Lewis Stevens
@phylewgenetics.bsky.social
I like worms, genomes, & evolution. Postdoc in Tree of Life @ Wellcome Sanger Institute. He/him.
Ever wondered why diverse organism shrink their genome in specific cells? We try to make sense of these curious cases of programmed DNA elimination in a review that came out today @naturerevgenet.bsky.social trebuchet.public.springernature.app/get_content/... @sandraduharcourt.bsky.social
I am so excited to see this preprint out. I started working on springtails with @laurarossevo.bsky.social in 2019, but this pinnacle of our efforts manifested only with heroric leadership of Sam Ebdon! So, what's the deal? 👇
bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology@biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 2w agoStronger positive and purifying selection on X-linked genes in a species with paternal genome elimination https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751372v1
New online! The mechanistic and evolutionary diversity of programmed DNA elimination
The mechanistic and evolutionary diversity of programmed DNA elimination
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41576-026-01004-7Programmed DNA elimination is a developmentally regulated process in which specific DNA sequences are reproducibly removed from particular cell lineages. Here, the authors review the mechanistic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of DNA elimination, spanning chromosome breakage, whole-chromosome elimination and whole-genome elimination.
dlvr.it
Very happy to see our Nature Reviews Genetics article on programmed DNA elimination across eukaryotes out! A fantastic collective effort with an amazing group of colleagues, born from inspiring discussions at the Fondation des Treilles. rdcu.be/tmvKgsPZNhBa @laurarossevo.bsky.social
rdcu.be
Nature Reviews Genetics@natrevgenet.nature.com · 3w agoNew online! The mechanistic and evolutionary diversity of programmed DNA elimination
Massive programmed DNA elimination during embryogenesis in the trioecious nematode Auanema rhodense https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.27.747507v1
Species-specific barriers restrict virus spillover potential across the Caenorhabditis genus journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Species-specific barriers restrict virus spillover potential across the Caenorhabditis genus
Why do most cross-species virus jumps fail? Using Orsay virus across multiple Caenorhabditis species, this study reveals how mismatches in replication, genome balance, and transmission create layered ...
journals.plos.org
new preprint from our group led by Talleh Almelli -- important for folks doing single cell on malaria parasites or other organisms with hyperdiverse gene families. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Evaluating the impact of a sample-matched reference genome on single-cell transcriptomic inferences in Plasmodium falciparum
Background Plasmodium falciparum field isolates exhibit genomic variation, including copy number variation and sequence divergence. In contrast, the P. falciparum 3D7 reference genome (Pf3D7) was deri...
biorxiv.org
bug is out of the rug, I got commissioned by @theguardian.com to #SciArt illustrate this year's goobies for #InvertebrateOfTheYear there are some really good ones stay tuned! www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Revealed: the top 10 invertebrates of the year
At last! It’s time for our invertebrate of the year competition as voted for by you. Today, the common woodlouse – come back on Tuesday to find out who else made the top 10
theguardian.com
Petra Korlević@petrathepostdoc.bsky.social · 2mo agosomething exciting coming your way on Monday #BugSky
I have only drawn a handful of dry and wet isopods over the last few #Invertober years, but they are good goobies
It’s almost as if for-profit companies are not a reliable partner in developing long term scientific innovation for public good.
Very excited to see the first chapter of my PhD out on bioRxiv! It began as a rotation project and became a pivotal part of my PhD on beetles, adding a complementary macroevolutionary perspective to my second chapter on early-stage speciation in Indonesian herbivorous ladybird beetles.
bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology@biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 2mo ago338 coleopteran genomes reveal exceptional rearrangement variation compared to other insect orders https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.17.739156v1
New preprint: 338 coleopteran genomes reveal exceptional rearrangement variation compared to other insect orders. Big congrats to @arf-mln.bsky.social, for getting this giant piece together. Big collaboration of @joanameier.bsky.social's and my groups. 🧵👇 doi.org/10.64898/202...
Huzzah! Today begins the Big Butterfly Count, a huge effort to collect data by @savebutterflies.bsky.social. Need help understanding why study butterflies? I interviewed @charlottewright.bsky.social co-lead of @projectpsyche.bsky.social and learned heaps. sangerinstitute.blog/2025/12/11/f...
Five questions on butterfly and moth genomics with Charlotte Wright - Wellcome Sanger Institute Blog
Drawn to genomics like a moth to a flame, Wellcome Sanger Institute Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Charlotte Wright, shares with us how she uses genomics to shed light on the evolutionary history of butterfl...
sangerinstitute.blog
Parasitic worms are a big deal, but their genomes have been tricky to study 🪱. New technologies now let us generate high-quality genomes from individual worms, opening the door to a new era of parasite genomics. Steve Doyle (@stephenrdoyle.bsky.social) and I discuss what this means for the field 👇
Trends in Parasitology@cp-trendsparasitol.bsky.social · 3mo agoSequencing parasite genomes, one worm at a time
I can't resist sharing this wonderfully wormy blog about helminths of all sorts. My all-time favourite course in undergrad was one term of parisitology - so gross but so cool. 💩 Featuring @phylewgenetics.bsky.social and @stephenrdoyle.bsky.social 's research group this was well worth a read!
