Luís M. Silva
@luismsilva.bsky.social
Disease ecology and evolution 🧬| Parasites 🦠 | Postdoc with @kayla-king.bsky.social at UBC 🇨🇦 | Music geek and art lover | he/him | 🇵🇹
📍Vancouver, CA
https://luis-m-silva.com/
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️✊🏽✊🏿Safe space for everyone
#DiversityInSTEM #FirstGen #OpenScience #AcademicSky
📍Vancouver, CA
https://luis-m-silva.com/
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️✊🏽✊🏿Safe space for everyone
#DiversityInSTEM #FirstGen #OpenScience #AcademicSky
Pinned
Luís M. Silva
@luismsilva.bsky.social
· Dec 17
Call for Abstracts Open for our symposium in @csee-scee.bsky.social May 2026 (Toronto): Microbial symbiosis: disturbance, adaptation, and the parasitism-mutualism continuum! 🦠 🐻❄️ See u there!
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
I can't overrecommend this incredible paper about water skaters (genus Halobates). No one knows how they evolved. No one knows what they eat. They are superhydrophobic, which means water LITERALLY CANNOT WET THEM. Perhaps we should call them anti-water skaters? 🌊🧪
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Why did only one genus of insects, Halobates, take to the high seas?
Oceans cover over 70% of the earth’s surface and house a dizzying array of organisms, including five species of the peppercorn-sized ocean-skater Halobates, which live exclusively at the ocean surface...
journals.plos.org
January 30, 2026 at 10:17 PM
I can't overrecommend this incredible paper about water skaters (genus Halobates). No one knows how they evolved. No one knows what they eat. They are superhydrophobic, which means water LITERALLY CANNOT WET THEM. Perhaps we should call them anti-water skaters? 🌊🧪
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Curious about peer review beyond authorship? FACETS Journal is welcoming early career researchers to join the journal's editorial board as ECR Editors. Submit your application before Mar. 9!
Learn more ▶️ https://ow.ly/COKL50Y1Ttv
#PeerReview #EarlyCareerResearchers #AcademicPublishing
Learn more ▶️ https://ow.ly/COKL50Y1Ttv
#PeerReview #EarlyCareerResearchers #AcademicPublishing
January 27, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Curious about peer review beyond authorship? FACETS Journal is welcoming early career researchers to join the journal's editorial board as ECR Editors. Submit your application before Mar. 9!
Learn more ▶️ https://ow.ly/COKL50Y1Ttv
#PeerReview #EarlyCareerResearchers #AcademicPublishing
Learn more ▶️ https://ow.ly/COKL50Y1Ttv
#PeerReview #EarlyCareerResearchers #AcademicPublishing
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
(1/2) The preprint of our perspective on genetic estimates of relatedness in animal populations is out! Big Congratulations to Annika!
doi.org/10.32942/X28...
A systematic review of 2,861 articles shows that, even in 2025, 75% of such studies use microsatellites. And most use only a few!
#PopGen
doi.org/10.32942/X28...
A systematic review of 2,861 articles shows that, even in 2025, 75% of such studies use microsatellites. And most use only a few!
#PopGen
January 26, 2026 at 5:36 PM
(1/2) The preprint of our perspective on genetic estimates of relatedness in animal populations is out! Big Congratulations to Annika!
doi.org/10.32942/X28...
A systematic review of 2,861 articles shows that, even in 2025, 75% of such studies use microsatellites. And most use only a few!
#PopGen
doi.org/10.32942/X28...
A systematic review of 2,861 articles shows that, even in 2025, 75% of such studies use microsatellites. And most use only a few!
#PopGen
We need more open and transparent discussions about what goes or does not go inside doors in science. Yes to more initiatives like these.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
My PI is not offering any support or guidance on my PhD project, what should I do?
