Humans wax the surfaces of beautiful objects to show them off at their best, but for most creatures, wax is much more than a cosmetic. Jean-Francois Ferveur explains that each strain of Drosophila secretes a distinct waxy mixture that protects them from dehydration in the climate they are adapted to. The mixtures have even been used to identify some rare species in museum collections. The males and females from each strain also subtly modify the wax mixture, so that it uniquely identifies each gender's identity, so reading a male's hydrocarbon signature is critical for female flies to find their perfect mate. Knowing the importance of the hydrocarbon gender differences in communication, Ferveur wants to understand how the flies synthesise their distinct wax message within the first 24 hours of life. Knowing that the environmental temperature affects the size distribution of the hydrocarbon chains, Ferveur used temperature shock to modify the...
Using the reactive scope model to redefine social stress in fishes
In their Review, Katie Gilmour and colleagues redefine the ambiguous concept of social stress by using the reactive scope model as a framework to explain the divergent physiological phenotypes of dominant and subordinate fishes.
JEB grants to support junior faculty
Learn about the grants that we launched in 2023 to support junior faculty from two of our awardees: Erin Leonard, Early-Career Researcher (ECR) Visiting Fellowship recipient, and Pauline Fleischmann, Research Partnership Kickstart Travel Grant recipient. The next deadline to apply is 6 June 2025.
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels survive extraordinarily low blood oxygen
Brynne Duffy and colleagues reveal that thirteen-lined ground squirrels are true hypoxia champions surviving extreme low blood oxygen, down to just 34% oxygen, when they emerge briefly from hibernation.
The Company of Biologists Workshops
For the last 15 years, our publisher, The Company of Biologists, has provided an apt environment to inspire biology and support biologists through our Workshops series. Read about the evolution of the Workshop series and revisit JEB's experience with hosting the first Global South Workshop.
Fast & Fair peer review
Our sister journal Biology Open has recently launched the next phase of their Fast & Fair peer review initiative: offering high-quality peer review within 7 working days. To learn more about BiO’s progress and future plans, read the Editorial by Daniel Gorelick, or visit the Fast & Fair peer review page.
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