School of Biological Sciences, Monash @MonashBiol
@monashbiol.bsky.social
The School of Biological Sciences has research strengths in Ecology and Ecosystems; Evolution; Form and Function of Life; Genetic, Genomics and Health
Why is the take-up of Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) as a conservation tool so slow? Alanna Marsh and @carly-n-cook.bsky.social have investigated!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
September 1, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Why is the take-up of Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) as a conservation tool so slow? Alanna Marsh and @carly-n-cook.bsky.social have investigated!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Congratulations to Prof Kathryn Hodgins for her recognition as a Monash 70th Anniversary Fellow
www.monash.edu/science/news...
www.monash.edu/science/news...
August 27, 2026 at 4:18 AM
Congratulations to Prof Kathryn Hodgins for her recognition as a Monash 70th Anniversary Fellow
www.monash.edu/science/news...
www.monash.edu/science/news...
Reposted by School of Biological Sciences, Monash @MonashBiol
Our paper is out in @conphysjournal.bsky.social!
We tested how the androgenic agricultural pollutant 17β-trenbolone affects immunity and reproductive allocation in eastern mosquitofish. A thread below (1/6): doi.org/10.1093/conp...
@ceb-uwa.bsky.social @monashbiol.bsky.social
We tested how the androgenic agricultural pollutant 17β-trenbolone affects immunity and reproductive allocation in eastern mosquitofish. A thread below (1/6): doi.org/10.1093/conp...
@ceb-uwa.bsky.social @monashbiol.bsky.social
August 25, 2026 at 7:23 AM
Our paper is out in @conphysjournal.bsky.social!
We tested how the androgenic agricultural pollutant 17β-trenbolone affects immunity and reproductive allocation in eastern mosquitofish. A thread below (1/6): doi.org/10.1093/conp...
@ceb-uwa.bsky.social @monashbiol.bsky.social
We tested how the androgenic agricultural pollutant 17β-trenbolone affects immunity and reproductive allocation in eastern mosquitofish. A thread below (1/6): doi.org/10.1093/conp...
@ceb-uwa.bsky.social @monashbiol.bsky.social
Australia’s lizards and snakes are in far more trouble than we thought. It’s time to act
theconversation.com/australias-l...
theconversation.com/australias-l...
Australia’s lizards and snakes are in far more trouble than we thought. It’s time to act
Australia is famous for its lizards and snakes. But we found at least 127 species are threatened – almost twice as many as previously thought.
theconversation.com
August 27, 2026 at 3:52 AM
Australia’s lizards and snakes are in far more trouble than we thought. It’s time to act
theconversation.com/australias-l...
theconversation.com/australias-l...
Adolfo Aguilar-Cruz and colleagues sought to understand the function and evolution of microRNAs using Marchantia polymorpha, a model bryophyte that allows comparative approaches to infer characteristics of the ancestral land plant. Read more here nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
August 17, 2026 at 7:50 AM
Adolfo Aguilar-Cruz and colleagues sought to understand the function and evolution of microRNAs using Marchantia polymorpha, a model bryophyte that allows comparative approaches to infer characteristics of the ancestral land plant. Read more here nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
Are you a potential Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Ecology or Evolutionary Biology? The School of Biological Sciences at Monash University is recruiting careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
August 13, 2026 at 2:27 AM
Are you a potential Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Ecology or Evolutionary Biology? The School of Biological Sciences at Monash University is recruiting careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Reposted by School of Biological Sciences, Monash @MonashBiol
Our new Nature Eco Evo paper documents range shifts in 1,758 butterfly species across 105 countries, primarily due to climate change.
🦋80% expanded
🦋27% contracted
🦋22% shifted elevation
🦋342 showed multiple shift types.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
@monashbiol.bsky.social @monashscience.bsky.social
🦋80% expanded
🦋27% contracted
🦋22% shifted elevation
🦋342 showed multiple shift types.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
@monashbiol.bsky.social @monashscience.bsky.social
August 6, 2026 at 9:49 AM
Our new Nature Eco Evo paper documents range shifts in 1,758 butterfly species across 105 countries, primarily due to climate change.
