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Joël Meunier

@jmeunierearwig.bsky.social
1K followers 460 following 113 posts

Behavioural ecologist studying earwigs (insects), parental care, social evolution, social immunity, pesticides, global warming... Defender of open science. CNRS Researcher at univ Tours (FR) - IRBI joelmeunier.wixsite.com/researchpage

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Reposted by Joël Meunier
Michael Poulsen @michaelpoulsenucph.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
It’s time to mobilize ants in pesticide monitoring - here we outline what it will take and what we will gain from doing so
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Zoë Goldsborough @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Why care about weird animal behaviors? Just out as an advanced publication, my contribution to the next Frans de Waal special issue in Behaviour @degruyterbrill.bsky.social. Unusual behaviors are a recurring theme in my career, and I much enjoyed writing this perspective! doi.org/10.1163/1568...
doi.org
The science of the unusual: how rare observations reveal the diversity of animal behaviour
Abstract Behavioural biology often focuses on identifying general patterns, yet unusual or rare behaviours at both the population and individual level can provide insight into animal behaviour. Here, ...
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
🦗 New paper in Animal Behaviour. In European earwigs, females isolated too early were less likely to lay eggs, took longer to lay them, produced smaller clutches, and were more likely to fail completely. Such costs could help maintain prolonged social living. 📄 authors.elsevier.com/a/1nqcjmjMDuJ5
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🎙️ Pourquoi les forficules sont-ils intéressants pour comprendre l’évolution de la vie sociale ? J’en parle dans une interview à la radio suisse, où je présente nos recherches sur ces étonnants petits insectes et sur l’évolution de la vie en famille. 🎧 À écouter ici : www.rts.ch/audio-podcas...
rts.ch
Quand les perce oreilles éclairent lʹévolution des comportements sociaux
Parmi les nouveaux modèles émergents qui viennent enrichir la boîte à outils des biologistes, le perce oreille occupe une place à part. Présent sur Terre depuis plus de 200 millions d’années, cet inse...
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
🪲 Open MSc Internship (M2): Who benefits from family life? Join my group to investigate the evolution of sociality and family life in earwigs through experimental behavioral research! Details: joelmeunier.wixsite.com/researchpage... Deadline: October 1, 2026
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Very happy to share our new paper! We show that earwig mothers do not prepare their offspring to better fight infections - a phenomenon called trans-generational immune priming. Inherited immune protection may thus be more limited than often assumed... authors.elsevier.com/c/1nTiU534QE...
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Insect Welfare Research Society @insectwrs.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The University of Lincoln is recruiting for a funded two-year MPhil who will develop, test, and validate behavioral and physiological indicators of wild insect welfare, in the lab and in the field. The stipend is £20,780/year plus home fees. Applications close August 2. Open to UK students.
us.list-manage.com
Developing, Testing and Validating Indicators of Wild Insect Welfare at University of Lincoln on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Developing, Testing and Validating Indicators of Wild Insect Welfare at University of Lincoln, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Today we collected the earwigs that will fuel our 2027 experiments. More than 4,000 of them (that's my guess—but what's yours?). Hopefully enough to test a few new, slightly crazy ideas about the evolution of social life. Now the real work begins... @irbi-tours.bsky.social
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🍁 Alex Smith 🍁 @alexsmithants.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
🧪🧵 🪰 🐜🪲🐞🦗🐛🦋🪳🦟 How many species of insect are there?  A seemingly simple question, but one that has been 'bugging' scientists for years.  Our work out today suggests that there are millions more than we had previously expected.  doi.org/10.1073/pnas... @gdfcf.bsky.social
This photo was taken in Area de Conservacion GuanacasteThis microgastrine wasp was named by co-author Jose Fernandez-Triana in honour of Costa Rican parataxonomist Roberto Espinoza in recognition of his contribution to understanding the plant biology of ACG.  The species is Snellenius robertoespinozai.  The image is Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) so can reused provided the original author (Jose Fernandez-Triana) and the source are properly cited.  The source is: Fernandez-Triana JL, Whitfield JB, Smith MA, Kula RR, Hallwachs W, Janzen DH (2015) Revision of the genera Microplitis and Snellenius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with a key to all species previously described from Mesoamerica. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62(2): 137-201. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.62.5276image of a Malaise trap in Area de Conservacion Guanacaste
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
#ECE2026Tours has only just wrapped up, and I've already received 2 generic invitations to submit manuscripts to *Frontiers in* journals—both clearly triggered by my already published poster abstract. If anyone still believes this isn't the behavior of a predatory publisher, I'm genuinely puzzled.
static.klipy.com
Man Holds 'No' Sign
ALT: Man Holds 'No' Sign
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Another highlight of the #ECE2026Tours was getting together with the past and present PhD students of the EARWIG group. It's both rewarding and slightly surreal to realize I've been around long enough to have crossed the early academic paths of all these talented people!
