A few months ago, @elena-romero.bsky.social published a paper showing that HIV escape from broadly neutralizing antibody 10-1074 is driven by very recurrent mutation. In her latest, she asks - just how soft are the signatures of these sweeps? www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Haplotype and diversity signatures of ultra-soft selective sweeps in HIV-1

Many urgent medical and agricultural challenges are driven by resistance evolution via soft selective sweeps of multiple simultaneous mutations. Standard approaches to detect these mutations involve g...

biorxiv.org

This is so sad… Thousands of deaths in just two years with an estimated remaining population size <13,000… I’m no marine biologist but it seems like the Pacific gray whale is at serious risk of extinction. I can only imagine the dismantling of the ESA will hasten their decline.

Ian Kremer@wolverinebear.bsky.social · 3w ago

Pacific gray whales facing ‘catastrophic’ die-off as climate crisis hits food supply www.theguardian.com/environment/... #climate #environment #nature

If anyone is looking for a postdoc/staff scientist with experience in evolutionary genetics, computational biology/bioinformatics, and/or various omics methods (RNA-seq, Ribo-seq, LC-MS/MS), I'm still looking! (1) doi.org/10.1126/scie... (2) doi.org/10.1073/pnas... (3) doi.org/10.1371/jour...

If anyone is looking for a postdoc/staff scientist with experience in evolutionary genetics, computational biology/bioinformatics, and/or various omics methods (RNA-seq, Ribo-seq, LC-MS/MS), I'm still looking! (1) doi.org/10.1126/scie... (2) doi.org/10.1073/pnas... (3) doi.org/10.1371/jour...

I am giving away a free copy of the #BayesianWorkflow book by @statmodeling.bsky.social, @avehtari.bsky.social, @rmcelreath.bsky.social et al!! Please like, repost, and follow to enter. I will randomly draw the winner next Weds July 8. 😀 routledge.com/9780367490140 #RStats #DataScience #Bayesian

Excited to see @jonj-udd.bsky.social's fantastic work out @genetics-gsa.bsky.social. Selection in _heterozygotes_ is the primary force shaping allele frequencies of loss-of-function mutations in humans, even in genes only associated with purely recessive diseases. 🧪🧬 doi.org/10.1093/gene...

Allele Frequencies at Recessive Disease Genes are Mainly Determined by Pleiotropic Effects in Heterozygotes

Abstract. The classic theory of mutation-selection balance predicts the equilibrium frequency of genetic variation under negative selection. The model pred

doi.org

Speaking as a postdoc still striving for a tenure-track job, it gets harder and harder every day to justify sticking around academia.

Science Magazine@science.org · last mo.

Exclusive: The National Science Foundation is trimming this year’s budgets for hundreds of its traditional basic science programs by roughly 20% to 30%, even though its overall budget is down just 3%. https://scim.ag/4xY2KCm

New paper from a project I started working on during my final few months of grad school (...6 years ago): doi.org/10.1371/jour.... Here, we estimate codon ribosome drop-off rates from ribo-seq in yeast, as well as quantify the impact of selection against drop-off on coding-sequence evolution.

The importance of nonsense errors: Estimating the rates and implications of ribosome drop-off during protein synthesis

Author summary The process of translating mRNA into a protein is both energetically expensive and relatively error-prone. As such, natural selection is thought to shape the evolution of protein-coding...

doi.org

Interested in how #fungi came about on this planet? If so, take a look at my new article that just came out in @annualreviews.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1146/annu...

The Origin and Early Evolution of Fungi: Challenges, Inferences, and Principles

Fungi are widespread on our planet and essential for life as we know it, but how did they come about? Their last common ancestor lived hundreds of millions of years ago, but its characteristics, and t...

doi.org

I'm looking for postdoc opportunities for the 2026-2027 academic year. If you're looking for a postdoc with a broad skill set spanning evolutionary genetics, bioinformatics, and various omics methods, feel free to reach out. Some recent pubs: (1) doi.org/10.1126/scie... (2) doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

Macroevolutionary divergence of gene expression driven by selection on protein abundance

The regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein abundances is well-studied, but less is known about the evolutionary processes shaping their relationship. To address this, we derived a new phylogen...

doi.org

Update! The posting for the postdoc opening in my lab is up! Apply here: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/319...

Dan Schrider@samurscicop.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Please circulate: I will have a postdoc opening soon, ideally with a start date sometime this summer or fall. If you're interested in empirical population genetics, computational methods development, and/or evolutionary modeling via simulation, don't hesitate to reach out. For more info on the lab:

POSTDOC OPPORTUNITY!!! The Rutgers IRACDA program is phenomenal: 70% of postdoctoral fellows land faculty positions. Martha Soto (LinkedIn below) is the amazing director and leader of this program. Please apply or reach out if you have questions. www.linkedin.com/posts/martha...

