(1/9) Join us in Bern, Switzerland (8–11 Feb 2026) for our EMBO Workshop on Molecular Mechanisms of Selfish Elements and Strategies! Organized with Tanja Schwander, Laura Ross (@laurarossevo.bsky.social) and Axel Imhof. meetings.embo.org/event/26-sel... #EMBOselfishElements #EMBOevents

"Striking diversity of male-killing symbionts and their mechanisms" by Hiroshi Arai (@haraipapilio.bsky.social), Daisuke Kageyama (@daisukekageyama.bsky.social) & co "Why [and how] do maternally inherited endosymbionts kill male hosts?" Find out here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Our new review paper with @daisukekageyama.bsky.social is out in Trends in Genetics (@cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social)! We summarise the current knowledge on the diversity of male-killing microbes and their mechanisms. Available here: 🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

New paper out at Biological Reviews!! 🥳🥳 "Infection dynamics of endosymbionts that manipulate arthropod reproduction" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.70024 A joint effort with Franziska Brenninger (now a postdoc ‪@unibe.ch‬) and @kokkonut.bsky.social‬. (1/5)

New preprint ex @bolinabug.bsky.social (+ @daisukekageyama.bsky.social & @scottishwormboy.bsky.social) on the pronounced secondary expansion of Spiroplasma and Rickettsia genomes in lacewings doi.org/10.1101/2025... #symbiosky 1/2

Wolbachia bacteria hijack insect reproduction by killing off males, but it turns out they don’t use the same weapon in every species. New research uncovers species-specific genes with a license to kill.

Our final version of eLife paper (VOR) is now out! (doi.org/10.7554/eLif...). I investigated functions of wmk and Oscar homologs in a native host (moth) with @daisukekageyama.bsky.social and others:))

⭐2025's John Maynard Smith Prize Winner is Hiroshi Arai⭐ Hiroshi will give the JMS Prize Lecture in Barcelona this August at #ESEB2025 @eseb2025.bsky.social Read more about his prize-winning research here: eseb.org/prizes-fundi...

@haraipapilio.bsky.social paper on evolution of Wolbachia MK mechanism through prophage acquisition in molina butterflies - avoiding suppression by the host. Now out! #symbiosky www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti.... With @daisukekageyama.bsky.social @bolinabug.bsky.social and others

New preprint from @haraipapilio.bsky.social with @bolinabug.bsky.social @daisukekageyama.bsky.social and others not on bluesky #symbiosky www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Very happy to start the new year with publication of our new work on leaf surface RNA. Plant leaves secrete diverse RNAs that are surprisingly stable on their surfaces. Next question to answer: What do they do? www.pnas.org/doi/epub/10....