Pepijn Kooij

@[email protected]
66 Followers
104 Following
95 Posts
Evolutionary biologist working at CEIS/LESF, UNESP - Rio Claro on fungus growing ant mutualism. Studying the evolution of mutualisms and the role of sexuality in mutualism stability. Views are my own.
Research topicsevolution, fungi, ants, ecology, genomics, phylogenetics
Pronounhe/him/his
Websitehttps://linktr.ee/PepijnKooij
Fun factD&D DM and player
Pepijn Kooij6d ago
A life in pictures: Celebrating Attenborough at 100.
As the British naturalist celebrates a milestone birthday, we take a look at how his work has shaped science. https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-026-01371-5/index.html #science #biology #nature #sirdavidattenborough
A life in pictures: Celebrating Attenborough at 100

As the British naturalist celebrates a milestone birthday, we take a look at how his work has shaped science.

Pepijn KooijMay 4
Gender and Geographic Location of Authors Impact Citation Rates of GBE Papers https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/18/4/evag090/8662986 #science #gendergap #demographicgap
The Gender and Geographic Location of Authors Impact Citation Rates of GBE Papers

Even though their representation in academia has increased in the last decades, women are still underrepresented, especially at top STEM departments and se

OUP Academic
Pepijn KooijMay 4
Vaginal bacteria turn newborn skin into a beneficial ‘bioreactor’ | Science | AAAS https://www.science.org/content/article/vaginal-bacteria-turn-newborn-skin-beneficial-bioreactor?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=4c2c9885c0-nature-briefing-daily-20260428_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-33f35e09ea-49736388 #science #bacteria #birth #microbiota
Pepijn KooijApr 30
Mitochondria can spawn new ‘organelles’ — hinting at how modern cells evolved https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01295-0 #science #evolution #mitochondria #organelles
Mitochondria can spawn new ‘organelles’ — hinting at how modern cells evolved

Discovery bolsters theory that ancient mitochondria formed brand-new, specialized ‘sacs’ in cells by shedding their outer membranes.

Pepijn KooijMar 20
How the classic computer game Doom became a tool for science https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00813-4 #science #doom #computergames
How the classic computer game Doom became a tool for science

The 1990s game has been run on bacteria and a satellite and played by neurons in a dish.

Pepijn KooijFeb 13
Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00409-y #science #coffee #cafeine #dementia
Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people

Study suggests moderate caffeine intake might reduce dementia risk and slow cognitive decline.

Pepijn KooijJan 23
How to lead a journal club you won’t be embarrassed by later https://scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2026/01/13/how-to-lead-a-journal-club-you-wont-be-embarrassed-by-later/ #Criticism #JournalClubs #Writing #science #journalclub #journaldiscussions
How to lead a journal club you won’t be embarrassed by later

One of the jobs facing an early-career scientist, and a developing writer, is to learn what their field’s literature looks like. One of the best tools to that end is the journal club. If you’ve nev…

Scientist Sees Squirrel
Pepijn KooijDec 3
AI protein-prediction tool AlphaFold3 is now more open https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03708-4 #science #openscience #reproducibility #alphafold3
AI protein-prediction tool AlphaFold3 is now more open

The code underlying the Nobel-prize-winning tool for modelling protein structures can now be downloaded by academics.

Pepijn KooijMay 28, 2025
Interesting to note that these types of pests really started with increasing human civilization, i.e., first big cities etc.
Bedbugs may be the first urban pest | Science | AAAS https://www.science.org/content/article/bedbugs-may-be-first-urban-pest #science #bedbugs #genomics #evolution #urbanization
Pepijn KooijMay 2, 2025
Vaccines work… and do not cause autism
https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003143 #science #vaccines #vaccinessavelives @PLOSBiology
Vaccines work… and do not cause autism

Vaccines have saved millions of lives, yet their importance and safety is repeatedly in question. W e cannot let disinformation campaigns get in the way of global public health – it is not time to defund, but rather invest in these life-saving tools.