How do species interactions and temperature interact to shape egg-to-adult viability in sub-tropical and tropical #Drosophila species? Vanessa Kellerman Carla Sgro and co-authors found the presence of other species tended to negatively impact egg-to-adult viability. doi.org/10.1002/ecy....

Species interactions shape the thermal performance curve and distribution of tropical <fi>Drosophila</fi> species

Decades of research have demonstrated the importance of temperature in dictating species distributional limits. We know species interactions also play a key role, but we lack a predictive framework f....

doi.org

High light can damage the photosynthetic apparatus in plants through an over-reduction of the photosynthetic electron transport #PET chain, production of #ROS and damage to proteins and membranes. Marten Moore @mariaermakova.bsky.social at al have investigated a work-around doi.org/10.1016/j.mo....

Can developmental plasticity mitigate the physiological consequences of genomic discordance? Stefano Bettinazzi @dk-dowling.bsky.social et al. found early-life mitochondrial stress induced by dietary modulation promotes mitochondrial homeostasis and longevity. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42412929/

Can habitats disturbed by humans, prime species for successful invasion of similar habitats elsewhere? The Anthropgenically Induced Adaptation to Invade hypothesis #AIAI is hard to test. Arnaud Estoup Kathryn Hodgins and co-authors provide insights to this problem doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...

How does the probability of survival and fertility change with age and early-life experience? In a rare field test Will Morgan Hayley Cameron and @djmmeeg.bsky.social found that adult bryozoans that experienced greater early-life stress had lower fitness overall academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...

Early-life stress reduces senescence in the field for an indeterminately growing ectotherm

Abstract. Theory predicts that aged-related declines in performance (senescence) depend on experiences during early life. Experimental field tests of this

academic.oup.com

Can we change the way rice use CO2 to increase photosynthetic efficiency and yield? Kuenzang Om @mariaermakova.bsky.social and colleagues think they can. A recent study investigates how C4-PEPC from maize (ZmPEPC) functions biochemically when expressed in rice. academic.oup.com/plphys/advan...

Expression of maize PEPC in rice reveals a strategy for establishing a functional C4 CO2-concentrating mechanism

Engineering rice to increase carbon capture efficiency requires fine-tuning enzyme regulation in addition to boosting the amount.

academic.oup.com

Fresh from fieldwork in remote Western Australia, @monashbiol.bsky.social PhD student Jing-Chia Guo (co-supervised with @annempeters.bsky.social) talking about his research on heat stress in purple crowned fairy wrens @animbehav.bsky.social #assab2026 #Bobwonglab

Native and invasive fish differ in their response to pharmaceutical pollution with consequences for species interactions. Raiko Rafeeq presents the results of her @monashbiol.bsky.social PhD work at #ISBE2026. #BobWongLab

Resolving data deficiency in a cryptic skink: distribution, threats and an Endangered conservation status for the Bungle Bungle robust slider (Lerista bunglebungle) connectsci.au/pc/article/d...

Can we improve translocation management for conservation? Xenia Münger, Carly Cook & Carlo Pacioni ran simulations and showed an increase in genetic diversity from translocations; introduced variation may outweigh the loss of local variation. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...

Second thoughts about first principles in biology: Trends in Ecology & Evolution www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Second thoughts about first principles in biology

First-principles approaches, based on physics or chemistry, are key pillars of biological theory. Despite their value, there are recurrent problems with many first-principles approaches in biology: th...

cell.com

How important is mitochondrial DNA in conservation? Jack Brand, @dk-dowling.bsky.social and co-authors argue that ignoring mtDNA risks unintended maladaptation and that mitochondrial and nuclear genetics should be considered jointly in conservation planning. www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

The importance of mitochondrial DNA introgression for conservation

Human-mediated gene flow is increasingly altering the genetic composition of populations, yet conservation assessments typically focus on nuclear introgression alone. We synthesise evidence showing th...

cell.com

Rhiannon Eastment @bbmwong.bsky.social and colleagues found no difference in growth and reproduction of weedfish exposed to a pervasive oestrogenic pollutant found in female contraceptive pills. watermark02.silverchair.com/xaag062.pdf?...

Tiny, depigmented, blind, slender isopods called Microcerberidae have finally had confirmation that they belong in the order Asellota. Christophe Douady, Kelly Merrin and co-authors have used sequence data for 8 slow evolving nuclear genes to confirm this onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

Molecular Evidence for the Placement of Microcerberidae (Crustacea: Isopoda) Within the Suborder Asellota and Invalidity of the Suborder Microcerberidea

Since their discovery, the question of the phylogenetic position of Microcerberidae within Isopoda has been widely debated. Initially perceived as close relatives of the Anthuridae, the debate has sh...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

A case study of a 22-year-old patient with cystic fibrosis and identified for phage therapy, found pre-existing phage antibodies. These antibodies may have contributed to clinical failure by effectively neutralizing the phage. www.nature.com/articles/s41... @jeremyjbarr.bsky.social

