are several presentation opportunities available at this meeting, send your abstract to amy@fusion-conferences.com before 19 November to be considered. Sign up for updates here - bit.ly/4yAFomu
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MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology @mrclmb.ac.uk · 27/08/2026
Kelly Nguyen, Group Leader in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division, has been awarded the 2027 Francis Crick Medal and Lecture from @royalsociety.org. Read more about @kellythd-nguyen.bsky.social’s research on telomerase here: mrclmb.ac.uk/news-events/... #LMBNews
Kelly Nguyen, smiling with a blurred background
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Helmholtz Institute Würzburg @helmholtz-hiri.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🧬 @rnamed.bsky.social is hiring! Apply for one of six fully funded #PhD positions in RNA biology and RNA therapeutics, and work with leading RNA experts in an international, interdisciplinary environment. 📅 Application deadline: September 17, 2026 More info: www.helmholtz-hiri.de/en/jobs-tale...
helmholtz-hiri.de
RNAmed - Future Leaders in RNA-based Medicine
RNAmed takes a holistic approach to endow doctoral students with the necessary knowledge and skills in the fast-growing area of RNA-based medicine.
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Summer Lab Outing 2026 with the @ecsignalmetabolism.bsky.social lab after our joint 2-week MSc practical course is in the books. There was not enough water for kayaking so we went hiking above sea level instead. (Aishu and Peter unfortunately missing that day.)
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
It's an RNA World. We just live in it. Happy World RNA Day!
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Fusion Conferences @fusionconf.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Protein synthesis is one of the most energy-intensive & highly regulated processes in biology, yet its role as a dynamic driver of cellular and organismal function remains underexplored. Join our #TCCO conference, to share research & collaborate to answer big questions in the field. bit.ly/4wkNzBU
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Today, Monday 13th July (instead of 1st AUG!), we had a great 12th Rhineland RNA Club meeting @dzne.science with great PhD/postdoc/invited speaker talks & ice cream. Our community covers a wide range of topics of RNA science. Special thanks to visitor Jirka Peschek from @bzh-hd.bsky.social!
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
I was happy to present our collaborative Early Career Award project at the HFSP Awardee Meeting in Geneva this week! And meeting up with my collaborator Drago Milovanovic and getting to know so many other awardees across such diverse disciplines. #HFSPmtg2026
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Human Frontier Science Program @hfspo.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Three days of inspiring science, lively discussions, poster sessions, new collaborations, and a global community brought together by frontier life science.🧪 A big thank you to everyone who made this year's Awardees Meeting such a success. 🙂 Until next year!🙃 #HFSP #sts
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
In this new Preview @cp-devcell.bsky.social, postdoc Vivian Lobo and I set metabolic enzymes in the broader context of mRNA translation regulation: A moonlighting metabolic enzyme shines light on translation initiation. Sharable Link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1nPAk5Sx5h...
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Fusion Conferences @fusionconf.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
We're delighted to announce a brand new meeting series, joining the Fusion community in May 2027. *Translational Control - From Cells to Organisms Conference* 📅Date: 22 - 25 May 2027 🌏Location: Durrës, Albania Sign up for updates to find out more information on the conference: bit.ly/4eGxaQG
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Rhineland RNA Club @rhinelandrna.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Ina @inahuppertz.bsky.social and Kathrin @katleppek.bsky.social cordially invite all RNA enthusiasts based in the Rhineland region to attend our series of inspiring in-person talks on RNA-related topics by local and invited speakers. This time on Monday July 13th in the DZNE auditorium in Bonn.
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Universität Bonn @unibonn.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
How do fictions and models shape our understanding of existence? Join IMPULSE-Focus “Imagination” with Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht: a public lecture on 9 June and an experimental workshop on 10 June with colleagues from across disciplines. © Ulrike Syrakas/IMPULSE Bonn
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Congrats to Jirka Peschek and team from @bzh-hd.bsky.social for this exciting story on the conserved function of eukaryotic tRNA ligases to mediate RNA break repair, on the ribosome and beyond! We were happy to help and be involved.
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Not what you want to see on an evening after a holiday, or ever. #VEwater
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
🚨 1/5 Check out the 2nd preprint from our lab on how IRES-mediated translation of synthetic circRNAs is employed in cells and in cell-free translation extracts, a highly collaborative effort with @immagina.bsky.social & the labs of @andershlund.bsky.social and CK Chen www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Maria Barna @mbarnalab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
’m thrilled to share that our paper is out in Molecular Cell! We developed Ribo-Tweezer, a new technology that lets us rapidly and reversibly remove specific proteins from mature ribosomes to ask what they actually do in translation.
