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Christie Wilcox

Christie was a well-established science blogger and writer when she was awarded a PhD from the University of Hawaii in 2014 for her research on the genetics of lionfishes. A short two years later, she published her debut book Venomous: How Earth’s Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry, which received widespread acclaim, and after that, she fully left academia behind and established herself as a science writer and editor. She joined The Scientist in 2021 as the newsletter editor.

Articles by Christie Wilcox
a giant isopod in an aquarium
Genome Spotlight: Giant Isopod (Bathynomus jamesi)
Christie Wilcox | May 26, 2022
The first high-quality genome for a marine isopod may shed light on how this group of crustaceans adapted to the deep, dark depths of the ocean.
A school of juvenile spiny chromis (Acanthochromis polycanthus)
Human-Made Noise Disrupts Fish Parenting
Christie Wilcox | May 23, 2022
The roar of nearby boat engines alters how fish care for and protect their young, resulting in fewer successful nests and smaller offspring, a study finds.
A tubifer cardinalfish
Genome Spotlight: Tubifer cardinalfish (Siphamia tubifer)
Christie Wilcox | Apr 28, 2022
These tiny reef fish harbor luminous bacteria, and the chromosome-level assembly of the species’ genome may facilitate the duo’s use as a vertebrate model for symbiosis.
Close-up of a fiber with brightly colored pathogens beside it
Microplastics in Seawater May Harbor Parasites
Christie Wilcox | Apr 26, 2022
Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.
President Biden meeting with a group of people in the oval office
Biden Orders More Research on Long COVID
Christie Wilcox | Apr 6, 2022
A new presidential memorandum requires the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate a government-wide push to generate a research action plan for the condition.
A scientific illustration of a Christmas Island rat
Genome Spotlight: Christmas Island Rat (Rattus macleari)
Christie Wilcox | Mar 24, 2022
The near-complete genome of a recently extinct rodent elucidates the potential—and difficulties—of resurrecting species.
edge of the amazon showing deforestation
Amazon Rainforest Nearing Savannah “Tipping Point”
Christie Wilcox | Mar 8, 2022
Half or more of the world’s largest forest is in danger of transitioning into grassland, researchers say.
a microscope image of a rotifer
Bacterial Enzyme Keeps Rotifers’ Transposable Elements in Check
Christie Wilcox | Mar 3, 2022
Jumping genes in bdelloid rotifers are tamped down by DNA methylation performed by an enzyme pilfered from bacteria roughly 60 million years ago, a study finds.
A Pacific beetle-mimic cockroach on a leaf
Genome Spotlight: Pacific Beetle-Mimic Cockroach (Diploptera punctata)
Christie Wilcox | Feb 24, 2022
The genome of the world’s only live-bearing cockroach may shed light on how viviparity evolves in insects.
a man collects water using a fishing pole and can
World’s Rivers Rife with Drugs: Study
Christie Wilcox | Feb 15, 2022
Levels of pharmaceuticals considered unsafe for aquatic organisms were found at more than one-quarter of sampling sites.