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Reposted by Martik Chatterjee

Tim O'Connell @tinosaurs.bsky.social · 17d

I still think this #SciComm deserves a #Pulitzer.

#InsectApocalypse
www.reuters.com/graphics/GLO...

Insect populations are declining at an unprecedented rate

The most diverse group of organisms on the planet are in trouble and the consequences could be dire.

www.reuters.com

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Prof Naomi Priest PhD @naomipriest.bsky.social · Aug 5

So many issues with this new mandatory genetic test for women. World Athletics’ mandatory genetic test for women athletes is misguided. I should know – I discovered the relevant gene in 1990 www.mcri.edu.au/news/insight...

World Athletics’ mandatory genetic test for women athletes is misguided. I should know – I discovered the relevant gene in 1990 - Murdoch Children's Research Institute

MCRI's Professor Andrew Sinclair SRY gene identifier critiques World Athletics’ new gene testing rule. Read more.

www.mcri.edu.au

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Leah Rosin @scienceleah.bsky.social · Aug 4

So excited to share this preprint from the Rosin lab in collaboration with the Hawley lab and @eelcotromer.bsky.social on moth spermatogenesis! We investigate the meiotic errors that occur during the formation of apyrene sperm (that have no DNA) in silkworms!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Programmed meiotic errors facilitate dichotomous sperm production in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The goal of meiosis is typically to produce haploid gametes (eggs or sperm). Failure to do so is catastrophic for fertility and offspring health. However, Lepidopteran (moths and butterflies) males pr...

www.biorxiv.org

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Elizabeth Spiers @espiers.bsky.social · Apr 17

My prediction is that in that scenario, he blames the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which puts out employment data. Calls them corrupt, run by Democrats, out to get him. Fires people there, insists their numbers cannot be trusted, White House puts out its own fictitious data to make Trump look good

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ꯇꯔꯨꯟ ꯌꯨꯝꯅꯥꯝ Tarunkishwor Yumnam @tarunyumnam.bsky.social · Jul 10

Our false head work is out! By analysing ~1000 #butterflies, we found many traits at posterior end of hindwings evolved correlatedly, likely forming a trait complex w/adaptive function to dupe predators into thinking these traits together are actual head!!

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

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Martik Chatterjee @mosaiclep.bsky.social · Jul 7

As thrilled as I am to share this, it wouldn’t have been possible without other members of @fascinatingpupa.bsky.social lab particularly Sydney Yu (not on Bluesky), a brilliant former undergrad whose honors thesis kicked off this discovery.Super grateful to have had her on this journey! (6/6)

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Martik Chatterjee @mosaiclep.bsky.social · Jul 7

This suggests that fruit fly’s alula may be a reduced vannus, meaning Drosophila wings are just one-third of the ancestral insect wing. To understand how wings evolved into today’s wild diversity, we need to look beyond flies to other broad winged insects like butterflies, moths & more. (5/6)

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Martik Chatterjee @mosaiclep.bsky.social · Jul 7

Knockdown of mirror in fruit fly wings results in the loss of a proximal-posterior lobe called the “alula” – a membranous structure present exclusively in some #Diptera like fruit flies (doi.org/10.1242/dev....). (4/6)

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Martik Chatterjee @mosaiclep.bsky.social · Jul 7

"mirror" is not only expressed in this posterior region of the wing disc, but #CRISPR knockouts result in mosaics where the vannus is entirely lost or partially reduced accompanied by vein anomalies and the spread of color patterns! (3/6)

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Martik Chatterjee @mosaiclep.bsky.social · Jul 7

The posterior part of wings in broad winged insects like butterflies has a lobe like region called “vannus” which is bordered by the anal (2A) vein. Across butterfly families, the vannus is usually characterized by distinct silver scales and devoid of color patterns like the rest of the wing. (2/6)

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Martik Chatterjee @mosaiclep.bsky.social · Jul 7

Very excited to share the first chapter of my PhD thesis out in @elife.bsky.social : doi.org/10.7554/eLif...

We discovered how the gene "mirror" is necessary for specifying the “vannus”, a unique domain in the posterior part of butterfly wings. 🦋🦋 (1/6)

#CRISPR #butterfly #genomics

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Pauli Group (posts by Andi Pauli) @pauligroup.bsky.social · Dec 13

The life of each of us began when a sperm and an egg came together. But what happens at a molecular level?

