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Kerstin Göpfrich

@kgoepfrich.bsky.social
2K followers 558 following 1.3K posts

Excited to engineer a synthetic cell from scratch with lipid vesicles and DNA/RNA origami-based molecular hardware. Professor @ZMBHh @UniHeidelberg

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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Mesoscopic Physics of Life (MPoL) @m-pol.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
🚨 New preprint! From protein & RNA condensates to synthetic coacervates and DNA nanostars, vacuoles (dilute pockets inside droplets) show up everywhere. 🫧 We explain when and why they form. 🔬🧫 📄 arxiv.org/abs/2607.25743 w/ @boekhovenlab.bsky.social sky.social @kgoepfrich.bsky.social
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Max Planck School Matter to Life @mattertolife.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
🔊 Paper Alert 🗞️ from the group of MtL Fellow @kgoepfrich.bsky.social A Kiss from a Loop! 🌹 These alpha kissing loops greatly expand the repertoire of RNA architectural motifs available for programmable, sequence-defined nanostructure assembly. pubs.acs.org/ancac3/artic...
pubs.acs.org
Programmable Edge-to-Edge Assembly of RNA Nanostructures
Abstract. Building complex RNA nanostructures requires precise molecular connectors for controlled self-assembly. Existing connectors, such as kissing loop
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
So excited to have James as a new colleague!
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Rahul K @theresearch.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Mechanically Programmable DNA Hydrogel Microparticles for 3D Cellular Systems - h/t @kgoepfrich.bsky.social
advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Mechanically Programmable DNA Hydrogel Microparticles for 3D Cellular Systems
DNA hydrogel microparticles are designed to exhibit controllable viscoelasticity and stiffness across three orders of magnitude from 30Pa$30 \,\mathrm{Pa}$ to 6.5kPa$6.5 \,\mathrm{kPa}$. They are upt...
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Happy to share our latest work in collaboration with IBEC. Congratulations to recent PhD graduate and lead author @towalther.bsky.social!
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
wverstraeten.bsky.social @wverstraeten.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Recent highlights: Received seed funding from the SynGen Center to explore synthetic genomes in bottom-up synthetic biology. 🚀 The first work of my PhD is now published: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... Huge thanks to Franziska Gießler, Tobias Abele, Stefan Maurer, and @kgoepfrich.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Growth, Dissolution and Segregation of Genetically Encoded RNA Droplets by Ribozyme Catalysis
Ribozymes enable sequence-encoded turnover of RNA droplet material, resulting in transiently active droplets that selectively segregate based on their genotype. This establishes a direct link between...
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
GfV - Gesellschaft für Virologie @gesvirologie.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Next up, the great Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social @zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de on her long-term vision of synthetic cells, and very concrete approaches using RNA origami. #gfv2026
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Still time to apply until January, 19th!
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
We are recruiting a tenure track professor in the broader area of molecular biology @zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de at Heidelberg University! www.nature.com/naturecareer... Please share and apply!
nature.com
Tenure Track Professorship (W1 with Tenure Track to W3) in “Molecular Biology" (f/m/d) - Heidelberg job with Universität Heidelberg | 12850668
The Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH) and the Faculty of Biosciences invite applications for a   Tenure Track Professors...
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
New to RNA design? Please try pyFuRNAce! Looking forward to your feedback 🧬
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Matthew Clark @matthew-batisio.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Is it possible to engineer new cellular life from the bottom up? The Göpfrich group @kgoepfrich.bsky.social @mpi-mr.bsky.social have designed an RNA origami nanotube 🟡 to mimic the cytoskeleton: www.nature.com/articles/s41... It was a fun challenge to animate T7 RNA polymerase 🔵 #blender #b3d
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
Welcome, Dana!
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Curious about RNA, aptamers, lipid membranes, molecular dynamics simulations, synthetic cells - and how these topics come together? Join @floppleton.bsky.social's talk in the unano webinar blogs.ed.ac.uk/unanowebinars
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
RNA droplets that grow and segregate by ribozyme catalysis. Check out our latest preprint www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.29.673008v1
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
@tranmai.bsky.social handed in her PhD thesis! Celebrating in style with egg coffee from Hanoi, Mai's place of birth. P.S.: Mai is looking for a PostDoc position! Check out her latest RNA nanostructures for synthetic cells @natnano.nature.com doi.org/10.1038/s415...
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Erik Poppleton @handle.invalid · 28/07/2025
DNA hydrogels as mechanical sensors in cell-culture systems by @towalther.bsky.social 🧬🧬🧬 If you catch him at a conference bar, ask him the story, it’s an adventure and a half!
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Manuel Thery @manuelthery.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
EMBL Cell Biology and Biophysics department is searching for a new director. A major position to lead this field in Europe and beyond. embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com
Head of the Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is Europe’s flagship life sciences organisation, and one of the world’s leading research institutions. An intergovernmental organisation of 29 Member S...
