Ariel K. Frame

Why we age Three categories of explanations exist for why we age: mechanistic theories, which omit reference to evolutionary forces; weakening force of selection theories, which posit that barriers exist that p...

This is a superb explanation of why we age from an evolutionary perspective, packed full of fun animal examples!

It makes clear that evolution *did* optimise for lifespan (why wouldn’t it?), and that implies intervening in aging might not be that hard…

Postdoctoral Scientist: Neurobiology - DEMENTIA RESEARCHER MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Cambridge seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher to develop amyloid filament methods using cryo EM to study tau neurodegeneration.

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Cambridge seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher to develop amyloid filament methods using cryo EM to study tau neurodegeneration. Closing date: 4th January

www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/job/postdoct...

Lactate regulates cell cycle by remodelling the anaphase promoting complex - Nature Discovery of a biochemical mechanism through which lactate binds and inhibits the SUMO protease SENP1, stimulating timed degradation of cell cycle proteins, and resulting in mitotic exit.

Cool finding! @rutterlab.bsky.social do you think the effect of MPC expression on cell size may also be impacted by gain/loss of lactate function? This study comes to mind: www.nature.com/articles/s41... Lactate regulates cell cycle by remodelling the anaphase promoting complex | Nature

AI reviewers are here — we are not ready Artificial intelligence promises rapid and polite feedback on papers — but we must first review the reviewer.

@nature.com asked me to write an op-ed on the perspective of the AI reviewing process, prompted by the recent partnership between @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social and @qedscience.bsky.social

Hope my perspective adds value to the conversation.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Reviewer is told to try shutdown AI algorithmic perfection with unendorsements. This system gets the benefit of AI catching issues with the manuscript the reviewer may not have otherwise and the human has an opportunity to propose ideas outside the mean, which the AI is unlikely to. Only loss: speed

Interesting! Very astute identification of two problems: regression to the mean and algorithmic perfectionism. Potential solution: have AI propose a list of questions, have human reviewer check off the ones they endorse, cancel those they unendorse, then make a list of their own if they have more.

This whale lives for centuries: its secret could help extend human lifespan Nature - A cold-activated protein that mends damaged DNA could play a part in keeping the bowhead whale in tip-top shape.

Encased in a blanket of blubber that is nearly half a metre thick, the 80,000-kilogram bowhead whale does not, at first glance, seem a natural poster child for health and longevity

go.nature.com/4qTyrcz

7 basic science discoveries that changed the world Ozempic, MRI machines and flat screen televisions all emerged out of fundamental research decades earlier — the very types of study being slashed by the US government.

Ozempic, MRI machines and flat screen televisions all emerged out of fundamental research decades earlier — the very types of study being slashed by the US government

go.nature.com/47hn0n5

Advertisement for PhD studentship involving a host-pathogen panel, RNA sequencing, and functional genetics. The aim is to use fly species to learn how immune responses evolve.

PhD studentshipship available through @swbiodtp.bsky.social! This project will take advantage of an incredible RNAseq dataset we are generating using 40 species and multiple infection types to learn how immune systems evolve.

For more info, see: bit.ly/43zNa20

#Drosophila #Immunity

FULLY FUNDED PhD - Identifying Critical Periods for Mitochondrial Function in Drosophila Development and Lifespan at University of Glasgow on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - FULLY FUNDED PhD - Identifying Critical Periods for Mitochondrial Function in Drosophila Development and Lifespan at University of Glasgow, listed on FindAPhD.com

Two weeks left to apply for a PhD position in my laboratory at #Glasgow.
The project focuses on #Ageing, #Mitochondria, and #Drosophila, with emphasis on Complex I (CI) function.
Fees are fully covered for applicants eligible for UK Home Student status.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

New preprint. ATF4 activation is thought to lead to longer lifespans. However, our study shows that suppression rather than activation extends lifespan in the fly. New Qs: how we can target ATF4 or its downstream targets to gain targeted longevity benefits.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

FlyBase Insertion Report: Dmel\P{R57C10-FLPL}su(Hw)attP8 FlyBase: a database for drosophila genetics and molecular biology

Only thing I can think of at the moment is maybe you could use the tubP-FRT-GAL80-FRT we have in Andrew Lin’s lab in combination with a CNS-expressing FLP. I found an Nsyb>FLP flybase.org/reports/FBti... but, I don’t FLP 100% always cuts FRT. so, not sure how to get around that.