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
#ece2026tours is already drawing to a close 😥 It was a fantastic opportunity to bring together a lot of the insect parental care (IPC) community and to lay the groundwork for a future IPC conference. I'm looking forward to it and I'd like to thank everyone for coming to Tours. I had a blast! 🤩🤩🤩
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RogueESR @rogueesr.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
#ESR Nous avons mis en ligne les nouvelles règles restrictives de l'ANR. Commentaire à venir sur la même page. rogueesr.fr/anr-aapg-202...
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
This monday, the XIII European Congress of Entomology will kick off in Tours, France, and this edition will make history by hosting, for the first time, a dedicated symposium on insect parental care!! 😍 Looking forward to seeing many of you! @ece2026tours.bsky.social
ece2026.org
ECE 2026 - XIII European Congress of Entomology
It is our great pleasure to welcome you to Tours, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley, from June 29 to July 3, 2026.
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fbm-unil.bsky.social @fbm-unil.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
🎉 Félicitations aux professeures 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗶 @saramitri.bsky.social @dmf-unil.bsky.social et 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 au Département d’écologie et évolution @fbm-unil.bsky.social @unil.bsky.social qui reçoivent chacune un ERC Advanced Grant @erc.europa.eu 👉 www.unil.ch/news/fr/1781...
unil.ch
Deux ERC Advanced Grants pour la FBM
Les professeures Sara Mitri, au Département de microbiologie fondamentale, et Tanja Schwander, au Département d’écologie et évolution de l’Unil, reçoivent chacune un ERC Advanced Grant de l’European R...
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Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI) @irbi-tours.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Les vagues de chaleur menacent la survie des colonies de fourmis : Le 18 juin 2026 www.inee.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/...
inee.cnrs.fr
Les vagues de chaleur menacent la survie des colonies de fourmis
Le changement climatique ne se limite pas à une hausse des températures moyennes, mais entraine aussi une augmentatio
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Paolo Crosetto @paolocrosetto.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
An inevitable development for for-profit Open Access publishers is Fordism: automation & massification. If you earn money piece-rate for each paper you want to increase the flow of papers while minimizing cost. e.g. very low and *uniform* turnaround times at Frontiers and MDPI
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Michael Okun @michael-okun.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I’ve officially resigned as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience. It used to be a reputable journal, but became a case study in how forced automation destroys academic integrity. 👇
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
I'm arriving in Paris for a week at the CNRS. Great timing: Roland Garros, PSG celebrations in the streets, and high temperatures... The week's off to a great start!
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-Boulet- @bouletcorp.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
40 ans d’écologie.
Une bd en trois cases montrant un bus dans une pente de plus en plus raide.
Case 1, 1985 - le bus avance en bringuebalant. Des voix en sortent: « bien sûr qu’on est sur la bonne route » - « les routes ça monte et ça descend » - « c’est NORMAL »
Case 2: 2005 - le bus dévale une pente à 45degrés. Les voix: “on ne va pas paniquer à chaque bosse !” - “ »sinon, on n’avance plus »
Case 3, 2025 - le bus dégringole en rebondissant. Les voix: « ohlala au moindre cahot, c’est « on tombe on tombe ! » - « Rappelez vous le dos d’âne de 1975 »
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Sandra Steiger @steigerlab.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Our new paper is out in Frontiers in Zoology on the molecular basis of parental care. We show that in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, extensive molecular reprogramming already occurs before offspring hatch. Congrats to Julius! #Nicrophorus
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Benjamin Jarrett @bjmjarrett.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
I am hiring a postdoc for a project on herbivory of Rhododendron by insects in North Wales! Genomics expertise required, field experience preferred. Hoping to hire quickly! Bangor is awesome! Get in touch if you want any more details! jobs.bangor.ac.uk/details.php....
