Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
@xgrau.bsky.social
Evolutionary biologist. Postdoctoral Fellow & LCF Junior Leader at CRG (Barcelona).
«Ara mateix / enfilo aquesta agulla amb el fil d'un propòsit que no dic / i em poso a apedaçar.»
xgrau.github.io & ecoevo.social/@xgrau
«Ara mateix / enfilo aquesta agulla amb el fil d'un propòsit que no dic / i em poso a apedaçar.»
xgrau.github.io & ecoevo.social/@xgrau
Pinned
Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
@xgrau.bsky.social
· Oct 15
Hot off the press! Our latest work on the evolution of facultative symbiosis in stony corals, focusing on a remarkable Mediterranean species: Oculina patagonica.
🪸 🌊
#evobio #corals #coralbiology
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🪸 🌊
#evobio #corals #coralbiology
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Looking for PhD opportunities?👇🏻
Our annual PhD call is closing at the end of this week on 30 November. If you're interested in carrying out world-class scientific research in Barcelona, you still have a few days left to submit your application! www.crg.eu/en/content/t...
November 25, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Looking for PhD opportunities?👇🏻
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Introducing popEVE, an AI model which can support diagnosing diseases "as rare as one". It was created by a team from the CRG and @harvardmed.bsky.social using data from hundreds of thousands of different species and of genetic variation across the human population.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Proteome-wide model for human disease genetics - Nature Genetics
popEVE is a proteome-wide deep generative model to identify and predict pathogenicity of missense mutations causing genetic disorders.
www.nature.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Introducing popEVE, an AI model which can support diagnosing diseases "as rare as one". It was created by a team from the CRG and @harvardmed.bsky.social using data from hundreds of thousands of different species and of genetic variation across the human population.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Most interesting! The abstract says it all:
«The neutral theory of molecular evolution, positing that most amino acid substitutions are neutral, [is well supported]. However, here we report that the key premise of the theory—beneficial mutations are extremely scarce—is violated.»
«The neutral theory of molecular evolution, positing that most amino acid substitutions are neutral, [is well supported]. However, here we report that the key premise of the theory—beneficial mutations are extremely scarce—is violated.»
Population genetics simulations and analysis of experimental datasets in yeast, Drosophila and E. coli show that beneficial mutations are abundant but transient, as they become deleterious after environmental turnover (antagonistic pleiotropy)🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Adaptive tracking with antagonistic pleiotropy results in seemingly neutral molecular evolution - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Population genetics simulations and analysis of experimental datasets in yeast, Drosophila and E. coli show that beneficial mutations are abundant but transient, as they become deleterious after envir...
www.nature.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Most interesting! The abstract says it all:
«The neutral theory of molecular evolution, positing that most amino acid substitutions are neutral, [is well supported]. However, here we report that the key premise of the theory—beneficial mutations are extremely scarce—is violated.»
«The neutral theory of molecular evolution, positing that most amino acid substitutions are neutral, [is well supported]. However, here we report that the key premise of the theory—beneficial mutations are extremely scarce—is violated.»
«Puta paparra, carronya on fermenta
la claveguera de la llum del dia,
apunta el seu coet lluna opulenta
i implora no fallar la punteria.
Teixeix sotanes una aranya lenta.
Com ballen amb les vides per la via
que va del militar a la serventa!
Despullen amb les ungles pedreria.
…
la claveguera de la llum del dia,
apunta el seu coet lluna opulenta
i implora no fallar la punteria.
Teixeix sotanes una aranya lenta.
Com ballen amb les vides per la via
que va del militar a la serventa!
Despullen amb les ungles pedreria.
…
November 20, 2025 at 1:31 PM
«Puta paparra, carronya on fermenta
la claveguera de la llum del dia,
apunta el seu coet lluna opulenta
i implora no fallar la punteria.
Teixeix sotanes una aranya lenta.
Com ballen amb les vides per la via
que va del militar a la serventa!
Despullen amb les ungles pedreria.
…
la claveguera de la llum del dia,
apunta el seu coet lluna opulenta
i implora no fallar la punteria.
