McGregor Lab
@mcgregorlab.bsky.social
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Check out our new preprint on the evolution of enhancer loss. Turns out there are 50 ways to lose a function. We found four of them.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Distinct mechanisms decommission redundant enhancers to facilitate phenotypic evolution
The evolutionary loss of morphological traits is often driven by changes in gene regulation. Many developmental genes are controlled by multiple, redundant enhancers, raising the question of how robus...
www.biorxiv.org
October 28, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Check out our new preprint on the evolution of enhancer loss. Turns out there are 50 ways to lose a function. We found four of them.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Exciting times ahead - I'm beyond delighted to be joining @bristolbiosci.bsky.social in 2026! 🎉🕷️🎉🐌🎉
I'm also looking for a PhD student to join @multipleye-lab.bsky.social in our new home! Come and study the effects of light pollution on the evolution and development of spider eyes with us 🌃🕷️👀 👇
I'm also looking for a PhD student to join @multipleye-lab.bsky.social in our new home! Come and study the effects of light pollution on the evolution and development of spider eyes with us 🌃🕷️👀 👇
October 17, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Exciting times ahead - I'm beyond delighted to be joining @bristolbiosci.bsky.social in 2026! 🎉🕷️🎉🐌🎉
I'm also looking for a PhD student to join @multipleye-lab.bsky.social in our new home! Come and study the effects of light pollution on the evolution and development of spider eyes with us 🌃🕷️👀 👇
I'm also looking for a PhD student to join @multipleye-lab.bsky.social in our new home! Come and study the effects of light pollution on the evolution and development of spider eyes with us 🌃🕷️👀 👇
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Applications are open for 10 ECR funded places at The Company of Biologists Workshop on 'Novelty, Co-option and Divergence During Gene Network Evolution', organised by James Hombría and Antónia Monteiro.
📅 Deadline: Friday 5 December
Further information: www.biologists.com/workshops/ju...
📅 Deadline: Friday 5 December
Further information: www.biologists.com/workshops/ju...
October 7, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Applications are open for 10 ECR funded places at The Company of Biologists Workshop on 'Novelty, Co-option and Divergence During Gene Network Evolution', organised by James Hombría and Antónia Monteiro.
📅 Deadline: Friday 5 December
Further information: www.biologists.com/workshops/ju...
📅 Deadline: Friday 5 December
Further information: www.biologists.com/workshops/ju...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
How did evolution drive massive genome contraction during oceanic island colonization? A new paper from our lab.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
June 19, 2025 at 4:58 PM
How did evolution drive massive genome contraction during oceanic island colonization? A new paper from our lab.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Interested in a PhD connecting sensory ecology and evolutionary genetics? Applications are now open for a project on the Speciation Genomics of Eye Size Variation in Heliconius Butterflies in our lab at LMU Munich: www.evol.bio.lmu.de/research/mer... Please repost!
May 6, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Interested in a PhD connecting sensory ecology and evolutionary genetics? Applications are now open for a project on the Speciation Genomics of Eye Size Variation in Heliconius Butterflies in our lab at LMU Munich: www.evol.bio.lmu.de/research/mer... Please repost!
Reposted by McGregor Lab
🚨Registration for the UK #EvoDevo meeting is open! Join us on July 11th in London to enjoy an exciting day of talks, posters, friends, and superb science!
-Registration (only £5!): shorturl.at/9cQGL
-More info: londonevodevo.ac.uk
-Registration (only £5!): shorturl.at/9cQGL
-More info: londonevodevo.ac.uk
March 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
🚨Registration for the UK #EvoDevo meeting is open! Join us on July 11th in London to enjoy an exciting day of talks, posters, friends, and superb science!
-Registration (only £5!): shorturl.at/9cQGL
-More info: londonevodevo.ac.uk
-Registration (only £5!): shorturl.at/9cQGL
-More info: londonevodevo.ac.uk
Very happy to have been part of this fantastic collaboration!
