Experimental evidence that the tipping point behavior of an ecological community can evolve. New work from @ChrisB_Microbes, @JakeNBarber, Tim Connallon, @MonashBiol, @Monash_Science).

Are you interested in conserving biodiversity outside protected areas? We’re hiring a postdoc to work on Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) for 2 years. Please share with anyone interested. More information here:

The year is flying past, so thought I’d better share the happy news that I’m joining the School of Biological Sciences at @MonashUni @monashbiol as a Group Leader from Jan 2025. Couldn't be more thrilled to be returning to the place that introduced me to research as an undergrad!

🔈Early bird registrations for #AusEvol2024 close TONIGHT!! If you haven’t already, be sure to register using the link below. We can’t wait to see you all in wonderful Perth! https://t.co/SlUqJ9EZcp

Thanks @AusMe_2024 for the opportunity to spread the word about emotionally unavailable Australian Mesorhizobia! 🌱🇦🇺💔🦠

⁦@MacsysCoe⁩ we use mathematics to predict biology, from simple cell behaviors to the evolution of #AMR. Interested? There’s a week or so left to the deadline for a postdoc position in my lab for a microbiologist or molecular biologist

This week the lab broke into “adventure microbiology” mode. Today the newest student in the lab, Mighty Max was out on a boat sinking #phage traps in the Pacific Ocean and postdoc Jan was sampling at fresh water Salmon sites! Adventure!!! 🐟 🐟 🐟 🍣 🍣 🍣

If our most experienced full-time researchers nominate, the NHMRC will give the best possible reviews in 2025. @nhmrc

It looks like I never posted anything (*but see below) on what are probably the most surprising results my lab obtained so far. Anyway, this work—led by an outstanding former PhD student Sarah Ardell in collaboration with @_miloj—is now published: https://t.co/FyWOAaZr06

1/7 Terry Hwa and I are looking to hire a joint postdoc at @UCSanDiego. The "official" ad is below 👇 Please repost and spread the word among non-Twitter people.

It’s been six long years since Melbourne was announced as host city. Through ups and downs (and ups again), it’s now only just a day away🥹

Amazing first session of #ClimateChangeDay of #BMH2024! Some fascinating talks about how we can use the combo of microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry to help to mitigate #GHG emissions (particularly in the agricultural space)!

Last time I was at the Plenary at MCEC was for Nick Cave. Today, @jade_kannangara from our lab rocked that very stage @bmh2024Melb presenting her research on the evolutionary implications of mitochondrial heteroplasmy in response to thermal selection.

In our defense we study swimming, not jumping. Happy @UNSWBABS lab photo @bmh2024Melb - our first #squad conference all together since 2021! #bmh2024

Can evolutionary processes alter tipping points and protect ecological communites from collapse? Christopher Blake et al found adaptation of key species can shift tipping points - promoting ecological stability or accelerating collapse. https://t.co/Oc6hxSpBQO @MikeJayMcD

Well done @ChrisB_Microbes on a cracking first chapter of his PhD, and thanks to @JakeNBarber & Tim Connallon for the ongoing fun and productive collab :)

This is early days, but we think this has interesting implications for the directed evolution of microbial communities

We did some simple modeling and simulations to work out that the best thing to do to forestall collapse is for a vulnerable species to adapt to the specific stress without messing with interspecies interactions, growth rate, or equilibrium frequency.

We mapped basins of attraction and tipping points for the evolved communities and found that evolution has the potential to alter tipping point behaviour, either precipitating early collapse ☹️ or delaying collapse😀.

In previous work, we had evolved a stable 2-species community. Here we continued to evolve this (very simple) community in two different conditions: lab media without antibiotics (for 4000 generations), and media with antibiotics.

First, what are tipping points? Tipping points mark ecosystem states where a small change in the environment can lead to a large change in ecosystem state. https://t.co/vjCSF83F9g