Another excellent argument why my #research in compounds with low environmental toxicity to control #parasites (and other #pests) matters: Yet another #synthetic #pesticide, chlorpyrifos, was found to cause #prenatal damage. We need better pesticides with fewer off target effects (working on it!!).

This. "...increasing genomic data alone does not guarantee impact – many genome assemblies remain fragmented, poorly annotated, and underutilized." (Lempereur et al., 2025) Progress in genomics still requires verification in a laboratory. #genomics #insilico #invitro #invivo

More on the mosquito-killing #fungus, Metarhizium. Again, what's to stop Metarhizium from turning into an invasive species where its spores are implemented in mosquito control? ...any #mycologists out there who can comment? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/s... #parasitology @mycologists.bsky.social

Scientists discovered #fungi that smell like #flowers and attract #mosquitoes (who, yes, feed on #flower nectar) into a deadly embrace. Here, researchers synthetically enhanced the fungus' production of longifolene, a harmless perfume molecule, to provide safe and effective #mosquito control:

Yo, #Stats fam, looks like #R just got a #glowup. #Slay that next analysis! #statistics #datascience

Mites delight in colder weather - not for the cold, but for the #people and #pets who spend more time indoors or wrapped up in #fabric - the perfect medium for spreading and causing diseases like Sarcoptic #mange. Learn more here at the University of Nomi: uniofnomi.wordpress.com/lesson-2-sar...

Shout out to the #parasitologists as well! Cataloging the #biodiversity of parasites such as lice is an important step in understanding them!

#AI #authorship is a game-changer in the #publish-or-perish game of modern science #research. AI can be a helpful writing tool, yet we're seeing AI weaken science, ironically. And it's not just fraudulence; it's the discourse too: “legitimate discussion risks being drowned by the synthetic noise.”

Tomorrow! #biophysics #lecture #talk

Toxoplasma infects over 1 billion people worldwide, causing flu-like symptoms and even organ damage in #immunocompromised individuals, as well as miscarriages in pregnant women. Typically associated with #cats, this #parasite can also infect #livestock, as seen here: #parasitology

This #database is an invaluable tool for researchers in the field of #parasitology - a neglected area of #science - housing annotated #genes and #proteins found in #parasites. Check out this #training session to make the most of this #rare resource! #bioinformatics #vector #genomics #proteomics #R

#Vaccines are a powerful line of defence against many debilitating #diseases, training our #immune systems to recognize and destroy pathogens. But vaccinating against #Borrelia, the bacteria causing #LymeDisease, is tricky. Check out why in my latest piece: uniofnomi.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/l...

More highlights from #MPMXXXVI! Work by Roaa Zedan et al. developed a point-of-care diagnostic test for #Blastocystis, a fascinating #protist found across the world (including industrialized nations) in the human gut #microbiome, implicated in diseases such as #IBS. 1/3 @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025

Genomic parasites!

Ehrlichia canis is a tick-borne #bacteria that infects white blood cells and causes monocytic ehrlichiosis in dogs - a potentially fatal disease. This is also a zoonotic disease, meaning humans can be infected too. #ticks #dogs #canine #health

More highlights from #MPMXXXVI! Work by Claudia Bastl et al. designed and applied a fluorescent dye that stains structures in red blood cells to allow imaging of #malaria #parasites using portable smartphone-based microscopes, enabling rapid diagnosis in rural areas lacking #medical resources. 1/2

Latest from the Nature Podcast 🔊 How a dangerous tick-borne virus sneaks into the brain go.nature.com/4nRIOuV

Nomenlcature is always a bit of a nightmare... ...making it all the more important we use accurate terminology to describe #pathogens of high significance to human health. #LymeDisease #phylogeny

More highlights from #MPMXXXVI! Work by Lindsay Clark et al. predicts protein function based on existing gene sequences of #parasites in @veupathdb.org, annotating otherwise uncharacterized proteins based on their structure & helping inform drug discovery efforts. 1/2 @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025

TWiP solves the case about the parasite check in summer camp, and presents a new case about a woman who traveled to Brazil and developed furuncles on the back of her head. @danielgriffinmdphd.bsky.social @christina-naula.bsky.social

More highlights from #MPMXXXVI! Work by Ismael L. Orbegon et al. shows Verbena litoralis, a medicinal plant, has significant in vitro activity against parasitic worms infecting sheep, showing promise for addressing the growing threat of drug resistance. 1/3 @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025 #Parasitology

The reality in science is that creativity is not treated as a core skill while hypothesis testing is, and that is the imbalance that we want correct through the Night Science Institute! www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/art... www.night-science.org

More highlights from #MPMXXXVI: Work by Lum Abienwi Ambe et al. has begun to develop a non-invasive assay for detecting Onchocerca volvulus from urine samples, making it easier to treat #onchocerciasis - a devastating parasitic #disease causing blindness. @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025 #Parasitology

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” ― Thomas A. Edison

Hey, #MPMXXXVI attendees! Just a reminder today is the last day to vote for your favourite talks and posters from this year's meeting. I've highlighted a few in my posts below! @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025 #Parasitology

Highlights from #MPMXXXVI: #Ticks! (woot!) Work by Isaac A. Hinne et al. identified stage-specific gene expression profiles in developing #tick embryos (Ixodes scapularis). Targeting embryonic development in ticks offers a unique point of #vector control. @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025 #Parasitology

