New paper alert! Led by David Montagnes, this one is for scientists and non-scientists alike. The history, benefits, and future of Learned Societies. We need community, fostering of critical thinking, and communication, more than ever! link.springer.com/article/10.1... #protistsonsky

How did eukaryotic cells get their Golgi, endosomes, lysosomes and other endomembrane compartments? We show that endomembrane evolution depends on long periods of neutral molecular exploration, punctuated by sudden leaps. New preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

New preprint out! Using ~75k environmental OTUs + 77 fossil calibrations, we reconstructed a Proterozoic timeline of eukaryote evolution. Our results show crown eukaryotes were already diversifying >1.6 Ga, long before the first undisputed fossils (~1.05 Ga). 🔗 DOI: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

A nice tribute to Frank John Rupert “Max” Taylor by Juan F. Saldarriaga and Rowan Haigh. Feel free to share your own remembrances in the comments. #protistsonsky @dackslabecb.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

I have such fond memories of Max from my time as an MSc student at UBC. Hours of thought-provoking discussion were passed in his office, particularly when I was actually supposed to be writing my thesis ;) Thank you Max for your gifts to protistology. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Attending Protistology Open? Check out @nicolecoots.bsky.social & I's ISOP-sponsored symposium "The Symbiotic Continuum across the Tree of Life" (April 20th @ 11 AM)! We have an amazing lineup of speakers including Ondřej Pomahač, @mixotrophe.bsky.social, & Gillian Gile #ProtistsOnSky #Symbiosis

New #ISEPpapers! Single‐Cell Transcriptomes and Phylogenomic Analysis of Uncultivated #Oxymonads: Morelia Trznadel et al. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... #Protists #Microbes #Evolution #TreeOfLife #Phylogeny

#Ichthyosporea are not just the 5–6 species we and others have helped establish as models. Our recent synthesis suggests that ~95% of their species-level diversity remains uncultivated. In other words, we still know only a fraction of the map! #protistsonSky @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social @prbb.org

Congratulations Fabien! Well deserved :)

I have to say, I expected more engagement with myPi day post. It was an all 'round disappointment.

Happy Holidays to those who celebrate!

In a study led by @choannaflagellate.bsky.social and @evocellbio.bsky.social using samples from a local mudflat in Maine, we found evidence of a new lineage of #protistsonsky that helps fill in gaps in our understanding of breviate (+Obozoa) mitochondrial evolution. www.bigelow.org/news/article...

An unexpected encounter with a former Editor in Chief of JEM while hiking with my son. I insisted on taking the extra detour and told him stories of one of my great mentors and role models.

Thank you @mollyherring.bsky.social for the stunning showcase 😍 Like what you see? Come ExM with us! Let’s flood the internet with microbial marvels 🦠 #ProtistsOnSky #MicroEvoSky 🧪🔬🌍 @dudinlab.bsky.social @centriolelab.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @embl.org @erc.europa.eu @embo.org

The Microbiome Within a Microbe: Rethinking Blastocystis Biology onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #protists #microbiome

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #protistsonsky

The Romantic Discovery of Radiolaria in the Ocean #microbiology #Radiolaria #protists #MicroSky doi.org/10.1111/jeu....

My first bluesky post of 2026. I was away in the UK, for meetings with colleagues but also got to sneak in a few visits with more friends, old and new alike. In what has been a turbulent and disquieting year across the world already, personal connections and support are more important than ever.

🎄 Just published 🎉! Our ongoing genome sequencing of the basal dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina uncovered a new lineage of endogenized Polinton-like viruses, OmPLV. Notably, OmPLV encodes ... [cont] #VirEvol #MicroSky #Mevosky #SymbioSky #ProtistsOnSky

What a great way to end the year! This work, with a superb team, gave us the chance to put out some ideas about the evolution of meiosis (and other organellar systems) during eukaryogenesis. Congratulations especially to our undergrad Lisa Matsuo on her first ever paper:) @cloeucl.bsky.social

Wow! Super exciting science:)

The first candle of Channukah; the lights on a Christmas tree; the solstice as the time when the days get brighter; they are about finding a light in the darkest of times. Intentionally looking for, and appreciating something positive, when things seem dire can be a powerful act. Now and always.

This is fucking grim. Somebody invented a white guy, an "IT professional" named Edward Crabtree, who stopped the Bondi shooting and spread it all over the internet, which was picked up by AI agents and slop aggregation sites. The real hero is a fruit stand owner named Ahmed el Ahmed.

And another Asgard paper. Cells in motion! Wow! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Haven't posted here in a bit. But the public school teachers' strike is over, my program grant is submitted, and our household is now COVID-free. Heard a great seminar today, had a catch up with a long-time collaborator, and taught a grad class to a very talented set of students. Happy Friday!