A safety engineer feels abandoned by their principal investigator. How should they find support?
www.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 4:26 PM
We need more open and transparent discussions about what goes or does not go inside doors in science. Yes to more initiatives like these.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Successful strategies in the voluntarily repeated Prisoner's Dilemma https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.16.699891v1
January 20, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Successful strategies in the voluntarily repeated Prisoner's Dilemma https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.16.699891v1
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
1/ I'm seeking expressions of interest from nonprofit orgs to take over the Open Access Tracking Project ( #OATP, @oatp.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy ) and the open-source software on which it runs.
Details in this Google doc:
bit.ly/TransferOATP
#OpenAccess #OpenScience #OpenSource #ScholComm
🧵
Details in this Google doc:
bit.ly/TransferOATP
#OpenAccess #OpenScience #OpenSource #ScholComm
🧵
January 20, 2026 at 7:01 PM
1/ I'm seeking expressions of interest from nonprofit orgs to take over the Open Access Tracking Project ( #OATP, @oatp.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy ) and the open-source software on which it runs.
Details in this Google doc:
bit.ly/TransferOATP
#OpenAccess #OpenScience #OpenSource #ScholComm
🧵
Details in this Google doc:
bit.ly/TransferOATP
#OpenAccess #OpenScience #OpenSource #ScholComm
🧵
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Microgravity reshapes bacteriophage–host coevolution aboard the International Space Station
#evolution #mevoSky #scienceSky
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
#evolution #mevoSky #scienceSky
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Microgravity reshapes bacteriophage–host coevolution aboard the International Space Station
Phage-host interactions have a role shaping microbial ecosystems, but their behavior in microgravity remains largely unexplored. In this study, experiments aboard the ISS reveal distinct evolutionary ...
journals.plos.org
January 21, 2026 at 2:17 AM
Microgravity reshapes bacteriophage–host coevolution aboard the International Space Station
#evolution #mevoSky #scienceSky
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
#evolution #mevoSky #scienceSky
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Looking for something new to integrate into an #evolution or #microbiology course? Useful for lectures, labs, homework?
Have a look at our STEPS program, which simulates bacterial evolution, including the #LTEE. Easy web-based interface & lab manual w/ exercises to help develop students' intuition.
Have a look at our STEPS program, which simulates bacterial evolution, including the #LTEE. Easy web-based interface & lab manual w/ exercises to help develop students' intuition.
Excited to share new #program, STEPS, which can simulate #dynamics of the E. coli Long-Term Evolution Experiment (#LTEE) or other microbes in serial transfer regime.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
STEPS To It
Announcing a new program, called STEPS, to simulate the dynamics of evolving microbial populations.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Looking for something new to integrate into an #evolution or #microbiology course? Useful for lectures, labs, homework?
Have a look at our STEPS program, which simulates bacterial evolution, including the #LTEE. Easy web-based interface & lab manual w/ exercises to help develop students' intuition.
Have a look at our STEPS program, which simulates bacterial evolution, including the #LTEE. Easy web-based interface & lab manual w/ exercises to help develop students' intuition.
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
🐄 ⚒️
There is so much evidence that the beings we domesticated and put through horrific practices for the purposes of consumption are sentient beings, with family bonds, and intelligence. It impacts them heavily and our climate.
This is a nice thread.
Please seriously consider plant-based diets!
There is so much evidence that the beings we domesticated and put through horrific practices for the purposes of consumption are sentient beings, with family bonds, and intelligence. It impacts them heavily and our climate.
This is a nice thread.
Please seriously consider plant-based diets!
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 7:35 PM
🐄 ⚒️
There is so much evidence that the beings we domesticated and put through horrific practices for the purposes of consumption are sentient beings, with family bonds, and intelligence. It impacts them heavily and our climate.
This is a nice thread.
Please seriously consider plant-based diets!
There is so much evidence that the beings we domesticated and put through horrific practices for the purposes of consumption are sentient beings, with family bonds, and intelligence. It impacts them heavily and our climate.
This is a nice thread.
Please seriously consider plant-based diets!
