Chuen
@chuenlee.bsky.social
📤 249
📥 305
📝 48
Ecologist, Microbiomes, Bioinformatics Postdoc at University of East Anglia
pinned post!
New paper! 🐦🦠 Social Structure and Interactions Differentially Shape Aerotolerant and Anaerobic Gut Microbiomes in a Cooperative Breeding Species
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
A 🧵
loading . . .
Social Structure and Interactions Differentially Shape Aerotolerant and Anaerobic Gut Microbiomes in a Cooperative Breeding Species
Social transmission of microbes has profound impacts on disease epidemiology and host health. However, how social factors influence gut microbiome (GM) transmission in wild populations is not well un...
https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.70304
28 days ago
1
14
10
reposted by
Chuen
Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
3 days ago
Postdoc Opportunity! 4-year
@royalsociety.org
funded post
@uniexecec.bsky.social
: “Understanding the role of individual cognitive variation in reintroduction biology”. Closes: 5 June 2026. More info & to apply:
careers.exeter.ac.uk/vacancies/78...
Wt:
@paradiseparkhayle.bsky.social
& Wildwood Trust
1
51
54
reposted by
Chuen
World Microbiome Day
17 days ago
Got a
#microbiome
event coming up? If you are organising a seminar, workshop, conference session or public talk on the microbiome, you can submit it to World Microbiome Day for promotion.
worldmicrobiomeday.com
We help amplify microbiome research and engagement around the world.
#worldmicrobiomeday
0
7
5
reposted by
Chuen
Nature
7 days ago
🚨🚨 Good news alert! 🚨🚨 We've rounded up five inspiring science stories – including the discovery of a new species, and a promising medical treatment for a fatal mitochondria disease.
go.nature.com/4d0b1vG
loading . . .
The news is not all bad: Five inspiring science stories to lift your mood
Species recovery, cancer-preventing vaccines and progress in developing renewable-energy sources are just some of the positive developments that have happened this year so far.
https://go.nature.com/4d0b1vG
1
61
29
reposted by
Chuen
Alexandros Topaloudis
9 days ago
Are you looking to sequence a bunch of samples from a wild population in low-coverage but don't have a reference panel? You might be surprised how well it can work. See for yourself in our new benchmark study:
doi.org/10.1093/molb...
loading . . .
Benchmarking imputation accuracy in the presence or absence of a reference panel
Abstract. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of a large number of samples is costly. Solutions include targeting a proportion of the genome (eg SNP arrays) or l
https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msag094
2
5
4
reposted by
Chuen
Alice Risely
7 days ago
ABSTRACTS OPEN! We have an incredible line up for our Avian Disease Ecology conference next year. This is such an exciting field right now - if you’re working on avian pathogens, parasites, AMR, immunity, or non-infectious disease (pollutants, etc) then consider submitting an abstract!
add a skeleton here at some point
0
4
9
reposted by
Chuen
Dom Cram
11 days ago
🚨Deadline 30/04! PhD opportunity: 🐾 Mapping the Manor: How are the lives of meerkats shaped by their sleeping & breeding burrows? 🐾 💡 Big ecological Qs 📡 Geophysics tech + data 🌍 Fieldwork with me,
@geophysics-adam.bsky.social
&
@aldinafranco.bsky.social
APPLY NOW:
www.uea.ac.uk/course/phd-d...
0
19
23
reposted by
Chuen
Fichtel-Kappeler-Lab
about 2 months ago
Seeking a motivated postdoc (2+3 yrs) to study links between cognition, behavior, and fitness in lemurs at our long-term field site in Kirindy Forest, Madagascar. Join an interdisciplinary team working on wild populations.
@primatenzentrum.bsky.social
. Apply here:
www.dpz.eu
0
25
43
reposted by
Chuen
bioRxiv Genomics
17 days ago
A Seychelles warbler genomic toolkit
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.16.719046v1
0
1
2
reposted by
Chuen
Bertille Mohring
15 days ago
📃New paper in Ecology letters 🐦 I’m delighted to share the publication of the first paper from my
#postdoc
with
@samanthacpatrick.bsky.social
looking at life-history trade-offs and
#senescence
in black-browed
#albatrosses
from Kerguelen and Bird Island
doi.org/10.1111/ele.70384
loading . . .
