How did eukaryotic cells with complex architecture evolve from simpler prokaryotic cells? DNA analyses offer possible answers go.nature.com/4sEMwLH

End-of-year preprint dump! A collaboration with @messorensen.bsky.social and German and Korean colleagues: "The phylogenetic context for the origin of a unique purple-green photosymbiosis " doi.org/10.64898/202...

3️⃣ Hepatitis B virus is very stable in the environment, capable of remaining infectious for weeks and even months on surfaces. 5/9

What an out-of-this-world view!

What is the most profitable industry in the world, this side of the law? Not oil, not IT, not pharma. It's *scientific publishing*. We call this the Drain of Scientific Publishing. Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820 Background: doi.org/10.1162/qss_... Thread @markhanson.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy 👇

In late April, we welcomed a brand-new American Red Wolf pup to the pack! With less than 30 individuals left in the wild, this little girl is a crucial part of her species' conservation success. Luckily, she's doing well and has recently found her voice 🐺🎶🌍

As national medical, scientific, public health and patient organizations, we call for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure the health of the American people. Read our statement: asm.org/press-releas...

I gave a symposium talk at the European Society for Evolutionary Biology 2025 (#eseb2025) meeting last week and this was my title slide showcasing how I was speaking as an independent scientist because @dalhousieu.bsky.social @dalhousie.bsky.social has locked us out.

Congratulations, @messorensen.bsky.social!

Such a great week full of symbiosis science, good food, and great company with @mixotrophe.bsky.social visiting the ECSO Lab (ecsolab.com)!

Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons... Application Deadline July 31, 2025

So excited to listen to this tomorrow!

Kailash Venkatraman, Nicolas-Frédéric Lipp & @ibudin.bsky.social examine the similarities between prokaryotic intracytoplasmic membranes & mitochondrial IMs, & discuss whether cristae evolution has driven specialisation of the #mito lipidome. journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/... #JCSMitoSI

Thank you @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social for visiting us! Some really interesting thinking and data on HGT in microbial ecology and evolution!

1/3 Why does the US lead the world in the number of clinical trials? How come americans are given the unique chance to get the latest treatment and a fighting chance against often incurable diseases? That's all thanks to research and the support from the NIH!

Students of my new course Cell Diversity and Evolution learn principles of phylogenetics using Camin's caminalcules

Despite the cold, Piglette is back to announce the January 2025 edition of our open access textbook on Economic Principles in Cell Biology! Explore the latest updates and learn how you can contribute to our growing community: principlescellphysiology.org/book-economi...

What's a recent undergraduate student-friendly review on mitochondrion-related organelles? Looking for suggested readings for a new course on cell evolution 🙂 @cstairs.bsky.social @freejakoba.bsky.social @dackslabecb.bsky.social

I am looking for an ERC-funded postdoc to work on spatial proteomics of microalgae (red algae and glaucophytes). The ideal candidate will have experience with mass spec and data analysis (R), but above all a keen interest in broad eukaryote evolution and protists #protistsonsky (1/2)

We are still looking for two PhD students to join the lab! If you are interested in the origins of cellular complexity and/or (photo-)symbiosis, get in touch! ecsolab.com/opportunities/ Please share 🙏

Tom Richards and colleagues summarize our current understanding of LECA and outline future directions in: "Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes" doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Dr. Brett Baker talking about the Asgard archaeal roots of eukaryotic life #PurdueBIO

🚨The ECSO Lab at Purdue is looking for *two* PhD students and *one* postdoctoral researcher for the projects *“The energetic costs of new genes and cellular complexity”* and *“The physiology and metabolism of common and rare photosymbiotic associations.”* Please share 🙏

Does the origin of cellular complexity impose higher energetic demands? I explore this idea here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1iWzX,L%7E... (50-day free acess)

From Reviewer 1: "The article was/is a pleasure to read and I picked up new ideas: thank you for that. You stated that you wanted to '...to add conceptual clarity to some of the long-standing issues…'. I think you succeeded in doing so." 🥰