Courtney Herms
@courtneyherms.bsky.social
Molecular microbial ecology & beneficial microbiomes & plant-microbe interactions. PhD University of Copenhagen. Currently on break in Spain. Swim bike run
Nothing resonating yet? If you are chasing strategic problems with long-term impact that don't generate revenue, maybe philanthropic capital is the path for your idea. Talking to funds early and building relationships within the funds will help get your project off the ground.
Ready to go commercial? Accelerace was the first pre-seed investor in Denmark, but now there are more than 20 VCs to pick from, all with specific interests, so pick to the fund that resonates. Remember it's someone's actual money, so finding and pitching your best-case scenario is key!
If you haven't consider EU funding because it's too complicated, that's what the Greater Copenhagen EU Office is for. They offer personalized advice for choosing the best scheme for your startup and help get you started in your application. Their funding rate is up to 40%!! And it's 100% free!!
Does Denmark have the best national landscape for startup funding? Innovation Fund Denmark is working hard to make that a yes - with programs across technology readiness levels, there is a funding scheme for everyone. Key tip for your application: quantify (with numbers!) your impact.
A great agenda for today at KU Lighthouse, covering all pathways for funding startups in Denmark, from EU and national grants to pre-seed investments. Looking forward!
After three weeks training like a full-time triathlete as a scientist who actually just left academia, I have the update everyone is waiting for - THE STATS! Swim: 28 km, 9 hrs Bike: 1000 km, 46.5 hrs Run: 23 km, 2.5 hrs An exercise in control, patience, and progression. Highly recommend Malaga!
Two weeks down, one week left in training camp! 🇪🇸 Fatigue is setting in now, so recovery and taking the easy days easy becomes even more important.
Wrapping up a 23-hour training week here in Malaga with this killer of a ride, but a beauty! Enjoying every moment of this
Training update from your local scientist-turned-athlete: I got sick the day before we left for Spain, so the first days have been focused on enjoying the sun and recovery. Slowly starting structured training again: 70.3 efforts on the bike and a threshold swim
So it’s over. My last day at the University of Copenhagen. Almost 6 years in this office. Beyond my education and research, this place taught me Danish and brought some of my best friends. An end of an era. Farvel……
Life (or roots) always finds a way! Taking some Monday motivation from this wheat plant that was not going to let some pot get in the way of growing its roots
When I came to the decision to leave academia, I felt a lot of guilt: that I was giving up and taking the easy way out. I did not expect the job market to be just as hard as securing postdoc funding, but here we are - in one week, I will be #funemployed!
When I started my last project in the lab, I had an idea to collect all my qPCR plates to see how many I ran. This photo is the outcome of that idea (it's 31 plates for those counting)
Potential replacement for the beloved Twitter algorithm? (RIP)
Bastian Becker@beckerbastian.bsky.social · 5mo agoAlso finding it hard to keep up with new research? I built something to fix this. SciLove — swipe through recent papers in your field. The feed learns from your saves. Also matches you with researchers saving your work back (opt-out if you prefer). www.scilove.app 3,000+ journals, updated daily
Submission of Abstracts ends in 2 weeks!🌱 Time is running out to join the conversation at SeedCon 2026 Submit your abstract by the deadline to be part of the program! May 5-7, 2026 | ATB Potsdam, Germany Details: seedcon.org #SeedCon2026 #PlantScience #Microbiology #Botany
Hey so what does it mean that my houseplant is growing a mushroom family? 🌱🍄
Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor position in Molecular Microbiology available at Lund University, Sweden: lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Molecular Microbiology
The Department of Biology conducts research and teaching in many subject areas such as ecology, evolutionary biology, organismal biology and molecular biology. A total of approximately 300 people curr
lu.varbi.com
Starting to clean out the desk. After almost 6 years at PLEN, it feels weird to start to say goodbye…
We love a SynCom when they reliably mimic natural microbiomes. New work from @fredebak.bsky.social shows that our SynCom mimics the temporal dynamics of field-grown wheat - but only for the cultivar from which the SynCom was built. Check out the details! academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...
Synthetic bacterial community colonizes wheat roots grown in soil and mimics the assembly pattern of a field community in a cultivar dependent manner
Abstract. The root microbiome is important for plant development. The impact of the root microbiome is the result of multiple complex interactions among mi
academic.oup.com
How do scientists effectively communicate their work beyond the lab? Join us for Careers in Conversation: Communicating Science for Impact, a virtual panel featuring professionals who build careers around translating complex science for diverse audiences. Register Here: lnkd.in/gwxC-ujJ
Honestly, same. I'm eight months post-PhD and I feel more lost than ever - like I don't have a professional identity anymore and I have no idea who I am. Who has some good advice for Mae and me?
