@ptdolan.bsky.social
Virologist, Evolutionary Biologist, IT guy, PI @ #QVEU big on mentorship, supporter of scientists. friendsofthelab.org Views expressed are my own. #DC
Some good news.
And on a Friday afternoon no less.
π¨ Requesting help:
I am looking for an agent who can facilitate more speaking gigs, podcast appearances, and interviews with journalists
I want to more widely share my story and expertise as a trans geneticist who understands the reality and complexity of "biological sex" π³οΈββ§οΈπ§¬
Please signal boost?
We're looking for a full-stack developer! Help us build the best open data platforms for pandemic prediction in the world.
Probably a short-term contract, but if you're looking for a full-time gig, let's talk. Inquire within: www.viralemergence.org/blog/were-hi...
I do love chicken, broccoli, and thing tacos.
14.01.2026 21:49 β π 11 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Registration deadline is fast approaching for the "Host adaptations to viral infectionsβ Meeting May 10th-13th, 2026, at the CNRS Station Biologique de Roscoff, Brittany, France! JOIN US and the many amazing speakers! JOIN US!
sites.google.com/berkeley.edu...
Went to school for 20+ years. Just spent 30 minutes trying to assemble a door lock incorrectly because I didnβt realize βdnβ¬οΈβ was actually ββ¬οΈupβ.
10.01.2026 18:12 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
Postdoc Position in Virology (1yr, renewable) We are launching M+RVL, a new research group dedicated to better understanding the fundamental mechanisms of positive-strand RNA virus replication. Supported by the LabEx NetRNA research cluster, the team is based within the Mosquito Models of Innate Immunity (M3I) unit at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC) in Strasbourg, France. Strasbourg is a lively city in northeastern France that offers a high quality of life, a vibrant university system, and a historic city center at the heart of Europe. Research Focus Replication organelles (ROs) are membrane-bound compartments that drive genome replication in positive-strand RNA viruses. Mosquito-borne viruses must assemble ROs in both mosquito and vertebrate hosts, which are separated by hundreds of millions of years of evolution. While structural biology has revealed the architecture of ROs in human cells, structure alone cannot explain their assembly, dynamics, and host-specific interactions, highlighting the need for integrative approaches. To address this gap, M+RVL integrates high-throughput genetics, proteomics, and computational modeling to dissect the mechanisms governing RO formation and function across hosts. Research Leadership The group is led by William Bakhache, Ph.D. Essential Skills: Strong background in virology, molecular biology, and biochemistry techniques. Desired Experience: Experience handling BSL-3 pathogens; expertise in computational biology (e.g., NGS analysis, proteomics data analysis, structural modeling). How to Apply Please send a single PDF containing a cover letter (detailing past and future research interests), a CV, and contact information for two references to williambakhache@hotmail.com.
Post-doc job alert! Please share with anyone who might be interested! @amersocvirology.bsky.social #virology #virosky #evolution
08.01.2026 22:56 β π 7 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
My first #QVEU postdoc, William @williambakhache.bsky.social is off to start his group at labex-netrna.cnrs.fr/presentation... in Strasbourg, FR. Weβll miss his leadership and friendship, but Iβm so excited to see what heβs got planned. If you want to book a ticket on this rocketship, reach out! π¦ π§ͺ
20.12.2025 01:05 β π 9 π 3 π¬ 1 π 0
My first #QVEU postdoc, William @williambakhache.bsky.social is off to start his group at labex-netrna.cnrs.fr/presentation... in Strasbourg, FR. Weβll miss his leadership and friendship, but Iβm so excited to see what heβs got planned. If you want to book a ticket on this rocketship, reach out! π¦ π§ͺ
20.12.2025 01:05 β π 9 π 3 π¬ 1 π 0Open rank search in MB&B in the areas of computational biophysics & biochemistry (purely computational or mix of wet/dry lab). Review of applications begins on 1/2/2026.
