Patrick Goymer

In memoriam: Philip Bourne, founding dean of the School of Data Science The leader, who propelled the school from a concept to national recognition, had battled mesothelioma.

Travel safe Phil Bourne. We will all miss you very much, you were unmatchable. news.virginia.edu/content/memo...

Does coffee disrupt sleep? Large population study suggests the impact may be minimal A large cross-sectional analysis of 25,381 Swedish adults aged 50–64 found that habitual coffee consumption showed only very weak associations with sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Genetic analys...

☕ Think coffee ruins your sleep? A huge study finds regular coffee may have minimal effect on sleep quality or daytime fatigue in middle-aged adults. www.news-medical.net/news/2026031... #Coffee #Sleep @plosone.org

Spotting the Outsiders: How AI Handles Invasive Plants Can plant identification apps miss unusual or newly introduced species because those species are not expected to be there? This study explores how location and plant characteristics influence artifici...

New in @plosone.org: risk of overlooking invasive alien plants due to location restrictions in apps such as @inaturalist.bsky.social, but importantly, with responsible use, they remain a powerful detection tool.

www.growkudos.com/publications...

Original study: journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Moving north: Warmer waters expand populations of deep-water cartilaginous fishes into Arctic waters Continental shelf and deep ocean ecosystems are increasingly exposed to anthropogenic pressures including commercial fishing and climate change related environmental stressors. Among the most…

Moving north: Warmer waters expand populations of deep-water cartilaginous fishes into Arctic waters | PLOS One

Regional differences in excessive drinking Researchers from Nationhood Lab, the University of Illinois-Chicago, and the HealthPartners Institute found significant differences in excessive drinking across the American Nations regional cultures ...

Our new research paper in @plosone.org looks at regional differences in excessive drinking, which breaks from the usual pattern we see with health & the #AmericanNations. Yankeedom does poorly, G.Appalachia well, for instance. Write up with link to the article: www.nationhoodlab.org/regional-dif...

Climate-driven shifts aren't just happening at the surface.
Using 26 years of data, we show that deep-water sharks and chimaeras are moving northward into Arctic waters🦈 Their prey are moving too, suggesting that the entire deep-sea community is on the move.
Read it here👉 doi.org/10.1371/jour...

The Ypresian ichthyofauna of the Monte Solane Lagerstätte (Verona, northern Italy): A deep dive into the western Tethys early Eocene mesopelagic setting The Ypresian (lower Eocene) fish-bearing site of Monte Solane (Verona province, northern Italy) was discovered in the early 2000s, and its stratigraphy was thoroughly investigated more than a decade…

A new study by Calzoni and colleagues describes the early Eocene fish assemblage of the Monte Solane Lagerstätte in Italy, identifying several new taxa and revealing a mesopelagic ecosystem in the western Tethys during the decline of the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.

Neuropeptide F-expressing neurons in Drosophila constitute centrifugal pathway to optic lobes Neuropeptide F (NPF), the Drosophila homolog of mammalian neuropeptide Y (NPY), plays a central role in the integrative regulation of internal states and behavior by modulation of diverse processes…

A new study by Wang and Lehmann maps Neuropeptide F‑expressing neurons in the adult Drosophila brain and finds distinct anatomical clusters that project centrifugally to optic lobes, expanding understanding of how neuromodulators orchestrate behavior.

What is the evidence on indirect drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide? A systematic map protocol An estimated 1 million species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction. While much research has concentrated on direct drivers (e.g., land use change) of biodiversity loss, understanding ...

New in @plosone.org: Our protocol for a global systematic map of the indirect drivers of biodiversity loss. Full paper: doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Congrats to Federico Grossi & the team! 👏 #ConservationScience #Biodiversity (2/2)

New on Dryad: "Is the human chin a spandrel? Insights from an evolutionary analysis of ape craniomandibular form" 🧪

🔍 Dataset: bit.ly/46VL7Hs

📖 Article in @plosone.org: bit.ly/4lkHsZz

#biology #humanevolution #evolutionarybiology #opendata #research #researchintegrity

Re-examining hidden fitness: Female preferences for long-path songs in zebra finches Female songbirds can evaluate male quality from secondary sexual characteristics such as songs. Studies have shown mixed findings on which acoustic features contribute to song attractiveness. In a…

A new Registered Report Protocol by Prateek Sahu, @cbsturdy.bsky.social and colleagues pre-registers tests of whether female zebra finches prefer “long path length” songs, in order to re-examine earlier claims that this holistic song feature signals male quality.

Accessible and cost-effective deployment of environmental DNA (eDNA) samplers for sediment conducive to supporting community-based surveys The presence of at-risk, invasive, and sentinel species are measures of biodiversity, however it is often challenging to quickly gather reliable data through conventional, time-constrained surveying…

A new study by Anna Dema et al shows that an affordable sediment eDNA sampler (FloppE‑Dip) can reliably survey aquatic biodiversity. Although it yields lower copy numbers than traditional filters, it can be used as a viable alternative for community-based monitoring programs.

Phil Bourne was founding Editor-in-Chief of @plos.org PLOS Computational Biology, and instigator of the Ten Simple Rules series.

Remembering Phil Bourne Personal reflections on a legendary scientist, leader, builder, and mentor

Remembering Phil Bourne. Personal reflections on a legendary scientist, leader, builder, and mentor. blog.stephenturner.us/p/rememberin...

