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@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)

@kaytrue.bsky.social

Scientist at UW-Seattle. Excited about membrane biophysics and increasing access to STEM. Opinions my own.

299 Posts744 Follower 59 Folgt

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 3h ago

If you know Jimothy fans who are not excited about other urban wildlife yet, this First Guide might be a nice opportunity to help them learn about fauna (and some flora) in our neighborhoods. Our household's copy is well-thumbed. Easy reading

A photograph of the book "Urban Wildlife" by Susan B. Landry. This book is in the series of Peterson First Guides. On the cover is a drawing of a hunched raccoon reaching toward a sardine can... could the raccoon be Jimothy?

Mark Peifer (He, him)@peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 3d ago

Collette is right on target: Fight back and we can win. Write your Senator now to make sure its included in the final bill

Colette Delawalla, PhD@cdelawalla.bsky.social · 3d ago

THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE POWER ACCOMPLISHES! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who wrote comments, contacted Congress, and yelled! This is OUR WIN! @standupforscience.net www.politico.com/news/2026/08...

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 7d ago

See you in the Netherlands in October!

Naomi Chrispijn-Steenbeek@naomichrispijn.bsky.social · last wk.

Sign up for NWO Biophysics 2026! Make sure to register in time for the annual Dutch conference on physics of life. 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝟯 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁 📢 Register 🪧Submit an abstract for a poster presentation 📍 NH Koningshof, Veldhoven 📆 5, 6 Oct ✉️ nwobiophysics.nl/registration...

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last wk.

Want to do public art at scale? @uwchemistry.bsky.social & @artswa.bsky.social have a Call/RFQ for artists for the new Chemistry Science Building. The deadline is in 2 days: 4pm Thurs, July 30! Only a short application & statement of interest is due right now. See: www.arts.wa.gov/wp-content/u...

arts.wa.gov

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last wk.

The 2026 Frontiers in Biophysics was lovely. On Friday, I rented a UW van and drove 6 students to Canada & back. For local scientists, FiB is a low-cost way to help students network, especially since many international scientists won't (or can't) attend US conferences now. See you at FiB next year?

Photo of two scientists (Nancy Forde and Sarah Keller) in front of a projected slide that says "Frontiers in Biophysics 2026, 24 July 2026, SFU Harbour Centre". Each scientist has one arm out, and one arm around the other one's shoulders. They are smiling. By the way, have you seen Nancy's awesome research on collagen?!... she is so cool! If you would like to be on the FiB mailing list, reach out to her

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 2w ago

Hey, @dalcantonjd.bsky.social! Consider yourself formally invited

Photo of a telephone pole in Seattle with a flyer for a "Jimothy Rave" at the Nectar Lounge. There will apparently be a winning combination of DJs, dancing, racooncore, go-go dancers, and life-sized Jimothys. Some of the funds from ticket sales will go to the PAWS Wildlife Center. Hey, why not go? What else are you doing Sunday afternoon?

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 2w ago

Facing federal science budget cuts, biologist Daniel Blumstein resorted to uploading marmot videos to OnlyFans to raise funds for his marmot research. However, when he uploaded his driver’s license for verification, OnlyFans informed him that his appearance didn’t match the marmots in the videos.

‘OnlyMarms’: Marmots Are on OnlyFans to Raise Money for Research (Gift Article)

A team of scientists uploaded videos of the squirrel-like rodents in the wild on the adult-content site OnlyFans to raise money amid government budget cuts.

nytimes.com

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 3w ago

Done. Thanks for your link to the letter that made my calls so easy, Subodh. It was 5 minutes, tops.

The Chandra Law Firm LLC@chandralaw.bsky.social · 4w ago

Managing partner Subodh Chandra joined more than 1,200 former DOJ/FBI employees in opposing the unrepentantly corrupt Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as Attorney General. Call your senators (202) 224-3121) & demand they oppose Blanche’s nomination. www.thejusticeconnection.org/wp-content/u...

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 3w ago

Today is the deadline! 11:59pm Eastern US, 8:59pm Pacific! It's EASY to submit your comments to the Federal Register to oppose terrible OMB rules making funding of US scientific & medical research subject to the whims of political appointees: funds for life-saving cures and new technologies will end

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last mo.