Environmental Variability Shapes Life‐History Trade‐Offs Within and Between Populations of a Long‐Lived Seabird
Life-history theory predicts a trade-off between allocation of resources to reproduction or self-maintenance, yet how environmental variability shapes this trade-off remains poorly understood. We sho...
https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70384
2
40
19
reposted by
Chuen
Philip Leftwich
16 days ago
Exciting work from our lab!
@amberhall.bsky.social
and Matthew Shackleton-Chavez validated the first 7SK Pol III promoter in a Tephritid fly, Ceratitis capitata. A new tool for gRNA expression in
#CRISPR
editing of this major agricultural pest.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#SynBio
#Entomology
1
9
4
reposted by
Chuen
Barbara Tschirren
23 days ago
New paper out: Artificial selection for increased reproductive effort accelerates actuarial senescence and reduces lifespan in a precocial bird url:
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
@uniexecec.bsky.social
@erikpostma.bsky.social
@joelpick.bsky.social
y.social
@oscarvedder.bsky.social
0
38
30
reposted by
Chuen
Philip Leftwich
17 days ago
Remember this? Today in class something fascinating happened... We discussed this as an example of bad visual design because it distorts the impression of the height difference between countries. Then I set the task of making their own public engagement visuals on fresh data...
1
4
2
reposted by
Chuen
Ed Ivimey-Cook
18 days ago
“The idea behind code review is not to judge people, but to check for errors and explain coding best practices.” Happy to be part of a recent piece that amongst other things, discusses code review:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
loading . . .
Got bugs? Here’s how to catch the errors in your scientific software
Computer scientists share their advice for ensuring that your scientific software does what it’s supposed to do.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01261-w
0
10
4
reposted by
Chuen
Gabrielle Davidson
21 days ago
Are you an ECR and working on wild microbiomes and wish to attend the microbiome workshop during the ExE conference? Funding to support attendance deets here:
add a skeleton here at some point
0
1
3
reposted by
Chuen
Dom Cram
about 1 month ago
🚨 Please share: PhD opportunity 🐾 Mapping the Manor: How are the lives of meerkats shaped by their sleeping & breeding burrows? 🐾 💡 Big ecological Qs 📡 Geophysical scanning 🌍 Field ecology & behaviour 📊 Big data & code with me &
@geophysics-adam.bsky.social
APPLY
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
0
15
16
reposted by
Chuen
UK News 🇬🇧
28 days ago
How your housemates could be changing your gut bacteria The gut microbiome – which consists of bacteria, viruses and fungi – is shaped by our surroundings, including who we live with
loading . . .
How your housemates could be changing your gut bacteria
The gut microbiome – which consists of bacteria, viruses and fungi – is shaped by our surroundings, including who we live with
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/housemates-gut-bacteria-microbiome-uea-study-b2955241.html
0
2
1
reposted by
Chuen
Ranked News
27 days ago
How your housemates could be changing your gut bacteria: Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have found that living with housemates, partners, or family can lead to the exchange of gut bacteria through daily interactions like hugging, kissing, and sharin…
https://ranked.news/609591?u=b
0
2
1
reposted by
Chuen
Microbes.Info
26 days ago
Could your housemates be changing your
#gut
#bacteria
? ... |
#microbes
|
#birds
|
#microbiomes
|
#microbiota
| By
@uniofeastanglia.bsky.social
via
@eurekalert.bsky.social
loading . . .
Could your housemates be changing your gut bacteria?
Research shows that living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria. Research on a colony of tiny island birds in the Seychelles revealed they share more of their gut bacteria with the…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123332
0
6
2
reposted by
Chuen
22 days ago
Attention ECRs! WAME is offering support to attend the ExE conference in Falmouth (
sites.exeter.ac.uk/exe/
) & associated WAME microbiome workshop. For more information and the application form, see below! We hope to see you there! 🦠
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
0
4
6
reposted by
Chuen
Kate Laskowski
23 days ago
The only time I answer the door
add a skeleton here at some point
1
4
2
reposted by
Chuen
Vito Latorre, PhD
24 days ago
The answer might be 42, but what’s the question? I’ll be giving a talk at
@pintofscience.uk
in Norwich on May 20: “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Life in the Universe”. Come along if you’re around!
