Frances Pitsillides
@francespi.bsky.social
Doctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tübingen🍃🪲🍄
Very excited to share this article written with my PhD advisor @hassansalem.bsky.social, highlighting the amazing work on organ remodeling for symbiosis by Nishino et al @fkttkm.bsky.social. A fascinating system to think about!
How are host organs remodeled for symbiosis?
And do some insects converge in how they sustain life within/on these structures?
Loved unpacking these Qs w/ @francespi.bsky.social in light of the stunning Nishino & @fkttkm.bsky.social study!
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
And do some insects converge in how they sustain life within/on these structures?
Loved unpacking these Qs w/ @francespi.bsky.social in light of the stunning Nishino & @fkttkm.bsky.social study!
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
An earful of fungi: Hearing organ repurposed for symbiosis
In a recent publication in Science, Nishino et al. reveal the evolutionary co-option
of an auditory structure into a newly identified type of symbiotic organ. This organ,
found on the hindlegs of fema...
www.cell.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Very excited to share this article written with my PhD advisor @hassansalem.bsky.social, highlighting the amazing work on organ remodeling for symbiosis by Nishino et al @fkttkm.bsky.social. A fascinating system to think about!
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
Extensive horizontal transfer of transposable elements shapes fungal mobilomes
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @jromeijn.bsky.social et al from @mfseidl.bsky.social
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @jromeijn.bsky.social et al from @mfseidl.bsky.social
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Extensive horizontal transfer of transposable elements shapes fungal mobilomes
Romeijn et al. reveal that horizontal transposon transfer is widespread in fungi,
contributing up to 70% of transposon content in some taxa. The authors uncover thousands
of events across diverse line...
www.cell.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Extensive horizontal transfer of transposable elements shapes fungal mobilomes
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @jromeijn.bsky.social et al from @mfseidl.bsky.social
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@currentbiology.bsky.social by @jromeijn.bsky.social et al from @mfseidl.bsky.social
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
Everything you always wanted to know about mushroom-forming fungi! Great collab with amazing mycologists. Thanks Laszlo Nagy for leading this effort!
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
The biodiversity, genomics, ecology and evolution of mushroom-forming fungi - Nature Reviews Biodiversity
Mushroom-forming fungi have along evolutionary history and a suite of important ecological roles. This Review highlights advances in understanding of Agaricomycetes evolution and ecology driven by gen...
www.nature.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Everything you always wanted to know about mushroom-forming fungi! Great collab with amazing mycologists. Thanks Laszlo Nagy for leading this effort!
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
Our December issue is out!
www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...
The image shows a female Asian tiger mosquito cadaver covered by mycelium (white) following infection with spores of an engineered Metarhizium strain. Parts of the mycelium produce spores (green) that can again attract and kill mosquitoes.
www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...
The image shows a female Asian tiger mosquito cadaver covered by mycelium (white) following infection with spores of an engineered Metarhizium strain. Parts of the mycelium produce spores (green) that can again attract and kill mosquitoes.
December 1, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Our December issue is out!
www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...
The image shows a female Asian tiger mosquito cadaver covered by mycelium (white) following infection with spores of an engineered Metarhizium strain. Parts of the mycelium produce spores (green) that can again attract and kill mosquitoes.
www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...
The image shows a female Asian tiger mosquito cadaver covered by mycelium (white) following infection with spores of an engineered Metarhizium strain. Parts of the mycelium produce spores (green) that can again attract and kill mosquitoes.
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
New light on old stones: a fossil #fungus in #symbiosis with one of the oldest known land plants
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
November 14, 2025 at 7:35 AM
New light on old stones: a fossil #fungus in #symbiosis with one of the oldest known land plants
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
TEs aren’t just genomic parasites, they’re also engines of genomic novelty.
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Historic transposon mobilisation waves create distinct pools of adaptive variants in a major crop pathogen - Nature Communications
In this study, the authors analysed a large genomic dataset to trace how jumping genes shaped the global spread of a major wheat pathogen and reveal bursts of activity over decades that drove adaptati...
www.nature.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
TEs aren’t just genomic parasites, they’re also engines of genomic novelty.
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.
With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social
🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#TEworldwide
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
Fungal fossils tell a story of resilience: research by Worobiec et al. published in #FungalBiology (Aug 2025) traces dark septate endophytic (DSE) microsclerotia from the Eocene to today, revealing long-term plant–fungus associations.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Fungal fossils tell a story of resilience: research by Worobiec et al. published in #FungalBiology (Aug 2025) traces dark septate endophytic (DSE) microsclerotia from the Eocene to today, revealing long-term plant–fungus associations.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
1/ Ever needed to annotate TEs in a fungal genome, but didn't know where to start?
We have released #MycoMobilome, a community-focused non-redundant database of transposable element consensus sequences for the fungal kingdom, constructed from >4,000 fungal genomes!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We have released #MycoMobilome, a community-focused non-redundant database of transposable element consensus sequences for the fungal kingdom, constructed from >4,000 fungal genomes!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 29, 2025 at 9:02 AM
1/ Ever needed to annotate TEs in a fungal genome, but didn't know where to start?
