Today I will be giving a talk as part of the World Microbiome Day ACS webinar Gut Reactions: The Molecular Science of Microbial Communication 🦠 ! To attend, register for free here: www.acs.org/acs-webinars... 🧪
Krystle J McLaughlin
@biophyskrys.bsky.social
Protein xtallographer & biophysicist I Researching microbial proteins from B. ovatus CPS biosynthesis & Salmonella conjugative transfer | Associate chem prof @Vassar |she/her|#KrystleTheCrystallographer 🇹🇹 Remaining silent will not protect us. Abolish ICE.
The Trump Administration’s racist science policies have achieved some of their goals. The number of Black Principal Investigators has dropped by 10% between 2024 and 2025; while the number of Hispanic PIs has fallen by 7%. For research trainees, the numbers are far worse.
Trends in NIH Investigators by Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Disability Status
This cross-sectional study assesses National Institutes of Health (NIH) data from fiscal years 2016-2025 comprising annual counts of principal investigators funded through research grants and fellowsh...
jamanetwork.com
Breaking News: House Republicans abruptly canceled a vote on a resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after it became clear they lacked the votes to defeat the measure.
GOP Pulls Measure on Trump’s War Powers in Iran, Lacking Votes to Defeat It
House Republican leaders abruptly scrapped a planned vote on a measure to direct President Trump to end the conflict or win authorization for it, amid party defections and absences.
nyti.ms
Experienced researchers are less likely to produce ‘disruptive’ science than are those just starting their careers, finds an analysis of the scientific papers published by 12.5 million researchers over 60 years. go.nature.com/4uUvMk3
Early-career researchers do more ‘disruptive’ science than veterans
Analysis of papers from millions of scientists shows that older researchers tend to stick with ideas from their past.
go.nature.com
And there were Star Wars themed desserts -like this mini lightsaber cupcake! (I chose red/the dark side- with iconic villains like Darth Vader, Darth Maul and Kylo Ren how could I not?!)
Krystle J McLaughlin@biophyskrys.bsky.social · 3mo agoLove the Vassar College dining hall Star Wars themed specials today for #MaytheFourth! @vassar.bsky.social #StarWarsDay
Love the Vassar College dining hall Star Wars themed specials today for #MaytheFourth! @vassar.bsky.social #StarWarsDay
Can someone let the AP know that violating court orders is not a sign of "executive power. " It is a sign of contempt, lawlessness and authoritarianism.
It was so beautiful today on campus! The flowering dogwoods are gorgeous right now! @vassar.bsky.social #vassarcollege #spring 🌸
It was so beautiful today on campus! The flowering dogwoods are gorgeous right now! @vassar.bsky.social #vassarcollege #spring 🌸
I just emailed someone and got this amazing out of office reply: "Hello, I will be out of office from April 16th to May 1st, stepping away to fully commit to the responsible consumption of seasonal mangoes." #outofofficegoals
Bixonimania doesn’t exist except in a clutch of obviously bogus academic papers. A feature in Nature explores why AI chatbots were telling people the condition was real. #medsky 🧪
Scientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was real
Bixonimania doesn’t exist except in a clutch of obviously bogus academic papers. So why did AI chatbots warn people about this fictional illness?
go.nature.com
As a scientist, I am here to report that this headline is indeed accurate as I am in fact STUNNED!! Wow. This is incredible. 🧪 "Newly discovered bacterial defense system challenges genetic code’s central dogma.": www.science.org/content/arti...
FWIW, my answer to “should one mistake ruin someone’s whole career or should they get the chance to start over” depends on how bad the mistake was (how many people were harmed and how badly) and how likely they are to do it again. idp.nature.com/authorize?re... 🧪
Should academic misconduct be catalogued? Proposed US database sparks debate
Repository would require US universities to register research fraud and workplace harassment.
idp.nature.com
They want to automatically register you for the draft, but not to vote. Let's streamline the process to send you abroad to die for resource gathering, but complicate the process to effect change at home. This administration should be barred from ... everything.
The Hill@thehill.com · 4mo agoEligible men will automatically be registered into the military draft pool by December as part of an effort to streamline the previous process of self-registration and save money.
