Alfredo Castello
Professor of Systems Bioloy
MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
#RNA #Virus #host-virus #OMICS #proteomics
Opinions of my own
- Thrilled to contribute to this awesome work led by Ben Davis and @shabazlab.bsky.social on in situ mapping of the in cellulo cysteinome, which opens lots of exciting applications www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Thrilled to contribute to @samjwilsonphd.bsky.social’s new Science paper showing that avian flu polymerase, via its PB1 subunit, stays active at fever temperatures, unlike human flu polymerase. A key factor in their different pathology. 🤯🍾🥂🎉
- How does fever work? Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence. This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Thrilled to announce the successful thesis viva defense of Zaydah Roland de Laurent 🦟 on her work defining the RNA interactome of mosquitoes. So proud for her successful defence! Well deserved! #MosquitoResearch #RNA #Doctorate.
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloWe’ll soon be advertising a postdoc position (3 years) to study how mRNA-specific translational regulation shapes the innate immune system, in collaboration with @alf-castello.bsky.social. The formal ad will be out soon but get in touch if you’d like an informal chat! #RNASky
- Are you thinking on an exciting PHD project at the interface of translation control and innate immunity? @rnanomad.bsky.social and I have a project that might interest you!
- @alf-castello.bsky.social & I are inviting applications for a competitive PhD studentship to study the mechanisms of translational regulation of the host response to RNA virus infections. The student will be based at Uni. Glasgow. Please spread the word. #RNASky www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate...
- Our new PLOS Pathogens paper with @brennanlab.bsky.social is out! We charted the first protein–RNA interaction map for virus-infected tick cells, revealing 283 RNA-binding proteins reshaped by Uukuniemi virus. Some directly control viral particle output. Full story: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloPost 5/5 🧵 IMPACT: This transforms tick-borne disease research: 🎯 New drug targets 🎯 Understanding vector competence 🎯 Virus-tick evolution Testing if mechanisms work across other tick viruses next. 👨🔬 collaborative project with @alf-castello.bsky.social and @alainkohlvirology.bsky.social
- 🚀 New from Cell: SPIDR is a game-changer—map dozens to hundreds of RNA-binding proteins simultaneously with single-nucleotide precision in one CLIP experiment. An exciting advance for RNA–protein interactomics! 🧬🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.06.042
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloI am really pleased we managed to squeeze this story out during #ASMS2025. This is our contribution relating to the fantastic Omnitrap/Orbitrap. What we thought would be a straightforward conversation of our exploris-omnitrap turned into quite a journey. (1/n) www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
- 🚨🚨 News from the @castello-lab.bsky.social and @shabazlab.bsky.social. Our work, led by Louisa Iselin, reveals pervasive changes in the RNA-bound proteome induced by interferon. #RNA, #immunity, #interferon, #host-virus www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloProud of Louisa Iselin for this work. Not only a covid baby but had both of her supervisors move lab (@alf-castello.bsky.social and me). The works is a meticulous analysis of the interferon pathway and specifially how RNA binding of proteins are modulated by PTMs. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Happy to see Honglin Chen's paper published! 🎉🎉🍾🥂. Great collaboration with @shabazlab.bsky.social to discover the discordances between RNA and protein in the interferon response...
- Very happy to see Honglin Chen's DPhil work and and @alf-castello.bsky.social passion project (aren't all projects passion projects in academia?) finally get published! www.mcponline.org/article/S153...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloA basic solution to a very common problem. collab with @kusterlab.bsky.social and @bendavisgroup.bsky.social www.mcponline.org/article/S153...
- Great conference at @embl.org on the expanding world of #RBPs. After the hard (fun) work, the @castello-lab.bsky.social chilled out in the beautiful Heidelberg
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloPre-print is up! SARS-2 produces a truncated N protein to antagonize multiple antiviral pathways. A very collaborative project in the @corcoranlab.bsky.social with @nogasharlin.bsky.social, Danyel Evseev, and Max Bui-Marinos, and of course the boss Jenn Corcoran www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by Alfredo Castello@science.org Cryo-EM reveals mechanisms of natural RNA multivalency | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #RNAsky #RNAbiology #Cryo-EM
- Excellent talk of Louisa Iselin on the remodelling of the RBPome by interferon at the "Expanding Universe of RBPs" in @embl.org, Heidelberg. The @castello-lab.bsky.social is very proud 🍾🥂🎊🎊
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloTranslation of mRNA can be triggered with spatiotemporal control in zebrafish 🐟 embryos by light ⚡ & FlashCaps 🧪⚗😊 Kudos to all authors and collaborators 🙏👍 www.nature.com/articles/s42...
