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Ben Parker

@ben-parker.bsky.social
1K followers 867 following 29 posts

Assistant Professor @ UNC Chapel Hill Biology. Symbiosis, immunity, evolution, insects Parkerlab.net

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Reposted by Ben Parker
Eric Riddell @ecophysiology.bsky.social · 18h
Phew! With a lot of blood, sweat, and tears over the years, we introduce a new way of thinking about thermal performance curves in endotherms. We propose that thermal imbalance, quantified using net sensible heat flux, provides a helpful axis for predicting performance. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
And... had to switch my letters to Times from Arial and resubmit. Thanks for this heads up!
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Reposted by Ben Parker
Anahí Espíndola (she/ella) @analyssi.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
And if you're a letter writer, note that the letters have specific formatting requirements (fonts, etc) which were not around last time I wrote these.
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Tim Hsu @timhsu.net · 14/10/2026
PSA: For anyone writing a recommendation for the NSF grad fellowship this year, recs are due on Fri Oct 16, 8pm Eastern, cleverly *before* the actual application deadline. This tidbit isn't on the NSFGRF front page anymore; it's buried inside the program solicitation:
From the NSFGRF program solicitation:

Reference letters are due Friday, October 16 by 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Reference letters must be submitted through the NSF Reference Letter System in Research.gov and will not be accepted after 8:00 p.m. ET.
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Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Large dog breeds die younger. 'Jumping genes' may explain shorter lifespans. www.popsci.com/science/why-... Epigenetic aging & transposon dysregulation reflect size-related lifespan compression in dogs www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (And the 1st author is 'Mariner'!!!)
science.org
Epigenetic aging and transposon dysregulation reflect size-related lifespan compression in dogs
The extraordinary lifespan variation in domestic dogs provides a natural experiment for testing how intrinsic rates of biological aging shape lifespan. Using 1640 methylomes from 894 dogs, we develope...
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Thats what I did this semester - homework is now participation and just has to be completed, with the hope that they use it to learn
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Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
*** please share widely *** Georgia Tech is hiring an ecologist tinyurl.com/GT-eco-coasts - general search - submit by Dec 1 - come join us, we have a growing group of excellent + collegial eco eco folks (e.g., @armanafzadeh.bsky.social, Sean Anderson, @jameststroud.bsky.social, Lauren Speare)
google.com
Redirecting
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Evgenii Protasov @evgenii-protasov.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
The archaeon Sukunaarchaeum mirabile, associated with dinoflagellates, has a genome of only 238 kbp🧬🤯 #archaea #symbiosis #eukaryotes #protists #MicroSky @currentbiology.bsky.social www.cell.com/current-biol...
cell.com
A hidden archaeal lineage with an ultra-reduced genome retaining only its replicative core
Harada et al. describe an archaeon, recovered from a single marine plankton cell, whose 238-kb genome is the smallest known for the domain. It has lost nearly all metabolism but keeps the machinery to...
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Really glad I used the term AI to refer to a ML tool in a recent NSF proposal.
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Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
A bacterial endosymbiont with a highly reduced genome forms extensive membrane contact sites with host organelles www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... #jcampubs
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Ann T. Tate @annttate.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Please RT: Do you use math to address interesting biological problems? Join us at Vanderbilt BioSci! We are conducting an open-rank TT search in Theoretical Biology: apply.interfolio.com/194619. We are a friendly and collaborative department with interests spanning a range of biological disciplines!
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Two parallel phases of my life ended last week. My youngest kid is done with diapers! And UNC approved my promotion to Associate Prof. w/ tenure. I’ve been thinking about this specific moment for years [see photo]. Will the next phase of life + career will involve less shit?
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Yikes
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Brett Baker @archaeal.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Two Assistant Professor Positions in Evolutionary Biology and Mechanistic Processes - including microbes! faculty.utexas.edu/career/191568
faculty.utexas.edu
Faculty Careers - The University of Texas at Austin
Unleash your intellectual power by joining a world-renowned faculty that is solving the world's most urgent problems. At UT Austin, we provide you the freedom to blaze trails, follow your curiosity, e...
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Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Are you looking for a postdoc exploring the cell biology of development, defining how cells change shape and move? Do you want to develop a research program & teaching skills preparing you for a position at a college or small University? Our new NIH grant will support those goals 1/n Please share
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Kacy Gordon @kacylynn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
JOB ALERT: UNC Bio is hiring 2 tenure track assistant profs doing molecular, cell, and dev bio. The search is intentionally broad, so please share widely and spread the word! Find more information and apply here: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/325... Application review begins Nov 1.
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Local sports fans were rioting so I couldn’t get to my hotel and no dinner. Chair forgot about breakfast so I sat in the hotel lobby freaking out. Gave a very hungry job talk to maybe seven people. Didn’t get that job.
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Matt Bertone @bertonemyia.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
🚨 JOB ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 Please share! We're looking for an entomologist to join our dept.! I'm excited as it's broadly advertised to find someone who can build a stellar teaching program w/research on insect ecology. Deadline is tight (end of Oct.). Read more & apply at jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/235...
Flyer that says: 