“We’ve lost out on the ability to continue to improve this work to make it more effective, and to explore how to apply it to other areas…There are a lot of different ways that genetics has been used to justify prejudice and…that human-made social categories interface with biological categories“🧪
A star scientist showed that better genetics lessons could reduce racism. It was the death knell for his career
Brian Donovan had persuaded high school teachers and education researchers that prejudice might be ended by changing how genetics is taught.
statnews.com
In 2020-21, Glover made history as the first Black person to stay for an extended period on the International Space Station. Consider this: "As a verdict neared in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer accused of murdering [George] Floyd..Black astronauts called from Earth to lend..moral support."
Congrats again to all 11 members of the Vassar College faculty granted tenure this year (including myself ✨ ), promoted from assistant professor to associate professor! Surreal to now be the 1st tenured black faculty in the chem department 🧪 Check out this Vassar story that profiles all of us:
Congratulations to the Latest Round of Faculty Members to Receive Tenure
Vassar’s Dean of Faculty announced that 11 members of the Vassar faculty in 10 academic disciplines have been granted tenure this year. Get acquainted with these scholars.
vassar.edu
Check out these incredible Vassar students at #ASBMB presenting research and connecting with scientists from across the country! Just one example of how Vassar empowers students to grow as scholars, researchers, and leaders.
A ditch in Roseland, Louisiana, seven months after an oil facility exploded here.
adam mahoney (he/him)@adamlmahoney.bsky.social · 11mo agoNEW: Last week, oil literally rained down on a Black town in rural Louisiana where 60% of folks live in poverty. The company isn’t taking responsibility & the federal + state governments are saying residents have to clean it up themselves. capitalbnews.org/louisiana-oi...
There was ONE ATC in the tower at LGA during last night's crash. ONE ATC, at LGA!, dealing w ALL air and ground traffic, including a plane filling w a strange smell and no gate to return to. The Pentagon wants $200B for a vanity war, but our ATC towers are empty. Budgets are moral documents.
Recently, my undergraduate thesis student & I went to the National Center for Cryo EM Access & Training (NCCAT) to collect data. It was a great experience & while we didn’t solve our protein structure (yet!), we both earned our Vitrobot certification ✨ #undergraduateresearch 🧪
#structuralbiology #undergraduateresearch | Krystle J. McLaughlin
A few weeks ago, my Vassar College undergraduate thesis student Jasmine Lowenstein ‘26 and I traveled to the NCCAT at the New York Structural Biology Center to collect cryo-EM data on one of our prote...
linkedin.com
Recently, my undergraduate thesis student & I went to the National Center for Cryo EM Access & Training (NCCAT) to collect data. It was a great experience & while we didn’t solve our protein structure (yet!), we both earned our Vitrobot certification ✨ #undergraduateresearch 🧪
#structuralbiology #undergraduateresearch | Krystle J. McLaughlin
A few weeks ago, my Vassar College undergraduate thesis student Jasmine Lowenstein ‘26 and I traveled to the NCCAT at the New York Structural Biology Center to collect cryo-EM data on one of our prote...
linkedin.com
Got to enjoy some Carolina blue skies (and a taste of spring) this week! Had a wonderful visit to give a seminar at UNC Chapel Hill on my lab’s research on Bacteroides ovatus polysaccharide deacetylase (BoPDA). Loved all the energizing conversations from faculty and students! ✨ 🧪
Got to enjoy some Carolina blue skies (and a taste of spring) this week! Had a wonderful visit to give a seminar at UNC Chapel Hill on my lab’s research on Bacteroides ovatus polysaccharide deacetylase (BoPDA). Loved all the energizing conversations from faculty and students! ✨ 🧪
Science is under attack, and it can't defend itself. That's why we are rallying NATIONWIDE this SATURDAY, MARCH 7th to TAKE BACK OUR SCIENCE!!! Visit standupforscience.net/march7 to find your local rally, volunteer, register to host a rally or a pop-up protest! It's time to Stand Up for Science!
AOC: He impulsively went in on Venezuela. He impulsively went in on Iran. It led to increased global instability and every time he’s done that, it has been consistent with a spike in what is happening with the Epstein files. I think that he feels existentially tied to it.