Hassan Salem
@hassansalem.bsky.social
Max Planck Research Group Leader, MPI for Biology | ERC Investigator | EMBO Young Investigator | Symbiosis, genomics & development
www.mutualisms.net
www.mutualisms.net
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Switzerland is joining Horizon Europe!
We are uniting two research powerhouses.
For cutting-edge innovation that will boost our energy security, digital transformation, health and so much more.
Today is a good day for science, and for our EU-Switzerland partnership.
We are uniting two research powerhouses.
For cutting-edge innovation that will boost our energy security, digital transformation, health and so much more.
Today is a good day for science, and for our EU-Switzerland partnership.
November 10, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Switzerland is joining Horizon Europe!
We are uniting two research powerhouses.
For cutting-edge innovation that will boost our energy security, digital transformation, health and so much more.
Today is a good day for science, and for our EU-Switzerland partnership.
We are uniting two research powerhouses.
For cutting-edge innovation that will boost our energy security, digital transformation, health and so much more.
Today is a good day for science, and for our EU-Switzerland partnership.
Reposted by Hassan Salem
🐝🦠 New paper: rdcu.be/eOf7A
Phages may drive microbial diversity, yet we often don’t even know how phages & bacteria correlate in nature. Our new study tackles this in the honeybee gut, thanks to the great work of PhD student @malickndiaye.bsky.social at @dmf-unil.bsky.social @fbm-unil.bsky.social
Phages may drive microbial diversity, yet we often don’t even know how phages & bacteria correlate in nature. Our new study tackles this in the honeybee gut, thanks to the great work of PhD student @malickndiaye.bsky.social at @dmf-unil.bsky.social @fbm-unil.bsky.social
Phage diversity mirrors bacterial strain diversity in the honey bee gut microbiota - Nature Communications
Authors analyse paired viral and bacterial shotgun metagenomics data from individual honeybee guts, revealing modular, nested phage–bacteria networks, with viral diversity mirroring bacterial strain c...
www.nature.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:36 PM
🐝🦠 New paper: rdcu.be/eOf7A
Phages may drive microbial diversity, yet we often don’t even know how phages & bacteria correlate in nature. Our new study tackles this in the honeybee gut, thanks to the great work of PhD student @malickndiaye.bsky.social at @dmf-unil.bsky.social @fbm-unil.bsky.social
Phages may drive microbial diversity, yet we often don’t even know how phages & bacteria correlate in nature. Our new study tackles this in the honeybee gut, thanks to the great work of PhD student @malickndiaye.bsky.social at @dmf-unil.bsky.social @fbm-unil.bsky.social
Reposted by Hassan Salem
🌿🌱 We’re hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor (potentially open rank) at the Institute of Plant Sciences
@unibe.ch in Plant Population Ecology 🌻🌳
Be our colleague and join us in beautiful Bern, Switzerland
Apply by Jan 23 2026 👉 ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jo...
@unibe.ch in Plant Population Ecology 🌻🌳
Be our colleague and join us in beautiful Bern, Switzerland
Apply by Jan 23 2026 👉 ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jo...
October 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
🌿🌱 We’re hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor (potentially open rank) at the Institute of Plant Sciences
@unibe.ch in Plant Population Ecology 🌻🌳
Be our colleague and join us in beautiful Bern, Switzerland
Apply by Jan 23 2026 👉 ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jo...
@unibe.ch in Plant Population Ecology 🌻🌳
Be our colleague and join us in beautiful Bern, Switzerland
Apply by Jan 23 2026 👉 ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jo...
Reposted by Hassan Salem
📢 We have an open position for a postdoc to join my lab. It's a great position @animecol-uu.bsky.social, fully salaried for 2.5 years with all benefits.
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
October 27, 2025 at 7:43 AM
📢 We have an open position for a postdoc to join my lab. It's a great position @animecol-uu.bsky.social, fully salaried for 2.5 years with all benefits.
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
Reposted by Hassan Salem
📣 Our latest article is out in Cell @cp-cell.bsky.social:
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
A scientific adventure, retold as a 🧵!
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
A scientific adventure, retold as a 🧵!
Redirecting
doi.org
October 29, 2025 at 5:09 PM
📣 Our latest article is out in Cell @cp-cell.bsky.social:
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
A scientific adventure, retold as a 🧵!
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
A scientific adventure, retold as a 🧵!