We are looking for a PhD student to work on an exciting plastid endosymbiosis in microbial eukaryotes. This position involves sampling, exciting microscopy such as CARDFISH, ExM and FIBSEM, single-cell transcriptomics and more. #protistsonsky 1/2

Our paper on the #genome of the Trebouxia #photobiont from Xanthoria is now out in @newphyt.bsky.social! Check below for a near-chromosome level assembly, secretome analysis, evidence of ancient HGT, and transcriptomic comparison of the alga in symbiosis and in pure culture doi.org/10.1111/nph.70728

Holy smokes!!!!

Exciting day for the lab: our 1rst paper is officially out in @currentbiology.bsky.social 🥳 Wonderful collaboration wt @gautamdey.bsky.social showing how Cryo-ExM achieves consistent immunostaining in diverse diatoms, from the lab and the natural environment 1/n #ProtistsOnSky tinyurl.com/2zxaund7

Excited to share our new paper! Tepsin and AP4 mediate transport from the trans-Golgi to the plant-like vacuole in Toxoplasma gondii. A great collaboration between the Meissner, Jiménez-Ruiz, and Dacks labs 🙌 #Toxoplasma #Apicomplexa #Golgi #CellBiology #Parasites

See companion study from Grech et al. @jimenezruizlab.bsky.social @meissnerlab.bsky.social: rupress.org/jcb/article/...

🔎Check out this image from one of the articles in our Sept/Oct issue: 🔬Two Nanochloropsis gaditana cells visualized by quick-freeze deep-etch electron ▶️Read the article: Goodenough & Roth. Ultrastructure of the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Eukaryotic Microalgae. doi.org/10.1111/jeu.... #protistsonsky

Always happy to be involved in work that better explains how parasite cells function. Especially in a group like apicomplexans with such a global health impact (Malaria, Theileria, Cryptosporidium). The more we know, the better people are able to find ways to combat them. doi.org/10.1083/jcb....

OK sure, it started out as a typo, but I d like the idea measuring of a gene or protein's "Conswervation". Just feels more groovy and less judgemental than 'divergence".

What you're looking at is a brand new protist species! 🤯🔬 Isn't it beautiful? This image is just a glimpse of what's to come. We can't wait to share our full findings soon, in partnership with Guifré @beaplab.bsky.social @luisjagago.bsky.social. Stay tuned! #NewSpecies #protistsonSky #diversity

One is the best EMBO/EMBL symposium is coming up and it’s going to be AWESOME. Save the date !

New #ISEPpapers! Towards a trait-based framework for protist ecology and evolution: Mahwash Jamy et al. www.cell.com/trends/micro... #protists #algae #microbes #ecology #evolution

I reflect on the changes in the past year and introduce and explain the rationale for JEM's newly established AI guidelines. Most importantly, this piece discusses what I see as the core mission of the journal: to provide a venue for the voices of Protistologists. Hope you like it.

New #ISEPpapers! Selective loss of ATP carriers in favour of SLC25A43 orthologues in metamonad #mitochondria adapted to #anaerobiosis: Natalia Janowicz et al. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.... #Protists #Microbes #Evolution #Metamonads #Anaerobes #ProtistsOnSky

New #ISEPpapers! The fluid dynamics and functional diversity of the flagella of free-living flagellates orbit.dtu.dk/en/publicati... #Protists #Microbes #FluidDynamics #Biophysics

I had missed this when it came out at the end of last year, but I am glad to see some of my *favourite* eukaryotic supergroups marked as resolved #protistsonsky www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ipsj...

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #protistsonsky

The first paper from my PhD is out now! doi.org/10.1111/jeu.... We describe a new photosynthetic #Paulinella species from a brackish beach in British Columbia 🇨🇦 Big thanks to the co-authors Maia Palka and @alive-in-the-ocean.bsky.social, and my supervisor @fburki.bsky.social #protistsonsky

Check out our recent publication on breviate protists and their microbial communities. In this study, led by PhD student Karla and postdoc Julie, we found that breviate growth under anoxia might be dependent on the metabolic capabilities of the prokaryotes they live with. doi.org/10.1093/isme...

Moving fast and stressing hard about getting things done before vacation (and being grumpy about it). Then I opened my laptop to the news of the passing of a mentor and colleague. Her memory will be a blessing and guide. Good reminder about priorities today, though. Connections over check-lists.

Really interesting work!!

We have a postdoc opening for a protistologist with biophysics inclinations to join our @hfspo.bsky.social project! (focus will be on characterising the morphology, ultrastructure and behaviour of excavates) #protistsonsky Apply by Sept 17th (RTs appreciated!) jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...

Drafting a budget for an upcoming grant and asked a colleague how much lab space I'd need to culture the fungi I plan to study. They said as mushroom as possible. ...I regret nothing.

🌟 New paper out! 🌟 Multi-omics reveals the microbial consortium sustaining Monocercomonoides exilis in vitro 🧬 Huge thanks to everyone involved, especially my project supervisor, Vladimír Hampl! 🙌 Read 👉 doi.org/10.1186/s407... #Microbiology #Protists #MicrobialEcology #Multiomics #OpenAccess