Professor Mary J O'Connell
@evol-molly.bsky.social
Evolutionary Biologist, Mammals, Phylogenies, Comparative Genomics, Art and Running
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Fast females, slow males: accelerated ageing and reproductive senescence in Drosophila melanogaster females across diverse social environments url: academic.oup.com/evlett/artic...
Fast females, slow males: accelerated ageing and reproductive senescence in Drosophila melanogaster females across diverse social environments
Abstract. Females and males typically differ in lifespan, patterns of ageing, and reproduction. General explanations for variation in the magnitude of this
academic.oup.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Fast females, slow males: accelerated ageing and reproductive senescence in Drosophila melanogaster females across diverse social environments url: academic.oup.com/evlett/artic...
HipHipHorray for a fabulous first day… at the University of Manchester!:) excited for the future and looking forward to some wonderful sciencing together !:) once I find my way through all my boxes lol
November 4, 2025 at 9:53 PM
HipHipHorray for a fabulous first day… at the University of Manchester!:) excited for the future and looking forward to some wonderful sciencing together !:) once I find my way through all my boxes lol
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
#Evolution of complex adaptations can involve changes in multiple traits that lack standalone function. @benitoexplains.bsky.social &co show that leaf masquerade in #katydids evolved via concurrent modification in wing colour & shape, driven by evolutionary synergy @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4oUE741
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
#Evolution of complex adaptations can involve changes in multiple traits that lack standalone function. @benitoexplains.bsky.social &co show that leaf masquerade in #katydids evolved via concurrent modification in wing colour & shape, driven by evolutionary synergy @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4oUE741
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Life-changing eye implant helps blind patients read again. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Life-changing eye implant helps blind patients read again
The results are astounding and a major advance, say surgeons involved in international research using the pioneering technology.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 20, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Life-changing eye implant helps blind patients read again. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Working from home works for everyone 🧪 #Zoom
Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance - Nature
A trial investigating the effects of a hybrid working schedule in a Chinese technology firm in 2021–2022 shows that working from home two days a week improved job satisfaction, reduced quitting and did not affect performance.
www.nature.com
September 29, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Working from home works for everyone 🧪 #Zoom
MicroRNAs at the centre of this success story for treatment of Huntington’s disease.. truly wonderful and inspiring progress. Well done to all involved : www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time
One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 24, 2025 at 9:02 PM
MicroRNAs at the centre of this success story for treatment of Huntington’s disease.. truly wonderful and inspiring progress. Well done to all involved : www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
🧪microRNA treatment success for Huntington's disease announced. It sounds promising but hasn't published yet. Will it pass the peer-review sniff test? Will it get licensed in the US in 2026?
Also, how did it take this long for me to realize BBC doesn't use the Oxford comma?
Also, how did it take this long for me to realize BBC doesn't use the Oxford comma?
a new mRNA therapy apparently can cut the rate of Huntington's disease progression by ~75%. yet more miracle shit www.bbc.com/news/article...
Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time
One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.
www.bbc.com
September 24, 2025 at 6:56 PM
🧪microRNA treatment success for Huntington's disease announced. It sounds promising but hasn't published yet. Will it pass the peer-review sniff test? Will it get licensed in the US in 2026?
Also, how did it take this long for me to realize BBC doesn't use the Oxford comma?
Also, how did it take this long for me to realize BBC doesn't use the Oxford comma?
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
There are two weeks to go in the fundraising campaign for the Natural History Society of Maryland's new shark science and conservation exhibit, and we have to raise about $1,400 more.
Please consider chipping in to help. Thank you!
www.southernfriedscience.com/help-support... #SciComm 🧪🦑🌎
Please consider chipping in to help. Thank you!
www.southernfriedscience.com/help-support... #SciComm 🧪🦑🌎
Help support a new shark science and conservation exhibit in Maryland!