Hey, Friends! We've got 3 weeks to submit comments to the Federal Register opposing horrible OMB rules allowing political appointees to terminate US scientific & medical research. Resources in this thread make it EASY to write your letter. I also drafted letters for busy friends & family to submit 🧵

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 3w ago

Hi Markus! If you have not seen the art of @rosemarymosco.com yet, I am so thrilled to introduce you to it! rosemarymosco.com/comics/bird-...

Know your Northern Cardinals — Rosemary Mosco

Get to know a beautiful and beloved local North American bird, the Northern Cardinal, and its many, varied, and sometimes disturbing plumages.

rosemarymosco.com

Markus Deserno@markusdeserno.bsky.social · 3w ago

Closeup.

Alex Merz 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇦@merz.bsky.social · 3w ago

Most of my letter:

Maureen Barr@barrlab.bsky.social · 4w ago

Posted my comments opposing OMBs proposed rule. It was so easy, using this great letter writing tool of @faseborg.bsky.social www.faseb.org/science-poli... Did you submit yours yet? The deadline is soon - July 13. This is essential to save science and research in the US.

I write in my personal capacity as a research-active faculty member, not on behalf of my institution. I am a distinguished professor at a leading state R1 university. I am also a Senior Principal Investigator whose research laboratory is NIH. I submit these comments in strong opposition to OMB's proposed rule revising 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (Docket OMB-2026-0034). I am requesting that OMB withdraw this rule entirely because of the devasting consequences it will have on biomedical research, human health, the economy, and the nation.

The proposed pre-issuance review requirement (§ 200.205) eliminates that independence by giving political appointees – who may have no experience or training in the biomedical research field - veto power over peer-reviewed funding decisions. As a Senior PI / Lab director whose research is supported by NIH, I am deeply concerned that the best science will not be funded, instead politicians will decide not based on merit and research quality, but rather ideology. Peer-review is critical for gold-standard science.

This proposed discretionary termination provision (§ 200.340) jeopardizes the future and well-being of the researchers in my laboratory, my department, my university, my state, and the United States. My research program has been continuously funded by the NIH for over two decades. My laboratory is like a small business – with NIH funding, I employ eight full-time personnel. These scientists are at all stages of their careers – newly minted bachelors who are working as research technicians or graduate students; postdoctoral researchers who are completing additional training in order to go onto careers in academia, biotech, industry, governments; senior scientists who have devoted their entire careers to biomedical research and training the next generation of scientists, physicians, dentists, teachers, etc.

The proposed international collaboration restrictions (§§ 200.202(e), 200.220) will isolate US scientists and lead to the demise…

Mark Peifer (He, him)@peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 4w ago

Here is the comment I posted commenting on the OMB Rules about federal funding. My is jut an example: It's key to personalize it and this tool from @faseborg.bsky.social helps one do so. Do it NOW--the future of American science is at stake www.faseb.org/science-poli...

I am a Professor of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill and have run an NIH-funded research lab there for 33 years. The rule changes proposed by OMB would negatively affect our work and that of my colleagues in multiple ways and weaken American science at a time when international competition is accelerating.
I am especially concerned about section §200.205 which would require that a senior political appointee personally review and approve every discretionary grant, with authority to override peer review. I have reviewed grants for both NIH and NSF. The peer review system developed here is the envy of my colleagues around the world. Experts in the field assess the significance of the work, and its likely impact, and this is then used to rank grants for funding. It has made America the leader in biomedical research. Replacing this with review by political appointees without expertise in the areas of study will reduce the impact of the grants funded. I also am concerned that the sheer number of grants will overwhelm the ability of the relatively small number of political appointees’ ability to review all of the proposals, thus reducing grant funding.
The impact of this new policy will be amplified by section §200.340 , which would allow grant termination in the middle of a funding cycle simply due to a decision, likely made by a political appointee, that the agencies priorities have changed. We hire personnel, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and technicians, based on the awarded grant funding. Allowing immediate termination where there was no noncompliance will leave people in our labs subject to immediate job loss, without the time to plan for a transition. This will further discourage young people for entering this important enterprise at a time when the need for and benefits of science have never been greater.

