Andres Bendesky
@bendeskylab.com
Neuroscience – behavior – genetics – evolution
Columbia University
Columbia University
Congrats on the very cool and thorough work!
We also found that variation in the related gene alkal2l is a main cause of red-blue color differences in betta.
Knocking it out abolishes iridescence.
Interesting convergence.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/gen...
We also found that variation in the related gene alkal2l is a main cause of red-blue color differences in betta.
Knocking it out abolishes iridescence.
Interesting convergence.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/gen...
November 21, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Congrats on the very cool and thorough work!
We also found that variation in the related gene alkal2l is a main cause of red-blue color differences in betta.
Knocking it out abolishes iridescence.
Interesting convergence.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/gen...
We also found that variation in the related gene alkal2l is a main cause of red-blue color differences in betta.
Knocking it out abolishes iridescence.
Interesting convergence.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/gen...
![Sexual sacramentalism
Epiphanius claims that the Borborites were inspired by Sethianism and that elements of sexual sacramentalism formed an important role in their rituals. He asserts that the Borborites engaged in a version of the eucharist in which they would smear their hands with menstrual blood and semen and consume them as the blood and body of Christ respectively.[4] He also alleges that, whenever one of the women in their church was experiencing her monthly period, they would take her menstrual blood and everyone in the church would eat it as part of a sacred ritual.[9]
The Borborites were also said to extract fetuses from pregnant women and consume them, particularly if the women accidentally became pregnant during related sexual rituals.[10] Buckley notes that this implies treatment of an aborted foetus as "strayed semen", and would serve to prevent it from developing into another body "for the archons' clutches".](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qmddyutwcf5gweawmng6ovl4/bafkreieyb5k3lq4jeh6hom55y7whydgeoyb42nxhgi3fxmb4agruzpgqmm@jpeg)
November 1, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Without bco1l, young animals don't grow nor swim properly and they have a deficit of VA and retinoic acid after they exhaust the retinoids stored in the yolk.
Growth and behavior are rescued by retinoic acid supplementation.
Growth and behavior are rescued by retinoic acid supplementation.
October 6, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Without bco1l, young animals don't grow nor swim properly and they have a deficit of VA and retinoic acid after they exhaust the retinoids stored in the yolk.
Growth and behavior are rescued by retinoic acid supplementation.
Growth and behavior are rescued by retinoic acid supplementation.
bco1l is 4x less abundant than bco1l in the skin and 4x more abundant in the intestine.
Consistent with such expression, pearl danio fish mutant for bco1 only have a subtle pigmentation defect (doi.org/p8jx). By contrast we found bco1l to be essential for betta fish juvenile development and survival
Consistent with such expression, pearl danio fish mutant for bco1 only have a subtle pigmentation defect (doi.org/p8jx). By contrast we found bco1l to be essential for betta fish juvenile development and survival
October 6, 2025 at 5:33 PM
bco1l is 4x less abundant than bco1l in the skin and 4x more abundant in the intestine.
Consistent with such expression, pearl danio fish mutant for bco1 only have a subtle pigmentation defect (doi.org/p8jx). By contrast we found bco1l to be essential for betta fish juvenile development and survival
Consistent with such expression, pearl danio fish mutant for bco1 only have a subtle pigmentation defect (doi.org/p8jx). By contrast we found bco1l to be essential for betta fish juvenile development and survival
Whereas other vertebrates use bco1 for converting dietary beta-carotene and other carotenoids into Vitamin A, we found that bco1-like evolved via duplication from bco1 in the ray-finned fishes. These are the most speciose, abundant and commercially important group of fishes.
October 6, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Whereas other vertebrates use bco1 for converting dietary beta-carotene and other carotenoids into Vitamin A, we found that bco1-like evolved via duplication from bco1 in the ray-finned fishes. These are the most speciose, abundant and commercially important group of fishes.
You mean this from samtools dot org is not a human-made graph?
September 15, 2025 at 1:26 PM
You mean this from samtools dot org is not a human-made graph?
New review on how changes in cell type composition in and outside the brain contribute to the evolution of behavior. 🧪
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lihM,LqAZ...
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lihM,LqAZ...
September 8, 2025 at 3:41 PM
New review on how changes in cell type composition in and outside the brain contribute to the evolution of behavior. 🧪
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lihM,LqAZ...
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lihM,LqAZ...
