Still on a science high after an incredible Microbial Population GRS/GRC. Honored to have been able to talk about my work. Grateful for all the amazing feedback, ideas, and inspiring conversations—especially from the brilliant scientists whose papers I’ve long admired. Can’t wait for the next one!

Mike Blazanin@mikeblazanin.bsky.social · last yr.

Looking forward to seeing everyone, new and old, at the Microbial Population Biology GRS + GRC in just a couple days! go.bsky.app/GGxRjzC

Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines? Jevin West (@jevinwest.bsky.social) and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take. thebullshitmachines.com

INTRODUCTION

thebullshitmachines.com

The National Science foundation has just updated their FAQ to say they are complying with the court order and has restored access to funds and the ACM$ platform new.nsf.gov/executive-or...

It's all gone. They've taken down all the CDC datasets from data.cdc.gov Data that's critical for public health & research. Data paid for by citizens. That the government now censors. "Do not fear those who tell the truth. Fear those who try to hide it. They are willing to sacrifice other things."

Dr Emma Hodcroft@firefoxx66.bsky.social · 2y ago

I've seen multiple posts about this. If you know of any efforts to archive datasets/articles on CDC website, please let me know, so I can boost, and support with donations if possible. #stopTheScrub #saveCDCData #IstandWithPublicHealth

Maybe this will help NSF PRFB fellows like me who are not getting paid 🧪

@kinesinmotors.bsky.social · 2y ago

NEW Restraining Order Issued Against Funding Freeze 🧪 NPR.org "For now, the order blocks any suspension of federal dollars to the 22 states that were party to the suit — as well as the District of Columbia."

As a PRFB fellow myself, I can independently confirm this is true! I will not be receiving a paycheck in February and it is unclear the next time I will be paid. No communication from NSF either on how they will determine grants are in ‘compliance’ to deem which funding will be resumed.

Julia Van Etten@couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 2y ago

To update people on the NSF PRFB situation: despite the court challenge and rescinding the original memo, the NSF has continued to comply with the executive order. They have not communicated with us at all and our paychecks are still canceled indefinitely. I know people who cannot pay their rent.

Check out this amazing Spotlight on our recently published paper -> www.cell.com/trends/micro... Huge thanks to @oliviakosterlitz.bsky.social, Benjamin Kerr and Elisabeth Duan for this great spolight.

Agents of change: a partnership between mobile genetic elements facilitates rapid bacterial adaptation

While the evolutionary interests of mobile genetic elements may differ from those of their bacterial hosts, these elements can be beneficial for their hosts by delivering, disrupting, or activating ge...

cell.com

Alfonso Santos Lopez@asantoslopez.bsky.social · 2y ago

If you like plasmids, insertion sequences, and bacterial evolution, you'll like this one! Now published in its fancy journal format. Thanks to everyone involved in the project, especially Jorge Sastre-Dominguez, @sanmillan.bsky.social and the fundación "la Caixa". nature.com/articles/s41...

Agents of change: a partnership between mobile genetic elements facilitates rapid bacterial adaptation #TrendsMicrobiol Spotlight by Elizabeth Duan, @oliviakosterlitz.bsky.social and Benjamin Kerr on the Nat Eco Evo paper from @sanmillan.bsky.social group www.cell.com/trends/micro...

Agents of change: a partnership between mobile genetic elements facilitates rapid bacterial adaptation

While the evolutionary interests of mobile genetic elements may differ from those of their bacterial hosts, these elements can be beneficial for their hosts by delivering, disrupting, or activating ge...

cell.com

And its out! New paper for #integron aficionados. We found gene-less cassettes in superintegrons that express/silence other cassettes in the array. Here is a 🧵(if I know how to do this in Bluesky...😆) academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...

Identification of promoter activity in gene-less cassettes from Vibrionaceae superintegrons

Abstract. Integrons are genetic platforms that acquire new genes encoded in integron cassettes (ICs), building arrays of adaptive functions. ICs generally encod

academic.oup.com

Latest paper. We show that evolution repeats itself in predictable ways. This directly addresses the assertion by Stephen Jay Gould that evolution is not predictable. The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes/no. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

🚨The evolution of forecasting for decision-making in dynamic environments🚨 We explore a middle ground between rational economic and myopic evolutionary theories, when decisions feedback on environmental states. By A Tilman @erolakcay.bsky.social @VVLVasconcelos doi.org/10.1177/2633...

Can we predict AMR evolution?? We sure can try! New study published today in PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

This is a super cool piece of work - Olivia Kosterlitz & Benjamin Kerr et al Evolutionary “Crowdsourcing”: Alignment of Fitness Landscapes Allows for Cross-species Adaptation of a Horizontally Transferred Gene academic.oup.com/mbe/article/... #MicroSky #EvoSky

Evolutionary “Crowdsourcing”: Alignment of Fitness Landscapes Allows for Cross-species Adaptatio...

Abstract. Genes that undergo horizontal gene transfer (HGT) evolve in different genomic backgrounds. Despite the ubiquity of cross-species HGT, the effects of s

academic.oup.com