Paul B. Frandsen

Comparative genome analyses suggest a common blueprint for obligate endoparasitism in Strepsiptera

The paper presents the first high-quality genome assembly of a strepsipteran species and compares it with two others, finding a conserved genomic blueprint for obligate endoparasitism.

Genomics and CT imaging reveal diversity in silk genes and gland morphology of webspinners

The paper presents the first high-quality genomes of two webspinner species, revealing complex silk gene structures and gland morphology through genomics and CT imaging.

Bacterial DNA invasion triggers transposable element proliferation and genome expansion

The paper identifies a link between bacterial horizontal gene transfer and transposable element proliferation in nut weevils, contributing to genome expansion and molecular innovation.

Satellite DNA dynamics across phylogenetic scales in ground beetles and other insects

The paper examines satellite DNA dynamics across multiple insect orders and ground beetle species, revealing significant variation in satDNA abundance and turnover across evolutionary scales.

Evolution of highly repetitive silk genes in the Luna moth, Actias luna

This study characterizes sericin gene evolution in the Luna moth, revealing gene duplications, repeat variation, and subfunctionalization across life stages and species.

Whole genome assembly and annotation of the acorn weevil, Curculio nanulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The paper generates whole genome assemblies for two Curculio weevil species and annotates their genomes, revealing expanded repetitive elements for comparative genomic studies.

First Genomic Insights into an Aeshnidae Dragonfly: Unveiling the Genome of a Holarctic Species, Aeshna juncea

This paper presents the first assembled genome of Aeshna juncea, revealing transposon-driven genome size variation and population bottlenecks in Arctic populations.

WntA expression and wing transcriptomics illuminate the evolution of stripe patterns in skipper butterflies

This study shows WntA expression and gene expression patterns in skipper butterflies are homologous to the Central Symmetry System in nymphalid butterflies, revealing shared developmental mechanisms for wing stripe patterns.

Comparative genomic analyses of trans-ithmanian reef fishes reveals different molecular targets of environmental adaptation in different families.

This study compares genomic adaptations in two distantly related reef fish families to environmental changes post-Isthmus of Panama formation, finding limited molecular parallelism despite shared selective pressures.

Environment and diet shape the geography-specific Drosophila melanogaster microbiota composition

This study shows that environmental factors like temperature and diet shape the microbiota composition of wild Drosophila melanogaster, linking microbiota variation to host phenotypic differentiation.

Temperature and Pressure Shaped the Evolution of Antifreeze Proteins in Polar and Deep Sea Zoarcoid Fishes

The paper investigates how temperature and pressure influenced the evolution of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) in polar and deep sea fishes, showing that AFP III copy number expands under low temperature but decreases with depth.

Environmental DNA vs. Community Science: Strengths and Limitations for Urban Odonata Surveys

The paper compares eDNA metabarcoding and community science for monitoring Odonata in urban ecosystems, finding both methods have distinct strengths and limitations.

Selecting a Window Size for the Analysis of Whole Genome Alignments using AIC

This study proposes using AIC to select optimal window sizes for whole genome alignments, finding shorter windows for butterflies and longer for great apes, with varying impacts on topology recovery.

Elevational and Oceanic Barriers Shape the Distribution, Dispersal and Diversity of Aotearoa's Kapokapowai (Uropetala) Dragonflies

This study shows that tectonic uplift and oceanic separation shape the distribution and speciation of Kapokapowai dragonflies in New Zealand.

Gene family evolution reveals dietary adaptations in butterflies and moths

This study identifies lineage-specific gene families in butterflies and moths, revealing dietary adaptations linked to plant detoxification and horizontal gene transfer.

Evolution of Opsin Genes in Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera)

The paper identifies opsin sequences in 25 caddisfly species, finds LW opsins are most diverse, SW opsins are lost in half the species, and UV opsins are single-copy except in one species with colorful wing patterns.

600+ insect genomes reveal repetitive element dynamics and highlight biodiversity-scale repeat annotation challenges

The paper analyzes repetitive elements across 601 insect species, revealing challenges in repeat annotation and the benefits of long-read sequencing.

Characterization of primary structure of the major silk gene, h-fibroin, across caddisfly suborders (Trichoptera)

The paper characterizes the primary structure of h-fibroin across caddisfly suborders, finding conserved termini and variable repeating modules linked to silk mechanical properties.

A Chromosome-length Assembly of the Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) Dragonfly

The paper presents a chromosome-length genome assembly of the Black Petaltail dragonfly, providing the first such assembly for a non-libelluloid dragonfly.

Uncovering hidden genetic diversity: allelic resolution of insect and spider silk genes

The paper reveals extensive allelic variation in silk genes across insect and spider species using long-read sequencing, highlighting convergent patterns in structural protein-coding genes.

Highly accurate long reads are crucial for realizing the potential of biodiversity genomics

This study compares genome assemblies using highly accurate PacBio HiFi reads versus longer but less accurate Oxford Nanopore reads, finding HiFi significantly improves contiguity and accuracy in both plants and animals.

Long-read HiFi Sequencing Correctly Assembles Repetitive heavy fibroin Silk Genes in New Moth and Caddisfly Genomes

This study uses HiFi long-read sequencing to assemble repetitive heavy fibroin genes in moth and caddisfly genomes, demonstrating its effectiveness for such challenging regions.

Towards a genome sequence for every animal: where are we now?

The paper assesses the current state of animal genome sequencing, highlighting disparities in taxonomic and geographic representation and assembly quality.

De novo chromosome-length assembly of the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) genome

The paper assembles the mule deer genome into chromosome-length contigs using long-read sequencing and Hi-C, and compares demographic histories with white-tail deer.

Long-reads are revolutionizing 20 years of insect genome sequencing

The paper analyzes 601 insect genome assemblies, highlighting taxonomic bias, assembly quality, and the impact of long-read sequencing technologies on contiguity.

Draft Genome Assemblies and Annotations of Agrypnia vestita Walker, and Hesperophylaxmagnus Banks Reveal Substantial Repetitive Element Expansion in Tube Case-making Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera)

The paper reports the first long-read de novo genome assemblies of two tube case-making caddisflies, revealing substantial repetitive element expansion contributing to larger genome sizes compared to annulipalpian species.

Aquatic insects are dramatically underrepresented in genomic research

The paper highlights the underrepresentation of aquatic insects in genomic research and calls for increased genomic resources to better understand their biology and ecological importance.