Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 17/09/20267/7 Two papers, two scales, one shared message: Environmental change can leave very different signatures depending on the organism, the trait and the scale we study. From thallus morphology to marine forest distributions, understanding those differences is key to predicting ecological change. 🌊 000
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 17/09/20266/7 The two species responded very differently. Gongolaria showed a narrower niche and stronger projected losses, especially in eastern Alboran, while Ericaria retained broader areas of suitable habitat 101
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 17/09/20265/7 One key result: temperature was not the whole story. Mixed layer depth was the main predictor for both species, highlighting the role of stratification, nutrient renewal and hydrographic dynamics. 100
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 17/09/20264/7 🌿🌍 In the second paper, we modeled present and future habitat suitability for Ericaria selaginoides and Gongolaria usneoides across the Strait of Gibraltar–Alboran Sea. We projected their distributions to 2090–2100. 🔗 doi:10.1111/jpy.70209 101
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 17/09/20263/7 The result was striking: Fucus cover fell from ~38% to ~11%, yet its fractal descriptors remained largely unchanged. Population decline did not translate into a clear morphological stress 101
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 17/09/20262/7 In the first paper, we asked whether fractal geometry of the thallus can be used as a biomarker of environmental stress in Fucus limitaneus. We compared seasons, intertidal positions and populations monitored from 2011–2024. 🔗 doi:10.1111/jpy.70221 101
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 17/09/20261/7 🌿🌊 Two new papers out in Journal of Phycology with @antoniofloresmoya.bsky.social! A short detour from my usual work on experimental evolution and microbes — and back to macroalgae. Same big question: how do organisms respond to environmental change? 101
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 21/07/2026🧬 We’ve shared an open-access protocol for cost-effective, high-quality DNA extraction from cyanobacteria and microalgae. We hope it will be useful to the research community! Developed with @Raul_MontanezM. doi.org/10.17504/pro... #Cyanobacteria #Microalgae #DNAExtraction #Genomics #ProtocolsIOdoi.orgLab protocol: DNA extraction from cyanobacteria and microalgaeLab protocol: DNA extraction from cyanobacteria and microalgae. Photosynthetic microorganisms are key. Read full protocol, steps, and materials on protocols.io 092
Reposted by Ignacio J. Melero-JiménezJake Barber @jakenbarber.bsky.social · 13/04/2025www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comMutualism breakdown underpins evolutionary rescue in an obligate cross-feeding bacterial consortium - Nature CommunicationsRapid genetic adaptation to environmental change, or evolutionary rescue, can be constrained by a less adaptable mutualistic partner. Here, the authors explore evolutionary rescue in an obligate mutua... 021
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 14/04/20257/ This study has been one of the most rewarding moments of my postdoc. Working with @jfriedman.bsky.social (HUJI), Alejandro Couce (CBGP) , and the incredible people in their labs has made this experience both intellectually enriching and personally fulfilling 😁 020
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 14/04/20256/ Obligate cooperation, beneficial under stable conditions, can become a liability during environmental disruption. This underscores the need for robust microbial consortia that account for potential breakdowns in cooperation, critical for both microbial ecology and synthetic biology. 121
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 14/04/20255/Evolutionary rescue isn’t just about mutations, it’s shaped by ecological structure. In obligate mutualisms, interdependence can define the fitness landscape. Under stress, one partner’s ability to escape dependence can determine the survival of the community. 130
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 14/04/20254/ Mutualistic consortia were markedly more sensitive to stress than prototrophic controls. As soon as one strain evolved independence, stress tolerance improved enough to ensure persistence. In this context, cooperation constrained evolvability, 110
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 14/04/20253/ We consider several factors: how easily metabolic autonomy is regained, and the role of demographic factors shaping population dynamics. These likely determine which strain survives—but why does gaining autonomy offer such an advantage? 110
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 14/04/20252/ Over 80% of mutualistic consortia underwent evolutionary rescue. Yet intriguingly, the same strain consistently survived by regaining metabolic autonomy, while its partner went extinct. What factors determined which strain gained this adaptive advantage? 120
Ignacio J. Melero-Jiménez @ignamelero.bsky.social · 14/04/20251/ In our new paper, we explored whether obligate mutualisms can survive abrupt stress via evolutionary rescue. We found that evolutionary rescue is possible—but it comes at the cost of mutualism. @jfriedman.bsky.social #microsky #evosky #mevoskynature.comMutualism breakdown underpins evolutionary rescue in an obligate cross-feeding bacterial consortium - Nature CommunicationsRapid genetic adaptation to environmental change, or evolutionary rescue, can be constrained by a less adaptable mutualistic partner. Here, the authors explore evolutionary rescue in an obligate mutua... 14620
Reposted by Ignacio J. Melero-JiménezRichard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 21/02/2025I just posted "Some Experiments Work, and Some Don't." It features this new paper from Paul Rainey's group, along with a *failed* experiment that Paul Sniegowski and I ran in the 1990s trying to test the same idea. telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/02/21/s... 27426
Reposted by Ignacio J. Melero-JiménezJonathan Friedman @jfriedman.bsky.social · 03/07/2024Happy to share our latest manuscript we we study evolutionary rescue in a bacterial mutualism: Reversion to metabolic autonomy underpins evolutionary rescue of a bacterial obligate mutualism shorturl.at/tFNTwshorturl.atReversion to metabolic autonomy underpins evolutionary rescue of a bacterial obligate mutualismbioRxiv - the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and educational institution 11815