Toby Spribille
@spribille.bsky.social
Microbial interactions; lichens; symbiosis. Naturalist, conservationist. Non-capitalist markets. Associate Professor/CRC in Symbiosis at University of Alberta
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Rereading these two papers:
Holes in the hologenome: why host-microbe symbioses are not holobionts.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
The Hologenome Concept: Helpful or Hollow?
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
And I still find myself in general agreement with most of the points in them
Holes in the hologenome: why host-microbe symbioses are not holobionts.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
The Hologenome Concept: Helpful or Hollow?
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
And I still find myself in general agreement with most of the points in them
Holes in the Hologenome: Why Host-Microbe Symbioses Are Not Holobionts | mBio
ABSTRACT The advent of relatively inexpensive tools for characterizing microbial communities
has led to an explosion of research exploring the diversity, ecology, and evolution
of microbe-host systems...
journals.asm.org
February 2, 2026 at 4:20 AM
Rereading these two papers:
Holes in the hologenome: why host-microbe symbioses are not holobionts.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
The Hologenome Concept: Helpful or Hollow?
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
And I still find myself in general agreement with most of the points in them
Holes in the hologenome: why host-microbe symbioses are not holobionts.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
The Hologenome Concept: Helpful or Hollow?
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
And I still find myself in general agreement with most of the points in them
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Educational short read on 2 billion years of fungal evolution from ancestral marine flagellates to mushrooms.
www.mycostories.com/post/two-bil... #fungi #evolution #symbiosis #mycorrhiza 🍄
www.mycostories.com/post/two-bil... #fungi #evolution #symbiosis #mycorrhiza 🍄
Two Billion Years of Fungal Evolution: How Symbiosis Shaped Earth's Most Diverse Kingdom
Fungi emerged approximately 2.4 billion years ago in primeval seas, likely colonising land before plants around one billion years ago
www.mycostories.com
February 1, 2026 at 2:17 AM
Educational short read on 2 billion years of fungal evolution from ancestral marine flagellates to mushrooms.
www.mycostories.com/post/two-bil... #fungi #evolution #symbiosis #mycorrhiza 🍄
www.mycostories.com/post/two-bil... #fungi #evolution #symbiosis #mycorrhiza 🍄
Reposted by Toby Spribille
I am thrilled to congratulate David Díaz Escandón @ddiazescandon.bsky.social on successfully defending his Ph.D. on lichen fungal comparative genomics at @ualberta.bsky.social — the culmination of a journey!
January 30, 2026 at 12:43 AM
I am thrilled to congratulate David Díaz Escandón @ddiazescandon.bsky.social on successfully defending his Ph.D. on lichen fungal comparative genomics at @ualberta.bsky.social — the culmination of a journey!
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Normandina pulchella (NO muslinglav) on a beech tree in Stavanger, SW Norway. In Danish it is called smuk konfettilav
January 30, 2026 at 8:25 AM
Normandina pulchella (NO muslinglav) on a beech tree in Stavanger, SW Norway. In Danish it is called smuk konfettilav
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Our #Bookofthemonth for January: Lichens of Britain and Ireland: An Introductory Guide by Frances Stoakley and Dr Rebecca Yahr. Filling a desired niche, it's a really useable and accessible guide for beginners and a faithful field guide for all! www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/lich...
January 28, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Our #Bookofthemonth for January: Lichens of Britain and Ireland: An Introductory Guide by Frances Stoakley and Dr Rebecca Yahr. Filling a desired niche, it's a really useable and accessible guide for beginners and a faithful field guide for all! www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/lich...
I am thrilled to congratulate David Díaz Escandón @ddiazescandon.bsky.social on successfully defending his Ph.D. on lichen fungal comparative genomics at @ualberta.bsky.social — the culmination of a journey!
January 30, 2026 at 12:43 AM
I am thrilled to congratulate David Díaz Escandón @ddiazescandon.bsky.social on successfully defending his Ph.D. on lichen fungal comparative genomics at @ualberta.bsky.social — the culmination of a journey!
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Recently I've been getting into learning to identify the "freckled" Peltigera lichen species. It looks like we mainly have Peltigera aphthosa (Freckled Pelt) and Peltigera leucophlebia (Ruffled Freckled Pelt) are the regulars. But I'm watching out for P. chionophila and brittanica.