The Natural History Society of Maryland is redoing their public exhibit halls, including a new exhibit on shark science and conservation. I’m helping them to design it, we’re fundraisin…
www.southernfriedscience.com
September 22, 2025 at 12:57 PM
There are two weeks to go in the fundraising campaign for the Natural History Society of Maryland's new shark science and conservation exhibit, and we have to raise about $1,400 more.
Please consider chipping in to help. Thank you!
www.southernfriedscience.com/help-support... #SciComm 🧪🦑🌎
Please consider chipping in to help. Thank you!
www.southernfriedscience.com/help-support... #SciComm 🧪🦑🌎
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Grad school is HARD. Feels like everyone else has it together—but newsflash: everyone struggles, even your PI! These faculty interviews discussing their grad school struggles made me feel less alone. Share these with your cohort and be nicer to yourself 🧪🌿🎓
risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
Fail Safe Science | RISE Center
risecenter.asu.edu
September 15, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Grad school is HARD. Feels like everyone else has it together—but newsflash: everyone struggles, even your PI! These faculty interviews discussing their grad school struggles made me feel less alone. Share these with your cohort and be nicer to yourself 🧪🌿🎓
risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
It’s almost Ctenophore Day! I set up a BioBlitz on @inaturalist.bsky.social to celebrate. Spread the word, and let’s see how many people we can get out looking for ctenos!
🐙🦑🌿🧪
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cte...
🐙🦑🌿🧪
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cte...
September 15, 2025 at 7:14 PM
It’s almost Ctenophore Day! I set up a BioBlitz on @inaturalist.bsky.social to celebrate. Spread the word, and let’s see how many people we can get out looking for ctenos!
🐙🦑🌿🧪
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cte...
🐙🦑🌿🧪
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cte...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
How location drives productivity #Science
"Life scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology publish top research papers at a rate that is among the highest in the world"
www.science.org/content/arti...
"Life scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology publish top research papers at a rate that is among the highest in the world"
www.science.org/content/arti...
September 6, 2025 at 10:17 AM
How location drives productivity #Science
"Life scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology publish top research papers at a rate that is among the highest in the world"
www.science.org/content/arti...
"Life scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology publish top research papers at a rate that is among the highest in the world"
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Launching soon! R for Biochemists 101 begins on Monday 8 September 2025. Don’t miss your chance to boost your data skills and gain confidence in R. Secure your place today🧪 : buff.ly/cyJve1t
September 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Launching soon! R for Biochemists 101 begins on Monday 8 September 2025. Don’t miss your chance to boost your data skills and gain confidence in R. Secure your place today🧪 : buff.ly/cyJve1t
En Route to ESEB. @eseb2025.bsky.social .. Looking forward to a week chocka block with wonderful people and science ! Dont be shy - just come say hi !;-)
August 17, 2025 at 11:06 AM
En Route to ESEB. @eseb2025.bsky.social .. Looking forward to a week chocka block with wonderful people and science ! Dont be shy - just come say hi !;-)
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025!
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
August 17, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I have arrived in Barcelona for ESEB 2025!
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
I will be talking about microRNA and the evolution of the mammalian placenta on Tuesday at 14:30 in Meeting Room 113
@eseb2025.bsky.social
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Lots of invaluable advice here for both early stage researchers and well established folk. Well thought out impactful figures are key to getting your points across, and it's all too common to see poor practice 🧪🧬🖥️🌍 #datavis #bioinformatics
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A checklist for designing and improving the visualization of scientific data - Nature Cell Biology
Creating clear and engaging scientific figures is crucial to communicate complex data. In this Comment, I condense principles from design, visual perception and data visualization research in a checkl...
www.nature.com
July 4, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Lots of invaluable advice here for both early stage researchers and well established folk. Well thought out impactful figures are key to getting your points across, and it's all too common to see poor practice 🧪🧬🖥️🌍 #datavis #bioinformatics
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Birds have an excellent ability to learn to discriminate harmless insects from those that they mimic on the basis of subtle differences in appearance, according to a study in Nature. go.nature.com/44yj4M5 🧪
July 3, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Birds have an excellent ability to learn to discriminate harmless insects from those that they mimic on the basis of subtle differences in appearance, according to a study in Nature. go.nature.com/44yj4M5 🧪
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Take a look at our work on miRNAs and their involvement with placental phenotypes. It's great to see this work finally see the light of day - huge thanks to everyone involved with the manuscript.
