Björn W
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wbjorn.bsky.social
Björn W
@wbjorn.bsky.social
150 followers 350 following 110 posts
A sort of scientist (maths x life sci 🧬💻) | dynamical systems, ecology, 'omics | Into plants, bikes, arts
Background: Vue du Léman by Marcel d'Eternod, 1919
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Björn W
nicrodemo.bsky.social
Join us at the Evolutionary Biology Centre at Uppsala University. We’re searching for an Assistant Professor in Biology. www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Uppsala in late autumn
January 28, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Björn W
saramitri.bsky.social
Thrilled to see this paper finally out! journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol... It was a difficult story to communicate and took us a while to get right. Big congratulations to @wbjorn.bsky.social, Pablo Guridi and Flora Arias-Sanchez!! And thank you the reviewers who helped improve it. Keep reading...
Novel artificial selection method improves function of simulated microbial communities
Author summary Artificial selection has been extremely powerful in improving properties of complex biological or biochemical entities. The most familiar examples come from the breeding of animals and ...
journals.plos.org
January 27, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Reposted by Björn W
ecdc.europa.eu
#WeAreHiring!
New year, new career opportunities at #ECDC!

We are looking for:
➡️ Scientific Officer Food-, Water-borne & Zoonotic Diseases
➡️ Principal Expert Vector-borne & Zoonotic Diseases/ Group Leader Scientific Advice & Outbreak Response
➡️ Training Support Specialist
➡️ Data Scientist
January 26, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Björn W
clabreu.bsky.social
The Abreu lab at NYU is hiring another postdoc! We study microbial ecology and evolution, using yeast/bacteria microcosms, DNA barcoding for evolutionary lineage tracking, and simple mathematical modeling. Apply here: apply.interfolio.com/179949
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Björn W
veeninglab.com
The @dmf-unil.bsky.social is supporting the application of a candidate for the SNSF/ERC Starting Grant (deadline 5th of May). Reach out to me if you are interested. We are collecting CV’s until the 8th of Feb. We can offer a stimulating scientific environment and help with the application/interview.
January 20, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Reposted by Björn W
kjmacleod.bsky.social
Postdoc fellowship opportunity for ECRs outside UK - keen to hear from anyone interested in putting together an app (March deadline) 👇
kjmacleod.bsky.social Kirsty MacLeod @kjmacleod.bsky.social · 11d
Any ECRs (must have PhD by deadline) want to chat about joining my group at Bangor? Get in touch!
Maternal effects, stress, sociality, thermal ecology and intersection of all the above… we cover a broad behavioural/ecological/physiological remit and are interested in adding skills to this portfolio!
britishacademy.bsky.social The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 15d
Together with the @royalsociety.org, we invite applications for the International Fellowships 2026. The scheme supports international early career researchers in advancing their expertise through collaborations with UK partners. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3LaMIBC
January 20, 2026 at 9:05 AM
Reposted by Björn W
rutgerbregman.com
It's that magical time of year when private jets descend on a Swiss mountain village to discuss climate change and poverty! Anyway, here's my annual reminder. I'll stop posting this when they stop avoiding the real issue: their own massive tax avoidance 💰
January 19, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Björn W
wkhuber.bsky.social
Apply for the Postdoc Programme of the Health & Life Science Alliance in Heidelberg and Mannheim.
Do an interinstitutional, interdisciplinary between 2 of 7 partner institutes, including EMBL, the University, DKFZ.

www.health-life-sciences.de/postdocs/
Deadline: 31 March
EMBL site in Heidelberg
January 19, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Reposted by Björn W
olayarendueles.bsky.social
My team at @cbitoulouse.bsky.social is recruiting a postdoc #bioinformatics with solid experience in metagenomic analyses.
Interest in evolution, ecology & MGEs is important.
The offer stands until the perfect candidate is found, and it could be you 🫵