#PintOfScience
#Astrobiology
pintofscience.co.uk/event/from-t...
loading . . .
From the Beginning of Time to the Ends of the Earth
Join us on a whistle stop tour through space and time! Our planet hosts some crazy creatures living in some of the most extreme places, let's dive in and d…
https://pintofscience.co.uk/event/from-the-beginning-of-time-to-the-ends-of-the-earth
0
4
5
reposted by
Chuen
University of East Anglia (UEA)
28 days ago
Research on a colony of tiny island birds reveals they share more of their gut bacteria with the birds they spend the most time with. And the team say the same principle almost certainly applies to humans too.
1
1
1
reposted by
Chuen
University of East Anglia (UEA)
28 days ago
Dr Chuen Zhang Lee, from
@biouea.bsky.social
, has carried out a new study that has found that living with friends may be altering your gut bacteria. Read more: https://bit.ly/4dAxUbb
#ResearchMatters
2
6
4
New paper! 🐦🦠 Social Structure and Interactions Differentially Shape Aerotolerant and Anaerobic Gut Microbiomes in a Cooperative Breeding Species
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
A 🧵
loading . . .
Social Structure and Interactions Differentially Shape Aerotolerant and Anaerobic Gut Microbiomes in a Cooperative Breeding Species
Social transmission of microbes has profound impacts on disease epidemiology and host health. However, how social factors influence gut microbiome (GM) transmission in wild populations is not well un...
https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.70304
28 days ago
1
14
10
reposted by
Chuen
Jules Skotnes-Brown
29 days ago
JOB ALERT: Two 4.5 year postdoctoral positions to work on my Wellcome-funded project 'Conserving Global Health: Biodiversity Protection and the Prehistory of Planetary Health'. Please share widely! CLOSING DATE: 23 April (the date on
Jobs.ac.uk
is apparently incorrect)
2
46
61
reposted by
Chuen
Ella Sieradzki
29 days ago
Deadline is April 20th! Let’s get those viruses
add a skeleton here at some point
0
11
15
#5MinuteMerlin
at home in Norwich: Great Tit, Common Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Wren, Goldfinch, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Robin and Siskin (probably wrong). Pretty good!
add a skeleton here at some point
29 days ago
0
1
0
reposted by
Chuen
_AlexBowles
about 1 month ago
Great to chat with
@caordonezparra.bsky.social
about the ordinary and extraordinary lives of plants for
@botany.one
add a skeleton here at some point
0
5
1
reposted by
Chuen
Elin Videvall
about 1 month ago
New review paper on bird
#microbiome
methods out! Bridging the gap: improving methodologies for future avian microbiome research 🐦🦠🧬
#OA
@avianbiology.bsky.social
@charlisdavies.bsky.social
@kbodawatta.bsky.social
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
loading . . .
Bridging the gap: improving methodologies for future avian microbiome research
Recent advances in the field of wild avian microbiome research have significantly deepened our understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics of bird–microbe interactions. Consequently, the field is ...
https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jav.03594
0
26
17
reposted by
Chuen
Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra
about 1 month ago
In my latest
#MeetingPlantScientists
post, I interview
@alexmcbowles.bsky.social
, who is tackling one of the most fascinating questions in plant science: what drives the extraordinary diversity of plants and algae?
@botany.one
#Botany
#PlantScience
🧪
www.botany.one/alex-bowles-...
loading . . .
Alex Bowles: on the Ordinary yet Extraordinary Life of Plants
Botany One interviews Dr Alexander Bowles, an evolutionary botanist interested in the processes that have driven plant and algae diversity
https://www.botany.one/alex-bowles-on-the-ordinary-yet-extraordinary-life-of-plants/
0
17
7
reposted by
Chuen
Alex Figueiredo
about 1 month ago
Looking for MSc student(s) to be involved in some really cool germ-free experiments with house sparrows at
@niooknaw.bsky.social
@animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
! 🐣🦠Get in touch if you're interested and please share :)
nioo.knaw.nl/en/vacancies...
loading . . .
