@vscooper.micropopbio.org An evolutionary biologist at the wheel!

ASM@asm.org · last mo.

Please welcome @vscooper.micropopbio.org as the new ASM President and Federico Sisti, Ph.D., as President-Elect. They begin their terms on July 1. ASM congratulates its new & continuing leaders and looks forward to their leadership in advancing ASM’s mission. asm.social/2Zx

This is such a brilliantly executed merger of molecular biology and evolution. It shows that there's so much more to learn even about well studied systems. Nice work @transcribe-or-die.bsky.social @aakashg20.bsky.social and Karen Arndt!

francette-lab.social@transcribe-or-die.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I am very proud to say my work with Karen Arndt, @nclark.bsky.social, and fellow co-first author @aakashg20.bsky.social is finally out in PLOS Bio . We explore the evolutionary history and conservation of core RNAPII transcription elongation factors! Cool stuff! doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003855

How has #evolution shaped Transcription Elongation Factors, important for #GeneExpression? This study by Alex Francette, Karen Arndt &co traces ten core factors to the last eukaryotic common ancestor, and shows they display both conserved and lineage-specific domains. 🧪#AcademicSky plos.io/4eaCUTJ

I heard from several sources yesterday that NIH is planning to release a Request for Information (RFI) that apparently will include this: Scores and percentiles for NIH grant applications will not be shared with applicants although they will be provided to NIH program officers and staff. 1/3

Huh Kermit

ALT: Huh Kermit

static.klipy.com

Want to impress reviewers? Make figures with: 1. fonts large enough to be read by a macroscopic organism I constantly review grants/manuscripts with 2-point font surrounded by tons of extra white space. Quadruple the font size. It's that easy! Contribute other pro tips below!

The ggpubfigs package just got more stable. Now, every time the code updates, it’s automatically tested on older, current, and development versions of R—which you can see on the green badge. I officially support R versions 4.4, 4.5, and the latest development release. (1/2)

In @nytopinion.nytimes.com “A lot of Americans are tired of being pitted against their neighbors and hunger to be brought together for a common purpose; they want common-sense solutions and to preserve our most cherished public institutions,” our columnist Thomas Friedman writes.

Opinion | How a Conservative Texas District Rejected the Politics of Division

Many Americans are growing both exhausted and frightened by Trump’s scorched-earth, hyperpartisan, fire-ready-aim approach to the presidency.

nyti.ms

Evolutionary Rate Covariation (ERC) analysis finds new Plasmodium protein involved in red blood cell invasion. An online resource and study with @helenahopson.bsky.social and @ellenleffler.bsky.social Paul Sigala and Jordan Little

Testing for positive selection *specific* to a set of foreground branches. A purpose-made method with Sergei Pond, @averyselberg.bsky.social, and Maria Chikina.

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology@biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 6mo ago

BUSTED-PH: Isolating the genomic signatures of convergent phenotypes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.29.702612v1

Such a cool study!

caecilianbiol.bsky.social@caecilianbiol.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🚨NEW PAPER 🚨 #Caecilians maintain a functional long-wavelength-sensitive cone opsin gene despite signatures of relaxed selection and more than 200 million years of fossoriality, published in Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...

Sigh. The #ColossalBio #DeExtinction #DisInformation campaign appears to be kicking into gear again — so too shall my truth telling. It’s a scam. 🧪 🐺 🦣 substack.com/@devoevomed/...

The Extinction of Truth

Or, a Colossal Pile of Bullshit

substack.com

Please find attached the annual progress report for our federal grant.

Wow A good explanation!

Sasha Gusev@sashagusevposts.bsky.social · 9mo ago

I wrote a little bit about the "missing heritability" question and several recent studies that have brought it to a close. A short 🧵

I’ve released a tool to sketch and edit phylogenetic trees! yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/ Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches. Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.

PhyloWeaver – Interactive phylogenetic tree editor

Edit and visualize phylogenetic trees directly in your browser. PhyloWeaver lets you interactively rearrange tree topologies and export high-quality figures for publications and presentations.

yawak.jp

I confirmed with the organizer of the Evomics workshops that we will be *unable* to extend the registration date. Please ensure your seat and register before November 15 :) bsky.app/profile/jlst...