Our latest work in Cell led by @vdeneke.bsky.social & Andreas Blaha reveals a conserved fertilization complex that bridges sperm and egg in vertebrates! (1/11)

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

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Joe Hanly @hanliconius.bsky.social · May 30

While helping out on a cool genomics project recently, I came to realise I’d been taught a pretty big inaccuracy about the events that occur at fertilization. I suspect that almost everyone reading this has the same misapprehension, so let’s do some learning together: 1/

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Christopher Wheat @chriswheat.bsky.social · Jun 22

🚨Postdoc opportunity🚨: LepEU postdoc: comparative population genomics of European scale adaptation in butterflies

2 year, full-time PD in my group, Stockholm Univ.

Applications assed on rolling basis, deadline: 23 August 2025. Planned start 1 Oct.

Details:
christopherwheatlab.wordpress.com

The aim of this proposal is to place population genomic insights into a comparative framework to gain fundamental insights into the determinants of evolutionary outcomes. The project will work within LepEU, the European Lepidopteran Population Genomics Consortium (https://lepeu.github.io/). LepEU provides access to field samples from European populations of diverse species. Chromosome-scale reference genomes are provided by Project Psyche (https://www.projectpsyche.org/). Networking during the postdoc will be facilitated by participation in the 10kLepGenomes COST Action (https://10klepgenomes.eu/). Existing datasets await analysis, while additional samples need DNA extraction and submission for sequencing. Functional validation capability (CRISPR/Cas9 gene manipulations) is also available to test emergent hypotheses of allele-to-phenotype impacts. Personal research interests of the postdoc will be important to determine the exact project, as the project has a generous sequencing budget.

The successful applicant should have a PhD (obtained within 6 years of the application deadline) in a suitable subject area, such as evolutionary biology or population genomics. A strong interest in population genomics, local adaptation, comparative analyses, and experience working with genomic-scale data is essential. The candidate must have a documented publication record demonstrating relevant skills. Experience working with bioinformatic pipelines (e.g., Snakemake), or working with butterflies is welcome but not essential. The net salary is 28,000 SEK/month (~2,430 Euro, not subject to Swedish income tax) and comes directly from the Carl-Trygger Foundation stipend, which is paid out directly to the postdoc. Only PhD candidates acquired outside of the host department can apply. Currently, the lab of Prof. Wheat consists of 3 postdoctoral researchers, while the Dept. of Zoology provides a vibrant and excellent research environment of active, dynamic researchers.

Applications should include: i) a succinct description of research interests and experience, detailing your contribution to any relevant publications (max 1 page), ii) why you are the ideal candidate for this position in the lab (max 1 page); iii) a CV including a list of publications, and iv) the name and contact information of two personal references.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of 23 August 2025. The project is planned to start on 1 October, but flexibility in the starting date can be provided for a suitable candidate. Please contact Prof. Wheat for additional information.

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FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · Jun 25

MassLive.com recently interviewed several Harvard FlyBase people and wrote this news article about the importance of FlyBase: tinyurl.com/4chpts9f

Why a database of bug genes could be one of Trump’s most devastating cuts at Harvard

FlyBase, the world's only fruit fly database, is in the crosshairs of Trump's attack on Harvard. Here's why it could matter for your health.

tinyurl.com

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Arnaud Martin @evolvwing.bsky.social · Jun 20

Check out our deep dive into the molecular genetics of male-specific cell type : the gorgeous UV-iridescent scales of Sulphur Butterflies

by lab wizards 🦋🔬 🖥️ 🧬
Ling Sheng Loh
@hanliconius.bsky.social
and a big team

1/n

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Jun 19

Wiring the sexes: @evolvwing.bsky.social &co use CRISPR knockouts & single-nucleus transcriptomics to decipher the regulatory logic of #SexualDimorphism in sulphur #butterflies, where males display bright UV colors thanks to specialized iridescent scales @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/445Iz7d

