Could a £50,000,000 experimental evolution experiment set us up to think differently about evolutionary biology? To enable a shift from a (largely) retrospective mindset to one of forecasting evolutionary changes?
Yannick Wurm
@yannickwurm.bsky.social
Ants, pollinators, evolution, genomes. Prof @ Queen Mary U London, Founder @ Pragmatic Genomics & Pollinatework https://wurmlab.com https://sequenceserver.com - Genomic results fast https://sensibee.io - Pollinator monitoring for the 21st century
My favorite myrmecological writer is Mark Deyrup, who reminds us even in his technical books that what we do is fun and we should talk about it like it is. (from The Ants of Florida)
Could we get reliable medium-term evolutionary forecasting for eukaryotes? What type of physics-scale experiment could change how we think about predicting evolution? If you're at #SMBE2026, grab Richard Nichols or me to help us craft a potential @aria-research.bsky.social moonshot investment.
#SMBE2026 S23: Gene editing as a driver of evolution: advances, challenges, consequences and frontiers 🗓️ Wed Jul 1, 4:50pm 🔗 smbe2026.org/programme Talks by: Simon Lillico Richard Frankham Ben Novak Thomas Birley @yannickwurm.bsky.social
We've just funded ARIA's first Engineering Ecosystem Resilience projects! Some upcoming events: + June 19th @ Exeter: luma.com/769a2wq2 + LCAW Wednesday 24th: lnkd.in/eG8bs4t4 + LCAW Thursday 25th: Machines in the Wild luma.com/0szx6bcb
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)@aria-research.bsky.social · 2mo agoMeet our Engineering Ecosystem Resilience seed Creators 🌱 Backed by up to £500k, these projects span advanced ecosystem sensing, nature-based interventions, autonomous robots and molecular tools for conservation. Discover the teams: link.aria.org.uk/EER-seed-creators-BS
"The median time from sting to cardiac arrest is 15 minutes, but the maximum period is around three hours."
Alex Wild@alexwild.bsky.social · 4mo agoThe wikipedia entry for Myrmecia pilosula starts well enough. But, this is an Australian ant, so the article ends with a photograph of a hospital and an extensive discussion of medical interventions.
Ant folks 🐜🐜🐜, we are looking for colonies of Linepithema iniquum in Europe. They were reported from the Wales Botanic Garden a few years ago. Are you aware of any other indoor populations?
We just completed our first round of opportunity seed funding for the Engineering Ecosystem Resilience space. This is a new field for @aria-research.bsky.social , and one that set a new record for numbers of seed applications.
The coolest job
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)@aria-research.bsky.social · 5mo agoThe search for ARIA’s next cohort of Programme Directors has begun 🚀 As a PD you will design and manage a ~£50M programme to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. Applications open August 2026 for a May 2027 start - register your interest: https://bit.ly/418ltvy
Call for Accelerated Adaptation concepts (3 pages) is open until March 6th 2pm.
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)@aria-research.bsky.social · 5mo agoOur February update is live. 🚀 Dive in for: - The latest news from ARIA - PD @yannickwurm.bsky.social on his Accelerated Adaptation programme - A Q&A with Samuele Marro – a Creator driving a pre-programme discovery project for Scaling Trust ariaresearch.substack.com/p/february-u...
Apparently some paints contain chemicals attractive to ants, which leads the ants to create really intricate patterns as they cut away and carry off paint chips. From Reddit:
From the ants community on Reddit: Just saw some artsy ants in Dominican Republic, creating a cool pattern through paint!
Explore this post and more from the ants community
reddit.com
New #PhD on #bees (BeeHd?)! Despite the ad saying "UK Students only", a limited number of scholarships are available for international candidates. So please apply!
Vivek Nityananda@viveknityananda.bsky.social · 6mo agoNew PhD alert! We'll be applying animal welfare ideas to look at how stress affects bees, looking at the effect on bee brains with @lenariab.bsky.social, and working with @sensibee.bsky.social developing new monitoring methods. Please spread the word! #bees #PhD 🧪 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Salle C 14:15 @popgroup2026.bsky.social I'm excited to help you understand how to engage with ARIA's current funding call (projects up to 500k, 3 pager, international ok, closing Feb 2nd), and help shape what will hopefully soon follow. #PGG59
The world is changing faster than nature can adapt. One in four species risks extinction within the next century. These losses are not just tragic; they threaten the foundations of our civilisation.