Early-life microbiome assembly and its effects on bird phenotypes
We are looking for a motivated Masters/HBO/internship student to partake in upcoming microbiome manipulation experiments, investigating how this fascinating community impacts phenotypes in birds. Star...
https://nioo.knaw.nl/en/vacancies/early-life-microbiome-assembly-and-its-effects-on-bird-phenotypes
0
21
30
reposted by
Chuen
Gargi
about 1 month ago
Super excited for my first ever Instagram Live with Dr. Shivam Tiwari, a marine biologist and project scientist at CMLRE, India. Always happy to share my experiences ✨ Follow @aurkitnapadhoge on Instagram to attend such fantastic and informative sessions.
0
3
1
reposted by
Chuen
@HeredityJournal
about 1 month ago
📻🎙️🔊 New podcast! Student paper prize winner Eléonore Lavanchy talks about: 1. Her work 2. European Barn Owls 3. Inbreeding 4. Deciding if she was being scammed, or if she'd really won the prize! 👂
shorturl.at/rcF2F
@dee-unil.bsky.social
@sib.swiss
@fbm-unil.bsky.social
@gensocuk.bsky.social
loading . . .
1
8
3
reposted by
Chuen
The Francis Crick Institute
about 1 month ago
We now know that dog domestication happened more than 14,000 years ago, thanks to new research from the Crick,
@uniofeastanglia.bsky.social
and
@mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social
, shedding light on how the first farmers adopted hunter-gatherer dogs.
www.crick.ac.uk/news/2026-03...
loading . . .
Canine companions: revealing the genetic history of our first friends
The largest study of canid remains to date sheds light on how the first farmers adopted hunter-gatherer dogs and highlights that dog domestication happened before 14,000 years ago.
https://www.crick.ac.uk/news/2026-03-25_canine-companions-revealing-the-genetic-history-of-our-first-friends
1
23
7
reposted by
Chuen
UEA Biological Sciences
about 1 month ago
Congratulations to our very own
@anders-bergstrom.bsky.social
for this fantastic paper on the 'Genomic history of early dogs in Europe' highlighted on the cover of Nature.
#UEAScience
add a skeleton here at some point
0
3
1
reposted by
Chuen
Nature
about 1 month ago
Nature research paper: Genomic history of early dogs in Europe
go.nature.com/40TcDSA
loading . . .
Genomic history of early dogs in Europe - Nature
Genome-wide analysis shows European dogs existed by 14,200 years ago, were already genetically distinct, received less Neolithic Southwest Asian admixture than humans did and contributed substantially to later European dogs.
https://go.nature.com/40TcDSA
1
30
6
reposted by
Chuen
Anders Bergström
about 1 month ago
Out today is our paper 'Genomic history of early dogs in Europe', in which we uncover the identity of the dogs that lived in Europe before agriculture—during the Paleolithic & Mesolithic periods:
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
. A thread ⬇️ (10)
@biouea.bsky.social
@crick.ac.uk
@mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social
4
181
84
reposted by
Chuen
Nature
about 1 month ago
Braaaains, er, genomes ... Researchers have resurrected ‘dead’ bacterial cells by replacing their defunct DNA with the working genome of another species.
go.nature.com/40Tfrio
loading . . .
Zombieland: Genome transplant brings ‘dead’ bacteria back to life
Technique that inserts the genome of one bacterial species into the ‘dead’ cells of another could open doors for synthetic biologists.
https://go.nature.com/40Tfrio
3
30
12
reposted by
Chuen
Microbiome
about 2 months ago
In
#Microbiome
🚨MHC-I effects on the gut microbiome of wild Seychelles warbler 🔍Using shotgun metagenomics to explore how variation in MHC genes shapes the taxonomy & function of the gut microbiome 👉
doi.org/qwcp
#OpenAccess
loading . . .
