Sign in

Bevan Weir

@rhizobia.nz
1.1K followers 969 following 237 posts

New Zealand mycology / bacteriology scientist at Manaaki Whenua working on 🍄 #fungi and 🦠 #bacteria taxonomy mostly using 🧬 on 🧫. Hobbies: #fountainpens, #cycling, #homebrew, #photography, and #archery website: rhizobia.nz/about

PostsRepliesMedia
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 25/09/2026
An excellent conference! met many amazing people and really helped with my future planning!
000
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 09/09/2026
I never had fancy ones, made my own from cut up cereal boxes and I made them small to conceal in my hand. Here is a real one of mine from a ca. 1992 speech on holograms!
A brown rectangular piece of cardboard cut from a cereal box.  It is a cue card to assist in giving a speech. the speech notes are written in pencil.
251
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 09/09/2026
Definitely called them cue cards all through my NZ schooling. Index cards were the ones in the library that you used to find books pre computer era.
150
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 07/09/2026
New paper on the risk of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death to New Zealand & the S Pacific. This cross #BSI collaboration, supported through #B3NZ, assesses threats to pōhutukawa, rātā and other hosts, identifies spread pathways, and highlights priorities for surveillance and preparedness. doi.org/10.1007/s105...
Maps of New Zealand a and b showing: 

