Molecular #evolution: Hugues Renault Hugues Renault (@huguesrenault.bsky.social) et al show that t-cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase activity emerged with the CYP73 gene family in a common ancestor of all land plants, as foundational event in development of the plant phenylpropanoid pathway embopress.org/doi/full/10.10…

Excited to share recently published work from my dissertation comparing foliar and root herbivore-induced plant volatiles!! Lots of intriguing patterns emerged, such as stronger volatile induction aboveground than belowground...Check it out!! Helms Lab - Chemical Ecology doi.org/10.1111/plb.13…

In this account, Peter Schultz describes some major themes and projects from his group and career at the interface of chemistry and biology. What legendary science and scientists with much more ahead! I'm grateful to have been among his PhD students. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…

Excited to share this new publication led by the amazing Peter Flynn on "Viral diversity and co-evolutionary dynamics across the ant phylogeny" which includes 3710 novel and unique ant-associated viral genomes! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/me…

The MSU Entomology Department is excited to share that we are recruiting an Assistant Professor of Medical and Veterinary Entomology. View the position posting here: careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/5204… Apply by Oct 31 for full consideration.

On Sept. 6, 2016 it happened. A tagged monarch flew from Ashland, Ore. to Vacaville, Calif. That's 285 miles in 7 days or 40.7 miles per day. Part of #WSU entomologist David James' migratory monarch research. #BugSquad rb.gy/6nd4bz

Did you know that Assassin Bugs (family Reduviidae) are venomous?! Well, many species have anticoagulant ('blood thinning') venom, & colleagues & I *just* published this paper 💃 in iScience journal, uncovering the evolution, mechanisms of action, & various activities of their venom!

“Sometimes you don’t survive whole, you just survive in part. But the grandeur of life is that attempt. It’s not about that solution. It is about being as fearless as one can, and behaving as beautifully as one can, under completely impossible circumstances.” — Toni Morrison✨❤️

New paper from PhD student Julia Caserto in collaboration with Minglin Ma’s biomaterials lab. Ingestible hydrogels mitigated the effects of neonicotinoid insecticide exposure. A potential feed additive for managed bees during crop pollination? nature.com/articles/s4189…

A friend & colleague asked for help using #phytools phylo.to.map to project a phylogeny onto a geographic map. This is what we came up with. (Shared with permission.) 1/2

Very excited to see this PhD idea finally published as a review Nat. Prod. Reports. We classified all MIA oligomers (~1000) through their chemical logic assembly. 3 years of efforts. The structures were submitted The LOTUS Initiative kudos Adriano Rutz pubs.rsc.org/en/content/art…

An incredible talk by Bill Hansson , leaving me inspired with powerful and memorable insights, even after years of working in the field of olfaction!! youtu.be/T11dSpAB85g?si…

Among 2800 academic #postdocs working in the United States, those holding temporary visas received lower pay and less career support and guidance than U.S. citizens and permanent residents, even though visa holders were more productive. Science Careers bit.ly/4glgAWu

So proud to be the author of the migration chapter in this brilliant book by Royal Entomological Society ! Especially proud to detail how the flies are the most remarkable migrants of all. They number up to 90% of all migrants in some studies: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.10… nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.111…

It was amazingly fantastic to host Baldwyn Torto for a seminar Department of EntomologyCornell University University 🤩 Another (very rare) chemist who became a chemical ecologist (poke Chris Jeffrey)! #ChemicalEcology We hope to see him again @Cornell in 2026 when we will host the International Society of Chemical Ecology Conference!

Major academic publishers are getting sued for unlawfully appropriating billions of dollars. Prof. Lucina Qazi Uddin, a neuroscientist at UCLA, has sued these six academic publishers Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, Sage, and Springer Nature. The lawsuit

For those looking to learn more about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and what the red hand symbolizes: nativehope.org/missing-and-mu…

For only the second time in our 179-year history, the editors of Scientific American are endorsing a candidate for president. That person is Kamala Harris. | Editorial bit.ly/4daH36q

Thanks Christopher Michel it was a fun photoshoot

The Evolution & Ecology dept at UC Davis is searching for a tenure-track Asst Professor of Teaching in ecology and evolution. This is my dept and I truly love it - collegial, incredible support and great group of humans. Send us your apps by Nov 1 pls! recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06690