iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I was happy to visit @sickkidsto.bsky.social for a talk last week. And especially to be invited by my postdoc lab mate @ozhulyn.bsky.social, to meet her lab and axolotls of all sizes, and to visit Toronto for the first time. I had a great time. Thanks for having me and for the great turnout!

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 05/10/2026

BREAKING NEWS The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.”

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Sometimes the mentees cheer on the mentor…

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Third MSc thesis from the lab! Yann came to us from Heidelberg with a BSc from the Bukau lab, so full circle for me! 🎉 @unibonn.bsky.social @immunosens.bsky.social UKB

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

We worked together on tissue-specific inflammation regulation of mouse malaria infection. It was a joy to have you in the lab, Yann, and we wish you all the best for the future!

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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

Rhineland RNA Club meetings are made possible by the generous support of the @rnasociety.bsky.social, Lexogen, @sitoolsbiotech.bsky.social, @immagina.bsky.social and @twistbioscience.com, organized at the @dzne.science by Melania Capasso and me.

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Jirka is also the newly-minted organizer for next year's GBM RNA biochemistry study group meeting at CJD Bonn. Mark your calendars for September 21-24th 2027.

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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

That is awesome! I hope our team of 4 young PIs (who were already friends in pairs from our postdoc times) will have a similar trajectory to yours.

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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 the current issue of Developmental Cell, Zhang et al. from Shan Gao’s lab reveal that the proline biosynthesis enzyme Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS) inhibits oncogene translation by blocking the assembly of the pre-initiation complex. www.cell.com/developmenta...

cell.com

P5CS represses tumor progression via inhibiting assembly of 48S pre-translation initiation complex

Zhang et al. show that P5CS acts as a non-canonical RNA-binding protein to inhibit translation initiation and tumor progression in an enzyme-activity-independent manner, thereby uncovering a non-metab...

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Metabolic enzymes can serve as gene regulators by binding RNA, but the functions of most enzyme-RNA interactions remain unclear.

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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

5/5 🎉 Huge congrats on this achievement to first author Philipp Koch in our lab, thank you to all authors from the Immagina, Lund, Chen and Leppek lab teams, and the funding sources that made this possible!

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

4/5 We find: • Systematic comparison identifies efficient viral and cellular IRESes for circRNA translation. • Improved circRNA purification removes immune-stimulating contaminants affecting translation. • Human cell-free system enables precise engineering of IRES-driven circRNA translation.

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

3/5 We test IRES features in circRNAs: • synthetic circRNA translation in cells and in cell-free extracts • IRES identity (viral vs cellular) and translation activity in circRNAs • immunogenicity of circRNAs dependent on purity and IRES identity • engineering of IRES-mediated circRNA translation

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

2/5 Circular RNAs, naturally occurring and stable RNAs, are increasingly used as synthetic tools for sustained therapeutic protein translation by IRES-driven initiation. However, the functionality of different IRESes in synthetic circRNAs remains sparsely characterized.

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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

I'm particularly delighted to be hosted by my former MSc thesis student in my PhD, Fabian Poetz, now postdoc in the @marcbuhler.bsky.social lab at FMI. Thanks for having me!

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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

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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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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Congrats Furqan! This looks super cool and a useful protocol! Excited for your lab and your upcoming stories using this.

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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

She gave an amazing award lecture on "Enzymes made of DNA and RNA", with a laudatio by Andrea Rentmeister (@rentmeisterlab.bsky.social). @gdchbiochem.bsky.social @gdchbiochem.bsky.social h.de #Biochemistry #Chemistry #ChemBio #RNA #DNA #Structure

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Kathrin Leppek @katleppek.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Warmest congratulations to Claudia Höbartner on being awarded the Albrecht-Kossel-Preis! Claudia is honored for the first structure of a DNAzyme and for the development of ribozymes with methyl transferase activity.

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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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