Sign in

Thomas Lesaffre 🌱

@thomaslesaffre.bsky.social
468 followers 559 following 15 posts

SNSF Ambizione research fellow at @unifrbiology.bsky.social interested in the theoretical study of plant evolution 🌺. thomas-lesaffre.github.io

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Germain Montazeaud @germtz.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Very happy to share that the @erc.europa.eu has selected PHYTOPOGON for funding! 😁🌱 In this project, we will test whether plants have greenbeard genes — an evolutionary mechanism that could allow them to recognize the genetic identity of their neighbours.
3229
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Check out our new review of the theory on sexual antagonism, soon to appear in Phil. Trans. ⤵️
040
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Job opening at @dee-unil.bsky.social 🇨🇭! I have had the privilege to work as a postdoc at the DEE for the last five years. It is a fantastic place to work at, filled with great researchers in an amazing environment surrounded by mountains 🏔️ and beautiful Léman. I highly recommend applying!
042
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Marc Robinson-Rechavi @marcrr.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Open position of Associate Professor in Behavioral ecology and cultural evolution at the @dee-unil.bsky.social! You can toggle the ad to English on top right: wwwfbm.unil.ch/releve/appli...
wwwfbm.unil.ch
02046
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Jeff Groh @jeffgroh.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Avocados 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.org
Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies the ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado | PNAS
In avocado and certain wild relatives in Lauraceae, a highly synchronized daily rhythm of floral sex timing promotes cross-pollination between two ...
22721274
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Prajwal Padmanabha @lambdapp.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Very happy to share that the work I've been doing with @saramitri.bsky.social is now out on biorxiv! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... We broadly ask how are microbial interactions distributed, is there a common shape across datasets, what drives it, and why it matters. Summary thread below 🧵 1/17
biorxiv.org
Metabolic processes shape microbial interaction distributions
Microbial communities are largely driven by metabolic interactions, whereby species compete for shared resources and exchange byproducts. Such interactions are commonly classified by their sign alone....
1176
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Mario Vallejo-Marin @nicrodemo.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
PhD Position at Uppsala University. Sophie Karrenberg’s Lab. the project is about sex chromosome evolution in plants. Come join us! Deadline 22 July. www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
uu.se
PhD position in evolutionary genomics - Uppsala University
PhD position in evolutionary genomics, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University
02332
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
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...
64911
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Carlos M Herrera @cmhmaliani.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Some weeks ago I read a post here on biases in the selection of plants for research. In particular, it pointed out that researchers seem to prefer to work on species with large, showy flowers. I forgot to write it down, and now it would be useful for something I'm writing. Does anyone remember it?
244
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Susan Johnston @susanjohnston.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
📣🧬 Postdoc Alert🧬📣 We are hiring a 2+ year NERC-funded postdoc at Edinburgh Uni investigating causes and consequences of sex differences in recombination in house sparrows in Norway. Informal enquiries welcome at Susan.Johnston@ed.ac.uk 🙂 Details here: elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
A female and male sparrow stand on a wooden post. Photo by Peter S. Ranke.
071115
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Evolution Letters @evolletters.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Why do sex chromosomes stop recombining? New models show even weak sexual antagonism can strongly drive recombination suppression, with mating systems shaping the outcome. By @ewanflintham.bsky.social and @charlesmullon.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/evle...
doi.org
Sexual antagonism, mating systems, and recombination suppression on sex chromosomes
Abstract. The suppression of recombination between sex chromosomes is a widespread feature of genetic sex determination systems. Competing explanations for
14117
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
New paper with the brilliant @ewanflintham.bsky.social How fast does recombination suppression evolve among sex chromosomes? We show that even weak sexual antagonism (so hard to detect) makes this fast, often via inversions fixing on X/Z depending on mating system: doi.org/10.1093/evle...
12219
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
1 week left to apply for scholarships ! If you are based at an institution in an ODA recipient country (e.g. Brazil, South Africa, India, Mexico; full list: tinyurl.com/5dv7vvs8), you can get all expenses covered to attend the summer school in Lausanne for a week.
