Danna Gifford
@dannagifford.bsky.social
📤 1251
📥 952
📝 134
PI and Lecturer, University of Manchester
https://dannagifford.com
@MERManchester.bsky.social
reposted by
Danna Gifford
Fiona J Whelan
about 1 hour ago
📣 2026 PhD studentship 📣 Via
@manchester.ac.uk
's President's Doctoral Scholar Awards, we are encouraging applications for a PhD on the effect of pollutant exposure on microbe-immune cross talk. This project will incorporate microbiology, immunology, & bioinformatics. Deadline: 16 March 2026!
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(President's Doctoral Scholar Award) A mechanistic understanding of microbe-immune cross talk in the face of pollutant challenge at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - (President's Doctoral Scholar Award) A mechanistic understanding of microbe-immune cross talk in the face of pollutant challenge at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.c...
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/president-s-doctoral-scholar-award-a-mechanistic-understanding-of-microbe-immune-cross-talk-in-the-face-of-pollutant-challenge/?p194332
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Danna Gifford
Microbiology Society
1 day ago
Applications for Vacation Studentship Grant are now open. The Society offers a limited number of awards to enable undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during their summer vacation. The deadline for applications is 15 March 2026:
https://microb.io/4kFjubf
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Vacation Studentships
The Society offers a limited number of awards to enable undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during their summer vacation. The scheme also gives early- and mid-career scientists the opportunity to gain supervision experience.
https://microb.io/4kFjubf
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Danna Gifford
Vaughn Cooper
2 days ago
Researchers of the evolution of plasticity, tolerance, and resistance, take note. Many common themes for precision targeting of AMR, for instance.
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Brooke Weinstein
10 days ago
Hello Bluesky! Does Nₑ really explain mutation rate (μ) or genome size (GS) in vertebrates? We find the apparent Nₑ–μ link in Bergeron et al. (2023) is a “back-door” path via generation time, and GS is decoupled from both Nₑ and life-history traits.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#evobio
#PNAS
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Danna Gifford
Barbara Tschirren
4 days ago
Join us for 4 days of cutting-edge Evolutionary Ecology research in beautiful Cornwall! 👇
#ExE2026
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Danna Gifford
Stu West
5 days ago
Comparative analysis across 5,678 insect species shows that, when you control for phylogenetic bias, eusociality has not evolved at a faster rate in haplodiploid species.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
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Danna Gifford
PLOS Biology
5 days ago
#DeepMutationalScanning
(DMS) experiments are limited by gene size due to library complexity & costs.
@christianlandry.bsky.social
&co develop an efficient & cost-effective barcoded cloning strategy for plasmid-based DMS libraries that enables study of large genes
@plosbiology.org
🧪
plos.io/4abhyUf
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Danna Gifford
Creative Manchester
8 days ago
Researchers at the University of Manchester: Join the Platforms teams for ‘Interdisciplinary &’, a series of four workshops modelling different networking methods to foster collaboration and showcase excellence in interdisciplinary research. Find out more:
https://ow.ly/wh6Y50Y5WX5
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Danna Gifford
EvolDir
10 days ago
Aarhus University is seeking a Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor in Bioinformatics/Co…
https://nat.au.dk/en/about-the-faculty/vacant-positions-and-career/job/tenure-track-assistant-professor-associate-professor-in-bioinformatics-and-or-computational-biology-at-aarhus-university-denmark
#job
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Tenure-Track Assistant Professor / Associate Professor in Bioinformatics and/or Computational Biology at Aarhus University, Denmark - Vacancy at Aarhus University
Vacancy at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics - BiRC - Bioinformatics Research Center, Aarhus University
https://nat.au.dk/en/about-the-faculty/vacant-positions-and-career/job/tenure-track-assistant-professor-associate-professor-in-bioinformatics-and-or-computational-biology-at-aarhus-university-denmark
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Michael Brockhurst
11 days ago
Exciting new PhD programme CODE-M Control and Design of Engineered Microbial Systems
@officialuom.bsky.social
Projects now advertised! Ours is on division of labour & horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities
@biotechdixon.bsky.social
@coytelab.bsky.social
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
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(CODE M) How do Division of Labour and Gene Mobility Impact Microbial Bioremediation? at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - (CODE M) How do Division of Labour and Gene Mobility Impact Microbial Bioremediation? at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/code-m-how-do-division-of-labour-and-gene-mobility-impact-microbial-bioremediation/?p194435
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Danna Gifford
Victor de Lorenzo (CNB, Madrid)
11 days ago
Feel like doing a SynBio PhD in Spain? Check this offer, many fellowships available 👉🏻
lifehub.csic.es/synbio-cofund/
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New round of PhD studentships in microbial engineering, including one with me on engineering non-canonical DNA mismatch repair into E. coli 🦠🧬
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
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11 days ago
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Michael Brockhurst
11 days ago
New PDRA position with
@knightjar.bsky.social
@coytelab.bsky.social
& me Community assembly processes in soil microbiomes with focus on bioinformatics and computational modelling of data from field and lab experiments
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
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'Research Associate in Microbiome Ecology:Manchester
We wish to appoint a PostDoctoral Research Associate to an exciting project exploring the assembly, stability and function of microbial decomposer communities.
