Fabien Burki
@fburki.bsky.social
Exploring the great microbial eukaryote diversity and evolution, one protist at a time. I’m fascinated by this question: how have #plastids evolved? #ProtistsOnSky | Associate Prof at Uppsala University. My lab: https://www.burki-lab.net/
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Plants animals and fungi are just the weird really big protists.
February 11, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Plants animals and fungi are just the weird really big protists.
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Check out our latest pre-print of our favourite pets - the breviates. This work was led by Zhezhen Yi in collaboration with @andrewjroger.bsky.social and many others! By studying diverse breviates we were able to see how different metabolic pathways can evolved in response to low-oxygen.
www.biorxiv.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Check out our latest pre-print of our favourite pets - the breviates. This work was led by Zhezhen Yi in collaboration with @andrewjroger.bsky.social and many others! By studying diverse breviates we were able to see how different metabolic pathways can evolved in response to low-oxygen.
That seems about right. #protistsonsky friends
February 9, 2026 at 11:41 AM
That seems about right. #protistsonsky friends
Reposted by Fabien Burki
This is a beautiful case of how real science happens & serious scientists work. Kudos to both set of authors: “This has been a humbling experience, but one that speaks to the self-correcting nature of the scientific endeavor.” www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
RETRACTED: Integrative phylogenomics positions sponges at the root of the animal tree
Determining whether sponges or ctenophores root the animal tree has important implications for understanding early animal evolution. Here, we examined support for these competing hypotheses by constru...
www.science.org
February 6, 2026 at 7:35 PM
This is a beautiful case of how real science happens & serious scientists work. Kudos to both set of authors: “This has been a humbling experience, but one that speaks to the self-correcting nature of the scientific endeavor.” www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Spatial Proteomics Workshop for Protists
(see more in thread below)
Registration
Early Bird Monday 22nd June 2026.
Regular Monday 10th August 2026.
There will be a conference dinner on day 1. To register visit protistology.org.uk/autumn-meeti...
(see more in thread below)
Registration
Early Bird Monday 22nd June 2026.
Regular Monday 10th August 2026.
There will be a conference dinner on day 1. To register visit protistology.org.uk/autumn-meeti...
February 6, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Spatial Proteomics Workshop for Protists
(see more in thread below)
Registration
Early Bird Monday 22nd June 2026.
Regular Monday 10th August 2026.
There will be a conference dinner on day 1. To register visit protistology.org.uk/autumn-meeti...
(see more in thread below)
Registration
Early Bird Monday 22nd June 2026.
Regular Monday 10th August 2026.
There will be a conference dinner on day 1. To register visit protistology.org.uk/autumn-meeti...
Reposted by Fabien Burki
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
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
February 4, 2026 at 8:43 PM
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
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
February 6, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Oxygen as a primary selective pressure for photosymbiosis evolution: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol... @currentbiology.bsky.social
Oxygen as a primary selective pressure for photosymbiosis evolution
To explore the early steps of photosymbiosis evolution, Quevarec et al. use the ciliate
predator Tetrahymena thermophila and two phototrophs to mimic primary and secondary
photosymbiosis. They show th...
www.cell.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Oxygen as a primary selective pressure for photosymbiosis evolution: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol... @currentbiology.bsky.social
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Thx for @mollyherring.bsky.social for featuring our recent work with @centriolelab.bsky.social and our quest with @gautamdey.bsky.social & the support of the @moorefound.bsky.social to look for the beauty in every #eukaryote out there using #Expansion #Microscopy #UExM
Even with the largest zoom on a classic compound optical system, scientists struggle to make sense of finer details. Microbiologists are turning to an unexpected source to clear things up: a moisture-absorbing material found in diapers. www.quantamagazine.org/expansion-mi...
