Tessera

Steven Marygold

@steven-flybase.bsky.social

Curator, nomenclature advisor and group coordinator at FlyBase (Cambridge UK). Special interest in Drosophila metabolic pathways, enzymes, ncRNAs and gene groups.

11 Posts72 Follower 45 Folgt

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlyBase release FB2026_02 is live! As of this release we now have 2000 gene group reports🎉, including 1453 ‘classical’ gene group reports flybase.org/lists/FBgg, 399 protein complex reports flybase.org/lists/FBgg/c..., 96 metabolic pathway reports flybase.org/lists/FBgg/m... (continued)

FlyBase - Gene Group List

FlyBase: a database for drosophila genetics and molecular biology

flybase.org

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New metabolic pathway reports in this release cover AMINO ACID DERIVATIVE METABOLISM (7 reports) flybase.org/reports/FBgg..., NEUROTRANSMITTER METABOLISM (8 reports) flybase.org/reports/FBgg..., PIGMENT BIOSYNTHESIS (4 reports) flybase.org/reports/FBgg..., (more)

Pathway: AMINO ACID DERIVATIVE METABOLISM

FlyBase: a database for drosophila genetics and molecular biology

flybase.org

Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center @bdsc.bsky.social · last mo.

We are pleased to announce a major donation to support the work of the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center. Lawerence Washington, husband of former BDSC director Kathy Matthews, has established an endowment in her honor. bdsc.indiana.edu/news-events/...

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The 2026 Drosophila Community Service Award was presented earlier this month at #DROS26. This year's recipients were the REDFly Database Team and the FlyBase Developer Team, for their roles in the development of online repositories for the dissemination of Drosophila data.

The committee for the 2026 Drosophila Community Service Award for outstanding community service included Michelle Arbeitman (Co-chair), Cale Whitworth (Co-chair), Elizabeth Chen, Lydia Grmai, Amy Kiger, and Steven Marygold.

The Community Service Award recipients for 2026 were the REDFly Database Team and the FlyBase Developer team, for their roles in development of online repositories for the dissemination and analysis of Drosophila data.

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 5mo ago

FlyBase release FB2026_01 is live! There is news about FlyBase funding. Go to the FlyBase homepage flybase.org for details.

FlyBase Funding Update – March 2026

The NHGRI funding for FlyBase has been restored for US-based FlyBase teams but the foreign subaward that supported the essential curation team at the University of Cambridge UK has been terminated. Therefore, the Cambridge UK team now requests annual contributions from fly labs to support curation of new data into FlyBase and the Alliance of Genome Resources. Without these annual contributions, FlyBase will become frozen in its current state and become progressively less useful.

Please visit the ‘Contribute to FlyBase’ wiki page for details of how to contribute.

Alliance of Genome Resources @alliancegenome.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The March Alliance webinar is next week, March 19 at noon EDT. Tim Schedl (WormBase) & Steven Marygold (FlyBase) will speak on 'Nomenclature in Wormbase & FlyBase. Register for a Zoom link tinyurl.com/4f9ycybt by 11pm EDT on 3/18.

Alliance Of Genome Resources Event Registration

Webinar recordings are posted at https://www.youtube.com/@AllianceOfGenomeResources A schedule of future events is on the Alliance Events Calendar https://www.alliancegenome.org/event-calendar

tinyurl.com

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 5mo ago

#DROS26 starts tomorrow! Sadly, most of FlyBase will not be there this year. Brian Calvi, our Indiana University PI, will be speaking on "FlyBase: Past, Present, and Future" during the Techniques and Technology workshop (Sat. 3/7 7:70-7:45, Room Sheraton/Chicago 4-7). @briancalvi.bsky.social

Genetics Society of America @genetics-gsa.bsky.social · 5mo ago

New tools are transforming Drosophila research—from FlyBase updates and genome annotations to CRISPR and imaging innovations. Our latest blog post highlights key advances and why citation matters. Can’t attend #Dros26? Read more: buff.ly/OuYRtkV 1/2🧵

Genetics Society of America @genetics-gsa.bsky.social · 6mo ago

📢 Important updates on @flybase.bsky.social @steven-flybase.bsky.social and the team updated #Drosophila enzymes database by adding absent gene ontology annotations and removing or fixing problematic ones. Learn more about these updates in #G3journal: buff.ly/dd3y2pN

Steven Marygold @steven-flybase.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Proud of latest publication on #Drosophila #enzymes at doi.org/10.1093/g3jo..., representing several years of diligent work enhancing fly enzyme annotations and display at @flybase.bsky.social and significant improvements of the #GeneOntology.

Comprehensive annotation of the enzymes of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract. We have completed a systematic survey of Drosophila melanogaster enzymes, improving the coverage and accuracy of their functional Gene Ontology a

doi.org

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 8mo ago

We have recently updated FlyCyc biocyc.org/DMEL/organis..., the pathway-genome database representing Drosophila metabolism, to include enzymatic complexes as well as further improvements to enzyme annotations. #FlyCyc is now classed as a ‘Tier 1 Highly Curated Organism Database’.

Screenshot of the FlyCyc page at https://biocyc.org.

