Gunnar De Winter

Gunnar De Winter

@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Biologist and semi-philosopher | science (and fiction) writer | plays with words and ideas 🌍 Belgium (for now) 🙋‍♂️ gunnardewinter.com

1.5K followers279 following1.1K posts

Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

🧠 Bird brain? I wish! "... carrion crows make deliberate decisions in a classic visual motion discrimination task with unprecedented speed, ... roughly twice as fast as has been observed in monkeys or humans and without sacrificing accuracy." #science #biology #birds #ornithology #neuroscience

science.orgUltrarapid decision-making in an avian brainPerceptual decision-making is well studied in mammals, but its operation in other vertebrates remains unclear. We show that carrion crows (Corvus corone) make deliberate decisions in a classic visual ...
Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Birds are... sexist? "We found that male birds were more risk-tolerant than females and - unexpectedly - birds in general escaped sooner when approached by women than by men.... consistent in populations across all five examined European countries." #science #biology #birds #ornithology

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comSex matters: European urban birds flee approaching women sooner than approaching menRead the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Current Biology
@currentbiology.bsky.social

This piece of land art is the burrow of a mud-shrimp. One example of animals as geological agents, burrowing through and mixing sediments. Such 'Bioturbation' is the focus of a primer in our Life&Earth special, from the doyen of the field, Jack Middelburg Dig in! 🪏 👇 www.cell.com/current-biol...

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Will Ratcliff
@wcratcliff.bsky.social

1/ There are a ton of cool papers coming out on evolutionary transitions in individuality right now! Here are five recent ones I've really enjoyed, spanning Snowball Earth, volvocine algae, plasmids that fuse into a new individual, the relatives of animals, and... water kefir

Gunnar De Winter reposted

PLOS Biology
@plosbiology.org

Fucci genetic systems are commonly used to monitor cell proliferation in living cells. This study develops FuChi, the first avian Fucci reporter line that enables precise cell cycle tracking during embryonic #development . 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/3UvdclJ

Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Stop what you're doing! Fungus with giant fruiting bodies ("up to 50 cm high and individually 2.2 kg in weight") discovered. #science #fungi #ecology #biology #evolution

frontiersin.orgFrontiers | Unearthing a fungal giant: Dianjunaceae fam. nov., a novel Paleocene lineage of Xylariales harboring Dianjunus rex gen. et sp. novDuring mycological surveys in Yunnan Province, China, specimens of a fungus producing massive, upright stromata up to 50 cm high and individually 2.2 kg in w...

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

Online now: From ‘magic traits’ to diversification mechanisms

dlvr.itFrom ‘magic traits’ to diversification mechanismsSpecies richness is markedly uneven across the tree of life, and traits have long been invoked to explain this pattern. Expanding phylogenetic and trait datasets enable broader comparisons, but trait–diversity associations alone do not reveal how differences in richness arose. We argue that such associations should be reframed as process hypotheses about three non-exclusive processes: lineage origin, access to ecological or geographic opportunity, and persistence. Mixed trait–diversity associations are expected when the same trait influences multiple processes whose relative contributions vary across contexts. This process-based framework makes alternative diversification histories explicit and specifies contrasting temporal predictions that can be evaluated with complementary evidence. It clarifies what findings would weaken each hypothesis and when available data leave alternative histories unresolved.

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Victor Maull Miquel
@vmaull.bsky.social

The pace of ecosystem degradation is accelerating. What if we could add extra functions to the microbiome? A way to preserve the local community while reinforcing it could be to engineer synthetic horizontal gene transfer. @ricardsole.bsky.social @guimaguade.bsky.social @vdlorenzo.bsky.social

link.springer.comSynthetic horizontal gene transfer for ecosystem restoration - Biology DirectRestoring endangered ecosystems has become a pressing issue as the effects of global warming continue to harm existing communities. During the last decade, several studies have suggested the use of sy...

