L. Felipe Benites
@lfelipeb.bsky.social
Postdoc at @Beyond_ASU | Gardener and Evolutionary Biologist | Astrobiology | Virus evolution | Children's book author | Experimental musician | Brasileiro.
https://lfbenites.com/
https://lfbenites.com/
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
We are proud to unveil the world’s longest underwater timelapse, starting May 1st 2023 and running 1,000 days through January 28, 2026. This 10fps period covers summer 2023’s coral bleaching mortality event, but then recovering and growing through ‘24 & ‘25 into ‘26 #coralcitycamera
February 9, 2026 at 7:17 PM
We are proud to unveil the world’s longest underwater timelapse, starting May 1st 2023 and running 1,000 days through January 28, 2026. This 10fps period covers summer 2023’s coral bleaching mortality event, but then recovering and growing through ‘24 & ‘25 into ‘26 #coralcitycamera
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
🌊Paper announcement! 📣
Viral infections rewire the metabolic makeup of their host and thereby create distinct chemical signatures. Can we use metabolic biomarkers to diagnose infections of algal blooms in the ocean?
Well, take a look at our new article led by Conny Kuhlisch in @pnas.org
>>
Viral infections rewire the metabolic makeup of their host and thereby create distinct chemical signatures. Can we use metabolic biomarkers to diagnose infections of algal blooms in the ocean?
Well, take a look at our new article led by Conny Kuhlisch in @pnas.org
>>
Mapping of the viral shunt across widespread coccolithophore blooms using metabolic biomarkers | PNAS
The viral shunt is a fundamental ecosystem process which diverts the flux of organic
carbon fixed through photosynthesis during algal bloom events ...
doi.org
February 5, 2026 at 5:22 PM
🌊Paper announcement! 📣
Viral infections rewire the metabolic makeup of their host and thereby create distinct chemical signatures. Can we use metabolic biomarkers to diagnose infections of algal blooms in the ocean?
Well, take a look at our new article led by Conny Kuhlisch in @pnas.org
>>
Viral infections rewire the metabolic makeup of their host and thereby create distinct chemical signatures. Can we use metabolic biomarkers to diagnose infections of algal blooms in the ocean?
Well, take a look at our new article led by Conny Kuhlisch in @pnas.org
>>
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
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...
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
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 L. Felipe Benites
Our lab has an opening for a fully funded postdoc position! Start date is flexible; ideally summer 2026. Apply by Feb 20th for full consideration. For more about the lab and how to apply:
sites.google.com/uncc.edu/mic...
sites.google.com/uncc.edu/mic...
Luo Lab - Microbial Ecology - join
Lab members will have access to state-of-the art wet lab, and computing, and sequencing resources, including in-house sequencing for both short and long reads (Illumina NextSeq and Nanopore GridION). ...
sites.google.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Our lab has an opening for a fully funded postdoc position! Start date is flexible; ideally summer 2026. Apply by Feb 20th for full consideration. For more about the lab and how to apply:
sites.google.com/uncc.edu/mic...
sites.google.com/uncc.edu/mic...
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
OoL digest is out! 🧬🪐 21 new papers — astrobiology & biosignatures, interstellar peptide formation, metabolically active protocells, Proterozoic ocean oxygen, and Europa's icy shell.
OoL Digest — January 26
buttondown.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:01 PM
OoL digest is out! 🧬🪐 21 new papers — astrobiology & biosignatures, interstellar peptide formation, metabolically active protocells, Proterozoic ocean oxygen, and Europa's icy shell.
Saturday Soundtrack (recent discovery):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAVP...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAVP...
The Meeting Places- Find Yourself Along The Way Full Album
YouTube video by Melómano Mugriento
www.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Saturday Soundtrack (recent discovery):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAVP...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAVP...
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
New 2026 iVoM series coming up!
Each session includes SCR and 3 ECRs, & plenty of opportunities to interact with the speakers and ask questions.
Sign up for links/updates: docs.google.com/forms/d/1hAB...
First up: Viral Biotechnologies Wed, 28 th January at 17:00 CET / 11:00 EST / 08:00 PST
Each session includes SCR and 3 ECRs, & plenty of opportunities to interact with the speakers and ask questions.
Sign up for links/updates: docs.google.com/forms/d/1hAB...
First up: Viral Biotechnologies Wed, 28 th January at 17:00 CET / 11:00 EST / 08:00 PST
Registration form for iVoM4
After submitting this form, you will receive the instructions to join our webinars at the email address you provide.
docs.google.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:42 AM
New 2026 iVoM series coming up!
Each session includes SCR and 3 ECRs, & plenty of opportunities to interact with the speakers and ask questions.
Sign up for links/updates: docs.google.com/forms/d/1hAB...
First up: Viral Biotechnologies Wed, 28 th January at 17:00 CET / 11:00 EST / 08:00 PST
Each session includes SCR and 3 ECRs, & plenty of opportunities to interact with the speakers and ask questions.
Sign up for links/updates: docs.google.com/forms/d/1hAB...