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European Research Council (ERC) @erc.europa.eu · 29/04/2026
NEWS: The ERC Scientific Council has listened to the concerns from members of the research community about changes to the re-submission rules, intended to manage the surge in demand for grants. The Scientific Council will readjust some of the changes: link.europa.eu/TBqRQJ
link.europa.eu
ERC Scientific Council readjusts rules for reapplication
The ERC Scientific Council has listened to the concerns from members of the research community about the recent announcement on changes to the re-submission rules. The changes, intended to manage the ...
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European Research Council (ERC) @erc.europa.eu · 17/04/2026
The number of grant applications is rising sharply. Our capacity for their evaluation isn’t. ERC President Maria Leptin explains why stricter resubmission limits are being introduced for 2027 calls and what they mean for applicants. 🔗 link.europa.eu/xF7kjc
link.europa.eu
ERC President explains stricter application measures amid rising demand for funding
The text of an open letter sent by ERC President Maria Leptin to ERC panel members, grantees and other stakeholders on 16 April 2026.
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Happy to be invited to the @fmiscience.bsky.social Basel for the "FMI Young Investigator Seminar Series" last week, and to talk to PhDs and postdocs about career choices. www.fmi.ch/courses/yiss/
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Friday 27th March, we had a great 11th Rhineland RNA Club meeting @mpiage.bsky.social with inspiring PhD, postdoc and invited speakers. It's great to see how the community covers a range of topics of all corners of RNA science. Special thanks to @mschosserer.bsky.social & @trentini-lab.bsky.social
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
DKFZ Alumni Event for PhDs and Postdocs about Uncertainty in Academia. Happy to be back and give back with perspective. DKFZ Careers & Alumni Relations #AcademicAfternoon @dkfz.bsky.social Event: www.linkedin.com/posts/dkfz-a... Take-Homes: www.linkedin.com/posts/dkfz-a...
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Minni Änkö @rnaminni.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Check out the latest RNA Salon feature highlighting the importance of local community meetings! @rnasociety.bsky.social #RNA www.rnasociety.org/featured-sal...
rnasociety.org
RNA Confluence: a grassroots model for community-driven scientific meetings - RNA Society
Science moves forward through ideas, experiments, and data. But just as often, it advances through conversations. The fleeting discussions at a poster, the hallway chat after a talk, the shared coffee...
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Jeff Coller @jmcoller.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Misinformation about mRNA vaccines is shaping legislation & policy. We wrote this for anyone who needs a rigorous, citable resource to push back against false narratives. #mRNA #GetTheMessage #Vaccines #HHS #FDA #CDC rnajournal.cshlp.org/content/earl...
rnajournal.cshlp.org
mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines: Science vs. Misinformation
A monthly journal publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed research on all topics related to RNA and its metabolism in all organisms
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Thank you so much, Claudia (@chlab.bsky.social) and Kathrin (@klanglab.bsky.social), for organizing this excellent event #Biochemistry2026 in Würzburg, and for having me!
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GDCh Division of Biochemistry @gdchbiochem.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
#Biochemistry2026 comes to an end! We especially want to thank our organizers, Claudia Höbartner (@chlab.bsky.social) and Kathrin Lang (@klanglab.bsky.social), for an amazing job and all participants for making this a great conference. (1/2) #Biochemistry #Chemistry #ChemBio CC: @gdch.de
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GDCh Division of Biochemistry @gdchbiochem.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Great talk by Kathrin Leppek (@katleppek.bsky.social) at #Biochemistry2026. She talked about her work on the topic "Synthetic circRNAs employ IRES activity for translation in cells and in cell-free translation systems". link.springer.com/article/10.1... #ChemSky #Biochemistry #ChemBio #RNA #IRES
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Rhineland RNA Club @rhinelandrna.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Kathrin @katleppek.bsky.social and Ina @inahuppertz.bsky.social cordially invite all RNA enthusiasts based in the Rhineland to attend our series of inspiring in-person talks on RNA-related topics, delivered by local and invited speakers.
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Universität Bonn @unibonn.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Great news—We remain the most successful German University of Excellence! With eight Clusters of Excellence and funding secured until 2033, we’re moving closer to our goal of establishing our Uni permanently among the best universities in the world: www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/040-... © VL/Uni Bonn
Most successful University of Excellence - In the atrium of the rectorate building, University members watched with bated breath as the decision on excellence was announced.Most successful University of Excellence - Rector Hoch, together with the Rectorate and hundreds of guests, burst into cheers when the decision was announced.
