Thomas Mock

Our new paper just out in BMC Biology led by Johanna Winder: Environmental adaptations in #metagenomes revealed by deep learning. Artificial neural networks were used to classify ice-binding / substrate-binding proteins (DUF3494).

bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Applecross Bay

Over the Scottish Highlands

Common sea urchin > 10cm in diameter.

Bealach na Bà pass - Scotland

Found some 👍

Coral beach covered with maerl. Toscaig - Scotland

Arctic Ocean virus communities and their seasonality, bipolarity, and prokaryotic associations - Nature Communications Based on bulk DNA time-series sequencing of the surface Arctic Ocean, Calayag et al. show that planktonic viruses are strongly seasonal in abundance and community composition, and are correlated stron...

Worth reading: #Arctic Ocean virus communities
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Has ‘excellence’ funding brought a ‘German Harvard’ any closer? For two decades, Germany has spent billions of euros on boosting the research capacity of its top institutions. As selection proceeds for another six-year Excellence Strategy, Emily Dixon examines whe...

Has ‘excellence’ funding brought a ‘German Harvard’ any closer? www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/has-ex...

Meer: Das größte Geschenk, das der Mensch je bekommen hat Wir haben das Meer gefürchtet und lieben gelernt. Ein Versuch, seine Magie zu ergründen: mit Menschen, die darauf leben, die es gerettet hat, die seinen Ursprung suchen

For ocean lovers (in German)
www.zeit.de/2025/31/meer...

Proud dad moment: Paul with a BSc (Hons) Biology from @newcastleuni.bsky.social

Quality of scientific papers questioned as academics ‘overwhelmed’ by the millions published Widespread mockery of AI-generated rat with giant penis in one paper brings problem to public attention

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Tiny creature gorges, gets fat, and locks up planet-warming carbon Scientists find out how the epic deep sea migration of a tiny animal is storing planet-warming carbon.

Tiny creatures gorge, get fat, and help fight global warming www.bbc.com/news/article...

CryoRhodopsins: A comprehensive characterization of a group of microbial rhodopsins from cold environments Spectroscopy, structural, and functional study of microbial rhodopsins with characteristic long-living near–UV-absorbing state.

Worth reading: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The coral garden of #Norfolk #UK

Happy to join GEOMARs Scientific Advisory Board on a four-year term commencing Jan. 2026. @geomarkiel.bsky.social

We detected the toxin leadbeaterin‑1 and found that nutrient stress correlates with the expression of polyketide synthase genes and mixotrophy pathways.
Suggests? These blooms are more resilient and deadly under nutrient depletion.

Our own @antoniaotte1.bsky.social Well done and many congratulations 🙌 🎉😊👌 @ueaenv.bsky.social @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social

Characterizing organisms from three domains of life with universal primers from throughout the global ocean - Scientific Data Scientific Data - Characterizing organisms from three domains of life with universal primers from throughout the global ocean

Characterizing organisms from three domains of life with universal primers from throughout the global #ocean

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Congrats 🎉 all!

More realistic plankton simulation models will improve projections of ocean ecosystem responses to global change - Nature Ecology & Evolution Plankton models have crucial applications in ecosystem management and climate change projections. This Perspective suggests that stronger alignment of plankton models with empirical knowledge is neede...

Our new perspective paper just out @natecoevo.nature.com Led by Kevin J. Flynn and based on a community effort.

More realistic #plankton simulation models will improve projections of #ocean #ecosystem responses to global change. @ueaenv.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Organised by Hanhua Hu (Main organizer) who sent me this photo.

Mark your calendar: the next molecular life of #diatoms meeting will be in Wuhan 🇨🇳 July 4-8 in 2027 #MLD9

Last keynote at #ICOP2025 by Jana Milucka @mpimarinemicrobio.bsky.social

New impact factor of the Journal of Phycology is 3.4. Submit your high-quality manuscripts.

A new tool for research-based planning:

valuing-voices.ac.uk/our-toolkit/

Typical Qingdao food! BBQ and much more.

Choosing beers for dinner in Qingdao.

Parv’s seminar at OUC on #ocean #biogeochemistry. @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social

Narrow trails through the Laoshan mountains near Qingdao.