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Tobias Walther @towalther.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
So excited to finally be able to share this manuscript!! Thanks to all collaborators for making this possible! Special thanks to @kgoepfrich.bsky.social and @xaviertrepat.bsky.social for their guidance and supervision in this!
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Preprint by @towalther.bsky.social at al! We design DNA hydrogel microparticles with sequence-controlled stiffness from 30 Pa to 6.5 kPa. They are remodelled in fibroblast spheroids www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Thanks @ibecbarcelona.eu @xaviertrepat.bsky.social @pcusachs.bsky.social
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Laborjournal @laborjournal.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Leben aus toter Materie zu erschaffen ist ein zentrales Thema der Synthetischen Biologie. @kgoepfrich.bsky.social‬ et al. liefern dazu RNA-Origami-Strukturen, die sich selbst organisieren und eine cytoskelettartige Architektur aufbauen. Holger Dill berichtet mehr: www.laborjournal.de/rubric/journ...
Screenshot der ersten halben Seite des im Post verlinkten Print-Artikels mit Überschrift "Künstliche Cytoskelette aus RNA-Origami" sowie Vorspann und einigen Textzeilen. Zentral das Foto einer Konfokalmikroskopie von Cytoskelett-ähnlichen RNA-Origami-Nanoröhrchen.
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Ulrich Schwarz @ulrichschwarz.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
📢Conference alert📢 Only one week left to register for the Engineering Life 2025 Symposium at Dresden September 1-3. This year's edition focuses on the function of mechanical forces in biology. engineering-life-dresden.de
engineering-life-dresden.de
Engineering Life 2025: ORIGIN AND FUNCTION OF MECHANICAL FORCES IN BIOLOGY
Engineering Life 2025, biological forces, force spectroscopy, measuring forces, developmental forces, molecular motors, forces in morphogenesis, cytoskeleton, DNA mechanics, bionanotechnology
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
#SCNAC2025 we are looking forward to hear about your thoughts on our RNA design tool #PyFuRNAce pyfurnace.streamlit.app developed by @monari-luca.bsky.social
pyfurnace.streamlit.app
pyFuRNAce
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
I am excited to be talking to @neildegrassetyson.com soon! What should I tell him from his German fan community?
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
European Synthetic Cell Initiative @syncelleu.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
News on clusters of excellence in Germany. The DFG has announced the continuation of 45 projects already funded and 25 new clusters Congrats to the SynCellEU community members - Kerstin Gopfrich, Tobias Erb and more - whose applications have been successful and who will receive funding for 7 years
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
A nice thread on our recent paper in Nature Nanotechnology by the first author and PhD student from the group @tranmai.bsky.social 👇
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
#SynthImmune is getting real! Super excited that our excellence cluster got funded today @dfg.de Thanks to everyone involved @uniheidelberg.bsky.social, especially @dimichelelab1.bsky.social and Oliver Fackler!
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
N. Heinzelmann @nheinzelmann.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
New technology challenges communication inside and outside the classroom, as my recent paper explains. Fingers crossed we get to explore this question soon for emerging synthetic biotechnology within SynthImmune www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10....
tandfonline.com
Moral education and the psychology of moral discourse: Journal of Moral Education: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
SFB1638 @sfb1638.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Our PIs Kerstin (@kgoepfrich.bsky.social) and Michael (@meineckelab.bsky.social) joined Wolfgang Heim to talk about scientific CVs, engaging in public outreach and the wonders of cellular membrane remodelling. Don’t miss the SFB1638 edition of Überlebensstrategien — now streaming!
youtube.com
SFB 1638 Umbau von zellulären Membranen – wie veränderte Form Funktion schafft
YouTube video by UniHeidelberg
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
On the show, we also talk about the potential of bottom up synthetic biology approaches for immunology - the aim of our excellence cluster SynthImmune (in German). We hope to get funded!
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Awesome, congrats! Looking forward to take this further together, hopefully within our excellence cluster SynthImmune - fingers crossed for 22nd May!
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Wolfgang Huber @wkhuber.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
The SynthImmune project by Heidelberg University& partner institutes advances a "bottom-up" synthetic biology approach to immunotherapies. Hoping they do well in the German government's Excellence Strategy—anticipating the announcement on 22 May. Perspective article: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Bottom-up synthetic immunology - Nature Nanotechnology
This Perspective highlights bottom-up molecular engineering and modular nanobiotechnological approaches for developing effective immunotherapeutics and their potential in personalized medicine.
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
SFB1638 @sfb1638.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
An exciting new approach in single-cell metabolomics from two SFB1638 groups! Carsten Hopf’s group from CeMOS with support from the Göpfrich lab (@kgoepfrich.bsky.social) unveil tech that tracks brain cell changes linked to neurodegeneration. advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Mass‐Guided Single‐Cell MALDI Imaging of Low‐Mass Metabolites Reveals Cellular Activation Markers
The PRISM-MS workflow transforms single-cell mass spectrometry imaging by allowing detailed analysis of low-mass metabolites in large cell populations without metabolite degradation. By introducing n...
