Francisco J. Ruíz-Ruano

This paper presents the first fully phased, diploid, telomere-to-telomere genome of the zebra finch, revealing new genes and structural features.

This study identifies two centromeres on the zebra finch GRC, suggesting a mechanism for its non-Mendelian inheritance through the maternal germline.

The paper uses RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics in zebra finches to study the role of the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) in germ cell development, identifying its involvement in oocyte maturation and gene expression regulation.

The paper examines TE accumulation in Killifish hybrids, finding increased levels of bi-parentally inherited Neptune elements due to suboptimal piRNA pathway function.

The paper identifies a centromeric satellite repeat in songbirds and shows it is absent from the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC), suggesting sequence changes underlie its programmed elimination.

The paper identifies germline-restricted chromosomes (GRCs) in 6,700 passerine species, showing rapid evolution and functional gene retention despite programmed DNA elimination.

The paper compares the satellitomes of two grasshopper species to show that satellite DNA evolves through cycles of amplification and degeneration, leading to contingent evolutionary pathways.

The paper shows that the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) in zebra finches can be paternally inherited, challenging previous assumptions of strict maternal transmission.