Andi Fischer

Eine weibliche schwarze Witwe (Latrodectus hesperus) auf ihrem Netz. - Copyright

Schwarze Witwen locken Männchen mit „Käsefuß“-Geruch
Schwarze Witwen (Latrodectus hesperus) setzen bei der Partnersuche auf eine einzigartige Duftstrategie, so eine neue Forschungsstudie von Greifswalder und kanadischen Forscher*innen. E...
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eine Spinne in einem Netz

🕷️ Schwarze Witwen (Latrodectus hesperus) locken Männchen mit „Käsefuß“-Geruch!

Ein chemisches Pheromon zerfällt auf dem Netz der Weibchen zu einem wochenlang wirkenden Lockstoff, der Männchen anzieht und ihr Balzverhalten steuert.

Mehr Infos: https://bit.ly/47Y57ul 📷️ @andifischer10.bsky.social​

Unravelling Evolutionary Dynamics of Female Sexual Cannibalism and Male Reproductive Strategies in Spiders Sexual cannibalism (SC), where one mating partner consumes the other in the context of mating, is especially prevalent among spiders. However, the evolution of SC in spiders is still not fully unders...

Why do female spiders eat their mates, and how do males fight back? 🕷️ Our new review unpacks the evolutionary dynamics of sexual cannibalism and the astonishing male strategies it has shaped — from nuptial gifts to remote copulation. Open access in Integrative Zoology 👉 doi.org/10.1111/1749...

And that's a wrap - Prof @tomerczaczkes.bsky.social give the final (and among the most fascinating) talk at the @dzg2025berlin.bsky.social. thank you to the organizers and to Berlin for the fantastic conference. Im grateful for the great community and motivated for the next year's research

We buzzing to attend the German Zoological Society Meeting in Berlin this week!
Come and attend our talks and posters @dzg2025berlin.bsky.social @dzg-behaviour.bsky.social

Female burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides feeding a larva

Leptopilina heterotoma parasitc wasp

Hey #DZG2025, if you are interested in family life and/or communication, then come to the talks of J Plate-11:45 BEH, L Müller-12:15 BEH, M Körner-12:30 BEH, E Grubmüller-12:30 ECO (all today), J Sahm-11:30 EVOL (Thursday) and P Huber-12:45 BEH (Friday) and see the poster of M Cavalcanti!

It was an absolute joy sharing this amazing web of brilliant people here in Zadar. Thank you all for coming and making it so special! 🕷️❤️

Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.

Moravian University is hiring a Postdoctoral Scholar in Phylogenomics and Biogeography to study Opiliones evolution. Opportunity for teaching and research. Full details: https://ibtsjb.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2/job/147 #postdoc

MACE release 8 is now available. It contains 680 EI- and 50 Orbitrap mass spectra, including terpenoids, pheromones, alkaloids, lipids, etc.
The open-access data can be found at

doi.org/10.24355/dbb...

The MACE website with individual spectra is accessible via🧪

www.oc.tu-bs.de/schulz/html/...

Great Talk by Andy Fischer @35theca2025.bsky.social

Thank you Simona for your kind words

Our plenary talk today: Unraveling Sexual Size Dimorphism in Spiders: Current Insights and Emerging Frontiers by Simona Kralj - Fišer

Just one dose of psilocybin seems to be enough to rewire the brain Psilocybin appears to alter brain networks linked to repetitive negative thoughts, which may explain how the drug helps to treat some mental health conditions

Every wondered how exactly magic mushrooms seem to help treat depression?

The psychedelic compound psilocybin (found in the mushrooms) seems to remodel connections in the MOUSE brain and decrease loops linked to repeating negative thoughts. #medicine #health 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

@mpavlek.bsky.social thank you for hosting us

Excited to be at the ECA 2025 in Croatia! Fantastic arachnology awaits us, exciting results and new collaborations. I love this society
@35theca2025.bsky.social

Happy to say the 35th ECA in Zadar has officially started!

🛡️ Asseln mit eingebautem Chemie-Schutzschild
Was tun, wenn eine Spinne angreift? Die gewöhnliche Kellerassel (Porcellio scaber) setzt auf chemische Abwehr: Ein Cocktail aus vier Chinolin-basierten Substanzen schützt sie effektiv vor Fressfeinden, so eine Studie von @andifischer10.bsky.social

Registration now open for the 35th European Congress of Arachnology Registration is now open for the 35th European Congress of Arachnology, which will take place in Zadar, Croatia, from August 31st to September 5th, 2025. Organised by the Ruđer Boškovi&#26...