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Our new paper (with @biotay.bsky.social) is out and on the cover story of @currentbiology.bsky.social !!!! Veronika, a Carinthian mountain cow flexibly uses a “multi-purpose tool” to scratch herself. A video and more information will follow in the comments.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
January 19, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Our new paper (with @biotay.bsky.social) is out and on the cover story of @currentbiology.bsky.social !!!! Veronika, a Carinthian mountain cow flexibly uses a “multi-purpose tool” to scratch herself. A video and more information will follow in the comments.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Call for abstracts ENDS MONDAY!!
details below :)
details below :)
Call for Abstracts Open for our symposium in @csee-scee.bsky.social May 2026 (Toronto): Microbial symbiosis: disturbance, adaptation, and the parasitism-mutualism continuum! 🦠 🐻❄️ See u there!
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
January 18, 2026 at 2:03 AM
Call for abstracts ENDS MONDAY!!
details below :)
details below :)
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
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 Luís M. Silva
Peer Review is broken because a generation of Editors were trained that peer review is sacrosanct. Thus we have Editors who are clerks, sending and re-sending manuscripts to reviewers until they are happy. That's not the job. Be an Editor, not a clerk. Use your skill and judgement. Make decisions.
January 14, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Peer Review is broken because a generation of Editors were trained that peer review is sacrosanct. Thus we have Editors who are clerks, sending and re-sending manuscripts to reviewers until they are happy. That's not the job. Be an Editor, not a clerk. Use your skill and judgement. Make decisions.
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Postdoc in statistical ecology & evolution! Develop models bridging evolutionary theory with empirical data on sex differences in immunity and life history. Apply now!
#postdoc #statistics #evolution #academicjobs #ecology jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki...
#postdoc #statistics #evolution #academicjobs #ecology jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki...
Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistical Ecology and Evolution
Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistical Ecology and Evolution
jobs.helsinki.fi
January 14, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Postdoc in statistical ecology & evolution! Develop models bridging evolutionary theory with empirical data on sex differences in immunity and life history. Apply now!
#postdoc #statistics #evolution #academicjobs #ecology jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki...
#postdoc #statistics #evolution #academicjobs #ecology jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki...
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
This has been a tough year for early career scientists including grad students.
If you had a professional success this year, no matter how small, share it with us so we can celebrate with you!
🧪
If you had a professional success this year, no matter how small, share it with us so we can celebrate with you!
🧪
December 30, 2025 at 3:44 PM
This has been a tough year for early career scientists including grad students.
If you had a professional success this year, no matter how small, share it with us so we can celebrate with you!
🧪
If you had a professional success this year, no matter how small, share it with us so we can celebrate with you!
🧪
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
It is simply not true that “you can’t publish negative results”. 👇
[what people normally mean when they say this is they’re annoyed they can’t get a Nature paper saying someone else’s Nature paper is wrong]
[what people normally mean when they say this is they’re annoyed they can’t get a Nature paper saying someone else’s Nature paper is wrong]
Giving the gift of negative data 🥰
Since I joined @lsajournal.org I have handled several stellar manuscripts that report null results. These papers do very well and reviewers almost always appreciate them!
Thanks @rockefeller.edu news team for the article!
www.rockefeller.edu/news/38829-t...
Since I joined @lsajournal.org I have handled several stellar manuscripts that report null results. These papers do very well and reviewers almost always appreciate them!
Thanks @rockefeller.edu news team for the article!
www.rockefeller.edu/news/38829-t...
The value of publishing negative data - News
Scientific journals love news-worthy results. Editors want to publish studies with novel data that scientists will eagerly read and cite in their own work. Because of this desire for novelty, studies ...
www.rockefeller.edu
December 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM
It is simply not true that “you can’t publish negative results”. 👇
[what people normally mean when they say this is they’re annoyed they can’t get a Nature paper saying someone else’s Nature paper is wrong]
[what people normally mean when they say this is they’re annoyed they can’t get a Nature paper saying someone else’s Nature paper is wrong]
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Preprint alert📢!