Mae Mercado@maemercado.bsky.social · 5mo agoProbably a reach here but I'm looking for someone (early career maybe) who would be willing to mentor me as I navigate the post-PhD life. I feel lost on a lot of things and would be grateful to bounce ideas and experiences with someone who's been through a couple of years post-PhD. 😭
We’re recruiting new Research Group Leaders! Why join? 🌍Work across EMBL’s 6 sites 🎓Participate in @embl.org courses and seminars 🔬Lead discovery-driven research in a collaborative environment Apply by 11 April: embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j... #ResearchCareers @epetsalaki.bsky.social
I highly recommend this conference!
@cemist.bsky.social · 6mo agoMSMM26 ‼️Call for abstracts is now open — deadline: March 1st‼️ Join us 7–9 June 2026 for the 4th International Conference on Microbial Secondary Metabolites in Microbiomes Check out the program and the confirmed speakers on the conference website: www.conferencemanager.dk/microbialsec...
I'll be joining the panel discussion on social media - my favorite thing I was involved with during my PhD. Come join in the talks!
Mike Young@mkeyoung.bsky.social · 6mo agoBook launch of #SocialMediaforResearchImpact. Please tell your colleagues if you are in Copenhagen! 📅 19 February 2026, 15:00–17:00 📍 Munkekælderen, Frue Plads 4 (University of Copenhagen #UCPH) 🖊️ Registration link is here: forms.gle/2ePTNbCf6d17... Everyone is welcome! @bogers.bsky.social
Question in manuscript writing: reporting statistics in the results section. If the results are presented by referencing the figure, and the stats are clearly presented on the figure and described in the figure legend, do you prefer to also have the stats described in the written results?
I'll be joining the panel discussion on social media - my favorite thing I was involved with during my PhD. Come join in the talks!
Mike Young@mkeyoung.bsky.social · 6mo agoBook launch of #SocialMediaforResearchImpact. Please tell your colleagues if you are in Copenhagen! 📅 19 February 2026, 15:00–17:00 📍 Munkekælderen, Frue Plads 4 (University of Copenhagen #UCPH) 🖊️ Registration link is here: forms.gle/2ePTNbCf6d17... Everyone is welcome! @bogers.bsky.social
We are hiring for group leaders again — EBI is a great place to start your research group! embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/EMBL/job/Hin...
Research Group Leader
Do you want to lead groundbreaking research in computational biology? Join us at EMBL-EBI! EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is seeking talented and highly-motivated scientists to jo...
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com
If you have been dreaming of moving to France as an ECR looking to build a long-term research career, now is your chance: @inrae-france.bsky.social yearly hiring for permanent research scientist positions is open: deadline March 5! jobs.inrae.fr/en/open-comp...
Open competitions for research scientists - on job profiles (CRCN)
Each year, INRAE organises open competitions to recruit research scientists on permanent positions. The recruitment campaign is generally aimed at researchers who have recently obtained their PhD. Candidates are recruited on the basis of their scientific competence which they will put to the service of INRAE's major research axes by responding to a research topic. Candidates must have published articles on the results of their PhD.Would you like to take part in public research and participate in projects which are vital for society such as adapting to climate change, food security, human health and preserving natural resources? Then join our research teams by sending in your application to our open competitions for research scientists.Schedule for the 2026 recruitment campaign- Opening date for applications: January 27, 2026- Deadline for applications: March 5, 2026- Pre-selections (on scientific file): from April 13 to 30, 2026- Final selections (interview): from June 1 to 14, 2026- Starting date for appointments: from September 1, 2026
jobs.inrae.fr
Much needed advancement in long-read sequencing analysis 👇 can't wait to try it out!
Jim Shaw@jimshaw.bsky.social · 6mo agoAnnouncing a new tool for "denoising" long-read amplicon sequences: savont. Savont enables amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) directly from nanopore (or HiFi) long reads. Tested on 16S nanopore amplicons -- seems to work okay. 1/4 github.com/bluenote-157...
Join us in Norwich this July for the TSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions! ☀️🌱🧬 Discuss the latest approaches & discoveries in plant health with international and local speakers. ⏰ APPLY by 30 March '26 New keynote speakers ⬇️
TSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions, 20th – 31st July…
Inviting Early Career Researchers to join international experts in discussing the latest approaches and discoveries in Plant-Microbe Interactions …
tsl.ac.uk