Expansion Microscopy Has Transformed How We See the Cellular World | Quanta Magazine
How physically magnifying objects using a key ingredient in diapers has opened an unprecedented view of the microbial world.
www.quantamagazine.org
February 4, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Thx for @mollyherring.bsky.social for featuring our recent work with @centriolelab.bsky.social and our quest with @gautamdey.bsky.social & the support of the @moorefound.bsky.social to look for the beauty in every #eukaryote out there using #Expansion #Microscopy #UExM
I found something tonight, this conference was pretty much the beginning of the rest for me. What a blast from the past! Oh and the pen still works beautifully
February 2, 2026 at 8:51 PM
I found something tonight, this conference was pretty much the beginning of the rest for me. What a blast from the past! Oh and the pen still works beautifully
Reposted by Fabien Burki
#ProtistsOnSky
no 'swimming' by 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢, definitively no 'staying still'. just a relaxed walk towards the lunch...
no 'swimming' by 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢, definitively no 'staying still'. just a relaxed walk towards the lunch...
February 2, 2026 at 12:00 AM
#ProtistsOnSky
no 'swimming' by 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢, definitively no 'staying still'. just a relaxed walk towards the lunch...
no 'swimming' by 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢, definitively no 'staying still'. just a relaxed walk towards the lunch...
Reposted by Fabien Burki
The day is finally here!! On behalf of all the co-organizers the Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes website is open.
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
CGUE 2026 – Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes 2026. San Feliu, Spain. 5-10 October
comparativegenomics2026.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:20 PM
The day is finally here!! On behalf of all the co-organizers the Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes website is open.
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
Reposted by Fabien Burki
FoldMason is out now in @science.org. It generates accurate multiple structure alignments for thousands of protein structures in seconds. Great work by Cameron L. M. Gilchrist and @milot.bsky.social.
📄 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/foldmason
💾 github.com/steineggerla...
📄 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/foldmason
💾 github.com/steineggerla...
Multiple protein structure alignment at scale with FoldMason
Protein structure is conserved beyond sequence, making multiple structural alignment (MSTA) essential for analyzing distantly related proteins. Computational prediction methods have vastly extended ou...
www.science.org
January 30, 2026 at 6:11 AM
FoldMason is out now in @science.org. It generates accurate multiple structure alignments for thousands of protein structures in seconds. Great work by Cameron L. M. Gilchrist and @milot.bsky.social.
📄 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/foldmason
💾 github.com/steineggerla...
📄 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/foldmason
💾 github.com/steineggerla...
It's not always that sunny, but Uppsala Uni–especially the Evo Biol Centre (EBC)–is a great place to set up your lab. Apply to join us!
Join us at the Evolutionary Biology Centre at Uppsala University. We’re searching for an Assistant Professor in Biology. www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
January 29, 2026 at 7:41 AM
It's not always that sunny, but Uppsala Uni–especially the Evo Biol Centre (EBC)–is a great place to set up your lab. Apply to join us!
Thank you CCAC for this very nice calendar, a nice surprise in the mailbox #protistsonsky
January 26, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Thank you CCAC for this very nice calendar, a nice surprise in the mailbox #protistsonsky
Reposted by Fabien Burki
🐟🐚🦪🦐🦀
Seeking candidates for a PhD/postdoc opportunity via IMPACT+ program in protistology+aquaculture in Halifax.
For more info, contact me by Feb 5th or see:
slamo.biochem.dal.ca/call-for-app...
#aquaculture #microsky #marinelife #protistsonsky #microalgae #protists
Seeking candidates for a PhD/postdoc opportunity via IMPACT+ program in protistology+aquaculture in Halifax.
For more info, contact me by Feb 5th or see:
slamo.biochem.dal.ca/call-for-app...
#aquaculture #microsky #marinelife #protistsonsky #microalgae #protists
Call for Applications: PhD and Postdoctoral Scholarships – Slamovits Lab at Dalhousie University
slamo.biochem.dal.ca
January 23, 2026 at 6:12 PM
🐟🐚🦪🦐🦀
Seeking candidates for a PhD/postdoc opportunity via IMPACT+ program in protistology+aquaculture in Halifax.
