Maria Paz Fernandez
@mariadelapax.bsky.social
830 followers 440 following 62 posts
Neurobiologist Indiana University Bloomington, Department of Biology @iubiology.bsky.social https://fernandez.lab.indiana.edu
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Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
jefferis.bsky.social
Exciting news for #drosophila #connectomics and #neuroscience enthusiasts: the Drosophila male central nervous system connectome is now live for exploration. Find out more at the landing page hosted by our Janelia FlyEM collaborators www.janelia.org/project-team....
Male CNS Connectome
A team of researchers has unveiled the complete connectome of a male fruit fly central nervous system —a seamless map of all the neurons in the brain and nerve cord of a single male fruit fly and the ...
www.janelia.org
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
janelia-flyem.bsky.social
We're very proud to be releasing the complete male fly CNS connectome!

It's the product of a huge team effort here at Janelia in partnership with the Cambridge Fly Connectomics group (@jefferis.bsky.social and colleagues), plus invaluable collaborators.

More soon...
www.janelia.org/project-team...
Male CNS Connectome
A team of researchers has unveiled the complete connectome of a male fruit fly central nervous system —a seamless map of all the neurons in the brain and nerve cord of a single male fruit fly and the ...
www.janelia.org
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
flybase.bsky.social
There's an update on the state of FlyBase on the FlyBase.org front page. You can contribute to FlyBase at this link wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...
We express enormous gratitude to the people, labs, groups, and foundations who have already helped us.
#FlyBase #Drosophila
FlyBase Update – October 2025
The termination of the NIH/NHGRI FlyBase grant has placed the long-term sustainability of FlyBase at risk. However, thanks to the generous support of several key individuals and institutions, we are pleased to announce that FlyBase will remain operational through the coming year. We extend our deepest gratitude to Yukiko Yamashita, Cassandra Extavour, Hugo Bellen, Thom Kaufman, the Genetics Society of America / Drosophila Board, the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center, an anonymous donor and the Wellcome Trust. We are especially thankful for a generous gift from Seemay Chou, Jed McCaleb, and The Navigation Fund. We also greatly appreciate the continued support from the broader Drosophila community – your donations and service fees have been vital in helping us stay afloat. Special thanks also go to Jessica Manning for her tireless administrative work at Harvard, to Ruth Lehmann, Hugo Bellen, and Paul Sternberg for advice and efforts, and to the Board of the European Drosophila Society for all their efforts. Sadly, we must also share that several long-standing FlyBase team members have recently moved on. We are immensely grateful to Susan Russo-Gelbart, Lynn Crosby, Gil dos Santos, Kris Broll, Victoria Jenkins, and TyAnna Lovato for their many years of dedicated service and contributions to FlyBase. Looking ahead, ensuring FlyBase’s sustainability beyond the next year – and successfully integrating with the Alliance – will require new funding sources. We kindly ask for your continued support:
	•	European labs: Please consider contributing to the Cambridge, U.K. FlyBase group
	•	U.S. and other non-European labs: Please consider contributing to the U.S. FlyBase groups
	•	Both U.K. and U.S. FlyBase are working diligently to establish an invoicing system. We appreciate your continued patience.
For more information on how to support us, please visit: Contribute to FlyBase wiki page https://wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase:Contribute_to_FlyBase
mariadelapax.bsky.social
Try explaining to them that your first name has four words.
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
iamshef.bsky.social
Check out the new work from the Calvi lab ! #Drosophila #cellbio #polyploidy

@iubiology.bsky.social @briancalvi.bsky.social
genetics-gsa.bsky.social
New in #GENETICS: From a genetic screen, Yi-Ting Huang and Brian Calvi identified the Src42A-Shark-Slpr pathway as an upstream regulator of JNK in induced endocycling cells in #Drosophila wing disc. buff.ly/wJmn8lp
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
neurobio-upr.bsky.social
Applications are now open for our course on connectomics & brain simulation.
Organizers: Sven Dorkenwald (MIT), Stefanie Hampel (UPR), Andrew Seeds (UPR), Sebastian Seung (Princeton), and Srini Turaga (Janelia).
Interested? Apply here ➜ sjcabs.com
San Juan Winter School on Connectomics and Brain Simulation
Two-week intensive course on connectomics and brain simulation in San Juan, Puerto Rico. December 29, 2025 - January 10, 2026.
sjcabs.com
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
grassfoundation.bsky.social
The neuroscience community has lost a dear friend and mentor. Ed Kravitz passed away on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

Here he is this past summer speaking with (and making margaritas for) the 2025 Grass Fellows, as he's done for more than two decades.

Rest in peace.
A photo of a man at a conference table with a pitcher of margaritas in the middle, and a display screen showing a slide about Stephen Kuffler.
mariadelapax.bsky.social
Thank you. Ed was a force of nature, and he will be missed.
mariadelapax.bsky.social
Thank you, Tyler. He will be missed!
mariadelapax.bsky.social
Ed Kravitz passed away yesterday.
He was a remarkable scientist and mentor- brilliant, curious, creative, and kind. I am grateful to have learned from him. His legacy will endure through his science and through the many people he inspired.

We will miss you, Ed.
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
ejrideout.bsky.social
I have gotten a bit behind at sharing the lab’s latest work - this paper is now published - check it out! www.cell.com/cell-reports... Long story short: insulin is the major determinant of female fat storage, with a relatively minor effect on males.
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
kdarragh.bsky.social
I'm looking for PhD students to join the lab starting August 2026. We study the evolution of insect chemical signals so if you're interested in evolutionary biology, chemical ecology, molecular biology, behavior, or genetics, this could be a good fit for you! More info here: tinyurl.com/mrxchwfm
Green butterfly sat on a flower.
mariadelapax.bsky.social
New publication from our lab:
Sexually dimorphic and clock gene-specific effects of artificial light at night on Drosophila behavioral rhythms
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Maria Paz Fernandez
waynemaddison.bsky.social
Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.
mariadelapax.bsky.social
It takes less than a minute to donate to FlyBase—let’s support this essential resource for the Drosophila community.
flybase.bsky.social
FlyBase needs your help! We ask that European labs continue to contribute to Cambridge, UK FlyBase, whereas US and other non-European labs can contribute to US FlyBase. For more information and how to donate: wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...
FlyBase:Contribute to FlyBase - FlyBase Wiki
wiki.flybase.org