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Release FB2025_05 of FlyBase.org is live! 'New this release' information is here flybase.org/static/new-t...

FlyBase: New In This Release

FlyBase: a database for drosophila genetics and molecular biology

flybase.org

Katy @katyboots.bsky.social · 8mo ago

So excited to finally be able to share my first paper and the culmination of my PhD work with @felipekteixeira.bsky.social 🪰🔬 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Systematic analysis of noncanonical ribosomal protein paralogs does not provide evidence for specialized functions in Drosophila

Michelle Arbeitman @marbeitman.bsky.social · 9mo ago

The FlyBoard is happy to announce the call for nominations for the Drosophila Community Service Award. Please submit your nomination by 01/16/2026 by email to: drosophilaserviceaward@gmail.com. Please repost.

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 9mo ago

🪰 folks! I spoke to the Transmitter about FlyBase. As noted at flybase.org, bridge $ ran out and many staff were laid off. Good news is stopgap contributions will keep core FlyBase operations active. But community support remains essential. Please donate @FlyBase and share! 1/2 tinyurl.com/FlyBase

FlyBase secures funding for year, but future still uncertain

The FlyBase team’s fundraising efforts have proven successful in the short term, but restoration of its federal grant remains uncertain.

tinyurl.com

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 10mo ago

There's an update on the state of FlyBase on the FlyBase.org front page. You can contribute to FlyBase at this link wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase... We express enormous gratitude to the people, labs, groups, and foundations who have already helped us. #FlyBase #Drosophila

FlyBase Update – October 2025
The termination of the NIH/NHGRI FlyBase grant has placed the long-term sustainability of FlyBase at risk. However, thanks to the generous support of several key individuals and institutions, we are pleased to announce that FlyBase will remain operational through the coming year. We extend our deepest gratitude to Yukiko Yamashita, Cassandra Extavour, Hugo Bellen, Thom Kaufman, the Genetics Society of America / Drosophila Board, the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center, an anonymous donor and the Wellcome Trust. We are especially thankful for a generous gift from Seemay Chou, Jed McCaleb, and The Navigation Fund. We also greatly appreciate the continued support from the broader Drosophila community – your donations and service fees have been vital in helping us stay afloat. Special thanks also go to Jessica Manning for her tireless administrative work at Harvard, to Ruth Lehmann, Hugo Bellen, and Paul Sternberg for advice and efforts, and to the Board of the European Drosophila Society for all their efforts. Sadly, we must also share that several long-standing FlyBase team members have recently moved on. We are immensely grateful to Susan Russo-Gelbart, Lynn Crosby, Gil dos Santos, Kris Broll, Victoria Jenkins, and TyAnna Lovato for their many years of dedicated service and contributions to FlyBase. Looking ahead, ensuring FlyBase’s sustainability beyond the next year – and successfully integrating with the Alliance – will require new funding sources. We kindly ask for your continued support:
• European labs: Please consider contributing to the Cambridge, U.K. FlyBase group
• U.S. and other non-European labs: Please consider contributing to the U.S. FlyBase groups
• Both U.K. and U.S. FlyBase are working diligently to establish an invoicing system. We appreciate your continued patience.
For more information on how to support us, please visit: Contribute to FlyBase wiki page https://wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase:Contribute_to_FlyBase

Alliance of Genome Resources @alliancegenome.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Nature has published an article on the crisis facing MODs Model organism databases face budget cuts and closures www.nature.com/articles/d41... @zfinmod.bsky.social @xenbase.bsky.social @yeastgenome.bsky.social @mousegenome.bsky.social @ratgenome.bsky.social @geneontology.bsky.social @nature.com

Model organism databases face budget cuts and closures

Beyond the crucial data they contain, these digital archives have provided an important space for academic communities to exchange ideas and resources.

nature.com

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 10mo ago

New metabolic pathway reports too: the GLUCOSYLCERAMIDE BIOSYNTHESIS flybase.org/reports/FBgg..., the GPI-ANCHOR PROTEIN BIOSYNTHESIS flybase.org/reports/FBgg... and the DOLICHYL PHOSPHATE BIOSYNTHESIS flybase.org/reports/FBgg... pathways. #MetabolicPathways

Pathway: GLUCOSYLCERAMIDE BIOSYNTHESIS

FlyBase: a database for drosophila genetics and molecular biology

flybase.org

European Drosophila Society @fly-eds.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Now the #EDB @flybase.bsky.social representative Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social is presenting #Flybase future plans

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 10mo ago

FlyBase will present posters 333 'Modeling the Mitochondrion: Building an Integrated Causal Model for Mitochondrial Processes using the Gene Ontology' and 335 'Building high-quality Genome-Scale Metabolic Models for Drosophila using the Gene Ontology' today at #EDRC2025

Steven Marygold @steven-flybase.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Just in time for the #EDRC2025: the #Drosophila metabolic network 'FlyCyc' has been updated at biocyc.org/organism-sum... Come and see poster P-335 on Saturday for more metabolic pathway models at #FlyBase.

biocyc.org

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 11mo ago

The FlyBase situation has made the national news www.nbcnews.com/science/scie...