27.11.2025 00:33 β π 1 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Ilustration of evolution in ecological communities, feuturing Drosophila
PhD-position vacancy in Jan Hrcek's lab lab.hrcek.net, Czech Academy of Sciences: Exploring how rapid evolution in communities allows maintenance of genetic variation and species diversity. @erc.europa.eu πͺ° 𧬠π π§ͺApplication deadline: January 7th 2026
25.11.2025 12:41 β π 23 π 18 π¬ 0 π 0www.frontiersin.org/journals/mic...
Out now in its ultimate form! Congrats to NathΓ’nia and the rest of the team! π¦ #virosky
Thrilled to finally share the magnum opus of my PhD that focuses on the genetic basis of evolutionary change! Specifically, we know we can map the genetic basis of a trait, but can we tell which genes will underlie the trait shift when it evolves? doi.org/10.1101/2025...
18.11.2025 00:14 β π 64 π 30 π¬ 2 π 3Great to see this exciting perspective by young evolutionary biologists lead by the amazing @mbrasovives.bsky.social out!
14.11.2025 12:21 β π 8 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0My department at UT Austin is looking to hire an Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology, broadly defined. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have.
apply.interfolio.com/177547
πLatest from the lab:
Evo. characterization #antiviral #SAMD9/9L across #kingdomsπΆββοΈπ¦π¦ π§«π₯οΈ: ancient #convergence + #adaptations @natecoevo.nature.com
Led by amazing Alexandre Legrand +major contributions by RΓ©mi Demeure & Amandine Chantharath @ciri-lyon.bsky.social 1/n
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An empirical approach to evaluating the prevalence of long-lived balancing selection in humans--and important limitations. Work by @hannahmm.bsky.social
11.11.2025 19:14 β π 62 π 35 π¬ 0 π 0
PhD advert
I recently moved my lab to Purdue University and am looking for graduate students. We are working at the interface of population genomics, quantitative genetics and functional genomics to understand how plants adapt to extreme environments. Reach out if you would like to discuss potential projects.
08.11.2025 15:42 β π 45 π 39 π¬ 1 π 2
Conrad Hal Waddington was born OTD in 1905.
His βepigenetic landscapeβ is a diagrammatic representation of the constraints influencing embryonic development.
On his 50th birthday, his colleagues gave him a pinball machine on the model of the epigenetic landscape.
π§ͺ π¦«π¦ π±π #HistSTM #philsci #evobio
I want to do this PhD!!
07.11.2025 12:34 β π 2 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Our new preprint is out π₯³π₯³π₯³
Henipaviruses, like Nipah and Hendra, package their genomes inside helical shells built by thousands of nucleoproteins. These nucleocapsids are essential to protect the viral RNA, but how do they ever let the polymerase in to read the sequence?
π
Making them question their assumptions⦠that the earth is older than 5000 years.
02.11.2025 03:56 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0Brian, my student is recovering from the comments you made on their manuscript.
02.11.2025 03:52 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0Also - need to acknowledge the big assist by @williambakhache.bsky.social for getting this project off the ground.
01.11.2025 19:57 β π 3 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Jack also estimated how much evolutionary potential WNV E might have available for future adaptation, and compared our DMS data to natural diversity of flaviviruses to examine how well DMS data predicts evolution of related viruses. Very cool, comprehensive analysis!
01.11.2025 18:44 β π 3 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
New in βVirus Evolutionβ from #QVEU! PhD student Jack Dorman used deep mutational scanning to measure evolutionary constraints on the Envelope protein of West Nile Virus in human, mosquito, and bird cell lines, doing a lot of work to put it into a structural context #VirEvol
01.11.2025 18:44 β π 23 π 6 π¬ 2 π 0National Guard giving out Halloween candy at the U street metro if you are interested!
31.10.2025 13:50 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Did you go to Deltron in DC a couple weeks ago?
30.10.2025 13:58 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 3 π 0Iβm not saying they wonβt try to not pay us, but this isnβt confirmation of that.
Even in 2019 furlough was referred to as a type of βnon-pay statusβ by OPM. www.opm.gov/chcoc/transm...
