Liz Cooney

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

If you are protist enthusiast early in your career and you want hands-on training in collecting and handling protists for all your research goals, please apply to join us in Roscoff for a week-long course this summer!

opbc.sciencesconf.org

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

Applications are now open for our EMBO Practical Course in Computational and Experimental Microbiomics! 🧫🔬🖥️

meetings.embo.org/event/26-mic...

Come learn a mix of computational and experimental microbiome techniques from 6-8th July in beautiful Bath, UK!

Registration Deadline: 11 May 2026

Microbial Diversity and Host-Microbe Interactions in the Marine Environment - Dr Corey Holt

open.spotify.com/episode/1iYc...

#ProtistsOnSky

Spatial Proteomics Workshop for Protists

(see more in thread below)

Registration
Early Bird Monday 22nd June 2026.
Regular Monday 10th August 2026.
There will be a conference dinner on day 1. To register visit protistology.org.uk/autumn-meeti...

A Practical Approach to Study Uncultivated Protists Using Single‐Cell Techniques for Electron Microscopy Protists represent a significant portion of eukaryotic diversity with a wide range of ecological roles, lifestyles, and diverse morphological traits. Despite their widespread importance in ecological....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#protistsonsky

Modern microbialites harbor an undescribed diversity of chromerid algae - Environmental Microbiome Background Chromerid algae are the closest photosynthetic relatives of apicomplexan parasites. While chromerids have been central to understanding the evolutionary transition from free-living algae to...

Out now in Environmental Microbiome! 🧬

By re-analyzing microbialite sequencing data, we show that chromerid algae (the closest photosynthetic relatives of apicomplexans) are consistent and widespread associates of microbialites across diverse marine and freshwater environments worldwide 🌎

If you're interested in biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems, there's just a few days to apply for our PhD project: Ecological Surveillance using High-Throughput Quantitative Imaging at @uniofbath.bsky.social .

Deadline: January 16th!
Apply: is.gd/svXBcr

Image: www.planktoscope.org/how-it-works

Just on time for the holidays! Happy to share the published version of the discovery of leptophytes, a new deep-branching and widespread group of microalgae based on plastid MAGs (ptMAGs). Now with additional support from a mitochondrial MAG (mtMAG) of leptophytes.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

One more week to apply to this PhD position on working out an endosymbiosis relationship in a protist. Please share widely to prospective PhD student #protistsonsky

Bath city centre

Pulteney weir in Bath

Bath city centre

Bath cathedral

🎉 There are currently 4 opportunities to join the Holt lab in beautiful Bath! 🎉

If you're interested in protists, parasites, and/or biodiversity then please check out our website:
theholtlab.com/posts/ln5-21...

🚨 Deadlines vary between project.
✉️ Please reach out if you have any questions!

GW4+ DLTP PhD Project: Ecological and Evolutionary Insights from Polar Protists at University of Bath on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - GW4+ DLTP PhD Project: Ecological and Evolutionary Insights from Polar Protists at University of Bath, listed on FindAPhD.com

🥶Our GW4+ PhD project exploring polar protist diversity is accepting applications!🥶

With @tweethinking.bsky.social (@uniofbath.bsky.social) and Melody Clark (@bas.ac.uk), you will uncover the ecological roles, evolutionary histories, and environmental adaptions of polar protists!

Interested? 👀

Charting the landscape of cytoskeletal diversity in microbial eukaryotes An imaging resource of over 200 microbial eukaryotic species provides a glimpse into the remarkable universe of cytoskeletal diversity.

Charting the landscape of cytoskeletal diversity in microbial eukaryotes: Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Phylogenomic analysis of deep-branching telonemid Abstract. The evolutionary history of eukaryotic supergroups has been investigated primarily by large-scale phylogenomics, but one major hindrance to conti

Phylogenomic analysis of deep-branching telonemid #protistsonsky
academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

A novel taxonomic database for eukaryotic mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (eKOI), with a focus on protists diversity Abstract. Metabarcoding has emerged as a robust method for assessing biodiversity patterns by retrieving environmental DNA directly from ecosystems. While

Version 5.1.1 of the PR2 database has been released.

The major novelty is the inclusion of the recently published eKOI database (coi gene- doi.org/10.1093/data...) in the web interface. The 18S rRNA database is not changed so you can use 5.1.0 or 5.1.1 for metabarcode annotations

We’re back with the next DinoSphere Online Seminar!