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY
AND PLANT PATHOLOGY

We're hiring!

The Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology is seeking applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor in Insect Ecology (60% teaching/40% research). The position will play a central role in the department’s undergraduate curriculum, including ENT 201: Insects and People, as well as additional undergraduate and graduate courses. The position also provides an opportunity to build a nationally recognized research program in insect ecology, secure external funding, and mentor undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead instruction for ENT 201: Insects and People and teach additional courses using effective, technology-enhanced approaches. Mentor undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs.

Establish a nationally recognized, externally funded research program in insect ecology (e.g., behavior, plant–insect interactions, community ecology, conservation, or global change biology). Publish in peer-reviewed journals and engage students in research.

Contribute to departmental, college, and university service, engage with scientific societies, review manuscripts and grant proposals, and participate in outreach.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Demonstrated teaching experience at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.

Expertise in one or more areas of insect ecology (e.g., IPM, invasive species, pollination biology, vector ecology, trophic interactions, global change, or molecular/community ecology).

Ph.D. in Entomology or a related field, with a proven publication and funding track record (as PI/Co-PI or lead author).

JOIN OUR TEAM!

For more information and to submit your application, please visit:
https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/234875
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Erin Hotchkiss @fluvialbenthos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
We (Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech) are #hiring TWO tenure-track Molecular Microbiology professors! Review of applications starts 1 Nov. I'm happy to answer questions about the department, VT, life in Blacksburg, etc.! More info / to apply: jobs.apply.vt.edu/jobs/assista... 🧪👩‍🔬🦠 #academicjobs
jobs.apply.vt.edu
Assistant/Associate Professor - Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
Job Description The Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech seeks applicants for two (2) tenure-track research and teaching positions at the Assistant/Associate ...
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Thanks!
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Multiple recent studies in other systems show that ecologically relevant symbiont traits are encoded on MGEs. These dynamics provide a mechanism by which symbiont evolution generates phenotypic differences among host populations. We have exciting ideas about a more specific mechanism, so stay tuned!
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Across populations, the plasmid was rare on clover despite the famous association between Regiella and clover-feeding aphids, and more common on Vicia. And so the plasmid is a major driver of ecologically structured variation in pathogen resistance.
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Over several field seasons in Tennessee, we screened ~1000 pea aphids and found that Regiella doesn't itself predict fungal resistance. The plasmid was relatively rare (only around 20% of Regiella), but aphids with plasmid-positive Regiella were protected from infection.
A photo of a field site
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Aphids harbor a bacterium called Regiella that protects them from a major natural enemy, a 'zombie' fungus called Pandora. We show this defense depends on a small plasmid that has moved among distantly related Regiella lineages. When a strain lost the plasmid in culture, protection disappeared.
A picture of an aphid that has been infected with a fungal pathogen.
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This featured work from Henry Lab PhD student Balig Panossian, former UTK postdoc Matt Kolp, UNC PhD student @keertana.bsky.social and others.
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Excited that our new paper with @henrylabsymbio.bsky.social and Kerry Oliver is out @pnas.org! We show that mobile genetic elements can spread adaptive host-benefiting traits across heritable insect symbionts on eco-evolutionary timescales.🧵 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Phenotypic divergence is driven by mobile genetic elements in a heritable insect symbiont | PNAS
Heritable microbes profoundly influence insect biology, yet the traits they confer often evolve rapidly and differ among closely related symbiont s...
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Jason Rasgon @vectorgen.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Banger of a new RasgonLab study by Drs. Najmeh Nejat and Travis van Warmerdam on a new arthropod germline CRISPR delivery system. Knock-out AND knock-in by ORAL delivery! No more injections! Germline Engineering by Viral transduction (GEValT)
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Jaap de Roode @jaapderoode.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
So excited to share that the Department of Biology @emoryuniversity.bsky.social is hiring an open-rank faculty member in the area of ecology. Happy to answer any questions. Please share! 🧪 apply.interfolio.com/191783
apply.interfolio.com
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Diversify Microbiology @diversifymicro.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
