1. CRISPR came from basic research on bacteria. 2. Optogenetics started with a discovery in algae. 3. The GFP protein comes from jellyfish. The biggest breakthroughs all trace to scientists following their curiosity, and this is one huge reason why we must keep funding basic research!

New paper just dropped! Read on if you want to read about how traumatic insemination shapes the evolution of the bedbug seminal proteome, where we show rapidly evolving sperm proteins and an expansion of sperm leucylaminopeptidases. www.mcponline.org/article/S153... #Proteomics #Evolution #Bedbugs

Evolution and adaptations of the seminal proteome in an insect with traumatic insemination

The protein composition of sperm and seminal fluid are key to male fitness. However, we currently lack an understanding of the factors that shape seminal proteome composition. The common bedbug (Cimex...

mcponline.org

Most animal species pack sperm DNA with protamines instead of histones. Protamines are essential for male fertility. They are among the fastest-evolving genes in animals. That makes little sense. We think we know why, in a new paper led by @ching-hochang.bsky.social. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Rapid protamine evolution suppresses meiotic drive in Drosophila

Many animal species replace histones with protamines during spermatogenesis. Although essential for sperm function, protamines evolve rapidly for reasons that remain unknown. Using in vivo gene replac...

science.org

Rapid protamine evolution suppresses meiotic drive in Drosophila | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Rapid protamine evolution suppresses meiotic drive in Drosophila

Many animal species replace histones with protamines during spermatogenesis. Although essential for sperm function, protamines evolve rapidly for reasons that remain unknown. Using in vivo gene replac...

science.org

Now that we have moved coasts, I am thrilled to share that the ChromEvo (Raman) lab is officially open at UMass Boston 🎉 We ask how CHROMatin EVOlution leads to functional innovation and we are hiring at multiple levels. Read on and share with folks who maybe interested chromevoramanlab.github.io

Margaret Hamilton, the first female programmer hired to work on the Apollo project who ultimately led the 100-person team that guided Armstrong and Aldrin to a safe landing on the moon, dies at 90. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/07/o...

Margaret Hamilton, Whose Software Guided the Apollo Missions, Has Died

Margaret Hamilton, the first female programmer hired to work on the space project at M.I.T., was 90.

nytimes.com

Led by @helenahopson.bsky.social, with ERC doyen @nclark.bsky.social and labwork in collab with @sigalalab.bsky.social, we are happy to release an Evolutionary Rate Covariation (ERC) resource for Plasmodium, published in @genomebiolevol.bsky.social. academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...

Evolutionary Rate Covariation Across Malaria Parasite Species Enables Inference of Protein Interactions

Abstract. Despite publication of the Plasmodium falciparum reference genome over 20 years ago, one-third of its genes remain functionally unannotated, and

academic.oup.com

Are you looking for a postdoc exploring the cell biology of development, defining how cells change shape and move? Do you want to develop a research program & teaching skills preparing you for a position at a college or small University? Our new NIH grant will support those goals 1/n Please share

A genome quality control program for the haploid stage of spermatogenesis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.27.740997v1

Exciting news: @uwgenome.bsky.social will be hiring for two tenure-track faculty positions this year, one open rank and one assistant professor. Both are “Genome Sciences” interpreted broadly so we welcome applicants working in a variety of fields and methods. Ad will be out shortly.

Dr. Hopson’s application of Evolutionary Rate Covariation in malaria discovers functional clusters related to virulence and a new invasion gene!

Genome Biology and Evolution@genomebiolevol.bsky.social · last mo.

Hopson et al. investigated relative evolutionary rate covariation across the genome in 22 Plasmodium species to show that known pathways and interacting proteins across lifecycle stages have strong signals of rate covariation. 🔗 academic.oup.com/gbe/article/... #societyjournal #genome #evolution

UMass Amherst Dept of Biology is hiring a TT faculty member in Evolutionary Biology! careers.umass.edu/jobs/assista... We have a diverse and wonderful dept - please consider joining us!

Assistant Professor - Evolutionary Biology - Amherst, Massachusetts, United States

Title: Assistant Professor - Evolutionary Biology Executive Area: Academic Affairs College/School/MBU: College of Natural Sciences Department: Biology Work Location: Amherst Schedule: Full Time Work A...

careers.umass.edu

What are the genetic mechanisms for the #evolution of novel traits? This study by @brhopkins92.bsky.social &co links #Drosophila sex comb teeth to expression changes within ancestral cells, leading to diverged metabolic/developmental rates, and a novel structure. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/4gQOnZK

My lab has an open staff position. It's for 1 year; could be nice for a recent grad building up their experience. But please share promptly: apps due by end of Thursday! The focus is on variation among labs' copies of common lab stocks like Canton-S & Oregon-R. jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/researc...

