darnelr.bsky.social
Perpetually in training as a physician scientist, humanist...and triathlete! https://www.hhmi.org/scientists/robert-b-darnell
https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-5134-8088
33 posts
190 followers
238 following
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Congratulations @michellemonje.bsky.social -- on well so well deserved recognition of your brilliant, innovative science. Best of the best. Enjoy your Brain Prize, made with all 100% natural homemade ingredients 😀 congratulations again!
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Agree they are cute, and can bring in some much needed (not) revenue for Colossal's efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth. But I have this sinking feeling in the pit of my human stomach that the $435 million they have raised might be put to better use in 2025- ...
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Welcome to Bluesky Erich, the platform will be all the richer to have your wisdom on it!
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Shoutouts also to amazing journalism interest & support @carlzimmer.com @nell_sci_NPR @evoscribe.bsky.social @emilyfcooke.bsky.social @lauraungar.bsky.social
RT & follow for more science updates! 🧬🗣️
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Many thanks to 👥 Authors:
Amazing collaboration with @erichjarvis.bsky.social @neuro-cesar.bsky.social #YokoTajima asiepel.bsky.social
🔬 Funded by @hhmi.bsky.social #ninds @simonsfoundation.org
@naturecomms.bsky.social
RT & follow for more science updates! 🧬🗣️
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More to come. Stay tuned! 📢 #Science #Neurogenetics
www.rockefeller.edu/our-scientis...
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🧩 What’s next?
🔹 NOVA1 links RNA regulation to speech evolution.
🔹 Could similar mechanisms underlie neurodevelopmental disorders?
🔹 Further studies could help unravel genetic underpinnings of autism & speech-related conditions.
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Unlike previously studied language genes, NOVA1’s I197V substitution is uniquely human (ie not shared with Neanderthals).
Our study provides the first direct evidence that an RNA-binding protein, not just a transcription factor like FOXP2, helped shape human communication. 🗣️
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📜 How did the hNOVA1 variant spread in humans?
We analyzed 650,058 human genomes and found near-fixation across all modern populations.
Our evolutionary modeling suggests strong evolutionary selection—one of the most significant sweeps in the human genome.
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Did these changes affect behavior? Yes. 🎙️🐭
🐭 hNOVA1 pups emitted altered calls when separated from their mothers.
🐭 Adult males had different vocalization patterns when producing courtship song to females.
The parallels to human speech evolution are striking.
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What changed in humanized NOVA1 (hNOVA1) mice?
🔹 CLIP in hNOVA1 brain had different NOVA1 binding & splicing differences in neurons.
🔹 These RNAs affect synapses and behavior-related pathways.
🔹 Key brain regions involved in vocalization (e.g., cortex, midbrain (PAG)) showed altered NOVA1 binding.
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To study NOVA1’s role, we used CRISPR to introduce the human-specific I197V mutation into mice (Nova1hu/hu).
Why? This amino acid change is fixed in modern humans, but absent in Neanderthals & Denisovans—a sign of ancient evolutionary selection. 🧬🦴
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Language sets humans apart. But what genetic changes contributed to this evolution?
FOXP2 is one “language gene,” but doesn't have a unique role in human-specific speech evolution. Enter NOVA1, a neuron-specific RNA-binding protein with a human-specific amino acid substitution. 🧠🔬
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🧬🗣️ How did a single amino acid change in NOVA1 shape human speech?
In our study (below), we used CRISPR to make humanized NOVA1 in mice, to explore its role in RNA regulation, neural function, and vocalization.
Here’s what we found. 🧵👇 #RNA #evolution #language
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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I trust that the leaders of our academic institutions will bundle together to make a concerted effort to reply to this assault, in a way that makes the stakes clear to everyone who is able to listen. It would seem a mistake to speak in individual voices--strength in unity and numbers!
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4/4 “scientists from underrepresented groups tend to drive greater innovation, yet their contributions are often undervalued .. diversity correlates with higher publication rates, increased citation impact, and greater capacity to address health inequities.”
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3/4 “However .. policies .. related to immigration pose a threat to this critical workforce pipeline. In addition, persistent disparities among students from various demographic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds hinder diversity at the postdoctoral level and beyond (see PNAS 2020):
bit.ly/4gcqZ5J
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2/4 “The US higher education system attracts > 1M international students/yr & temporary visa holders represent a larger percentage of postdocs in science, engineering, and health (than) US citizens[!]. Most .. remain in the US for employment, many become US citizens/permanent residents.”
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Hi Erik. I'd like to be added to the general Science 🧪 feed. I'm a Professor at Rockefeller University and an HHMI Investigator whose work spans multiple fields. My HHMI link is www.hhmi.org/scientists/r... and my Orcid public record is orcid.org/0000-0002-51...
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Hi! I'd love to be added to this feed. I'm a Professor studying neuroscience at Rockefeller University and an HHMI Investigator; I'm also a neurologist. My HHMI profile can be found here www.hhmi.org/scientists/r... Thanks!