Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortybioRxiv Genomics @biorxiv-genomic.bsky.social · 02/10/2026X-Y divergence of house fly (Musca domestica) proto-sex chromosomes follows distinct evolutionary trajectories despite residing in the same genome www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20… 086
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Excited to share that our lab has received an NIH R01! We'll be recruiting postdocs and graduate students to study genotype-phenotype relationships and genome evolution in Drosophila. Reach out if interested! chakrabortylab.orgchakrabortylab.orgChakraborty Lab – Texas A&M University 051
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyDan Schrider @samurscicop.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Ages ago I shared a preprint about how gene conversion can cause hard selective sweeps to look like soft sweeps by copying the adaptive allele onto different haplotypes. The accepted version is now published in GENETICS: academic.oup.com/genetics/adv...academic.oup.comAllelic gene conversion softens selective sweepsAbstract. The prominence of positive selection, in which beneficial mutations are favored by natural selection and rapidly increase in frequency, is a subj 13511
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyAide Macias-Muñoz @aidemm.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Excited to share this publication where I explored the expression of TEs during Hydra head regeneration #TEsky link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comDynamic transposable element expression during Hydra head regeneration - Mobile DNATransposable elements (TEs) contribute to genome expansions, gene duplications, and the evolution of gene regulatory networks. Recent work has highlighted the role of TE domestication in contributing ... 0185
Reposted by Mahul Chakrabortymara lawniczak @marakat.bsky.social · 10/08/2026new preprint from our group led by Talleh Almelli -- important for folks doing single cell on malaria parasites or other organisms with hyperdiverse gene families. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgEvaluating the impact of a sample-matched reference genome on single-cell transcriptomic inferences in Plasmodium falciparumBackground Plasmodium falciparum field isolates exhibit genomic variation, including copy number variation and sequence divergence. In contrast, the P. falciparum 3D7 reference genome (Pf3D7) was deri... 0127
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyAnne Roulin @anneroulin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Very nice study! By investigating the molecular basis of 50 classical phenotypes, it shows that structural variants, including TEs, are enriched in deleterious visible phenotypes in 🪰. genome.cshlp.org/content/geno...genome.cshlp.org 011
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Why are structural variants (SVs) usually found at lower frequencies than SNPs? One prediction is that SVs should be enriched among deleterious mutations. Testing that idea has been difficult, partly because many SVs are hard to detect with traditional sequencing approaches. 🧵 1/7 151
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyMatthew Hahn @3rdreviewer.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Very cool pair of papers demonstrating little link between amount of additive genetic variation and amount of nucleotide variation within species: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...journals.plos.orgLevels of additive genetic variation vary substantially between speciesAdaptive potential determines how populations respond to environmental change. This study compiles evolvability estimates from over 170 multicellular species, revealing substantial variation across th... 112361
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyMark Phillips @maphillips.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Recent work from the lab. Even after hundreds of generations of intense directional selection at relatively small Ne, substantial genetic variation persists, and can be rapidly redeployed when the direction of selection reverses. Results are suggestive of balancing selection. doi.org/10.1093/molb...doi.orgBeyond Fixation: Persistent Genetic Variation Under Intense SelectionAbstract. Understanding how and why genetic variation is maintained under sustained selection remains a central question in evolutionary genetics. Experime 12815
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyRich Meisel @richmeisel.bsky.social · 29/07/2026My great technician is leaving the lab, and I'm trying to replace her. Are you or someone you know interested in evolutionary genomics research that combines animals experiments (with flies!) and molecular biology? Come work with me! Application info at the link evoldir.net/brian/evoldi...evoldir.net 1827
