Susana Wadgymar🌿🔬

Another way to ask the same question: does the author order being A, B, and F even matter?

A, maybe B, and F are the ones that matter most, and the order of the others doesn't matter.

I can't tell without the author contribution statement.

E contributed more than C.

C contributed more than E.

Poll: For a scientific publication in biology, if authors are listed as:

A, B, C, D, E, F* (*corresponding)

Is your interpretation that C or E contributed more to the paper?

Vote with likes below and I welcome comments, especially what subdiscipline you're in.
🧪 🌍 🌱

A phylogenetic tree of insects is shown annotating the presence or absence of a an antimicrobial peptide gene across winged insects

Various phylogenetic secondary loss events are mapped to a tree of insects to explain the parsimony calculations necessary to explain the diversity of insect Drosomycin antimicrobial peptide genes

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key defence molecules of the innate immune system of plants and animals. Understanding the evolutionary origins of AMPs can help to explain how immune systems acquire novelty and vary in their defensive capabilities. However, AMPs evolve rapidly, and so the origins of similar AMPs across organisms is often unclear. Furthermore, false negatives due to low search sensitivity are common and can hinder confident annotations about true absences. Due to these difficulties, understanding whether similar AMP genes found in diverse organisms represent ancestral molecules or evolutionary novelties has been challenging. In this report, we present evidence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of the antifungal peptide gene Drosomycin across insects. We show that in Diptera, the presence of Drosomycin is restricted to the Melanogaster group and additionally the distant relative Drosophila busckii. We go on to recover Drosomycin genes in cockroaches (Blattodea), mantises (Mantodea), one katydid (Orthoptera), various beetles (Coleoptera), and a recently acquired pseudogenized Drosomycin locus in Liposcelis booklice (Psocodea), but no other insects. Explaining this diversity through shared ancestry requires at least 50 independent loss events, or just seven HGT events. Previous studies have suggested that similar AMPs found across divergent species reflect conservation from a common ancestor, or due to their small size, that they arose via convergent evolution resulting from pathogen-imposed selection. Our findings suggest horizontal gene transfer can be responsible for the presence of some AMP genes found scattered across the tree of life. By presenting a mechanism through which immune systems can acquire novelty, our study also suggests a possible explanation for certain lineage-specific competencies for defence against infectious disease. While loss of AMP genes is common in certain lineages, here we suggest gain of AMPs can occur just as suddenly.

Pleased to finally share this fun collab that began at #Ento23

@cedricaumont.bsky.social presented & I had seen NCBI annotated some cockroach genomes as "contaminated." Turns out NCBI & I were wrong (much more fun).

Horizontal transfer of an #AntimicrobialPeptide across insects
bit.ly/DrsHGT

1/🧵

It's the funding of taxonomic research & training that's dying out. Without an ability to identify life forms, we can't recognize/quantify invasions & extinctions and their impacts on ecosystems. Imagine trying to repair a complex steel structure if you can't distinguish different types of bearings.

From the Stand up for Science rally in Raleigh last year. Take your families to a rally tomorrow! It generated good conversations with my boys.

@standupforscience.bsky.social

Biotech investor set to lead US National Science Foundation If confirmed by the US Senate, Jim O'Neill would be the first non-scientist or engineer to lead the agency, a big funder of US basic research.

O'Neill, an investor in anti-aging technology who worked on HHS policy, would be the first non-scientist or engineer to lead NSF. His background will be a 'major concern' to the science and technology community, former NSF director Neal Lane told me.

@maxkozlov.bsky.social and I report:

Stand Up for Science RTP Held at UNC campus Bell Tower Amphitheater. Parking available at the Bell Tower Parking deck. See you there!

When someone says „Scientists do not want you to know“ you can dismiss everything from there on. Scientists want you to know. They are desperate that you know. They can’t shut up about what they found out and want you to know.

Researchers in the US might be having feelings about writing grants atm-I know I am!

We still need to write them. In this Evolution Exchange, I again chat with Sam Scheiner, who summarizes how to write a competitive proposal.