https://www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetail?JobId=34316
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Danna Gifford
STCmicrobeblog
16 days ago
#ProtistsOnSky
no 'swimming' by 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢, definitively no 'staying still'. just a relaxed walk towards the lunch...
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Danna Gifford
MERMan Research Group (University of Manchester)
13 days ago
This week's seminar featured two talks.
@normanvanrhijn.bsky.social
talked about fungal pathogens, and
@taoranfu.bsky.social
discussed population-level defence systems in bacteria. Huge thanks to
@microbesng.bsky.social
for the snacks!
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Danna Gifford
Alasdair Hubbard
13 days ago
🔔Collabator Alert🔔 I’m putting together a project on UTIs and the urogenital microbiome and am looking for a collaborator with solid metagenomic sequencing/analysis experience. If you’d be interested in joining the work, I’d love to talk
#MicroSky
#UTISky
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Danna Gifford
apreston243.bsky.social
15 days ago
New primer alert! Microbial primer discussing 'ancientbiotics': the search for 'new' antimicrobials from ancient remedies.
@microbiologysociety.org
@friendlymicrobe.bsky.social
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
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Microbial Primer: Ancientbiotics – making modern antimicrobials from historical infection remedies
The modern antibiotic era began in the early twentieth century, but humans have long used materials from the natural world to attempt to treat the symptoms of infection. In this primer, we will discus...
https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.001642#
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Danna Gifford
Microbiology Society
15 days ago
Only 2 weeks left to apply for the Microbiology journal's Editorial Board. Contribute to high-quality research and engage with the scientific community. Find out more and apply by February 16:
https://microb.io/4qKdgJ6
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<i>Microbiology</i> Editors: Call for expressions of interest
https://microb.io/4qKdgJ6
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Danna Gifford
Applied Microbiology International
15 days ago
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Horizon Awards 🏆 Do you know someone driving real impact in applied microbiology — from public health and policy to food security, D&I, or the environment? Nominate them now:
https://appliedmicrobiology.org/advocacy-policy/horizon-awards.html
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Danna Gifford
Chris Knight
15 days ago
We're Hiring! We're looking for a postdoc with bioinformatics/modelling skills to join us in an exciting microbiome ecology project in Manchester (deadline 1st March)
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
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'Research Associate in Microbiome Ecology:Manchester
We wish to appoint a PostDoctoral Research Associate to an exciting project exploring the assembly, stability and function of microbial decomposer communities.
https://www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetail?JobId=34316
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Danna Gifford
George O'Toole (he/him/his)
20 days ago
A must read! The constant and often irrational renaming of microbes is out of control, and bad for microbiology and microbiologists.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
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The disputed identity of Pseudomonas putida KT2440: when taxonomists rename your favorite microbe | mBio
Names matter; they are not mere labels. They operate as anchors of memory, social coordinates, and references of collective identity. When a name becomes established through long-term use and broad ad...
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.03390-25
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Danna Gifford
Buzz Baum
25 days ago
A reminder to sign up for the 2026 EMBO archaeal meeting im Cambridge:
meetings.embo.org/event/26-arc...
. Registration is open. We are looking forward to hosting you!
