Tobias Lenz
@biotobi.bsky.social
Professor of Evolutionary Immunogenomics @uni-hamburg.de Evolutionary Genetics, Eco-Immunology, Host-Parasite Coevolution, Evolutionary Medicine, MHC/HLA. Only research-related posts. http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/evolutionaryimmunogenomics
Interesting paper on #TCR repertoire variation in wild-caught mice. While not controlled for genetics or exposure history, it gives important insights into the extent of variation in a natural setting. academic.oup.com/discovimmuno...
The T-cell receptor repertoire of wild mice
AbstractIntroduction. Wild animals live in a pathogen-rich environment and are normally infected with a wide range of micro- and macro-parasites. Wild anim
academic.oup.com
My postdoc director called my work "phenomenological" and forbade it. I walked to a museum, found Tinbergen had shared a Nobel for work of exactly that kind, and finished the study anyway. On temperament, luck, and what the system selects against 👇 academicrenewal.substack.com/p/a-certain-...
A certain cast of mind
The argument about research culture leaves out something personal, and no reform reaches it.
open.substack.com
Pleased to see this beautiful paper out. Kudos to @jeroenmeijer.bsky.social who took @stevenquistad.bsky.social data and dug deep, revealing a new phage that erupts to astonishing abundance. As theory predicts, the life of SGEs is fuelled by encounters with new hosts www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Eco-evolutionary dynamics of massive, parallel bacteriophage outbreaks in compost communities
A single bacteriophage can dominate microbial communities yet only evolves when migration changes its ecological context.
science.org
Inaugural post! We are a brand new lab @pasteur.fr studying how pathogen antigens evolve and how we can exploit these proteins' evolution to make better vaccines! Read a few words from the currently sole member of the lab @spyroslytras.bsky.social below! 😁 www.pasteur.fr/en/research-...
Predicting viral evolution with AI
Spyros Lytras is one of four young scientists selected in 2025 to lead new research groups at the Institut Pasteur. He has headed the “Antigen Evolution & Design laboratory” 5-year Group (G5) since Ju...
pasteur.fr
Great experience at #SMBE26 @official-smbe.bsky.social in Copenhagen, where I shared my research on the evolution of HLA diversity in a Native American population. Many thanks to the Ancient and Historical Genomics Symposium and my supervisor @biotobi.bsky.social!
Behind every paper in MBE, there's this - a group of excellent and dedicated scientists, serving the SMBE community on our editorial board. By committing their time, these editors make the society's mission to support and connect molecular evolutionists possible. #societyjournal #society #SMBE2026
Researchers in #EvolutionaryBiology & #Ecology wanting to do the right thing? @nicolasgaltier.bsky.social at #SMBE2026 talking about DAFNEE, a database of >600 #ecoevo #evoeco academia-friendly journals for "responsible publishing" - @plos.org seems to do OK here...!
@acstone.bsky.social getting 2026 #SMBE life time contribution award 😍😍😍🥳🥳🥳🎉🎉🎉🍾🍾🥂🥂🥂 congrats Anne !!!
Congratulations to Prof Richard Durbin, winner of the 2026 Genetics Society Medal! His pioneering work in computational genomics has transformed how we analyse and understand genome sequences.
Happy to see @arcova.bsky.social from the lab presenting latest results from her study system of Marmosets and Yellow Fever at #SMBE2026
Very proud to see my PhD student @diyarhamidi.bsky.social present at #SMBE2026 about selection on #HLA genes in Native Americans in the context of exposure to novel pathogens due to the invasion by Europeans.
SIP2026 - Where #evolution, #genetics, and #immunology meets! Abstract and early bird deadlines have been extended to June 29! Ever wanted to chat in an informal setting with one (or more) of the folks shown below? Then this is your chance: sip-sassenheim.org Join us in the Netherlands, Nov 2-4
Tobias Lenz@biotobi.bsky.social · 2mo agoPlease share: Abstract deadline approaching (June 15) for the 2026 Annual Symposium of the Society for Immune Polymorphism (Nov 2-4, Netherlands). Intimate community meeting on variation and evolution of immunity and immune genes. Exciting lineup of invited speakers. #MHC #HLA sip-sassenheim.org
Please share: Abstract deadline approaching (June 15) for the 2026 Annual Symposium of the Society for Immune Polymorphism (Nov 2-4, Netherlands). Intimate community meeting on variation and evolution of immunity and immune genes. Exciting lineup of invited speakers. #MHC #HLA sip-sassenheim.org
📣 EvolDir is now managed by @eseb.bsky.social! We are delighted to be taking the reins and express our gratitude to both Brian Golding who began this service to the community in the mid-1980s and to @rdmpage.bsky.social who ran this account until now 👏 You can now find evoldir here: evoldir.net
Interested in evolutionary immunogenetics? This is an excellent, small conference bringing together hardcore immunologists and eco-evo people sip-sassenheim.org
SIP Symposium |
sip-sassenheim.org
Short time ago, we, the Evolutionary Immunogenomics Research Group, organized the 29th DZG Graduate Meeting in Evolutionary Biology @dzg-evol.bsky.social at the IZS, University of Hamburg @uni-hamburg.de, bringing together early-career researchers for inspiring talks, discussions, and networking.