Reposted by Hassan Salem
The first detailed look at how mosquitoes mate from @leslievosshall.bsky.social's lab reverses the assumption that male mosquitoes control the process, finding that a subtle female behavior dictates whether mating will take place or not. @currentbiology.bsky.social
More here: https://bit.ly/4huwEpL
More here: https://bit.ly/4huwEpL
October 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
The first detailed look at how mosquitoes mate from @leslievosshall.bsky.social's lab reverses the assumption that male mosquitoes control the process, finding that a subtle female behavior dictates whether mating will take place or not. @currentbiology.bsky.social
More here: https://bit.ly/4huwEpL
More here: https://bit.ly/4huwEpL
Reposted by Hassan Salem
We selected the laziest mouse at each round to inoculate the next batch of germfree mice: over rounds of selection and passaging, behavior shifted without changes to the mouse genome: rdcu.be/eM3rO
🦠🧫
🦠🧫
Selection and transmission of the gut microbiome alone can shift mammalian behavior
Nature Communications - Here, the authors present evidence that the gut microbiome alone, without changes in the host genome, can shape how animals respond to selection, identifying a bacterium and...
rdcu.be
October 28, 2025 at 7:51 AM
We selected the laziest mouse at each round to inoculate the next batch of germfree mice: over rounds of selection and passaging, behavior shifted without changes to the mouse genome: rdcu.be/eM3rO
🦠🧫
🦠🧫
Reposted by Hassan Salem
This is a model strain we use in the lab. It's from a Kenyan fungus growing plant-ant nest and has ~60 biosynthetic gene clusters, many of which look novel. It's also amenable to genome editing, which is unusual in our environmental strain collection.
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Microbe Profile: Streptomyces formicae KY5: an ANT-ibiotic factory
Streptomyces formicae KY5 was isolated from a Tetraponera penzigi plant-ant nest. It is primarily known for its production of the formicamycins, antibiotics with potent activity against Gram-positive ...
www.microbiologyresearch.org
October 24, 2025 at 12:05 PM
This is a model strain we use in the lab. It's from a Kenyan fungus growing plant-ant nest and has ~60 biosynthetic gene clusters, many of which look novel. It's also amenable to genome editing, which is unusual in our environmental strain collection.
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
It was such a treat to see you again @CorrieMoreau.bsky.social!! We’re still buzzing after a stellar seminar 🌟 turtle ants are amazing!
Had a fantastic visit to the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen @maxplanckcampus.bsky.social Super thanks to @hassansalem.bsky.social and @berasymbionts.bsky.social for hosting me and showing me the town! Fun to talk symbiosis science with such superstars 🤩
October 21, 2025 at 11:11 AM
It was such a treat to see you again @CorrieMoreau.bsky.social!! We’re still buzzing after a stellar seminar 🌟 turtle ants are amazing!
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Wow, nature is too cool! Structures on stinkbug hind legs that used to be interpreted as ears are actually chambers with fungi. The bugs coat their eggs in those fungi to protect them against parasitoid wasps. 🧪
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs
Dinidorid stinkbugs were reported to possess a conspicuous tympanal organ on female hindlegs. In this study, we show that this organ is specialized to retain microbial symbionts rather than to perceiv...
www.science.org
October 17, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Wow, nature is too cool! Structures on stinkbug hind legs that used to be interpreted as ears are actually chambers with fungi. The bugs coat their eggs in those fungi to protect them against parasitoid wasps. 🧪
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Hassan Salem
We are happy to share our latest work in @nature.com . We study the genomic and cellular basis of facultative symbiosis in Oculina patagonica - a Mediterranean coral remarkable for its ability to survive long periods without algal symbionts. Led by Shani Levy and @xgrau.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eLbaZ
rdcu.be/eLbaZ
October 15, 2025 at 7:58 PM
We are happy to share our latest work in @nature.com . We study the genomic and cellular basis of facultative symbiosis in Oculina patagonica - a Mediterranean coral remarkable for its ability to survive long periods without algal symbionts. Led by Shani Levy and @xgrau.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eLbaZ
rdcu.be/eLbaZ
Reposted by Hassan Salem
We have a project available for 2026 NRP Doctoral Training Partnership entry (i.e. PhD studentship opportunity!)
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
How do cells communicate when it’s hot? (FAULKNER_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
Plant cells are connected to their neighbours via ‘tubes’ called plasmodesmata, creating an interconnected cytoplasm that joins cells within and between tissues and organs.
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 12, 2025 at 11:48 AM
We have a project available for 2026 NRP Doctoral Training Partnership entry (i.e. PhD studentship opportunity!)