jobs.bangor.ac.uk
Job Details | Bangor University Jobs
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RES Publications @respublications.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
New research in #RESPhysEnt Comparative analysis of immune responses in ovipositing and non-ovipositing females of European #earwig doi.org/10.1111/phen.70048 #InsectImmunity #Oviposition @wybouw.bsky.social @tbuescher.bsky.social @tobybruce.bsky.social @wileyecology.bsky.social
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EvolDir @evoldir.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
📣 EvolDir is now managed by @eseb.bsky.social! We are delighted to be taking the reins and express our gratitude to both Brian Golding who began this service to the community in the mid-1980s and to @rdmpage.bsky.social who ran this account until now 👏 You can now find evoldir here: evoldir.net
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
And another paper out today in Physiological Entomology 🪲 We show that egg laying reshape immunity in earwigs: mothers had fewer immune cells and shifts in haemocyte types. These findings reveal physiological costs of motherhood in insects. resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Comparative analysis of immune responses in ovipositing and non‐ovipositing females of European earwig
Oviposition and care decrease the total haemocyte concentration. Oviposition and care affect haemocyte type proportions. Serratia marcescens challenge does not affect the immune cell parameters.
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
New paper accepted in Proc B! 🎉 We disentangled how heatwaves affect maternal egg care in earwigs. We found that mothers adjust care depending on both their own heat stress and the stress of their eggs, but these effects act independently rather than interactively. doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
doi.org
Heat stress disrupts maternal care through independent effects on mothers and eggs
Abstract. Parental care typically protects offspring from environmental stress. Yet, it remains unclear whether this protection arises from stress effects
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Susanne Foitzik @temnothorax.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Save the date and join us next March for the GEM Evolution Meeting😀
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DZG section Behavioural Biology @dzg-behaviour.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
📢 Mark your calendars for the Joint Graduate Meeting 2026, sponsored by @ethoges.bsky.social and the German Zoological Society (DZG)! Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to showcase your research & network with peers! 📆 30.09. - 02.10.2026 🌍 @uni-muenster.de Abstract submission will open soon.
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Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Applications now open for the UNIL Summer School on Modelling for Evolutionary Biology (31 Aug–5 Sep 2026, Lausanne)! For PhD & postdocs interested in formal approaches to evolutionary ecology (incl. social evo, life-history, species interactions). Scholarships available, Pls RP! shorturl.at/fo1GA
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Rob Knell @robknell.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
New paper out in #Ecology Letters: We manipulated the presence of "fighter" and "scrambler" males in soil mite populations and showed that aggressive male behaviour reduces population size and stability. 🧪#SexualSelection #PopulationEcology onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Sexual Selection Associated With an Aggressive Male Phenotype Reduces Population Size and Hinders Population Recovery After Heat Stress
Using experiments on soil mites, we show that sexual selection associated with an armed and aggressive male phenotype can reduce population size and stability, which lowers their resilience against a...
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Audrey Dussutour @docteur-drey.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
reporterre.net/Dans-nos-lab...
reporterre.net
« Ça va craquer » : le cri de détresse des laboratoires français du CNRS
Baisse des subventions, conditions de travail dégradées... La recherche publique souffre et craint pour sa survie. Dans les laboratoires d'écologie, les chercheurs pointent une « perte de sens au trav...
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
I'm heading to Paris for the CNRS for a week full of interviews. As always, there aren't many positions available this year, while we've got loads of great candidates doing brilliant research... The pressure is on🤞🤞🤞
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Gwen Pearson @bug-gwen.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Yes, seals have lice! Under water, lice close their spiracles and reduce their oxygen consumption to a minimum www.nature.com/articles/s42...
nature.com
Host-parasite coevolution leads to underwater respiratory adaptations in extreme diving insects, seal lice (Lepidophthirus macrorhini) - Communications Biology
Seal lice survive deep-sea dives by closing spiracles, reducing oxygen use, and breathing through their skin. Genomic data suggest they store oxygen via haemoglobin, showing insects can adapt to extre...
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
🌱 Nous ouvrons une thèse (financée) sur l’utilisation du perce-oreille européen comme agent de lutte biologique dans les vergers de pommes et poires du Centre-Val de Loire. 📌 Candidature avant le 11 mai 2026 via le portail emploi CNRS uniquement . Plus d’infos via le QR code ci-dessous.
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Insectes Sociaux @insectessociaux.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
New interview! 🎙️ @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social explains the recent partnership between Insectes Sociaux and Peer Community In, which promotes transparency and supports open science. ✍️ insectessociaux.com/2026/03/10/i... #SocialInsects #OpenScience #PeerReview #Preprints #InsectScience
insectessociaux.com
Insectes Sociaux becomes PCI-friendly: what does this mean?