Highlights from #MPMXXXVI: Work by Atena Hesami et al. shows the efficacy of thyme extract incorporated into silver #nanoparticles for use against Leishmania major - a #parasite causing flesh-eating disease - showing the value of naturally sourced compounds as augmentative antiparasitic agents. 1/2

Highlights from #MPMXXXVI: Work by Melisa Sayé et al. explores repurposing benztropine - a Parkinson's disease drug - against infection by Trypanosome cruzi, a #parasite causing Chagas disease which affects >7 million people worldwide. @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025 #Parasitology 1/2

Highlights from #MPMXXXVI: A review by Dr. Mohammad Taghi Ahady et al. reveals high accuracy (>97%) of #AI and #MachineLearning tools in identifying #parasites in microscopic images of #medical samples, both blood and stool. @parasitesrule.org #MPM2025 #Parasitology 1/3

📆 | Save the Date! The @bspparasitology.bsky.social Spring Meeting 2026 is coming to @uofglasgow.bsky.social. Running from 7-9 April, there will be 15 sessions, 5 workshops, a ceilidh, a dinner - and a welcome reception at Glasgow City Chambers. 🔗 More info soon at bsp.uk.net/Events

Highlights from #MPMXXXVI: Did you know the most common non-viral #STD in the world is caused by the #parasite Trichomonas vaginalis? Thanks to keynote speaker P.J. Johnson for sharing her expertise on this woefully understudied pathogen. Check out her work! www.researchgate.net/scientific-c...

A super useful tool for your #bioinformatics workflow to compile data across databases (among other cool features!) (Poster still accessible to #mpm2025 attendees for the next 2 weeks!) Spread the word, & help keep @veupathdb.org up & running! Our #analysis is only as strong as our #data. #R

The 36th Molecular #Parasitology Meeting was a smashing success! Thanks @parasitesrule.org for bringing together parasitologists from around the world, reminding us why we love this #niche field of absolutely fascinating and #essential research. #MPMXXXVI #mpm2025 www.parasitesrule.com/mpm-xxxvi

Missed a talk at #mpm2025? Recordings are accessible for two weeks! With an action-packed conference buzzing with parasitologists over just 5 days, the opportunity to re-watch our favourite presentations (or the ones where we may-or-may-not-have spaced out a little) is much appreciated! #MPMXXXVI

The Sterile Insect Technique is also being implemented to help curb the rise of the New World #Screwworm pestering the southern US. It is a powerful technique that exploits the mating habits of these #insects, and prevents them from reproducing. #biologics

#Vaccines are a powerful line of defence against many #diseases. But where's our vaccine for #Lyme disease, and what's taking so long? In my latest #review, I explore the complexities behind both the #science and the #business of Lyme #vaccination: uniofnomi.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/l...

Interested in cellular plasticity? Come to my live virtual talk at the Night Science Seminar Series! Free register here: cassyni.com/events/ApfsK...

The #screwworm - flesh-eating larvae that hatch from eggs laid by blowflies in open wounds - continue to spread and wreak havoc on the cattle trade (not to mention the wildlife). Here's what you need to know: www.miragenews.com/new-world-sc...

In the Czech Republic, tick-borne diseases are reaching a ten-year high in 2025. Lyme disease, in particular, has seen a dramatic rise. Experts warn of further increases in the autumn.

#AMR is most often discussed in the context of #bacteria, but this holds true in the world of #parasitology, as well (where #vaccines are particularly tricky to design given the multicellular, eukaryotic nature of many parasites).

#Parasites - the "dark matter" of the #biological realm. Understudied and underrepresented in both ecological and #disease models, parasites form essential links in the food web that outnumber those between predator and prey. Yet parasites remain an #enigma. www.sciencealert.com/what-we-don-...

This is a great series! Check it out.

New #method with exciting implications for #parasitology #research! Many parasites (such as Trypanosomes) strategically utilize nuclear condensates to evade the #immune system (as in antigenic variation).

#Mosquitoes reared in this factory are inoculated with Wolbachia - a harmless genus of #bacteria that lower mosquitoes' ability to spread #viruses such as #dengue and #Zika. These modified mosquitoes are called "wolbitos." 🤣 Clever! www.nature.com/articles/d41...

#Fungi (in addition to #parasites) are often overlooked in gut #microbiome studies. Yet, these organisms are essential members, consuming nutrients and producing metabolites that can shape the entire microbiome.

...One of the (many) reasons why #parasites should be part of routine pathogen monitoring in food safety testing and control:

#Parasites are important #foodborne #pathogens, yet most #food testing #labs lack parasitologists on staff. Most food #microbiologists never even study parasitology. Yet ignorance is not bliss: one of the top 5 foodborne pathogens causing death is a #parasite. www.food-safety.com/articles/939...

#Parasites are important #foodborne #pathogens, yet most #food testing #labs lack parasitologists on staff. Most food #microbiologists never even study parasitology. Yet ignorance is not bliss: the top five foodborne pathogens causing death includes a #parasite. www.food-safety.com/articles/939...

"...we might anticipate that roughly 504 additional bacterial pathogens may emerge by the end of the century." Given the rapid rise in antimicrobial resistance, this estimate may not be too far off. #AMR

PMMH seminar. Friday 05/09 at 11:00 in the meeting room You may also watch on Zoom (link upon request). Irène Nagle of TU Delft, Netherlands Mechanics of collagen networks with active cellular inclusions