This work was led by Luis Baudouin Gonzalez, @laurensr.bsky.social and @mcgregorlab.bsky.social, with coauthors Anna Schoenauer, Amber Harper, @saadarif.bsky.social, Daniel Leite, Philip Steinhoff, Madda Aase-Remedios, Zoe Schultz, Matthias Pechmann, Atal Pande, Lera Telizhenko, and Carolin Kosiol 🥰
March 15, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Very happy to have been part of this fantastic collaboration!
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Gene editing technology began by people studying salt marshes. Ozempic began by folks studying the venom of Gila Monsters. Support for basic science has empowered us to understand our world. Tethering it to applications health has transformed and saved countless lives.
February 8, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Gene editing technology began by people studying salt marshes. Ozempic began by folks studying the venom of Gila Monsters. Support for basic science has empowered us to understand our world. Tethering it to applications health has transformed and saved countless lives.
Congrats on the paper! Really nice work!
The lab is delighted to release the first genome for the giant American vinegaroon! The slowly-evolving order Uropygi captures the strongest signature yet of the arachnopulmonate whole genome duplication. #biodiversity #genomics
academic.oup.com/jhered/advan...
academic.oup.com/jhered/advan...
A chromosome-level genome of the giant vinegaroon Mastigoproctus giganteus exhibits the signature of pre-Silurian whole genome duplication
Abstract. Within the arachnids, chromosome-level genome assemblies have greatly accelerated the understanding of gene family evolution and developmental ge
academic.oup.com
February 7, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Congrats on the paper! Really nice work!
Reposted by McGregor Lab
3D printed fly ommatidium
generated by our Wellcome Optical biology PhD student Courtney Lancaster @courtneyl7a7.bsky.social @lmcb-ucl.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
@wellcometrust.bsky.social
Visualising 3d bioimaging data !
generated by our Wellcome Optical biology PhD student Courtney Lancaster @courtneyl7a7.bsky.social @lmcb-ucl.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
@wellcometrust.bsky.social
Visualising 3d bioimaging data !
January 9, 2025 at 12:17 PM
3D printed fly ommatidium
generated by our Wellcome Optical biology PhD student Courtney Lancaster @courtneyl7a7.bsky.social @lmcb-ucl.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
@wellcometrust.bsky.social
Visualising 3d bioimaging data !
generated by our Wellcome Optical biology PhD student Courtney Lancaster @courtneyl7a7.bsky.social @lmcb-ucl.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
@wellcometrust.bsky.social
Visualising 3d bioimaging data !
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Very happy to share our paper on the sense of smell in spiders.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#chemicalecology, #pheromon, #sensoryorgans #spiders,
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#chemicalecology, #pheromon, #sensoryorgans #spiders,
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
January 6, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Very happy to share our paper on the sense of smell in spiders.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#chemicalecology, #pheromon, #sensoryorgans #spiders,
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#chemicalecology, #pheromon, #sensoryorgans #spiders,
New preprint from our lab. Great work by @maaseremedios.bsky.social in collaboration with Ralf Janssen looking at gene regulation and expression after whole genome duplication by comparing a spider and harvestman:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Assessing the impact of whole genome duplication on gene expression and regulation during arachnid development
Whole genome duplication (WGD) generates new genetic material that can contribute to the evolution of the regulation of developmental processes and phenotypic diversification. A WGD occurred in an anc...
www.biorxiv.org
December 21, 2024 at 1:53 PM
New preprint from our lab. Great work by @maaseremedios.bsky.social in collaboration with Ralf Janssen looking at gene regulation and expression after whole genome duplication by comparing a spider and harvestman:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
A shared developmental genetic basis for sexually antagonistic male and female adaptations in the toothed water strider
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Now in @evolletters.bsky.social by Claudia Pruvôt et al.
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Now in @evolletters.bsky.social by Claudia Pruvôt et al.
