Scott Nichols
@scottnichols.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Biology @ University of Denver. Sponges, evolution, cell biology.
Pinned
Scott Nichols
@scottnichols.bsky.social
· Dec 18
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
Happy to announce our latest paper! A fresh look at the sponge Aggregation Factor, a glycoprotein complex involved in self-recognition and adhesion. Previously thought to be sponge-specific, we report compelling structural links with proteins found in all animals! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution — a Review by Jeffrey J. Colgren & Pawel Burkhardt
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution - Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Recent studies have shed further light on the evolutionary origins of chemical synapses, In this Review, Colgren and Burkhardt explore how ancient proteins were co-opted into functional assemblies and...
www.nature.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution — a Review by Jeffrey J. Colgren & Pawel Burkhardt
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
I've written a piece about great new article by @thibautbrunet.bsky.social, Chantal Combredet & Mylan Ansel. (www.cell.com/cell-reports... )
theconversation.com/how-the-firs...
theconversation.com/how-the-firs...
How the first animals evolved – a new clue from a tiny relative
Meet the choanoflagellates - the microscopic cousins of animals.
theconversation.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
I've written a piece about great new article by @thibautbrunet.bsky.social, Chantal Combredet & Mylan Ansel. (www.cell.com/cell-reports... )
theconversation.com/how-the-firs...
theconversation.com/how-the-firs...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution
Nature Reviews Neuroscience - Recent studies have shed further light on the evolutionary origins of chemical synapses, In this Review, Colgren and Burkhardt explore how ancient proteins were...
rdcu.be
October 27, 2025 at 6:48 PM
First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Reposted by Scott Nichols
We have a bunch of new job ads out @arcadiascience.com. If you haven’t checked them out, take a look!
www.arcadiascience.com/careers
www.arcadiascience.com/careers
Careers | Arcadia Science
Evolve with Arcadia.
www.arcadiascience.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:45 AM
We have a bunch of new job ads out @arcadiascience.com. If you haven’t checked them out, take a look!
www.arcadiascience.com/careers
www.arcadiascience.com/careers
Reposted by Scott Nichols
There's a PhD position now available with me in Bath, on the evolution of symbiosis. www.findaphd.com/phds/project.... The supervisory team also includes @anja1.bsky.social @phil-donoghue.bsky.social and others. NB, this is open both to UK-based students *and* to international students :)
The genomic basis of symbiotic integration at University of Bath on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - The genomic basis of symbiotic integration at University of Bath, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
October 9, 2025 at 9:39 AM
There's a PhD position now available with me in Bath, on the evolution of symbiosis. www.findaphd.com/phds/project.... The supervisory team also includes @anja1.bsky.social @phil-donoghue.bsky.social and others. NB, this is open both to UK-based students *and* to international students :)
Reposted by Scott Nichols
🚨 My lab is hiring at all levels!
Interested in animal origins & evolutionary cell biology?
I'm recruiting a postdoc, PhD students & a research assistant to study the molecular evolution of cell adhesion using marine invertebrates + comparative genomics.
🔗: clarkelab.com/join/
Please repost!
Interested in animal origins & evolutionary cell biology?
I'm recruiting a postdoc, PhD students & a research assistant to study the molecular evolution of cell adhesion using marine invertebrates + comparative genomics.
🔗: clarkelab.com/join/
Please repost!
October 8, 2025 at 5:49 PM
🚨 My lab is hiring at all levels!
Interested in animal origins & evolutionary cell biology?
I'm recruiting a postdoc, PhD students & a research assistant to study the molecular evolution of cell adhesion using marine invertebrates + comparative genomics.
🔗: clarkelab.com/join/
Please repost!
Interested in animal origins & evolutionary cell biology?
I'm recruiting a postdoc, PhD students & a research assistant to study the molecular evolution of cell adhesion using marine invertebrates + comparative genomics.
🔗: clarkelab.com/join/
Please repost!
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Our science photo book The Radiant Sea is out Sept 2nd!!
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
August 28, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Our science photo book The Radiant Sea is out Sept 2nd!!
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
30 years of research, 10 years of "we should", and a year of collating pix and writing.
Sönke and I show (mostly for the first time) images of how organisms produce, use, and interact with light in the sea. #bioluminescence #fluorescence 🦑🧪🌊
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Jared Polis wants Coloradans to get sick.
NEW: RFK Jr's purge of CDC leadership isn't shaking Democratic Gov Jared Polis' enthusiastic support of Kennedy to lead America's health policy. Today, Polis praised his collaboration with Kennedy, saying "We hope to work on making America healthier." #copolitics
August 29, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Jared Polis wants Coloradans to get sick.