Trump's Harvard cuts threaten a giant in biomedical research: A database about the tiny fruit fly

This spring, the Trump administration rescinded a grant that maintained FlyBase, a pillar of global basic research, as part of its broader $2.2 billion funding cuts at Harvard.

nbcnews.com

Perrimon Lab @perrimonlab.bsky.social · 11mo ago

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025... Harvard Funding Cuts Endanger the Massive Fruit Fly Database That Powers Genetic Research

Harvard Funding Cuts Endanger the Massive Fruit Fly Database That Powers Genetic Research | News | The Harvard Crimson

FlyBase lost a multimillion dollar grant when the Trump administration cut off Harvard’s federal funding in May. Now the repository is laying off staff — and researchers worldwide are worried.

thecrimson.com

Mark Peifer (He, him)@peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 12mo ago

The community of Drosophila researchers is amazing, mutually supportive and collaborative. Right now a key resource for our community, @flybase.bsky.social , is threatened by the cancellation of its NIH grant and is seeking community help in raising short term funds 1/n 🧪 please share

Dear Fly Community,

In May 2025, the NIH terminated all grant funding to Harvard University, including the NHGRI grant that supported FlyBase. This grant also funded FlyBase teams at Indiana University (IU) and the University of Cambridge (UK), and as a result, their subawards were also canceled.

The Cambridge team has secured support for one to two years through generous donations from the European fly community, emergency funding from the Wellcome Trust, and support from the University of Cambridge. At IU, funding has been secured for one year thanks to reserve funds from Thom Kaufman and a supplement from ORIP/NIH to the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center (BDSC).

Unfortunately, the situation at Harvard is far more critical. Harvard University had supported FlyBase staff since May but recently denied a request for extended bridge funding. As a result, all eight employees (four full-time and four part-time) were abruptly laid off, with termination dates ranging from August to mid-October depending on their positions. In addition, our curator at the University of New Mexico will leave her position at the end of August. This decision came as a shock, and we are urgently pursuing all possible funding options.

To put the need into perspective: although FlyBase is free to use, it is not free to make. It takes large teams of people and millions of dollars a year to create FlyBase to support fly research (the last NHGRI grant supported us with more than 2 million USD per annum).

To help sustain FlyBase operations, we have been reaching out to you to ask for your support. We have set up a donation site in Cambridge, UK, to which European labs have and can continue to contribute, and a new donation site at IU to which labs in the US and the rest of the world can contribute. We urge researchers to work with their grant administrators to contribute to FlyBase via these sites if at all possible, as more of the money will go to FlyBase. However, we appreciate that some fu…

https://wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase:Contribute_to_FlyBase

Our immediate goals are:

1. To maintain core curation activities and keep the FlyBase website online

2. To complete integration with the Alliance of Genome Resources (The Alliance).

Integration with the Alliance is essential for FlyBase’s long-term sustainability. For nearly a decade, NHGRI/NIH has supported the unification of Model Organism Databases (MODs) into the Alliance, which we aim to achieve by 2028. Therefore, securing bridge funding to sustain FlyBase over the next three years is crucial for successful integration and the long-term access to FlyBase data.

At present, our remaining funds will allow us to keep the FlyBase website online for approximately one more year. Beyond that, its future is uncertain unless new funding is secured. We will, of course, continue pursuing additional grant opportunities as they arise.

Given the uncertainty of future NIH or alternative funding sources, we are relying on the Fly community for support. Your contributions will directly help us retain the staff needed to complete this transition and to secure ongoing fly data curation into the Alliance beyond 2028.

We at FlyBase are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community during this challenging time. Your encouragement has strengthened our resolve and underscores how vital this resource remains to Drosophila research worldwide.

Sincerely,
The FlyBase Team

Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · 12mo ago

If you run a fly lab and have not yet contributed to save FlyBase, please look at our wiki page for the latest information!

FlyBase@flybase.bsky.social · 12mo ago

FlyBase needs your help! We ask that European labs continue to contribute to Cambridge, UK FlyBase, whereas US and other non-European labs can contribute to US FlyBase. For more information and how to donate: wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...

Cahir O'Kane @cahirokane.bsky.social · 12mo ago

UK taxpayers who donate to @flybase.bsky.social privately can use Gift Aid if they donate through the University of Cambridge philanthropy site (link below). This increases the value of your donation at no cost to yourself.

Mark A. Hanson@hansonmark.bsky.social · 12mo ago

A reminder you/your lab can support FlyBase at Cambridge through the following link. Every bit helps. Please share if you yourself can't donate. www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...

Brian Calvi @briancalvi.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Flybase is free to use but not free to make. It takes large teams of people and millions of dollars a year to create the knowledgebas and tools for fly research. Please donate generously.

FlyBase@flybase.bsky.social · 12mo ago

The Company of Biologists @biologists.bsky.social · last yr.

Our next extraordinary biologist is Norbert Perrimon, a @dmmjournal.bsky.social Editorial Advisory Board member and author of one of @dev-journal.bsky.social's most cited papers. #100biologists @perrimonlab.bsky.social