My visit to Berkeley last week to give a talk about the lab’s research for the MCB seminar series was AWESOME! Many stimulating conversations about science, mentoring, lab culture and community outreach. The icing on the cake was meeting @ongkaty.bsky.social. I love her pins, stickers, and patches!

I've emerged from my faculty job app cocoon to open up the Etsy shop for a bit. Come grab some #Drosophila swag and support @flybase.bsky.social ! All proceeds are donated, here's the belated donation from December's sales.

Tomorrow (the 16th) is last day I'll be taking orders in the Etsy shop. All proceeds go to support @flybase.bsky.social . Last chance to fill your stockings with pins, patches and stickers of your fave model organism! www.etsy.com/shop/Picosti...

I've had a bit of a hiatus due to faculty job apps, but the Etsy shop is open again and ready for your holiday orders! All proceeds go to @flybase.bsky.social , and I just sent the August/September revenue donation. So grab some #drosophila stocking stuffers =>

@bilderlab.bsky.social Karaoke night. Please clap for my charcuterie board.

I've donated the May-July revenue from Picostitch Threads to @flybase.bsky.social . Thank you to everyone to patronized the shop! I'll continue donating the proceeds monthly until at least the end of the year, so keep stocking up on those fly pins!

Impromptu grape tasting at the @bilderlab.bsky.social -- the winner was the Flame red seedless

All proceeds from my #sciart Etsy shop will now be donated to @flybase.bsky.social . Due to fed cuts, this beloved resource that I use daily has lost it's funding, and I'm helping in my small way. Now's a good time stock up on #STEM & #drosophila gifts & swag! www.etsy.com/shop/Picosti...

Join me at Berkeley Free America 4th of July action.womensmarch.com/events/berke...

Berkeley Free America 4th of July

CELEBRATE FREEDOM. IGNITE YOUR REBELLION Independence Day is about the fight for freedom. The American Revolution was a stand against tyranny and kings. That same spirit has lived on—from the Boston T...

action.womensmarch.com

The view from the bench is a little different right now.

A grassroots movement is calling on all Americans to abstain from shopping with major retailers tomorrow, February 28, as part of an “economic blackout.” I encourage you to join. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/boycott

TOMORROW- Friday, February 28th is BLACKOUT FRIDAY! If you believe we are in danger of losing our Democracy forever, FIGHT BACK! Let's make our voices heard in numbers too big to ignore. JOIN US if you've had it with Comrade Krasnov. 🤬 🇷🇺 #24HourEconomicBlackout

Citrus tasting at the annual @bilderlab.bsky.social Lunar New Year Party 🍊

Dear All, I believe that this thread will become one of my most important contributions to the fly field (I hope I will make other contributions)! Here, I introduce the Soy Milk Machine Fly Food Method, a.k.a., DeepCook!#Drosophila#NewPI

This is the most relevant article to NIH and research cuts I’ve seen. Imagine if this was today , how many people would be saying “Why are we studying Gila Monsters and their impact on diabetes ? That’s wasted money !” globalnews.ca/news/9793403...

How a Canadian scientist and a venomous lizard helped pave the way for Ozempic - National | Globalnews.ca

In 1984, Dr. Daniel Drucker, an endocrinologist from the University of Toronto, discovered a hormone that helped pave the way for popular diabetes drugs such as Ozempic.

globalnews.ca

Fly Eagles Fly -- crush those KC bootlickers

NIH has cut billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately The move halts a large slice of money for most universities and research institutions virtually overnight, imperiling vital research in everything from cancer to heart disease. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately

The move halts a large slice of money for most universities and research institutions virtually overnight, imperiling vital research in everything from cancer to heart disease.

washingtonpost.com

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...