Rob Noble

In a new preprint led by Ves Manojlovic, we develop an agent-based model and an ABC-SMC inference workflow to infer tumour growth parameters from methylation arrays, focussing on sites whose states fluctuate on clinically relevant timescales. We applied this workflow to 10 colorectal tumours. 1/2

Ya'll know I was going to have something to say about the @itiscolossal.bsky.social and Anduril collab on "warhounds," so here it is: devoevomed.substack.com/p/de-extinct...

The submission deadline for the @jevbio.bsky.social Special Issue on “Cancer in an evolutionary framework: across species and within individuals” is coming up (30th November). For more info and contact details see academic.oup.com/jeb/pages/ca...

I know I say this every time, but it's true. They try to make you believe they are inevitable, when in fact they are defeatable. They do this because once people believe they will always win, there's no point fighting back.

The ERC Starting Grant numbers are out. With a staggering 60% increase in applications and a 15% reduction in funding volume, the success rate drops to an all time low of 5%. That number should be a warning to both future applicants and the @erc.europa.eu. 1/9 erc.europa.eu/news-events/...

How long after a mutation does it take for a cell to progress to cancer? In Barrett’s oesophagus, we found that CNAs occurred decades prior to cancer diagnosis, and that their rate is more prognostic than CNA burden alone doi.org/10.64898/202... (1/6)

@cmaley.bsky.social and colleagues are advertising two PhD studentships at ASU for those with "an interest and background in interdisciplinary approaches to managing evolving systems like infectious diseases, cancer, pests, weeds, microbiomes and ecosystems". Deadline 15th November. sols.asu.edu/pga

The Covid Inquiry’s Module 6 report is devastating. Its central conclusion: adult social care was treated as “something of an afterthought”, while “protecting the NHS” sometimes came at the expense of people receiving and providing care. 1/10

Hey, media people! Read this thread! Stop trying to interview the same few super-famous mathematicians about AI. It's like interviewing the two or three wealthiest people in the US about how inflation affects their ability to buy food.

Many people with relevant expertise think there's a real chance that AI could kill us all in the not too distant future. Others disagree. I've written a post, aimed principally at mathematicians, detailing my struggles to decide what to make of this. gowers.wordpress.com/2026/10/16/h...

Boo! Another spooky paper out, just in time for Halloween 👻 "The haunted Umwelt: a biosemiotic and hauntological account of immune semiotic corruption in field cancerization" - Theory in Biosciences link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Interested in a PhD in Theoretical evolutionary ecology / statistics? A position is open (again) in my lab. "Theoretical and statistical modeling of eco-evolutionary feedback loops from abundance-phenotype time series" Details and application: emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Docto...

In this paper, we revisit the effect of community structure (doi.org/10.1371/jour...) by comparing it against an appropriate null model: the completely mixed population. Community structure consistently promotes cooperation, making it a mechanism for its evolution 📝

New paper: doi.org/10.1371/jour... Why do hypermutant cancers have atypical 'weaker' driver mutations? Modelling clonal dynamics, shows that accelerated mutation rates and biases explain this enrichment in MMRd/POLEd colorectal cancers, shifting expected genotypes.

Imagine the UK had a manufacturing sector that was losing 10,000 jobs a year?

UK farming and construction runs on red diesel stained with solvent dye. The US will now run on blood diesel. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Cool article on all FOUR types of transmissible cancers by Nala Rogers knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

💯. I think too many people treat AI containment and alignment as an engineering challenge to be solved. As I see it, the problem is far more fundamental, and harder to solve (arguably unsolvable). Understanding why requires understanding evolution. Short thread 🧵

My family is raising funds for a good friend of ours in the Ukrainian forces to buy essential equipment for the difficult months ahead, including a portable power station and solar generator, vehicle repairs and maintenance, and winter and protective supplies. Please dm me if you want details.

At least mathematical biology is too basic for them to bother with

Current state of AI safety research: Who will align the aligners themselves? Current state of AI for proving theorems: Who will verify the verifiers themselves?

UC Irvine's new Department of Systems Biology is seeking an Assistant Professor in that field, whose background could be in maths, physics, engineering, computer science, or any biological subdiscipline. recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF10377

I am hiring a postdoc! Are you interested to work on population genetics/ drug resistance/ data? Want to work in Montpellier, France? Fastq files don't scare you? PhD required, start date hopefully Nov 1! (end date Sep 30 2028) Please share! abetterscientist.wordpress.com/2026/09/29/p...

Fantastic work by @nationaltrust.org.uk. Now let's do all the other golf courses.

The Moffitt Cancer Center is looking a new faculty member in Integrated Mathematical Oncology with "a track record in developing mathematical models for cancer research, strong publications in mathematical biology or computational oncology, and success securing grant funding".

Finally online! Cross-feeding enables robust coexistence between four bacterial species | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... #microsky

Always entertaining, when strolling along Brighton beach with the kids, to see a naïve Londoner leave their chips unattended and invite a reenaction of yesterday's BHA versus Arsenal game

Bummed about Spurs, but pales in comparison to news this week that consultants and university management are gutting my world leading department of religion in the name of efficiency and metrics!

@lennartwinkler.bsky.social @andygardner.bsky.social @scottpegan.bsky.social

these people axed their writing center

I've written a blog post responding to the letter about maths and AI signed by 25 Fields medallists. As with the Leiden Declaration, I didn't sign it, but I agree with much of it and welcome its existence. gowers.wordpress.com/2026/09/17/w...

The excellent Hanna ten Brink in Amsterdam is advertising "a super cool Phd project on modelling krill and salps and, most importantly, their poo" that'd suit someone into mathematical modelling, coding, and marine ecosystems, polar regions, and/or biogeochemistry werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...

✍️ This week is Peer Review Week: an annual celebration of the role of peer review in ensuring quality and integrity of research This year’s theme is Capacity: 📚️ Volume 💨 Speed ✅️ Quality These components define a balance that the peer review system is being asked to maintain. buff.ly/87BLRdW

Today's breakthrough medical insight from @ourfuturehealthuk.bsky.social: If you're daft enough to ignore the hydration guidance and run 30 minutes to your blood sample appointment instead of taking the bus then no amount of prodding around in two veins will elicit more than half a drop.

A group of 25 Fields Medalists, including myself, have made a joint declaration on Math and AI: mathandai.org . We welcome additional signatories. See also this article in the Economist announcing the declaration: www.economist.com/science-and-...

If you believe AI poses an existential threat then don't just say that because no one knows how to respond except with jokes and shrugs. Emphasise a relatable risk, such as AI hacking banks and stealing savings, and voters will lobby for regulation to mitigate the latter, also addressing the former.

Me on Jan 15, 2023. scholar.social/@ehud/109692...

Nice to see this properly published: a framework for designing therapies targeting tumor-level dynamics rather than cell number. Led by Fred Thomas with contributions from @amdujon.bsky.social, @jdegregori.bsky.social, me, and many others apparently not on Bluesky. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Are you into mathematical modelling of ecological and evolutionary systems? Look at this job ad for a senior lecturer in Lund. I've visited many times, splendid compact city, splendid department! lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

"This comprehensive survey of mutagenesis provides a foundation for understanding somatic evolution of human cell populations in health and disease"