Teixeix sotanes una aranya lenta.
Com ballen amb les vides per la via
que va del militar a la serventa!
Despullen amb les ungles pedreria.
…
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
This writing doesn't affect reality any more than any writing does; that is to say, indirectly, but considerably.
October 30, 2025 at 9:55 PM
This writing doesn't affect reality any more than any writing does; that is to say, indirectly, but considerably.
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Out today, our take on 6-methyladenine #6mA evolution in Eukaryotes @natgenet.nature.com. We asked a simple question, is really DNA 6mA common across the eukaryotes? The answer is "yes" if you're a unicellular eukaryote 🦠, not so if you're multicellular 🐝🌱🍄. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/9
Adenine DNA methylation associated with transcriptionally permissive chromatin is widespread across eukaryotes - Nature Genetics
Long-read sequencing in 18 unicellular eukaryotes reveals that 6mA is widespread across eukaryotes and is enriched at transcriptionally permissive regions, which are also marked by H3K4me3.
www.nature.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Out today, our take on 6-methyladenine #6mA evolution in Eukaryotes @natgenet.nature.com. We asked a simple question, is really DNA 6mA common across the eukaryotes? The answer is "yes" if you're a unicellular eukaryote 🦠, not so if you're multicellular 🐝🌱🍄. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/9
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
You were moved to do this by pride and by hate. Is it any wonder the result was ruin?
November 19, 2025 at 6:30 AM
You were moved to do this by pride and by hate. Is it any wonder the result was ruin?
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Happy to share Jialin's first publication. She did a great job exploring the transition to land in animals. Co-supervised by the great Jordi Paps and me and in collaboration with Davide Pisani and @phil-donoghue.bsky.social
Nature research paper: Convergent genome evolution shaped the emergence of terrestrial animals
go.nature.com/4i0i61w
go.nature.com/4i0i61w
Convergent genome evolution shaped the emergence of terrestrial animals - Nature
Comparisons of 154 genomes from 21 animal phyla and outgroups have been used to reconstruct ancestral adaptation to life on land across 11 distinct terrestrialization events, revealing strong evidence for convergent genomic evolution across the animal kingdom and recurring periods of terrestrial colonization.
go.nature.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Happy to share Jialin's first publication. She did a great job exploring the transition to land in animals. Co-supervised by the great Jordi Paps and me and in collaboration with Davide Pisani and @phil-donoghue.bsky.social
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
A truly refreshing perspective on an age old debate. Big implications for animal evolution but also useful techniques to address many other remaining phylogenetic questions.
Congrats to you both on a wonderful piece of work!
Congrats to you both on a wonderful piece of work!
NEW pub in @science.org 🥳
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
November 13, 2025 at 8:49 PM
A truly refreshing perspective on an age old debate. Big implications for animal evolution but also useful techniques to address many other remaining phylogenetic questions.
Congrats to you both on a wonderful piece of work!
Congrats to you both on a wonderful piece of work!
Most interesting. Increasing air travel connectivity in Europe has diminishing or negative economic returns in many regions, and may even be a regressive subsidy to the already rich.
NEW: Air traffic growth is not a guarantee of economic growth, despite industry claims. These claims, often echoed by governments to justify airport expansion, are undermined by new research.
🧵⤵️
🧵⤵️
November 13, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Most interesting. Increasing air travel connectivity in Europe has diminishing or negative economic returns in many regions, and may even be a regressive subsidy to the already rich.
