Daniel Bolnick
@danielbolnick.bsky.social
Professor of ecology and evolution @ UConn. Studies adaptation, evolutionary immunology, speciation, genomics, foraging, parasite ecology and more.
Hikes, rock climbs, tango, history buff, photographer & parent
Hikes, rock climbs, tango, history buff, photographer & parent
Yblessed be the architectour of lyf's chaine,
Where structure sheweth what shal shift or stonde the same.
/fin
Where structure sheweth what shal shift or stonde the same.
/fin
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Yblessed be the architectour of lyf's chaine,
Where structure sheweth what shal shift or stonde the same.
/fin
Where structure sheweth what shal shift or stonde the same.
/fin
Parralel pathes! The same solucioun found
In Kentish appel-garth and Western vale—
For netwrk shape doth ech yeast confounde
To walke agayn evolutioun's auncient tale.
In Kentish appel-garth and Western vale—
For netwrk shape doth ech yeast confounde
To walke agayn evolutioun's auncient tale.
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Parralel pathes! The same solucioun found
In Kentish appel-garth and Western vale—
For netwrk shape doth ech yeast confounde
To walke agayn evolutioun's auncient tale.
In Kentish appel-garth and Western vale—
For netwrk shape doth ech yeast confounde
To walke agayn evolutioun's auncient tale.
But genes at edges, lyk to leaves yblowe,
May swifte transmute and newe formes take.
Thus, in eche orchard as the seasons flowe,
Lyke paternes ryse for adaptive sake.
May swifte transmute and newe formes take.
Thus, in eche orchard as the seasons flowe,
Lyke paternes ryse for adaptive sake.
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
But genes at edges, lyk to leaves yblowe,
May swifte transmute and newe formes take.
Thus, in eche orchard as the seasons flowe,
Lyke paternes ryse for adaptive sake.
May swifte transmute and newe formes take.
Thus, in eche orchard as the seasons flowe,
Lyke paternes ryse for adaptive sake.
The bow-tie forme, with knotte amid the weye,
Doth governe which genes chaungen swift or slowe.
Tho genes that ben ycentrall holde ther sway—
Strang selectioun byndeth hem belowe.
Doth governe which genes chaungen swift or slowe.
Tho genes that ben ycentrall holde ther sway—
Strang selectioun byndeth hem belowe.
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
The bow-tie forme, with knotte amid the weye,
Doth governe which genes chaungen swift or slowe.
Tho genes that ben ycentrall holde ther sway—
Strang selectioun byndeth hem belowe.
Doth governe which genes chaungen swift or slowe.
Tho genes that ben ycentrall holde ther sway—
Strang selectioun byndeth hem belowe.
O wonderous craft of Nature's subtil lawe!
How genes in networks, lyk a courtly daunce,
Be woven tight—sum in the centre drawe,
Whil otheres stonde at edge, as if by chaunce.
How genes in networks, lyk a courtly daunce,
Be woven tight—sum in the centre drawe,
Whil otheres stonde at edge, as if by chaunce.
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
O wonderous craft of Nature's subtil lawe!
How genes in networks, lyk a courtly daunce,
Be woven tight—sum in the centre drawe,
Whil otheres stonde at edge, as if by chaunce.
How genes in networks, lyk a courtly daunce,
Be woven tight—sum in the centre drawe,
Whil otheres stonde at edge, as if by chaunce.
In honor of her defense... a Chaucer-style poem about her work:
Here bigynneth a Lay of Apples and Yeast
In dyvers orchards, fer and wyde yspreade,
Where apples hang lyk jewels red and gold,
Ther dwellen yeastes, by necessitee yfed,
That to eche fruyt ther lyves do moold.
...
Here bigynneth a Lay of Apples and Yeast
In dyvers orchards, fer and wyde yspreade,
Where apples hang lyk jewels red and gold,
Ther dwellen yeastes, by necessitee yfed,
That to eche fruyt ther lyves do moold.
...
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
In honor of her defense... a Chaucer-style poem about her work:
Here bigynneth a Lay of Apples and Yeast
In dyvers orchards, fer and wyde yspreade,
Where apples hang lyk jewels red and gold,
Ther dwellen yeastes, by necessitee yfed,
That to eche fruyt ther lyves do moold.
...