🔁 🙏

#microSky #phagesky #UTIsky
@cnrs.fr
January 15, 2026 at 11:19 AM
Reposted by Björn W
royalsociety.org
The Royal Society's Newton International Fellowships are now open for applications, aimed at non-UK early career scientists who wish to conduct research in the UK. Find out more and apply by 11 March: #RSGrants https://royalsociety.org/grants/newton-international/
Dr. Alice Gauthey, a Newton International Fellow, standing in a forest, smiling at the camera and holding a leaf. A quote about establishing early-career research independence appears next to her, attributed to her and mentioning The Royal Society: "I wanted to establish greater independence as an early-career researcher. The Newton International Fellowship provided both the time and the resources to develop a strong research portfolio."
January 15, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Björn W
a-hermina-ghenu.bsky.social
Can interactive web apps help biology students become better modellers?

peischllab.github.io/MEEW.html
We're running an ethics-approved, pre-registered study thanks to funding from the University of Bern.

Are you lecturing in the Spring?
Contact me to receive the survey link!
January 16, 2026 at 9:44 AM
wbjorn.bsky.social
New paper! 🦠🧫🧬🖥️

Simulating artifical selection (or breeding or directed evolution) methods that aim to improve pollutant degradation

journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

#Biology #ComputationalBiology
Novel artificial selection method improves function of simulated microbial communities
Author summary Artificial selection has been extremely powerful in improving properties of complex biological or biochemical entities. The most familiar examples come from the breeding of animals and ...
journals.plos.org
January 16, 2026 at 10:28 AM
Reposted by Björn W
tabouchadi.bsky.social
Within the next decade the radical right is going to be the main force on the right in Europe (national and EU level). This includes far-right parties and formerly centre-right parties shifting their position. Moderate conservatism and Christian democracy will largely disappear on the right. 1/
politico.eu POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 16d
The EU’s centrist powers need to move to the right to reflect the new political reality, the leader of the European People’s Party Manfred Weber has told in an exclusive interview with POLITICO.
Europe shifted right — it’s time centrists do too, says Manfred Weber
EPP chief says he still wants to work with traditional allies, but they need to adapt.
www.politico.eu
January 15, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Reposted by Björn W
piretavila.bsky.social
Postdoc in statistical ecology & evolution! Develop models bridging evolutionary theory with empirical data on sex differences in immunity and life history. Apply now!
#postdoc #statistics #evolution #academicjobs #ecology jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki...
Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistical Ecology and Evolution
Postdoctoral Researcher in Statistical Ecology and Evolution
jobs.helsinki.fi
January 14, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Reposted by Björn W
rvbdrm.com
BIG FIGHT AT POLAND’S WROCLAW ZOO!!!
January 9, 2026 at 8:02 PM
wbjorn.bsky.social
Interesting on Japan, social stability and how government functions can function without economic growth
freakonometrics.hypotheses.org/86309
Voir le monde depuis le Japon 🇯🇵
Comme je l’ai déjà raconté sur ce blog, je vis désormais au Japon. Pour une année. La barrière de la langue et la culture me tiennent encore à bonne distance (je me sens souvent lost in translation) m...
freakonometrics.hypotheses.org
January 10, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Björn W
ediparolev.bsky.social
“Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible: it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere—if governments have the courage to change the rules.”
Uruguay’s Renewable Charge: A Small Nation, A Big Lesson For The World
Uruguay built a power grid that runs 99% on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. Here’s how its bold energy overhaul became a global model.
www.forbes.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by Björn W
olimeacock.bsky.social
Do you have an interest in quantitative microbiology and interdisciplinary research? I'm recruiting a UK PhD student to develop high-throughput ecological screens to help us understand how chemical inputs impact microbial ecosystems: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Identifying how chemicals shape microbial diversity through high-throughput ecological screens at University of Sheffield on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Identifying how chemicals shape microbial diversity through high-throughput ecological screens at University of Sheffield, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Björn W
evolodonata.ecoevo.social.ap.brid.gy
Come and join me and my colleagues at the Department of Biology, #LundUniversity in #sweden! We have am open position as Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Biodiversity.

