Oliver Meacock

Register for Theory across Biology 2026: 12 June, Bern.
One-day meeting on mathematical & theoretical approaches in biology with chalk talks and flip-chart sessions. Ideal for theorists, modelers, and interdisciplinary biologists.
Abstracts by: 10 May 2026
Register by: 24 May 2026: buff.ly/svAZ8NF

Last few days before the deadline! Please get in touch if you (or anyone you know) are interested

I'm looking for students with a background in any of a broad range of subjects, including microbiology, theoretical ecology, computational biology and dynamical systems.
If that sounds intriguing get in touch and we can discuss how to tailor the general topic to your specific interests!

Identifying how chemicals shape microbial diversity through high-throughput ecological screens at University of Sheffield on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Identifying how chemicals shape microbial diversity through high-throughput ecological screens at University of Sheffield, listed on FindAPhD.com

Do you have an interest in quantitative microbiology and interdisciplinary research? I'm recruiting a UK PhD student to develop high-throughput ecological screens to help us understand how chemical inputs impact microbial ecosystems: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

This is from Woodward and Diament (1991, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2...) - is it what you were looking for? There's also another version of the same thing here: sites.lifesci.ucla.edu/eeb-kraft/wp...

One week left to submit an abstract for this! Sun, sea and spectacular speakers - what more can you ask for from a conference?
If you are interested but are being put off by travel costs or fees, get in touch - we will be offering bursaries and fee discounts for selected participants

Clostridial Cell Biology Group We are the Clostridial Cell Biology Group at the University of Sheffield. We study all aspects of cell biology, including the architecture and biogenesis of surface structures on both vegetative cells...

🚨 Fully funded PhD studentships 🚨

We have three fully funded PhD studentships available for Oct 26 start. Funded by the MRC DiMeN programme & the BBSRC Yorkshire Biosciences DTP. Details below as they are advertised. Contact me here or via email for more details or to discuss an application

Aww thanks Snorre

🔊 Applications for the tenure-track illuminate global challenge fellowships at Queen’s are now open!
Comes with 5 years protected research time, a PhD studentship, & 60k start-up. I had one of these before getting my FLF, happy to chat to anyone interested!

www.qub.ac.uk/Research/fel...

ECOSOLUTIONS DFA - Harnessing microbes and cold plasma to concentrate and destroy ‘forever chemicals’ in food associated ecosystems at University of Sheffield on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - ECOSOLUTIONS DFA - Harnessing microbes and cold plasma to concentrate and destroy ‘forever chemicals’ in food associated ecosystems at University of Sheffield, listed on Find...

I am excited to announce two PhD opportunities! Come and join our interdisciplinary team in Sheffield, UK.
- Destroying forever chemicals with microbes and cold plasma: tinyurl.com/mth8ymx5
- Learning how motile bacteria make decisions: tinyurl.com/2hmc9a8u
UK and overseas students welcome to apply!

As well as providing a networking space for the next generation of biological physicists, we will enjoy talks on:
• Transport across scales
• Data-driven modelling
• Active matter
• AI and machine learning
• Cells and tissues
• Animal behaviour
• Ecology and evolution
• Non-equilibrium systems

The Institut d'Études Scientifiques (IESC), on the coast of Corsica.

I'm delighted to announce that the Interdisciplinary Challenges (IntCha) meeting is returning in April 2026! Abstract submission is now open.
We encourage young scientists working at the interface between biology and physics to join us at the IESC in Corsica. Website here: intcha26.sciencesconf.org

Independent research fellowships leading to tenured positions at the John Innes Centre.

Repost = nice. Thank you very much!!!

We’re back! ✨ The next #MeeHubs26 is coming with 7 hubs across the globe and incredible lineups at each. Can’t wait to share more soon! meehubs.org

Microbes release lower-value metabolites at higher rates Microbes release a wide range of metabolites into their environment, yet the reasons for this release and the factors that influence release rates are not well understood. Here, using a combination of...

