Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · 7d

Cool, congratulations!

Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Chantal Vogels @chantalvogels.bsky.social · 25d

📢New preprint on the impact of dengue virus genetic diversity on inhibition by Wolbachia 🦟🦠🧬

Project led by Afeez Sodeinde, @emiliefinch.bsky.social, and @keli5734.bsky.social! ✨

Key findings in thread below 👇

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

Heterogeneity in inhibition of genetically diverse dengue virus strains by Wolbachia

The release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transinfected with the virus-inhibiting Wolbachia bacterium has the potential to reduce the burden caused by dengue virus (DENV). However, the robustness of thi...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Rita Rebollo @ritarebollo.bsky.social · 29d

Hi! We are looking for a PhD to work on the cross talk between transposable elements, insects and intracellular bacteria on the bioinformatics side. The PhD would be supervised by @mariefablet.bsky.social and myself along with @nicolasparisot.bsky.social Deadline December 2025! Please share! #tesky

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Jonathan Romiguier @selfishmeme.bsky.social · Sep 15

If you’ve heard about our study on ants producing two different species but are still confused about how it works (and don’t have time to read the paper), this 10-minute video made by @bengthomas.bsky.social is very informative:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-O4...

Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The Ants That Broke Biology

YouTube video by 7 Days of Science

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Nature @nature.com · Sep 3

A common type of ant in Europe breaks a fundamental rule in biology: its queens can produce male offspring that are a whole different species

go.nature.com/4mOb5T9

‘Almost unimaginable’: these ants are different species but share a mother

Ant queens of one species clone ants of another to create hybrid workers that do their bidding.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Emma Van Reempts @emmavanreempts.bsky.social · Aug 22

Had a blast presenting my work on Wolbachia and Spiroplasma-induced sex allocation distortion in haplodiploids at #ESEB2025!

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Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · Aug 24

Congratulations!

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Vicencio Oostra @climate-adaptation.bsky.social · Aug 23

Goodbye #eseb2025 @eseb2025.bsky.social see you next time!

Perhaps what stuck most was powerful talk on resilience and survival by Palestinian researcher, play director, and ESEB EUEA awardee May Shehady. Let's not forget, let's not look away. 🇵🇸

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Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · Jul 23

I learned a lot exploring these intricate host-symbiont dynamics using theoretical biology. Excited that Felipe got a postdoc fellowship in my lab to continue our work! #Symbiosky

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Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · Jul 23

This collaboration/friendship started while measuring the yield of wild strawberry plants in Spain and has now led to a first publication, dx.doi.org/10.1111/eva.... . We wanted to better understand how Wolbachia infection persists upon loss of CI in our favourite mite, Tetranychus urticae.

Reciprocal Host–Wolbachia Interactions Shape Infection Persistence Upon Loss of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility in Haplodiploids

Maternally transmitted symbionts such as Wolbachia spread within host populations by mediating reproductive phenotypes. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is a reproductive phenotype that interferes wi...

dx.doi.org

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Michael Gerth @mgerth.bsky.social · Jul 23

Two fully funded #PhD positions on insect #Symbiosis available in our lab: Spiroplasma in Neotropical Arthropods (tinyurl.com/spiroplasma) & Psyllid symbionts (tinyurl.com/psyllids).
Please contact me for any questions & share widely #symbiosky #academicjobs

tinyurl.com

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · Jul 19

Insects usually care for their own young, but sometimes they also help other species. This #RSOS study found that yellow meadow #ants protect the eggs of root aphids in their nests during winter. Read more: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... @tparmentier.bsky.social @wybouw.bsky.social

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Thomas Parmentier @tparmentier.bsky.social · Jul 10

New paper with @wybouw.bsky.social on the protection of aphid eggs in ant nests:
doi.org/10.1098/rsos...