Apply here no later than February 11 2026:

https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:848749/type:job/where:4/apply:1
Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Biodiversity
The Department of Biology was established in 2010 through the merger of the Departments of Ecology, Cell and Organism Biology, Biological Undergraduate Education, and the Biological Museums. The depar
lu.varbi.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:58 PM
wbjorn.bsky.social
Have now tried plum pudding and it's not nearly as bad as some make it out to be
December 31, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Reposted by Björn W
abeba.bsky.social
are you disgruntled by the current safety evaluation landscape? curious about what conceptual clarity, methodological soundness and rigour in AI evaluation might look like? if so, consider coming to dublin and doing a phd with me

apply here: aial.ie/hiring/phd-a...
About the PhD Audits and evaluation of AI systems — and the broader context that AI systems operate in — have become central to conceptualising, quantifying, measuring and understanding the operations, failures, limitations, underlying assumptions, and downstream societal implications of AI systems. Existing AI audit and evaluation efforts are fractured, done in a siloed and ad-hoc manner, and with little deliberation and reflection around conceptual rigour and methodological validity. This PhD is for a candidate that is passionate about exploring what a conceptually cogent, methodologically sound, and well-founded AI evaluation and safety research might look like. This requires grappling with questions such as: What does it mean to represent “ground truth” in proxies, synthetic data, or computational simulation? How do we reliably measure abstract and complex phenomena? What are the epistemological or methodological implications of quantification and measurement approaches we choose to employ? Particularly, what underlying presuppositions, values, or perspectives do they entail? How do we ensure the lived experiences of impacted communities play a critical role in the development and justification of measurement metrics and proxies? Through exploration of these questions, the candidate is expected to engage with core concepts in the philosophy of science, history of science, Black feminist epistemologies, and similar schools of thought to develop an in-depth understanding of existing practices with the aim of applying it to advance shared standards and best practice in AI evaluation. The candidate is expected to integrate empirical (for example, through analysis or evaluation of existing benchmarks) or practical (for example, by executing evaluation of AI systems) components into the overall work.
December 17, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by Björn W
gesineweber.bsky.social
Remember when late millennials like me flocked to the streets i the 2010s and the "Pulse of Europe" demonstrations, calling for an open and free Europe? Looks like the next generation is already here. 🇪🇺

www.politico.eu/article/unit...
Forget the far right. The kids want a ‘United States of Europe.’
Based on social media, the upcoming generation is expressing more European solidarity than the continent has seen in decades.
www.politico.eu
December 15, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Reposted by Björn W
bethsawin.bsky.social
There's a thing I think is going on that we don't have a word for yet, at least I don't. I think it's one of the less noticed themes of 2025, actually.
December 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Reposted by Björn W
luisapallares.bsky.social
Inspired in this iconic Guarda course, a group of four Latin American researchers organized the South American version: #EvoSur. The masterminds behind this amazing idea: Paco Majic (Uruguay) @hhydrochaerus.bsky.social, Santi Herrera (Colombia), Caua Westmann (Brasil) and Ana Maria Agapito (Perú).
relenski.bsky.social Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · Dec 10
The 2026 Guarda Summer Course in Evolutionary Biology is now accepting applications. Amazing place, amazing course, amazing opportunity for early grad students.

tb.ethz.ch/education/gu...
Summer school:<br> Evolutionary Biology in Guarda
Information about the annual summer school Evolutionary Biology in Guarda
tb.ethz.ch
December 11, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Reposted by Björn W
femsmicro.org
As 2025 wraps up, we’re looking back at some of the most intriguing microbes that made their scientific debut this year. This blog highlights standout bacterial species that caught our eye. Read the full #FEMSmicroBlog: buff.ly/2wz7k16

#NewMicrobes
December 10, 2025 at 11:01 AM