UNC Greensboro Department of Biology is hiring for three positions this year including one in microbiology! spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/35918
spartantalent.uncg.edu
Assistant Professor Microbiology
The Department of Biology at UNC Greensboro (UNCG) seeks an individual with a strong record of accomplishment in microbiology broadly defined for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assista...
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Ellen O. Martinson @waspvenom.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The Martinson lab is looking for new PhD students! We have so much cool data and need help making sense of it all! If interested please contact me!
Flyer for position in Plant Genome Manipulation by Insects "We are looking for new members of our team to work on the molecular mechanisms behind gall induction. A gall is an abnormal growth on a plant that is induced by another organism (i.e., bacteria, fungi, mites, insects). Insect-induced galls are the most complex type, creating structures and pigments not seen in the normal development of the host plant. The insect evades host defenses and co-opts control of plant development redirecting resources away from the plant to create a structure comprised of multiple tissues that both provide nutrition to the insect’s offspring as well as protects them from harm. While some progress has been made in individual systems, we still do not understand how any insect induces a gall to form or whether the mechanisms behind this complex manipulation are conserved across galling species. The Martinson lab works in three independent galling systems to try to understand molecular toolkit used to hijack plant development is shared across distantly related gall-inducing insects or whether each lineage has evolved its own unique suite of effectors and signaling strategies. " If interested email emartinson@unm.edu.
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Brian J. Enquist @bjenquist.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Thrilled to announce that my department - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology - at the U of Arizona will likely be hiring for a tenure-track position in "Population and Community Ecology" this fall. Watch this space for more details and official announcements coming soon ... #Ecology #EcologyJobs 🌐🌾🧪
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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 27/08/2026
The real American 🇺🇸 “brain drain” isn’t that a few established scholars might get new jobs outside the US, it’s the enormous number of grad students - particularly international grad students - who can’t or won’t study in the US now or in years to come. That’s the body blow.
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Patrick R. Secor @prsecor.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
I’ll soon be #Hiring a postdoc to join the Secor Lab at Montana State University. This NIH-funded position will investigate phage biology in Lyme disease spirochetes. The official ad will be available soon. Please share with anyone who might be interested! #MicroSky #PhageSky 🔬🦠🧪🧫
An engorged tick with fluorescent bacteria in its midgut
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Bénédicte C @benecal.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Universities sue administration over visa limits for students and post docs. www.statnews.com/2026/08/18/d...
statnews.com
Trump administration sued over visa time limit that would affect grad students, postdocs
DHS was sued Tuesday over a sweeping policy change that would limit how long foreign students and scholars can remain in the U.S.
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Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
HIRING MICROBIOLOGIST: effective start asap! The PDRA/PDRF (per xp) will investigate the interactions of bumblebee antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with the gut microbiota & more. Our work has shown AMPs have striking specificity for ecological microbes. careers.exeter.ac.uk/vacancies/13... 1/2
careers.exeter.ac.uk
Postdoctoral Researcher Associate or Fellow in Cornwall | University of Exeter
View details and apply for this Postdoctoral Researcher Associate or Fellow vacancy in Cornwall. Postdoctoral Research Associate / Fellow This job is part of an Advanced Research + Inventio...
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anil oza @aniloza.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
NIH is planning on revoking eligibility for international students on visas for the K99/R00 pathway, a key program that supports postdocs in establishing their own labs www.statnews.com/2026/08/07/n...
statnews.com
NIH plans to block international researchers on visas from accessing key funding avenue
The NIH plans to close the door on one of the few pathways available to international students on visas to forge a career in biomedical research in the U.S.
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Lars Brudvig @lars-brudvig.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Join us through the Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship in EEB! Conduct your own research, mentored by 2+ EEB faculty. $65k salary + research/moving $. All areas of EEB welcome. Apply by 11/1 I co-chair this search and am happy to field questions Spread the word! eeb.msu.edu/initiatives/...
eeb.msu.edu
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