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
www.biorxiv.org
July 2, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Take a look at our work on miRNAs and their involvement with placental phenotypes. It's great to see this work finally see the light of day - huge thanks to everyone involved with the manuscript.
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
When you see convergent phenotypes do u wonder about their genetic basis? Did they re-invent some genetic element to construct the phenotype? The mammal placenta-a pretty important organ-has a lot of convergent phenotypes & this paper helps explain how they come about www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
www.biorxiv.org
June 30, 2025 at 3:17 PM
When you see convergent phenotypes do u wonder about their genetic basis? Did they re-invent some genetic element to construct the phenotype? The mammal placenta-a pretty important organ-has a lot of convergent phenotypes & this paper helps explain how they come about www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Happy to have contributed to this paper!!! Convergent placental phenotypes are mechanistically shaped by the same regulators
When you see convergent phenotypes do u wonder about their genetic basis? Did they re-invent some genetic element to construct the phenotype? The mammal placenta-a pretty important organ-has a lot of convergent phenotypes & this paper helps explain how they come about www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
www.biorxiv.org
June 30, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Happy to have contributed to this paper!!! Convergent placental phenotypes are mechanistically shaped by the same regulators
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
www.biorxiv.org
June 30, 2025 at 3:05 PM
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & all in @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to @ukri.org and @leverhulme.ac.uk. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to funders @BBSRC and @LeverhulmeTrust. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Mammal placental phenotypes are predictable from microRNA repertoires.
Despite >100 million years of mammal diversification, similar placental morphologies have independently evolved multiple times, presenting a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: what genetic mechanisms ...
www.biorxiv.org
June 30, 2025 at 3:03 PM
How did mammal placental diversity evolve? miRNAs play a significant role - indeed their repertoire is predictive of phenotype. Congrats to all: esp 1st author @jfennbio.bsky.social & @niamhforde.bsky.social group. Thanks to funders @BBSRC and @LeverhulmeTrust. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
Antarctic seal numbers falling drastically due to melting sea ice, research shows
Antarctic seal numbers falling drastically due to melting sea ice, research shows
British Antarctic Survey finds one breed of seal has declined by 54% since 1977
www.theguardian.com
June 19, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Antarctic seal numbers falling drastically due to melting sea ice, research shows
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
The Trust is proud to support twenty-five retired academics to complete their research. Topics covered this year include the role of salience in cognitive control and aggression, and marginal Nepali Dalit literature. www.leverhulme.ac.uk/news/twenty-...
June 17, 2025 at 9:02 AM
The Trust is proud to support twenty-five retired academics to complete their research. Topics covered this year include the role of salience in cognitive control and aggression, and marginal Nepali Dalit literature. www.leverhulme.ac.uk/news/twenty-...
Reposted by Professor Mary J O'Connell
R.I.P. Ted Goslow, a great functional morphologist. He contributed quite a bit to our understanding of how birds coordinate flying-- scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=e...
www.online-tribute.com/TedGoslow
www.online-tribute.com/TedGoslow
Ted Goslow | 1939 - 2025 | Online-Tribute.com
George Edward Goslow Jr. (AKA Ted Goslow) passed away peacefully at home with his son by his side on May 5, 2025, in Flagstaff, AZ, at the age of 85. Ted was born in Tacoma, WA on May 16, 1939, to lov...
www.online-tribute.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:53 AM
R.I.P. Ted Goslow, a great functional morphologist. He contributed quite a bit to our understanding of how birds coordinate flying-- scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=e...
www.online-tribute.com/TedGoslow
www.online-tribute.com/TedGoslow