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Sam Sternberg
@shsternberg
Associate Professor at Columbia University / HHMI Investigator / CRISPR aficionado / Protein–RNA biochemist / Co-author of "A Crack In Creation"
New York, NY
sternberglab.org
Joined April 2015
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  • Pinned
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Oct 17, 2025
    New work from @stephentang23 et al. that describes a fascinating set of reverse transcriptases involved in antiviral immunity. They synthesize tandem-repeat cDNAs that resemble telomeres, revealing an unexpected bacterial evolutionary origin of telomerase. Check out the thread!
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    Stephen Tang
    @stephentang23
    Oct 17, 2025
    Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from? Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria. doi.org/10.1101/2025.1…
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Oct 7, 2020
    Nobels are also bittersweet, because SOOO many more folks deserve the award than can receive it. Michael ‘Michi’ Hauer was the first to purify Cas9 in Jennifer’s lab, whole working with Martin Jinek. He died last year, but would have been ecstatic to hear the news today.
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Dec 1, 2023
    Ever wonder if nature already 'invented' RNA-guided transcription factors like CRISPRi/a? Then look no further... we found many examples of domesticated, nuclease-dead TnpBs that use guide RNAs to repress genes! In bacteria AND phage! A wonderful team effort led by Tanner Wiegand
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    Sternberg Lab
    @SternbergLab
    Dec 1, 2023
    New pre-print from the Sternberg Lab! Transposon-encoded nucleases (TnpB/IscB) gave rise to the CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas9 and Cas12), but were TnpB-like proteins domesticated for other functions? 𝙔𝙀𝙎!! doi.org/10.1101/2023.1…
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Oct 7, 2020
    What I imagine Jennifer doing right now at home, 4:30 in the morning... 😜
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Oct 8, 2020
    A lot of emotions this week. This award is thanks to an AMAZING group of students/postdocs/technicians in the lab, who make coming into lab every day a real treat. Can't wait for all the discoveries we'll continue to make together :)
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    Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
    @ColumbiaPS
    Oct 8, 2020
    Congrats to Samuel Sternberg @shsternberg, one of 5 #ColumbiaVPS scientists to receive a 2020 grant from @NIHDirector's High-Risk, High-Reward program. He is creating new methods to engineer the human genome. columbiamed.link/3iFt2RR #NewInnovatorAward
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Oct 7, 2020
    Zoom celebration of Jennifer's Nobel, with large D-Lab contingent joining in. As always, Jennifer crediting the many people that were so critical to the work in her lab.
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    May 9, 2024
    Our latest research on a highly unexpected mechanism of antiviral immunity by reverse transcriptase-based defense systems is now live on bioRxiv! A remarkable work of science, and art, led by the talented Stephen Tang. Check out his thread to learn more!
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    Stephen Tang
    @stephentang23
    May 9, 2024
    I am delighted to share the newest work from the @SternbergLab, in which we discover RNA-templated gene creation as a mechanism of antiviral immunity. This is a story for anyone who loves molecular biology, and one that repeatedly left us in disbelief. doi.org/10.1101/2024.0…
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    biorxiv.org
    De novo gene synthesis by an antiviral reverse transcriptase
    Bacteria defend themselves from viral infection using diverse immune systems, many of which sense and target foreign nucleic acids. Defense-associated reverse transcriptase (DRT) systems provide an...
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Jun 13, 2019
    My lab's first paper came online today, the result of a thrilling project with my first three PhD students, led by the brilliant @SanneKlompe. See her *first* Twitter thread below to learn more... and follow her! (And also follow @sternberglab :)
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    Sanne Klompe
    @SanneKlompe
    Jun 13, 2019
    Hey Twitter! I'm super stoked to plug the first paper from the Sternberg Lab! Transposon-encoded CRISPR–Cas systems direct RNA-guided DNA integration (nature.com/articles/s4158…). Some takeaways from our paper: 1/8
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Sep 29, 2023
    Thrilled to see our latest work published this week, on the essential roles of IscB/TnpB -- ancestral homologs of Cas9/Cas12 -- in transposon maintenance & spread. A wonderful team effort led by the talented Chance Meers! Thread on bioRxiv version below...
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    Sanjana Pesari
    @sanjana_pesari
    Mar 28, 2023
    Great news - our lab's latest manuscript is out on bioRxiv! Led by postdoc Chance Meers, we discovered that RNA-guided DNA cleavage by transposon-encoded nucleases arose to facilitate the pervasive spread and inheritance of transposons. 🧵: (1/6) biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
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    Transposon-encoded nucleases use guide RNAs to promote their selfish spread
    From nature.com
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Aug 8, 2024
    Really proud to see this work published -- a thrilling detective story I was lucky to be a part of. Big kudos to @stephentang23 and the entire team for an impressive collaborative effort. See Stephen's thread below to learn more... (and read the paper!). drive.google.com/file/d/1_paZuA…
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    Stephen Tang
    @stephentang23
    Aug 8, 2024
    Our story on RNA-templated gene synthesis in antiviral immunity is out today in @ScienceMagazine! We discovered a cryptic gene, neo, that is created de novo by infected cells in a remarkable feat of molecular gymnastics🤸 science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Oct 7, 2020
    Jennifer Doudna: amazing mentor, scientist, writer, etc. Also always down for a good party. Here we dragged her and @jhdcate to check out the @ForeverlandBand at Bimbo's 365 Club in SF. She's got some wicked dance moves!
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Jul 20, 2020
    Our newest manuscript is live on bioRxiv! Beautiful work led by Leo @Vopinator in the lab, for high-efficiency, multiplexed DNA insertions in bacteria using CRISPR RNA-guided integrases. A great collaboration w/ @RondaCarlotta and @harriswangnyc. 1/n
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    biorxiv.org
    CRISPR RNA-guided integrases for high-efficiency and multiplexed bacterial genome engineering
    Tn 7 -like transposons are pervasive mobile genetic elements in bacteria that mobilize using heteromeric transposase complexes comprising distinct targeting modules. We recently described a Tn 7...
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Nov 18, 2019
    I'm really excited for this work to finally be published! Fantastic team effort from my colleagues @CaribouBio (especially Peter Cameron), @StanBrouns, and others. It's been fun seeing Cascade and Type I CRISPR systems get some time in the spotlight this year :)
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    Nature Biotechnology
    @NatureBiotech
    Nov 18, 2019
    Harnessing type I CRISPR–Cas systems for genome engineering in human cells go.nature.com/2rVGX1y
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    Sam Sternberg
    @shsternberg
    Jun 22, 2017
    Thrilled to announce that I'll be starting my lab at Columbia University in 2018, as Asst Prof in Dept of Biochem & Molecular Biophysics 1/n
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