Just uploaded our new preprint to @ecoevorxiv.bsky.social Multinucleate life really is everywhere...from deep sea forams to slime molds, intracellular parasites, and beyond. 🚀 We explore how scaling, ecology, & evolution intersect when many nuclei share a single cytoplasm. doi.org/10.32942/X2M...

Curious about how this story came to be (we never planned to study centromeres!)? Here’s a glimpse behind the scenes of how a naive method to count chromosomes unlocked the rules behind centromere evolution. P.S. There are cartoons! 👉 tinyurl.com/4rz4ve6u

PCAn, our point centromere annotation tool 🔍 was also updated! Try it out with your own genome assemblies and let us know what you think! 👉 github.com/JHelsen/point-centromere-detection

How do new centromeres evolve while staying compatible with the division machinery? Discover it in our new Nature paper! We show centromeres transition gradually via a mix of drift, selection, and sex, reaching new states that still work with the kinetochore. 👉 doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09779-1

(1/3) Imagine reconstructing a history over a billion years in the making. New research from EMBL and @Stanford shows how centromeres retain their function despite their rapid rate of change, and the evolutionary constraints that govern this process. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

(3/3) The researchers found that the cell’s division machinery acts as a critical filter, allowing only those centromere variants that are compatible with effective attachment to survive and spread. @gautamdey.bsky.social @helsenjana.bsky.social @gsherloc.bsky.social @kausthubh.bsky.social

So happy to announce our new preprint, “A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.” We cultured a novel amoeba from Lassen Volcanic NP (CA, USA) that divides at 63°C (145°F) 🔥 - a new record for euk growth! #protistsonsky 🧵

Our attempt to give multinucleate cells the spotlight they deserve (seriously, they’re everywhere), led by the fearless @mrosjac.bsky.social and with @Markus Ganter doi.org/10.32942/X2M... We’d love your feedback while this goes through the peer review process! #MicroEvoSky #ProtistsonSky 🧪🌏

NEW pub in @science.org 🥳 Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life? For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided. We provide new evidence suggesting that... 🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The EMBL PhD programme is open until 13th October (entry ~Sep 2026): www.embl.org/about/info/e... We have three positions in microbial genomics at EMBL-EBI, including one in my group. Please do apply, or if you know anyone that would be interested pass on to them

🚨 Imagine a bacterium that refuses to follow the textbook: It grows as tangled filaments, divides unevenly, reshapes its own membranes… and even builds grappling hooks. Meet Litorilinea aerophila — and here’s why it blew our minds.

Want to acquire #ExM images like this and help us understand the true extent of cytoskeletal diversity across the tree of life? This position might be for you! embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j... With @dudinlab.bsky.social @embl.org @biology-unige.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social

9. TL;DR + link dump WitChi is: ✔ Fast ✔ Interpretable ✔ Tree- and model-free ✔ Benchmark-validated Designed to fix compositional bias at phylogenomic scale. With: @kassipan.bsky.social, @danieltamarit.bsky.social, @ettema.bsky.social 💻 github.com/stephkoest/w... 📄 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

1. 🧵 New preprint out! WitChi: a fast, open-source Python tool to detect, quantify & prune compositional bias in MSAs. Lightweight, tree-free, scalable to 5k+ taxa... so we applied it to the GTDB archaea MSA. #ArchaeaSky #MEvoSky #MicroSky 🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025... 💻 github.com/stephkoest/w...

Unicore is now published on GBE 🚀 Unicore rapidly identifies structural single-copy core genes from input species proteomes for phylogenetic analysis. Powered by Foldseek and ProstT5, Unicore enables linear-scale structure-based phylogeny of any given set of taxa. 🧵1/n 📃 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf109

I attended the exciting symposium organized by @floravincent.bsky.social @mwdorr.bsky.social, @nicoledubilier.bsky.social, @gautamdey.bsky.social & Susanna Coelho LOTs of takeaways from the Symposium (from biology to climate change) 🚨Here are a few important ones in my listicle below 👇

With rapid changes in our environment and climate, there's an urgent need to better understand living systems and their interactions, going beyond the few well-established ‘model’ organisms. A recent EMBO | EMBL Symposium explored how we might do that. Learn more: www.embl.org/news/science...

Our next extraordinary biologist for this week is Gautam Dey, who co-organised the 2023 @dev-journal.bsky.social and 2024 @jcellsci.bsky.social Journal Meetings. Gautam’s research group at @embl.org, Germany, frequently contributes to @prelights.bsky.social. #100biologists @gautamdey.bsky.social

Hanh Vu @hanhtkvu.bsky.social, Group Leader at the @embl.org DB unit presenting the diversity of size, pattern and colour of Life #EESWildModels #planarians #DevBio

Not really my announcement to make--I am but a lesser co-author--but IQ-TREE 3 has just been released! (Most credit to Minh Bui and @roblanfear.bsky.social and their labs) ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...

New preprint on 3D heterochromatin architecture in human cells! Great collab with @sergiocruzleon.bsky.social & @johannesbetz.bsky.social from @hummerlab.bsky.social, @marinalusic.bsky.social & the Turoňová lab. Many thanks to my supervisor @becklab.bsky.social. bioRxiv: tinyurl.com/3a74uanv 🧵👇

I had a wild time presenting my coral work for the first time at EMBO/EMBL #EESWildModels. Massive thanks to @embl.org @events.embl.org and the organisers for putting this together. It was a real pleasure to interact with so many weird and wonderful creatures... ...and their model organisms (!!)