Here bigynneth a Lay of Apples and Yeast
In dyvers orchards, fer and wyde yspreade,
Where apples hang lyk jewels red and gold,
Ther dwellen yeastes, by necessitee yfed,
That to eche fruyt ther lyves do moold.
...
So endeth this tale of fysh and fybrosis dere, Of ymmunen costes that evolution stere: Whan hoste and parasite in battaile longe do lye, The beste defence may cost to much to trye. Thus lernen we from thise stykylbak so smale, That ymmunen responses telle a complex tale.
/fin
/fin
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
So endeth this tale of fysh and fybrosis dere, Of ymmunen costes that evolution stere: Whan hoste and parasite in battaile longe do lye, The beste defence may cost to much to trye. Thus lernen we from thise stykylbak so smale, That ymmunen responses telle a complex tale.
/fin
/fin
In lake Roberts, fer from Vancouvre towne, The fysshe han fybrosis of grete renowne; But in othir watres, just fiftene kilometris hens, The fysshe toleraten with paciens. This intraspecifik variacion Sheweth Natures grete adaptacion.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
In lake Roberts, fer from Vancouvre towne, The fysshe han fybrosis of grete renowne; But in othir watres, just fiftene kilometris hens, The fysshe toleraten with paciens. This intraspecifik variacion Sheweth Natures grete adaptacion.
Thus spake the clerkes in lettres of Evolucioun: Ther is a trade-of in this solucioun— Bitwixen resistaunce and fertilitees koste, And sumtyme th'immune response is loste. Alternative stabil states may come to passe: Sum fysshe resisten, othir lat it passe.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Thus spake the clerkes in lettres of Evolucioun: Ther is a trade-of in this solucioun— Bitwixen resistaunce and fertilitees koste, And sumtyme th'immune response is loste. Alternative stabil states may come to passe: Sum fysshe resisten, othir lat it passe.
Yet mark ye wel this paradoxe most queinte: Though fybrosis maketh parasites feint, Sum populacions turne it of agayn, For coste of scarring bryngeth to much payn. The fysshe that fibrose may nat swimme ful faste, And hir reproductif successe is layed waste.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Yet mark ye wel this paradoxe most queinte: Though fybrosis maketh parasites feint, Sum populacions turne it of agayn, For coste of scarring bryngeth to much payn. The fysshe that fibrose may nat swimme ful faste, And hir reproductif successe is layed waste.
A fibroblasten gene of grete renoun, That causeth scaffoldynge to liggen doun— Extracellular matrix, thikke and stronge, That grippeth wormes alle the dayes longe. And whan the tapeworme is encased in sak, It dieth ther, and nevere cometh bak.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
A fibroblasten gene of grete renoun, That causeth scaffoldynge to liggen doun— Extracellular matrix, thikke and stronge, That grippeth wormes alle the dayes longe. And whan the tapeworme is encased in sak, It dieth ther, and nevere cometh bak.
Thre thousand yeer of jawed fysshe kynde Han born this fybrosis in ancestrall mynde; Yet maryn stykylbak it nevere use, Til fresshwater foorth bryngeth this excuse. The gene Spi1b on chromosome the secounde Dooth regulate where fybrosis may be founde.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Thre thousand yeer of jawed fysshe kynde Han born this fybrosis in ancestrall mynde; Yet maryn stykylbak it nevere use, Til fresshwater foorth bryngeth this excuse. The gene Spi1b on chromosome the secounde Dooth regulate where fybrosis may be founde.
But by the yeer nineteen hundred nintye-six, The fysshe hadde lerned newe immunitee trix: Ther fybrosis rose unto a hygh degree, And parasites began to fleen and flee. By twenty-one and twenty yeer of grace, No worme remained in alle that place!
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
But by the yeer nineteen hundred nintye-six, The fysshe hadde lerned newe immunitee trix: Ther fybrosis rose unto a hygh degree, And parasites began to fleen and flee. By twenty-one and twenty yeer of grace, No worme remained in alle that place!
In Heisholt Quarry, founded sixty-sevene yeer, Did Sriramulu and Bolnick maken cleer: That maryn fysshe, whan fyrst they cam to londe, Were hevy-laded with infeccioun's bonde— Seventye percent with wormes were ybore, And fybrosis lowe, as 'twas evere bifore.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
In Heisholt Quarry, founded sixty-sevene yeer, Did Sriramulu and Bolnick maken cleer: That maryn fysshe, whan fyrst they cam to londe, Were hevy-laded with infeccioun's bonde— Seventye percent with wormes were ybore, And fybrosis lowe, as 'twas evere bifore.