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Trends in Biotechnology
@cp-trendsbiotech.bsky.social

Online now: Subpopulation networks: a scaling principle for engineering living systems

dlvr.itSubpopulation networks: a scaling principle for engineering living systemsCell populations underpin applications ranging from bioproduction and biotherapeutics to microbiome engineering and biocomputing. However, treating them as bulk quantities rather than as structured systems limits our understanding of population-level stability, productivity, and robustness. Cellular populations self-organize into coexisting subpopulations (SPs) representing phenotypically distinct states that emerge from the interplay of biological noise and selective pressures. We propose that networks of interacting SPs constitute a fundamental organizational layer for engineering stable cell population dynamics. Surveying published single-cell studies across bacterial, yeast, and mammalian systems, we show that populations consistently self-organize into a limited number of SPs. This dimensional reduction can be captured experimentally by clustering single-cell data and gives rise to scaling laws that link population structure to collective performance.
Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

One of my recent little obsession is the 3D structure of genomes. Another little obsession of mine are cephalopods. So, yes, I squeaked... #science #biology #CephalopodsAreAwesome

nature.comGenome reorganisation and expansion shape 3D genome architecture and define a distinct regulatory landscape in coleoid cephalopods - Nature CommunicationsHow genome organisation contributes to the evolution of biological complexity is poorly understood. This study shows evolutionary changes in 3D genome architecture rewires gene regulation in coleoid c...
Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Remarkable 🤯

Quanta Magazine@quantamagazine.org

Viruses evolve at an "insanely high” pace, said microbiologist Philip Kranzusch. And yet, weirdly, our immune defenses share many ancient antiviral tools with bacteria. “Why would the rules be so fixed?” https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-ancient-weapons-active-in-your-immune-system-today-20260415/

Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Great article! (Also recommend Lloyd's book 'Intraterrestrials') #science #biology

Quanta Magazine@quantamagazine.org

“It gives me comfort to know there are these silent beings underneath my feet who are just biding their time and waiting for a geological event.” — Karen Lloyd, microbial geochemist https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-pursuit-of-life-where-it-seems-unimaginable-20250820/

quantamagazine.orgThe Pursuit of Life Where It Seems Unimaginable | Quanta MagazineA decade ago, Karen Lloyd discovered single-celled microbes living beneath the seafloor. Now she studies how they can survive in Earth’s crust, possibly for hundreds or thousands of years, and push li...

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

My essay in the anniversary(!) issue of Clarkesworld, among an all-star cast of writers, in emoji: 🐉👀🧠🪽🚀 #science #writing #biology 👉 clarkesworldmagazine.com/dewinter_10_...

Clarkesworld@clarkesworldmagazine.com

The October issue of Clarkesworld (our 20th anniversary issue) is now online and features stories by Alex T. Singer, Fiona Moore, Shi Heiyao, Elizabeth Bear, Louis Inglis Hall, Natalia Theodoridou, and Tia Tashiro clarkesworldmagazine.com/issue_241 Subscribe at: clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Trends in Biotechnology
@cp-trendsbiotech.bsky.social

Online now: Toward adaptive cyborg tissues

dlvr.itToward adaptive cyborg tissuesOrganoids and engineered tissues have emerged as powerful models of human biology, yet their development and function are often characterized through endpoint measurements that provide only static snapshots of dynamic biological processes. Recent advances in stretchable mesh electronics, developmental biointegration, and organoid engineering have enabled the creation of cyborg tissues with embedded sensing, stimulation, and computational capabilities. This review highlights recent progress in developmental bioelectronic integration, multifunctional tissue mapping, biological state reconstruction, and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cyborg systems. We discuss how embedded bioelectronics can be combined with molecular and spatial profiling technologies to characterize tissue function, developmental trajectories, and biological states. These advances establish cyborg tissues as biologically integrated platforms for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug discovery, and adaptive biotechnology.
Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Solarpunk future is coming.

Cell Press@cellpress.bsky.social

Transparent, magenta solar panels could offer farmers a way to harvest electricity while providing ample sunlight to the crops underneath. Learn more in Cell Reports Physical Science: www.cell.com/cell-reports... Silvia Ma Luand, Pietro Elia Campana, and colleagues @cp-cellreports.bsky.social

Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

My essay in the anniversary(!) issue of Clarkesworld, among an all-star cast of writers, in emoji: 🐉👀🧠🪽🚀 #science #writing #biology 👉 clarkesworldmagazine.com/dewinter_10_...

