Research universities are often the largest employers in their region. They are often the primary health care providers to communities. This funding shift will not only reduce US research leadership, it will put working people out of work and reduce healthcare access.

Alondra Nelson@alondra.bsky.social · 2y ago

Excellent 🧵 on this evening's NIH announcement of a dramatic reduction in indirect rates for research institutions, which amounts to a generational restructuring of the US research and development ecosystem. These cuts are effective immediately, not just for new grants but for existing ones.

Join us! Science Homecoming helps scientists reconnect with communities by writing about the importance of science funding in their hometown newspapers. We’ve mapped every small newspaper in the U.S. and provide resources to get you started. Help science get back home 🧪🔬🧬 🏠 sciencehomecoming.com

Interactions between the nitrogen phosphotransferase system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its quorum sensing circuits. A new preprint from @jrchandler.bsky.social's group www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Quorum sensing regulation by the nitrogen phosphotransferase system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

In the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa , the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr) influences multiple virulence behaviors. The PTSNtr is comprised of three enzymes: first ...

biorxiv.org

Scientists and journalists need to figure out right quick how to explain to the average person how a massive change in research indirects will impact the medical care they and their children get (eg at the local children’s hospital), the education their children will get, the price of tuition, etc.

I am confident that scientific societies will play an unusually important role in the coming years. If you are a microbiologist of any kind, please consider joining @asm.org if you haven't already. There are many ways to get involved, including advocacy. To learn more: asm.org/About-ASM/Vo...

My NIH study section that was to meet tomorrow was one of those canceled. This represents many months of work by the applicants and by the NIH staff and reviewers. Devastating is the correct word.

Jane Liebschutz, MD MPH (she/her)@liebschutz.bsky.social · 2y ago

All NIH study sections canceled indefinitely. This will halt science and devastate research budgets in universities.

The Undergraduate Biology Program is rolling out a bunch of scholarships & awards for Spring 2025! 🌟 Whether you're all about academics, digging deep into research, or ready to travel and expand your horizons, we've got opportunities for you. biology.ku.edu/scholarships

The story behind the paper: conceptually, this material was the 2nd part of Dr Renae Cruz’s thesis. But the Covid-19 pandemic intervened, and she graduated in May 2020. Because of the pandemic, the project did not move forward for two years. /1 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

RhlR-mediated cooperation in cystic fibrosis-adapted isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Journal of Bacteriology

Quorum sensing (QS) mutants arise in a variety of populations of bacteria, but mutants of the gene encoding the transcription factor RhlR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa appear to be infrequent. Our work pr...

journals.asm.org

Impostor syndrome: “I don't know what I'm doing. It's only a matter of time until everyone finds out." Growth mindset: "I don't know what I'm doing yet. It's only a matter of time until I figure it out." The highest form of self-confidence is believing in your ability to learn.

I had an excellent visit to KU today, hosted by @jrchandler.bsky.social! Great people and science here. When I was a PhD student I would not have imagined that I would be advertised on a flyer next to my mentor Stanley Perlman — although, notably, he is a “distinguished speaker” and I am not.

🚨Travel awards for Early Career Researchers to attend ASM Microbe🧫 1. Awarded through ASM Branches 2. $1650 per award, 3 per branch 3. Apps open now! 4. Named for Peggy Cotter, ASM past president & advocate 5. A proud accomplishment when I was COMS Chair 6. Apply / share! asm.org/Travel-Award...

A thread on NIH Reorganization and the Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB) Disclosure: I was involved with the SMRB since its inception and have very strong feelings about how it was used, misused, and abandoned. My passion on these issues will undoubtably show through. 1/n

Cuboidal cell packing is a common yet understudied route to multicellularity. In work led by @rpineau.bsky.social and Ozan Bozdag we explore its origin as a multicellular geometry capable of supporting a transition in individuality using fission yeast. 1/14 www.biorxiv.org/content/14.1...

Rapid bacteria-phage coevolution drives the emergence of multiscale networks www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1... #jcampubs

Got my shot--go get yours--its fast and easy

Ian M. Mackay, PhD (he/him) 🦠🤧🧬📑🦟🧀@mackayim.bsky.social · 3y ago

#Flu in the US taking off. www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/i...

Now this looks interesting! "Promoter capture drives the emergence of proto-genes in Escherichia coli" uz-Zaman MH , D'Alton S , Barrick JE , Ochman H www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #evolution #innovation #LTEE #bacteria #genetics #genomics #science

A lovely article from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, about a visit made by someone with CF to a microbiology lab leading work on antimicrobial drug discovery #MicroSky www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/news/the-oth...

I just read the term 'French Press' and the first thing that came to my mind (on the right) is not what was meant. #microsky

I have too much on my plate. Me at work 🤝 Me at Thanksgiving dinner

Receptor-independent response to an AHL signal in surface-grown Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- from the Déziel group journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

My lab's first big research paper is now out in mBio! 🎉 We ask: how can Legionella antagonize other microbes with reactive oxygen species without hurting themselves? Answer: several dynamics seem to generate a 'toxic moat' of ROS around producers pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37728338/

This is totally beautiful

Text from a friend. Paging @ass_deans.

Our kids started school in august and within two weeks we had covid. What is the point of rolling out the vaccine in late September?

Porter@porter79.bsky.social · 3y ago

@mikethemadbiol.bsky.social Can I ask a question? The new vaccine isn't until the end of September.... My kid join the pool of Petri dishes today, September 5th... Does the FDA and CDC just not know how to use Google calendar?

imo the strongest evidence we live in the far future is the Star Trek-ass thing that ultimately saved us from the pandemic being far, far worse: mRNA tech, aka "root/admin access to ribosomes." here, cells, execute this arbitrary code, then go back to whatever you were doing. sure, why not!

Woke up this morning to see my first #bluesky invite code. Gave it to my husband. It happens to be our anniversary. Best anniversary gift ever (he agrees)!

Inspired

Dr. Becca@docbecca.bsky.social · 3y ago

My vision for a Palm Springs-y office look is nearly realized! Design is hard work, folks, don’t let anyone tell you different.

I'm one of those that adapted the "calling bullshit" idea and curriculum - and it's totally great! They make it easy! Lots of resources and a really well organized and interesting class.

Carl T. Bergstrom@carlbergstrom.com · 3y ago

I'm really stoked to see others adapting and building on and evolving the "Calling Bullshit" curriculum that @jevinwest.bsky.social and I developed and teach here at the University of Washington www.umt.edu/news/2023/09...

The biggest stressor is getting funded. What helps is getting funded, as it turns out.

Monique J. Rivera 🦋@monique4ever.bsky.social · 3y ago

im interested in how people in academia deal with stress? what are the stressors and what helps with it