Cross-reactive anti-prophage antibodies and bacterial heteroresistance implicated in phage therapeutic failure - Nature Medicine

A 22-year-old patient with cystic fibrosis and chronic, drug-resistant Bordetella bronchialis infection received compassionate-use phage therapy. Serum samples revealed that pre-existing antiphage imm...

nature.com

Does it matter if single celled organisms are getting smaller as the world gets hotter? @djmmeeg.bsky.social and colleagues found that size-function relationships have been mis-estimated with worrying consequences for global carbon pumps. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42087558/

Annual lab group photo tradition initiated - here’s the Evolutionary & Conservation Genomics Group, May 2026. I am so lucky to work with these fabulous folks! @monashbiol.bsky.social @monashscience.bsky.social

How does having a large neighbour affect resource acquisition in sand gobies? Topi Lehtonen @bbmwong.bsky.social and Natarsha Babic found that males were able to adjust their resource-holding strategies in response to environmental and social conditions. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The interplay between resources, body size and neighbours in competition over nesting opportunities in sand gobies

In many species, both the distribution and quality of nesting resources can influence the intensity and outcome of competitive interactions and, ultim…

sciencedirect.com

What can muscles tell us about prey capture and locomotion? Riya Bidaye Alistair Evans and colleagues took advantage of roadkill of 3 species of dasyurids. The results support the known trend of conserved forelimb musculature in marsupials. anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Congratulations to Sean Layh, artist and @monashbiol.bsky.social @monashscience.bsky.social @monashuniversity.bsky.social graduate, on winning the Packing Room prize at this year’s Archibald at the Art Gallery of NSW! 🎨

How do we manage data deficient species? Luke Bonifacio and colleagues have found lots of gaps in the management of these taxa but after receiving some data practitioners were more likely to specifically manage these species. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Raising practitioner awareness to improve conservation of Data Deficient species: Evidence from before-and-after interviews

The IUCN Red List recommends that Data Deficient (DD) species are afforded the same conservation attention as threatened taxa; yet, this is rarely fol…

sciencedirect.com

Facundo Romani and co-authors have investigated the role of transcription factors in order to uncover the ancestral roles that they played in early stages of land plant evolution. academic.oup.com/plphys/advan...

Storme De Scally et al describe how genomic and biological characterisation of bacteriophages help us better understand bacteria-phage ecological and evolutionary dynamics in natural and synthetic communities. @mikejmcd.bsky.social @jeremyjbarr.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Luciano Beheregaray and colleagues have put together a special issue on genetic rescue. The articles identify opportunities and limitations and underscore its potential to improve resilience, adaptive capacity, and the long- term persistence of biodiversity. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

can we disentangle the effects of clonality and hybridity and quantify the relative degree to which these characteristics contribute to differences in mitochondrial function, organismal performance and fitness? Randy Klabacka and co. suggest some strategies royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...

Rethinking mitochondrial heteroplasmy: selection, conflict and adaptation url: royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...

Rethinking mitochondrial heteroplasmy: selection, conflict and adaptation

Abstract. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation is increasingly recognized for its role in shaping evolutionary changes at the species and population levels.

royalsocietypublishing.org

Can we improve our understanding and predict species' invasion processes? Andhika Putra urges invasion biologists to integrate genomic and phenotypic data into multivariate frameworks to better understand their respective roles in driving the invasion process. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

Variable Genetic Architecture Limits Cross‐Range Genomic Prediction of Functional Traits in Invasive Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

Functional trait expression is a potentially powerful predictor of invasion success, but the reliability of trait-based predictions across populations depends on the consistency of genetic architectu....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Exposure to an antidepressant can affect spatial learning in male guppies pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.... @jackmanera.bsky.social @bbmwong.bsky.social

Neuroactive Pollution Disrupts Cognition in Fish by Causing Sex-Specific Effects on Spatial Learning

Cognition underpins how animals perceive, navigate, and respond to their environment, yet these fundamental processes are increasingly threatened by environmental pollutants. Neuroactive pharmaceutica...

pubs.acs.org

How can Australia's area-based conservation be more strategically targeted in order to contribute to achieving the biodiversity goals? James Watson and co-authors tackle this question here: conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

Beyond area: Evaluating Australia's contribution to Aichi Target 11 and implications for 30 × 30

Australia has expanded its land-based protected areas significantly between 2010 and 2022, increasing overall coverage from 12.1% to 22.3% and improving the protection of intact landscapes. However, ...

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

A recent study on connectivity between populations of the Red-Tailed Tropic bird suggests that occasional long-distance movements between Great Barrier Reef and northwestern Australia occurs. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Spatial genetic structure and connectivity in established colonies of red-tailed tropicbirds across a tropical longitudinal axis - Conservation Genetics

Conservation Genetics - Like most seabirds, red-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) spend most of their lives at sea, returning to islands only to breed. Despite their well-known capacity for...

link.springer.com