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
Reposted by Hassan Salem
New PhD opportunity in my group @thesainsburylab.bsky.social through the BBSRC NRP DTP Programme - see details of host to apply below
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
Vanishing Virulence: Investigating pathogenicity loss in a plant pathogenic fungus (TALBOT_T26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
What makes a plant killer lose its edge? This project will investigate why fungal pathogens lose virulence when they are grown in laboratory culture away from their host plant. Use cutting-edge…
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
New PhD opportunity in my group @thesainsburylab.bsky.social through the BBSRC NRP DTP Programme - see details of host to apply below
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
Reposted by Hassan Salem
We have a PhD opportunity available in our group @johninnescentre.bsky.social through the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership. Help us uncover the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs.
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Beyond Immunity: Uncovering the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs (SCHLIMPERT_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
Join us in exploring the hidden functions of ancient immune proteins in bacteria. Bacteria, like plants and animals, have evolved sophisticated systems to detect and respond to threats.
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 13, 2025 at 6:46 AM
We have a PhD opportunity available in our group @johninnescentre.bsky.social through the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership. Help us uncover the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs.
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Thinking about a postdoc in microbiome science?
Our lab at the MPI for Biology (Tübingen) builds on the culture I established at Cornell: collaborative, creative, and internationally diverse. Postdocs lead their own projects with secure funding. Join us!
#PostdocJobs #HostMicrobe #AcademicJobs
Our lab at the MPI for Biology (Tübingen) builds on the culture I established at Cornell: collaborative, creative, and internationally diverse. Postdocs lead their own projects with secure funding. Join us!
#PostdocJobs #HostMicrobe #AcademicJobs
October 4, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Thinking about a postdoc in microbiome science?
Our lab at the MPI for Biology (Tübingen) builds on the culture I established at Cornell: collaborative, creative, and internationally diverse. Postdocs lead their own projects with secure funding. Join us!
#PostdocJobs #HostMicrobe #AcademicJobs
Our lab at the MPI for Biology (Tübingen) builds on the culture I established at Cornell: collaborative, creative, and internationally diverse. Postdocs lead their own projects with secure funding. Join us!
#PostdocJobs #HostMicrobe #AcademicJobs
Reposted by Hassan Salem
New pre-print from our group showing remarkable synchrony of proliferative growth and regulated cell death during plant infection- each conidial cell has a different fate - by the rice blast fungus. Led by Alice Eseola with @osesmir.bsky.social Lauren Ryder @danmaclean.bsky.social and Martin Egan
Synchronous spatio-temporal control of autophagy and organelle trafficking is necessary for appressorium-mediated plant infection by Magnaporthe oryzae https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.06.680644v1
October 7, 2025 at 3:29 PM
New pre-print from our group showing remarkable synchrony of proliferative growth and regulated cell death during plant infection- each conidial cell has a different fate - by the rice blast fungus. Led by Alice Eseola with @osesmir.bsky.social Lauren Ryder @danmaclean.bsky.social and Martin Egan
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Aileen Berasategui @berasymbionts.bsky.social (VU) on Origin and evolution of a defensive symbiosis in tortoise beetle
Chelymorpha alternans beetle => today, focusing on pupation
see their @currentbiology.bsky.social paper (with @hassansalem.bsky.social)
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#NIME2025
Chelymorpha alternans beetle => today, focusing on pupation
see their @currentbiology.bsky.social paper (with @hassansalem.bsky.social)
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#NIME2025
October 7, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Aileen Berasategui @berasymbionts.bsky.social (VU) on Origin and evolution of a defensive symbiosis in tortoise beetle
Chelymorpha alternans beetle => today, focusing on pupation
see their @currentbiology.bsky.social paper (with @hassansalem.bsky.social)
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#NIME2025
Chelymorpha alternans beetle => today, focusing on pupation
see their @currentbiology.bsky.social paper (with @hassansalem.bsky.social)
www.cell.com/current-biol...
#NIME2025
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Latest from ours: www.cell.com/cell-reports...
This is two stories in one: a case study/cautionary tale on developing genetic tools in new organisms, and the first hint at a gene regulatory network for choanoflagellate multicellular development (which turn out to involve a Hippo/YAP/ECM loop!) A 🧵
This is two stories in one: a case study/cautionary tale on developing genetic tools in new organisms, and the first hint at a gene regulatory network for choanoflagellate multicellular development (which turn out to involve a Hippo/YAP/ECM loop!) A 🧵
October 5, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Latest from ours: www.cell.com/cell-reports...
