Jay Evans
@jaydevans.bsky.social
Bee lover and civil servant scientist. Bee research at https://tinyurl.com/bdh73yj5 and less formally www.beesfoundintranslation.org. Views are my own.
Great ‘applied genomics’ study to identify causes behind pollinator declines! @ebpgenome.bsky.social , #beenome100. @ergabiodiv.bsky.social
@renamschweizer.bsky.social , @mgbranstetter.bsky.social
@renamschweizer.bsky.social , @mgbranstetter.bsky.social
New paper drop! 🚨
Led by my awesome postdoc @renamschweizer.bsky.social — we used genomics + museum DNA to explore the decline of Bombus franklini, a bee not seen in the wild since 2006 🐝
Now out in @PNASNews!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led by my awesome postdoc @renamschweizer.bsky.social — we used genomics + museum DNA to explore the decline of Bombus franklini, a bee not seen in the wild since 2006 🐝
Now out in @PNASNews!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Museum genomics suggests long-term population decline in a putatively extinct bumble bee | PNAS
Pollinator declines globally threaten ecosystem stability and agricultural productivity.
Reconstructing pollinator historic demographies provides a...
www.pnas.org
October 22, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Great ‘applied genomics’ study to identify causes behind pollinator declines! @ebpgenome.bsky.social , #beenome100. @ergabiodiv.bsky.social
@renamschweizer.bsky.social , @mgbranstetter.bsky.social
@renamschweizer.bsky.social , @mgbranstetter.bsky.social
A triage review of costs and causes of recent honey bee losses, usual suspects of parasites, pesticides, hunger, but surprisingly widespread 😔.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Insights from U.S. beekeeper triage surveys following unusually high honey bee colony losses 2024–2025
In January of 2025, U.S. commercial beekeepers reported unusually high honey bee colony losses as they prepared colonies for almond pollination. Two i…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 8, 2025 at 10:42 PM
A triage review of costs and causes of recent honey bee losses, usual suspects of parasites, pesticides, hunger, but surprisingly widespread 😔.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A week ago we were told via YouTube that USDA-BARC and our Bee Lab will be closed. BARC has had a productive 90 years but is aging and I trust there is a longterm vision behind this decision. The largest loss will be the people, who are 100% devoted to bees, beekeepers, science, and this country.
July 31, 2025 at 11:40 PM
A week ago we were told via YouTube that USDA-BARC and our Bee Lab will be closed. BARC has had a productive 90 years but is aging and I trust there is a longterm vision behind this decision. The largest loss will be the people, who are 100% devoted to bees, beekeepers, science, and this country.
Fun to host the American Veterinary Medicine Association for a Honey bee workshop in the historic USDA Log Lodge , poignant as a couple days later we received notice our USDA Center will now vacate…🤷🏻🐝.
July 26, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Fun to host the American Veterinary Medicine Association for a Honey bee workshop in the historic USDA Log Lodge , poignant as a couple days later we received notice our USDA Center will now vacate…🤷🏻🐝.
Great work on bee senses from Penn State 🐝
🧬 Shift between specialized & generalized diets in #bees is associated with evolutionary changes in their sensory genes. Generalists lose odorant receptors (ORs) and gain gustatory receptors (GRs), while specialists diversify existing genes 🌸🐝 #genomics #pollinators
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
Shifts in bee diet breadths are associated with gene gains and losses and positive selection across olfactory receptors
Abstract. Bees are palynivorous insects that vary widely in the number of plant families from which they collect pollen. Their evolutionary history has bee
academic.oup.com
July 13, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Great work on bee senses from Penn State 🐝
And honey bees and beekeepers are having a rough year too, no doubt there are multiple causes but the battle against disease is a big one. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Viruses and vectors tied to honey bee colony losses
Commercial beekeepers in the US reported severe colony losses early in 2025, as colonies were being staged for their critical role in the almond pollination season in California. Average reported loss...
www.biorxiv.org
June 3, 2025 at 12:59 PM
And honey bees and beekeepers are having a rough year too, no doubt there are multiple causes but the battle against disease is a big one. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Wow, continued insect decline even in the prettiest places. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects
A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides
www.theguardian.com
June 3, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Wow, continued insect decline even in the prettiest places. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
NIH traffic reports provided by friendly NGOs
HT to Sean Davis for creating a status page for NIH websites: stats.uptimerobot.com/Zrqh8AhvKn - simultaneous worth sharing and sad.
Government Biomedical data
stats.uptimerobot.com
March 2, 2025 at 1:48 PM
NIH traffic reports provided by friendly NGOs
I am frugal myself and rarely critique my federal employer (maybe for shutdowns, as I love my job), but I cracked seeing the young faces of fired #NPS rangers and #USDA employees. Thought of my teacher mom, who joined midlife as a proud @NPS educator. Public service is a calling, not a safety net.
