Deeply unfortunate news for such a transformative class! I still refer to class slides and notes (some that are actively integrative into my lectures now) from many moons ago.

✴️Sea urchins have illuminated fertilization 🧫, early cleavage divisions 🔬, and gene regulation in embryonic patterning 🧬. A classic marine model that shaped our understanding of cell fate and axis formation. 📸 Image by Laurent Formery #ModelMonday #DevBio

2026 International Larval Biology Symposium will be held in Woods Hole, Massachusetts on Sept 27 to Oct 1 2026, featuring plenaries from Craig Young, Mary Sewell, and Jeanette Wheeler! You can rock larval swag at Dexter Davis' Etsy shop (Etsy.com/shop/NoDexerity) that will support students!

Say hello to our next set of members of the organizing committee for the Larval Biology Society! Get to know Shawn M. Arellano and Tyler Carrier!

Research (art) under the constraints of our systems (academia, funding agencies, etc.). Stress can breed beauty, but time remains that magical, antagonistic trait.

🎙️JOB ANNOUNCEMENT! I am seeking a scientist to design, implement, support, analyze, and report on research in the molecular biology of insect endosymbionts. Come join us in the tips of the Appalachian mountains for meaningful challenges in symbiosis science. psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Staff/jo...

🚨 Save the date! Thrilled to be co-organizing the next iteration of the @embl.org Symposium on the Cellular Mechanics of Symbiosis (📅 March 17-20), w/ @floravincent.bsky.social, @hassansalem.bsky.social & Tom Richards. www.embl.org/about/info/c... #EESSymbiosis #Symbiosis #SymbioSky #MicroSky 🦠

I am happy to announce publication of our new perspectives paper on applying evolutionary theory to host-microbiome evolution - new tricks for old dogs! @bweek.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de @transevo.bsky.social @crc1182.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We are welcoming applications for a full professorship on Molecular and Evolutionary Zoology at Kiel Univerdity, Northern Germany, with fantastic facilities and infrastructure! @uni-kiel.de @crc1182.bsky.social @transevo.bsky.social www.nature.com/naturecareer...

I still think about this 2018 “American Gut” study every time I go grocery shopping - eating MORE than 30 types of plants per week boosts diversity in your gut microbiome, and also reduces antibiotic resistance genes in your body journals.asm.org/doi/epub/10....

Class activity today was for students to calculate, as a group, what percent of the human holobiont is host. One student left saying, “damn, my world is shook.”

Doctoral position on genomic basis of Fucus (brown algal) local adaptation - join our exciting #Fubluc team! Fully funded for 3.5 years & we also consider candidates with strong molecular or bioinformatic skillls but no marine / algal experience, see www.geomar.de/en/karriere/...

We are so proud of our sea star wasting work that came out today. This interactive article is very complete and includes beautiful videos. Unmasking the Sea Star Killer www.biographic.com/unmasking-th...

two sentences from the abstract of a paper that resonate with us way more than you can imagine...

From 1 genome for 15 years to 50+ hologenomes! Big moment in sponge evolutionary biology, and for understanding early animal evolution and host-microbe symbiosis!

The coast of Maine is so lovely; its vibe puts my soul at ease.

Our article on the challenges and opportunities in studying host-microbe symbioses is now published in Cell Host & Microbe! @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Including close ups of aliens from inner space…

Started a starter pack for the presenters and attendees of the 2025 Animal-Microbe Symbiosis Gordon Research Conference. Let me know if I should add (or remove) you! go.bsky.app/Pnzz1R9

Some sea urchins (Echinus esculentus) at the Roscoff Marine Station in Roscoff, France.

📢 New paper alert! How do corals fuel early development? We tracked physiological and -omic 🧬 changes across #coral 🪸 development. We found that symbiotic interactions are contribute to nutritional demands and shape metabolic response in early life stages. Read the paper 👉 doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

Kelp forests on the coast of Maine are in decline owing to rapid ocean warming and are being replaced by turf algae, which alter the ecosystem’s chemistry, hindering the recovery of kelp forests. Learn more in this week's issue of Science: scim.ag/4dwzl8j

Woo! Go Kiel!

Fun day talking symbiosis (and poking holes in datasets) at the MPI for Marine Microbiology! Thanks for hosting me, @nicoledubilier.bsky.social!

Great couple days in Munich talking cellular symbiosis and development!

