Melissa Pespeni

Postdoc in Molecular Genetics of Adaptation – Pespeni Lab, University of Vermont. Flexible project, expertise in linking genotype to phenotype. 2+ years of funding; NIH pay scale; Ideal start Sept 1. Email mpespeni at uvm dot edu if interested! Pls RT! blog.uvm.edu/mpespeni/

Take home: The tipping point between health and disease is likely shaped by host condition, low oxygen conditions, and microbial dysbiosis. These results are also supported by our field-sampled naïve, exposed, and wasting sunflower stars in Alaska: frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…

New paper out today on Sea Star Wasting in Proc B @RSocPublishing – Longitudinal gene expression and microbiome data: visibly healthy stars = active immune and collagen systems + stable microbiome. Wasting stars = hypoxia + turnover to anaerobic microbes. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rs…

Beautiful and inspiring talk and visit with @chengsbrian. From atmospheric rivers, to oyster drills, to MPAs! Thanks for visiting @BiologyUVM!

New paper @FrontMarineSci – The microbiomes of Naïve, Exposed, and Wasting sunflower stars sampled in the wild in Alaska as the disease spread north implicate Vibrio and low oxygen conditions. Amazing collaboration among @QuestUvm trainees and AKDF&G! frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…

Today is a big news day for ocean science and economics @UBC. See below. @ubcSPPGA @SSHRC_CRSH @KillamTrusts @TylerPrize @envpriz @pewenvironment @oceana @OceanCanada @SolvingFCB @SeaAroundUs

#SeaUrchin larvae don’t grow or survive well when exposed to compounds that leach from #plastics into the ocean. Surprise - the most detrimental effects were at intermediate doses! Project started by a curious undergrad and finished by Master @EmilyShore8! sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Big picture take home: 1+1 ≠ 2 when it comes to global change adaptation! Amazing collaborators!: @reidbrennan @Jimmy_deMayo @planktonomics @vsbuffalo @Baumannlab1

New paper! 25 gens of exptl evol of copepods - ambient, ocean acidification, warming, and combined -> warming is the strongest selective pressure, but the combination results in a unique synergistic response pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn… @PNASNews @BiologyUVM See our cartoon abstract!

Congrats, Dr. Ashlock! In one week, @AshlockLauren defended their dissertation and lined up a postdoc! Lauren’s work explored the effects of pop, life history, and enviro history on copepod temp and salinity tolerance. The oceans thank you, Dr. Ashlock! @QuestUvm @BiologyUVM

Learn more and apply here: uvmjobs.com/postings/56054 Please RT and get in touch if interested!

We're #hiring a Program Coordinator for QuEST (uvm.edu/quest). Please #share with anyone who might be interested! lnkd.in/eZ_s8Zby

@QuESTUVM is looking to hire a #ProgramCoordinator! Someone who’s upbeat, organized, and deeply committed to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion! All backgrounds & disciplines encouraged to apply: uvmjobs.com/postings/56054 Please RT! uvm.edu/quest

Big picture: Nature is both resilient and vulnerable. We need to make and encourage Earth-friendly choices to protect and preserve the beauty and complexity that exists on this world. For a fun and accessible press release: go.uvm.edu/copepod

New paper @NatureComms! We show that rapid adaptation of #copepods to #GlobalChange leads to a loss of plasticity – costs revealed even w/ return to benign conditions nature.com/articles/s4146… Amazing collaborators @reidbrennan @Jimmy_deMayo @planktonomics @Baumannlab1 #UVMresearch

25 generations of experimental evolution in copepods + genomics + beautiful analyses and visualizations show that adaptation to ocean warming and acidification is synergistic rather than additive. Check out our new preprint just up! biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

We measured fitness across 25 generations of experimental evolution to find “Rapid, but limited, zooplankton adaptation to simultaneous warming and acidification” Out this week @NatureClimate with @planktonomics and @reidbrennan! #UVMResearch #copepods nature.com/articles/s4155…

@pinskylab @ntherk @JessicaLWareLab Yes! Human population genetics offers a great opportunity to distinguish race (social construct), from genetic ancestry and ethnicity. Totally agree on highlighting work from folks w/ marginalized identities and using author photos. Also check out "decolonizing" your syllabus.

@ntherk Anything human-related is a great opportunity, including eugenics. Also highlighting research by non-white authors. @JessicaLWareLab recommended adding author photos and using non-white people photos whenever people appear in lectures. And tagging @mpespeni for ideas, too

I'm getting ready to teach my molecular ecology course this fall and am thinking about how to meaningfully incorporate DEI themes into this kind of course. Any ideas, suggestions, or inspiration from other courses?

Awesome new synthesis of global patterns in copepod thermal tolerance by @Matt_Sasaki just out! What a useful product of the pandemic! Thanks, Matt!

#Copepods have slower pop. growth and slower sinking poop when they eat #microplastics. This may be bad news for the oceanic food chain and carbon settling. Emily Shore’s MS thesis @BiologyUVM just out in #Environmental #Pollution! Free PDF til Jul 23! authors.elsevier.com/c/1dB29zLNSYKVB