His advice is gold, and helpful regardless of funder. Pls RT!

‘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 discovered

‘I love midges because I know what their hearts look like’: is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out?

That's right. Worse than Pointless
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/o...

A line graph showing NSF grant awards made through 2/27/26 for fiscal year 2026 compared with grant awards for fiscal years 2021-2025 for the Directorate of Biological Sciences.

2/10

UNC-CH Will ‘Scrap’ New Recording Policy, Chancellor Says The move comes less than three weeks after the controversial rules were enacted.

Congrats to @ncaaup.bsky.social & all who fought against this surveillance policy that would've allowed admin to hijack microphones in the classroom for secret recordings.

This move would've chilled classroom discussion & suppressed students' willingness to ask questions & take intellectual risks.

🚨SUNDAY ACTION🚨
Public comment period ends TOMORROW (Mon)
Dept of Ed plans to cap fed loans for grad students in many fields, like nursing, public health & more
(Theology?No cap for them tho!)

Public comments matter. By law, the gvt must respond
Substantive comments slow unjust policies

Details👇

I know this feels pointless but everyone has to call their congressional reps and say they oppose war with Iran and they oppose Trump illegally starting one without congressional approval — both

5 Calls can help you make the call:

5calls.org/issue/iran-i...

Why do some islands have more biodiversity than others? In our new paper, published in @ecography.bsky.social , we sought to answer this question for amphibians! 🌐🏝️🐸

@provete.bsky.social @agenciafapesp.bsky.social @wileyecology.bsky.social

Follow the thread 🧵(1/7).

So, any other news yesterday?
Anything important?

The cuts to existing programs and graduate research fellowships have a pattern: the Trump Administration is dismantling our ability to study ecology, biodiversity science, and climate research:

They’re putting Silicon Valley billionaires above studying Earth’s life support system.

NSF officials break silence on how AI and quantum now drive agency grantmaking Leaders acknowledge White House role in controversial moves

The National Science Foundation is systematically being converted to the National AI and Quantum Research Foundation.

“I see it as the administration exerting political control over what has traditionally been NSF’s ability to fund the best science.”

February 26, 2026 Dear members of the Columbia community: This morning at approximately 6:30 a.m., federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia Residential building and detained a student. We are working to gather more information, working to reach the family, and providing legal support. Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a "missing person." We are working to gather more details. It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including

It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access. An administrative warrant is not sufficient. If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the University, ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety. Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University's response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena. We will update our community as additional information becomes available. Sincerely,

BREAKING: Columbia President Claire Shipman says DHS agents entered a residential buliding this morning and detained a student.

"Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a 'missing person.'"

for folks who are active on x, threads, etc and feel bad about it bc of its stewards but have a hard time letting go: sometimes your behaviors overpower your values online because tech companies hire psychologists & sociologists to come up with ways to put you in that position

Heyyy that looks heavy, need a field assistant?

Evolution 2026 meeting logo. Clilp art of a globe and laptop showing a virtual presentation. Text: Society for the Study of Evolution Global Meeting Participation.

SSE is pleased to offer free virtual #Evol2026 registration to all SSE members residing in 152 countries and territories around the world including India, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. Request your free registration code today! www.evolutionsociety.org/index.php?mo...

Evolution 2026 meeting logo. A heart with hands reaching toward each other across it. Text: Society for the Study of Evolution Caregiver Grants to facilitate virtual or in-person attendance. Apply by March 15.

Applications due March 15 for the SSE Caregiver Grants, which provide up to $500 USD to help cover caregiving costs while attending virtual or in-person #Evol2026. Apply today!
www.evolutionsociety.org/content/soci...

Come and meet Steve Sando and hear him speak about the value of Indigenous beans this afternoon at Davidson College! You can also come tomorrow (Tuesday) from 11-2 to taste a huge variety of Indigenous dishes made with Rancho Gordo beans (link in Steve's thread). Check out this menu! 😋 🫘 🫛

I don’t have a direct link for this, but look up the Davidson College events page and I’m sure it will be there. Would love to meet you here in Charlotte.