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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Elodie Couderc @elodiecouderc.bsky.social · Aug 27

🚀 Excited to share (with a little delay) my first first-author publication on #Vago genes in #mosquitoes! 🦟 🦠 Have a look to see how we questioned a mosquito immunity dogma and challenged the existing understanding of Vago-like genes as antiviral factors ⬇️

bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Aedes aegypti VLG-1 challenges the assumed antiviral nature of Vago genes - BMC Biology

Background Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) such as dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) pose a significant threat to global health. Novel approaches to control the spread of arboviruses foc...

bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · Aug 22

I hate how ONT words things. You basically have 6 sequencing runs that can have UP TO 24 samples in each run. Basically what you do is prep all the samples by amplifying 16S region, then pool and do the final adapter attachment

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Sarah Merkling @merklinglab.bsky.social · Aug 18

Our study is now published in @natcomms.nature.com and describes the 1st definitive identification of genetic variants linked to DENV susceptibility in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. (1/3)

The Lambrechts Lab @lambrechtslab.bsky.social · Aug 18

🦟🦠 Check out our latest article in @natcomms.nature.com on the genetic basis of #dengue virus susceptibility in #mosquitoes! Collaborative work brillantly led by @merklinglab.bsky.social and @elodiecouderc.bsky.social @pasteur.fr and primarily supported by @agencerecherche.bsky.social rdcu.be/eBbg7

Dengue virus susceptibility in Aedes aegypti linked to natural cytochrome P450 promoter variants

Nature Communications - Genetic factors affecting Aedes aegypti susceptibility to dengue virus infection aren’t well studied. Here the authors show that a cytochrome P450 gene, typically...

rdcu.be

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · Aug 14

Still looking for candidates! Either DM or send me an email if interested.

Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · Jun 21

Have a postdoc position to start October 2025 to develop vector-borne pathogen genomic assays on ONT platforms. International travel will be required to Southeast Asia (Singapore and Malaysia). Looking for a hybrid position of wet lab and bioinformatics. DM me for more information. Please share!

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Pedro Vale @pfvale.bsky.social · Aug 12

This piece on infection history as a driver of individual heterogeneity in infection outcomes was fun to think about and to write with @chadisaadroy.bsky.social and Mike Boots. Also suggest that systems like #Drosophila can offer useful tools to tackle the epidemiological consequences.

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Aug 12

Forecasting the effects of #epidemics is complicated by a population’s pathogen exposure history. @pfvale.bsky.social @chadisaadroy.bsky.social & Mike Boots argue for the use of experimental #DiseaseEcology to better understand the consequences of variations in #infection history 🧪
plos.io/4mdDVvW

The ghost of infections past: Accounting for heterogeneity in individual infection history improves accuracy in epidemic forecasting

Variable pathogen exposure history contributes to individual immune differences, complicating epidemic forecasting. This Essay argues that experimental disease ecology can offer powerful tools and app...

plos.io

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Cassandra Koh 🦟🔬🧪 @cassandrakoh.bsky.social · Jul 28

📣 I'm recruiting a postdoc researcher to join my team for a project on mosquito-specific viruses and host interactions. Peep the job description & how to apply below. Perfect for soon-to-be or recent PhD graduates in mosquito vector biology 🦟 or arbovirology 🦠
🗓️ Application deadline 31 August 2025

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · Jun 21

Have a postdoc position to start October 2025 to develop vector-borne pathogen genomic assays on ONT platforms. International travel will be required to Southeast Asia (Singapore and Malaysia). Looking for a hybrid position of wet lab and bioinformatics. DM me for more information. Please share!

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · Jun 16

Is Nebraska an area of interest? Happy to collect and send them.

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Jun 11

Two good follows for this evening

@jenna-m-norton.bsky.social
@ianlmorgan.bsky.social

Two of the leaders at NIH who wrote the #BethedaDeclaration and are standing up and speaking out for all of us.

@standupforscience.bsky.social

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · Jun 8

Had a great time! Thanks @aphl.org and Uganda CPHL for coordinating the training!

Noah Hull @noahhullphd.bsky.social · Jun 7

Fantastic training by @aphl.org and @unmc.bsky.social (Dr. Shaun Cross) with Uganda CPHL on @nextstrain.org data viz for #mpox & #Ebola Sudan virus. The workshop brought together lab, epi, and IT staff—and by the end, they were building phylogenetic trees for other pathogens too! 🧬🌍 #GenomicEpi

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

RES Publications @respublications.bsky.social · Jun 7

In a new #RESInsectMolecBio article, temperature-dependent alternative splicing affects gene expression in #AedesAegypti #mosquitoes midgut 🦟 🧬

Learn more now🔽
doi.org/10.1111/imb.13002

@sassanasgari.bsky.social @gulianusslab.bsky.social @wiley.com

Graphical abstract of: Temperature-dependent alternative splicing affects gene expression in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes midgut

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

David Duneau @dduneau.bsky.social · Jun 6

It is difficult to interpret single #pathogen burden during #infection. It is hard to untangle default in resistance and tolerance to explain #susceptibility. We help making sense of with-host dynamics and give tools to study infection, especially in #Drosophila.
elifesciences.org/articles/104...