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Today at the @iec.cat , @matteoagazzi.bsky.social gave an update on our coral reference genomes project🪸, part or the @catbiogenoma.bsky.social. It was great to see what everyone is working on within the @catbiogenoma.bsky.social effort! #corals #genomes
November 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Today at the @iec.cat , @matteoagazzi.bsky.social gave an update on our coral reference genomes project🪸, part or the @catbiogenoma.bsky.social. It was great to see what everyone is working on within the @catbiogenoma.bsky.social effort! #corals #genomes
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
If you're interested in understanding discordance in phylogenomic analyses, the @evojlinnsoc.bsky.social's special issue 'Phylogenomic Discordance: Patterns, Processes, and Solutions' is for you!
tinyurl.com/v2eces3s
I'll be sharing a few articles a week until we're through the issue! (1/n)🧪
tinyurl.com/v2eces3s
I'll be sharing a few articles a week until we're through the issue! (1/n)🧪
Phylogenomic Discordance: Patterns, Processes, and Solutions
Phylogenomics, the study of evolutionary relationships using genomic data, has revolutionized our understanding of the Tree of Life. As a field, phylogenomics h
academic.oup.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:00 PM
If you're interested in understanding discordance in phylogenomic analyses, the @evojlinnsoc.bsky.social's special issue 'Phylogenomic Discordance: Patterns, Processes, and Solutions' is for you!
tinyurl.com/v2eces3s
I'll be sharing a few articles a week until we're through the issue! (1/n)🧪
tinyurl.com/v2eces3s
I'll be sharing a few articles a week until we're through the issue! (1/n)🧪
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Come and Join Us.
Not only will it be fun, but you will be learning a lot of methods & travel some more ;)!
Not only will it be fun, but you will be learning a lot of methods & travel some more ;)!
It is a collaboration between my lab (Uppsala U) and the labs of @dudinlab.bsky.social (Geneva U) and @filiphusnik.bsky.social (OIST). More info and how to apply here:
uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/.... (The use of AI for writing the motivation letter is discouraged and will be regarded unfavourably) 2/2
uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/.... (The use of AI for writing the motivation letter is discouraged and will be regarded unfavourably) 2/2
PhD student in systematic biology
The Department of Organismal Biology teaches and explores the evolution, development and function on the organismal level. For more information see Department of Organismal Biology - Uppsala Universit
uu.varbi.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Come and Join Us.
Not only will it be fun, but you will be learning a lot of methods & travel some more ;)!
Not only will it be fun, but you will be learning a lot of methods & travel some more ;)!
There must be someone out there who finds R's tryCatch function intuitive. I'd like to take a look into their unique brain.
November 7, 2025 at 9:34 AM
There must be someone out there who finds R's tryCatch function intuitive. I'd like to take a look into their unique brain.
That title feels like a little rollercoaster.
If someone told you: "I'm doing a study featuring lichen, drones and #dinosaur bones" What would you say?
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Remote sensing of lichens with drones for detecting dinosaur bones
Brian Pickles and colleagues show that exposed dinosaur bones can be remote sensed
with drones by virtue of colored lichens growing on them.
www.cell.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:30 AM
That title feels like a little rollercoaster.
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
🚨 We're hiring! 🚨 Our lab at the University of Málaga, Spain🇪🇸 is looking for a bioinformatician researcher for a postdoc position (1+1 years). Check the ad, and if you're interested, get in touch!
📅 Starting date early 2026, with some flexibility.
🙏Please, RT!
📅 Starting date early 2026, with some flexibility.
🙏Please, RT!
October 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM
🚨 We're hiring! 🚨 Our lab at the University of Málaga, Spain🇪🇸 is looking for a bioinformatician researcher for a postdoc position (1+1 years). Check the ad, and if you're interested, get in touch!
📅 Starting date early 2026, with some flexibility.
🙏Please, RT!
📅 Starting date early 2026, with some flexibility.
🙏Please, RT!
Imma repost this again because I've been reading it more closely and, frankly, it's a great review.
Our review is out in Nature Reviews Genetics! rdcu.be/d5AY2
We show how phylogeny-based methods can resolve the problem of non-independence in genomic datasets.
These methods must be considered an essential part of the comparative genomics toolkit.
@lauriebelch.bsky.social @stuwest.bsky.social
We show how phylogeny-based methods can resolve the problem of non-independence in genomic datasets.
These methods must be considered an essential part of the comparative genomics toolkit.
