iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Hey folks, let’s go to the gym with a forklift, the weights will be so much easier to lift! We’ll look super strong and productive! 🤦

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Hard to time to stay hopeful lately. But Carl Sagan’s pale blue dot still gets me. Whatever else is true, we are/were here, suspended in a sunbeam. 🥹

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Such a cool study led by @ghadayousif.bsky.social! The Black Queen hypothesis has been thoroughly tested and observed in situ so wonderfully here… I wonder if “hypothesis” is still fair. 😬

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Christian Kost @kostchristian.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Very happy that our paper Obligate cross-feeding of metabolites is common in soil microbial communities just came out in Nature Microbiology. See here 👇 Paywalled version: www.nature.com/articles/s41... Free read-only version: rdcu.be/fBHAb

nature.com

Obligate cross-feeding of metabolites is common in soil microbial communities - Nature Microbiology

Cultivation-dependent techniques, computational analyses and genome-scale metabolic models show widespread amino acid auxotrophies, suggesting that soil microorganisms exist within integrated ecologic...

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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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Glen Dsouza @nonresidentdesi.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

📣 We’re hiring a postdoc for @hot-mes-asu.bsky.social ! 🦠🔬 We’re looking for someone excited about microbial interactions, ecology & evolution, and using molecular genetics and microfluidics to understand microbial communities. Come do fun science with us! apply.interfolio.com/190859

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Sara Mitri @saramitri.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Open position in the Department of Ecology and Evolution here in Lausanne! Come be our colleague! Topic: behavioral ecology, cultural evolution, or evolutionary psychology

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Sultan Nazir @sultannazir.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

2️⃣ Gene dispersal via vectors such as phage particles increases the ‘mixedness’ of genotypes in an otherwise assorted population, which accelerates the selection acting on beneficial genes.

Although being phage-borne can be an unfavourable strategy for a gene compared to being chromosomal, phage-borne genes can disperse and increase the selection for the gene at a global scale.

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Sultan Nazir @sultannazir.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

🚨 New paper with @bramvandijk.bsky.social, out now in Genome Biology and Evolution! Why do accessory genes so often hitch a ride on temperate phages? We show that spatial structure alone can tip selection toward a prophage locus over a chromosomal one. doi.org/10.1093/gbe/... 🧵 Two mechanisms:

doi.org

Viral Lifecycle Dynamics and Spatial Structure Explain Why Accessory Genes Are Associated With Temperate Phages

Abstract. Genes encoding for virulence factors are frequently found on prophages, yet the evolutionary forces driving this association remain unclear. The

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Genome Biology and Evolution @genomebiolevol.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Nazir & @bramvandijk.bsky.social demonstrate how phage lifecycle dynamics and spatial heterogeneity drive mobile genetic element–gene associations, providing new insights into the evolution of phage-encoded virulence. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evag181 #societyjournal #virus

doi.org

Viral Lifecycle Dynamics and Spatial Structure Explain Why Accessory Genes Are Associated With Temperate Phages

Abstract. Genes encoding for virulence factors are frequently found on prophages, yet the evolutionary forces driving this association remain unclear. The

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

It’s not the backlash I worry about, I think a lot of people are generally done sharing opinions on the internet. After two decades it’s perhaps time to realise: it’s not doing anything. Just my opinion, ironically ;)

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Why do conferences always specify that it's a "social" diner. As apposed to what, exactly?

static.klipy.com

Epic Food Fight Chaos

ALT: Epic Food Fight Chaos

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Sam von der Dunk @derdunk.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

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.

doi.org

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Phd Position alert 🚨 Join our project ASTRAfun (Adaptation and Starship Traffic in Root-Associated fungi), in which we will use computational models to unveil the hidden dynamics of fungal evolution. It’s not going to be just regular fun. It’s going to ASTRAfun. 🤓 www.uu.nl/en/organisat...

uu.nl

PhD Position in Computational Modelling of Fungal Evolution

How do giant mobile elements called ‘Starships’ reshape fungal plant pathogens? Help us computationally model their spread and impact in nature and agriculture!

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DaganLab @daganlab.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

New preprint! We show that conjugation accelerates the segregation of #plasmid alleles -> horizontal transfer is a route for allele segregation in MGE evolution. Led by Lisa Hartmann, with @mariosanter.bsky.social &Nils Hülter. Naturally, reviewed by @qedscience.bsky.social! doi.org/10.64898/202...

Plasmid conjugation from a heteroplasmic donor

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FEMS Journals @femsjournals.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Microbes grow in spatially structured communities. Bäcker et al. comprehensively synthesize evidence that spatial organization drives microbial ecological and evolutionary processes across scales. #FEMSMicrobiolRev buff.ly/wceLoPr @bramvandijk.bsky.social

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Computational modelling at it’s finest, with videos 💜

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

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...