01417
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Vincent CASTRIC @vincentcastric.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Ever wondered what makes some alleles dominant (A) and others recessive (a) ? In our new paper, we explored how a series of recently discovered "dominance modifiers", genetic elements that have long remained elusive, achieve their regulatory function. journals.plos.org/plosgenetics...
journals.plos.org
Dominance modifiers at the Arabidopsis self-incompatibility locus retain proto-miRNA features and act through non-canonical pathways
Author summary Many plants avoid self-fertilization through a system of self-incompatibility, which allows them to recognize and reject their own pollen. In plants like those in the Arabidopsis family...
16738
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
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
05780
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Aaditya Narasimhan @aaditya320.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
So happy to see the 2nd chapter of my PhD out! doi.org/10.1093/evol... Here, we studied populations sampled from their local elevational edges and centers on mountain slopes, and characterised the variation in G-matrices (comprised of growth and leaf investment traits) among these populations. 1/5
doi.org
Variation in the genetic architecture of ecologically relevant traits along elevational gradients
Abstract. Species are confined within spatial boundaries, which may be determined by various factors. An understudied one is the genetic non-independence o
2249
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
🌺 PhD position in Theoretical Evolutionary Biology! 🌺 There is about two weeks left to apply to come work with me on the evolution of plant reproductive strategies at @unifr.bsky.social ! Contact me or visit here or for more info: tinyurl.com/monoecy Please share! 🌱
A view of the city of Fribourg, Switzerland
02023
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
ESMTB @esmtbio.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
PhD position in Theoretical Evolutionary Biology @ University of Fribourg Deadline: 24 Apr 2026 thomas-lesaffre.github.io/assets/files...
thomas-lesaffre.github.io
024
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
🚨 PhD position available ! 🚨 I am hiring a PhD student to work with me on the evolution of plant sexual systems 🌺 at @unifrbiology.bsky.social ! The position is funded for 4 years by @snsf.ch as part of my Ambizione fellowship. More info here: tinyurl.com/monoecy 🌱 Please RP and share widely ! 🌱
View of the old city of Fribourg from the "Pont du Milieu". 
© Ville de Fribourg
03460
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
EvolDir @evoldir.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
PhD position in Theoretical Evolutionary Biology at UFribourg on monoecy in flowering plants. Apply by April 24, 2026. Funded for 4 years, starting September 1, 2026. More info: thomas-lesaffre.github.io #phd
thomas-lesaffre.github.io
Thomas Lesaffre
Thomas Lesaffre
001
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
🚨 PhD position available ! 🚨 I am hiring a PhD student to work with me on the evolution of plant sexual systems 🌺 at @unifrbiology.bsky.social ! The position is funded for 4 years by @snsf.ch as part of my Ambizione fellowship. More info here: tinyurl.com/monoecy 🌱 Please RP and share widely ! 🌱
View of the old city of Fribourg from the "Pont du Milieu". 
© Ville de Fribourg
03460
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Come visit us at @unil.bsky.social ! 😃
063
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Come visit us at @unil.bsky.social ! 😃
063
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Many organisms, including humans, reshape their environments in ways that influence the conditions faced by future generations. We ask whether this can favour biological variation with @irisprigent.bsky.social in our new paper. Thanks to @dee-unil.bsky.social @snsf.ch www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
pnas.org
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
02717
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
MMEE @mmee-int.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
For the MMEE 2026 in Cork www.ucc.ie/en/matsci/ev... note the updated deadline! Submission of talks and poster presentations: March 30th, 2026.
ucc.ie
Mathematical Models in Ecology and Evolution | University College Cork
Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland's first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.
089
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
cfraisserios.bsky.social @cfraisserios.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
We are offering a fully funded two-year postdoctoral position focused on sex chromosome evolution and speciation in the *Jaera albifrons* species complex. Please find the advertisement attached. We welcome applications from interested candidates. Join us :-)
11616
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Eddie Pérochon @eperochon.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Our new study is out in @pnas.org ! 🐜🌍 We show that the environment shapes how ant societies are distributed across the world. Accessible here: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Environmental conditions shape the global distribution of ant societies | PNAS
Sociality has evolved several times and is a key strategy for overcoming environmental challenges and promoting ecological success. Yet, it remains...