Male CNS Connectome A team of researchers has unveiled the complete connectome of a male fruit fly central nervous system —a seamless map of all the neurons in the brain and nerve cord of a single male fruit fly and the ...

Exciting news for #drosophila #connectomics and #neuroscience enthusiasts: the Drosophila male central nervous system connectome is now live for exploration. Find out more at the landing page hosted by our Janelia FlyEM collaborators www.janelia.org/project-team....

This November, I am raising money for prostate #cancer research in Canada @ccsresearch.bsky.social by getting people to pay me to have a goofy looking face. Join in on the Movember fun and support a good cause, join the team or make a donation. Any amount makes a difference!
tiny.cc/MapleMovember

Fantastic little read! Time to dust off my system 2 thinking and engage in some realistic time budgeting! Educational and informative for #drosophila researchers and actually any experimentalists!

“Even if you don’t think precautionary measures are warranted, it’s still really important for scientists to report what they have and haven’t done to insects in the course of their experiments..-..If you kill an animal in a certain way, that may affect the expression of certain genes.”- Craig Perl

First episode is out! I spoke with Professor James Marshall @sheffielduni.bsky.social @opteran.bsky.social about his research on modelling the #brain of #bees and implications for #ai . Take a listen! #neuroscience #sciencecommunication

Ectopic sodium channel expression decreases excitability of Drosophila Kenyon cells Abstract figure legend: We tested the effects of expressing the bacterial voltage-gated sodium channel NaChBac in the Kenyon cells of the Drosophila memory centre, the mushroom body. NaChBac expressi...

Excited to share our latest work - expressing the bacterial sodium channel in fly Kenyon cells surprisingly *decreases* their excitability, thanks partly to decreased endogenous sodium channels. This prevents learning and decreases odor-evoked calcium influx doi.org/10.1113/JP28...

Dear Fly Community, In May 2025, the NIH terminated all grant funding to Harvard University, including the NHGRI grant that supported FlyBase. This grant also funded FlyBase teams at Indiana University (IU) and the University of Cambridge (UK), and as a result, their subawards were also canceled. The Cambridge team has secured support for one to two years through generous donations from the European fly community, emergency funding from the Wellcome Trust, and support from the University of Cambridge. At IU, funding has been secured for one year thanks to reserve funds from Thom Kaufman and a supplement from ORIP/NIH to the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center (BDSC). Unfortunately, the situation at Harvard is far more critical. Harvard University had supported FlyBase staff since May but recently denied a request for extended bridge funding. As a result, all eight employees (four full-time and four part-time) were abruptly laid off, with termination dates ranging from August to mid-October depending on their positions. In addition, our curator at the University of New Mexico will leave her position at the end of August. This decision came as a shock, and we are urgently pursuing all possible funding options. To put the need into perspective: although FlyBase is free to use, it is not free to make. It takes large teams of people and millions of dollars a year to create FlyBase to support fly research (the last NHGRI grant supported us with more than 2 million USD per annum). To help sustain FlyBase operations, we have been reaching out to you to ask for your support. We have set up a donation site in Cambridge, UK, to which European labs have and can continue to contribute, and a new donation site at IU to which labs in the US and the rest of the world can contribute. We urge researchers to work with their grant administrators to contribute to FlyBase via these sites if at all possible, as more of the money will go to FlyBase. However, we appreciate that some fu…

https://wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase:Contribute_to_FlyBase Our immediate goals are: 1. To maintain core curation activities and keep the FlyBase website online 2. To complete integration with the Alliance of Genome Resources (The Alliance). Integration with the Alliance is essential for FlyBase’s long-term sustainability. For nearly a decade, NHGRI/NIH has supported the unification of Model Organism Databases (MODs) into the Alliance, which we aim to achieve by 2028. Therefore, securing bridge funding to sustain FlyBase over the next three years is crucial for successful integration and the long-term access to FlyBase data. At present, our remaining funds will allow us to keep the FlyBase website online for approximately one more year. Beyond that, its future is uncertain unless new funding is secured. We will, of course, continue pursuing additional grant opportunities as they arise. Given the uncertainty of future NIH or alternative funding sources, we are relying on the Fly community for support. Your contributions will directly help us retain the staff needed to complete this transition and to secure ongoing fly data curation into the Alliance beyond 2028. We at FlyBase are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community during this challenging time. Your encouragement has strengthened our resolve and underscores how vital this resource remains to Drosophila research worldwide. Sincerely, The FlyBase Team

