Ben Longdon
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blongdon.bsky.social
Ben Longdon
@blongdon.bsky.social
Virus evolution, ecology and host shifts. Fly zookeeper. Insect rhabdovirus geek. Tea Junkie. Like music, food, bikes. Lab website: www.benlongdon.com
Chinese Scholarship Council studentships 中国国家留学基金委和英国埃克塞特大学合作奖学金(博士生项目)
at @uniexecec.bsky.social (www.exeter.ac.uk/study/pg-res... click '+ Ecology and Conservation' ) see ⬇️ for project with me!
October 28, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Research assistant + postdoc position on a NERC funded project working w @darrenobbard.bsky.social and collaborating with @savebutterflies.bsky.social on the ecological and evolutionary drivers of the virome of UK moths @uniexecec.bsky.social. Descriptions below and links here benlongdon.com/join/
October 7, 2025 at 2:47 PM
This was work today - about 15k walked for geocaching and wildlife spotting trip with new @uniexecec.bsky.social undergraduates. Glorious weather in beautiful Cornwall with plenty of tuna, choughs and butteflies plus the odd lizard.
September 25, 2025 at 4:58 PM
2 job adverts on a NERC project w myself + @darrenobbard.bsky.social on “What determines the virome: ecology and the environment, evolution, or species history?” early 2026 in
@uniexecec.bsky.social
- Postdoc: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
- RA: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Pls share!
September 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
@jpjhall.bsky.social your comic went down a treat with our 9 year old (enjoyed it so much he read it twice!) - was getting told facts about bacterial defenses this morning.
June 12, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Fun morning playing our virus outreach game #VirusCraft with local school children as part of @uniexecec.bsky.social @exeter.ac.uk Festival of Science (organised by @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social) - game made by fantastic @thentrythis.social.thentrythis.org.ap.brid.gy
June 11, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Bit of light virus maintenance this morning ready for @uniexecec.bsky.social festival of science in a couple of months with @thentrythis.social.thentrythis.org.ap.brid.gy #VirusCraft project thentrythis.org/projects/vir...
April 25, 2025 at 9:36 AM
First paper from @hongbo1900.bsky.social PhD "Varying phylogenetic signal in susceptibility to four bacterial pathogens across species of Drosophilidae" co-supervised by @benraymond.bsky.social and team
@hansonmark.bsky.social
@ryanmimrie.bsky.social
@sarahkwalsh.bsky.social sky.social
April 22, 2025 at 11:03 AM
April 2, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Just out "Positive correlations in susceptibility to a diverse panel of viruses across Drosophilidae host species"; 35 host species * 11 viruses. Work led by Ryan Imrie together with Megan Wallace in @evolletters.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/evle...
February 5, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Back to sunny Cornwall after London trip
January 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Great looking group leader position at CNRS Strasbourg on host-pathogen interactions in insects
January 10, 2025 at 10:56 AM
PhD opportunity with myself, @neeltjeboogert.bsky.social (@exetercec.bsky.social) and Nathalie Stroeymeyt (@bristolbiosci.bsky.social) on "How do species differences in susceptibility influence virus transmission?" www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
November 20, 2024 at 2:57 PM
Interesting looking paper: "One Health on islands: Tractable ecosystems to explore the nexus between human, animal, terrestrial, and marine health" doi.org/10.1093/bios...
November 8, 2024 at 10:04 AM
New from Ryan Imrie + Megan Wallace: 11 viruses x 35 host species, phylogenetic signal in susceptibility, +'ve correlations in susceptibility between divergent viruses but no evidence for -'ve corr's (ie resistance to one virus doesn't inc susceptibility to another) doi.org/10.1101/2024...
October 14, 2024 at 7:43 AM
Fab talk by @dickmerrill.bsky.social on "Brain, behaviour and the evolution of barrier loci (in butterflies)" for our @exetercec.bsky.social Darwin Landing seminar to celebrate the day Darwin came ashore in Falmouth at the end of his voyage on the Beagle on the 2nd October 1836.
October 3, 2024 at 1:36 PM

New review as EcoEvoRxiv preprint with fab team of Megan Wallace @duckswabber.bsky.social @jemmageoghegan.bsky.social @ryanimrie @eddieholmes.bsky.social @xavh.bsky.social
"Making sense of the virome in light of evolution and ecology" -> doi.org/10.32942/X21...
@exetercec.bsky.social
September 23, 2024 at 12:14 PM
New review as EcoEvoRxiv preprint with fab team of Megan Wallace @duckswabber.bsky.social @jemmageoghegan.bsky.social @ryanimrie @eddieholmes.bsky.social @xavh.bsky.social "Making sense of the virome in light of evolution and ecology"
@exetercec.bsky.social #Virus #Virome #Virosphere
September 23, 2024 at 9:39 AM
When you know you're in the right department -@exetercec.bsky.social for the win #JamFirst
July 11, 2024 at 8:35 AM
Post viva celebrations prep sorted - fizz chilled, snacks ready.... piñata and bat primed!
March 1, 2024 at 11:43 AM
Word cloud from google scholar : shiny.rcg.sfu.ca/u/rdmorin/sc... HT to @morinryan.bsky.social
February 5, 2024 at 1:05 PM