Ever wondered how much bacterial parasites influence evolutionary outcomes of their host?
➡️ We co-evolved two bacterial strains in conditions in which the costs and benefits of prophage carriage varied
Here is what we found. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#MicroSky #PhageSky
🧵
➡️ We co-evolved two bacterial strains in conditions in which the costs and benefits of prophage carriage varied
Here is what we found. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#MicroSky #PhageSky
🧵
Environment-dependent evolution drives divergent adaptive strategies and parasite dynamics in a minimal community
Prophages, phage genomes integrated into bacterial chromosomes, are widespread, yet, the extent to which these resident parasites contribute to host fitness and shape evolutionary trajectories, partic...
www.biorxiv.org
December 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Preprint alert📢!
Ever wondered how much bacterial parasites influence evolutionary outcomes of their host?
➡️ We co-evolved two bacterial strains in conditions in which the costs and benefits of prophage carriage varied
Here is what we found. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#MicroSky #PhageSky
🧵
➡️ We co-evolved two bacterial strains in conditions in which the costs and benefits of prophage carriage varied
Here is what we found. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#MicroSky #PhageSky
🧵
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
If you’re conducting research in the relevant area and want to share your work, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch if you're interested in presenting or learning more.
Abstract deadline: 19th January 2026!
#MicrobialSymbiosis #CSEE2026 #SymbiosisResearch #Parasitism #Mutualism
Abstract deadline: 19th January 2026!
#MicrobialSymbiosis #CSEE2026 #SymbiosisResearch #Parasitism #Mutualism
December 17, 2025 at 8:38 PM
If you’re conducting research in the relevant area and want to share your work, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch if you're interested in presenting or learning more.
Abstract deadline: 19th January 2026!
#MicrobialSymbiosis #CSEE2026 #SymbiosisResearch #Parasitism #Mutualism
Abstract deadline: 19th January 2026!
#MicrobialSymbiosis #CSEE2026 #SymbiosisResearch #Parasitism #Mutualism
Call for Abstracts Open for our symposium in @csee-scee.bsky.social May 2026 (Toronto): Microbial symbiosis: disturbance, adaptation, and the parasitism-mutualism continuum! 🦠 🐻❄️ See u there!
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
December 17, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Call for Abstracts Open for our symposium in @csee-scee.bsky.social May 2026 (Toronto): Microbial symbiosis: disturbance, adaptation, and the parasitism-mutualism continuum! 🦠 🐻❄️ See u there!
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
@jingdi.bsky.social @tommytraverscook.bsky.social @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social #SymbioSky #EvoSky #MicroSky
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
A new #preprint server where articles are written and reviewed by AI. What could possibly go wrong? 🤔
Do you think #AI has a place in #ScientificPublishing and #PeerReview? How would you incorporate it in a thoughtful and ethical way?
🧪
Do you think #AI has a place in #ScientificPublishing and #PeerReview? How would you incorporate it in a thoughtful and ethical way?
🧪
A new preprint server welcomes papers written and reviewed by AI
With human peer review struggling to keep pace with machine-generated science, aiXiv enlists bots to help
www.science.org
December 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A new #preprint server where articles are written and reviewed by AI. What could possibly go wrong? 🤔
Do you think #AI has a place in #ScientificPublishing and #PeerReview? How would you incorporate it in a thoughtful and ethical way?
🧪
Do you think #AI has a place in #ScientificPublishing and #PeerReview? How would you incorporate it in a thoughtful and ethical way?
🧪
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
Interested in developing an asthma organ-on-a-chip model? Then your luck is in! As I have a funded PhD as part of the COaCT PhD programme www.cpm.qmul.ac.uk/cdt/projects...
