Silke Jensen

This study reactivates an errantivirus in Drosophila somatic cells, showing it can invade oocytes and trigger a germline immune response.

The paper identifies conserved small nucleotide sequences that drive piRNA biogenesis from genes and lncRNAs, revealing a new regulatory pathway in insect and mammalian species.

The paper shows that trapping a somatic endogenous retrovirus into a germline piRNA cluster silences it in germ cells, protecting the germline from further invasion.