Let the symbiosis fun begin! @crc1182.bsky.social @geomarkiel.bsky.social

Off to Germany for a multi-purpose, month-long trip supported by the @humboldt-foundation.de. This includes speaking at a @crc1182.bsky.social event, two seminars (see, below), and learning metabolomics (i.e., the final piece of my primary post-doc project). Let the fun begin!

Looking forward to an exciting CRC 1182 Metaorganism symposium on host-microbe crosstalk. @crc1182.bsky.social @cpogoreutz.bsky.social @spencernyholm.bsky.social @manuelliebeke.bsky.social oliviaroth.bsky.social @tylerjcarrier.bsky.social @geomarkiel.bsky.social @daganlab.bsky.social

Two students wrote on their final exam that “Symbiosis was the only course that I’ve ever wanted to talk with my friends and family about. They are probably glad it’s over.” 🥲

Junior faculty job alert in Germany - Marine Evolutionary Genomics @geomarkiel.bsky.social / University of Kiel www.geomar.de/en/karriere/... Marine study system of your choice (no microbes, sorry…), excellent infrastructure and ship access, moderate teaching requirements, closing date 6 June

New paper entitled “Microbes as manipulators of egg size and developmental evolution” with @matt-kustra.bsky.social is out in mBio! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

I urge you to read this. The doubt, success, growth process hits home for countless academic trainees. I was on the mentor side of Maria's journey; She has the heart to put the journey on the table. Below are a few quotes that I believe stand out 🧵: www.science.org/content/arti...

I really like the figure here to represent the process and not just the result.

A long, long time ago, we started this review project during the first Coron lockdown, but if finally made it out into the world - Origin and function of beneficial bacterial symbioses in insects! @naturerevmicro.bsky.social

I'm honoured to have finally coauthored a paper with him academic.oup.com/femsec/artic...

A new Master in Microbiome Science 🦠🧫🔬👨‍🎓 👩‍🎓🧑‍🎓 @univie.ac.at Apply now! Registration till April 7th, 2025 studieren.univie.ac.at/en/degree-pr... #microbiome #master #uniwien #univienba #vienna #education #research #science #facts

Coming soon…

Out today: Exciting intermediate between endosymbiont and organelle identified! Endosymbionts in Angomonas deanei lost nearly all bacterial cell division genes. Instead, we identified a host-encoded protein, ETP9, that became specialized for endosymbiont division. 1/2 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I wrote something... about writing. #ScientificWriting to be exact, but I think it applies to all kinds of #writing.

The shingle urchin (Colobocentrotus atratus), known in Hawaii as Ha'uke'uke... Reproductive parts eaten locally

Course updates! ⚠️ Molecular and Cell Biology of Symbiosis is REOPENING applications (deadline March 31), and Visual Neuroscience is EXTENDING applications (deadline April 1). Flyers below ⤵️ Read more and apply here: bit.ly/4acDH2V #ScienceStartsHere

New paper entitled “Symbiont-mediated metabolic shift in the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima” is out in Molecular Ecology! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Postdoc available in Grenoble (France), funded by the ERC SymbiOCEAN, to work on the metabolic connectivity in planktonic photosymbiosis. 👉Passionate by symbiosis & marine protists? skills in bioinfo and molecular biology? Join us! Info: emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/U... #protistsonsky #SymbioSky

From sea to soil: transforming sea urchin waste into fertiliser - University of Tasmania

PhD position available in Ceske Budejovice (Czechia), funded by ERC KLEPTOS, to study plastid endosymbiosis in kleptoplastidic protists. Are you curious about this process and do you like sampling/cultivation of protists? Join our team by applying here: jobs.bc.cas.cz/en/detail/243 #protistsonsky

Baffling, to say the least.

I worry that the focus on NOAA's weather predicting value is ignoring the millions of other ways NOAA researchers enrich communities and local economies. There are no oysters without NOAA. There are no blue crabs without NOAA. NOAA trains teachers. NOAA is the lifeblood of coastal communities.

Hello, Bluesky! We are the #CollaborativeResearchCentre „Origin and Function of Metaorganisms“ funded by the German Research Foundation #DFG at #KielUniversity, around 80 researchers investigate the interactions of microbial communities with multicellular hosts. www.metaorganism-research.com

A stunning plate of echinoderm cookies by @Dietrich_R !! (via the other place!)

A custom embroidery of a sea urchin larva by Ellie Miller from OneInchSquidStudios (www.etsy.com/shop/OneInch...)!