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Maliheh Mehrshad @mehrshmali.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Phage–host interactions are a key driver of microbial ecology, but observing them in nature is hard! With metaHi-C, we detect freshwater phage–host pairs and link their infection dynamics to evolution. Together with @nadal-molero.bsky.social & Ana Martin-Cuadrado www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

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Zamin Iqbal @zaminiqbal.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Last year, we proposed a model of plasmid evolution via fusion and fragmentation (via mge mediated recombination) generating mosaics, by studying historical isolates. Excited to see a MASSIVE paper from @jrpenades.bsky.social , @epcrocha.bsky.social expanding on this www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Please check out our review on the impact of spatial structure in microbial ecosystems! In it, we discuss how spatial patterns impact microbial ecology and evolution, eventually impacting everything we see around us! See @marcelbaecker.bsky.social's amazing summary below :) 🦠 𝚂𝙿𝙰𝙲𝙴 𝙼𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂 ! 🦠

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Bas E. Dutilh @bedutilh.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Everyone knows that space and spatial structure is super important in shaping the Microverse 🌎🌍🌏 Check out this amazing review where @marcelbaecker.bsky.social and @bramvandijk.bsky.social et al bring together a huge body of knowledge @microverse.bsky.social @binfutrecht.bsky.social

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christoph_STCmicrobeblog @christophstc.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

...not in shaking flasks, not in microtiter plates either 😉

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Wing Yui Ngan @yuingan.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

@bramvandijk.bsky.social (and many other)'s new paper covered insights in microbial ecology, evolution and theoretical biology.

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Christian Kost @kostchristian.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

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 👇

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Great work by @prczhaoyansong.bsky.social, once again elucidating how much flow of information there is in complex microbial ecosystems.

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

Getting old means going to your own Google Scholar and seeing "if you wrote a paper about something"

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

I must admit, PerplexityAI is really blowing my mind when it comes to literature searching. I've been avoiding it but I got stuck and decided to take a swing at it. It gave great papers, got my out of my bubble, and really gave me a fresh perspective. :)

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Does anyone know a gene in E. coli that duplicated "fairly recently", as to compare and contrast it's sequence divergence with that found in mobile elements? #sciencesky #microsky

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

This picture is too low-res to include in a presentation in 2025, so I went full CSI 😂 I wonder though: even though it copies the copyright statement... this does count as a copyright violation? Thoughts?

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Eduardo Rocha @epcrocha.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Willing to join us @pasteur.fr for a PhD for a project on how interactions between mobile genetic elements shape bacterial adaptation? Subject to be tailored to candidates with keen interest in evolution, genomics, computational biology, microbiology. Check www.pasteur.fr/en/education...

pasteur.fr

Pasteur-Paris University International doctoral program (PPU)

OverviewIn 2009, the Institut Pasteur, the world leading biomedical research institute founded by Louis Pasteur in 1887, inaugurated the Pasteur Paris-University (PPU) international doctoral program i...

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

A bachelor student gifted me this beautiful artwork she made based on my first year course, and I am sp excited I wanna share it with “the internet” ❤️

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Michael Brockhurst @brockhurstlab.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

We are also hiring a 4-year postdoc to study the dynamics and evolution of mobile genetic elements in the C-fixing Icelandic host-spring microbiomes Join our exciting multidisciplinary team funded by @ukri.org BBSRC sLoLa www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

jobs.manchester.ac.uk

Research Associate in Microbial Evolution:Oxford Road

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Kat Coyte @coytelab.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

A new 4 year PostDoc position in our lab! Modeling + experiments to explore dynamics of carbon fixing hot-spring microbiomes. Part of an exciting multidisciplinary team with Sophie Nixon, @brockhurstlab.bsky.social & others Please share & get in touch if interested! tinyurl.com/e7j7bha3

jobs.manchester.ac.uk

Research Associate in Microbiome Ecology:Oxford Road

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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

This is very cool. @sanmillan.bsky.social I wonder to what extend these non-random IS-dynamics are naturally selected for. Could it be the result of a long co-evolutionary history of ISs and bacteria? Are there differences in natural/non-natural antimicrobials? www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

Plasmids promote antimicrobial resistance through Insertion Sequence-mediated gene inactivation

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a major threat to public health. Plasmids are mobile genetic elements that can rapidly spread across bacterial populations, promoting the dissemination of AMR genes i...

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Jorge Sastre Domínguez @jorgesastred.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

New paper out! 🔈🔈📣📣 Plasmids promote antimicrobial resistance through Insertion Sequence-mediated gene inactivation. Combining experimental and computational approaches, we unveil how two of the most prevalent bacterial MGE accelerate the evolution of AMR. 🧵👇🏻 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

Plasmids promote antimicrobial resistance through Insertion Sequence-mediated gene inactivation

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