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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 1d

Research assistant + postdoc position on a NERC funded project working w @darrenobbard.bsky.social and collaborating with @savebutterflies.bsky.social on the ecological and evolutionary drivers of the virome of UK moths @uniexecec.bsky.social. Descriptions below and links here benlongdon.com/join/

Our local beach - blue waters and white sand

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 2d

'Alien mammal introductions can reshape global viral sharing networks' by Toneli et al -> www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...

Alien mammal introductions can reshape global viral sharing networks

Alien mammals introduced beyond their native distribution ranges can bring novel pathogens into the colonised communities and alter pathogen transmission dynamics. Past studies identified immunologica...

www.researchsquare.com

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 13d

2 job adverts on a NERC project w myself + @darrenobbard.bsky.social on “What determines the virome: ecology and the environment, evolution, or species history?” early 2026 in
@uniexecec.bsky.social
- Postdoc: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
- RA: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Pls share!

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 5d

Good overview of scientific publishing, and some current issues, by Guardian podcast featuring @hansonmark.bsky.social

Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · 6d

Thanks @iansample.bsky.social at @theguardian.com podcast for chatting #ScientificPublishing.

This pod follows from The Strain on Scientific Publishing & reports of publisher profit margins rivalling Google etc...

Paper: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

Pod: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...

Fraud, AI slop and huge profits: is science publishing broken?

Podcast Episode · Science Weekly · 02/10/2025 · 18m

podcasts.apple.com

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Then Try This @thentrythis.social.thentrythis.org.ap.brid.gy · 6d

Pre-pre-pre-announcement that around the end of the year/early spring we'll be announcing some new funded residencies, based at our new studio in Cornwall to run around Aug/Sept 2026.

The theme this time is moths and their viruses - as part of a bigger research grant on how viruses and their […]

Original post on social.thentrythis.org

social.thentrythis.org

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Jeremy BOO! Yoder 🎃💀🕷️ @jbyoder.org · 8d

So this came online over the weekend: My dive into the "definition" of coevolution is online ahead of publication in @journal-evo.bsky.social!

Don’t ask "when is it coevolution?" — ask "how?"

doi.org/10.1093/evol...

Don’t ask “when is it coevolution?” — ask “how?”

Abstract. Coevolution has come to be widely understood as specific, simultaneous, reciprocal adaptation by pairs of interacting species. This strict-sense

doi.org

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Craig MacLean @craigmaclean.bsky.social · 8d

New pre-print
Competition between phage constrains adaptation to thermal fluctuating temperatures.
More work led by Sam Greenrod in collaboration with @kayla-king.bsky.social lab.
#Phagesky#Microsky

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

www.biorxiv.org

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 9d

what ritual heart removal isnt for all ages?! Note Temple of Crystal Skull is not suitable for any age group.

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 13d

This was work today - about 15k walked for geocaching and wildlife spotting trip with new @uniexecec.bsky.social undergraduates. Glorious weather in beautiful Cornwall with plenty of tuna, choughs and butteflies plus the odd lizard.

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Darren Obbard @darrenobbard.bsky.social · 13d

PostDoc job in Cornwall with @blongdon.bsky.social : Many moths, metagenomics, and mixed models. Plus some UK fieldwork in summer 2026 jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...

Powered by MHR

jobs.exeter.ac.uk

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 13d

Project will use UK moths to look at relative importance of ecological and evolutionary determinants of the virome. 1-2 field assistant posts still to come.

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 13d

2 job adverts on a NERC project w myself + @darrenobbard.bsky.social on “What determines the virome: ecology and the environment, evolution, or species history?” early 2026 in
@uniexecec.bsky.social
- Postdoc: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
- RA: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Pls share!

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Colin Carlson @colincarlson.bsky.social · 28d

New preprint! 🥳🎉 We looked at viral coinfection patterns at the largest scale ever in wildlife. We found a strong association among CoVs, PMVs, and influenza A, and higher coinfection rates in wildlife trade; plus, evidence that bats accumulate persistent infections. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Figure 3 of our paper, which shows viral coinfection networks at the virus level

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 18d

did you find somewhere in Cornwall for covid vaccine?

Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · 18d

This looks v cool.

Chantal Vogels @chantalvogels.bsky.social · 18d

📢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 Ben Longdon

Pedro Vale @pfvale.bsky.social · Sep 8

*Congratulations* to former Darwin Trust-funded PhD student Arun Prakash for being awarded the Alfred Russel Wallace award from @royentsoc.bsky.social for his PhD on #immune regulation of disease #tolerance and immune #priming in #Drosophila!

@edinburghbiology.bsky.social @uoe-eid.bsky.social

Former PhD student wins the Alfred Wallace Award for significant contribution to the science of entomology | Edinburgh Infectious Diseases | Edinburgh Infectious Diseases

September 2025: Dr Arun Prakash, a Darwin Trust PhD student, has been retrospectively awarded the prestigious award from the Royal Entomological Society for his 2021 thesis ''Immune Regulation Of Dise...

edinburgh-infectious-diseases.ed.ac.uk

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · Sep 5

Sequence data from the new Ebola outbreak in DRC suggests it is indeed a new spillover.

And just incredible to see the virus sequenced and the data publicly shared less than 24 hours after confirmation of the outbreak.
#IDsky 🧪

virological.org/t/the-16th-e...

The 16th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Bulape Health Zone, Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A new spillover event from an unknown reservoir host

Background The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing concurrent outbreaks including mpox, cholera and malaria (1-4). The Ministry of Public Health, DRC has declared the 16th Ebola...

virological.org

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Lucy van Dorp @lucyvandorp.bsky.social · Sep 1

Excited to say we’re hiring 😊. We’re looking for a post-doc in ancient pathogen genomics to join our friendly supportive team in London at @ugiatucl.bsky.social. Start date January 2026.

www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

UCL – University College London

UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Erik Postma @erikpostma.bsky.social · Aug 22

With #eseb2025 coming to a close, it is time to start making plans for 2026. Interested in the interface of evolution 🧬 and ecology 🌳? Come to our #ExE conference hosted by @uniexecec.bsky.social in beautiful #Cornwall. Leave your email address at tinyurl.com/EvolxEcol to join our mailing list!

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

Seirian Sumner @waspwoman.bsky.social · Jul 28

It's a bumper-wasp year: here are my top tips on how to dine alongside wasps, without getting stung.

GET INVOLVED! Tell us what wasps want at YOUR picnic: www.sumnerlab.co.uk/wasp-picnic-...

theconversation.com/what-to-do-w...

@uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @uk.theconversation.com

What to do when wasps crash your picnic – a scientist’s guide to dining safely with these insects

Did you know wasps switch from ham to jam foraging during the late summer?

theconversation.com

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · Jul 25

I just got asked for it on here - wasn't that keen on giving my credit card or photo - have you looked into how legit/data reuse?

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Reposted by Ben Longdon

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control @ecdc.europa.eu · Jul 21

🧵 Dengue is no longer just a tropical disease - it's showing up in Europe.

This season, France, Italy, and Portugal (Madeira) have already reported locally acquired dengue cases.

Check the latest #CDTR on #dengue here: bit.ly/3TQpDVu

#IdSky #EpiSky #MosquitoBorne #Prevention #PublicHealth

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · Jul 23

also the record is just over 1000 observations, reckon we could beat that with a UK transect...???

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · Jul 23

no word yet - to increase the terror they apparently send emails in order of: accepted - rejected - lottery wins?!

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Ben Longdon @blongdon.bsky.social · Jul 23

🔥