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Nicholas Priest

Lecturer, University of Bath
The research in the Priest lab lies at the interface of evolution, behavioural ecology, reproductive physiology and molecular genetics. Much of this work involves parental effects, which occur when the physiology and genotype of mothers influence trait expression in offspring. We have found that older mothers produce offspring with reduced longevity in fruit flies. We have found that maternal exposure to toxic compounds in male seminal fluid stimulates parental effects which improve the fitness of daughters. We have also found that mating increases the rate of genetic recombination in the maternal genome. Population genetic theory and life history models that we have constructed show that parental effects can alter the rate, direction, and endpoint of phenotypic evolution. These findings indicate that parental effects have an integral role in trait expression and evolution.

The current projects in the lab extend from our previous findings. We conduct empirical studies to understand how physiological responses to sexual behaviour in parents contribute to the rate of adaptation. We take advantage of the power of Drosophila genetics to understand how parental effects and recombination rate operate at a molecular level. To motivate and evaluate the empirical studies, we develop explicit cross-generational population genetic and demographic models. The ultimate goal of the work in the Priest lab is to resolve classic questions about aging, sexual behaviour and sex.

Silicon Valley's quest for immortality – and its worrying sacrifices

Dec 16, 2018 13:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Somewhere in Silicon Valley, a man wakes early with the sunrise. Venturing into the kitchen, he pacifies his rumbling belly with a cup of coffee infused with a large knob of grass-fed butter. Hes in the middle of a fast,...

Economy

U.S. Sanctions Target Chinese Refinery Over Iranian Oil Purchases

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co., a major Chinese independent refinery, over its large-scale purchases of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. The...

US Dollar Weakens as Iran Talks Boost Risk Appetite in Forex Market

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Friday as global investors shifted toward riskier assets, encouraged by renewed diplomatic signals between the United States and Iran. This movement in the forex market reflects growing...

Gold Prices Edge Higher on Weak Dollar but Face Weekly Loss Amid Oil-Driven Inflation Fears

Gold prices saw a modest increase on Friday, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and renewed geopolitical developments involving the United States and Iran. Despite this slight rebound, the precious metal remains on track...

Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Tensions Despite Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Oil prices remained relatively stable on Friday as optimism over renewed U.S.-Iran negotiations helped calm market fears, even as supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continued to support prices. Brent crude futures...

Wall Street Hits Record High as Tech Stocks Surge Amid U.S.-Iran Developments

Wall Street closed at record levels on Friday, driven by strong investor optimism surrounding potential U.S.-Iran peace talks and robust earnings from major technology companies. The stock market showed mixed results, with...

Politics

US Freezes $344M in Crypto Linked to Iran Amid Escalating Sanctions

The U.S. Treasury Department has intensified its crackdown on illicit financial networks by sanctioning multiple cryptocurrency wallets tied to Iran, resulting in the freeze of approximately $344 million in digital assets....

Trump to Discuss Iran, NATO, and UK Digital Tax with King Charles During U.S. Visit

U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that key global and economic issuesincluding Iran, NATO, and the United Kingdoms digital services taxwill be central topics in his upcoming discussions with King Charles during the...

King Charles to Join NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani at 9/11 Memorial During U.S. Visit

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to participate in a solemn 9/11 memorial wreath-laying ceremony alongside Britains King Charles during the monarchs upcoming visit to the United States, according to an official...

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill 12, Including Police Officers, Amid Ongoing Ceasefire Violations

Israeli airstrikes and shelling across Gaza on Friday killed at least 12 people, including six police officers, according to Palestinian health officials. The latest escalation highlights the fragile security situation in...

Argentina Court Upholds Cristina Kirchner Asset Seizure in Corruption Case

An Argentine appellate court has upheld a ruling to confiscate the assets of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, reinforcing a major development in her ongoing corruption case. The decision, reported by...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Judge Dismisses Elon Musk’s Fraud Claims Against OpenAI, Trial to Proceed on Remaining Allegations

A U.S. federal judge has dismissed key fraud claims brought by Elon Musk in his high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal battle. The ruling,...

$16B Michigan Data Center Project Boosts U.S. AI Infrastructure Expansion

Related Digital, a major data center developer, announced on Friday that it has secured $16 billion in financing to support the construction of a large-scale data center campus in Michigan. This significant investment...

U.S. Raises Alarm Over Chinese AI Firms’ Alleged IP Theft Through Model Distillation

The U.S. State Department has launched a global diplomatic effort to highlight what it describes as large-scale intellectual property theft by Chinese artificial intelligence companies. According to a diplomatic cable...

DeepSeek Launches V4 AI Models with Enhanced Reasoning and 1M Token Context Window

DeepSeek has unveiled preview versions of its latest open-source artificial intelligence models, marking a significant step forward in AI performance and reasoning capabilities. The new releases, DeepSeek-V4-Pro and...

Amazon Stock Rises as Meta Expands AWS Partnership for AI Infrastructure

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares climbed around 2% শুক্রবার morning after Meta revealed a major expansion of its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), signaling strong momentum in the growing artificial intelligence...