173
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Aline Muyle @aline-muyle.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
I am hiring a Postdoc (18 months contract in Montpellier, France) to study how polyploidy affects sex chromosomes in the plant Silene latifolia, using bioinformatic analyses of RNA-seq and DNA-seq data. Deadline for applications March 24th. euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/412961
euraxess.ec.europa.eu
Post doc position in Evolutionary biology and bioinformatics
- work environment: This postdoctoral position will be supervised by Aline Muyle and hosted at the Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier (ISEM), within the CHANGE department and the Plant ...
01836
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Luca Soldini @lucasoldini.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Interested in the molecular mechanisms and evolution of atypical reproductive modes ? Since 2025, we are running a (bi)-monthly online series. You can join us to watch or present! More information : tinyurl.com/EvoRepro Sign-up to our mailing list : go.unil.ch/QYYNa
243
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
V happy to share new paper led by @schmidmax.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1111/ele.... We show that plastic germination timing not only buffers environmental fluctuations (storage effect) but also promotes divergence, temporal assortative mating and thus ecological speciation. Thx @dee-unil.bsky.social
doi.org
Plastic Germination, Temporal Niche Partitioning and Emergent Assortative Mating in Annual Plants
Temporal environmental fluctuations can drive genetic diversity and species coexistence via the storage effect. Using eco-evolutionary models of annual plants, we show that adaptive plasticity in see...
0126
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Usul @usul2000.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Oui oui on avait compris fdp. (Féru De Patriotisme)
491247182
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Max Schmid @schmidmax.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
New paper out in Ecology Letters with Katja Tielbörger, Amaël Daval, and Charles Mullon 🥳! Using eco-evolutionary models of annual plants, we show that adaptive plasticity in seed germination promotes genetic diversification and ecological speciation. dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele....
dx.doi.org
Plastic Germination, Temporal Niche Partitioning and Emergent Assortative Mating in Annual Plants
Temporal environmental fluctuations can drive genetic diversity and species coexistence via the storage effect. Using eco-evolutionary models of annual plants, we show that adaptive plasticity in see...
0102
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
🌺 New preprint out with John Pannell and @charlesmullon.bsky.social ! 🌺 We show that selection broadly favours a form of plasticity for the selfing rate where individuals adjust their mating behaviour to their condition — their overall vitality owing to their genetic background and environment. ⤵️
01911
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Tim Janicke @timjanicke.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Led by my talented PhD student @justine-armg.bsky.social we’re running a #meta-analysis of #cross-sex-genetic-correlations in fitness components. If you have unpublished data or know of studies that might not appear in a systematic search, please reach out, we’d love to include them! Please share!
01519
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
🌺 New preprint out with John Pannell and @charlesmullon.bsky.social ! 🌺 We show that selection broadly favours a form of plasticity for the selfing rate where individuals adjust their mating behaviour to their condition — their overall vitality owing to their genetic background and environment. ⤵️
01911
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Marcel @marcelaiphan.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Grand moment de dignité journalistique. C’est un journaliste suisse, malheureusement, ce n’est pas en France qu’on verrait ça.
421882711
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
New paper with @vsudbrack.bsky.social. Using pop gen modelling, we show that partial selfing makes selection on tandem repeats more efficient, reducing the associated load across different scenarios. Thanks to @snsf.ch @dee-unil.bsky.social @fbm-unil.bsky.social ! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
The evolution of tandem repeat sequences under partial selfing and different modes of selection - Heredity
Heredity - The evolution of tandem repeat sequences under partial selfing and different modes of selection
01810
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
EvolDir @evoldir.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Join our online series on atypical reproductive modes and non-Mendelian inheritance, Tuesdays at 3 p.m. CET. More info & sign-up: tinyurl.com/EvoRepro Best, Schwander Group, University of Lausanne. #conference
tinyurl.com
Evolution and mechanisms of atypical reproductive modes
Evolution and mechanisms of atypical reproductive modes Monthly meetings to bring together researchers focusing on atypical reproduction and other non-mendelian transmission systems. The objective is to promote the exchange of ideas and feedback on conceptually similar questions approached with d...
