@shrylishreekar.bsky.social and me wrote a commentary on Chunhui Hao's and @stuwest.bsky.social et al.'s recent paper
"Cooperation and the evolution of bacterial niche breadth"
in PNAS.
Please find our commentary here:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
When we allow communication to evolve between host and symbionts (passive leakage or active signaling), hosts evolve to take control over symbiont replication, reducing the evolutionary conflict. Yet the battle between hosts and symbionts continues, and the risk of extinction remains (Fig. 3c).
Sexual reproduction of host cells mixes their symbiont populations in the next generation. Symbiont mixing is dangerous because it drives selection for selfish, fast-growing symbionts which overwhelm their host and cause extinction (see x's; Fig. 3a, x-axis represents evolutionary time).
Very excited with the online publication of our modeling work on the evolution of sexual reproduction during obligate endosymbiosis: doi.org/10.1098/rstb.... The first publication of Alkmini Zania 🎉; together with Paulien Hogeweg.
In case you missed it: our review titled "Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities" is out! 🚨
Let me hit you with some highlights on why spatial structure matters. (and why you should care!)
Sharing is appreciated 🙏 🧵👇
doi.org/10.1093/fems...
Space is the place (for microbes 🦠)!
Delighted to have contributed to this review on spatial structure in microbial communities by @marcelbaecker.bsky.social @simonvanvliet.bsky.social @bedutilh.bsky.social @bramvandijk.bsky.social and others.
How could a simple self-replicating system emerge at the origins of life? RNA polymerase ribozymes can replicate RNA, but existing ones are so large that their self-replication seems impossible. Could they be smaller?
Excited to share our latest work in @science.org on a new small polymerase.
1/n
Recently, a Hypothesis was posed in @jcellsci.bsky.social in which the root of eukaryotes was placed between kinetoplastids and all other eukaryotes. From this, it was implied that LECA did not have a kinetochore. We argue this is highly unlikely. A 🧵(1/12)
Read our reply here: tinyurl.com/n87myhpr
Two more weeks to apply - come join us () in The Netherlands as a postdoctoral researcher on large-scale metagenomic exploration of new lineages!
Meeting alert! EMBO workshop about molecular and physical principles in evolution in Portugal, 2-5 June 2026. Deadline for registration is March 1st. Check out the website it should be a fun and informative workshop bridging evolutionary biology and physics of life meetings.embo.org/event/26-cel...
How did eukaryotic cells with complex architecture evolve from simpler prokaryotic cells? DNA analyses offer possible answers
go.nature.com/4sEMwLH
Less than two 2 weeks to apply for this PhD position in my group.
Please do not miss the opportunity to apply if the topic is of interest to you 👇
@guyleonard.bsky.social et al. report a near-complete genome and transcriptome sequence dataset for green algae host Paramecium bursaria, an endosymbiotic model system.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf183
#genome #evolution
Very nice documentary about the origins of complex life with my PhD advisor Berend Snel @binfutrecht.bsky.social!
LMB PhD studentship available in the Baum lab to use informatics to infer cell structure from genomic data in collaboration with the brilliant Tom Williams. If you write to me and I don’t reply - try again - the spam filter is hungry…
Photo showing the inside atrium of the new Life and Mind Building
Oxford Biology is growing 📢
We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology
3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.
Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3
Protein structures are not inherently robust, but natural proteins are substantially more robust than random sequences, representing a clear signature of adaptation. Mutational robustness is relatively low in newborn and viral proteins, and provides a new perspective on protein evolution.
RNA structures are inherently evolvable and robust to mutations: random RNA molecules already show the same level of robustness and a similar distribution of secondary structures as natural RNA molecules. Hence, it is difficult to detect signatures of selection on the distribution of RNA structures.
Excited with two new preprints on evolution of molecular structure, in RNA (doi.org/10.1101/2025..., @n-martin.bsky.social) and proteins (doi.org/10.1101/2025...). Both RNA and protein structures are often conserved across evolution, but the underlying reasons are very different.
And thanks to all poster presenters, including Moisès Bernabeu whose poster was in the top 5 of best posters at #ESEB2025. Congrats!
Sam von der Dunk: we know that RNA structure is robust to mutation yet evolvable. What about protein structure? Take advantage of ESMfold https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade2574
Natural proteins are robust to mutations, whereas random amino-acid sequences are not. Even disordered natural […]
Great to see so many people at our symposium om the origin of eukaryotes. Thanks to all the speakers! #ESEB25 @julianvosseberg.bsky.social
Interactive symbiosis in silico (back) and in vivo (front). #ESEB25
We have found before, including in different models, that evolutionary conflict leads to better adaptive solutions. These challenges best expose the creativity of evolutionary processes. Or, borrowing from Nietzsche: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" (at the population level)!
Our main finding: Mixing of endosymbionts (sex) is dangerous but can stimulate beneficial regulatory integration of host and symbiont!
The exciting project of Alkmini Zania on the impact of sex on endosymbiosis reveals complex evolutionary dynamics. What could this mean for early eukaryotes? www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
One week left to submit your abstract! @eseb2025.bsky.social
Share your work on host-associated microbiomes in our symposium @eseb2025.bsky.social - with speakers Hassan Salem @hassansalem.bsky.social and Carola Petersen. Abstract deadline April 25th. Florent, Klara, and I would love to see you there!
Join us in at #ESEB2025 Barcelona for our symposium on microbial adaptation to changing conditions. Organised by @mtoll8.bsky.social @javierdelafuente.bsky.social and me. Amazing invited speakers @saramitri.bsky.social and Itzik Mizrahi!! @eseb2025.bsky.social