I am also concerned about Section §200.454, which would make Journal subscriptions unallowable. This will have a significant negative impact on lab alumni who are faculty members at some of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, where the institution cannot maintain subscriptions to all needed journals. These small labs train the future generation of scientists. Without access to key journal publications, their work will be less impactful.

Section §200.461 would prohibit use of grant funds for publication costs without prior approval. Our lab publishes two or more research papers a year. I understand the concern over rising APCs at some for-profit journals, but a blanket prohibition will slow our rate of publication at a time when international competitors do not need to do so, reducing the competitiveness of American science.
Section §200.220 puts very severe regulations on foreign collaborations. Our group has had or currently has international collaborators in Canada, Germany, France, Israel and the Netherlands. These have allowed us to take advantage of approaches and technologies in our collaborators’ labs and have led to important discoveries regarding signaling pathways important in cancer and the mechanisms cancer cells use to leave tumors and metastasize. All are currently reviewed internally for any security concerns. Removing or substantially hindering our ability to collaborate will reduce the impact of our work.
Under section §200.202, programs proposed by funding agencies much must align with administration priorities. Once again, this sort of top-down management by political appointees who are not well versed in the relevant science is likely to lead to decisions that are less well founded than if programs are designed by experts in each field. It will also lead to uncertainty, as new Administrations with new priorities take office. When we write a grant to NIH, we already need to provide strong scientific justification of the significance of…

UW Chemistry @uwchemistry.bsky.social · 4w ago

We're looking for alumni stories to feature in this year's Chemistry Magazine. Have a big life update? A new pet? A new job? OR tell us about your formative undergraduate research experience. Please fill out the form below! We're very excited to read your stories!! chem.washington.edu/alumni-update

Alumni Update | Department of Chemistry | University of Washington

chem.washington.edu

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 4w ago

p.s. ANYBODY can submit a comment! You do NOT have to be a scientist or a medical professional. You do not have to be a US citizen. You can submit anonymously. If you or your loved ones benefit from scientific discoveries and medical advances in the US, your voice is especially important ♥️🔬

Karen Fleming@karenfleming.bsky.social · 4w ago

If you enjoyed my video yesterday more than you enjoyed the USA soccer game last night (Congrats to Belgium!), you should check out my @biophysicalsoc.bsky.social blog post that tells you how to submit comments opposing the OMB rule proposal: www.biophysics.org/blog/what-is...

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 4w ago

Hey, All! We've got less than a week (July 13) to submit comments to the Federal Register opposing horrible OMB rules allowing political appointees to terminate US scientific & medical research. This BPS link and my earlier links make it EASY to write your letter. I submitted mine! Let's do this!

Karen Fleming@karenfleming.bsky.social · 4w ago

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 4w ago

Early rush hour on the pike path to get home in time for the match

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last mo.

Here's an amazingly inexpensive way to support science education. Every bubble marks where a scientist visited a K-12 classroom last year. It costs only $10 per bubble to make it happen again this year. This program has international reach too. Did I mention this event is a competition?! Let's GO!!

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D.@sarahmackattack.bsky.social · last mo.

Update #2! We're rapidly approaching 20% of all bubbles filled. Seven states remain completely untouched: Indiana Delaware West Virginia Louisiana South Carolina Virginia Hawaii (but let's give Hawaii a break, it's not even 7am yet out there) Let's fill this map! givebutter.com/USS2026

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last mo.

The weeping willows are my favorite

Photo of a cluster of fireworks against a black night sky and city lights of Seattle, with silhouettes of trees in the foreground. The trajectories of the lights of the fireworks bend downward, in an effect reminiscent of the bent branches of a weeping willow tree.

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last mo.

When American scientists want to leave the US, their partners, who are often highly technically trained, go as well. This NPR story highlights a scientist who moved from the US to the UK, which was also "a place where her partner, an aerospace engineer, could find a job" www.npr.org/2026/06/30/n...

After Trump's reelection, these U.S. scientists found jobs in the U.K.

More U.S. scientists are heading abroad. Three researchers explain why they decided to shift their research to universities in the U.K.

npr.org

Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · last mo.

My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com

Title: "In shops now: Classic literature with added mathematics!"

