Frederik Seelig

In case you missed it, the podcast version of World Book Club with Laurent Binet is available for download now - stream and download here www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p... or wherever you get your podcasts.

Here's a little bit to whet your appetites :)
#wbc #booksky #laurentbinet #HHhh

Happy belated #WorldBookDay everyone! (via @tomgauld.bsky.social)

Global Tick Network logo, showing cartoons of three ticks over a stylized globe

Connecting Researchers to Advance Studies of the Biology of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases

Join the Tick Global Network for free,
receive the monthly email newsletter,
and connect with an international community of tick researchers, including students, from over 75 countries.

tickgn.org

#MicroSky

Don't forget to submit your abstract to present at the UK VBD Conference in Liverpool on 31st March and 1st April 2026!

Early hominin arrival in Southeast Asia triggered the evolution of major human malaria vectors - Scientific Reports Some species of the Leucosphyrus Group of Anopheles mosquitoes in Southeast Asia are highly anthropophilic and efficient vectors of human malaria parasites, while others primarily feed on non-human primates (NHP) and transmit NHP malaria parasites. The evolutionary history of this group, particularly the origin of anthropophily, was studied using phylogenomic analysis of 2,657 high-confidence nuclear single-copy orthologous genes and 13 mitochondrial protein coding genes from 40 individuals of 11 species. Molecular dating and ancestral state reconstruction revealed that monkey-feeding is ancestral with speciation of monkey-feeding species dating to the Pliocene within Sundaland (Malay peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra and Java) which was covered in tropical rain forests during this period. Although less parsimonious alternatives cannot be excluded, molecular dating, ancestral state reconstruction and reticulation analysis indicated that anthropophily most likely evolved once, involving adaptive introgression, in the early Pleistocene in Sundaland, giving rise to multiple descendent anthropophilic species. Such early origination of anthropophily must necessarily have been in response to the arrival of early hominins (Homo erectus) rather than anatomically modern humans, likely associated with loss and fragmentation of rainforests during the early Pleistocene. The early origination of anthropophily also provides independent non-archaeological evidence supporting the limited fossil record of early hominin colonization in Southeast Asia around 1.8 Mya.

The preference of some mosquitoes in the Leucosphyrus Group of Anopheles mosquitoes for feeding on humans may have evolved in response to the arrival of early hominins in Southeast Asia ~1.8 million years ago. The findings are published in Scientific Reports. 🧪 #evobio

‘I love midges because I know what their hearts look like’: is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out? Insect taxonomist Art Borkent has described and named more than 300 species of midges but fears his field of science is dying out, despite millions of insects, fungi and other organisms waiting to be ...

🪰 Art Borkent: "‘I love #midges because I know what their hearts look like’: is the passion for #taxonomy in danger of dying out?"
by @pgreenfielduk.bsky.social in @theguardian.com
#Ceratopogonidae

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Illustrations of grasshopper, cricket and earwig on the front cover of a book called Field Guide to the Grasshoppers and Allies of Great Britain and Ireland

🦗 This #WorldWildlifeDay, discover Britain's grasshoppers, crickets & allied species in a brilliant new field guide!

It's co-written by our former colleague Björn Beckmann with recording scheme coordinator Peter Sutton.

Allied species are earwigs, stick insects, mantids and cockroaches 🪳

🧪 1/

Once in a while Tom Cruise rides the train while being chased by a helicopter, but I haven't seen him doing that since 1996 or so.

Searching for Birds An interactive story about the birds that capture our curiosity, told through data, visuals and illustrations

Fascinating article (by @nadiehbremer.com & @thedatadesk.bsky.social) with beautiful data visualisation about how we search for #birds - both in the wild and online 🐦🦉🦜🦅🦆
searchingforbirds.visualcinnamon.com

The mosquito: the world's deadliest animal Buzzing to take a bite...

The mosquito: the world's deadliest animal 🦟

UofG's @drheatherferg.bsky.social featured on the Naked Scientists podcast to discuss #mosquitoes, their biology and behaviour, role in disease transmission & innovative strategies for #vector control.

Listen 🎧👇

Chikungunya: Virus breitet sich offenbar auch bei niedrigeren Temperaturen aus Kühles Wetter schützt nicht so gut vor Chikungunya-Infektionen wie angenommen: Schon bei etwa 14 Grad können Mücken das Virus übertragen, zeigt eine Studie. In Südeuropa sind lange Ansteckungsperioden...

🦟" #Chikungunya-Virus breitet sich offenbar auch bei niedrigeren Temperaturen aus. Schon bei ca. 14 Grad können #Mücken das Virus übertragen, zeigt eine Studie. In Südeuropa sind lange Ansteckungsperioden denkbar." via @spiegel.de

www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft...

Excruciating tropical disease can now be transmitted in most of Europe, study finds ‘Shocking’ data shows the climate crisis and invasive mosquitos mean chikungunya could spread in 29 countries

Excruciating tropical disease can now be transmitted in most of Europe, study finds

- ‘Shocking’ data shows the climate crisis and invasive mosquitos mean #chikungunya could spread in 29 countries

#climatecrisis
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Chikungunya poses a greater health threat in Europe than previously thought because it can be spread at air temps as low as 13°C, a new study finds.

Researchers produced a risk map showing the threat of virus transmission, spread by the Asian tiger mosquito.

www.ceh.ac.uk/press/debili...