PhD Projects 2026: QMUL Centre for Predictive in vitro Models
The Centre for Predictive in vitro Models (CPM) represents multidisciplinary research focusing on the development and use of predictive in vitro models at Queen Mary University of London. This incorpo...
www.cpm.qmul.ac.uk
December 6, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Interested in developing an asthma organ-on-a-chip model? Then your luck is in! As I have a funded PhD as part of the COaCT PhD programme www.cpm.qmul.ac.uk/cdt/projects...
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
These #snowflakes are going viral..❄️ ☃️
Informative, creative and educational #scicomm piece by @cvrinfo.bsky.social
-available under a generous CC BY 4.0 licence
#microsky #virusSnowflakes
Informative, creative and educational #scicomm piece by @cvrinfo.bsky.social
-available under a generous CC BY 4.0 licence
#microsky #virusSnowflakes
Feeling festive?
Why not deck the halls with @cvrinfo.bsky.social's papercraft #VirusSnowflakes and celebrate the science of viruses and the fight against viral diseases.
Download for free: cvr-engagement.co.uk/virus-snowfl...
#scicomm #sciart #decorations
Why not deck the halls with @cvrinfo.bsky.social's papercraft #VirusSnowflakes and celebrate the science of viruses and the fight against viral diseases.
Download for free: cvr-engagement.co.uk/virus-snowfl...
#scicomm #sciart #decorations
December 6, 2025 at 10:18 AM
These #snowflakes are going viral..❄️ ☃️
Informative, creative and educational #scicomm piece by @cvrinfo.bsky.social
-available under a generous CC BY 4.0 licence
#microsky #virusSnowflakes
Informative, creative and educational #scicomm piece by @cvrinfo.bsky.social
-available under a generous CC BY 4.0 licence
#microsky #virusSnowflakes
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
We're excited to announce the finalists of the #RSPPhotoComp 2025! 🎉 Starting with #microimaging and overall winner, 'Mesmerizing spider threads' by Dr Martin Ramirez, capturing two exceptional silk threads of the Australian net-caster spider (sample obtained by Dr Jonas Wolff @evoimec.bsky.social).
December 4, 2025 at 10:57 AM
We're excited to announce the finalists of the #RSPPhotoComp 2025! 🎉 Starting with #microimaging and overall winner, 'Mesmerizing spider threads' by Dr Martin Ramirez, capturing two exceptional silk threads of the Australian net-caster spider (sample obtained by Dr Jonas Wolff @evoimec.bsky.social).
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
The Black Death was history's worst documented demographic disaster. New research shows it was also a bizarre anomaly, the unlikely result of volcanic eruptions, multiple consecutive poor harvests in Italy, a war between Genoa, Venice and the Mongols, AND a Black Sea plague outbreak. @science.org
Medieval volcano may have indirectly sparked Europe’s Black Death
Crop failures caused by eruptions possibly forced grain imports from plague-ridden regions
www.science.org
December 4, 2025 at 4:36 PM
The Black Death was history's worst documented demographic disaster. New research shows it was also a bizarre anomaly, the unlikely result of volcanic eruptions, multiple consecutive poor harvests in Italy, a war between Genoa, Venice and the Mongols, AND a Black Sea plague outbreak. @science.org
Reposted by Luís M. Silva
For cannibalistic #dragonfly larvae, chemical cues from conspecifics can signal either danger or dinner, shifting behavior from self-defense to foraging. This causes nonlinear, density-dependent effects on heterospecific prey:
Sysiak et al.: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Sysiak et al.: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
The nonlinear effect of increasing cannibalistic predator density on heterospecific prey predation
Abstract. In cannibalistic interactions, the same chemical cue may signal either threat or hunting opportunity, depending on the receiver’s perspective. In
doi.org
December 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
For cannibalistic #dragonfly larvae, chemical cues from conspecifics can signal either danger or dinner, shifting behavior from self-defense to foraging. This causes nonlinear, density-dependent effects on heterospecific prey:
Sysiak et al.: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Sysiak et al.: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...