This program transformed my career! Please apply. @hhmi-science.bsky.social's #FreemanHrabowski Scholars Program offers early career faculty up to $10M over 10 yrs, plus salary & benefits. Postdoc? This year's competition has a program for you too. Applications open 11/3! bit.ly/4vhC0LA
Early Career Faculty Program | Freeman Hrabowski Scholars | HHMI
The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program offers comprehensive support to outstanding early career faculty committed to scientific excellence in their own research, and to fostering labs that expand the ...
bit.ly
Biologists Confirm Not Much Evolution Happened Today — theonion.com/biologists-c...
Biologists Confirm Not Much Evolution Happened Today
STANFORD, CA—Calling it a “pretty slow one” as far as natural selection and genetic drift were concerned, biologists from Stanford University confirmed Tuesday that not much evolution happened today. ...
theonion.com
We are extending the deadline to Feb 27, since we still have a few slots. 👉 A semi-informal event to interact with your peers, learn about cutting-edge research, and hear from two leaders in the field (Sophie Armitage & Dieter Ebert). And it's free! 🎉 PIs, please recommend to your grad students!
Tobias Lenz@biotobi.bsky.social · 7mo agoPlease share: We are hosting the 2026 DZG evolutionary biology graduate meeting at Uni Hamburg on March 25-27: "Interactions and Coevolution: from Molecules to Species". #PhD students, early postdocs and advanced Master students in evolutionary biology are welcome to register! t1p.de/dzg2026evolbio
Just a quick reminder that the abstract deadline is approaching for the DZG Graduate Meeting in Evolutionary Biology 2026: Feb 20! 👈 We still have a few places left 🤗🌈
Tobias Lenz@biotobi.bsky.social · 7mo agoPlease share: We are hosting the 2026 DZG evolutionary biology graduate meeting at Uni Hamburg on March 25-27: "Interactions and Coevolution: from Molecules to Species". #PhD students, early postdocs and advanced Master students in evolutionary biology are welcome to register! t1p.de/dzg2026evolbio
Hi yes I will have more to say about this in a few hours but please enjoy this paper. It's been a huge labour of love and effort for the last four years, and a significant part of our research efforts, and I'm so so so thrilled it's finally ready to share. Tldr: scRNA-seq in Indonesia hard but fun
bioRxiv Genomics@biorxiv-genomic.bsky.social · 6mo agoAncestral and environmental diversity shape the immune landscape in Indonesia https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.15.704933v1
📢2nd Annual Meeting of the EFIS-IL Sex Differences in Immunity Study Group! 🗓️October 8-9, 2026 📍Hamburg, Germany 🔗https://linktr.ee/EFIS_ISD @yefis-immunology.bsky.social @dgfi-org.bsky.social @sfi-immunologie.bsky.social @swimm-immuno.bsky.social @irishimmunology.bsky.social @finnsocimm.bsky.social
Immune Sex Differences@sexdiffimmunity.bsky.social · 6mo agoOur second annual meeting - please save the date and distribute
Our latest review is out, a comprehensive synthesis of #tissue #Tregs. It has been a decade since @annualreviews.bsky.social #immunology last reviewed #TissueTregs, and there have been enormous advances and conceptual leaps forward in the field www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Tissue Regulatory T Cells
FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) have well-defined roles in limiting systemic immune responses against diverse stimuli. However, the observation that a subset of Tregs also enter nonlymphoid tissues,...
annualreviews.org
#BlackHistoryMonth is a great time to celebrate #biochemist Marie Maynard Daly (1921-2003), 1st Black woman to earn a PhD in #chemistry in the US! 🧪🐡👩🏿🔬 #histsci She made important research contributions to our understanding of the biochemisty of the cell nucleus & cardiovascular issues & the 🧵
To argue "infections" are an extrinsic factor to heritability is bizarre to me - as if aging takes place in a vacuum. Infections are part of longevity. Infection resistance is heritable (e.g. AMP polymorphisms in mammals, insects). I don't disagree longevity is highly heritable... 1/2
Eric Topol@erictopol.bsky.social · 6mo ago🆕 @science.org Revising the heritability of lifespan, from 25% to ~50%, by correcting for extrinsic factors science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🔔HIRI has opened a new call to recruit Group Leaders. If you are interested in opening an RNA Biology and Infection lab, join us! Deadline: February 15. More info here 👇
Deadline for #SMBE2026 abstract submission is coming up (Feb 3)! Consider symposium S14 "Evolution of Host-Pathogen Interactions in the Genomic Age", organized by @jcwinternitz.bsky.social, @arcova.bsky.social, @michalvinkler.bsky.social and @diyarhamidi.bsky.social.
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution@official-smbe.bsky.social · 8mo agoAbstract submission & Award applications for SMBE 2026 are now open! Submit your research and apply for SMBE awards via the submission portal. 📝 Read more & submit here: smbe2026.org/abstracts And symposium selection is now finalized! 👉 See all accepted symposia: smbe2026.org/programme #SMBE2026
