Pedro Vale
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pfvale.bsky.social
Pedro Vale
@pfvale.bsky.social
2.3K followers 1.2K following 160 posts
Ecology & Evolution of Infection Dynamics lab, Edinburgh, UK https://pedrovale.bio.ed.ac.uk/
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pfvale.bsky.social
This primer on infection avoidance was incredibly fun to write with @cr-amo.bsky.social and Mandy Gibson. We cover its taxonomic breadth, mechanisms and evolution, and its importance across fields as diverse as public health, conservation, and agriculture. 🧪
www.cell.com/current-biol...

#SymbioSky
This figure highlights the diversity of avoidance across different species in response to pathogens and parasites. (A) Rainbow trout avoid waters with high concentrations of trematode cercariae, reducing exposure to these parasites. (B) Healthy Caribbean spiny lobsters avoid sharing dens with those infected by viruses, preventing the spread of infection within their communities. (C,D) Avoidance underlies many human public health measures such as social distancing, to minimize the risk of infectious disease contagion. (E) Oystercatchers avoid eating the largest cockles, which are likely to be infested with parasitic helminths. (F,G) Bees and ants (eusocial insects) exhibit complex social behaviours to minimize infection risks. Bees isolate or remove infected individuals from the colony, while ants restructure their social networks to reduce contact with fungal-infected foragers. (H) Sheep avoid food and water sources contaminated with feces, reducing the risk of ingesting parasites that may be present in such environments. (I,J) Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. These model organisms illustrate how detected pathogenic cues can modify behaviour and provide insights into the neurological integration of sensory perception and behavioural response to pathogens. Plants, like Saline latifolia (K), can avoid infection too, for example by flowering for shorter periods to reduce contact with fungal spores transmitted by pollinators. Root compounds of some sorghum (L) lines are associated with reduced germination of parasitic Striga seeds, demonstrating chemical avoidance strategies. (M) Crickets avoid detection by parasitic flies through the selection of variants that cannot sing, disrupting the ability of parasites to locate hosts acoustically. (N) Spongy moths show variability in larval behaviour to avoid virus-contaminated foliage. (O) Lemurs avoid water sources that have an elevated risk of fecal contamination.
May 20, 2025 at 9:18 AM
pfvale.bsky.social
Support a fantastic society journal by submitting your insect physiology work to @royentsoc.bsky.social PHEN. In the upcoming January volume, we discuss some of the key questions for future research in physiological #entomology.

#symbiosky 🐜🐝🦋🦟🧪

resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/YJQDXW...
January 29, 2025 at 8:01 PM
pfvale.bsky.social
I'm advertising several positions at all levels ( #PhD, #Postdoc, #RA). If you're enthusiastic, collaborative, and interested in the #ecological and #evolutionary dynamics of #infection, please get in touch - link below.

pedrovale.bio.ed.ac.uk/open-positions

(image@origamiorganelles.bsky.social)
An origami Drosophila fruit fly. (image from @origamiorganelles.bsky.social).
November 28, 2024 at 1:39 PM
pfvale.bsky.social
Throwback to 2018 when found that viral transmission could occur via larval cannibalism of DCV-infected #Drosophila carcasses (just an excuse to post a cool video) #FridayFlyFilms #Chomp

academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...
September 13, 2024 at 3:35 PM
pfvale.bsky.social
Why did #metamorphosis evolve?
"We find that holometabolous insects grow much faster than hemimetabolous insects (supporting) the notion that the holometabolous life history evolved to remove developmental constraints on fast growth."

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

#evosky #insectbio
September 12, 2024 at 9:01 AM
pfvale.bsky.social
The social life of Drosophila melanogaster: A review of how how fruit flies use pheromones, exhibit complex mating behaviors, and cooperate in groups throughout their life cycle. 🪰
doi.org/10.1007/s000...

#Socialinsects #SocialBehavior #FruitFlies #Pheromones #Evolution #Drosophila #Entomology
The life-cycle of Drosophila melanogaster
September 10, 2024 at 10:44 AM
pfvale.bsky.social
The Society for Immune Polymorphism is organising a meeting on "The Evolution and Characterization of the Immune System". Abstract submission deadline 13 Sept.
www.bprc.nl/en/sipconfer...
#ImmunoSky #EvolSky
September 9, 2024 at 8:46 AM
pfvale.bsky.social
The Royal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social is inviting applications for Associate Editors. If you have expertise in any aspect of agricultural, ecological or physiological entomology, please consider applying. www.royensoc.co.uk/opportunitie...

🧪 #Entomology #EcoECRcareer #InsectEcol
August 30, 2024 at 8:31 AM
pfvale.bsky.social
"metacommunities arranged as scale-free networks showed higher levels of functioning (i.e. as measured by biomass), lower temporal variability and increased persistence time of all three species."

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Random and scale-free network topology.
June 26, 2024 at 8:16 AM
pfvale.bsky.social
Tomorrow is the deadline to submit an abstract to
@royentsoc.bsky.social's #Ento24! Whether joining in person or online, there are opportunities for all to present their work to the global entomological community. Abstract deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 14 June.

www.royensoc.co.uk/ento24-abstr...
June 13, 2024 at 8:43 AM
pfvale.bsky.social
Some exciting work led by former PhD student Arun Prakash, now out in #PLOSPathogens:

IMD-mediated innate immune priming increases #Drosophila survival and reduces pathogen transmission dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...
The figure summarises a series of experiments, showing a fly receiving an initial exposure to and inactivated bacterial pathogen, followed by a live exposure at different time intervals. This is followed by measurements of fly mortality and internal bacterial loads. There are four panels depicting individual experiments using distinct fly genetic backgrounds.
June 11, 2024 at 8:24 AM