More ARIA Engineering Ecosystem Resilience news - two jobs and and two meetings: A. Hiring ASAP: We’re hiring a genes-to-ecosystems/conservation thinker for 6 months (London-based, up to £550/day). Apply quick, we'll start reviewing applications on Monday 10th. forms.monday.com/forms/d00798...
Engineering Ecosystem Resilience - Technical Consultant | WorkForms
From requests, feedback to data collection and more. Turn your insights into action with customizable WorkForms.
forms.monday.com
Big news: ARIA's Engineering Ecosystem Resilience (EER) opportunity space has begun funding, we're hiring, and we're sharing our (tentative) roadmap.
A September highlight for me is always the Centre for Ecology & Evolution's Autumn Mixer symposium - a fantastic event that pulls together great scientists from across London's diverse institutions. This Friday the 19th, Mojca Kristan is hosting it at LSHTM. www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/e...
We’re looking to fund ~10 short discovery projects to dive into potential research directions for a programme within our Engineering Ecosystem Resilience opportunity space, led by @yannickwurm.bsky.social. Find out more + apply by 18 September: link.aria.org.uk/eer-preprogd...
Engineering Ecosystem Resilience
Living organisms underpin our food, climate stability, and materials – ecological collapse threatens the foundations of civilisation. By pairing advanced monitoring with resilience-boosting interventi...
link.aria.org.uk
We're funding ~ten 3-month projects within our Engineering Ecosystem Resilience space with up to £20k each. (Apply by September 18th)
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)@aria-research.bsky.social · 11mo agoWe’re looking to fund ~10 short discovery projects to dive into potential research directions for a programme within our Engineering Ecosystem Resilience opportunity space, led by @yannickwurm.bsky.social. Find out more + apply by 18 September: link.aria.org.uk/eer-preprogd...
@aria-research.bsky.social at #eseb2025 starting in 122/123 at 5pm. We'll have drinks too 🍻
Yannick Wurm@yannickwurm.bsky.social · 12mo ago👉 What do you think could be the most impactful focus for a major new R&D effort to strengthen ecosystem resilience? We would love your input. Please share your thoughts via the form and/or grab us at #ESEB2025 next week. We want to get this right.
I am delighted to share v1 of the Engineering Ecosystem Resilience Opportunity Space, built with Seth Barribeau, Alice Pettitt, Georgina Leadley, and others within + beyond ARIA. I am hopeful that judicious use of new technologies could help put humanity and nature onto a more mutualistic pathway.
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)@aria-research.bsky.social · 12mo agoCivilisation is reliant on nature, but global ecosystems are collapsing. In our latest opportunity space, PD Yannick Wurm is asking: how can we engineer resilient ecosystems to enable both humanity and nature to thrive? Dive in + share feedback: link.aria.org.uk/EER-BS
We’re looking for our next CEO. With strong foundations in place, long-term backing secured, and a bold research portfolio underway, this is an exciting moment for our next leader to step in. Learn more: ariaresearch.substack.com/p/a-new-chap...
A new chapter: We’re looking for ARIA’s next CEO
In creating ARIA, the UK government recognised an opportunity for a new, experimental model of R&D to transform the future of the UK – and we have moved fast to seize the moment and attract the best t...
ariaresearch.substack.com
I'm incredibly excited to share that I'm joining ARIA as a Programme Director, alongside seven other brilliant minds from across science, engineering, and technology. ARIA’s mission is to push into entirely new scientific and technical frontiers—I'm thrilled to be part of it.
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)@aria-research.bsky.social · last yr.Introducing our second cohort of Programme Directors – a group of world-class scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, with proven track records for building ventures, communities and technologies of societal and economic significance. 🚀 link.aria.org.uk/programme-di... (1/3)
Eclipse time in London! Seen from the bridge over the Regent's Canal by Coal Drops Yard.
Is there an AI tool that can look over my shoulder all day, and remind me to get back to what I was doing when I get distracted? (like a coach!) I'd love to have this.
I love it when a small tweak can make a huge impact - hopefully this holds true! "Linux kernel tweak could cut data center power usage by up to 30%" www.networkworld.com/article/3811...