The Gibbons Lab @UMassAmherst

A speaker presents research on microbial domestication, gesturing toward a projected diagram that illustrates evolutionary transitions from wild microbial communities to domesticated, stable systems shaped by ecological interactions.

A speaker presents research on bridging micro- and macroevolution, standing in front of a projected slide that shows evolutionary timescales from short-term microevolution to deep-time patterns preserved in the fossil record.

A speaker stands beside a projected phylogenetic tree of eukaryotic lineages, illustrating genome evolution, endosymbiosis, and relationships among major groups such as algae, plants, and protists.

The retreat opened with talks from John Gibbons, Natasha Vitek & Jen Wisecaver, exploring evolution across scales from microbial genomes & ecology to patterns in the fossil record. A strong start that set the tone for the day
#Evolution #ScienceCommunication

Group photo of faculty, trainees, alumni, and staff from the Evolutionary Studies Initiative standing together at the ESI Retreat. The group is arranged in several rows inside an industrial event space with exposed beams and wood floors, smiling toward the camera. A holiday wreath hangs on the wall behind them, and tables with notebooks and coffee cups are visible in the foreground. The photo captures a large, interdisciplinary academic community gathered for a full-day retreat.

Last week, faculty, trainees, alumni and friends gathered for our annual retreat. It was a day of talks, trivia and conversation spanning #evolution, medicine, ecology, and genomics. A great reminder of the interdisciplinary community that makes ESI work. More retreat highlights soon…

This is awesome. Just for comparison with is the background recidivism rate (individuals who didn’t go through GVRS)?

Our newest preprint, based on the awesome work by Colin McCarthy Masters project. We used e-tongue and dh-gc-ms to analyze flavor and sensory profiles between Aspergillus oryzae RIB40 and two Aspergillus flavus strains.

I almost beat my 9 year old in a pvp for the first time tonight so I feel I have the authority to like this post.

Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades (Gift Article) The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.

The @upshot.nytimes.com has put together a vivid illustration of how the Trump administration has hollowed out American science. Gift link: nyti.ms/4kBTVql

Our new paper is out!

Population Genomics of Aspergillus sojae is Shaped by the Food Environment Abstract. Traditional fermented foods often contain specialized microorganisms adapted to their unique environments. For example, the filamentous mold Aspe

Genome and phenotypic analyses support domestication of Aspergillus sojae from A. parasiticus for soy production. A. sojae shows reduced diversity, loss of aflatoxin genes, and traits suited to miso-like salt conditions.

Link: doi.org/10.1093/gbe/...

#soy #fungi #domestication

A huge congrats 🍾🎉 to Kim Acevedo who successfully defended her PhD today AND had a paper based on her first chapter accepted in @genomebiolevol.bsky.social the very same day.

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I actually think my programming skills never took off because I almost always found a solution with awk and pipes

After decades of dedication and zero pro contracts, I’m officially announcing my retirement from pro soccer. Tearing my ACL & MCL at 41 means giving up my dream of a late-career @usmnt.ussoccer.com debut to focus on my backup plan of running a genomics lab at @umassamherst.bsky.social ⚽️ 🦠 🧬

Detailed and concise 1-pager explaining what F&A does and how it underlies the competitive advantages of American sciences.

F&A pays PEOPLE and allows universities to be the anchors of regional economies that they are!

🔗 www.cogr.edu/sites/defaul...

If you have been affected by the fires in LA, or are concerned about your ability to keep precious Drosophila strains going during the latest funding crisis, we will host your strains as a backup. Please email me.

Please amplify. If you are also able to host fly strains, add your name as well.

Cheers to a productive new year under the rule of our fungal overlords.

Thrilled to share that Nadia Yammoul (first year PhD student in our lab) was one of the winners of the UMass Food and Technology Innovate for Tomorrow Challenges!

a man with long hair and a beard is asking " you know why we 're here " ALT: a man with long hair and a beard is asking " you know why we 're here "

We’re here! Looking for more genomics, evolution, microbiology, food science and less politics and doom scrolling :)