First up: Viral Biotechnologies Wed, 28 th January at 17:00 CET / 11:00 EST / 08:00 PST
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
Impacts of Nearby Algae on Recruitment Success and Early #Microbiome Development of the #Coral Acropora cytherea enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
January 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Impacts of Nearby Algae on Recruitment Success and Early #Microbiome Development of the #Coral Acropora cytherea enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
Join #MVIF 45 cassyni.com/s/mvif-45
and #MeetTheSpeakers
🇺🇸 Lilian Caesar (@liliancaesar.bsky.social) will discuss how space and species sculpt stingless bee microbiomes!
and #MeetTheSpeakers
🇺🇸 Lilian Caesar (@liliancaesar.bsky.social) will discuss how space and species sculpt stingless bee microbiomes!
January 19, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Join #MVIF 45 cassyni.com/s/mvif-45
and #MeetTheSpeakers
🇺🇸 Lilian Caesar (@liliancaesar.bsky.social) will discuss how space and species sculpt stingless bee microbiomes!
and #MeetTheSpeakers
🇺🇸 Lilian Caesar (@liliancaesar.bsky.social) will discuss how space and species sculpt stingless bee microbiomes!
Last days to submit your cool symbiosis abstracts to our cool symbiosis-astrobiology session at #AbSciCon26!!!
Our session on symbiosis and biointeractions for the #Astrobiology meeting #AbSciCon26 was accepted! Please share widely and submit your abstract by 14 of January 2026; Let's put more biology into Astrobiology!
agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
January 12, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Last days to submit your cool symbiosis abstracts to our cool symbiosis-astrobiology session at #AbSciCon26!!!
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
New OoL digest is out! 🪐 12 new papers, ft. the Viking missions, exoplanet habitability, and lava tubes on Mars.
#OriginOfLife #Astrobiology
#OriginOfLife #Astrobiology
OoL digest — January 5
buttondown.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:01 PM
New OoL digest is out! 🪐 12 new papers, ft. the Viking missions, exoplanet habitability, and lava tubes on Mars.
#OriginOfLife #Astrobiology
#OriginOfLife #Astrobiology
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
🚀 Planning to attend #AbSciCon2026 and study the role of metals in life evolution and life elsewhere? Then consider submitting an abstract to our session #20- Transition Metals in Habitability and Biological Evolution. Details below and at this link: agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
December 31, 2025 at 10:01 PM
🚀 Planning to attend #AbSciCon2026 and study the role of metals in life evolution and life elsewhere? Then consider submitting an abstract to our session #20- Transition Metals in Habitability and Biological Evolution. Details below and at this link: agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, pearl jam, soundgarden, or Alice In Chains. >>> Hard one to choose, but this one from MBV (Loveless) still one of my favorites!
December 29, 2025 at 6:19 PM
post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, pearl jam, soundgarden, or Alice In Chains. >>> Hard one to choose, but this one from MBV (Loveless) still one of my favorites!
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
🎄 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
#VirEvol #MicroSky #Mevosky #SymbioSky #ProtistsOnSky
Endogenized polinton-like viruses in the dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina uncover novel PolB fusion
Marine viruses are ubiquitous entities that impact the biology of a large fraction of prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity. Dinoflagellates are heterotrophic, mixotrophic and photosynthetic eukaryotes...
doi.org
December 23, 2025 at 4:39 PM
🎄 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
#VirEvol #MicroSky #Mevosky #SymbioSky #ProtistsOnSky
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
6 - These results highlight host traits and cross-kingdom microbial interactions as key drivers of colony-level microbiome assembly, beautifully illustrated by @lifesciencestudios.bsky.social in the final fig. We hope this guides discussions in microbiome research to bee eco-evo and conservation.
December 22, 2025 at 8:37 AM
6 - These results highlight host traits and cross-kingdom microbial interactions as key drivers of colony-level microbiome assembly, beautifully illustrated by @lifesciencestudios.bsky.social in the final fig. We hope this guides discussions in microbiome research to bee eco-evo and conservation.
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
Our manuscript on the microbiome of a stingless bee hive is out! 🦠🐝 So excited! Here’s a short thread with some findings, going from the assembly of a consistent multi-kingdom microbiome to discussions on host traits that contribute to it. Please take a look and share : ) rdcu.be/eVNFJ
Spatial segregation and cross-kingdom interactions drive stingless bee hive microbiome assembly
Nature Communications - Here, the authors characterize the microbiome assembly across an entire stingless bee colony, revealing site-adapted within-hive communities, and showing that nest...