A shared developmental genetic basis for sexually antagonistic male and female adaptations in the toothed water strider
Abstract. Sexual conflict can drive the divergence of male and female phenotypes and cross-species comparative analyses have documented patterns of correla
doi.org
December 20, 2024 at 3:49 PM
A shared developmental genetic basis for sexually antagonistic male and female adaptations in the toothed water strider
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Now in @evolletters.bsky.social by Claudia Pruvôt et al.
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Now in @evolletters.bsky.social by Claudia Pruvôt et al.
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Postdoc @ evol-lab. A Leverhulme funded 3-year postdoc studying body shape evolution (through a sexual conflict lens) on Exeter's Penryn (UK) campus. Starts April 2025. Contact David Hosken @ U of Exeter for detail.
December 17, 2024 at 9:40 AM
Postdoc @ evol-lab. A Leverhulme funded 3-year postdoc studying body shape evolution (through a sexual conflict lens) on Exeter's Penryn (UK) campus. Starts April 2025. Contact David Hosken @ U of Exeter for detail.
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Great opportunity to do a #PhD with me! Think #Drosophila #eyes are fun to work with? Love to do #microscopy? Want to look into organ size regulation and evolution? Maybe even in a pest species? Get in touch and check out how to apply via Oxford Brookes University: tinyurl.com/37h7pudv
Oxford Brookes Helps Train Future Science Leaders - Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes partners with leading institutions to train the next generation of researchers addressing global challenges in life and environmental sciences.
tinyurl.com
December 3, 2024 at 9:44 PM
Great opportunity to do a #PhD with me! Think #Drosophila #eyes are fun to work with? Love to do #microscopy? Want to look into organ size regulation and evolution? Maybe even in a pest species? Get in touch and check out how to apply via Oxford Brookes University: tinyurl.com/37h7pudv
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Our miRNA story is now in @science.org ! We found a microRNA, not a protein, that finally solved a long-standing evolutionary mystery of wing coloration in butterflies and moths. (1/n)
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A microRNA is the effector gene of a classic evolutionary hotspot locus
In Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the genomic region around the gene cortex is a “hotspot” locus, repeatedly implicated in generating intraspecific melanic wing color polymorphisms across 100 mi...
www.science.org
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
Our miRNA story is now in @science.org ! We found a microRNA, not a protein, that finally solved a long-standing evolutionary mystery of wing coloration in butterflies and moths. (1/n)
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
What better way to start on 🦋 than by sharing our new publication?
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Entangled and non-modular enhancer sequences producing independent spatial activities
Regulatory mapping at a developmental gene reveals an unexpected architecture of entangled, rather than modular, enhancers.
www.science.org
November 21, 2024 at 4:45 PM
What better way to start on 🦋 than by sharing our new publication?
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Come look at some cute spider embryos with stunning 🧬expression with me!
This gene is very exciting, and will be a major part of my PhD research! Watch this space for new updates🔬
@mcgregorlab.bsky.social
#EvoDevo #Biology #phdlife
This gene is very exciting, and will be a major part of my PhD research! Watch this space for new updates🔬
@mcgregorlab.bsky.social
#EvoDevo #Biology #phdlife
November 27, 2024 at 7:41 PM
Come look at some cute spider embryos with stunning 🧬expression with me!
This gene is very exciting, and will be a major part of my PhD research! Watch this space for new updates🔬
@mcgregorlab.bsky.social
#EvoDevo #Biology #phdlife
This gene is very exciting, and will be a major part of my PhD research! Watch this space for new updates🔬
@mcgregorlab.bsky.social
#EvoDevo #Biology #phdlife
Reposted by McGregor Lab
A really exciting new study: evidence that males evolve better sight in order to detect female dishonesty in dance flies. One for the textbooks! A male resistance trait!