*black eggs --> Anoecia zirnitsi, host: Lasius flavus
*eggs rapidly retrieved among ant brood and protected against predators and fungi
*mediated by chemical cues, transferred to glass dummies

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Steven Van Belleghem @svbelleghem.bsky.social · Jul 7

Excited to advertise a shared PhD position at KU Leuven (Belgium) and Mondsee (Austria) with @markusmoest.bsky.social on the genetic basis, plasticity and evolution of melanization in Daphnia from alpine lakes. Apply here: www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Evolution Letters @evolletters.bsky.social · Jul 3

Diverging Arabidopsis populations quickly accumulate pollen-acting genetic incompatibilities
doi.org/10.1093/evle...

Now in @evolletters.bsky.social by Christopher Condon et al.

doi.org

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

RES Publications @respublications.bsky.social · May 28

Our newest #RESPhysEnt paper reveals plant silicon defence disrupts cryptic colouration in an insect herbivore by restricting carotenoid sequestration into the haemolymph

Read the article🔽
doi.org/10.1111/phen.12492

@wybouw.bsky.social @tbuescher.bsky.social @tobybruce.bsky.social @wiley.com

Graphical abstract of: Plant silicon defence disrupts cryptic colouration in an insect herbivore by restricting carotenoid sequestration into the haemolymph

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Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · May 8

A MSCA fellowship is a wonderful thing

European Commission @ec.europa.eu · May 8

Choose Science. Choose Europe.

A new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 call is now open.

With a budget of €404.3 million, it will support around 1,650 researchers from Europe and beyond.

Apply by 10 September → europa.eu/!fBTMgF

Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · Apr 27

Wonderful opening talk on phasmid egg colouration by @gdebruyn.bsky.social at the yearly International Stick Insect Meeting.

Gerben presents his work on phasmid egg colouration.

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Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · Apr 14

Always satisfying to see a new thriving Liriomyza lab population #leafminers

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Ryan Brock @ryanebrock.bsky.social · Apr 14

Studentship opportunity! Come join us to work on plant-insect interactions at @johninnescentre.bsky.social (supported by @rsb.org.uk). More details here: ryanebrock.github.io/opportunities/

Three cabbage stem flea beetle larvae on the base of an oilseed rape plant.

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Greg Hurst @greghurst.bsky.social · Apr 9

@haraipapilio.bsky.social paper on evolution of Wolbachia MK mechanism through prophage acquisition in molina butterflies - avoiding suppression by the host. Now out! #symbiosky www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti.... With @daisukekageyama.bsky.social @bolinabug.bsky.social and others

Evolution of Wolbachia male-killing mechanism within a host species

Male-killing bacterial symbionts, prevalent in arthropods, skew population sex ratios by selectively killing male progeny, profoundly impacting ecolog…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · Apr 3

Congratulations! Greatly enjoyed reading this study!

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Reposted by Nick Wybouw

Royal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social · Mar 25

🐞 Spread the word!

Registration and abstract submission are now open for our annual conference, #Ento25!

Join the entomological community in-person or online this September, with opportunities to present your work, meet new contacts and build collaborations 🔽

buff.ly/tKyJIbN

Abstract submission and registration are now open for Ento25 - advertisement featuring a Violet Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina strumi), photo (c) Tyler Redford 2024

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Nick Wybouw @wybouw.bsky.social · Mar 14

Leafminers are the coolest

Pieter Vantieghem @pietervantieghem.bsky.social · Mar 14

For people interested in leafmines, I made a folder with some #Lepidoptera #leafmine pics from Belgium on my flickr, hope to add more in the future: flic.kr/s/aHBqjAYEES

Leafmining Lepidoptera

A collection of pictures of leafmines, cases and other signs of immature microlepidoptera, mainly from Belgium.

flic.kr

Reposted by Nick Wybouw

RES Publications @respublications.bsky.social · Mar 12

Our newest research in #RESPhysEnt reveals species differences in reproductive timing and egg load in two #fly species adapted to different #HostPlants

Read the article now🔽
buff.ly/jrFSup9

@wybouw.bsky.social @tbuescher.bsky.social @wiley.com

Graphical abstract of: Species differences in reproductive timing and egg load in two fly species adapted to different host plants

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