This is two stories in one: a case study/cautionary tale on developing genetic tools in new organisms, and the first hint at a gene regulatory network for choanoflagellate multicellular development (which turn out to involve a Hippo/YAP/ECM loop!) A 🧵
This is two stories in one: a case study/cautionary tale on developing genetic tools in new organisms, and the first hint at a gene regulatory network for choanoflagellate multicellular development (which turn out to involve a Hippo/YAP/ECM loop!) A 🧵
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Dear all, registration for the upcoming EMBO/EMBL Symposium on "the cellular mechanics of symbiosis" is now OPEN 🤩 ! Feel free to register ! www.embl.org/about/info/c...
#EESSymbiosis #ProtistsOnSky #SymbioSky
@hassansalem.bsky.social @berasymbionts.bsky.social @embl.org
#EESSymbiosis #ProtistsOnSky #SymbioSky
@hassansalem.bsky.social @berasymbionts.bsky.social @embl.org
The cellular mechanics of symbiosis: sensing friend from foe
www.embl.org
September 29, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Dear all, registration for the upcoming EMBO/EMBL Symposium on "the cellular mechanics of symbiosis" is now OPEN 🤩 ! Feel free to register ! www.embl.org/about/info/c...
#EESSymbiosis #ProtistsOnSky #SymbioSky
@hassansalem.bsky.social @berasymbionts.bsky.social @embl.org
#EESSymbiosis #ProtistsOnSky #SymbioSky
@hassansalem.bsky.social @berasymbionts.bsky.social @embl.org
Reposted by Hassan Salem
I just love that our civilization is capable of being curious about termite fungus farming and pest control behavior.
They use soil balls to contain contamination of their crop, which also happens to carry fungistatic bacteria.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪🦠🧫
They use soil balls to contain contamination of their crop, which also happens to carry fungistatic bacteria.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪🦠🧫
Fungus-farming termites can protect their crop by confining weeds with fungistatic soil boluses
The symbiotic agriculture of fungus-farming termites can collapse if they fail to prevent invading weeds. Previous studies suggest a role for symbiotic fungistatic microbes in bringing about weed cont...
www.science.org
September 28, 2025 at 12:30 AM
I just love that our civilization is capable of being curious about termite fungus farming and pest control behavior.
They use soil balls to contain contamination of their crop, which also happens to carry fungistatic bacteria.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪🦠🧫
They use soil balls to contain contamination of their crop, which also happens to carry fungistatic bacteria.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪🦠🧫
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Insect spatial memory is thought to be based on panoramic snapshots that are modelled as retinotopic images. This idea won't allow a distinction of landmarks from the scene. Unexpectedly, our data suggest that 🐝 learn 3D-objects as individual landmarks. #neuroethology
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Insect spatial memory is thought to be based on panoramic snapshots that are modelled as retinotopic images. This idea won't allow a distinction of landmarks from the scene. Unexpectedly, our data suggest that 🐝 learn 3D-objects as individual landmarks. #neuroethology
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Apply online by November 1st! Wiko Early Career Call for fellowships 2026/27 in the #NaturalSciences and #LifeSciences. Gain time to think during a 3–5 month #fellowship at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin – Institute for Advanced Study: wiko-berlin.de/fellow-werde... #cfa
September 24, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Apply online by November 1st! Wiko Early Career Call for fellowships 2026/27 in the #NaturalSciences and #LifeSciences. Gain time to think during a 3–5 month #fellowship at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin – Institute for Advanced Study: wiko-berlin.de/fellow-werde... #cfa
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Interested in #virulence? Not sure what it is - or how to explain it? Just curious? 🧐🦠🧬🦋
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
Ecology and evolution of virulence
Silva and King discuss the concept of virulence and the ecological and evolutionary
factors that shape it.
www.cell.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Interested in #virulence? Not sure what it is - or how to explain it? Just curious? 🧐🦠🧬🦋
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
Reposted by Hassan Salem
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
A host organelle integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
Sea slugs steal foreign chloroplasts and store them in specialized organelles that
facilitate photosynthesis and eventual digestion to mediate starvation resistance.
www.cell.com
September 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
Reposted by Hassan Salem
Very excited to share that my first 1st author publication is available at the journal of #NewPhytologist !
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Whole genome sequencing of historical specimens from the world's largest fungal collection yields high‐quality assemblies
High-throughput molecular studies of museum specimens (museomics) have great potential in biodiversity research, but fungal historical collections have scarcely been examined, leading to no comprehe...
doi.org
September 16, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Very excited to share that my first 1st author publication is available at the journal of #NewPhytologist !
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Congratulations to the entire team that worked on this project including the #KewFungarium Team. 👏 🍄🟫
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to read it here: doi.org/10.1111/nph....