My favorite example is from the Chromosome Substitution Strains of Joe Nadeau. Without epistasis you expect that the phenotypes of each chromosome substitution would add up to 100% of the difference between strains yet they found that for 40/41 traits it added to ~800%!
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
September 4, 2025 at 3:17 PM
My favorite example is from the Chromosome Substitution Strains of Joe Nadeau. Without epistasis you expect that the phenotypes of each chromosome substitution would add up to 100% of the difference between strains yet they found that for 40/41 traits it added to ~800%!
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Lots of examples from experiments using loss of function mutations in Drosophila, C. elegans, yeast...
Here's one example from quantitative genetics in C. elegans that I discovered in my PhD: The effect of tyra-3 alleles depends on genetic background.
www.nature.com/articles/nat...
Here's one example from quantitative genetics in C. elegans that I discovered in my PhD: The effect of tyra-3 alleles depends on genetic background.
www.nature.com/articles/nat...
September 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Lots of examples from experiments using loss of function mutations in Drosophila, C. elegans, yeast...
Here's one example from quantitative genetics in C. elegans that I discovered in my PhD: The effect of tyra-3 alleles depends on genetic background.
www.nature.com/articles/nat...
Here's one example from quantitative genetics in C. elegans that I discovered in my PhD: The effect of tyra-3 alleles depends on genetic background.
www.nature.com/articles/nat...
This haplotagging method is not based on 10x, it is DIY. It is also cheap.
August 30, 2025 at 12:36 PM
This haplotagging method is not based on 10x, it is DIY. It is also cheap.
This is Julio. We adopted him when he was 3 months old and has been with us for 17 years. He is a good boy.
May 13, 2025 at 2:13 PM
This is Julio. We adopted him when he was 3 months old and has been with us for 17 years. He is a good boy.
Total cost of new R01s awarded since Feb 1, 2025, by IC. Many institutes —even some that had council meetings in January— have awarded 0 or 1 R01s since then.
cc @jeremymberg.bsky.social
cc @jeremymberg.bsky.social
March 3, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Total cost of new R01s awarded since Feb 1, 2025, by IC. Many institutes —even some that had council meetings in January— have awarded 0 or 1 R01s since then.
cc @jeremymberg.bsky.social
cc @jeremymberg.bsky.social
Very cool new work by Jonny Kohl's lab on how hunger promotes infanticide dependent on the estrus cycle in mice.
When hungry, Agrp neurons in the hypothalamus arcuate release NPY onto the medial preoptic area, promoting an infanticide aggressive state
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
When hungry, Agrp neurons in the hypothalamus arcuate release NPY onto the medial preoptic area, promoting an infanticide aggressive state
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
December 6, 2024 at 2:29 PM
Very cool new work by Jonny Kohl's lab on how hunger promotes infanticide dependent on the estrus cycle in mice.
When hungry, Agrp neurons in the hypothalamus arcuate release NPY onto the medial preoptic area, promoting an infanticide aggressive state
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
When hungry, Agrp neurons in the hypothalamus arcuate release NPY onto the medial preoptic area, promoting an infanticide aggressive state
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
"There are no genes that predispose to divorce, but people with similar genomes are more likely to have similar marital status."
Useful analogy by @ent3c.bsky.social between Galton's quincunx, heritability and genetic causality and associations.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Useful analogy by @ent3c.bsky.social between Galton's quincunx, heritability and genetic causality and associations.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
December 6, 2024 at 2:22 PM
"There are no genes that predispose to divorce, but people with similar genomes are more likely to have similar marital status."
Useful analogy by @ent3c.bsky.social between Galton's quincunx, heritability and genetic causality and associations.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Useful analogy by @ent3c.bsky.social between Galton's quincunx, heritability and genetic causality and associations.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Applications are now open for Columbia's Zuckerman Institute Alan Kanzer Postdoctoral Fellowship.
This is your chance to pursue pioneering research into critical aspects of the brain.
bit.ly/KanzerFellows
This is your chance to pursue pioneering research into critical aspects of the brain.
bit.ly/KanzerFellows
October 15, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Applications are now open for Columbia's Zuckerman Institute Alan Kanzer Postdoctoral Fellowship.
This is your chance to pursue pioneering research into critical aspects of the brain.
bit.ly/KanzerFellows
This is your chance to pursue pioneering research into critical aspects of the brain.
bit.ly/KanzerFellows
Cafebrería El Péndulo (pendulo.com/especial/suc...) has been doing this in Mexico City for over 30 years. It's wonderful.