Science stories for young readers

Lovely round up of science books for children by the editors at @science.org. As my kids get older, I'm going to have to confront the fact that I'm really getting the books for myself not for them.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

We are very sad to hear of the death of Alan Wilson, a member of our Board of Directors. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, collaborators and colleagues at this difficult time.

Substantial variation in larval honey bee nutrition within and among Apis mellifera colonies Parents have evolved strategies to reduce the risk of malnutrition in offspring, including the production of specialized nutritional secretions that are tailored to meet the unique needs of…

A new study by Rebecca Westwick and Clare Rittschof reveals substantial variation in larval honey bee nutrition across Apis mellifera colonies, which could affect colony health and development.

plos.io/3MHSiMy

Ecosystems research plays a critical role in shaping environmental decisions 🌍️

PLOS Ecosystems brings together open, evidence‑led insights across terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems.

📩 Sign up for email updates to receive content, Editorial Board insights, and journal news: plos.io/4b898Mt

Populations are aging—and decisions must be evidence‑led.

PLOS Aging and Health is a new global platform for multidisciplinary research across the lifespan.

📄 Submit your work and help shape healthier futures: plos.io/4rJeV2n

Paternal effects without paternity? Testing non-genetic male influence on offspring size and brood size in a gynogenetic vertebrate, the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) Paternal effects, i.e., effects of fathers on the phenotype of their offspring that are not mediated by the transmission of alleles, are increasingly recognized as a potentially significant source of…

A new study by Scherer and colleagues tests for non‑genetic paternal effects on offspring size and brood size in the all-female clonal Amazon molly fish. The authors find no evidence for such effects, but set a benchmark for future testing.

plos.io/4clfcDP

Two decades of skeletal density decline in Pocillopora spp. corals in the Mexican Pacific Ocean: Insight into a tropical eastern Pacific acidification scenario? Corals demonstrate vulnerability to environmental changes, exhibiting the capacity to substantially modify coral calcification. In this study, we estimated declines in the density of Pocillopora…

A new study by López-Pérez and colleagues shows a two-decade decline in skeletal density of Pocillopora corals in the Mexican Pacific tied to rising temperature, lower pH, and aragonite saturation, highlighting reef vulnerability under climate change.

Latino/a experiences of homelessness in California: Qualitative findings from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH) The number of Latino/a people experiencing homelessness in the United States is increasing due to increased housing costs, economic disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased homelessness am...

As anti-immigrant & anti-homeless oppression hit all time highs, it is important to reflect on the experiences of Latine ppl who experience homelessness. Proud of this piece in @plosone.org @ucsfbhhi.bsky.social #CAHomelessStudy

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Happy Birthday to Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the first of the county wildlife trusts, from those of us across the border at @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social.

For more on the history of the national organization of trusts (@the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social) see here: www.wildlifetrusts.org/our-history

Happy Birthday to Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the first of the county wildlife trusts, from those of us across the border at @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social.

For more on the history of the national organization of trusts (@the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social) see here: www.wildlifetrusts.org/our-history

Heavy metals and eggshell coloration in House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggshells across the Eastern United States House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) may serve as suitable species to monitor persistent environmental contaminants, like heavy metals, that pose serious health risks to humans and wildlife alike.…

A new study by Suzanne Hartley and colleagues using #CitizenScience data finds higher than expected levels of arsenic, cadmium, copper, selenium and lead in House Sparrow eggs across the eastern USA, but eggshell coloration did not predict metal content.

plos.io/3OKiGWC

Conformity and individual preference shape nest material use in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) Culture, learned behaviours shared within a group, is found in diverse species and critically impacts fitness. Culture arises through social learning and persists when newcomers adopt group norms via ...

New paper by first-author Julia Self in PLOS ONE shows that strong opinions reduce social learning in zebra finches. Birds with stronger preferences less likely to use social information, revealing that bias strength shapes how ideas spread within groups @laurenguillette.bsky.social

bit.ly/460cQpT

Tropical plants flowering months earlier or later because of climate crisis – study Changes threaten ecosystems as flowering falls out of sync with fruit-eating, seed-dispersing animals and pollinators

Tropical plants flowering months earlier or later because of #climatecrisis – study

- Changes threaten ecosystems as flowering falls out of sync with fruit-eating, seed-dispersing animals and pollinators

Story by @phoebeweston.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Assessing the impact of wildlife conservation areas on human well-being Effective wildlife conservation is inextricably linked to the well-being of people living in and around conservation areas. Historically, conservationists have focused on a narrow range of externally…

Romanello and colleagues find that communities near Kirindy Mitea National Park in Madagascar reported little or no benefit from the park to their income or overall well-being, highlighting the importance of integrating human costs into evaluations of conservation areas.

World’s longest running birth cohort study marks 80 years The world’s longest continuously running birth cohort study, which follows thousands of participants born in the first week of March 1946 and is hosted by UCL, is celebrating its 80th birthday.

A heart-warming science news story for difficult times.

The world’s longest continuously running birth cohort study turns 80 this week - a milestone. tinyurl.com/3wy8n4ah

It was a privilege writing about it in my book The Life Project.

Happy birthday NSHD! @clscohorts.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk

Using full-text content to characterize and identify best seller books: A study of early 20th-century literature Artistic pieces can be studied from several perspectives, one example being their reception among readers over time. In the present work, we approach this interesting topic from the standpoint of lite...

For #WorldBookDay, here's a 2024 @plosone.org study showing that even when applying a machine-learning approach to the full text of books, it's pretty difficult to predict if they will become best sellers.

I find this reassuring.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...