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Molecular Biology of Archaea: Life Through the Prism of Archaea
In 1977, Woese and colleagues revealed Archaea as a distinct domain of life. Building on this insight, the discovery of Asgard archaea has strengthened the view that many hallmarks of eukaryotic cell…
https://meetings.embo.org/event/26-archaea
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Danna Gifford
Charles Winterhalter
25 days ago
E. coli is the leading bacterium causing death from AMR infections worldwide. If you'd like to explore approaches to exploit the DNA damage response as alternative antimicrobial, please apply to the following PhD studentship available in my lab starting October 2026:
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
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Exploiting the bacterial DNA damage response as an alternative antimicrobial at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Exploiting the bacterial DNA damage response as an alternative antimicrobial at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/exploiting-the-bacterial-dna-damage-response-as-an-alternative-antimicrobial/?p193793
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Danna Gifford
Noah Houpt
25 days ago
Interested in eco-evolutionary feedbacks? Microbial experimental evolution? Pleiotropy? Filamentous phages?? Check out our latest preprint, now up on BioRxiv!
biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
For a quick summary, peep the thread below...🧵 (1/10)
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https://biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.21.699487v1
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Danna Gifford
Chris Creevey
25 days ago
Last chance to apply for our funded PhD opportunity. w. Prof. Fredric Coulon @ Cranfield University. This will investigate expansion of ML models for AMR phenotype detection to agriculture settings to create a sensor-ready hit list. Detail here:
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
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From Genomic Context to Sensor Design: Computational Identification of AMR Biomarkers in Agriculture (project at Queen's University Belfast) at University of Reading on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - From Genomic Context to Sensor Design: Computational Identification of AMR Biomarkers in Agriculture (project at Queen's University Belfast) at University of Reading, listed on FindAPhD....
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/from-genomic-context-to-sensor-design-computational-identification-of-amr-biomarkers-in-agriculture-project-at-queen-s-university-belfast/?p192848
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Danna Gifford
James Connolly
25 days ago
PhD position available in our team to study how UPEC exploits metals to successfully colonise the host gut. Cool collaboration with
@thecopperdoctor.bsky.social
and
@banzhaflab.bsky.social
Please share and get in touch for more details
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Microbial metal-head: the integrated roles of metal homeostasis in host-pathogen interaction at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Microbial metal-head: the integrated roles of metal homeostasis in host-pathogen interaction at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/microbial-metal-head-the-integrated-roles-of-metal-homeostasis-in-host-pathogen-interaction/?p193729
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Danna Gifford
Richard Lenski
28 days ago
Looking for something new to integrate into an
#evolution
or
#microbiology
course? Useful for lectures, labs, homework? Have a look at our STEPS program, which simulates bacterial evolution, including the
#LTEE
. Easy web-based interface & lab manual w/ exercises to help develop students' intuition.
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Danna Gifford
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
27 days ago
Expressions of interest: Director at MPI EvolBio (f/m/d) — We invite expressions of interest from distinguished scientists in evolutionary biology with a bold, long-term research vision that complements our Institute. More information:
www.evolbio.mpg.de/3856225/Dire...
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Directors
https://www.evolbio.mpg.de/3856225/Directors
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Danna Gifford
Professor Mary J O'Connell
about 1 month ago
Interested in pangenomics ? This paper just out from Alan Beavan (not on socials),
@blackpassiflora.bsky.social
and
@jomcinerney.bsky.social
is a must:
doi.org/10.1093/bioi...
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PanForest: predicting genes in genomes using random forests
AbstractMotivation. The presence or absence of some genes in a genome can influence whether other genes are likely to be present or absent. Understanding t
https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btag005
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Danna Gifford
Mike McDonald
about 1 month ago
Come to Taipei! Registration Free, Closes Jan 20th. Generous Travel Grants Available. EMBO Workshop integrating perspectives from molecular evolution, genomics, ecology, and systems biology to highlight how interactions across organisms drive adaptation and innovation.
@ishengtsai.bsky.social
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Danna Gifford
MicrobesNG
about 1 month ago
🚨 Get your abstract in NOW for POPUP Nottingham with
@bugsinyourguts.bsky.social
& Microbiome-Net deadline 9th Feb 👉
linktr.ee/microbesng
#MicrobialGenomics
&
#Microbiome
symposium 5th Jun Focus on
#ECRs
present/chair Keynotes
@halllab.bsky.social
&
@alexmsalmeida.bsky.social
#MNGPopUp
#MicroSky
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Danna Gifford
Kate Baker
about 1 month ago
@pducambridge.bsky.social
is looking for a new lab administrator (0.5 FTE) - come and join in pushing forward our research and impact in infectious disease!
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...