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyJeff Groh @jeffgroh.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Avocados come in 2 varieties - A-types start each day female and switch to male midday. B-types do the reverse. In work just published from the last chapter of my PhD, we show this system evolved 40+million yrs ago and is regulated by alleles of 1 transcription factor www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...pnas.orgBalanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies the ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado | PNASIn avocado and certain wild relatives in Lauraceae, a highly synchronized daily rhythm of floral sex timing promotes cross-pollination between two ... 22721274
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 27/07/2026The centromere performs an essential function during cell division, yet its DNA sequence can evolve remarkably rapidly—a puzzle known as the centromere paradox. How can function remain conserved when sequence does not? 🧵 1/4 2154
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyPeiwei Chen @peiwei-chen.bsky.social · 17/07/2026How do transposons jump when they’re released from host control? I babysat two chromosomes for 2 years, making sure they are ok without most piRNAs. Here’s what we found & excited to share my 1st postdoc paper: “piRNA loss unleashes episodic transposition bursts” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgpiRNA loss unleashes episodic transposition burstsIn Metazoa, transposon expression is suppressed by the piRNA pathway, and disruption of this pathway leads to rampant transposon expression. However, it remains unclear whether increased transposon ex... 715369
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 14/07/2026What can undergraduate classroom research teach us about a decades-old genetics problem? A lot, as it turns out. Proud of the tremendous work by @alesamano.bsky.social and our undergraduate researchers. A great example of discovery-driven learning in action. artsci.tamu.edu/news/2026/07...artsci.tamu.eduTexas A&M Undergraduate Study Reveals Effects of Large DNA ChangesResearchers found that major changes in DNA were connected to a surprisingly large number of harmful traits in fruit flies. 000
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 23/06/2026It was a real privilege to chair sessions at #PEQG26, organized by @genetics-gsa.bsky.social, alongside co-chairs whose work I admire. Thanks to the organizers for putting together a great meeting. 010
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 28/04/2026Among all the recognitions I’ve received, this one holds a special place. I dedicate it to my teachers, mentors, and students. Grateful to the Dept of Biology @ Texas A&M for the freedom to build an ambitious undergraduate genomics program, and to the College of Arts & Sciences for the recognition. 120
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyJ.J. Emerson 艾偉傑 🖥️🧬 @jjemerson.bsky.social · 31/10/20251/12 Excited to share our new paper. Many essential functions, like DNA packaging and chromosome integrity, are encoded in highly repetitive, "recalcitrant" parts of the genome. But these regions have been incredibly hard to study. Until now. genome.cshlp.org/content/35/9...genome.cshlp.orgGenetic variation in recalcitrant repetitive regions of the Drosophila melanogaster genome An international, peer-reviewed genome sciences journal featuring outstanding original research that offers novel insights into the biology of all organisms 183
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 17/09/2025🚨multiple tenure-track jobs Our department at @tamu.bsky.social is hiring multiple tenure-track faculty. Two of these will be in Evolutionary Biology/Genetics. Please apply or share it with anyone looking for a TT position! I'll be happy to answer questions. faculty.tamu.edu/JobDetail?Jo...faculty.tamu.eduFaculty Job BoardIn support of growth in the Biological Sciences, major remodeling of teaching space is presently underway, as is architectural design for a new Biology building that will add significant research space for our faculty. 010
Reposted by Mahul ChakrabortyScott P. Egan @scottpegan.bsky.social · 17/11/2024Are you interested in research in evolutionary genetics & genomics 🧬 (but maybe not ready to apply to graduate school)? Come work with me or one of my amazing colleagues at Rice University, University of Houston, or Texas A&M! Apply to our #NSF funded post-bacc research program! (Please share!) 11516
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 31/10/2024Fellow #Drosophila researchers! Ever wondered about the genome sequence of your lab strain or the balancers? Check out our Drosophila Laboratory Pangenome Database, featuring a growing collection of reference genome assemblies for popular D. melanogaster strains! github.com/chakrabortym...github.comGitHub - chakrabortymlab/DLPD: code and scripts relevant to the Drosophila Laboratory Pangenome Databasecode and scripts relevant to the Drosophila Laboratory Pangenome Database - chakrabortymlab/DLPD 045
Mahul Chakraborty @mahulchak.bsky.social · 03/09/2024We're recruiting a postdoc. Lab works on diverse topics related to genetic variation. More here: chakrabortylab.org/research/ Competitive salary & strong support for trainee’s career growth! Informal inquiries are welcome. chakrabortylab.org/join-us/ #Genetics #Postdoc #ResearchOpportunitychakrabortylab.orgResearch – Chakraborty Lab 000