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Erik Poppleton @handle.invalid · 27/04/2025
Boosting to the 🧬Molecular Programming🧬 feed! Check out our new design tool at PyFuRNAce.de! I particularly like the “make simple origami” button, which makes it so easy to get a base structure which you can functionalize!
pyfurnace.de
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
ZMBH @zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de · 24/04/2025
There is a German language video of a TV discussion on "Biology From the Building Block" in which ZMBH's Kerstin Goepfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social was one of the two invided experts: www.3sat.de/wissen/scobe...
3sat.de
Biologie aus dem Baukasten
Ingenieure, Informatiker, Chemiker und Biologen kreieren künstliche biologische Systeme. Die synthetische Biologie verändert die Zukunft und definiert die Grenzen der Wissenschaft neu.
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Buzz Baum @buzzbaum.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
Excited to announce the Molecular Biology of Archaea (MBoA) 2026! Join us in Cambridge, UK, from 6–10 July 2026 for the only international meeting dedicated to Archaea.
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
Hey #RNA world, we are excited to share our RNA design engine #pyFuRNAce - an integrated tool for RNA origami experts and novices alike. Kudos to @monari-luca.bsky.social @floppleton.bsky.social et al! Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Try it out at pyfurnace.de Feedback welcome!
biorxiv.org
PyFuRNAce: An integrated design engine for RNA origami
To realize the full potential of RNA nanotechnology and RNA origami, user-friendly design tools are needed. Here, we present pyFuRNAce, an open-source, Python-based software package with a graphical u...
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim @hlsalliance.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
🧬Great opportunity for exchange between representatives of biotech companies, researchers, and transfer technology experts happened during the #GermanBiotechDays2025 in Heidelberg. Health & Life Science Alliance acted as academic partner for the event. Keynote speech by @kgoepfrich.bsky.social
linkedin.com
#germanbiotechdays2025 #dbt2025 #ppp #publicprivatepartnerships #dbt2025… | Health + Life Science Alliance
🧬Great opportunity for exchange between representatives of biotech companies, researchers, and transfer technology experts happened during Germany's largest biotech event, the #GermanBiotechDays20...
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Ulrich Schwarz @ulrichschwarz.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Awesome talk by @petrsulc.bsky.social today at #BioQuant on self-assembly of DNA- and RNA-origami. Check out e.g. their design of a crystal that avoids kinetic traps while growing doi.org/10.1126/scie...
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Thank you for sharing so much cool science on DNA self-assembly!
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ZMBH @zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de · 18/03/2025
The Goepfrich lab @kgoepfrich.bsky.social yesterday published the creation of cytoskeleton-like structures with different properties inside lipid vesicles using RNA origami: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Genetic encoding and expression of RNA origami cytoskeletons in synthetic cells - Nature Nanotechnology
This study introduces RNA origami nanotubes as self-assembling cytoskeleton mimics for synthetic cells. Expressed in vesicles from DNA templates, these RNA structures reach micrometre lengths, deform ...
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Erik Poppleton @handle.invalid · 17/03/2025
In the latest from @kgoepfrich.bsky.social’s group, led by the relentless @tranmai.bsky.social, we expressed RNA origami “cytoskeletons” in vesicles! We were fascinated that small changes in design led to divergent results. Future potential for directed evolution?! 🧬🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Genetic encoding and expression of RNA origami cytoskeletons in synthetic cells - Nature Nanotechnology
This study introduces RNA origami nanotubes as self-assembling cytoskeleton mimics for synthetic cells. Expressed in vesicles from DNA templates, these RNA structures reach micrometre lengths, deform ...
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Universität Heidelberg @uniheidelberg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
RNA Origami: Artificial Cytoskeletons to Build Synthetic Cells – Synthetic biologists from Heidelberg University create nanotubes folded from the natural RNA biomolecule www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/newsroom/...
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Universität Heidelberg @uniheidelberg.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
RNA-Origami: Künstliche Zytoskelette für die Konstruktion synthetischer Zellen – Forscherinnen und Forscher der Universität Heidelberg auf dem Gebiet der synthetischen Biologie schaffen Nanoröhrchen, die aus dem natürlichen Biomolekül RNA gefaltet werden www.uni-heidelberg.de/de/newsroom/...
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Insanely beautiful insights into Nature's own RNA origami!
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Super cool methodology and findings!
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Thank you, Laura! Come join our group and awesome network for a PhD👇
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
Looking forward! Thanks for coming over!
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Reposted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Eva Bertosin @thedneva.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
I'm happy to share this roadmap towards the synthesis of life! It is the result of one of the best workshops I ever attended, where scientists across biology, chemistry, and physics came together to map out the key challenges to synthesize life. Enjoy! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
A roadmap toward the synthesis of life
The synthesis of life from non-living matter has captivated and divided scientists for centuries. This bold goal aims at unraveling the fundamental pr…
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Kerstin Göpfrich @kgoepfrich.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
New Master's programme in Heidelberg! Please share with interested students
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