rdcu.be
December 22, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Our manuscript on the microbiome of a stingless bee hive is out! 🦠🐝 So excited! Here’s a short thread with some findings, going from the assembly of a consistent multi-kingdom microbiome to discussions on host traits that contribute to it. Please take a look and share : ) rdcu.be/eVNFJ
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
🚨 Surprise podcast episode alert! 🚨
This week on Tiny Living Beings, I interviewed @oliverio.bsky.social and @hbrappap.bsky.social who led the discovery of the ‘fire amoeba’, that can reproduce at the highest temperature ever recorded for a eukaryote! 🌋 #protistsonsky
This week on Tiny Living Beings, I interviewed @oliverio.bsky.social and @hbrappap.bsky.social who led the discovery of the ‘fire amoeba’, that can reproduce at the highest temperature ever recorded for a eukaryote! 🌋 #protistsonsky
Introducing the Fire Amoeba
open.spotify.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:01 PM
🚨 Surprise podcast episode alert! 🚨
This week on Tiny Living Beings, I interviewed @oliverio.bsky.social and @hbrappap.bsky.social who led the discovery of the ‘fire amoeba’, that can reproduce at the highest temperature ever recorded for a eukaryote! 🌋 #protistsonsky
This week on Tiny Living Beings, I interviewed @oliverio.bsky.social and @hbrappap.bsky.social who led the discovery of the ‘fire amoeba’, that can reproduce at the highest temperature ever recorded for a eukaryote! 🌋 #protistsonsky
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
Just on time for the holidays! Happy to share the published version of the discovery of leptophytes, a new deep-branching and widespread group of microalgae based on plastid MAGs (ptMAGs). Now with additional support from a mitochondrial MAG (mtMAG) of leptophytes.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Identification of a deep-branching lineage of algae using environmental plastid genomes - Nature Communications
Here, the authors leverage data from the Tara Oceans expeditions to perform a phylogeny-guided plastid genome-resolved metagenomic survey and provide 660 non-redundant plastid genomes from marine alga...
www.nature.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Just on time for the holidays! Happy to share the published version of the discovery of leptophytes, a new deep-branching and widespread group of microalgae based on plastid MAGs (ptMAGs). Now with additional support from a mitochondrial MAG (mtMAG) of leptophytes.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
De novo genome sequence assembly of the model algal endosymbiont Micractinium conductrix derived from its host Paramecium bursaria 186b.
Guy Leonard, Irma Vitonyte, Fiona R Savory, Erika M Hansson, Duncan D Cameron, Michael Brockhurst, Thomas A Richards
bioRxiv doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...
Guy Leonard, Irma Vitonyte, Fiona R Savory, Erika M Hansson, Duncan D Cameron, Michael Brockhurst, Thomas A Richards
bioRxiv doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...
De novo genome sequence assembly of the model algal endosymbiont Micractinium conductrix derived from its host Paramecium bursaria 186b
Endosymbiosis is a major driver of evolutionary innovation and underpins the function of diverse ecosystems. The origins and evolution of endosymbiosis are challenging to study experimentally due to t...
doi.org
December 17, 2025 at 8:32 PM
De novo genome sequence assembly of the model algal endosymbiont Micractinium conductrix derived from its host Paramecium bursaria 186b.
Guy Leonard, Irma Vitonyte, Fiona R Savory, Erika M Hansson, Duncan D Cameron, Michael Brockhurst, Thomas A Richards
bioRxiv doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...
Guy Leonard, Irma Vitonyte, Fiona R Savory, Erika M Hansson, Duncan D Cameron, Michael Brockhurst, Thomas A Richards
bioRxiv doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
An alternative view of a Serpulidae (bristle worm) larva! Such a cutie!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
December 16, 2025 at 6:03 PM
An alternative view of a Serpulidae (bristle worm) larva! Such a cutie!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
New blog post for my microbiologist colleagues:
merenlab.org/2025/12/15/r...
In which Meren talks about a paper by Valentina Marcheselli on how microbiologists navigate the tension between reductionism and complexity in their everyday practices.
merenlab.org/2025/12/15/r...
In which Meren talks about a paper by Valentina Marcheselli on how microbiologists navigate the tension between reductionism and complexity in their everyday practices.
Lost and Found in Modern Microbiology: An Ethnography of Modern Microbiologists
A paper on how microbiologists navigate the tension between reductionism and complexity in their everyday practices, and my 2 cents on it.
merenlab.org
December 15, 2025 at 1:55 PM
New blog post for my microbiologist colleagues:
merenlab.org/2025/12/15/r...
In which Meren talks about a paper by Valentina Marcheselli on how microbiologists navigate the tension between reductionism and complexity in their everyday practices.
merenlab.org/2025/12/15/r...
In which Meren talks about a paper by Valentina Marcheselli on how microbiologists navigate the tension between reductionism and complexity in their everyday practices.
Any plans for a mac version? Also can I dream with a PS5 release, physical disc one day? : )
December 14, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Any plans for a mac version? Also can I dream with a PS5 release, physical disc one day? : )
Reposted by L. Felipe Benites
This light installation in @rbgkew.bsky.social is what I imagine #coccolithophores 👀 like in sunlight ocean 🫧🌊
December 10, 2025 at 10:55 PM
This light installation in @rbgkew.bsky.social is what I imagine #coccolithophores 👀 like in sunlight ocean 🫧🌊