Great one from @rosalindmurray @luc_bussiere @dtgwynne & team
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Great one from @rosalindmurray @luc_bussiere @dtgwynne & team
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Sexually antagonistic coevolution can explain female display signals and male sensory adaptations
Abstract. The prevalence and diversity of female ornaments pose a challenge to evolutionary theory because males should prefer mates that spend resources o
academic.oup.com
November 23, 2024 at 5:00 PM
A really exciting new study: evidence that males evolve better sight in order to detect female dishonesty in dance flies. One for the textbooks! A male resistance trait!
Great one from @rosalindmurray @luc_bussiere @dtgwynne & team
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Great one from @rosalindmurray @luc_bussiere @dtgwynne & team
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
New review on the evolution of insect male terminalia I wrote with Daniela Nunes: www.cell.com/trends/genet...
Developmental evolution in fast-forward: insect male genital diversification
Insect male genitalia are among the fastest evolving structures of animals. Studying
these changes among closely related species represents a powerful approach to dissect
developmental processes and g...
www.cell.com
November 22, 2024 at 8:56 AM
New review on the evolution of insect male terminalia I wrote with Daniela Nunes: www.cell.com/trends/genet...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
@mcgregorlab.bsky.social and I had the pleasure of writing a dispatch article discussing the latest work from @gavinrrice.bsky.social and @rebeizlab.bsky.social. You can find it over on this link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 18, 2024 at 8:05 PM
@mcgregorlab.bsky.social and I had the pleasure of writing a dispatch article discussing the latest work from @gavinrrice.bsky.social and @rebeizlab.bsky.social. You can find it over on this link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
If you're interested in the evolution of sex determination, check out this opinion piece from Tom Kocher, @tonygamble.bsky.social , @behrenskristen.bsky.social , Will Gammerdinger, and me. We argue that genetic variation in sex determination is probably more prevalent that most people think.
Yes, polygenic sex determination is a thing!
The process of sexual development in animals is modulated by a variety of mechanisms.
Some species respond to environmental cues, while, in others, sex determination is
thought to be controlled by a s...
www.cell.com
November 11, 2024 at 2:41 PM
If you're interested in the evolution of sex determination, check out this opinion piece from Tom Kocher, @tonygamble.bsky.social , @behrenskristen.bsky.social , Will Gammerdinger, and me. We argue that genetic variation in sex determination is probably more prevalent that most people think.
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Drosophila and IF staining folks: any recommendations for antibody generation companies? I would also be looking to get the company (or a different company) to express and purify the target antigen too.
Thanks in advance!!
Thanks in advance!!
November 4, 2024 at 4:12 PM
Drosophila and IF staining folks: any recommendations for antibody generation companies? I would also be looking to get the company (or a different company) to express and purify the target antigen too.
Thanks in advance!!
Thanks in advance!!
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Analysis of implications for science spend of UK budget
Appears worst fears of folding in Horizon Europe/ERC budget are not going to happen
www.sciencecampaign.org.uk/analysis-and...
Appears worst fears of folding in Horizon Europe/ERC budget are not going to happen
www.sciencecampaign.org.uk/analysis-and...
CaSE responds to the 2024 Autumn Budget - CaSE
www.sciencecampaign.org.uk
October 31, 2024 at 1:40 PM
Analysis of implications for science spend of UK budget
Appears worst fears of folding in Horizon Europe/ERC budget are not going to happen
www.sciencecampaign.org.uk/analysis-and...
Appears worst fears of folding in Horizon Europe/ERC budget are not going to happen
www.sciencecampaign.org.uk/analysis-and...
Reposted by McGregor Lab
Such a wonderful piece of research! Great work yet again by @gavinrrice.bsky.social and the @rebeizlab.bsky.social lab
Our new @CurrentBiology paper provides a rare glimpse into a morphological novelty in Drosophila eugracilis
In it, @gavinrrice and colleagues, infer and reproduce the likely initial steps of a novelty's formation
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
In it, @gavinrrice and colleagues, infer and reproduce the likely initial steps of a novelty's formation
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 29, 2024 at 8:47 PM
Such a wonderful piece of research! Great work yet again by @gavinrrice.bsky.social and the @rebeizlab.bsky.social lab