Estimate of suitability of Aotearoa New Zealand regions for the establishment of rapid ‘ōhi’a death (ROD) pathogens Ceratocystis lukuohia and C. huliohia, predicted by Hawaiian temperature-disease relationships (Fortini et al. 2019) for (a) mean annual temperature, and (b) mean temperature of the warmest quarter. Grey indicates mean annual temperature ≤10.7°C (temperatures below those recorded in Hawaiʻi). Orange indicates temperatures between 10.7 and 13.6°C, red indicates temperatures above the 13.6°C threshold for disease presence, up to the maximum mean annual temperature for Aotearoa New Zealand, 16.2°C, and maximum mean temperature of the warmest quarter, 25.0°C. Mean annual temperature and temperature of the warmest quarter data from 1950–1980, NZEnvDS (McCarthy et al. 2021a, 2021b)
142
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 21/08/2026
1
020
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 20/08/2026
Great talk you just gave at #ISME20
010
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Amy Thorpe @amycthorpe.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Our national-scale study of bacterial biogeography and function in river biofilms has just been published in Nature Communications! @natcomms.nature.com 🦠🧬 Read the paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
National-scale biogeography and function of river and stream bacterial biofilm communities - Nature Communications
Here, the authors conduct a metagenomic-based study of England’s rivers to show that biofilm bacteria are taxonomically and functionally diverse and are key to biogeochemical cycling, highlighting the...
262
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 16/08/2026
The Local Organising Committee at #ISME20 Julie and I are the welfare officers. We have ‘office hours’ at the ISME booth, but contact us anytime
Headshots of the ISME20 LOC. I have picked up a few grey hairs since that photo!
160
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 16/08/2026
The ISME fellows!
The first ISME fellows. Nine people on stage with PowerPoint background with their names
051
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 16/08/2026
Wow 1924 people attending #ISME20
A dark conference hall filled with people on seats
070
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 16/08/2026
Amazing that #ISME20 is in my home city this year. My first ISME was in Mexico 24 years ago. I’m on the LOC so hit me up with any questions
020
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Bioeconomy Science Institute @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
🍄 What does a lifetime of studying fungi look like? In our latest Scigest podcast, renowned mycologist Peter Buchanan reflects on the career that has taken him deep into the remarkable world of fungi. 🎧 Listen bit.ly/4yVO8DT
032
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 05/08/2026
Seems not from my searches, scary stuff.
010
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 30/07/2026
sigh and of course...
A map of threatened seabirds, with a high density around New Zealand
050
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Mike Dickison @adzebill.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Over the last 18 months @thneed.bsky.social and I have been experimenting with being Wikipedians (or Wikimedians) in Residence at conferences—photographing academics, checking they and their papers are in Wikidata, and improving Wikipedia articles related to their research.
Mike and Tamsin with their bestickered laptops at the University of Otago
110522
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 18/07/2026
Great to see Dr Greta Stevenson's remarkable legacy featured by 1News. Kew's digitisation project is making historic fungal collections accessible to researchers worldwide. I had a brief cameo explaining why these specimens still matter today. www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/18/r... #mycology
1news.co.nz
Renowned London gardens shine light on Kiwi scientist's work
The renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has recently digitised more than seven million plant and fungal specimens, including hundreds of Dr Greta Stevenson's discoveries from New Zealand.
040
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 15/07/2026
Great advice and commentary on the first bird flu detection in New Zealand by @natforsdick.bsky.social 🪶 www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...
rnz.co.nz
Bird flu is in New Zealand, here’s what to look out for
This afternoon it was confirmed that bird flu has been detected on our shores. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said a brown skua had tested positive after it was found on Petone Beach in Wellingto...
087
Reposted by Bevan Weir
IMA Fungus @imafungus.pensoft.net · 14/07/2026
🍄🌏 Save the date! The 13th International Mycological Congress #IMC13 comes to Incheon, Republic of Korea, 8-12 August 2027! Join mycologists worldwide for cutting-edge science, symposia & networking. Abstract submission opens Aug 2026. Details: imafungus.pensoft.net/news/1340 @ima-mycology.org
imafungus.pensoft.net
The 13th International Mycological Congress (IMC13) 2027 - Join the Global Mycology Community in Korea
The 13th International Mycological Congress (IMC13) will be held from 8-12 August 2027 in Incheon, Republic of Korea. Organized by the Korean Society of Mycology (KSM) in collaboration with the Intern...
0104
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Microbiology Society @microbiologysociety.org · 03/02/2026
Using a ‘one strain-many compounds’ approach to screen a collection of diverse fungi from Aotearoa New Zealand for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Published Open Access and fee-free Microbiology: doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.001641 #MicrobioJ
Fig. 1.
Schematic of experimental workflow. Schematic produced using Biorender.com.
173
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Peter Dearden @peterkdearden.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
on the destruction of New Zealand Science open.substack.com/pub/peterkde...
open.substack.com
on the destruction of New Zealand Science
and earthquakes
511154
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 22/06/2026
I was chair of an Auckland primary school board for 6 years, the staff knew exactly who was on the list of not sharing public photos and were careful about it. It can be done right
020
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Tony from Welly @tonywelly.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
See the last one🤬 #nzpol
106538
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 27/05/2026
I was pleased to be nominated for a Science NZ award for my work on the toxic fungus that causes the disease 'facial eczema' in cattle and sheep. It was a great awards evening showcasing the science of many people and groups. Short video of finalists in my category: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxbY... 🧪
youtube.com
Science New Zealand 2026 - Collaboration for Impact Finalists.
Science New Zealand 2026 - Collaboration for Impact Finalists. Featuring scientists from the Public Research Organisations; Bioeconomy Science Institute, Earth Sciences New Zealand, and Public Health…
0173
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 20/05/2026
Wow Kate what an interesting story, and you have a captivating writing style!
110
