Varsha Mathur

A phylogenetic classification of diatoms (Bacillariophyta) Diatoms are known for their extraordinary species richness, cornerstone roles in aquatic ecosystems, and immense contributions to the global cycling of carbon, oxygen, and silica. For nearly 2 centur....

Our phylogenetic classification of >400 diatom genera is now published in Journal of Phycology.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Prediction of eukaryotic cellular complexity in Asgard archaea using structural modelling - Nature Microbiology A structural catalogue of the Asgard archaeal pangenome reveals hundreds of eukaryotic-like proteins that suggest a higher degree of cellular complexity in the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes.

🧵 1/10 New paper out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com from my postdoc at @mib-wur.bsky.social! 🎉

How eukaryote-like was the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes? Sequence searches alone can't tell us — so we used protein structure prediction to look deeper. 🧬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Read our review about the "Diversity, ecology, cell biology and evolution of the Asgard archaea" in @natrevmicro.nature.com here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

By @kassipan.bsky.social @stephkoe.bsky.social @micropat.bsky.social & @gerbenz.bsky.social

We are very excited to share a new resource from our team: spatial subcellular proteome maps in plants! We developed an MS-based method that registers localizations of about 8000 proteins in Arabidopsis roots in a single experiment.

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www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

We’ve extended the deadline!

Final version @nature.com of our paper describing unconventional multicellular development in a choanoflagellate inhabiting an extreme environment. A ton of new data since the first @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social preprint (which we've kept updating).

A brief 🧵 (carried over from the old place)

Huge news 🌍🧬
The Protist 10,000 Genomes Project is joining the Earth BioGenome Project.
Protists may represent the majority of eukaryotic diversity — yet only a tiny fraction have reference genomes.
Time to change that. 🚀✨
Learn more 👉 ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/p10k/
#EBP #Protists #Genomics #TreeOfLife

Spectacular study revealing multiple ways by which Choanoeca flexa forms monolayers! Congratulations to @thibautbrunet.bsky.social Núria Ros-Rocher @pasteur.fr and all partners involved 👏👏👏

This looks so cool! 😍

MicroSEA (Microbial Sea Eukaryotes) course is a one-week, field-based summer school to train early-career researchers in the diversity, ecology, and single-cell biology of marine protists. MicroSEA course integrates lectures, field sampling, and lab-based practicals in advanced techniques, such as flow cytometry, microscopy, culturing, and molecular analysis. The main objectives of MicroSEA course are: Fostering a deep understanding of marine protist diversity, ecology and biology; Providing hands-on training in advanced single-cell methods that are not commonly available in university programs; Building participants' confidence in designing and conducting research projects from field to data analysis; Promoting international collaborations and peer networking among students and speakers/trainers. The course will take place at the Station Biologique de Roscoff - SBR (France) - 7th to 12th of June, 2026 (arrival on the 6th, departure on the 13th). 20 participants will be selected, including 10 from EuroMarine member institutes. https://opbc.sciencesconf.org/

Protist lovers: Please apply for a week of rhapsody! Learn by doing:

MicroSEA (Microbial Sea Eukaryotes) course is a one-week, field-based summer school to train early-career researchers in the diversity, ecology, and single-cell biology of marine protists. opbc.sciencesconf.org

#protistsonsky

Phylogenomic tree of Cercozoa based on single-cell transcriptomes from 100 uncultured cells - BMC Biology Background Cercozoa are single-celled eukaryotes (protists) and are part of the supergroup Rhizaria. Cercozoans have vastly different morphologies and are defined by their phylogenetic affinity. While...

Great to see this paper in all its glory online: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A huge effort from Gordon and the team at @pjkeelinglab.bsky.social!

Phylogenomic tree of Cercozoa based on single-cell transcriptomes from 100 uncultured cells

@ubcbotany.bsky.social @science.ubc.ca

Have a novel protist's genome or transcriptome and want to predict it's mitochondrial proteome? Look no further than CoMR, this handy bioinformatic workflow to help you: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... #phylogenetics

Explore how genetics, evolution and ecology intertwine at EMBO Workshop "Evolving together: From genomics to biological interactions" in #Taipei, TW, 24–27 Apr 2026.