For more info, contact me by Feb 5th or see:
slamo.biochem.dal.ca/call-for-app...
#aquaculture #microsky #marinelife #protistsonsky #microalgae #protists
Seeking candidates for a PhD/postdoc opportunity via IMPACT+ program in protistology+aquaculture in Halifax.
For more info, contact me by Feb 5th or see:
slamo.biochem.dal.ca/call-for-app...
#aquaculture #microsky #marinelife #protistsonsky #microalgae #protists
Reposted by Fabien Burki
We've got ISSUES. Literally.
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
January 13, 2026 at 8:27 AM
We've got ISSUES. Literally.
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
Reposted by Fabien Burki
And for fun here's an amoebozoan named Centropyxis wearing diatom frustules
January 20, 2026 at 10:32 PM
And for fun here's an amoebozoan named Centropyxis wearing diatom frustules
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Closely related microbes tend to live in similar communities across Earth’s environments.
We call this pattern community conservatism - extending established ecological patterns to the microbial world.
🧬🌍 #MicrobialEcology #Evolution
Read the full article here: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We call this pattern community conservatism - extending established ecological patterns to the microbial world.
🧬🌍 #MicrobialEcology #Evolution
Read the full article here: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
January 16, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Closely related microbes tend to live in similar communities across Earth’s environments.
We call this pattern community conservatism - extending established ecological patterns to the microbial world.
🧬🌍 #MicrobialEcology #Evolution
Read the full article here: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We call this pattern community conservatism - extending established ecological patterns to the microbial world.
🧬🌍 #MicrobialEcology #Evolution
Read the full article here: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Forgot to add #ProtistsOnSky
Out now in Environmental Microbiome! 🧬
By re-analyzing microbialite sequencing data, we show that chromerid algae (the closest photosynthetic relatives of apicomplexans) are consistent and widespread associates of microbialites across diverse marine and freshwater environments worldwide 🌎
By re-analyzing microbialite sequencing data, we show that chromerid algae (the closest photosynthetic relatives of apicomplexans) are consistent and widespread associates of microbialites across diverse marine and freshwater environments worldwide 🌎
Modern microbialites harbor an undescribed diversity of chromerid algae - Environmental Microbiome
Background Chromerid algae are the closest photosynthetic relatives of apicomplexan parasites. While chromerids have been central to understanding the evolutionary transition from free-living algae to...
link.springer.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Forgot to add #ProtistsOnSky
Reposted by Fabien Burki
Ever wonder why some projects just work and others slowly eat your soul? In this paper by @urialonlab.bsky.social discuss the importance of choosing both interesting and actually doable ideas. Impact matters as well as feasibility!
January 14, 2026 at 7:43 AM
Ever wonder why some projects just work and others slowly eat your soul? In this paper by @urialonlab.bsky.social discuss the importance of choosing both interesting and actually doable ideas. Impact matters as well as feasibility!
Reposted by Fabien Burki
If you're interested in biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems, there's just a few days to apply for our PhD project: Ecological Surveillance using High-Throughput Quantitative Imaging at @uniofbath.bsky.social .
Deadline: January 16th!
Apply: is.gd/svXBcr
Image: www.planktoscope.org/how-it-works
Deadline: January 16th!
Apply: is.gd/svXBcr
Image: www.planktoscope.org/how-it-works
January 13, 2026 at 2:07 PM
If you're interested in biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems, there's just a few days to apply for our PhD project: Ecological Surveillance using High-Throughput Quantitative Imaging at @uniofbath.bsky.social .
Deadline: January 16th!
Apply: is.gd/svXBcr
Image: www.planktoscope.org/how-it-works
Deadline: January 16th!
Apply: is.gd/svXBcr
Image: www.planktoscope.org/how-it-works