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Kate Evans @kategevans.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
500 years ago, people starting building pā all over northern NZ—fortifying their settlements with rows of palisades, cut from nearby bush. Why? What were pā defending—or trying to say? The trees themselves, combined with mātauranga Māori, tell a story. www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-... 🇳🇿🧪 #archaeology
nzgeo.com
The pā builders
Five hundred years ago, people starting building pā all over northern New Zealand—fortifying their settlements with rows of pointed palisades, cut from the surrounding forests. Why? What were pā defen...
610642
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 20/05/2026
Again @peterkdearden.bsky.social nails it with commentary on the latest 'Moa de-extinction' story. The artificial egg tech is cool by its-self , don't over hype it! 🧪 www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...
rnz.co.nz
Professor weighs in on moa de-extinction claim
Colossal Biosciences says it has successfully hatched healthy chicks from an artificial egg, which it claims is a key step towards bringing the moa back to life. Professor Peter Dearden is Director of...
2214
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 10/05/2026
Thanks for the reminder. Renewed.
010
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 08/05/2026
imagine the productivity gains!
000
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Cate Macinnis-Ng @loraxcate.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
PhD opportunity- fully funded with stipend, fees and project costs covered. Explore the role of phosphite in treating kauri dieback disease. Applications due 8th May. Please spread the word! newzealandecology.org/phd-explorin...
A kauri tree looking towards the canopy.
04655
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 02/05/2026
I did a few but fungi can be hard to ID to species level from just a photo
100
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 22/04/2026
Vote for Aotearoa New Zealand’s Fungus of the Year 2026! We have launched the annual vote for #NZ's favourite fungus: interactives.landcareresearch.co.nz/foty/ 🧪 #fungi #mycology
interactives.landcareresearch.co.nz
Vote for NZ's Fungus of the Year 2026 - Interactives | Bioeconomy Science Institute (Manaaki Whenua Group)
Vote for your favourite fungus, or maybe vote for a fungus that is threatened, or culturally important, or edible, or (on the negative side) one that’s causing an important disease.
01411
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 15/04/2026
For pic #3 I can’t quite make it out but looks more like a mycoparasite infected geoglossum rather than cordyceps
000
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 15/04/2026
@thesewphist.bsky.social‬ we have the annual fungal foray next week in Karamea and will be launching voting for 'fungus of the year', here are winners from last year: interactives.landcareresearch.co.nz/foty/
interactives.landcareresearch.co.nz
Vote for NZ's Fungus of the Year 2025 - Manaaki Whenua Interactives
050
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 04/04/2026
Just insane that it has come to this. I attended a few US conferences as an ECR and later. Sad that their scientists are being isolated in this way.
000
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Laurie Winkless @lauriewinkless.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
An essential read for anyone in #nz - the fuel crisis is far, far worse than the govt is letting on energyandresilience.substack.com/p/every-coun...
energyandresilience.substack.com
Every Country in Our Supply Chain Has Declared an Emergency. NZ just launched an Ad Campaign.
What the ministerial press conference got wrong about NZ's fuel supply, and what it didn't mention at all.
1013982
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 25/03/2026
my.health.nz can tell you how many COVID vaccinations you have had. i'm up to 10 as of last week!
120
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 23/03/2026
irritating, I was forlornly hoping they would accelerate the pace of the CRL in light of the fuel situation.
010
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 14/03/2026
Welcome swallows (what a great name) off Kapiti in Aotearoa.
Swallow low over the waterSwallow locked tf in on a bug
426825
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 14/03/2026
You did a great job of capturing them, they are so fast!
010
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 08/03/2026
Full-time science photography job at the BioEconomy Science Institute - Maiangi Taiao, in Auckland, NZ. a great gig: careers.sciencenewzealand.org/jobdetails?a... #science #photography
careers.sciencenewzealand.org
60226 Photographer - Plant & Food Research - Careers at Science New Zealand
057
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 23/01/2026
Oh no that's terrible. Someone did ask if I saw Hoiho, we were both sadly unaware of this tragedy.
020
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 10/01/2026
Yes it was crazy, the photos seem like they have a heavy filter, but that's really what it looked like. My petty story was that I was painting the lounge ceiling that day, took out the ceiling lights, so had to judge where my paint lines were with this terrible light. In AU the loss was real.
160
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 10/01/2026
At the end of the beach were two sea lions! This picture is shot at 600mm so I was more than the 10m away from them as required.
sea lion with head raised, covered in beach sand. flys surround the head.
150
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 10/01/2026
Spent some time before Xmas in Dunedin. Sandfly Bay is a lovey spot!, no wonder @paullecomtephoto.nz & @peterkdearden.bsky.social and many others live in the region! #nz #nikon Z8 panorama
Panorama image of a beach in the distance flanked by green hils
2212
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 30/12/2025
looks like it has only dropped a meter: dahiti.dgfi.tum.de/en/46123/wat...
dahiti.dgfi.tum.de
Rotomahana, Lake | Water Level Time Series | Database for Hydrological Time Series of Inland Waters (DAHITI)
DAHITI - Database for Hydrological Time Series of Inland Waters (DAHITI) provides water level time series from multi-mission satellite altimetry
110
Reposted by Bevan Weir
Krista Bonfantine 🔥💧 @aridideas.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
The latest from the Kobziar Fire Ecology Lab with a photo taken by yours truly. We’ve recovered many fungal pathogens in wildland fire 🔥 smoke. Viability was confirmed through culturing & mice developed lung disease when exposed. Lots still to learn abt smoke as a microbial reservoir & vector. 🧬💻🧪
03015
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 23/12/2025
It’s great. I saw the pics first and got excited that it was a fungal infested roach that I had not seen before. So accurate enough to fool me anyway!
160
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 15/12/2025
Juveniles of both black and red-billed gulls are hard to tell apart, both have dark eyes. Red-billed juveniles also have a dark beak!, I am slightly tending towards juvenile red-billed for this one.
100
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 11/12/2025
Yes, annoying I can’t edit posts on BlueSky
110
Bevan Weir @rhizobia.nz · 10/12/2025
Sigh... I meant to compare this to the more common RED-billed gull
000