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Mechanosensation and fast reorientation of ciliary structures: Marvin's work on the surprising locomotion capabilities of Trichoplax, an animal without neurons!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 27, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Mechanosensation and fast reorientation of ciliary structures: Marvin's work on the surprising locomotion capabilities of Trichoplax, an animal without neurons!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Soooo. I have a new paper on the origin and spread of the expression "Cambrian explosion," with some fun mid-twentieth century paleo, as well as some remarks on post-Wonderful Life shenanigans. Also, Darwin, Lyell, Simpson, Preston Cloud, TC Chamberlin and more!
www.extinctblog.org/palaeonews/2...
www.extinctblog.org/palaeonews/2...
Max's new Cambrian paper — Extinct
Since I just posted my new paper on the historical challenge of classifying the Ediacaran biota , let me shamelessly promote another new paper, this one on the origin of the expression “Cambrian expl...
www.extinctblog.org
August 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Soooo. I have a new paper on the origin and spread of the expression "Cambrian explosion," with some fun mid-twentieth century paleo, as well as some remarks on post-Wonderful Life shenanigans. Also, Darwin, Lyell, Simpson, Preston Cloud, TC Chamberlin and more!
www.extinctblog.org/palaeonews/2...
www.extinctblog.org/palaeonews/2...
Cell adhesions (magenta) at the leading edge of a sponge epithelium at the interface with the coverslip substrate.
August 8, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Cell adhesions (magenta) at the leading edge of a sponge epithelium at the interface with the coverslip substrate.
Reposted by Scott Nichols
I'm excited to announce our new biorxiv preprint, wherein we investigate the evolution of the weirdest genetic locus I've ever seen! Behold the tgr genes of the social amoeba, which mediate self/non-self discrimination during facultative multicellularity 🐅 🧵 1/
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Hypermutable hotspot enables the rapid evolution of self/non-self recognition genes in Dictyostelium
Cells require highly polymorphic receptors to perform accurate self/non-self recognition. In the amoeba Dicytostelium discoideum, polymorphic TgrB1 & TgrC1 proteins are used to bind sister cells and e...
www.biorxiv.org
August 5, 2025 at 12:56 AM
I'm excited to announce our new biorxiv preprint, wherein we investigate the evolution of the weirdest genetic locus I've ever seen! Behold the tgr genes of the social amoeba, which mediate self/non-self discrimination during facultative multicellularity 🐅 🧵 1/
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Extra kudos and thanks to all the staff at NIH and NSF and other federal funding agencies for working extra hard in very small windows of opportunity to get grants reviewed and funds released before the attention-addled federal policies change again (on an hourly basis).
July 30, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Extra kudos and thanks to all the staff at NIH and NSF and other federal funding agencies for working extra hard in very small windows of opportunity to get grants reviewed and funds released before the attention-addled federal policies change again (on an hourly basis).
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Hiring 4 postdocs — organismal biophysics, soft robotics, frugal Raman diagnostics, or your own bold idea.
3-year funding, $65K+ benefits. GT (Atlanta) now → CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute in Fall ’26.
PDF/details in next post. Tag/share if someone comes to mind. 🧪🪲🪳#livingphysics
3-year funding, $65K+ benefits. GT (Atlanta) now → CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute in Fall ’26.
PDF/details in next post. Tag/share if someone comes to mind. 🧪🪲🪳#livingphysics
July 30, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Hiring 4 postdocs — organismal biophysics, soft robotics, frugal Raman diagnostics, or your own bold idea.
3-year funding, $65K+ benefits. GT (Atlanta) now → CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute in Fall ’26.
PDF/details in next post. Tag/share if someone comes to mind. 🧪🪲🪳#livingphysics
3-year funding, $65K+ benefits. GT (Atlanta) now → CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute in Fall ’26.
PDF/details in next post. Tag/share if someone comes to mind. 🧪🪲🪳#livingphysics
Reposted by Scott Nichols
✨Dream job alert!✨ Come join our Oceans Department at Stanford University! We are hiring an Assistant Professor. This faculty search focuses on 3 major areas: Oceans & global change, Ocean technologies & solutions, or Human dimensions of oceans 🌊
facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
Stanford | Faculty Positions: Details - Assistant Professor in Oceans
facultypositions.stanford.edu
July 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
✨Dream job alert!✨ Come join our Oceans Department at Stanford University! We are hiring an Assistant Professor. This faculty search focuses on 3 major areas: Oceans & global change, Ocean technologies & solutions, or Human dimensions of oceans 🌊
facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
We're thrilled to announce the largest private gift in our 137-year history: a $25 million unrestricted donation from MBL Whitman Scientist Mark Terasaki.
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
MBL Announces Largest Ever Gift for Its Renowned Biological Education and Research Programs | Marine Biological Laboratory
Cell Biology Researcher Mark Terasaki’s $25 Million Unrestricted Gift Will Support Operations and Infrastructure Contact: Samantha Cummis scummis@mbl.edu; 973.800.4119
bit.ly
July 28, 2025 at 6:46 PM
We're thrilled to announce the largest private gift in our 137-year history: a $25 million unrestricted donation from MBL Whitman Scientist Mark Terasaki.