Coming to the 35th European Congress of Arachnology? You can win a free publication in a journal of your choice thanks to our publisher @pensoft.net !

subtbiol.pensoft.net/news/835

A Perspective on Unintentional Fragments and their Impact on the Dark Metabolome, Untargeted Profiling, Molecular Networking, Public Data, and Repository Scale Analysis. In/post-source fragments (ISFs) arise during electrospray ionization or ion transfer in mass spectrometry when molecular bonds break, generating ions that can complicate data interpretation. Although ISFs have been recognized for decades, their contribution to untargeted metabolomics - particularly in the context of the so-called “dark matter” (unannotated MS or MS/MS spectra) and the “dark metabolome” (unannotated molecules) - remains unsettled. This ongoing debate reflects a central tension: while some caution against overinterpreting unidentified signals lacking biological evidence, others argue that dismissing them too quickly risks overlooking genuine molecular discoveries. These discussions also raise a deeper question: what exactly should be considered part of the metabolome? As metabolomics advances toward large-scale data mining and high-throughput computational analysis, resolving these conceptual and methodological ambiguities has become essential. In this perspective, we propose a refined definition of the “dark metabolome” and present a systematic overview of ISFs and related ion forms, including adducts and multimers. We examine their impact on metabolite annotation, experimental design, statistical analysis, computational workflows, and repository-scale data mining. Finally, we provide practical recommendations - including a set of dos and don’ts for researchers and reviewers - and discuss the broader implications of ISFs for how the field explores unknown molecular space. By embracing a more nuanced understanding of ISFs, metabolomics can achieve greater rigor, reduce misinterpretation, and unlock new opportunities for discovery.

If you’ve been following #metabolomics literature, you’ve probably seen a lot of debate on in-source fragmentation. We’ve put together a manuscript to clarify what it is, how to deal with it, and what it means for discovery in #metabolomics and #exposomics.
doi.org/10.26434/che...

The University of Greifswald is hiring a Doctoral Researcher in Animal Metabolomics. The role, starting February 2026, focuses on chemical ecology in Black Widow spiders. Apply by Sept 24, 2025. More info: https://animal-metabolomics.com/phdcall/ #gradstudent

Exposure to PTFE (teflon), a commonly used microplastic in non-stick cookware, significantly reduces sperm quality in both humans and mice.

advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Please help us spread the word! Please amplify!

We are searching for an associate or full professor (Canada Excellence Research Chair) in Biodiversity Genomics at the University of Guelph! 🐟🌿🦠🐜🐸🐝

Applications are due October 6 2025.

careers.uoguelph.ca/job/Guelph-C...

#AcademicJobs #EvoBio

I am excited to announce that the position of a senior postdoc (3 +3 years) in the field of theoretical biology is available in my group.

The position provides the opportunity to closely interact with experimentalists and develop own research projects.

Please RT.

Details 👇:
shorturl.at/iiiOv

Google Scholar Is Doomed Academia built entire careers on a free Google service with zero guarantees. What could go wrong?

Since search is dead, how soon do you think Google Scholar is headed for the Google Graveyard? I'm betting it's soon, and academia is NOT prepared

Assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Sydney drinking water Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as major persistent organic contaminants in global drinking water supplies. While PFAS contami…

Assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Sydney drinking water #Chemosphere #MassSpec www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Our new paper is out @royalsociety.org! We discovered that crustaceans are, like many insects, chemically defended. The woodlouse Porcellio scaber secretes quinoline-derivates which deter predators. Three of the four identified metabolites were previously unknown.
doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2025.0260

Reference library for suspect screening of environmental toxicants using ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry - Communications Chemistry Rapid assessment of xenobiotic molecules is crucial due to their potential health risks. Here, the authors employ drift tube ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) to analyse 2144 xenobi...

Reference library for suspect screening of environmental toxicants using ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry
#CommunChem www.nature.com/articles/s42...

My department @utoronto.ca (www.utm.utoronto.ca/biology/) is hiring a molecular biologist in any field (e.g., ecology, evolutionary biology, etc.). Please encourage any excellent finishing PhD students, postdocs or assistant professor to apply here:
jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Mississa...

Chemical Ecology of Widow Spiders We are hiring for a funded PhD positionapply here Untangling pheromonal communication between and within the sexes of widow spiders Our group is undertaking a comprehensive exploration of the chemi…

🎓 #PhD in Animal Metabolomics & Ecology @unigreifswald🇩🇪
Sexual and non-sexual communication in a widow spider 🕷️⚗️
DFG-funded | 3 years | behavioral ecology & chemical ecology
Details: bit.ly/widow-phd
Apply by Sept 24, start in February 2026
#AcademicSky #pleaserepost