Abstract submission/Registration by 20 Jan/28 Feb

https://meetings.embo.org/event/26-bio-interactions
#EMBOEvoGenBio #EMBOevents 🧪

Life cycle of Cyanidiophyceae.

Fascinating single-cell red algae: models for evolution and adaptation

#TansleyReview by Berger et al.

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#plantscience

This is a dinoflagellate called Noctiluca scintillans, also known as ‘sea sparkle’. When it appears in large numbers (a bloom) they can bioluminescence when disturbed, making the sea flash blue! This is something I’ve unfortunately never seen, but it’s on my wish list! 1/2 #marineplankton 🦑

Giant DNA viruses encode a hallmark translation initiation complex of eukaryotic life @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

We are happy to share our newest preprint on a novel strain of Ca. Lokiarchaeum ossiferum, that contains an active provirus, capable of excision and independent replication! We propose a novel virus family: Fylgjaviridae.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Registration is now open! The 4th edition of the Mendel Early Career Symposium will take place on 21-22 May at the GMI, part of the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social. This two-day event brings together researchers across career stages to discuss the latest research in all areas of plant science.

The day is finally here!! On behalf of all the co-organizers the Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes website is open.

comparativegenomics2026.com

Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!

Left: schematic evolutionary tree of eukaryotes highlighting the position of apusomonads close to opisthokonts. Right: Simple schematic representation of the cell of apusomonads.

Discovery of a photophobic response in #Apusomonads reveals insights into Opisthokont origins phys.org/news/2026-02...

New #ISEPpapers! Photophobic response in Podomonas kaiyoae is mediated by coordination of cilia, actin filaments: Aika Shibata et al. www.nature.com/articles/s42...

#Protists

Fungal ecology in the age of 'omics The advancement of technology in recent decades has given us an unprecedented ability to observe the natural world. With modern sequencing and bioinformatics technologies, we can obtain more informat...

Reading in journal club

Shelton et al.
Fungal ecology in the age of 'omics

@newphyt.bsky.social
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Should I stay or should I swim Evolutionary pressures have shaped the feeding behaviours of aquatic microorganisms in alignment with the underlying physics of fluid flow.

Do microbes get more food by swimming or staying still? Turns out both work, and cilia help them pull in nutrients no matter the strategy.
buff.ly/vK3GmK5

Excited to share this detailed biophysical study of #PhaseSeparation in the Pyrenoid, an algal microcompartment that fixes a third of the Earth's #CO2 🌏. We combine methods across scales, in vitro 🧪 and in vivo 🦠

Thanks for the very fun collaboration! 🤗
#PlantScience 🌾 #TeamTomo 🔬 #LivingPhysics 🧬🧶

Using #FungiFriday to plug our special issue from last summer, packed with interesting mycology reviews, primers and other pieces...🍄👇

www.cell.com/current-biol...

Calling all OrthoFinder users!

We’ve just released GLADE, a tool to infer gene gains, losses, duplications, and ancestral genomes across a phylogeny.

GLADE runs directly on OrthoFinder results.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
github.com/lauriebelch/...

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A bacterial gene acquired by parasitoid wasps contributes to venom secretion against host defence - The EMBO Journal Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is an important source of gene innovation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Several genes acquired by hosts of parasitoid wasps via HGT have been reported to prot...

Excited to share a new piece of work in @embojournal.org

Parasitoid wasps hijack a bacterial gene that governs venoms against host. Coauthors include @rokaslab.bsky.social and others.

Read more from: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

It's not always that sunny, but Uppsala Uni–especially the Evo Biol Centre (EBC)–is a great place to set up your lab. Apply to join us!

Check out our new review in Nature Reviews Genetics on de novo emerged genes and proteins. How they emerge, are lost and persist - and how de novo emerged proteins relate to randomized proteins! @bornberglab.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

What were the first animals? The fierce sponge–jelly battle that just won’t end For almost two decades, scientists have debated whether sponges or comb jellies are the first animal lineage. Now some are calling for a more harmonious approach.

The last word on Ctenophores versus Sponges (not).
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Here we go again! Join us in Vienna, May 21–22, for two days of plant science—talks, discussions, and celebration of what makes plants both beautiful and essential 💚Full program + registration here: www.oeaw.ac.at/gmi/news-eve...
Come be part of it — each of you counts!