- Amazing work of our dear friends @ilandavis.bsky.social and @jeffylee.bsky.social characterising the interlinked roles of two key RBPs in drosophila brain development, congratulations 🍾🥂🎉🎉🎉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloHad a wonderful couple of days with these guys. @alf-castello.bsky.social @marvintanenbaum.bsky.social and Stephen carter. Always a pleasure
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloAt this END of YEAR please check out our new paper on GENE ENDS and a convenient marker of transcription termination: RNAPII CTD T4ph! We think it is relevant to anyone studying human/animal #genes and #genome so put a lot of effort to make it easy to read. #RNABiology and #Epigenetics meet:)
- Do you know where transcription of a gene actually stops? Hint: it is not the annotated gene end. In our new paper in Nucleic Acids Research we argue that phosphorylation on threonine 4 of RNA Pol II CTD is a marker of transcription termination in animals... 🧵 academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloThese studies are so important. Well done to the authors and the journal for publishing it. This certainly applies to so many antibodies. Companies selling antibodies should do and provide the right controls before commercialisation. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloPlease check out our paper in collaboration with Nahum Sonenberg's group. We show how some DNA viruses co-opt the host cell translation machinery to repress the cGAS/STING response. TLDR; the cap-binding protein 4EHP represses the cGAS mRNA translation. #RNA, #RNASky www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloRECRUITING-PhD student to study the role of RNA-binding proteins in antiviral defence during early development. #crispr #iclip #omics Interested candidates, please email a full CV and a statement of interest. Open to both UK and overseas www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloNuclear RBPs moonlighting in the cytoplasm as part of the host response to Sindbis virus. Another beautiful work by Alfredo Castelo’s group. I’m struggling to keep up with reading all the amazing papers they’ve published in the last few months. www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloI am just going to plug-in the latest paper from our lab, wherein we show that treatment with the chemotherapy agent 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) induces ribosome collision and that RQC pathway mitigates the 5FU-induced cytotoxicity. #RNA, #RNASky, #Cancer academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
- A deserved celebration after the hard work 🍾🥂. @waelskamel.bsky.social and collaborators from the @castello-lab.bsky.social discovered that the U2 snRNP displays a moonlighting antiviral role and uses the U2 snRNA to interact with viral RNA 🤯🤯🤯 t.co/DJlXFxmGEv
- 🎄Amazing @castello-lab.bsky.social Christmas lunch! Great food, fantastic company, and lots of fun. We even created some art masterpieces during our pottery painting session afterwards 🥳. #Lablife, #Christmasfun, #RNA, #virus
- Reposted by Alfredo Castello🦸 Hidden superheroes in our cells!? @waelskamel.bsky.social, @castello-lab.bsky.social & the Rosalind Franklin Institute have uncovered how a team of cellular “superheroes” leap into action to stop viruses in their tracks. More: gla.ac.uk/research/az/... The study: cell.com/molecular-ce...
- 🆕 New research from @cvrinfo.bsky.social finds the ‘Clark Kent’ of cells, secretly fighting to protect us from viruses. In the study, scientists have discovered that human cells are home to their own hidden superheroes, covertly helping us to fight off a range of viruses. More➡️ gla.ac/3ZOFIP2
- Cool
- Woh, discovering the absolutely stunning paper just published by @di-nunzio-lab.bsky.social and collaborators including @mammano.bsky.social. Fantastic read for my train journey back to Montpellier tonight! 🤩🤩 www.embopress.org/doi/epdf/10.... Congrats to all authors!
- Reposted by Alfredo Castello
Big news! We're looking for a new Professor (or Associate Professor) in Infection and/or Immunity! Come work with us in @cambridgebiosci.bsky.social, it's a collaborative and supportive environment with great resources, students and colleagues! www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/49381/ Deadline 26/1/25 (Pls RT) - Really important achievement.. Price to the most original lab costume for the @castello-lab.bsky.social in the @cvrinfo.bsky.social Christmas party. Inspired by the notes of the "Sound of Music"😁. 🍾🥂🏆
- Reposted by Alfredo CastelloI am delighted that our long standing close collaboration with AlfredoCastello lab has led to yet another very exciting publication in Mol Cell: thanks so much to Wael and Alfredo for taking the lead. www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
