Gabe Starrett
@starrett.bsky.social
Principal investigator studying virus-associated cancers with a focus on virus-induced mutations and structural variants | Opinions are my own
If anyone is looking for a lab technician/manager with nucleic acid isolation, library prep, and sequencing analysis experience preferably in the DMV, my former biologist is looking for a job. She was unfortunately terminated in Feb as part of the probationary employee firings. DM me for her info
A massive loss to the virology community. Ann was an amazing scientist and mentor, whose service to UW and the virology community in general will be sorely missed. www.cressfuneralservice.com/obituaries/a...
Ann Carol Palmenberg, Ph.D Obituary February 20, 2025 - Cress Funeral and Cremation Services
View Ann Carol Palmenberg, Ph.D's obituary, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.
cressfuneralservice.com
Yes, they can hallucinate papers that don't exist, discuss results that seem to be imaginary, and can be confusing and inconsistent. But talking to tenured professors may still be helpful
They can all be downloaded from here: cvr-engagement.co.uk/virus-snowfl..., except for...
Virus Snowflakes — CVR Engagement
cvr-engagement.co.uk
"But evolution has no finish line. There is no end goal, no final state. Organisms evolve by natural selection acting at a specific geologic moment, or..." This is a great quote - especially for those of us trained in evolutionary biology. From Jacob Suissa, phys.org/news/2024-12... 🧪 #EvoSky
The evolution of reproductive leaf dimorphism in two globally distributed fern families is neither stepwise nor irreversible, unless further specialization evolves
Abstract. A contemporary interpretation of Dollo’s Law states that the evolution of a specialized structure is irreversible. Among land plants, reproductiv
academic.oup.com
Who would have thought that #dolphins (short-finned pilot whale, killer whale, false killer whale and pantropical spotted dolphin) host #anelloviruses with the most complex, extravagantly large capsid proteins? Collab. with the Varsani (@viralnomad.bsky.social) team journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
This is exhausting and a waste of time and money. The vaccine/autism connection has been tested & found lacking, whether for MMR, thimerosal, aluminum, "too many too soon" & more. This just further stigmatizes autism & casts doubt on vaccines (which is the point).
Trump says RFK Jr. will investigate the discredited link between vaccines and autism: ‘Somebody has to find out’
Researchers attribute a rise in autism diagnoses to increased screening and changing definitions of the condition. Hundreds of studies have found childhood vaccines to be safe.
nbcnews.com
3/n which lurk in dark corners and stalk us in the bodies of rats, mice and all kinds of domestic animals; which fly and crawl with the insects, and waylay us in our food and drink and even in our love." -Hans Zinsser, `Rats, Lice and History' (1934) [courtesy Alison Jacobson, 1984]
2/n ...About the only sporting proposition that remains unimpaired by the relentless domestication of a once free-living human species is the war against those ferocious little fellow creatures,
An apt quote for these times: "Infectious disease is one of the few genuine adventures left in the world. The dragons are all dead and the lance grows rusty in the chimney corner... 1/n
Sad that my grad school Google workspace account will be deactivated in two days. Glad that I managed to back up all 500GB of data on there despite not being allowed to use takeout or any other tool to do so.
Happy thanksgiving! As is my holiday tradition, I made too much food for two adults and a baby: • Roast chicken • Penne with ground turkey marinara • Mashed potatoes and gravy • Green bean casserole • Pan fried yellow squash • Fresh cranberry sauce • Pumpkin cheesecake I need to lie down.
Cervical cancer mortality in US women younger than 25 years significantly declined between 2016 and 2021, likely due to the widespread adoption of HPV vaccination. ja.ma/4i9ghPC
Does anyone have any good pick-me-up feed recommendations (cute animals or the like)? My dog is getting chemotherapy today and I need some light hearted distraction.
Biowulf is such an invaluable resource to my lab's and so many other IRP labs' work. Happy birthday and cheers to many more years and CPU hours!
Andy Baxevanis@baxevanislab.bsky.social · 2y agoBiowulf, the largest supercomputer solely dedicated to biomedical computing in the world, celebrates its 25! It's advanced myriad basic and clinical research projects over the years (like the T2T Consortium), enabling IRP research projects that can't easily be done elsewhere. Huzzah! tiny.cc/6zqwzz
Excited for my first bluesky post announcing TWO openings for tenure track positions in virology! I am chair of the search committee and with a new department head Mike Gale we are in an exciting building phase. Please share with anyone who might be interested: hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/365...
hr.myu.umn.edu
I had a very nice (although brief) time at #AMP2024 in Vancouver. Now the long trek back to the East Coast.
300,000 women die from cervical cancer every year. But this is a cancer we can effectively eliminate with the HPV vaccine. This is something very few people know about. Article from my colleague @scientificdiscovery.dev: ourworldindata.org/hpv-vaccinat...
Like ‘old Twitter’: The scientific community finds a new home on Bluesky another incredible piece of news! www.science.org/content/arti...
Like ‘old Twitter’: The scientific community finds a new home on Bluesky
After recent changes to Elon Musk’s X, a gradual migration turns into a stampede
science.org
I've been awake since 3:30 am. Espresso has never tasted so good.
Can I join the editorial board?
Current Biology@currentbiology.bsky.social · 2y agoYou asked for it...
I wasn't warned that becoming a father as a PI would also come with constantly oscillating between guilt of not doing enough for my child and not doing enough for my lab. #AcademicSky #SciSky
Starting the long trek to Vancouver for #AMP2024! Looking forward to talking about virus integration tomorrow
HPV vaccine doesn’t “just” prevent cancer. It also prevents precancerous lesions and other conditions like recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. In addition, the HPV vaccine also saves the United States $9 billion per YEAR in direct medical costs. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti....
Updated estimate of the annual direct medical cost of screening and treatment for human papillomavirus associated disease in the United States
The annual direct medical cost attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV) in the United States over the period 2004–2007 was estimated at $9.36 billio…
sciencedirect.com
My wife tested positive for COVID for the FIRST time today. A feat made even more incredible since she rode the metro daily during the early pandemic, did weekly testing (if not more frequent), and works as a physical therapist. She feels crummy but hopefully will be over it quickly.
Great to see so much activity from the science community here! Now feels like a good time to (re)introduce myself. I am an investigator at the National Cancer Institute. I mostly study how polyomaviruses can cause cancer through integration and somatic mutagenesis. I dabble with virus discovery.
Not a new story, but as important as ever to get out there. NIH research not only supports better health but the economy. We know this, but need others to know it also.
Report: Every dollar of NIH research funding doubles in economic returns
Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) generated $2.46 in economic activity for every $1 of funding in 2023, a total of $92.9 billion, according to an
fiercebiotech.com