Left: Scanning electron micrograph of two male-specific scale types found on the wings of male sulphur butterflies, with UV-iridescent scales (pink) and brown lanceolate scale from the marginal region. Image credit: Arnaud Martin / The George Washington University. Right: UV coloration, which is invisible to the human eye, is used as a male courtship signal in orange sulphur butterflies, shown here in magenta. Butterfly wings consist of two layers of microscopic scales, and in UV-iridescent butterflies, the upper layer harbors unique optical properties. These scales reflect ultraviolet thanks to complex layers of chitin on their surfaces, a nanostructure that resembles Christmas trees and is absent from non-UV scales. Image credit: Illustration by Julie Johnson/Life Science Studios (CC-BY license agreement provided to Arnaud Martin)

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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · Jun 17

My latest for American Scientist Magazine helps give scientists the tools to fight back against politicized charges that our research is silly or pointless- tools that will work whether you’re asked “why are we funding this” from your asshole uncle at Thanksgiving or an asshole US Senator.
🧪🌎

“Why Are We Funding This?”

Long-standing myths about “silly science” have contributed to the reckless slashing of government-supported research.

www.americanscientist.org

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · Jun 19

If butterflies & moths are your thing, you can’t go far wrong with Buddleja. They have short corolla tubes, so just about any Lep can feed on the tasty nectar. Warning: Some species are weedy and invasive (but some cultivars are sterile). #Scrophulariaceae #PollinatorWeek #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Photo of a long, narrow cone-like inflorescence of Buddleja and two yellow-and-black swallowtail butterflies. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

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Richard Merrill @dickmerrill.bsky.social · May 6

Interested in a PhD connecting sensory ecology and evolutionary genetics? Applications are now open for a project on the Speciation Genomics of Eye Size Variation in Heliconius Butterflies in our lab at LMU Munich: www.evol.bio.lmu.de/research/mer... Please repost!

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Mark Cuban @mcuban.bsky.social · Feb 9

This is the most relevant article to NIH and research cuts I’ve seen.

Imagine if this was today , how many people would be saying “Why are we studying Gila Monsters and their impact on diabetes ? That’s wasted money !”

globalnews.ca/news/9793403...

How a Canadian scientist and a venomous lizard helped pave the way for Ozempic - National | Globalnews.ca

In 1984, Dr. Daniel Drucker, an endocrinologist from the University of Toronto, discovered a hormone that helped pave the way for popular diabetes drugs such as Ozempic.

globalnews.ca

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Thorben Danke @sagaoptics.bsky.social · Dec 9

This year I always had my camera and a small photo box to hand when I was gardening. My children are always finding caterpillars outside, and I wanted to document that a bit this year. With the exception of the garden tiger moth (Arctia caja), they all came from my garden.

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Chenxin Li, PhD @chenxinli2.bsky.social · Dec 10

A workflow for Tidyverse-based local synteny visualization: Good for visualizing local synteny across species, genotypes, or acorss regions of a genome. Can be used to showcase copy number variation. Still need to write the tutorial, but will be on my GitHub soon. #Genomics #DataVisualization

Local synteny visualization of 3 species and 4 homologous groups.

Local synteny visualization of 5 accessions of beans, highlighting an array of TIR-NBS-LRR genes in this region.

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Shen Tian 田申 @tianshenbio.bsky.social · Dec 5

Our miRNA story is now in @science.org ! We found a microRNA, not a protein, that finally solved a long-standing evolutionary mystery of wing coloration in butterflies and moths. (1/n)
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A microRNA is the effector gene of a classic evolutionary hotspot locus

In Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the genomic region around the gene cortex is a “hotspot” locus, repeatedly implicated in generating intraspecific melanic wing color polymorphisms across 100 mi...

www.science.org

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Isabel Almudi @isabelalmudi.bsky.social · Nov 27

Happy to share our latest work, together with the Casares lab, studying the outstanding regenerative capabilities of mayflies
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
@geneticsub.bsky.social @irbio-ub.bsky.social @cabd-upo-csic.bsky.social @sebioldev.bsky.social

Gill regeneration in the mayfly Cloeon uncovers new molecular pathways in insect regeneration | Open Biology

The capacity to regenerate lost organs is widespread among animals, and yet the number of species in which regeneration has been experimentally probed using molecular and functional assays is very sma...

royalsocietypublishing.org

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