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Research Coordinator (Part Time, Fixed Term)
The Pathogen Dynamics Unit, located within the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge, is looking to recruit a part-time Research Coordinator to join our growing team of researchers carrying out
https://www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/research-coordinator-part-time-fixed-term-pc48506
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I love this conference and community so much, and I've been to every one since 2009, but I'm really debating whether I'll be able to be there in 2027 😭
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Danna Gifford
Fiona J Whelan
about 1 month ago
Qiuyu Chen now telling us about their PDRA work on microbial-mediated soil orangish matter dynamics
#UoM_EEday
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Danna Gifford
Fiona J Whelan
about 1 month ago
@bexlowrypalms.bsky.social
up next speaking about her work on bdellovibrio
#UoM_EEday
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Danna Gifford
Fiona J Whelan
about 1 month ago
So excited to have
@szytynska.bsky.social
kicking off our Evolution & Ecology day at
@manchester.ac.uk
today!
#UoM_EEday
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Danna Gifford
Marjon de Vos
about 1 month ago
SimUrine: a novel, fully defined artificial urinary medium for enhanced microbiological research of urinary bacteria
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
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Danna Gifford
Prof Jenny Rohn
about 1 month ago
Interesting new study on first-in-class antibiotic gepotidacin, also the first new antibiotic approved for
#UTI
for 3 decades - good to have additional studies beyond just those that got it approved and licensed for use
#UTISky
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Danna Gifford
Richard McElreath 🐈⬛
about 1 month ago
And we're live, Lecture A1 is online. Introduction to Bayesian workflow, generative models, estimands, estimators, estimates, error checking, beginnings of probability theory and Bayesian updating.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztbY...
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🇨🇦 Marc Strous
about 2 months ago
Opportunity to join my lab for a postdoc or PhD student from outside Canada. Very short term. Very competitive. Send me your CV and cover letter before Jan 5. This runs via
nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/laun...
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you've just opened up a star trek-themed restaurant what are you calling it? Five Lights
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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100% facts
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Danna Gifford
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽
about 2 months ago
LMFAO
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Danna Gifford
Michael Brockhurst
about 2 months ago
It’s official: we’ve been awarded a UKRI Engineering Biology Focal Award to train the next generation of microbial bioengineer PhDs. An exciting collaboration between
@officialuom.bsky.social
@liverpooluni.bsky.social
Projects will be advertised in February 2026!
www.ukri.org/news/ukri-do...
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UKRI doctoral training investment set to power UK growth
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests in next-generation doctoral training to boost UK innovation and economic growth.
https://www.ukri.org/news/ukri-doctoral-training-investment-set-to-power-uk-growth/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
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Danna Gifford
Microbiology Society
2 months ago
Born
#OnThisDay
in 1922, Esther Lederberg was the first to isolate the lambda phage in 1951. She characterised the lysogenic phase, whereby the phage are able to integrate into the bacterial genome, staying dormant. This discovery made them a model tool of study, leading to many more breakthroughs.
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Danna Gifford
MERMan Research Group (University of Manchester)
2 months ago
Congratulations to Dr Rana Alruthaya, who successfully defended her PhD today on AMR diversity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from non-CF bronchiectasis patients. She's the 10th PhD student from MERMan. Well done Rana!
@dannagifford.bsky.social
@brockhurstlab.bsky.social
@knightjar.bsky.social
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So proud of you Zahraa 🥹. It's been wonderful having you as part of my group and I look forward to seeing how your career develops in the future! You can see Zahraa's first publication here, hopefully more to come very soon!
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38949313/
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2 months ago
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Danna Gifford
MERMan Research Group (University of Manchester)
2 months ago
Congratulations to PhD student Zahraa Albaqsami
@zahraaalbaqsami.bsky.social
for successfully defending her PhD today! Zahraa's thesis looked at thermal adaptation and mutation in the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarious. Thanks to examiners
@rokkrasovec.bsky.social
and Thorsten Allers!
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Danna Gifford
Evolutionary Ecology Group, Cambridge
2 months ago
EMBO Population Genomics course: Are you a postgrad student or a postdoc starting a population genomics project? This course aims to give you the tools to answer questions for your project. Registration deadline: 10 February 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-pop...
#EMBOpopgen
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Population genomics: background and tools
Study methods in population genomics have been profoundly reshaped in the last few years, fostered by the rapid growth of DNA sequence production and sharing. This unprecedented opportunity has led t…
https://meetings.embo.org/event/26-pop-genomics
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Danna Gifford
Richard Lenski
2 months ago
The 2026 Guarda Summer Course in Evolutionary Biology is now accepting applications. Amazing place, amazing course, amazing opportunity for early grad students.
tb.ethz.ch/education/gu...
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Summer school:<br> Evolutionary Biology in Guarda
Information about the annual summer school Evolutionary Biology in Guarda
https://tb.ethz.ch/education/guarda.html
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