The community of Drosophila researchers is amazing, mutually supportive and collaborative. Right now a key resource for our community, @flybase.bsky.social , is threatened by the cancellation of its NIH grant and is seeking community help in raising short term funds 1/n 🧪 please share

Hear me out: Could FlyBase relocate somewhere with a more secure relationship with funding? Could they relocate to #Canada?

Everybody working with #drosophila will tell you how essential FlyBase.org
@flybase.bsky.social is for their research. @flybehaviour.bsky.social is absolutely correct in saying major cuts at FlyBase are "utterly devastating"
tiny.cc/utir001
@thetransmitter.bsky.social
This NEEDS to be rectified!

Music by freebeats.io produced by White Hot

Watch this pharate podcast eclose from its concept pupal case and emerge free on any #podcast player. First episode coming soon! Listen for fun #sciencecommunication #brain #science #biology #neuroscience #drosophila #aging and more! linktr.ee/quitecurious

Hi, if you are looking to come to Canada for a post-doc or a PhD, consider my lab to study the genetic basis of social interactions, using the fruit fly! My university (Western University) has a new program to welcome you! See below! #drosophila #postdoc #canada #PhD #social #behaviouralneurogenetic

Why use animals when we have AI and organoids? Among other reasons, “We also do not know enough about biology to know where real breakthroughs will come.” Says @jasonsynaptic.bsky.social in this excellent article.

5-panel comic. (1) [teacher with long hair next to whiteboard] TEACHER: I’m supposed to give you the tools to do good science. (2) [teacher addressing students] But what *are* those tools? Methodology is hard and there are so many ways to get incorrect results. What is the magic ingredient that makes for good science? (3) TEACHER: To figure it out, I ran a regression with all the factors people say are important: [embedded list in sub-panel, cut off at end] Outcome variable: correct scientific results. Predictors: collaboration; skepticism of others’ claims; questioning your own beliefs; trying to falsify hypotheses; checking citations; statistical rigor; blinded analysis; financial disclosure; open data (4) TEACHER: The regression says two ingredients are the most crucial: 1) genuine curiosity about the answer to a question, and 2) ammonium hydroxide. (5) STUDENT: Wait, why did *ammonia* score so high? How did it even get on the list? LONG HAIR: ...And now you’re doing good science!

Good Science

xkcd.com/3101/

Drosophila flies with little name tags and coffee conversing at a poster session at a conference

I had a great time at #CANfly2025 @mcgill.ca! Thanks to Vincent Archambault, @emery-lab.bsky.social, David Hipfner, Nam-Sung Moon, Laura Nilson, Frieder Schöck, @biologists.bsky.social @ircm.bsky.social @genomejournal.bsky.social @genetics-gsa.bsky.social @healthcare.nikon.com et al. #drosophila

Towards more sustainable research: reducing the environmental impact when working with #Drosophila. Challiner, Saurya., Patel, Raff, Fostier, Prokop, A. (2025) @genetics-gsa.bsky.social‬, in press -- doi.org/10.1093/gene... - Always happy to discuss and hear your ideas and views!

A Role for Exaptation in Sculpting Sexually Dimorphic Brains from Shared Neural Lineages Sex differences in behaviours arise from variations in female and male nervous systems, yet the cellular and molecular bases of these differences remain poorly defined. Here, we take an unbiased, sing...

New preprint from lab: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Sexual dimorphism arises not through wholesale transcriptional reprogramming, but via selective sex-specific survival of neurons defined by birth order and shared developmental programs.

sandy cheeks from spongebob is flexing his muscles in a doorway Alt: sandy cheeks from spongebob is flexing his muscles in a doorway metaphor for the strength of the method and cartoon rodent connects with rodents used in the study discussed

Nice work! Really cool to see how powerful this method is for detecting subtle differences in behaviour!