We have released #MycoMobilome, a community-focused non-redundant database of transposable element consensus sequences for the fungal kingdom, constructed from >4,000 fungal genomes!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We have released #MycoMobilome, a community-focused non-redundant database of transposable element consensus sequences for the fungal kingdom, constructed from >4,000 fungal genomes!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
Wow, nature is too cool! Structures on stinkbug hind legs that used to be interpreted as ears are actually chambers with fungi. The bugs coat their eggs in those fungi to protect them against parasitoid wasps. 🧪
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs
Dinidorid stinkbugs were reported to possess a conspicuous tympanal organ on female hindlegs. In this study, we show that this organ is specialized to retain microbial symbionts rather than to perceiv...
www.science.org
October 17, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Wow, nature is too cool! Structures on stinkbug hind legs that used to be interpreted as ears are actually chambers with fungi. The bugs coat their eggs in those fungi to protect them against parasitoid wasps. 🧪
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
Fungal #GenomeSize variation is largely driven by TEs & lineage-specific genome defenses. @tbadet.bsky.social & @danielcroll.bsky.social show that presence/absence of RIP mutation systems influences #genome architecture, identifying a likely novel defense mechanism @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4hcC5tx
October 16, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Fungal #GenomeSize variation is largely driven by TEs & lineage-specific genome defenses. @tbadet.bsky.social & @danielcroll.bsky.social show that presence/absence of RIP mutation systems influences #genome architecture, identifying a likely novel defense mechanism @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4hcC5tx
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
🍄 Today marks #UKFungusDay where we get to celebrate the weird and wonderful kingdom of Fungi.
As well as being fundamental to a healthy ecosystem, and often fascinating to spot, #Fungi can be devastating to plant and animal populations.
As well as being fundamental to a healthy ecosystem, and often fascinating to spot, #Fungi can be devastating to plant and animal populations.
October 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM
🍄 Today marks #UKFungusDay where we get to celebrate the weird and wonderful kingdom of Fungi.
As well as being fundamental to a healthy ecosystem, and often fascinating to spot, #Fungi can be devastating to plant and animal populations.
As well as being fundamental to a healthy ecosystem, and often fascinating to spot, #Fungi can be devastating to plant and animal populations.
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
I’m super happy to present the first discoveries of the RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team, based in Japan 🇯🇵
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
A thread 👇
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
A thread 👇
Reductive evolution of the DNA replication machinery in endosymbiotic fungi
The molecular machinery for replicating and repairing DNA accurately is critically important for life and highly conserved across the Tree of Life. Here we show that two major lineages of fungi, Glome...
doi.org
September 3, 2025 at 3:21 PM
I’m super happy to present the first discoveries of the RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team, based in Japan 🇯🇵
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
A thread 👇
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
A thread 👇
Very excited to share that my first 1st author publication is available at the journal of #NewPhytologist !
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Whole genome sequencing of historical specimens from the world's largest fungal collection yields high‐quality assemblies
High-throughput molecular studies of museum specimens (museomics) have great potential in biodiversity research, but fungal historical collections have scarcely been examined, leading to no comprehe...
doi.org
September 16, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Very excited to share that my first 1st author publication is available at the journal of #NewPhytologist !
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Had an amazing time at #ESEB2025 in Barcelona, learning new science, meeting great people, and presenting my PhD work on genomic signatures of symbiosis in a beetle-associated fungus. Surreal that my poster won 2nd place! Grateful to the #MutualismsLab, MPI Biology & ESEB for the support 🍄🪲
September 1, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Had an amazing time at #ESEB2025 in Barcelona, learning new science, meeting great people, and presenting my PhD work on genomic signatures of symbiosis in a beetle-associated fungus. Surreal that my poster won 2nd place! Grateful to the #MutualismsLab, MPI Biology & ESEB for the support 🍄🪲
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
The Tübingen & Amsterdam crews have landed in Barcelona for #ESEB2025! Cooling off with helados before the science (and festivities) begin🍦
August 17, 2025 at 3:49 PM
The Tübingen & Amsterdam crews have landed in Barcelona for #ESEB2025! Cooling off with helados before the science (and festivities) begin🍦
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
The scope of #fungi #biodiversity is only beginning to be fathomed.
Every day almost ten new species are described. 🍄🤯
David Hibbett László Nagy and Henrik Nilsson introduce the fungal tree of life. www.cell.com/current-biol...
Every day almost ten new species are described. 🍄🤯
David Hibbett László Nagy and Henrik Nilsson introduce the fungal tree of life. www.cell.com/current-biol...
June 12, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The scope of #fungi #biodiversity is only beginning to be fathomed.
Every day almost ten new species are described. 🍄🤯
David Hibbett László Nagy and Henrik Nilsson introduce the fungal tree of life. www.cell.com/current-biol...
Every day almost ten new species are described. 🍄🤯
David Hibbett László Nagy and Henrik Nilsson introduce the fungal tree of life. www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Frances Pitsillides