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
His extraordinary generosity will bolster our renowned research and education programs. 🔬
Learn more: bit.ly/452WL1m
Reposted by Scott Nichols
“A nuclear bomb dropped on cancer research”
Must-read @donmoyn.bsky.social about a new Trump administration attack on NIH funding donmoynihan.substack.com/p/alert-the-...
Must-read @donmoyn.bsky.social about a new Trump administration attack on NIH funding donmoynihan.substack.com/p/alert-the-...
Alert: The Trump administration is quietly slashing new NIH grant awards, and it's not via the budget
NIH’s sudden move to multiyear grant funding is forcing shocking cuts in the number of grants funded. This is an effective budget cut. It's bad, folks.
donmoynihan.substack.com
July 28, 2025 at 12:38 PM
“A nuclear bomb dropped on cancer research”
Must-read @donmoyn.bsky.social about a new Trump administration attack on NIH funding donmoynihan.substack.com/p/alert-the-...
Must-read @donmoyn.bsky.social about a new Trump administration attack on NIH funding donmoynihan.substack.com/p/alert-the-...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
These members of the NIH Council of Councils are voicing serious concerns about NIH grant terminations, restructure, and budget cuts
go.nature.com/46Vr8t2
go.nature.com/46Vr8t2
Protect the integrity of the US National Institutes of Health
Letter to the Editor
go.nature.com
July 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
These members of the NIH Council of Councils are voicing serious concerns about NIH grant terminations, restructure, and budget cuts
go.nature.com/46Vr8t2
go.nature.com/46Vr8t2
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Please help get the word out - We are hiring at all levels (graduate students, technicians, and postdocs)! If you are interested in sponges, cell biology, evolution, immunity, and symbiosis, please don’t hesitate to contact me to learn more.
July 16, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Please help get the word out - We are hiring at all levels (graduate students, technicians, and postdocs)! If you are interested in sponges, cell biology, evolution, immunity, and symbiosis, please don’t hesitate to contact me to learn more.
Not the very best picture, but the first Toucan I’ve ever seen.
July 19, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Not the very best picture, but the first Toucan I’ve ever seen.
Reposted by Scott Nichols
The Xue lab at UC Irvine is looking for a staff scientist to support our work investigating how microbes interact and evolve in the gut microbiome! Open to a wide range of previous experience levels, see ad for more.
recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09601
recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09601
Junior, Assistant, or Associate Specialist – Xue Lab
University of California, Irvine is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ap.uci.edu
July 17, 2025 at 8:32 PM
The Xue lab at UC Irvine is looking for a staff scientist to support our work investigating how microbes interact and evolve in the gut microbiome! Open to a wide range of previous experience levels, see ad for more.
recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09601
recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09601
Please help get the word out - We are hiring at all levels (graduate students, technicians, and postdocs)! If you are interested in sponges, cell biology, evolution, immunity, and symbiosis, please don’t hesitate to contact me to learn more.
July 16, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Please help get the word out - We are hiring at all levels (graduate students, technicians, and postdocs)! If you are interested in sponges, cell biology, evolution, immunity, and symbiosis, please don’t hesitate to contact me to learn more.
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Using time series graphs to make causal claims be like
July 14, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Using time series graphs to make causal claims be like
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Please share! Our lab is recruiting a PhD student to join us starting fall 2026. Our group is broadly interested in plant molecular evolution and comparative genomics. More info about our lab and grad programs at Colorado St. is available on our lab website.
sites.google.com/site/danielb...
sites.google.com/site/danielb...
Sloan Lab
Welcome! Our research focuses on the evolutionary process at the molecular level. In particular, we investigate how a mixture of natural selection and non-adaptive forces create and maintain the amazi...
sites.google.com
July 14, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Please share! Our lab is recruiting a PhD student to join us starting fall 2026. Our group is broadly interested in plant molecular evolution and comparative genomics. More info about our lab and grad programs at Colorado St. is available on our lab website.
sites.google.com/site/danielb...
sites.google.com/site/danielb...
Reposted by Scott Nichols
Celebrating this Friday evening!!
After 7 long months I can finally share that I have received an NSF CAREER award to study the link between bleaching and disease in cnidarians!!
Stay tuned for more info about postdoc and graduate student positions!
After 7 long months I can finally share that I have received an NSF CAREER award to study the link between bleaching and disease in cnidarians!!
Stay tuned for more info about postdoc and graduate student positions!
July 11, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Celebrating this Friday evening!!
After 7 long months I can finally share that I have received an NSF CAREER award to study the link between bleaching and disease in cnidarians!!
Stay tuned for more info about postdoc and graduate student positions!
After 7 long months I can finally share that I have received an NSF CAREER award to study the link between bleaching and disease in cnidarians!!
Stay tuned for more info about postdoc and graduate student positions!