But lo! This cure bryngeth coste ful dere: The fysshe that fybrosen may nat so wel stere; Hir bely stif, hir movinge alle constrayned, And fertilitee thereof ful sore payned. Thus summe populacions chese this harde defence, Whil othir lakis shonne it at grete expense.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
But lo! This cure bryngeth coste ful dere: The fysshe that fybrosen may nat so wel stere; Hir bely stif, hir movinge alle constrayned, And fertilitee thereof ful sore payned. Thus summe populacions chese this harde defence, Whil othir lakis shonne it at grete expense.
Fyrst came the lerned clerkes Weber and Steinel, Who wroote in Science of this wondir tale: How sum fysshe wroghte a scarring most profound— Peritoneal fybrosis they han founde! A glew of collageoun that bynt organes togidder, To trappen and to sleen the wormes hidder.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Fyrst came the lerned clerkes Weber and Steinel, Who wroote in Science of this wondir tale: How sum fysshe wroghte a scarring most profound— Peritoneal fybrosis they han founde! A glew of collageoun that bynt organes togidder, To trappen and to sleen the wormes hidder.
The tapeworme growe within the bely wyde, And maketh fysshe to suffre grete despite; It swelleth grete til half the fisshes masse, And lesseneth fertilitee, allas, allas! Yet Nature, evere wyse in hir devyse, Hath yeven remedie in straunge and sondry wyse.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
The tapeworme growe within the bely wyde, And maketh fysshe to suffre grete despite; It swelleth grete til half the fisshes masse, And lesseneth fertilitee, allas, allas! Yet Nature, evere wyse in hir devyse, Hath yeven remedie in straunge and sondry wyse.
Thise fyssches thre-spyned, Gasterosteus by name, Were alle unwont to this newe parasites game; For in the ocean depe they dwelte of yore, Where swich a cestode hadde not been bifore. But nowe in lakis fressh, ful fifty yeer agone, They founde themselves in tribulacion.
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Thise fyssches thre-spyned, Gasterosteus by name, Were alle unwont to this newe parasites game; For in the ocean depe they dwelte of yore, Where swich a cestode hadde not been bifore. But nowe in lakis fressh, ful fifty yeer agone, They founde themselves in tribulacion.
Whan that maryn fyssches, smale and bright, To fresshwater lakis toke hir flight, And lefte behynde the salte see so wyde, Ther mette they wormes that wolde hem hyde— A tapeworm cleped Schistocephalus, That bryngeth woe and maladyes to us
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Whan that maryn fyssches, smale and bright, To fresshwater lakis toke hir flight, And lefte behynde the salte see so wyde, Ther mette they wormes that wolde hem hyde— A tapeworm cleped Schistocephalus, That bryngeth woe and maladyes to us
A side project arising from Swapna's PhD is a collaboration with Jeff Rogers of Rogers Orchards, who started Longview Ciderhouse. They used artificial selection in the lab to optimize a wild yeast species (not a Saccharomyces ) for brewing... the result is delicious, and on sale at Longview!
November 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
A side project arising from Swapna's PhD is a collaboration with Jeff Rogers of Rogers Orchards, who started Longview Ciderhouse. They used artificial selection in the lab to optimize a wild yeast species (not a Saccharomyces ) for brewing... the result is delicious, and on sale at Longview!
DM me if you'd like a link to the PhD defense
November 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
DM me if you'd like a link to the PhD defense
One chapter is already on BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... looking at how local adaptation by one yeast species (H.uvarum) affects yeast community composition and diversity on apple orchards in CT.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... looking at how local adaptation by one yeast species (H.uvarum) affects yeast community composition and diversity on apple orchards in CT.
Local adaptation shapes community composition without affecting performance
Eco-evolutionary theory predicts that local adaptation should influence community assembly and performance, yet empirical tests of these predictions remain limited, particularly at microgeographic sca...
www.biorxiv.org
November 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
One chapter is already on BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... looking at how local adaptation by one yeast species (H.uvarum) affects yeast community composition and diversity on apple orchards in CT.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... looking at how local adaptation by one yeast species (H.uvarum) affects yeast community composition and diversity on apple orchards in CT.