🦋80% expanded
🦋27% contracted
🦋22% shifted elevation
🦋342 showed multiple shift types.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
@monashbiol.bsky.social @monashscience.bsky.social
🦋80% expanded
🦋27% contracted
🦋22% shifted elevation
🦋342 showed multiple shift types.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
@monashbiol.bsky.social @monashscience.bsky.social
How did snakes get to be so long? Recent work by Ammresh and colleagues on three species of elapids has found that most of the elongation happened in the thoracic region and a repatterning of this region gave rise to three modules. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1... @drteethal.bsky.social
August 13, 2026 at 2:11 AM
How did snakes get to be so long? Recent work by Ammresh and colleagues on three species of elapids has found that most of the elongation happened in the thoracic region and a repatterning of this region gave rise to three modules. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1... @drteethal.bsky.social
Can intermittent fasting affect our genes? Xiangru Cheng and co-authors found that yes, it alters transposable elements that correlate with genes involved in lipid metabolism and muscle contraction. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
August 6, 2026 at 1:48 AM
Can intermittent fasting affect our genes? Xiangru Cheng and co-authors found that yes, it alters transposable elements that correlate with genes involved in lipid metabolism and muscle contraction. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Are there downstream impacts from coal mining on adult frogs? Shannon Kaiser and co-authors looked at 25 unexposed sites and 22 exposed sites in the Royal National Park NSW and found that wastewater exposure increased amphibian disease risk. @bbmwong.bsky.social
August 6, 2026 at 1:39 AM
Are there downstream impacts from coal mining on adult frogs? Shannon Kaiser and co-authors looked at 25 unexposed sites and 22 exposed sites in the Royal National Park NSW and found that wastewater exposure increased amphibian disease risk. @bbmwong.bsky.social
How can one hormone control when and where development takes place? Laura Boulan and Christen Mirth review the multifaceted role of ecdysone in insect development and patterning. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
August 6, 2026 at 1:29 AM
How can one hormone control when and where development takes place? Laura Boulan and Christen Mirth review the multifaceted role of ecdysone in insect development and patterning. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Measuring executive function in guppies; is it impacted by anti-depressant pollution? Eleanor Moore and co-authors looked at working memory and cognitive flexibility 2 facets of executive function. @bbmwong.bsky.social @jack-brand.bsky.social @jackmanera.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...
August 6, 2026 at 1:14 AM
Measuring executive function in guppies; is it impacted by anti-depressant pollution? Eleanor Moore and co-authors looked at working memory and cognitive flexibility 2 facets of executive function. @bbmwong.bsky.social @jack-brand.bsky.social @jackmanera.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...
How do species interactions and temperature interact to
shape egg-to-adult viability in sub-tropical and tropical #Drosophila species? Vanessa Kellerman Carla Sgro and co-authors found the presence of other species tended to negatively impact egg-to-adult viability. doi.org/10.1002/ecy....
shape egg-to-adult viability in sub-tropical and tropical #Drosophila species? Vanessa Kellerman Carla Sgro and co-authors found the presence of other species tended to negatively impact egg-to-adult viability. doi.org/10.1002/ecy....
Species interactions shape the thermal performance curve and distribution of tropical <fi>Drosophila</fi> species
Decades of research have demonstrated the importance of temperature in dictating species distributional limits. We know species interactions also play a key role, but we lack a predictive framework f....
doi.org
July 23, 2026 at 5:24 AM
How do species interactions and temperature interact to
shape egg-to-adult viability in sub-tropical and tropical #Drosophila species? Vanessa Kellerman Carla Sgro and co-authors found the presence of other species tended to negatively impact egg-to-adult viability. doi.org/10.1002/ecy....
shape egg-to-adult viability in sub-tropical and tropical #Drosophila species? Vanessa Kellerman Carla Sgro and co-authors found the presence of other species tended to negatively impact egg-to-adult viability. doi.org/10.1002/ecy....
High light can damage the photosynthetic apparatus in plants through an over-reduction of the photosynthetic electron transport #PET chain, production of #ROS and damage to proteins and membranes. Marten Moore @mariaermakova.bsky.social at al have investigated a work-around doi.org/10.1016/j.mo....
July 21, 2026 at 4:45 AM
High light can damage the photosynthetic apparatus in plants through an over-reduction of the photosynthetic electron transport #PET chain, production of #ROS and damage to proteins and membranes. Marten Moore @mariaermakova.bsky.social at al have investigated a work-around doi.org/10.1016/j.mo....
Can developmental plasticity mitigate the physiological consequences of genomic discordance? Stefano Bettinazzi @dk-dowling.bsky.social et al. found early-life mitochondrial stress induced by dietary modulation promotes mitochondrial homeostasis and longevity. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42412929/
July 21, 2026 at 4:28 AM
Can developmental plasticity mitigate the physiological consequences of genomic discordance? Stefano Bettinazzi @dk-dowling.bsky.social et al. found early-life mitochondrial stress induced by dietary modulation promotes mitochondrial homeostasis and longevity. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42412929/
Can habitats disturbed by humans, prime species for successful invasion of similar habitats elsewhere? The Anthropgenically Induced Adaptation to Invade hypothesis #AIAI is hard to test. Arnaud Estoup Kathryn Hodgins and co-authors provide insights to this problem doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
July 21, 2026 at 4:04 AM
Can habitats disturbed by humans, prime species for successful invasion of similar habitats elsewhere? The Anthropgenically Induced Adaptation to Invade hypothesis #AIAI is hard to test. Arnaud Estoup Kathryn Hodgins and co-authors provide insights to this problem doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
How does the probability of survival and fertility change with age and early-life experience? In a rare field test Will Morgan Hayley Cameron and @djmmeeg.bsky.social found that adult bryozoans that experienced greater early-life stress had lower fitness overall academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
Early-life stress reduces senescence in the field for an indeterminately growing ectotherm
Abstract. Theory predicts that aged-related declines in performance (senescence) depend on experiences during early life. Experimental field tests of this
academic.oup.com
July 21, 2026 at 3:07 AM
How does the probability of survival and fertility change with age and early-life experience? In a rare field test Will Morgan Hayley Cameron and @djmmeeg.bsky.social found that adult bryozoans that experienced greater early-life stress had lower fitness overall academic.oup.com/evlett/advan...