Join us on Nov 4th, we're hosting:

Edmée Royen (ULiège) - Symbiodinium

Nicolas dos Santos Pacheco (Cambridge) - Perkinsids

📅 Tue, Nov 4 - 4 PM CET/3 PM GMT

💻 Zoom link: sites.google.com/view/dinosphere


Please spread the word!
#protistonsky

Pretty excited to share our new preprint!
Non-photosynthetic Plastid Replacement by a Primary Plastid in the Making
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

I'm looking for a PhD student to dive into some protist genomes and maybe find some cool parasites like this (very flexible) apicomplexan.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Please do reach out if you're interested. And APPLY EARLY! The advert will be taken down when a suitable candidate is found.🪱🦀🐟

What could be more exciting than watching Euplotes scurry around under the microscope? How about adding some raptorial predation by supergiant cannibal cells?

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Video by Vittorio Boscaro.

1/n

After a four-year investigation, a breakthrough study reveals the cause of sea star wasting disease (SSWD). A strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida is the culprit behind the marine epidemic that has killed billions of sea stars since 2013. Read the study: 🔗https://tinyurl.com/4rcb3xpf

Check out our new preprint all about Pirsonia, a tiny killer of bloom-forming Coscinodiscus diatoms!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#protistsonsky #marinemicrobes 🌊🔬

Phylogenetic position and mitochondrial genome evolution of ‘orphan’ eukaryotic lineages The phylogenetic tree of eukaryotes is divided into a handful of highly diverse ‘supergroups’; only a few so-called ‘orphan’ lineages branch in uncertain positions outside of these large clades. We fo...

New protist supergroup: Promethea! From @zlatogursky.bsky.social et al #ProtistsOnSky

We’re kicking off the DinoSphere Online Seminar Series! Join us for our first session with Karel Mockaer (Heidelberg) & Yong Heng Phua (OIST)

📅 1 July 9AM CEST
🔗 tinyurl.com/4mjaverj

Spread the word!
@protistwtmostest.bsky.social @ehehenberger.bsky.social @chandnibhickta.bsky.social&Norico Yamada

POSTDOC position available in Ceske Budejovice & Cambridge, funded by ERC KLEPTOS, to study plastid endosymbiosis in kleptoplastidic taxa with spatial proteomics. Are you curious about this process and interested in proteomics and data analysis? Join us by applying here: jobs.bc.cas.cz/en/detail/250

figure from the paper showing various views of the discussed microbial cell

New #ISEPpapers! Hijacking and integration of algal #plastids and #mitochondria in a polar planktonic host: Ananya Kedige Rao et al. www.cell.com/current-biol...

#Microbes #Algae #Protists #Symbiosis #Organelles #Plankton

fourth and final chapter of my PhD is out! 🚨 We used single cell metabarcode sequencing to describe the diversity of organisms associated with polycystine radiolarians near Bermuda. we found that polycystines associate with a really wide diversity of phytoplankton, compared to other radiolarians! 🤩

Polycystine radiolarians associate with diverse phytoplankton Abstract. Radiolarians are marine protists with a global distribution. Epipelagic radiolarians host photosynthetic endosymbionts, but the identity and spec

Check our paper by @nicolecoots.bsky.social, where she delved into the photosynthetic symbionts on Polycystine #Rhizaria. Nicole came to @biosstation.bsky.social after having to drastically change her dissertation due to COVID, So proud of you, Nicole, keep going!
academic.oup.com/plankt/artic...

Phylogenomic resolution of marine to freshwater dinoflagellate transitions Abstract. Dinoflagellates are an abundant and diverse group of protists that inhabit aquatic environments worldwide. They are characterized by numerous uni

Yet to share our recent paper “Phylogenomic resolution of marine to freshwater dinoflagellate transitions” led by Mahara and @protistwtmostest.bsky.social. Includes work from two @science.ubc.ca undergraduates! 🤩

Freshwater dinoflagellates need more love! 💚

academic.oup.com/ismej/articl...

@amoebadiscovery.bsky.social made an iteresting interview with me about #heliozoa and #centrohelids - I think these organisms are really important, understudied and gorgeous 😍 Also lots other intresting reading and beatiful pictures! #protistsonsky link: tinyurl.com/adiscovery1