@lauriebelch.bsky.social @stuwest.bsky.social
A phylogenetic approach to comparative genomics
Nature Reviews Genetics - Controlling for phylogeny is essential in comparative genomics studies, because species, genomes and genes are not independent data points within statistical tests. The...
rdcu.be
October 29, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Imma repost this again because I've been reading it more closely and, frankly, it's a great review.
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Lab’s first paper is out!! We show the first structures of #Asgard #chromatin by #cryo-EM 🧬❄️
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
October 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Lab’s first paper is out!! We show the first structures of #Asgard #chromatin by #cryo-EM 🧬❄️
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Asgard histones form closed and open hypernucleosomes. Closed are conserved across #Archaea, while open resemble eukaryotic H3–H4 octasomes and are Asgard-specific. More here: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution
Nature Reviews Neuroscience - Recent studies have shed further light on the evolutionary origins of chemical synapses, In this Review, Colgren and Burkhardt explore how ancient proteins were...
rdcu.be
October 27, 2025 at 6:48 PM
First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
🪸 🪸 🪸 Postdoc position in my group at Bristol to study the role of venom in surviving environmental stress in corals! 🪸 Interested in venom biochemistry and coral ecology?Please apply by November 24!
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
October 27, 2025 at 12:43 PM
🪸 🪸 🪸 Postdoc position in my group at Bristol to study the role of venom in surviving environmental stress in corals! 🪸 Interested in venom biochemistry and coral ecology?Please apply by November 24!
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Avui que naixia Dylan Thomas, "Fern Hill" en traducció de María Manent. Un dels poemes més bonics del món.
Fern Hill – Dylan Thomas
Llavors que era jove: «Fern Hill» és un poema del poeta i narrador gal·lès en llengua anglesa Dylan Thomas. Traducció al català de Maria Manent.
stroligut.cat
October 27, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Avui que naixia Dylan Thomas, "Fern Hill" en traducció de María Manent. Un dels poemes més bonics del món.
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
Weekend reading: our latest research about a dual feeding strategy in a Mediterranean coral is covered in French magazine @sciencesetavenir.bsky.social @arnausebe.bsky.social @xgrau.bsky.social
Pour survivre au réchauffement climatique, ce corail a éveillé une technique de survie impressionnante
Découvrez les mécanismes cellulaires qui permettent à Oculina patagonica de prospérer malgré la hausse des températures marines.
www.science-et-vie.com
October 25, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Weekend reading: our latest research about a dual feeding strategy in a Mediterranean coral is covered in French magazine @sciencesetavenir.bsky.social @arnausebe.bsky.social @xgrau.bsky.social
Reposted by Xavier Grau-Bové 🌾
How does life evolve to adapt to modern cities?
Out now in Science, my PhD work with @lindymcbr.bsky.social uncovers the ancient origin of the “London Underground mosquito” – one of the most iconic examples of urban adaptation.
🧵(1/n)
@science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady4515
Out now in Science, my PhD work with @lindymcbr.bsky.social uncovers the ancient origin of the “London Underground mosquito” – one of the most iconic examples of urban adaptation.
🧵(1/n)
@science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady4515
Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito
Understanding how life is adapting to urban environments represents an important challenge in evolutionary biology. In this work, we investigate a widely cited example of urban adaptation, Culex pipie...
www.science.org
October 25, 2025 at 4:46 AM
How does life evolve to adapt to modern cities?
Out now in Science, my PhD work with @lindymcbr.bsky.social uncovers the ancient origin of the “London Underground mosquito” – one of the most iconic examples of urban adaptation.
🧵(1/n)
@science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady4515
Out now in Science, my PhD work with @lindymcbr.bsky.social uncovers the ancient origin of the “London Underground mosquito” – one of the most iconic examples of urban adaptation.
🧵(1/n)
@science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady4515
«A global coral phylogeny reveals resilience and vulnerability through deep time»
This looks great. Figure 2 is textbook material!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This looks great. Figure 2 is textbook material!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 24, 2025 at 7:45 AM
«A global coral phylogeny reveals resilience and vulnerability through deep time»
This looks great. Figure 2 is textbook material!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This looks great. Figure 2 is textbook material!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...