February 19, 2025 at 1:50 PM
B > rc
Eusociality evolves more readily in haplodiploid #insects because of an inflated #genetic relatedness between sisters - the transition rate from solitary to eusocial life was 15-100 times higher in haplodiploid than diploid lineages www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Eusociality evolved at a much higher rate in haplodiploid insects
As a corollary to inclusive fitness theory, W.D. Hamilton’s famous haplodiploid hypothesis proposed that eusociality evolves more readily in haplodiploids because of an inflated genetic relatedness be...
www.biorxiv.org
January 25, 2025 at 2:45 PM
B > rc
Amazing how far the holistic study of bee health has come in a decade or so, sub-lethal but sub-optimal.
A new study shows the impacts of pesticides are far from uniform, affecting the brain, legs, and kidney-like tissues that undermines essential functions.
www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2...
www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2...
Pesticide impacts on bees more complex than expected
www.qmul.ac.uk
January 16, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Amazing how far the holistic study of bee health has come in a decade or so, sub-lethal but sub-optimal.
This group is doing a lot to develop and use genome data to improve biodiversity and involve local peoples
Sequencing genomes unlocks the potential to analyze genetic diversity within that ecosystem, allowing scientists to identify vulnerable species and design targeted #conservation strategies.
Sign up for our newsletter on earthbiogenome.org to learn more in our upcoming issue.
Sign up for our newsletter on earthbiogenome.org to learn more in our upcoming issue.
January 15, 2025 at 7:05 PM
This group is doing a lot to develop and use genome data to improve biodiversity and involve local peoples
A poignant visit to Chile’s Human Rights museum, highlighting the 15-year murderous blight on democracy by Pinochet and his many allies, even refusing the results of the 1988 plebiscite until the people said ‘nope’, we won.
December 19, 2024 at 12:34 AM
A poignant visit to Chile’s Human Rights museum, highlighting the 15-year murderous blight on democracy by Pinochet and his many allies, even refusing the results of the 1988 plebiscite until the people said ‘nope’, we won.
Reposted by Jay Evans
Since we cut away neighboring trees our Jackfruit has started producing many more fruits.
December 12, 2024 at 12:45 AM
Since we cut away neighboring trees our Jackfruit has started producing many more fruits.
Proud member of @ebpgenome.bsky.social !
Spent some time the other day updating the #beenome100 website! If you’re interested in #beegenomes or #insectgenomes in general, check it out 🐝
beenome100.org
beenome100.org
Beenome100
beenome100.org
November 25, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Proud member of @ebpgenome.bsky.social !
Go Katherine!!
Spending my Sunday pulling bees to send in for the #beenome100 project! It’s so nice and quiet with no one here! #beegenomes #genome
November 24, 2024 at 7:37 PM
Go Katherine!!
Heading home from Thailand where a serviceable and super cute native bee Apis cerana is meeting A mellifera, chaos has ensued in places.
November 21, 2024 at 6:10 PM
Heading home from Thailand where a serviceable and super cute native bee Apis cerana is meeting A mellifera, chaos has ensued in places.
Immunity for those of us riding the thorax of Drosophila
ICYMI: we wrote a book. It's a free PDF, but you can also get a physical copy just in time for the holidays. Probably. I dunno. We don't actually get money from it.
This was a labour of love by Hannah & Bruno. Also I helped. Stocking stuffer idea: USB loaded with The #Drosophila Immunity Handbook 🪰
This was a labour of love by Hannah & Bruno. Also I helped. Stocking stuffer idea: USB loaded with The #Drosophila Immunity Handbook 🪰
November 8, 2024 at 7:23 PM
Immunity for those of us riding the thorax of Drosophila
Reposted by Jay Evans
We are excited to celebrate the 3,000th genome release 🥳
Thank you to all our 58 Affiliated Projects for contributing your hard work.
Keep on sequencing 🧬
Thank you to all our 58 Affiliated Projects for contributing your hard work.
Keep on sequencing 🧬
November 7, 2024 at 10:37 PM
We are excited to celebrate the 3,000th genome release 🥳
Thank you to all our 58 Affiliated Projects for contributing your hard work.
Keep on sequencing 🧬
Thank you to all our 58 Affiliated Projects for contributing your hard work.
Keep on sequencing 🧬
Reposted by Jay Evans
Today seems like a good day to share this Scientific American story on how vaccines have saved more lives throughout history than any other intervention
www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-...
November 7, 2024 at 1:26 AM
Today seems like a good day to share this Scientific American story on how vaccines have saved more lives throughout history than any other intervention
www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-...
Reposted by Jay Evans
Meet Liz Walsh, Ph.D., research entomologist at the USDA-ARS, honey bee enthusiast since childhood, and subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series. #entomology
How a High-School Beekeeper Made Her Way to USDA Honey Bee Researcher
Meet Liz Walsh, Ph.D., research entomologist at the USDA-ARS, honey bee enthusiast since childhood, and subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.
entomologytoday.org
April 23, 2024 at 5:49 PM
Meet Liz Walsh, Ph.D., research entomologist at the USDA-ARS, honey bee enthusiast since childhood, and subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series. #entomology