A within-host infection model to explore tolerance and resistance

A mathematical model of pathogen within-host dynamics and experimental validations elucidates the interplay between immune response, damage and pathogen proliferation, highlighting the limitations of ...

elifesciences.org

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Igor Iatsenko @iatsenkolab.bsky.social · May 28

Happy to share our new preprint! We explored the mechanisms underlying differences between male and female #Drosophila in susceptibility to intestinal #infection. #symbiosky
#immunity #AcademicSky #insect #symbiosis

Sex Differences in Drosophila Intestinal Metabolism Contribute to Sexually Dimorphic Infection Outcome and Alter Gut Pathogen Virulence

Sexual dimorphism in infection outcomes is a pervasive phenomenon, the underlying mechanisms of which remain incompletely understood. Here, utilizing Pseudomonas entomophila intestinal infection in Dr...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Dr. Jean Fan @jef.works · May 29

In our latest study, we use #spatialtranscriptomics to characterize cold ischemic injury at multiple time points modeling a kidney transplant setting to reveal compartment-specific changes

Check out the preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Ryan Wick @rrwick.bsky.social · May 21

New preprint! Autocycler is a tool for long-read consensus assembly of bacterial genomes. It's like Trycycler but can be run fully automated (without any human intervention).
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Autocycler: long-read consensus assembly for bacterial genomes

Motivation Long-read sequencing enables complete bacterial genome assemblies, but individual assemblers are imperfect and often produce sequence-level and structural errors. Consensus assembly using T...

www.biorxiv.org

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · May 14

Received exciting news about a project and will be opening a search for a postdoc. Focused in pathogen genomics--specifically vector-borne diseases. Looking for expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, and able to do some international travel. Please reach out to me if interested or know somebody!

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Kevin R. McClure @drkevinrmcclure.com · May 2

FYI “Spencer Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation and Kapor Foundation are providing quick turnaround grants of up to $25k for education scholars impacted by the abrupt NSF grant cancellations.” www.spencer.org/news/meeting...

Meeting the Moment Together

We are returning from the AERA Annual Meeting in Denver reinvigorated and with a deep appreciation for all that scholars and higher education leaders are holding in this moment. Rapid shifts in fed...

www.spencer.org

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Will Anderson @willaanderson.bsky.social · Dec 17

A Preprint for our ~$40 USD, open source, 3D printed DNA Fluorometer, the #DIYNAFLUOR, has just been posted to bioRxiv outlining its performance and applications for #eDNA analysis!🦕🧪🧬

A big thanks to all the co-authors!

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

Git
tinyurl.com/yfh33dsx

#science

DIYNAFLUOR: An Affordable DIY Plug-and-Play Nucleic Acid Fluorometer for eDNA Quantification in Resource Limited Settings

Nucleic Acid (NA) fluorometry is widely employed for quantifying environmental DNA (eDNA) samples and their downstream DNA sequencing libraries, owing to its sensitivity, accuracy, and speed. However,...

www.biorxiv.org

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · May 3

100%!!! Send it here, learn about your ticks and help us understand tick borne diseases 🎉

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · May 2

You can stick the tick in a ziplock bag and send it in a small padded envelope. Our website has the instructions and some pictures to show how to submit a tick through the program.

Never thought about gluing them to a postcard but that’s an interesting idea haha

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · May 2

Ticks can be quite the movers!Always feel free to now send them our way and we will happily help out

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · May 2

😂 well if you need or want ticks from Nebraska I got you! There is no shortage here

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Shaun Cross @shauntcross.bsky.social · May 2

Excited to announce that my research group is launching a *FREE* tick testing program called Nebraska Tick Testing (NeTT). We accept any ticks, both inside and outside Nebraska. We will identify the tick, screen it for pathogens, and provide a report. For more information visit: go.unmc.edu/nett

Home

Welcome to the Nebraska Tick Testing (NeTT) laboratory homepage! Learn more about how you can collect and submit ticks for testing.

go.unmc.edu

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Don Yee @mosquitolab.bsky.social · Apr 24

🦟🧪 ***I'm recruiting*** one student (M.S. or Ph.D.) to join my lab January 2026. Students need a 3.0 GPA and have an interest/experience in mosquito taxonomy, phenotypes, or ecology. Work on genetics/genomics is a plus. Deadline is 15 October 2025. US based students only. yeemosquitolab.org

Yee Mosquito Lab

Visit the post for more.

yeemosquitolab.org

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Reposted by Shaun Cross

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Apr 24

ATTENTION: NSF GRANT RECIPIENTS

We received a heads up from a trusted source that you should proactively download/print/screen shot any documentation on research.gov pertaining to your NSF awards, both those that are current and any that have closed in the last 5-6 years.

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a cartoon of a man holding a frying pan and a spoon with red alert written above him

ALT: a cartoon of a man holding a frying pan and a spoon with red alert written above him

media.tenor.com

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