052
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Jannice Friedman @jannicefriedman.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Are you anywhere in the world (other than Canada) and want to do a PhD in my lab in Canada at Queen's University? We have a prestigious scholarship for 3-years of PhD funding. Get in touch, applications due early February. Must love plants and evolution! friedmanlab.ca
friedmanlab.ca
Friedman Lab
Visit the post for more.
01825
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Angus Davison @snaildoc.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Reporting back from the frontline of the 59th iteration of PopGroup conference in Lille, only the 2nd ever outside the UK. With a free bar stocked with local bar, excellent frites for the poster session and top quality food, why would we ever hold it anywhere again?! 😁 #pgg59 #popgroup59 #conference
141
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Camille Roux @crouxevo.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Musicians warm up for the popGroup gala at ‘chaud bouillon’ #popgroup59 #ppg59 #pgg59 (maps.app.goo.gl/mEp8d9dWbJ6k...)
0104
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
POPGROUP59 @popgroup2026.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
... current status...
beers are on their ways !
1144
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
POPGROUP59 @popgroup2026.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Looking forward to welcoming everyone in just two days now... Check out the latest updates to the program at populationgeneticsgroup.org.uk
The ULille campus under the snow
1155
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Usul @usul2000.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Les États Unis ont déjà exploité férocement le Venezuela et ses ressources pétrolières pendant quelques décennies. Les chiffres cités par Zucman dans cet article sont saisissants, le pillage était colossal. Pour Trump par contre ça c'était l'âge d'or des US. open.substack.com/pub/gabrielz...
open.substack.com
Comprendre l’intervention américaine au Venezuela
On ne peut pas comprendre l’enlèvement de Nicolas Maduro si l’on ignore les masses financières colossales associées à un changement de régime à Caracas.
4324170
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Luca Soldini @lucasoldini.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
One week left to submit abstracts for the EMBO workshop on Molecular Mechanisms of Selfish Elements and Strategies! In Bern (Switzerland), from 8 to 11 February 2026. meetings.embo.org/event/26-sel... #EMBOselfishElements #EMBOevents
meetings.embo.org
Molecular mechanisms of selfish elements and strategies
Certain genes, chromosomes, organelles, or entire sets of chromosomes can bias their transmission to the next generation, propagating themselves at the expense of the rest of the genome. Referred to …
054
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Charles Mullon @charlesmullon.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Great opportunity for those interested in fundamental questions in evolutionary biology and mathematical models: postdoc opening in Laurent Lehmann’s group @unil.bsky.social. We have a lively community of theorists here in Lausanne with good interactions across groups. Join us ! Please RP
01821
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Mike Blazanin @mikeblazanin.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Time to publish responsibly: DAFNEE, a database of academia-friendly journals in ecology and evolutionary biology url: 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
01913
Thomas Lesaffre 🌱 @thomaslesaffre.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Only a few days left to register and join us in Lille for this first ever French edition of PopGroup!
064
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Department of Ecology and Evolution (DEE) - UNIL @dee-unil.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Next week's DEE External Seminar welcomes Andrew Pomiankowski (hosted by @charlesmullon.bsky.social ) with a talk on mitochondrial quality and the evolution of sexes. 12:15, November 6th at the Biophore Amphitheatre or online via REC-UNIL.
Next week's DEE External Seminar welcomes Andrew Pomiankowski (hosted by Charles Mullon) with a talk on mitochondrial quality and the evolution of sexes. 12:15, November 6th at the Biophore Amphitheatre or online via REC-UNIL.
032
Reposted by Thomas Lesaffre 🌱
Luca Soldini @lucasoldini.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
(1/9) Join us in Bern, Switzerland (8–11 Feb 2026) for our EMBO Workshop on Molecular Mechanisms of Selfish Elements and Strategies! Organized with Tanja Schwander, Laura Ross (@laurarossevo.bsky.social) and Axel Imhof. meetings.embo.org/event/26-sel... #EMBOselfishElements #EMBOevents
meetings.embo.org
Molecular mechanisms of selfish elements and strategies
Certain genes, chromosomes, organelles, or entire sets of chromosomes can bias their transmission to the next generation, propagating themselves at the expense of the rest of the genome. Referred to …
11017