🌿1/
🌿1/
January 28, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Recently I've been getting into learning to identify the "freckled" Peltigera lichen species. It looks like we mainly have Peltigera aphthosa (Freckled Pelt) and Peltigera leucophlebia (Ruffled Freckled Pelt) are the regulars. But I'm watching out for P. chionophila and brittanica.
🌿1/
🌿1/
Reposted by Toby Spribille
brass solidarity band performing “stand by me” in the streets of whittier next to alex pretti’s memorial. the crowd started chanting “the people united will never be defeated” so they incorporated it into the song. i love minneapolis
January 27, 2026 at 12:22 AM
brass solidarity band performing “stand by me” in the streets of whittier next to alex pretti’s memorial. the crowd started chanting “the people united will never be defeated” so they incorporated it into the song. i love minneapolis
Reposted by Toby Spribille
"Recent events have brought Trump’s governing style into sharper focus," Jonathan Rauch argues. "'Fascist' best describes it, and reluctance to use the term has now become perverse." theatln.tc/wVq7MFaa
January 25, 2026 at 3:52 PM
"Recent events have brought Trump’s governing style into sharper focus," Jonathan Rauch argues. "'Fascist' best describes it, and reluctance to use the term has now become perverse." theatln.tc/wVq7MFaa
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Nobody wants “what the US has got”, pls keep your failed state ass out of our business.
Bessent pushes Albertan independence from Canada: "Albertans are very independent people. There's a rumor they may have a referendum on whether they want to stay in Canada or not. People are talking. People want sovereignty. They want what the US has got."
January 23, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Nobody wants “what the US has got”, pls keep your failed state ass out of our business.
Reposted by Toby Spribille
In solidarity with today's ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA blackout, MinnMax is donating $1 to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for every share of this Bluesky post for the next hour.
January 23, 2026 at 4:01 PM
In solidarity with today's ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA blackout, MinnMax is donating $1 to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for every share of this Bluesky post for the next hour.
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Perhaps the most iconic lichen of the kelo trees is Letharia vulpina (NO ulvelav). Here from Skjåk, where it is really abundant on dead branches of pine trees.
January 20, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Perhaps the most iconic lichen of the kelo trees is Letharia vulpina (NO ulvelav). Here from Skjåk, where it is really abundant on dead branches of pine trees.
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Almost lost amidst the cow excitement (cow-motion?) was that @currentbiology.bsky.social featured a brilliant paper on #lichen fungi in this week’s issue by Victoria Keller et al. including @veera-t-nogerius.bsky.social — what is not to lichen about this new double ascomycete living arrangement
January 21, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Almost lost amidst the cow excitement (cow-motion?) was that @currentbiology.bsky.social featured a brilliant paper on #lichen fungi in this week’s issue by Victoria Keller et al. including @veera-t-nogerius.bsky.social — what is not to lichen about this new double ascomycete living arrangement
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Don’t be all surprised when the Democrats don’t win jack shit in the next election. I can think of other things going on in Minnesota right now
Yes it’s cold in Minnesota—but we embrace it. John and I were in Hastings with Mayor Fasbender for Hockey Day Minnesota to watch my alma mater, Wayzata High School, take on Rogers. Photo taken with parents right after their son scored a goal!
January 21, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Don’t be all surprised when the Democrats don’t win jack shit in the next election. I can think of other things going on in Minnesota right now
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Inviting applications for #PhD (3y) & #Postdoc (2y) to work on alpine #lichens: evolution of #SecondaryMetabolism & #Chemodiversity.
#genomics #metabolomics #fungi #biosyntheticGenes.
Send your CV +motivation letter ➡️ Garima.singh@unipd.it
Please share 😊
#genomics #metabolomics #fungi #biosyntheticGenes.
Send your CV +motivation letter ➡️ Garima.singh@unipd.it
Please share 😊
January 20, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Inviting applications for #PhD (3y) & #Postdoc (2y) to work on alpine #lichens: evolution of #SecondaryMetabolism & #Chemodiversity.
#genomics #metabolomics #fungi #biosyntheticGenes.
Send your CV +motivation letter ➡️ Garima.singh@unipd.it
Please share 😊
#genomics #metabolomics #fungi #biosyntheticGenes.