The scientific journal Insectes Sociaux has become “PCI-friendly” in partnership with Peer Community In ( — an opportunity to speed up and increase the transparency of peer review, without automati…
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
An interview for the journal Insectes Sociaux (@insectessociaux.bsky.social), which's now PCI friendly (@peercommunityin.bsky.social) ! Happy to promote open science wherever it is possible. insectessociaux.com/2026/03/10/i...
insectessociaux.com
Insectes Sociaux becomes PCI-friendly: what does this mean?
The scientific journal Insectes Sociaux has become “PCI-friendly” in partnership with Peer Community In ( — an opportunity to speed up and increase the transparency of peer review, without automati…
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Max Körner @max-evolbio.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
New study out with @steigerlab.bsky.social! We investigated male care in a biparentally caring 🪲. Why does male contribution vary so much? Turns out there are repeatable individual differences, and how much the female does only affects some male care behaviors. authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
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Carsten Schradin @carsten-schradin.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Agouti integrates environmental cues to regulate paternal behaviour - Nature
Expression of agouti signalling protein in neurons in the medial preoptic area is increased by group housing and negatively associated with care, and overexpression of Agouti reduces care and enhances...
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Chris Gug @gugunderwater.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
What a dedicated dad! The male tiger #jawfish holds the clutch of eggs in his mouth until the behbehies hatch, ~8-9 days later. I usually find them in small groups of 3-5 individuals, each in their own private burrow, spread over an area of ~6’ or so. #tulamben #gug #fisheggs
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Stu West @stuwest.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
A super handy database to help support academic society journals and other ethical publishing. academic.oup.com/jeb/article/...
academic.oup.com
Time to publish responsibly: DAFNEE, a database of academia-friendly journals in ecology and evolutionary biology
Abstract. The current economics of scientific publishing reveal a profound imbalance: academia pays prices far exceeding the actual costs of publication. R
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · 07/02/2026
Ants recognize their nestmates by their distinctive hydrocarbons, including alkenes. Ozone pollution can degrade these alkene compounds, leaving these social insects stranded in a world of strangers . In PNAS: ow.ly/qrCn50Yaq1f
Researcher with a petri dish, in which ozonated ants were presented to nest mates. 
CREDIT: Markus Knaden
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Steve Ramm @steveramm.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Join us in Brittany? One week left to apply for this postdoc position deciphering the mysteries of inbreeding depression...
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
🪲 Insect parental care in the spotlight! Join our dedicated symposium at #ECE2026 in Tours, France. 🗓️ Abstracts due 31 Jan – don’t miss out! www.ece2026.org
ece2026.org
ECE 2026 - XIII European Congress of Entomology
It is our great pleasure to welcome you to Tours, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley, from June 29 to July 3, 2026.
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Science Magazine @science.org · 22/12/2025
Ant colonies prioritize quantity over quality when it comes to their workers, new #ScienceAdvances research finds. scim.ag/3L5oJUc
scim.ag
The evolution of cheaper workers facilitated larger societies and accelerated diversification in ants
Ants rose by favoring the power of many over the might of few.
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Aleksandra Lazić, PhD @alelazic.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Link to read in full for free: rdcu.be/dI6BS
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Martin Whiting @lizardlab.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Our recent paper on lizard societies now online in a special issue of Animal Behaviour. DM if you want me to send you a PDF.
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CNRS @cnrs.fr · 12/12/2025
#RejoignezleCNRS 🫵 Envie de repousser les limites de la science ? Le #CNRS recrute des chercheurs (F/H) passionnés. 📅 Concours ouverts jusqu’au 12 janvier 2026. Candidatez dès maintenant ! 👉 carrieres.cnrs.fr/concours-ext... #Recrutement #Innovation #Recherche #Icicarecrute
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
📢 Don’t forget! This is the last week of early bird registration for what promises to be a great meeting in Tours, France, next year. Exciting program on all aspects of insects research, great food, lovely wine, a beautiful historic city, castles … it will be memorable! ✨ www.ece2026.org
ece2026.org
ECE 2026 - XIII European Congress of Entomology
It is our great pleasure to welcome you to Tours, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley, from June 29 to July 3, 2026.
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Joël Meunier @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
⚠️ Open science action on the day: Use OpenAlex (openalex.org) instead of Web of Science! 💪 The CNRS has taken the bold step of unsubscribing from WoS! This means €1.4 million will go back into open science initiatives. 👏👏👏 www.cnrs.fr/fr/actualite...
openalex.org
OpenAlex
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