Science by day, beats by night 🧬🎶 Sunset skies, science minds, and the EMBL DJ Club bringing the groove to the rooftop. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it such a special evening 🎧🌇 #EESWildModels But the symposium isn't over yet! Time for the last talk of the day and poster prizes reveal 👀

That’s a wrap on the EMBO | EMBL Symposium: 'Wild frontiers of model organisms'! 🐠🌍🔍 Thanks to our scientific organisers and to all who shared their science and energy. Congrats to our poster prize winners—exceptional work! 👏 #EESWildModels Let’s keep exploring the unknown and see you next time!

Join us in Catalonia to discuss chromatin evolution across the tree of life and from all angles (metabolism, synthetic chromatin, you name it!) meetings.embo.org/event/24-evo...

Rising temperatures across Earth's oceans, rivers, and lakes are affecting the many creatures that call these home 🐟. Mantha Lamprousi, a scientist in EMBL's Dorrity Group, investigates how zebrafish bodies change when grown at high temperatures. www.embl.org/news/science...

How is mitochondrial volume maintained across successive generations of dividing cells? In our new preprint, we show how fission yeast cells use mitochondrial activity to control division timing and maintain mitochondrial homeostasis! (1/n) 📖 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Instead of believing the myth that three expensive, genetically modified wolves are “de-extinct” dire wolves, let’s look at animals humanity has actually brought back from the brink of extinction using proven science and dedicated hard work: 🧵/6

We give you the winners of yesterday's 'Wild frontiers of model organisms' pub quiz: Wildebeests 👏🏼🏆 Well done to all teams, it was a fun evening! #EESWildModels

Very excited for this first of its kind EMBO/EMBL Symposium on the Wild Frontiers of Model Organisms. So far Session 1 is a blast, from aiptasia symbiosis, oyster vibrio phage interactions, !! #EESWildModels @embldbunit.bsky.social @embl.org

GODDAMIT. IT’S NOT A RESURRECTED DIRE WOLF. 20 edits in 19,000 genes. IT’S NOT GOING TO AID CONSERVATION. EVERY WRITE UP THAT SWALLOWS AND REGURGITATES THIS GUFFERY WOLFSHIT IS DOING PR FOR A FUNDING ROUND.

Kicked off the #EESWildModels at @embl.org 🐟🦠🍄‍🟫🪰🐟 @floravincent.bsky.social started the sessions with a little survey to sample the range of expertise/skills Really diverse range of expertise amongst the attendees 💯 @events.embl.org

I say this every time de-extinction comes up: it makes no sense to devote science to bringing back extinct animals when we can’t be bothered to keep extant ones alive in the first place.

Tariffs xkcd.com/3073

The not-dire wolf is of course primarily just a PR invention, but perhaps it is also a good opportunity to think about the talismanic magical powers that get attributed to genes.

Of course this is scientifically ridiculous, though not quite to the level of the "mammoth mouse" Read the linked paper to learn some science about the dire wolf genome that reveals how absurd the claim is 2/n www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Cultivating the Ancestors… (1|4) meet today the archaeon 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘮 MK-D1, and its syntrophic companions. parts 2−4 in the coming weeks... Read more > schaechter.asmblog.org/schaechter/2... #MicroSky #Archaea #ArchaeaSky #SymbioSky

Jeremy keeps up--he's digging into the HHS grant details this is important--read on!

This is unconscionable! Subjecting eminent scientists to this uncertainty is crazy!!! How can DOGE with their ‘coding errors’ be in charge of the US economy?! I hope each of these actions will be the subject of a punitive lawsuit collectively and individually

Friends, I know you're excited to try protesting, but under no circumstances should you ever sign up to attend one. I'm suspicious of any org asking people to put their name on a list that is easily accessible via warrant or may even be public. You can just show up day of.

@erictopol.bsky.social I think your Twitter account is hacked, or you have started believing in crypto😅

I remember when @archaeon-alex.bsky.social came to WashU last Fall to present this for a Biology seminar - completely blew my mind! 🤯 Happy to see this published!

Announcing the new release of the PR2 database, version 5.1. pr2-database.org/post/news/20... Very big thanks to all the contributors: @fonamental.bsky.social @ambonacolta.bsky.social @krabberod.bsky.social and more... A few highlights:

A huge loss at FDA. Peter Marks originated rhe Operation Warp Speed Covid vaccine idea and has overseen so many essential biotech programs such as genome editing cures www.wsj.com/politics/top...

Breaking: RFK Jr. has forced out PETER MARKS, the nation’s top vaccine regulator. In his resignation letter, obtained by the Post, Marks said he was willing to work with RFK Jr on his vaccine concerns — but said Kennedy wishes “subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”

"It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies” www.bbc.com/news/article...

Proud of this work, led by the amazing Jeannette Tenthorey (now Assistant Professor at UCSF), demonstrating the adaptive power of single indel mutations in host-virus arms races, but a little sad that this is the coda to her amazing postdoc in the Malik & Emerman labs. www.cell.com/cell-genomic...

🎉 Excited to share our new work: “Adhesion-driven tissue rigidification triggers epithelial cell polarity”, now on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social ! A huge thank you to @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social, Bernat, @crisp-c.bsky.social, Adrián, and everyone involved! 🙌 🧵⤵️

If you are sitting back thinking your research won't be targeted, you're wrong. This isn't being done in a "logical" way: any area of research could be next. 2/n

14 pages of terminated NIH grants--everyone should read through the list. The sweep is VERY broad, including "The Impact of the Herpes Zoster Vaccine on Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus" & "Mitochondrial-based Determinants of Sex Differences in Acute Kidney Injury"🧪 1/n taggs.hhs.gov/Content/Data...