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I-75 Scientist @flscitriguy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Guidance on new DMS plans. Applications under review will need to submit new ones with JIT, new plans will be expected with RPPRs for active awards. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-26-100: Implementation Update: NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan Requirements
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Implementation Update: NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan Requirements NOT-OD-26-100. NIH
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Moi Expósito-Alonso (MOILAB) @mexpositoalonso.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
The prestigious Miller Research Postdoctoral Fellowship is open! University of California, Berkeley This is a postdoc fellowship with substantial support and independence to be hosted at a lab at Berkeley, reach out with interests! miller.berkeley.edu/nominate-app...
miller.berkeley.edu
Miller Research Fellowship | Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science
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JCarlos Villarreal @jcarlosvillarreal.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
5 (+?) independent plant lineages evolved to text the same bacteria for nitrogen. we just need to learn the language they're using. www.cell.com/trends/plant...
cell.com
Plant–cyanobacterial symbioses: mutualism with emerging translational possibilities
Engineering rhizobial–plant nitrogen fixation in crops is a major goal in plant synthetic biology. We propose expanding efforts to plant–cyanobacterial symbioses as an alternative path. Targeting the ...
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Fabien Burki @fburki.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Very happy something like this is now available. In protist diversity research we use the rDNA extensively, but I for one doesn't know enough about it's structure, variation, and implications www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
annualreviews.org
Organization of Ribosomal RNA Genes in Eukaryotes
In eukaryotes, ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) encode the major ribosomal RNA molecules and are typically organized into a distinctive genomic structure involving tandem repetition of a polycistronic codin...
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Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
I contacted my NIH PO about the new rules requiring reporting foreign co-authorships on papers that acknowledge NIH support. Here's a summary of what I heard back: 1) NIH POs are confused about this too & fear a massive workload as a consequence 2) PIs should report co-authorships in their RPPR /t
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Ben Parker @ben-parker.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
This is what I did on this year’s RPPR, instead of submitting a prior approval form, and it didn’t seem to cause any issues…
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Conference on Beneficial Microbes @benmicrobesmtg.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
The 2026 Conference on Beneficial Microbes will be co-organized with the International Symbiosis Society from July 19th - July 23rd. Its not too late to register! #BeneficialMicrobes10 #BeneficialMicrobesMtg #ISS #SymbioSky
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Nancy Moran @nancy-moran.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
A step forward in discovering Buchnera's key to the aphid's heart, published today! Thanks to Jerry Maeda and other authors--a great team -- and to the helpful reviewers #SymbioSky doi: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
doi.org
A secreted endosymbiont protein essential for colonizing host cells - Nature
SyeA was present in the Buchnera ancestor, is secreted into the host cytoplasm, is homologous to secreted effectors of bacterial pathogens and is essential for Buchnera transmission.
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Phillip Cleves @pcleves.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Our work on the symbiont-containing organelle that supports coral reefs is published today. Also, new genetic tools to study symbiosis in both corals and Aiptasia. Great work by Shumpei Maruyama, Cat Henderson, and the rest of the fantastic team. #SymbioSky www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
cell.com
Co-option of lysosomal machinery shapes the evolution of the intracellular photosymbiosis supporting coral reefs
Corals harbor intracellular algal symbionts in specialized organelles that enable them to build diverse reef ecosystems. Corals and other cnidarians have repeatedly evolved this symbiosis through the ...
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Anna Schapiro @annaschapiro.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
PSA for trainees cold emailing with interest in joining a lab: Be careful about your use of LLMs in writing these emails!! It is now *extremely* common to get emails with a bizarrely-detailed, clearly-LLM take on a paper finding or with specific phrases pulled from the lab website. Don’t do this!
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Laura K. Jennings @laurakjennings.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
📢 We're hiring! The Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology at Montana State University is hiring an Assistant Professor of Microbiology. We welcome applicants working in microbial pathogenesis, immunology, genetics, microbial evolution, and related areas. Apply: jobs.montana.edu/postings/52009
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