Michael J. McDonald

Experimental evidence that the tipping point behavior of an ecological community can evolve. New work from @ChrisB_Microbes, @JakeNBarber, Tim Connallon, @MonashBiol, @Monash_Science). nature.com/articles/s4155…

Are you interested in conserving biodiversity outside protected areas? We’re hiring a postdoc to work on Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) for 2 years. Please share with anyone interested. More information here: careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/job/…

@wc_ratcliff This is great - videos aren’t enough for some students but textbooks often have extra details that are fun but make the students worry about what exactly they should focus on.

OK folks, I want to share with you one of my best homebrew uses for LLMs in teaching. Here, I’ll show you how to make textbook-style notes for your students based on a transcript of your lecture and your PowerPoint. I’ve done this for the last year and the students love it. 1/16

The year is flying past, so thought I’d better share the happy news that I’m joining the School of Biological Sciences at @MonashUni @monashbiol as a Group Leader from Jan 2025. Couldn't be more thrilled to be returning to the place that introduced me to research as an undergrad!

🔈Early bird registrations for #AusEvol2024 close TONIGHT!! If you haven’t already, be sure to register using the link below. We can’t wait to see you all in wonderful Perth! site.corsizio.com/event/6696f536…

Thanks @AusMe_2024 for the opportunity to spread the word about emotionally unavailable Australian Mesorhizobia! 🌱🇦🇺💔🦠

⁦@MacsysCoe⁩ we use mathematics to predict biology, from simple cell behaviors to the evolution of #AMR. Interested? There’s a week or so left to the deadline for a postdoc position in my lab for a microbiologist or molecular biologist monash.edu/jobs/template

This week the lab broke into “adventure microbiology” mode. Today the newest student in the lab, Mighty Max was out on a boat sinking #phage traps in the Pacific Ocean and postdoc Jan was sampling at fresh water Salmon sites! Adventure!!! 🐟 🐟 🐟 🍣 🍣 🍣

If our most experienced full-time researchers nominate, the NHMRC will give the best possible reviews in 2025. @nhmrc

It looks like I never posted anything (*but see below) on what are probably the most surprising results my lab obtained so far. Anyway, this work—led by an outstanding former PhD student Sarah Ardell in collaboration with @_miloj—is now published: science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

1/7 Terry Hwa and I are looking to hire a joint postdoc at @UCSanDiego. The "official" ad is below 👇 Please repost and spread the word among non-Twitter people.

It’s been six long years since Melbourne was announced as host city. Through ups and downs (and ups again), it’s now only just a day away🥹

Amazing first session of #ClimateChangeDay of #BMH2024! Some fascinating talks about how we can use the combo of microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry to help to mitigate #GHG emissions (particularly in the agricultural space)!

@greeninglab Great idea for a session! x.com/greeninglab/st…

Climate Change Day has been amazing at Biomolecular Horizons. Delighted to convene it with Zahra. Jaw dropping keynotes/plenaries from Seigo Shima, Greg Cook and soon Pamela Silver.

Last time I was at the Plenary at MCEC was for Nick Cave. Today, @jade_kannangara from our lab rocked that very stage @bmh2024Melb presenting her research on the evolutionary implications of mitochondrial heteroplasmy in response to thermal selection.

In our defense we study swimming, not jumping. Happy @UNSWBABS lab photo @bmh2024Melb - our first #squad conference all together since 2021! #bmh2024

Can evolutionary processes alter tipping points and protect ecological communites from collapse? Christopher Blake et al found adaptation of key species can shift tipping points - promoting ecological stability or accelerating collapse. nature.com/articles/s4155… @MikeJayMcD

Well done @ChrisB_Microbes on a cracking first chapter of his PhD, and thanks to @JakeNBarber & Tim Connallon for the ongoing fun and productive collab :)

This is early days, but we think this has interesting implications for the directed evolution of microbial communities

Experimental evidence that the tipping point behavior of an ecological community can evolve. New work from @ChrisB_Microbes, @JakeNBarber, Tim Connallon, @MonashBiol, @Monash_Science). nature.com/articles/s4155…