Juan Fuxman Bass

Juan Fuxman Bass

@fuxmanlab.bsky.social

Associate professor at Boston University | systems biology, gene regulation, viral gene expression 🏳️‍🌈🇦🇷

590 followers535 following36 posts

Finally, vTR-regulated genes were enriched at genetic risk loci for autoimmune, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases, providing candidate mechanisms through which viral infection may interact with host genetic variation to influence disease risk.

We identified several mechanisms by which vTRs affect host regulatory networks: direct DNA binding, cooperation or antagonism with human TFs, interactions with host proteins, transcriptional activation/repression, and changes in chromatin accessibility.

These activities can also depend strongly on cellular state. During an antiviral response, some vTRs retained their regulatory effects while others changed substantially. 39 vTRs suppressed immune pathways normally induced by infection, including IFN, NF-κB, and antigen-presentation pathways.

We systematically characterized 95 vTRs from 31 viruses, integrating transcriptomics, protein-DNA and protein-protein interaction assays, and measurements of transcriptional activity. We found extensive effects on immune signaling, cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage/repair, signaling, and metabolism.

vTR orthologs tended to have similar effects, but there was substantial functional divergence. We also observed convergent regulatory strategies across unrelated viruses.

The lab turns 10 today! 🎉 Huge thanks to all past and current lab members who made it possible. It’s been an amazing decade of exciting science, with some of our most exciting work still to come. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have shared this journey with such wonderful people!

Amazing work! Glad to have contributed to this groundbreaking study!

Mikko Taipale@miketilapia.bsky.social

Our evil ORFeome paper is out! In collaboration with @alex-stark.bsky.social, we screened ~4,000 viral proteins and secreted effectors from bacteria and parasites, covering hundreds of diverse pathogens, for phenotypes in human cells.

Excited to share this collaborative review with @dsegre.bsky.social and @devmoy.bsky.social. We discuss common issues with context-specific genome-scale metabolic network models and provide recommendation for future model development.

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One of these regions (Psi) is present in most adenoviral vectors and contributes to basal transgene expression. We mutated this region, without affecting packaging capacity, which led to reduced basal activity and increased inducibility. 5/8

We also show how that the genomes of different herpesviruses have very different CRE landscapes, with different proportion of promoter-like, proximal, distal, and CTF-only CREs, different activity levels, and different localization. 6/8

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By testing multiple isolates and performing saturation mutagenesis experiments, we identify regions in the HPV long control region that are highly variable in activity and the nucleotide changes responsible for such variability. 3/8

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

Deaths from heart disease down 75%, that’s NIH. Deaths from stroke down 75%, that’s NIH. HIV/AIDS no longer a death sentence, that’s NIH. 99% of FDA approved drugs in the last decade, that’s NIH. Please show this video to anyone who doesn’t understand why the NIH is so important.

Exited to share our recent work on TF isoforms! Amazing work by @kaiamattioli.bsky.social Luke Lambourne and Clarissa Santoso and many other collaborators.

Kaia Mattioli@kaiamattioli.bsky.social

our work on the molecular differences between transcription factor isoforms is out now in Molecular Cell! key point: 2/3rds of TF isos differ in properties like DNA binding & transcriptional activity many are "negative regulators" & misexpressed in cancer www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

Scientists are unfairly and devastatingly seeing their grants cut and careers thrown into uncertainty, yet are still working 24/7 to continue their research, treat patients, talk to journalists, advocate with elected officials, and keep the public informed about potential threats. Absolute heroes!

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

There are days in life that shake you. I’m shattered 💔 to share that I just found out that the US Government terminated my 2024 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (~$2 million), threatening my long-promised assistant professor job at Columbia University & academic career... 1/🧵

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

The Stand Up For Science protests have kicked off worldwide. Thousands of scientists demonstrated in solidarity with their US counterparts across France to defend the scientific community. (📹 @Margot_Brunet_) #3E #FranceProtests #USprotests #March7Science #StandUpForScience #Mar7

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

We are experiencing an assault on science unparalleled by anything I’ve seen in my life. It’s not one issue or another anymore, the entire institution is under attack by the most powerful individuals in the country. This Friday, where will you be? standupforscience2025.org

standupforscience2025.orgSTAND UP FOR SCIENCEMarch 7, 2025. Washington DC and nationwide. Because science is for everyone.
Stand Up for Science!@standupforscience.net

Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025! Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide! #scienceforall #sciencenotsilence

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

This framing is their framing, and NYT took the bait. The correct and accurate framing is: “Deep cuts to medical research threatens progress on cancer and heart disease research, costs the economy $80B, and threatens 300,000 jobs across red and blue states”

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

Trump & Musk are making massive cuts to the National Institutes of Health. I know there is a lot going on right now, but this is one of worst things they have done so far, will affect cancer research and trials, the search for cures, innovation and competitiveness, our universities. Your lives.

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

NIH doesn’t just support infectious disease research—it drives breakthroughs in cancer, childhood diseases, heart disease, diabetes & more. Thanks to NIH, we have: 💉 Cancer immunotherapy ❤️ Cholesterol-lowering statins 🩸 Insulin for diabetes Investing in NIH = investing in life-saving discoveries.

Juan Fuxman Bass reposted

NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately. The move halts a large slice of money for most universities and research institutions virtually overnight, imperiling vital research in everything from cancer to heart disease. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

washingtonpost.comNIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediatelyThe move halts a large slice of money for most universities and research institutions virtually overnight, imperiling vital research in everything from cancer to heart disease.

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