@Slotkin_Lab

Scientist @DanforthCenter & @MizzouBiology studying mobile DNA called Transposable Elements in plant genomes. CSO of @Spearhead_Bio. Father and political junkie

 St Louis, MO
slotkinlab.github.io
Joined April 2018
  • Tweets1K
  • Following2.6K
  • Followers3K
65Media
Keith Slotkin retweeted
Mikhail Sidakov@mihalsidOct 4
Cool startup for today: Spearhead Bio by @Slotkin_Lab is using pieces of DNA that naturally move around genomes as programmable tools for engineering crops If I understand correctly, Instead of making tiny genetic edits, the idea is to insert or replace much larger pieces of DNA
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Keith Slotkin retweeted
Acyn
@AcynOct 3
Senator Elissa Slotkin campaigning with Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan: We would be the only senate delegation to have ever beaten the same dude to get the same job
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Keith Slotkin retweeted
Spearhead_Bio@Spearhead_BioSep 17
Exclusive: Spearhead Bio lands oversubscribed seed round for faster, more precise gene editing tech agfundernews.com/exclusive-s…

Exclusive: Spearhead Bio lands oversubscribed seed round for faster, more precise gene editing tech

Spearhead Bio says its technology can save seed breeders "years of development time and millions of dollars in crop improvement."

agfundernews.com
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Keith Slotkin retweeted
Danforth Center@DanforthCenterSep 17
Big news for St. Louis agtech! Danforth Center startup @Spearhead_Bio has closed an oversubscribed $1.62M seed round to advance crop-engineering technology designed to save years and millions of dollars in developing improved crops. Learn more: danforthcenter.org/news/spea…
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NAASC member Tomo Kawashima announces ICAR2027-Madison and the Keynote Speakers: Adrienne Roeder, Keith Slotkin, Cyril Zipfel, and Doris Wagner. 🌱🌱🌱🌱 Sign up for updates here arabidopsiscommunity.org/ica… @RoederLab @Doris_Wagner_ @Slotkin_Lab
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Excited to share our @NaturePlants News & Views article highlighting how two independent studies uncover transcription factor mediated recruitment of the key siRNA-producing protein, RNA polymerase IV to specific DNA sequences in plants. Full article: doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-0… 1/3

Transcription factor-mediated recruitment of small interfering RNA production

Nature Plants - Decades of research in plants has established that the protein complexes that transcribe small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are not targeted to DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Two...

nature.com
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Overall, these studies show TFs can guide siRNA production in plants in a sequence specific manner highlighting the importance of genetic /DNA sequence for epigenetic regulation. Grateful to @Slotkin_Lab for the opportunity and support!! 3/3
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Congrats to @mariannekrame45 and authors for work published @ThePlantCell! A terrific Academic+Industry collaboration to identify "aberrant RNAs" that trigger silencing. We used ML, RUBY and a different approach to transcriptomics "All-in-One" RNA-seq: academic.oup.com/plcell/adva…

Identification of a cleaved aberrant RNA associated with the initiation of transgene silencing

Target capture enriched long-read RNA-sequencing uncovers a cleaved aberrant RNA from a ribosome stalling event that is associated with transgene silencing

academic.oup.com
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🌱 Poster abstracts due Sept 18! Early-career scientists, submit your work for Keystone Symposia: Plant Epigenetics & Epigenome Engineering. Showcase your research, get feedback & connect with leaders. 🔗 hubs.ly/Q03FFM170 #KSPlantEpi26 @Doris_Wagner_ @zhonglab
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Today I delivered my maiden speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, a long held tradition for new senators. It’s a love letter to Michigan where we invented the middle class. Protecting the middle class is and always will be my north star.
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Spearhead Bio, a Danforth Technology Company startup, has received a grant from @NSF that will allow them to fast-track their breakthrough genome engineering technology to develop corn varieties equipped for ag’s biggest challenges. Read more: loom.ly/zHfitlo
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Two new positions open at @DanforthCenter to collaborate with @Spearhead_Bio! danforthcenter.org/careers/

Start Your Career with Us | Danforth Plant Science Center

View open positions and discover careers in plant science with the Danforth Plant Science Center.

danforthcenter.org
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Today, was a busy and productive one in the House Science Committee! We passed two bills that I wrote and introduced, the Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Standards Act and the Small Business Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act. Both bills will safeguard our national security and empower American small businesses to lead in the digital age. This legislation will ensure that the small businesses and manufacturers who are the backbone of Michigan’s economy will be able to safely continue to innovate in the 21st century.
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It seems like all these goodies would fit nicely in a backpack
GARNet UK Plant Science@GARNetweets7 Jun 2025
Preparing the goodies for #ICAR2025 Full programme is set and registration to receive all recordings is still available! icar2025.com
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Latest work from the lab led by @yuhunghung in @ThePlantJournal! We engineered a RNA-binding protein to sort and protect a Cas9 transcript for long term expression! Can be applied to any engineered transcript as a UTR: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/…

Engineering an RNA/protein‐binding module for higher transgene protein production and improved...

The low efficiency of transgene performance extends the long and expensive crop improvement pipeline, as well as hampers efforts to research the fundamental mechanisms of plant biology. We provide a...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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Congrats @Spearhead_Bio for the new grant!
Spearhead_Bio@Spearhead_Bio4 Jun 2025
Excited to announce that Spearhead Bio has been awarded a Phase 1 STTR award from the NSF!
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What is one country also investing heavily in agricultural research? It's China. That's why this Administration's $600M cut to ag research makes no sense. We cannot go backward on investing in the future of agriculture. It impacts our farmers and our national security.
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Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News@GENbio15 May 2025
Replying to @Spearhead_Bio
@Spearhead_Bio Offers Precise Plant Engineering Using CRISPR-Directed Jumping Genes TAHITI couples #CRISPR with transposable elements from plants to edit cash crops such as corn and soybean with reduced off-target effects @DanforthCenter @Slotkin_Lab hubs.li/Q03mLWqx0

Spearhead Bio Offers Precise Plant Engineering Using CRISPR-Directed Jumping Genes

TAHITI couples CRISPR with transposable elements from plants to edit cash crops such as corn and soybean with reduced off-target effects.

genengnews.com
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Replying to @Spearhead_Bio
@Spearhead_Bio Offers Precise Plant Engineering Using CRISPR-Directed Jumping Genes TAHITI couples #CRISPR with transposable elements from plants to edit cash crops such as corn and soybean with reduced off-target effects @DanforthCenter @Slotkin_Lab hubs.li/Q03mLWqx0

Spearhead Bio Offers Precise Plant Engineering Using CRISPR-Directed Jumping Genes

TAHITI couples CRISPR with transposable elements from plants to edit cash crops such as corn and soybean with reduced off-target effects.

genengnews.com
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I’m about to lead my @sciencedems colleagues on the House floor to stand up for science, fight Trump and Musk’s NSF cuts, and STOP THE CHAOS! Tune in!
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