August 15, 2024 at 7:06 PM
Cafebrería El Péndulo (pendulo.com/especial/suc...) has been doing this in Mexico City for over 30 years. It's wonderful.
Using genetic mapping, we find the genetic bases of the evolution of the zona inaudita. Surprisingly, it is not due to mutations in transcription factors. Instead two genes seem particularly important: the nuclear protein Gadd45a, and the extracellular matrix protein Tenascin N
May 15, 2024 at 5:05 PM
Using genetic mapping, we find the genetic bases of the evolution of the zona inaudita. Surprisingly, it is not due to mutations in transcription factors. Instead two genes seem particularly important: the nuclear protein Gadd45a, and the extracellular matrix protein Tenascin N
Interestingly, allo-pregnanediol is very similar to allo-pregnanolone, which is the only drug approved for treating postpartum depression. Tempting to think that oldfield mice are making their own anti-postpartum depression medication 😊
May 15, 2024 at 5:04 PM
Interestingly, allo-pregnanediol is very similar to allo-pregnanolone, which is the only drug approved for treating postpartum depression. Tempting to think that oldfield mice are making their own anti-postpartum depression medication 😊
20⍺-hydroxyprogesterone is then converted in the brain into allo-pregnanediol another poorly studied molecule also present in humans. We find that allo-pregnanediol acts on GABA receptors to shape neuronal activity but other receptors are possibly involved.
May 15, 2024 at 5:04 PM
20⍺-hydroxyprogesterone is then converted in the brain into allo-pregnanediol another poorly studied molecule also present in humans. We find that allo-pregnanediol acts on GABA receptors to shape neuronal activity but other receptors are possibly involved.
A single injection of 20⍺-hydroxyprogesterone is enough to induce parental behavior in both deer mice and oldfield mice!
May 15, 2024 at 5:03 PM
A single injection of 20⍺-hydroxyprogesterone is enough to induce parental behavior in both deer mice and oldfield mice!
The zona inaudita evolved very recently, since we only find it in oldfield and beach mice (subspecies of Peromyscus polionotus) but not in cloudland deer mice (P. maniculatus nubiterrae), from which polionotus diverged ~20,000 years ago nor in other Peromyscus species
May 15, 2024 at 5:00 PM
The zona inaudita evolved very recently, since we only find it in oldfield and beach mice (subspecies of Peromyscus polionotus) but not in cloudland deer mice (P. maniculatus nubiterrae), from which polionotus diverged ~20,000 years ago nor in other Peromyscus species
Part of the reason the oldfield adrenal is so large, is that it contains a cell type that is not present in deer mice, nor house mice, nor humans. This cell type forms a concentric layer that we named zona inaudita, or previously-unheard-of zone.
May 15, 2024 at 4:59 PM
Part of the reason the oldfield adrenal is so large, is that it contains a cell type that is not present in deer mice, nor house mice, nor humans. This cell type forms a concentric layer that we named zona inaudita, or previously-unheard-of zone.
While doing old-fashioned necropsies, we discovered that the adrenal glands of oldfield mice are 4x-larger (6x after adjusting for body size) than those of their sister species, the deer mouse.
This is an unprecedented difference in organ size between closely-related species.
This is an unprecedented difference in organ size between closely-related species.
May 15, 2024 at 4:59 PM
While doing old-fashioned necropsies, we discovered that the adrenal glands of oldfield mice are 4x-larger (6x after adjusting for body size) than those of their sister species, the deer mouse.
This is an unprecedented difference in organ size between closely-related species.
This is an unprecedented difference in organ size between closely-related species.
Excited to share our newest paper, in which we report our discovery that monogamous oldfield mice have very recently evolved a novel cell type in their adrenal glands that promotes parental care
Work led by the fabulous Natalie Niepoth and @jennymerritt.bsky.social 🧵
rdcu.be/dH1Kn
Work led by the fabulous Natalie Niepoth and @jennymerritt.bsky.social 🧵
rdcu.be/dH1Kn
May 15, 2024 at 4:59 PM
Excited to share our newest paper, in which we report our discovery that monogamous oldfield mice have very recently evolved a novel cell type in their adrenal glands that promotes parental care
Work led by the fabulous Natalie Niepoth and @jennymerritt.bsky.social 🧵
rdcu.be/dH1Kn
Work led by the fabulous Natalie Niepoth and @jennymerritt.bsky.social 🧵
rdcu.be/dH1Kn