INSPIRE is recruiting! Please share broadly with senior graduate students and beginning postdocs. INSPIRE, the NIH-funded Rutgers-IRACDA, offers postdoctoral training for individuals interested in… | ...

INSPIRE is recruiting! Please share broadly with senior graduate students and beginning postdocs. INSPIRE, the NIH-funded Rutgers-IRACDA, offers postdoctoral training for individuals interested in com...

linkedin.com

I'm looking for postdoc opportunities for the 2026-2027 academic year. If you're looking for a postdoc with a broad skill set spanning evolutionary genetics, bioinformatics, and various omics methods, feel free to reach out. Some recent pubs: (1) doi.org/10.1126/scie... (2) doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

Macroevolutionary divergence of gene expression driven by selection on protein abundance

The regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein abundances is well-studied, but less is known about the evolutionary processes shaping their relationship. To address this, we derived a new phylogen...

doi.org

Props and planning, great work!

Alejandro Alvarez@aletakesphotos.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Giant copy of the Constitution being carried down Pennsylvania Avenue.

“Donald Trump, the man who uses Palestinian as a pejorative, as a slur, has no plan for Palestinian freedom.” @mehdirhasan.bsky.social slams Donald Trump at the ‘No Kings’ rally in Washington, DC over his Gaza ‘peace-plan.’ Watch his full speech: zeteo.com/p/no-kings-p...

Sanders: In my state, people received notices from insurance companies that their health care premiums in some cases would triple or quadruple. That is going on all over the country, at a time when we already pay by far the highest prices in the world for health care…

I'm recruiting a postdoc for my group (based in beautiful Eugene, OR). Please get in touch if you're interested, esp if you'd like to chat at #ASHG25!

Roshni Patel@roshnipatel.bsky.social · 12mo ago

We'll primarily work at the intersection of statistical and population genetics, and we also have active projects related to the ethical and social implications of human genetics (ELSI). Please get in touch if that's a combination that sounds interesting to you!

New in #GENETICS: Using deep mutational scanning to create a mutant library and measuring protein–protein interactions, @christianlandry.bsky.social and the team determined the in vivo binding strength of motifs that bind to the SH3 domain in #yeast mutants. buff.ly/uOXTpZG

Students successful in TPUSA (via recruitment and harassing people) are in line for cushy positions in the right-wing think tank industry or Republican politics upon graduation. That is what the most outspoken ones work for, and ruining lives is a plus.

Kevin M. Kruse@kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Can you hear the words coming out of your mouth, Megan? Yes, the guy who received so many threats because of your own actions he had to flee to Europe isn’t the real victim. No. You are, because people called you out.

The Rutgers TPUSA chapter — whose characterization of a historian there as a “outspoken, well-known antifa member” led to death threats and moving his family to Europe — think *other* people are being “blatantly defamatory.” Not them, though. They’re doing politics the right way.

Rutgers TPUSA officers slam petition to shut down chapter, ‘Blatantly defamatory’

Alexander Di Filippo accuses Turning Point USA of inciting violence against Antifa handbook author Mark Bray.

foxnews.com

Brett Kavanaugh assures me this is the sort of minor inconvenience that shouldn't disturb anyone.

CollinCountyDems@collincountydems.bsky.social · 10mo ago

This is terrifying! ICE breaks into this woman’s car in the pick-up line at West Loop Elementary school in Chicago and detains her before she can pick her kids up from school. (They were eventually let go after showing their documents) This is Trump’s America.

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

#MammothMonday factoids: A comparison of 23 woolly mammoths (how cool is it to have that many mammoth genomes!) and 28 living elephants identified at least 1.2 million mammoth-specific genetic changes, including 4,786 amino acid substitutions in 3,097 genes 1/n 🧪 🐘 🦣 PMID: 37030294

The most important paper in evolutionary biology I'd never heard of: 1/ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Elected officials questioning the legality of ICE processes being arrested

This is a fantastic program and a great opportunity 👇👇👇👇👇

Mark Peifer (He, him)@peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Cool Postdoc opportunity alert! UNC SPIRE (Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research & Education)-it provides scholars with both high quality research training & the opportunity to develop research based teaching skills that will inspire students across the sciences 1/n spire.unc.edu/program-info/

““We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.”” They’re not being coy about their vision for the future.

Trump Administration Live Updates: President Tells Top Brass American Cities Should Be ‘Training Grounds’ for Military

nytimes.com

the president of the united states wants to use the american military to kill american citizens on american soil. that's the whole story!

The two middle aged joggers on the side street are TERRIFYING.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.gov · 10mo ago

Taken just a few minutes ago outside the ICE facility in Portland that Trump claims is under siege. My message to Donald Trump is this: we don’t need you here. Stay the hell out of our city.