Social Insects Lab - JGU Mainz

DNA methylation reflects tissue and caste identity but not parasitism-induced changes in a social insect Abstract. The role of DNA methylation in regulating transcriptional activity and post-transcriptional modifications in insects, particularly in social inse

Our paper is now out in Proceedings of the Royal Society B 🧬🐜

Explore how tissue- and caste-specific DNA methylation relates to gene expression, while parasite-induced transcriptional changes occur independently of DNA methylation.
👉 doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

Thanks to @socialinsectlab.bsky.social

3-year PhD position in insect ecophysiology and land-use intensity with PD Dr. Florian Menzel (@unimainz.bsky.social) and Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmitt ( #Würzburg ). Application deadline: February 4th, 2026. More info here: www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evoluti... #insects #ecophysiology #land-use #CHCs

MBE | Genomic Signatures of Selection Across Climate Gradients and a Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution in an Ant Social Parasite–Host System Face to face: the social parasite Temnothorax americanus (left) and an enslaved host worker, Temnothorax longispinosus (right).

Macit, @socialinsectlab.bsky.social investigated selection in response to climate and a geographic mosaic of coevolution between two ant species, a social parasite and its host.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf293

#evobio #molbio #coevolution

We are hiring!! #job Interested in #Ageing #Evolution #Ants #Single-cell 🐜🧬 Check our call, we offer a PhD position at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz! check the link
www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evoluti...

@romanzug.bsky.social and @socialinsectlab.bsky.social thinking about colony dynamics! Resource variation can mask tradeoffs, but here we show that even if that *doesn't* vary, lucky starts in colony life can lead to better trajectories and if so, a tradeoff is often undetectable despite being real.

International Union for the Study of Social Insects International Congress of the Insternational Union for the Study of Social Insects

We hope to see all of you in Freiburg next year for the International IUSSI Meeting: #IUSSI26 iussi2026.org

Also another of our PhD student Max Bolder had the opportunity to discuss some of his new results about the vampire ants Stigmatomma pallipes. If you want to know more contact him on Bluesky >>> @boldest-ant.bsky.social <<<

Last week our PhD Selina Huthmacher presented her work at ‪@ceiussi.bsky.social‬ on #CHCs in ants. If you want to know more check her recent paper >> royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1... <<

Selina's talk is in 5 min! Don't miss it at @ceiussi.bsky.social !

Don't forget the talk of Max today at 3 pm about #vampireants 🧛🐜 @ceiussi.bsky.social #CEIUSSI

The Gutenberg Workshop on the Evolution of Ageing is organized by Margaux Bieuville, Hanna Kokko and Victor Ronget from the University of Mainz together with Edward Ivimey-Cook from the University of Glasgow. The Workshop will take place from 30 September to 2 October 2025 at Wasem's Monastery Engelthal Ingelheim.

Join the GUTENBERG WORKSHOP on the Evolution of Ageing!

Organizers: Margaux Bieuville, @kokkonut.bsky.social and Victor Ronget @unimainz.bsky.social, and eivimeycook.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social

Info at gutenberg-workshops.uni-mainz.de/evolution-ag...

#ageing #evolution #lifesciences

2 of our PhD students, Max Bolder (@boldest-ant.bsky.social) and Selina Huthmacher are going to the
8th Central European IUSSI Meeting (@ceiussi.bsky.social)! If you are there don't miss their talks! 🐜👑🐜👃More info 👇
ce-iussi-meeting-szeged2025.iussi.de/programme/

Presented the first part of my PhD journey at @eseb2025.bsky.social
Here's to talking more about ant brains and curious insects in the future!! 🆒 🐜🧠

Last round of posters for our group today at @eseb2025.bsky.social ! Go and check for Clarita (@clariona.bsky.social) a the poster 047, you will found out more about cool ant brains! She will be there from 5 pm onwards! Bring a glass of sangria and your questions! 🐜🧠🍷 #ESEB #ESEB2025

It's a cat! It's an ant! It's our group 🇮🇹🇩🇪🇨🇴🇳🇱🇮🇳🇮🇷 at @eseb2025.bsky.social enjoying the city! #ESEB2025 🇪🇸🐜

The second day at @eseb2025.bsky.social was full of talks and posters from our group! If you missed Tom, Amir and Luisa (@jaimesnino.bsky.social) go and search for them! They have still a lot to say about their research! 🐜🪱💀🐜 #ESEB #ESEB2025

MEME alumni (www.evobio.eu) at #ESEB2025! We span so many generations now, from the first cohort (graduated in 2012) to those who are still studying, with master students, PhD students, postdocs, and PIs among us! So happy to get together in every ESEB 🤩

Watch out! @eseb2025.bsky.social Supergenes in Formica w/ @giuliascarparo.bsky.social ! #ESEB #ESEB2025

A bunch of inspiring talks this morning! Chromatin loops (identified with Micro-C) in cephalopods; odorant receptors in slave ants; chromosome inversions in a beetle, the genetics of critically endangered bellinger river turtle +the importance of MHC; genetic load in the helmet honeyeater

#eseb2025

@eseb2025.bsky.social Today's talk from our lab! 👇 Come and bring your curiosity and interest with you! #ESEB #ESEB2025

Giulia is waiting for you at the poster 208 at @eseb2025.bsky.social to talk about neuropeptides in #ants infected by #cestodes! Find out more about it! #ESEB #ESEB2025 #WomeninSTEM

Our fellow PhD students Clarita Mendes (@clariona.bsky.social), Giulia Blasi and Amirhossein Karimizadeh, and Dr. Tom Sistermans will be there at the poster session in the Expo area at @eseb2025.bsky.social. Go and check their posters! #ESEB #ESEB2025 More details below👇

#ESEB #ESEB2025 !!!

Our fellow PhD students @giuliab.bsky.social, @clariona.bsky.social, and Amirhossein Karimizadeh, and Dr. Tom Sistermans will be there at the poster session in the Expo area at @eseb2025.bsky.social. Go and check their posters! More details below👇

@jaimesnino.bsky.social, @giuliascarparo.bsky.social and Susanne Foitzik from our group @unimainz.bsky.social will give a talk at @eseb2025.bsky.social. Check the calendar below for more details! #ESEB2025 #ESEB 🐜🐜🐜

... and here's a second #ESEB2025 starter pack!

go.bsky.app/DnUAnt5

Folks going to #ESEB2025 : To help people connect on Bluesky, I've started making starter packs. Here is a first one with the names that were available when I started.

Ping me if you want to be included in the next one!

#ESEB #ESEB2025

Luisa @jaimesnino.bsky.social‬
will be at ESEB too! @eseb.bsky.social @eseb2025.bsky.social @unimainz.bsky.social 🐜

a little girl wearing sunglasses and a blue dress is dancing on the floor . ALT: a little girl wearing sunglasses and a blue dress is dancing on the floor .

Come and see my talk at the #ESEB2025 next Tuesday 3:15 PM (ROOM 129+130), on our efforts to understand reproduction and aging in ant colonies!