Clarkesworld@clarkesworldmagazine.com

The October issue of Clarkesworld (our 20th anniversary issue) is now online and features stories by Alex T. Singer, Fiona Moore, Shi Heiyao, Elizabeth Bear, Louis Inglis Hall, Natalia Theodoridou, and Tia Tashiro clarkesworldmagazine.com/issue_241 Subscribe at: clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Jaz
@jaz.sh

Okay so I've built a new Atlas, this time it lets you explore the conversations on Bluesky over the past 7 days graphically. It should update every ~6 hours and help you navigate the information environment that exists on here. I've learned a LOT about what people do here today... atlas.jazco.dev

atlas.jazco.devAtlasA living map of what Bluesky is talking about: the past week's conversations, grouped into topics and regions and rebuilt every six hours.
Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Dragons, druids, and a delightfully kind story review!

gwendolyn hicks@prioryruins.bsky.social

@bmccosar.bsky.social has done a profile of @kaleidotrope.bsky.social, and it’s an excellent introduction to an excellent magazine. and i am honored by the shout-out for my novelette “Full Fathom Five,” which appeared in the Winter 2026 issue! linguistics nerds stay winning :) bmccosar.com?p=47

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Pawel Burkhardt
@pawelburkhardt.bsky.social

Lovely to see several pieces of our ctenophore work featured in this beautiful new story from @quantamagazine.org 🪼 Great piece by @mstarling.bsky.social, also featuring work by @stevehaddock.bsky.social, @arnausebe.bsky.social & @hejnol.bsky.social. www.quantamagazine.org/ctenophores-...

quantamagazine.orgCtenophores Aren’t Just Beautiful. They’re Biological Wonders. | Quanta MagazineComb jellies are helping answer fundamental questions in biology, from how the earliest nervous systems evolved to how bioluminescence works.
Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

"The narratives typically used by AI doomers also misdirect responsibility." This does not get enough attention.

Philip Ball@philipcball.bsky.social

In thisa piece for @thenewworldmag.bsky.social I express the wish for a better level of public discourse around AI that doesn't leave us hanging on every word of the alleged tech gurus. www.thenewworld.co.uk/philip-ball-...

thenewworld.co.ukApocalyptic AI fantasies are a stupid, annoying distraction from its real problemsThe people who work in AI are not gurus and most of their predictions have been wrong. Working in the industry makes them less reliable commentators, not more

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Miguel Clavero
@chikichanka.bsky.social

Japanese team have observed directly, for the first time, noctule bats hunting birds The images they provide astonishingly resemble that painted by Brueghel over 400 years ago... maybe he had actually seen the hunt!! Paper: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... @ebdonana.bsky.social

Miguel Clavero@chikichanka.bsky.social

Natural history on canvas: Brueghel knew about bird-eating noctule bats Just published in @pnas.org, OA for all eyes Led by the one-and-only @romero-vidal.bsky.social, with the amazing @elena-tena.bsky.social and Sonia Sánchez-Navarro @ebdonana.bsky.social LINK: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

Hear hear!

Ricard Solé@ricardsole.bsky.social

I’m getting a little tired of seeing dozens of social-media posts with Sam Altman’s face and the line “OpenAI solved the Millennium Problem.” Tired of billionaires who know nothing being cast as geniuses. And tired of low-quality journalism talking about “how AI solved...”

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Philip Ball
@philipcball.bsky.social

OK, so AI can apparently solve the puzzles of the Navier-Stokes equation. But can it solve the puzzles of the universe, in the way that Einstein did? My latest news feature for @nature.com looks into the question of how far AI can go towards scientific discovery. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.comThe Einstein test: what happens when AI tries to rediscover relativity?Scientists are probing whether language models trained on historical data can reproduce creative breakthroughs.

Gunnar De Winter reposted

Quanta Magazine
@quantamagazine.org

Sarah Demers, chair of the physics department at Yale University, sees potential for the use of AI in physics. But she refuses to use it to write her emails. Read her interview: www.quantamagazine.org/in-an-age-of...

quantamagazine.orgIn an Age of AI, a Physicist Seeks What Endures | Quanta MagazineSarah Demers, chair of the physics department at Yale University, sees the potential for large language models to both help and harm her field.

Gunnar De Winter reposted

PLOS Biology
@plosbiology.org

Why do some #bacteria #evolve #antibiotic resistance more readily than others? This study shows that naturally occurring single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PhoQP system change how readily E. coli evolves trimethoprim resistance and which mutations enable it. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/4qCDXQM

Gunnar De Winter
@gunnardewinter.bsky.social

"... what I do want to rescue is the sense that the future can be different: the sense that science-fiction writers have always had that yesterday and tomorrow don’t need to be the same. Capitalism has captured the future, and is now commodifying it and selling it back to us..."

aeon.coSuperlative projects are made possible by great collective efforts | Aeon EssaysSuperlative things were done in the past century by marshalling thousands of people in the service of a vision of the future