0
1
1
reposted by
Chuen
Quadram Institute
about 2 months ago
The findings from a new study show that immune genes shared by all vertebrates – including humans – interact closely with gut bacteria.
loading . . .
Island birds reveal surprising link between immunity and gut bacteria - Quadram Institute
Scientists have uncovered a hidden link between gut health and the immune system – thanks to the Seychelles warbler, a small songbird found on Cousin Island in the Seychelles
https://buff.ly/gUZdSJ9
0
10
4
reposted by
Chuen
UEA CEEC
about 2 months ago
Next talk 👇🏼 🦠 Sharing microbes through social behaviour Chuen explores how social interactions in wild birds shape the transmission of gut microbiomes, with close contact increasing the sharing of key anaerobic microbes. 🔗
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
@chuenlee.bsky.social
#CEECRebellion2026
1
5
1
reposted by
Chuen
Quadram Institute
about 2 months ago
By studying wild birds in the natural environment, researchers were able to show that variation in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) immune genes is closely associated with both the makeup and the function of gut bacteria 🦠
loading . . .
Island birds reveal surprising link between immunity and gut bacteria - Quadram Institute
Scientists have uncovered a hidden link between gut health and the immune system – thanks to the Seychelles warbler, a small songbird found on Cousin Island in the Seychelles
https://buff.ly/xfejvxe
0
4
3
Fantastic talk by
@jj255.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
0
4
0
reposted by
Chuen
about 2 months ago
Island birds reveal surprising link between immunity and gut bacteria
https://www.vitaminrush.com/318974/island-birds-reveal-surprising-link-between-immunity-and-gut-bacteria/
image: The Seychelles warbler has revealed a surprising link between immunity and gut bacteria view more Credit: …
loading . . .
Island birds reveal surprising link between immunity and gut bacteria - Vitamin Rush
image:
https://www.vitaminrush.com/318974/island-birds-reveal-surprising-link-between-immunity-and-gut-bacteria/
0
1
1
reposted by
Chuen
Bibek Raj Shrestha
about 2 months ago
⏳2 days to go!
#CEECRebellion2026
is almost there 🌿
@aldinafranco.bsky.social
@drgdavidson.bsky.social
@thiagobacouto.bsky.social
@katiemillar.bsky.social
@gargi93.bsky.social
@chuenlee.bsky.social
@nashalselection.bsky.social
@marius-somveille.bsky.social
@mattgenetics.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
0
5
2
reposted by
Chuen
Science Newsroom - Faculty of Science and Engineering - UG
about 2 months ago
🐦What can we learn about our own health from the Seychelles warbler? Dr Chuen Zhang Lee & his team
@rug.nl
@uniofeastanglia.bsky.social
have uncovered a hidden link between gut health and the immune system, thanks to this small songbird.🎵 Curious? Read more👇 🔗
www.rug.nl/fse/news/cli...
🧪
#SciComm
0
7
5
I’m grateful to
@microbiomej.bsky.social
for publishing this work. Many thanks to the editors and reviewers for their thoughtful feedback.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
0
2
1
reposted by
Chuen
Leverhulme Trust
about 2 months ago
Scientists
@uniofeastanglia.bsky.social
including Leverhulme Early Career Fellow
@sarahfworsley.bsky.social
have uncovered a hidden link between gut health and the immune system – all thanks to a tiny island bird.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@springernature.com
@david-s-richardson.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
0
6
2
reposted by
Chuen
University of East Anglia (UEA)
about 2 months ago
The researchers studied the Seychelles warbler and collected the birds' poo to analyse their gut bacteria and found that their immune genes influence which gut microbes thrive.
1
2
1
reposted by
Chuen
University of East Anglia (UEA)
about 2 months ago
Prof David Richardson from
@biouea.bsky.social
has been the senior researcher on a study that has uncovered a hidden link between gut health and the immune system – all thanks to a tiny island bird. Read more: https://bit.ly/4cIV4vs
#ResearchMatters
#NewStudy
#GutHealth
1
8
9
Load more
feeds!
log in