Lee Henry

🚨 PhD opportunity in evolutionary microbiology! Join our lab to study how horizontal gene transfer drives host–microbe symbioses and ecological function ✉️ l.henry@qmul.qc.uk Apply: t.ly/6ARQY #PhD #Microbiology #Ecology #Evolution

Huge credit to Balig and everyone involved in the project. Paper here: academic.oup.com/mbe/article/43… #Symbiosis #Genomics #Phage #Microbiology

3. One big surprise was finding multiple cointegrated APSE phages with distinct toxins at a single genomic locus. Rather than evolving defenses sequentially, symbionts may rapidly expand their arsenal by combining phage-encoded toxins.

1. New paper out in @MolBioEvol 🧬🦠 We show phage toxin diversity in protective symbionts isn’t random—toxin families are linked to defense against different parasitoid species. This suggests toxin diversification is a major force shaping symbiont functional evolution.

New preprint! How do host regulate ancient symbioses to optimise benefits? We show 🐜 actively regulate symbionts, switching between symbiont-derived and environmental nutrients to thrive under changing diets. 👏 Well done @PhoebeHazel93 and team! biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

Happy New Year! 🎉 New preprint out now: Defensive symbionts don’t protect against all enemies equally they are often highly specific. We show that toxin type drives which parasitoid species are killed, and reveal some truly wild new toxins! Read below. biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

I invite applications for a PhD position. Join our team exploring how rapid evolution in communities allows maintenance of genetic variation and species diversity! @ERC_Research See lab.hrcek.net

Amazing work on a super cool defensive symbiosis by @fkttkm Takema and team! 👏

Our long-lasting research project on an amazing stinkbug-fungus relationship "Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs" finally comes out in Science! science.org/doi/10.1126/sc… #symbiosis #insect #fungus #stinkbug

@HassanSalem Congrats Hassan!! 🪲

Thrilled and honored to have been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant! We’ll explore why beetles lose genes — only to rely on symbionts instead 🪲🦠 Incredibly proud of the team and excited for this project to take off w/ some remarkable beetles! bio.mpg.de/466825/news_pu…

Amazing new species of carnivorous caterpillar discovered!

NEW PAPER! What explains associations with defensive symbionts? In @Ecology_Letters we show symbiont occurrences align with sharing the same parasitoids, but not plants, highlighting enemies as key selective agents shaping symbioses in nature🦠 doi.org/10.1111/ele.70…

Join my lab @blizard_inst for a 3 year @BBSRC funded post-doc exploring how glycans shape the skin microbiome and colonisation resistance in #amphibians!!!! qmul-jobs.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/ap…

@IzazAhm01611301 @MAG_Porras Hi Izaz! We have great MSc programs at QMUL where students can do projects tied to this research. For example, in our biodiversity and conservation, and bioinformatics Masters programmes. More information here qmul.ac.uk/sbbs/postgradu…

@HenryLabSymbio @MAG_Porras What about master?

⭐️Fully funded PhD in our lab through BBSRC LIDo⭐️ If you are interested in studying how symbionts can be used to block vector borne disease contact us! 🪲🦠 Info and link to apply below (please re-Tweet! 🙏): lido-dtp.ac.uk/apply/apply-ic…

Vince and I are currently recruiting grad students for a variety of projects. Please pass on this flier to anyone you think would be interested!

Two Injured ctenophores can fuse into a single organism? Bonkers! cell.com/current-biolog…

@ScienceNews @KiersToby

At least 176 bird species use fungal rhizomorphs in their nests. Given that frequency, it’s not surprising the researchers found evidence that the rhizomorphs may provide some chemical defenses. sciencenews.org/article/bird-n…

Wonderful review on beetle symbioses by @HassanSalem and @MarlenyGarciaL1, check it out! 🪲