Image: Four book covers.

The Prime Number of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark.
Empire of the Sum, by JG Ballard.
Wuthering Heights × lengths × widths, by Emily Bronte.
The Remains Of the Data by Kazuo Ishiguro.

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last mo.

"It may be that we can tell somebody, yeah, there is going to be a cure ... but you may have to go to Shanghai to get it." -- David Corey, professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School www.npr.org/2026/03/02/n...

How the U.S. is losing ground to China in university research

Two researchers — one in Massachusetts and one in Shanghai — hoped for the same breakthrough: a gene therapy for deaf children. New Chinese investment in science propelled the one who got there first.

npr.org

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last mo.

This year's Fremont Solstice Parade in Seattle featured a most excellent catbus

Photo of a parade float in the shape of the catbus from My Neighbor Totoro. The cat has yellow eyes, a red nose, a huge smile, and lots of brown fur made out of cardboard. The float is the size of a truck, but it is not motorized –– it must be hand-pushed.

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · last mo.

Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · last mo.

📣 Hear! Hear! 🦋 Behold this Bluetorial on a cool paper written with my PhD student Nathaniel Wesnak 🧪 If you want to dive into the rabbit hole of lipid flop-flop and its description as a stochastic process—here’s your TEASER TRAILER on some flippin’ awesome work: doi.org/10.1063/5.03... 1/26

Stochastic process description of lipid flip-flop

Since lipid bilayers are self-assembled macroscopic aggregates, their constituent lipid molecules can spontaneously transition between the two leaflets. This so

doi.org

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 2mo ago

GOOD NEWS! The Queen Anne Helpline (www.queenannehelpline.org) is now listed in the Washington State Combined Fund Drive (give.wa.gov/search). If you are a state employee in WA, you can now donate directly to the Helpline through payroll deduction. So easy to help our neighbors!

HOME | Queen Anne Helpline

Preventing homelessness and building community in Queen Anne, Magnolia, and South Lake Union

queenannehelpline.org

Joe Veyera@joeveyera.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Bluesky, in just over a month, I'm getting married! The day before, I'll be taking part in the Run for Home 5K to benefit the Queen Anne Helpline. As a volunteer, I've seen firsthand the valuable work they do to keep our neighbors housed and clothed, and I would deeply appreciate your support!

Karen Fleming @karenfleming.bsky.social · 2mo ago

It is super important for the recent OMB rule proposal to garner a #BigBeautifulResponse and receive lots of comments in opposition to the proposed changes. The Feds want to implement this October 1! Yikes! Join the @biophysicalsoc.bsky.social Webinar on Monday to learn more.

Biophysical Society@biophysicalsoc.bsky.social · 2mo ago

BPS Townhall Meeting - OMB Proposed Rule on Federal Financial Assistance Monday, June 22, 2026 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Eastern Standard Time Register now! buff.ly/mipiNLQ

@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)@kaytrue.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This looks awesome. Although I can't do it this year, I'd love to contribute in this way sometime in the future.

Rebecca Bratspies, Author@rbratspies.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Want to do something special to commemorate this 250 anniversary year? Help @nycrecords.bsky.social preserve the full story of our American history! Extra points for signing up on Juneteenth. Hope to see you there! Sign up link in first comment

Karen Fleming @karenfleming.bsky.social · 2mo ago

2/8 Putting political appointees in charge of science funding decisions is one of the proposals of the new OMB rule proposal that dropped at the end of May. So scary. We have until 13 July to provide comments to this new rule. @biophysicalsoc.bsky.social

Biophysical Society @biophysicalsoc.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Biophysical Society Condemns OMB Proposed Rule to Politicize Science buff.ly/BKzq85y

Mark Peifer (He, him)@peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This is probably the most important action alert ever sent out by the @ascbiology.bsky.social. The new OMB regulations will have a devastating impact on Federal funding, essentially removing peer review. All scientists and all who value American science need to read this and post a comment to OMB 🧪

American Society for Cell Biology@ascbiology.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Scientists: Your voice is needed. New federal regulations could reshape research funding, publishing, and collaboration. Comments close July 13. https://www.ascb.org/science-policy/proposed-regulations-would-fundamentally-change-american-science/