🧬Jacob L Steenwyk@jlsteenwyk.bsky.social · 9mo ago

The full list of workshop instructors is available here. Registration closes November 15 🥳🥳 bsky.app/profile/jlst...

Looking forward to presenting but also learning from others!

🧬Jacob L Steenwyk@jlsteenwyk.bsky.social · 9mo ago

At the workshop on #Phylogenomics and #Evolutionary Genomics, @nclark.bsky.social will be giving a lecture and lab on linking #genotype-to-phenotype in a #phylogenetic framework Space is limited - register today to ensure your attendance! Registration link: evomics.org/apply-worksh...

Come join the workshop! Apply here: evomics.org/apply-worksh... bsky.app/profile/jlst...

Apply: Workshop on Phylogenomics 2026 - Evolution and Genomics

Application for the 2026 Workshop on Phylogenomics Use this form to apply for the 2026 Workshop on Phylogenomics being held in Cesky Krumlov, Czechia from 25th January through 7th February, ...

evomics.org

🧬Jacob L Steenwyk@jlsteenwyk.bsky.social · 10mo ago

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as a co-Director of the #Phylogenomics and Evolutionary #Genomics Workshop at Evomics workshops in the beautiful Czech Republic!

Excited to share this work, out today in MBE! In polar fishes, we found that antifreeze protein genes expanded in copy number at low temperatures and contracted in the deep sea, highlighting a role of depth and pressure in AFP evolution. 🔗 academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...

Exactly. Resist!

Alex Wild@alexwild.bsky.social · 10mo ago

The most effective way to oppose this political takeover is collective action from the academic community. If the first universities that sign Trump contracts face strong academic boycotts- no talks, no manuscript reviews, no interviews of graduates- that should dissuade others from signing.

Our Annual Reviews article is finally out! We aimed to capture a lot of comparative genomics in mammals, while pointing out challenges and new directions. With @ekopania.bsky.social

When my out-of-office email hits your inbox and you have one set too, why doesn’t it result in an infinite out-of-office emailing loop?

a black laptop is floating in the air with clouds behind it

ALT: a black laptop is floating in the air with clouds behind it

media.tenor.com

Grant writers of the NIH kind: Did you know the grant guide asks for Letters of Support from *all* senior personnel, Co-Is, etc...? I have never done this! Have you? I had no idea, just assumed they're funded on the grant and helped write it, so why?

Reupping support for journalism outlets not beholden to corporate interests. When everything is a commodity, it's worth asking where your news is coming from. What are your favorites? Mine are @apnews.com @propublica.org @theguardian.com @pbsnews.org @motherjones.com @haaretzcom.bsky.social

Congrats to lab postdoc, Dr. Emily Kopania, on being selected for a Catalyst Award from the Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine! Her project will develop a Virtual Reality experience demonstrating to students how other species see the world through their differing visual systems.

Germán Orizaola@gorizaola.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Nice interview to Katie Peichel @currentbiology.bsky.social I completely agree with her claims for more funding for curiosity-driven research, basic Science... Science. www.cell.com/current-biol...

There's this great showdown between Gothic and Brutalism a block from work at Pitt. Who will win?

New write up of our high altitude study by Dr. Allie Graham www.post-gazette.com/news/health/...

A new study, with Pitt research, reveals surprising adaptations of high-altitude mammals

Scientific discoveries don’t always follow the expected path, Pitt associate professor and genomic researcher Nathan Clark points out.

post-gazette.com

NEW: "Long the envy of the world…the CDC finds itself no longer able to advocate for what its scientists believe the best available research shows….The agency has since January shed literally centuries' worth of collective experience through a combination of firings, retirements, and resignations."

This Is What—and Who—We’re Losing in RFK’s Purge

The story of one scientist, a career in public health, and the crisis at the CDC.

thebulwark.com

Lab purchase for equipment made in Canada only. Guess who’s paying the tariff? Hint: it’s not the company!

NOA has arrived. Research continues in our little corner of the scientific world. Thanks to those NIH officials working hard to move things forward. We appreciate you.