1/🧪

This new paper by Sandeep Tegar, @drstevenmwhite.bsky.social et al. from @ukceh.bsky.social & @glasgow.ac.uk shows that chikungunya has lower thermal threshold for transmission than previously thought, carrying a higher risk of #outbreaks across Europe.

🦟 "Temperature-sensitive incubation, transmissibility and risk of #Aedes albopictus-borne #chikungunya #virus in #Europe" by Sandeep Tegar et al.

#arbovirus #VBDs #ClimateCrisis

royalsocietypublishing.org/rsif/article...

Our new paper is now out on "Temperature-sensitive incubation, transmissibility and risk of Aedes albopictus-borne chikungunya virus in Europe". Chikungunya has a lower thermal threshold for transmission than previously thought, carrying a higher risk of outbreaks across Europe.

lnkd.in/g79PzgqJ

Canopy: Now accepting applications for internship support in the context of One Health and emerging zoonoses. Priority consideration for Indigenous applicants.

Canopy internship applications are due March 9!

These internships/training opportunities are ideal if your research aligns with emerging zoonoses & One Health approaches. Up to $10,000 available.

Research from all disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged. More info: canopytraining.ca/trainee

We record with Laurent Binet this evening. From all your emails it's clear this book, and the men of Operation Anthropoid, will stay with you for years to come.

For all those who have tickets, we're looking forward to seeing you when doors open at 18:30 CET
#wbc #booksky #ww2 #HHhH #laurentbinet

A map of the UK, with pins at various spots across the islands.

Help us map science history for #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience. We've launched a new interactive map of landmarks across the UK connected to women from science history, and we want your suggestions.

Explore the map and submit your landmark now: royalsociety.org/news-resourc...

📢 European Commission @ec.europa.eu @euclimateaction.bsky.social: " #Paris, #Vienna, #Zagreb and other European cities will be at more risk of #dengue, #Zika and #chikungunya #outbreaks as #ClimateChange expands #mosquito range 🦟"
environment.ec.europa.eu/news/paris-v...

Cook Islands reports dengue death, amid increase in outbreak - New Zealand News Beep A clinician says dengue fever vaccines should be made available in New Zealand as the Cook Islands reports a death from their current outbreak - an outbreak

Cook Islands reports dengue death, amid increase in outbreak

https://www.newsbeep.com/nz/273432/

Aedes aegypti mosquitos spreading the dengue virus between people, people in the Cook Islands, including tourists, have been…

🦟🐦"First detection of #Usutu #virus in wild #birds in #Denmark, 2024" by Laura Vebæk Gelskov et al. @ucph.bsky.social & @ssi-dk.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🪰 "‘Biblical Diseases’ Could Resurge in #Africa, Health Officials Fear." - captivating article by @stephanienolen.bsky.social in @nytimes.com on the impact of US aid cuts on people's lives in #Cameroon.

#BeatNTDs #onchocerciasis #ivermectin

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/h...

‘Biblical Diseases’ Could Resurge in Africa, Health Officials Fear

U.S. tax dollars backed the effort to wipe out neglected tropical diseases for 20 yrs. Many countries eliminated 1 disease, and were tantalizingly close on others. Then the U.S. walked away – jeopardizing all that investment, with diseases poised to come roaring back www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/h...

Hi listeners!

We record Laurent Binet next week. We've got great qus, but if you want to send some please get them in ASAP

Thoughts on the weight of history? How we use stories to try and make sense of it? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

#wbc #laurentbinet #HHhH #ww2 #frenchliterature #booksky

📢 @who.int EPI-WIN #webinar:
#Zika: ten years after the public health emergency 🦟

Date: 2 February 2026 13:00 – 14:30 CET (Virtual meeting)

www.who.int/news-room/ev...

📢 @who.int #webinar announcement: "Impact of the #Sudan 🇸🇩 conflict on #vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases ( #NTDs) and pathways forward" 🦟 🕷️ 🪰

16 February 2026 07:00 – 09:30 CET (Virtual event)

www.who.int/news-room/ev...

📢 New publication by @who.int & @ukhsa.bsky.social
: " #Oropouche #virus research and development roadmap" 🪰

The Collaborative Open Research Consortium (CORC) has collectively identified 12 R&D priorities within these thematic areas, including #vector competence.

www.who.int/publications...

Oropouche virus research and development roadmap The Roadmap outlines key knowledge gaps across four themes: vector research, virology and pathogenesis, serology and diagnostics, and animal models, vaccines and therapeutics.

📢 New publication by @who.int & @ukhsa.bsky.social: " #Oropouche #virus research and development roadmap" 🪰

The Collaborative Open Research Consortium (CORC) has collectively identified 12 R&D priorities within these thematic areas, including #vector competence.

www.who.int/publications...

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS : PhD in Innovative Monitoring Tools for Refined Vector and Pathogen Surveillance in Cameroon - CRID CRID is recruiting a PhD student in medical entomology and vector-borne disease surveillance to conduct research on arboviruses in Cameroon

📢 Looking for a #PhD? CRIDCam is recruiting a PhD student in medical #entomology 🦟 and #vector-borne disease surveillance to conduct research on #arboviruses in #Cameroon, under supervision of Basile Kamgang.

Application deadline 24 January 2026!

More information:
crid-cam.com/call-for-app...