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Neva Caliskan @caliskanlab.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
We are looking for RNA enthusiasts to join us at the @uniregensburg.bsky.social as a junior group leader! Our university offer excellent infrastructure and collaboration opportunities for ground breaking RNA research. Please RT @jrrnascientists.bsky.social @rnasociety.bsky.social
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Edoardo Gianni @edogia.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
How could a simple self-replicating system emerge at the origins of life? RNA polymerase ribozymes can replicate RNA, but existing ones are so large that their self-replication seems impossible. Could they be smaller? Excited to share our latest work in @science.org on a new small polymerase. 1/n
science.org
A small polymerase ribozyme that can synthesize itself and its complementary strand
The emergence of a chemical system capable of self-replication and evolution is a critical event in the origin of life. RNA polymerase ribozymes can replicate RNA, but their large size and structural ...
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Anders H. Lund @andershlund.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
We are recruiting a computational scientist for a postdoc position to work on detecting RNA modifications using nanopore sequencing: tinyurl.com/RiboComp Deadline March 4th. Please share and repost! More on the group: www.bric.ku.dk/research-gro...
tinyurl.com
Computational Postdoc in Ribosome Specialization at the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre
We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic computational postdoc for a 3-year position to join the Lund Group. Our research Our team aims to understand h
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
We had a great day at the 1st RNA Confluence Meeting of Rhine-Main-Neckar region German RNA Clubs(+Strasbourg) with 200 attendees & trainee talks at EMBL Heidelberg yesterday. Particularly proud of Sam and Philipp taking home 2 poster prizes (of 100 posters)! 🎉 🐙 Special thanks to Alessia and Venki!
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I got blocked by ChatGTP twice in one hour. Yes, I want to target RNA structure, that is my job. No, I do not want to harm people nor design a super virus bioweapon. While I should probably be happy this safety check is in place, I happily dive into the literature myself...
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Martin Turner @martint-babraham.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Just out @natrevimmunol.nature.com RNA-binding proteins and ribonucleoproteins as determinants of immunity www.nature.com/articles/s41... gives our perspective on this growing area of research. Special thanks to the editor Alexandra, for streamlining the manuscript.
nature.com
RNA-binding proteins and ribonucleoproteins as determinants of immunity - Nature Reviews Immunology
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) considerably expand the information content of the genome and can determine the lifespan, localization and function of RNA, thereby controlling when, where and how much pro...
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Tom Cech on RNA research in Davos (video): www.weforum.org/meetings/wor...
weforum.org
RNA, Why it is still a Big Deal
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 discusses the rapid development of RNA technologies and their impact on global health innovation.
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Trentini Lab @trentini-lab.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
We had a fantastic time at the Ribo-Seq workshop in Bonn. Thanks so much, Kathrin @katleppek.bsky.social and Ranen, for organizing! We learned a lot, and we're excited to use Ribo-Seq in future projects.
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
We are well into our 5-day Cluster Workshop on Ribosome Profiling (Ribo-seq) run by sabbatical scientist Ranen Aviner @czbiohub.bsky.social. We welcome PhDs and PIs from Bonn/Cologne for a hands-on and analysis course sponsored by the Cluster @immunosens.bsky.social @unibonn.bsky.social UKB.
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Ina Huppertz @inahuppertz.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Last Friday, we had an inspiring 10th Rhineland RNA Club meeting with top class speakers. It's great to see how the community is growing and the range of topics we're covering. Special thanks to Didier Stainier @stainierlab.bsky.social Simon Bekker-Jensen @bekkerjensenlab.bsky.social, Ranen Aviner!
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
It was a double ribosome talk day for us in Bonn with talks today by Ranen Aviner from @czbiohub.bsky.social and Simon @bekkerjensenlab.bsky.social from BRIC Copenhagen. Simon is visiting for the @rhinelandrna.bsky.social tomorrow and Ranen is a visiting scientist in my and Ina‘s lab. #RNAsky
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
Lab pumpkins 🎃 2025. Vivian, Ranen, Martin and Lisa were missed (2 people not from our team).
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Rhineland RNA Club @rhinelandrna.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
We would like to invite all Rhineland RNA enthusiasts to attend our next series of in-person talks, featuring local and invited speakers. Highlights include the external talks by Didier Stainier, Simon Bekker-Jensen and Ranen Aviner. Please, register: tinyurl.com/RhinelandRNA
List of talks at the 10th Rhineland RNA Club meeting on 14 November @MPI Age in Cologne. Generously supported by the RNA Society, Lexogen, siTOOLs, Immagina Biotechnology, Twist Bioscience, and NEB.
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RNAmed @rnamed.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
🎓RNAmed met at LMU on May 19 for a Topic Day on the immune recognition of RNA. Special thanks to Prof. Veit Hornung, Prof. Kathrin Leppek, and Prof. Min Ae Lee-Krisch for sharing their insights & joining the panel discussion. 📅On May 20, PhD students shared their methods in our first Methods Seminar
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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
I often think it would be great to have chloroplasts, do photosynthesis, and live off the sun.
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