Can we change the way rice use CO2 to increase photosynthetic efficiency and yield? Kuenzang Om @mariaermakova.bsky.social and colleagues think they can. A recent study investigates how C4-PEPC from maize (ZmPEPC) functions biochemically when expressed in rice. academic.oup.com/plphys/advan...
Expression of maize PEPC in rice reveals a strategy for establishing a functional C4 CO2-concentrating mechanism
Engineering rice to increase carbon capture efficiency requires fine-tuning enzyme regulation in addition to boosting the amount.
academic.oup.com
July 21, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Can we change the way rice use CO2 to increase photosynthetic efficiency and yield? Kuenzang Om @mariaermakova.bsky.social and colleagues think they can. A recent study investigates how C4-PEPC from maize (ZmPEPC) functions biochemically when expressed in rice. academic.oup.com/plphys/advan...
Reposted by School of Biological Sciences, Monash @MonashBiol
Fresh from fieldwork in remote Western Australia, @monashbiol.bsky.social PhD student Jing-Chia Guo (co-supervised with @annempeters.bsky.social) talking about his research on heat stress in purple crowned fairy wrens @animbehav.bsky.social #assab2026 #Bobwonglab
June 23, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Fresh from fieldwork in remote Western Australia, @monashbiol.bsky.social PhD student Jing-Chia Guo (co-supervised with @annempeters.bsky.social) talking about his research on heat stress in purple crowned fairy wrens @animbehav.bsky.social #assab2026 #Bobwonglab
Reposted by School of Biological Sciences, Monash @MonashBiol
Native and invasive fish differ in their response to pharmaceutical pollution with consequences for species interactions. Raiko Rafeeq presents the results of her @monashbiol.bsky.social PhD work at #ISBE2026. #BobWongLab
July 20, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Native and invasive fish differ in their response to pharmaceutical pollution with consequences for species interactions. Raiko Rafeeq presents the results of her @monashbiol.bsky.social PhD work at #ISBE2026. #BobWongLab
Resolving data deficiency in a cryptic skink: distribution, threats and an Endangered conservation status for the Bungle Bungle robust slider (Lerista bunglebungle) connectsci.au/pc/article/d...
Resolving data deficiency in a cryptic skink: distribution, threats and an Endangered conservation status for the Bungle Bungle robust slider (<italic>Lerista bunglebungle</italic>)
A staggering 22,760 species are considered Data Deficient (DD) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with more than half predicted to be threatened b
connectsci.au
June 1, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Resolving data deficiency in a cryptic skink: distribution, threats and an Endangered conservation status for the Bungle Bungle robust slider (Lerista bunglebungle) connectsci.au/pc/article/d...
Can we improve translocation management for conservation? Xenia Münger, Carly Cook & Carlo Pacioni ran simulations and showed an increase in genetic diversity from translocations; introduced variation may outweigh the loss of local variation. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
May 28, 2026 at 2:06 AM
Can we improve translocation management for conservation? Xenia Münger, Carly Cook & Carlo Pacioni ran simulations and showed an increase in genetic diversity from translocations; introduced variation may outweigh the loss of local variation. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
Second thoughts about first principles in biology: Trends in Ecology & Evolution www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...
Second thoughts about first principles in biology
First-principles approaches, based on physics or chemistry, are key pillars of biological
theory. Despite their value, there are recurrent problems with many first-principles
approaches in biology: th...
www.cell.com
May 25, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Second thoughts about first principles in biology: Trends in Ecology & Evolution www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...
How important is mitochondrial DNA in conservation? Jack Brand, @dk-dowling.bsky.social and co-authors argue that ignoring mtDNA risks unintended maladaptation and that mitochondrial and nuclear genetics should be considered jointly in conservation planning. www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...
The importance of mitochondrial DNA introgression for conservation
Human-mediated gene flow is increasingly altering the genetic composition of populations,
yet conservation assessments typically focus on nuclear introgression alone. We synthesise
evidence showing th...
www.cell.com
May 25, 2026 at 7:49 AM
How important is mitochondrial DNA in conservation? Jack Brand, @dk-dowling.bsky.social and co-authors argue that ignoring mtDNA risks unintended maladaptation and that mitochondrial and nuclear genetics should be considered jointly in conservation planning. www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...
Rhiannon Eastment @bbmwong.bsky.social and colleagues found no difference in growth and reproduction of weedfish exposed to a pervasive oestrogenic pollutant found in female contraceptive pills. watermark02.silverchair.com/xaag062.pdf?...
May 25, 2026 at 7:39 AM
Rhiannon Eastment @bbmwong.bsky.social and colleagues found no difference in growth and reproduction of weedfish exposed to a pervasive oestrogenic pollutant found in female contraceptive pills. watermark02.silverchair.com/xaag062.pdf?...