Send your CV +motivation letter ➡️ Garima.singh@unipd.it
Please share 😊
Almost lost amidst the cow excitement (cow-motion?) was that @currentbiology.bsky.social featured a brilliant paper on #lichen fungi in this week’s issue by Victoria Keller et al. including @veera-t-nogerius.bsky.social — what is not to lichen about this new double ascomycete living arrangement
January 21, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Almost lost amidst the cow excitement (cow-motion?) was that @currentbiology.bsky.social featured a brilliant paper on #lichen fungi in this week’s issue by Victoria Keller et al. including @veera-t-nogerius.bsky.social — what is not to lichen about this new double ascomycete living arrangement
Reposted by Toby Spribille
10 years of this shit
January 20, 2026 at 10:44 PM
10 years of this shit
Reposted by Toby Spribille
I can’t go to the grocery store alone right now because ICE is racially profiling and abducting people who aren’t white
Despite Trump’s promises, grocery prices are still rising fast. Families can’t afford this… when is he going to get serious about lowering costs?
January 19, 2026 at 9:51 PM
I can’t go to the grocery store alone right now because ICE is racially profiling and abducting people who aren’t white
Reposted by Toby Spribille
every single successful general strike in US history has had union backing through the local AFL-CIO
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
January 16, 2026 at 9:24 PM
every single successful general strike in US history has had union backing through the local AFL-CIO
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
Reposted by Toby Spribille
1/🧵
Major milestone unlocked for mycology! 🍄
We just published a massive genomic resource in 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚, releasing 2,695 complete circular mitochondrial species assembled from public data
This single dataset nearly 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 📈the known mitochondrial diversity of the Kingdom Fungi
rdcu.be/eYZ2h
Major milestone unlocked for mycology! 🍄
We just published a massive genomic resource in 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚, releasing 2,695 complete circular mitochondrial species assembled from public data
This single dataset nearly 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 📈the known mitochondrial diversity of the Kingdom Fungi
rdcu.be/eYZ2h
January 15, 2026 at 2:31 PM
1/🧵
Major milestone unlocked for mycology! 🍄
We just published a massive genomic resource in 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚, releasing 2,695 complete circular mitochondrial species assembled from public data
This single dataset nearly 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 📈the known mitochondrial diversity of the Kingdom Fungi
rdcu.be/eYZ2h
Major milestone unlocked for mycology! 🍄
We just published a massive genomic resource in 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚, releasing 2,695 complete circular mitochondrial species assembled from public data
This single dataset nearly 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 📈the known mitochondrial diversity of the Kingdom Fungi
rdcu.be/eYZ2h
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Our revised manuscript is up on BioRxiv and is coming soon to an ASM journal in your neighborhood.
We show that metabolome & transcriptome profiles are frozen in desiccated Arthrobacter and that water vapor induces resuscitation.
Happy to answer any Qs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We show that metabolome & transcriptome profiles are frozen in desiccated Arthrobacter and that water vapor induces resuscitation.
Happy to answer any Qs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Transcriptional and metabolic stasis define desiccation-induced dormancy in the soil bacterium Arthrobacter sp. AZCC_0090 until water vapor initiates resuscitation
Microbes inhabiting soils experience periodic water deprivation. The effects of desiccation on DNA, protein, and membrane integrity are well-described. However, the effects of drying and rehydration o...
www.biorxiv.org
January 14, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Our revised manuscript is up on BioRxiv and is coming soon to an ASM journal in your neighborhood.
We show that metabolome & transcriptome profiles are frozen in desiccated Arthrobacter and that water vapor induces resuscitation.
Happy to answer any Qs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We show that metabolome & transcriptome profiles are frozen in desiccated Arthrobacter and that water vapor induces resuscitation.
Happy to answer any Qs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Toby Spribille
Globally, no single day in 2025 was cooler than its 1991-2020 average.
climate.copernicus.eu/global-clima...
climate.copernicus.eu/global-clima...
January 14, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Globally, no single day in 2025 was cooler than its 1991-2020 average.
climate.copernicus.eu/global-clima...
climate.copernicus.eu/global-clima...
Reposted by Toby Spribille
⚡️Fully funded #PhD position in my lab at Stockholm University / SciLifeLab! If you’re interested in #lichens, #symbiosis, fungal biology, or meta-omics, please apply. Deadline Feb 1. Read more here: su.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
January 12, 2026 at 2:15 PM
⚡️Fully funded #PhD position in my lab at Stockholm University / SciLifeLab! If you’re interested in #lichens, #symbiosis, fungal biology, or meta-omics, please apply. Deadline Feb 1. Read more here: su.varbi.com/en/what:job/...