Research Specialist - Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.Job Category:Academic StaffEmployment Type...

jobs.wisc.edu

New NSF BIO solicitation is live.... this replaces the previous IOS, MCB, DEB solicitation www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

Ten simple rules for equitable pedagogy in BIG classes! Great stuff by CPB postdoc Julia Harencar, @robindecker.bsky.social and others! osf.io/preprints/ed...

Holy Cross Biology is hiring this year for two positions! I am chairing our search in molecular biology: apply.interfolio.com/191081 We're looking for candidates committed to inclusive excellence in teaching and who will expand our capacity for undergraduate research. I'm happy to field questions.

Come be our colleague. I have been in this Division for 27 years (4 as a postdoc and 23 as a PI). It is an amazing place to work, collaborate, and be inspired. If you are applying to be an Assistant or Associate Professor this Fall, don't miss this deadline.

Fred Hutch Basic Sciences Division@basicsci.fredhutch.org · 2mo ago

Join @FredHutch.org's Basic Sciences Division as an Assistant or Associate Professor and help shape the future of fundamental biology. We welcome applicants whose work will complement, extend, or bring new directions to the division.

Come join the @socialfluids.bsky.social lab in Cambridge to study the evolution of Socially Transferred Materials! Fun new HFSP project btwn UK, NL and Costa Rica! Deadline September 7th #Postdoc #JobAlert #Evolution #Bioinformatics #STM #socialfluids www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc... leboeuflab.com

Pls share. Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences - Genetics/Genomics at Smith College. apply.interfolio.com/190342

My great technician is leaving the lab, and I'm trying to replace her. Are you or someone you know interested in evolutionary genomics research that combines animals experiments (with flies!) and molecular biology? Come work with me! Application info at the link evoldir.net/brian/evoldi...

Did you know that the flowers of avocado trees change sex every day? Scientists have noticed this nearly 100 years ago but only now do we how it works. Life is amazing.

Avocado flowers switch sex daily—now we know why

New work explains how avocado trees coordinate a complex reproductive strategy, switching every day between male and female

scientificamerican.com

Biology is once again full of surprises most if us couldn’t dream up if we tried.

Jeff Groh@jeffgroh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Avocados come in 2 varieties - A-types start each day female and switch to male midday. B-types do the reverse. In work just published from the last chapter of my PhD, we show this system evolved 40+million yrs ago and is regulated by alleles of 1 transcription factor www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Humans and bacteria share strategies to defend against viruses. We wondered: could they use each other's genes? Yes, both can! Bacteria can use human immune genes to defend against phages AND Human cells can use bacterial genes for viral defense. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Bacterial and human exonucleases mediate interkingdom antiviral immunity

All kingdoms of life have developed strategies to limit viral infection. In humans, interferons induce a suite of antiviral factors that collectively provide immunity. Some human immune genes are homo...

biorxiv.org

🚨 Heads up. Time to keep submitting comments. NSF is planning to comply in advance to OMB proposed grant policies. Comment by Aug 24. You should be an expert on this now!!

Dr. K. Lotterhos@drk-lo.bsky.social · 3mo ago

OUR WORK IS NOT DONE. In unusual move, NSF issued a request for information on plan to conform grant policies to the proposed (unfinalized) OMB rule. Plan includes changes to grant termination provisions & disallowing publication costs. Comments due August 24. www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

New genes play a prominent role in evolution of new sperm classes of Drosophila https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.10.737682v1

Kudos to the #SMBE2026 organizers for selecting plenary speakers who have given excellent, clear talks with broadly interesting science!

Excited to speak this afternoon at #SMBE2026 about our unpublished work on the effects of an orphan gene and its adaptive evolution on Drosophila spermatogenesis! Open 4 session, Main hall, ~2:05 pm.

We all know what sperm does. But what is its origin story? 🧬 Excited to be speaking about our #sperm #phyloproteomics work tomorrow 29th at 15:05 in the Main Hall in the grad student award symposium! #SMBE2026 An update from our preprint with @adriatica.bsky.social: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The origins and molecular evolution of sperm

Sperm is a nearly universal cell type among animals, yet its evolutionary origins remain unclear. Using comparative proteomics and phylogenomics across 32 species, we reconstruct the 700+ million year...

biorxiv.org

In Opinion The system that turned Gila monster venom into GLP-1 drugs is being dismantled through research budget cuts, Jeff Coller writes in a guest essay. “Less support for scientists means strange questions no one will get to chase. Exploring those questions is how medicine advances.”

Opinion | We Need to Keep Funding Weird Science

Science turned a serendipitous finding about lizard venom into one of the most important drugs of the century, but that type of research is getting harder to do.

nyti.ms