Wellcome Sanger Institute@sangerinstitute.bsky.social · 7mo agoParasitic worms might not be cute, but they are fascinating. From global health impacts to cutting-edge genomics, we explore why helminths matter more than you think. Read more 👉 https://sangerinstitute.blog/2026/03/17/what-the-hel-minth/
Parasitic worms might not be cute, but they are fascinating. From global health impacts to cutting-edge genomics, we explore why helminths matter more than you think. Read more 👉 https://sangerinstitute.blog/2026/03/17/what-the-hel-minth/
Why do the chromosomes of cyperids (sedges & rushes) split and fuse so regularly on evolutionary timescales? Is it because they have so many centromeres? Our new preprint, the first major paper of my PhD, addresses this question. 🧵⬇️ 1/12 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Are you ready for *the* meeting about the evolutionary biology of Caenorhabditis and other nematodes?? EvoWorm 2026 will be held at McMaster University from June 16–19 Abstract submission deadline: April 15 Registration deadline: June 1 Further details can be found at evoworm.org
I'm v excited to be recruiting a PhD student to work on badger behaviour and ecology! Starting date is March 2026; see the ad here, or message me for more details: www.gregalbery.me/s/March-2026...
New preprint! We unexpectedly discovered that some Caenorhabditis species delete parts of their somatic genome early in development, which fragments their chromosomes and eliminates key germline genes. Multiple lines of evidence suggest this bizarre process was present in the ancestors of C. elegans
bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · 11mo agoProgrammed DNA elimination was present in the last common ancestor of Caenorhabditis nematodes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.681605v1
Programmed DNA elimination was present in the last common ancestor of Caenorhabditis nematodes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.681605v1
Programmed DNA elimination was present in the last common ancestor of Caenorhabditis nematodes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.681605v1
Really, really happy that our work on microsporidian genomes is now out in @plosbiology.org! A huge thank you to my coauthors, my supervisors @mblaxter.bsky.social & @marakat.bsky.social, the editors @roliroberts.bsky.social & Joseph Heitman, and the reviewers ❤️ plos.io/48HsAQJ
Forty new genomes shed light on sexual reproduction and the origin of tetraploidy in Microsporidia
Microsporidia are single-celled, intracellular parasites of growing public health, agricultural, and economic importance. This study presents 40 new microsporidian genomes derived collaterally from Da...
plos.io
PLOS Biology@plosbiology.org · 11mo ago#Microsporidia are #parasites of growing importance. @amjadkhalaf.bsky.social @mblaxter.bsky.social @marakat.bsky.social &co present 40 new genomes from #DarwinTreeofLife sequencing of their arthropod hosts, revealing insights into #tetraploidy & #reproduction @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/48HsAQJ
Which journal would publish such a fragmented mess? www.cell.com/current-biol...
Constraints on chromosome evolution revealed by the 229 chromosome pairs of the Atlas blue butterfly
The genome of the Atlas blue butterfly contains ten times more chromosomes than most butterflies, and more than any other known diploid animal. Wright et al. show that this extraordinary karyotype is ...
cell.com
Erol Akcay@akcay.theoretical.bio · 12mo agoMost chromosomes of any animal on Earth so far!
Preprint Alert! 🦥 We produced complete genomes for 2 Xenarthra and placed them in a mammalian comparative framework. We found that Xenarthra harbour the largest number of retrocopies in mammals! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Retrocopy formation and domestication shape genome evolution in sloths and other xenarthrans
Xenarthrans, comprising sloths, anteaters, and armadillos, represent one of the most morphologically and physiologically specialised mammalian clades, yet the genomic basis of their adaptations remain...
biorxiv.org
How many chromosomes can an animal have? In our paper out now in @currentbiology.bsky.social we show that the Atlas blue butterfly has 229 chromosome pairs- the highest in diploid Metazoa! These arose by rapid autosome fragmentation while sex chromosomes stayed intact. www.cell.com/current-biol...
Constraints on chromosome evolution revealed by the 229 chromosome pairs of the Atlas blue butterfly
The genome of the Atlas blue butterfly contains ten times more chromosomes than most butterflies, and more than any other known diploid animal. Wright et al. show that this extraordinary karyotype is ...
tinyurl.com
That is, Oceania looks like a source for Asian species, not the reverse! Here’s the preprint.
Caenorhabditis diversity on Pohnpei, Micronesia, provides evidence that the Elegans Supergroup has its roots in the Americas and diversified in the Pacific en route to Asia
The microscopic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans stands unrivaled as a model for developmental biology, neurobiology, and genetics, but fundamental aspects of its ecology, biogeography, and natural his...
biorxiv.org
C. elegans is a real animal and we set out to understand how it comes to have its distinctive biogeography. Its ancestral center of diversity is in the higher elevation forests of Hawaii. Its closest relatives are spread across east Asia. Did they travel from Asia? [Preprint 🧵]
Celebrating the publication of our big collaborative spatial-social meta-analysis of density-dependent transmission effects, out now in Nature Eco Evo! doi.org/10.1038/s415... (or rdcu.be/eD6eB)