Excited to share the first results from my postdoc at @dmf-unil.bsky.social with @saramitri.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Independent Fellowship in Plant-Associated Microbial Interactions | John Innes Centre An exciting opportunity for an Independent Fellowship in Plant-Associated Microbial Interactions has arisen at the John Innes Centre. To read the full job description for this role…

New Independent Fellowship position in Microbiology to launch your lab in our department @johninnescentre.bsky.social (UK). We are conducting a broad search in the area of plant-associated microbial interactions. Message me if you have any questions.

Apply here: www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/in...

New tenure track assistant professor position in molecular microbiology in our department @dmf-unil.bsky.social @unil.bsky.social! We are casting a wide net for an experimental molecular microbiologist. Apply here: wwwfbm.unil.ch/releve/appli...

Modeling predicts that metabolic diversity increases the ecological impacts of weapon gene transfer. Modeling scenarios for each column are shown across the top row. Bottom row: Example dynamics of the strains (attacker, target, transconjugant) during a contest using parameters that correspond to the cross (X) shown in the parameter sweeps directly below.

#Bacteria use weapons to outcompete rivals, but what happens if they're transferred? @prokaryota.bsky.social @jdpal.bsky.social &co show that HGT of toxin #plasmids is rare but recipients can thrive under relaxed nutrient competition, reshaping bacterial warfare @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/43vC3X7

If you're at the @physicsoflifeuk.bsky.social Physics of Life 2025 conference, come talk to me at my poster (#23) later on today! I'm looking at fixation and extinction on time-fluctuating metapopulations 🦠

Evidence of universal conformal invariance in living biological matter - Nature Physics The flow features of cell monolayers depend on cellular interactions. Now four different types of cell monolayer are shown to exhibit robust conformal invariance that belongs to the percolation univer...

Back to active matter; a new study I played a small role in as an experimentalist is now out in @naturephysics.bsky.social.
We find statistical signatures pointing to universal features of active systems, including conformal invariance:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

There is still time to apply to the Alma Dal Co School on Collective Behaviour! The deadline has been extended till March 16th. We would especially welcome applications from members of underrepresented groups. Limited travel grants are available. Apply now and join us! almadalcoschool.github.io

Come join our fun community @ox.ac.uk! Two postdoc positions available in the fabulous Slack and Foster labs www.fosterlab.uk/vacancies

Environment‐Organism Feedbacks Drive Changes in Ecological Interactions Ecological interactions are central to our understanding of the composition and function of communities, but attempts to use them as a theoretical foundation for experimental ecology have been confou....

Our framework explaining why ecological interactions change between contexts is out in Ecology Letters!
A lovely collaboration with @saramitri.bsky.social which provides experimentally-testable links between the physiology and ecology of microbes.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Developing Imaging Solutions to Study the Dynamics of Human Condensin I at University of Sheffield on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Developing Imaging Solutions to Study the Dynamics of Human Condensin I at University of Sheffield, listed on FindAPhD.com

Please share: Still plenty of time to apply for PhD projects in my lab using single-molecule methods to look at disordered regions and condensin complexes!
Contact me at e.cutts@sheffield.ac.uk
For details on how to apply: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

PopDyn is on Winter break. We are working on the list of speakers for the 2025

sites.google.com/view/popdyn/

I take the occasion to share the Alma Dal Co School on Collective Behaviour (Venice 29/09-4/10 2025) with an amazing line up of speakers in memory of Alma Dal Co.

almadalcoschool.github.io

Thanks to co-authors Sean Booth and Kevin Foster!

New(ish) paper out: It's not just the Rohirrim who fight better when mobile.

We combine active matter theory with experiments to explore the impact of bacterial motility on short-range weapons. And it's big - we find up to a 10,000x enhancement of weapon efficacy!

doi.org/10.1093/isme...

Join us!
4 Assistant/ Associate Professor posts available at University of Warwick School of Life Sciences, 2 in Host-Pathogen interactions and 2 in Plant Sciences:
warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...

warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...

#microsky