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Irene Newton

@chicascientifica.bsky.social
2K followers 34 following 29 posts

Professor at Indiana University, Department of Biology. Interested in all things microbial symbiosis related & these days, a lot of MGEs

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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Extremely proud of my student Will Hamilton and the work we've done to characterize Wolbachia ankyrin repeat proteins. TLDR: they do interact with specific Drosophila proteins! journals.asm.org/eprint/KXVNI...
journals.asm.org
Wolbachia uses ankyrin repeats to target specific fly proteins | mBio
Molecular interactions drive co-evolutionary arms races between hosts and pathogens. These interactions shape the structure and function of both host and parasite proteins, enabling immunity or virule...
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Excited to share our new call for papers at @asm.org's MRA journal. Do you have a database, software, or web-based tool that would be a great resource for the micro community? Consider submitting it to MRA! journals.asm.org/journal/mra/...
journals.asm.org
Microbial Databases, Software Tools, and Web Services
Publish your microbial database or software tool in MRA to gain recognition, citations, and community trust.
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Anyone know how to view the recorded talks from ASMicrobe2025?
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
#ASMicrobe in LA was just what I needed - I leave feeling energized and excited about the future of microbial sciences - see you in DC next year!
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
New collaborative work from our group and friends in our NSF Biology Integration Institute,Evolutionary trends in Bombella apis CRISPR-Cas systems journals.asm.org/eprint/DXFSP...
journals.asm.org
Evolutionary trends in Bombella apis CRISPR-Cas systems | mSystems
Honey bee worker gut microbes have been implicated in everything from protection from pathogens to breakdown of complex polysaccharides in the diet. However, there are multiple niches within a honey bee colony that host different groups of microbes, ...
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Hello science fam! We have had a last-minute cancellation for our GRC on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics and are looking for someone who studies EEG in the context of microbes who would be available to come to beautiful Tuscany in July! Message me!
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
So excited to present work from my lab on characterizing which host proteins are targetted by Wolbachia wMel ankyrin repeats - (1/3) www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Wolbachia uses ankyrin repeats to target specific fly proteins
Arthropods, the most diverse phylum on Earth, are hosts to a plethora of bacterial parasites that secrete various toxins of unknown function during infection. The most prevalent of these is the intrac...
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Michael Baym @baym.lol · 14/05/2025
Yesterday, the NIH R35 “Outstanding Investigator” grant to fund scientists in my lab studying antibiotic resistance was terminated for reasons not related to the content of the science, or any actions taken by me or members of my lab
A screenshot of the termination notice showing "Outstanding Investigator Grants"A screenshot of the termination notice with "This award is terminated effective the date of this award, due to unsafe antisemitic actions that suggest the institution lacks concern for the safety and wellbeing of Jewish students." highlighted
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 17/05/2025
This is the beauty and wonder that we are being told has no value—or is even antithetical to American values. Well they're wrong, as anyone can see if they simply take a moment to imagine, truly imagine, what superpowers science gives us to see into worlds where we could otherwise never tread.
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
Happy Mother’s Day! youtu.be/osWuWjbeO-Y?...
youtu.be
A Biologist's Mother's Day Song
YouTube video by cadamole
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Neil deGrasse Tyson @neildegrassetyson.com · 06/05/2025
Weather and climate research funds are being “chainsawed” from NOAA's budget. Last I checked, Louisiana & Florida, which are maximally susceptible to Hurricanes, voted Red in the last General Election. Wondering if residents there knew in advance this would happen.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
Trump proposes unprecedented budget cuts to US science
nature.com
Trump proposes unprecedented budget cuts to US science
Huge reductions, if enacted, could have ‘catastrophic’ effects on US competitiveness and the scientific pipeline, critics say.
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Anne Stone @acstone.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Why are they trying to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs? #WithoutNSF the US would not be at the forefront of science innovation in the world. #SaveNSF #StandUpForScience www.nsf.gov/policies/doc...
nsf.gov
Policy Notice: Implementation of Standard 15% Indirect Cost Rate
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Is this the end of US science? When will congress grow a backbone? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones
US science funder also plans to screen grant applications for compliance with ‘agency priorities’.
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 25/04/2025
Further grant terminations from NSF. I don't yet have a list of what has been cut. It's been hard to concentrate today when every email ping could a notice from NSF that another of our grants is being terminated.
U.S. National Science Foundation
@NSF
At NSF, our mission is to advance science, health & prosperity for all. Today, we terminated additional awards that did not align with our priorities. This decision reflects our commitment to funding research opportunities for all Americans everywhere. https://bit.ly/42LQ2aN
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Ivan Liachko @ivanliachko.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Very cool recent preprint from @chicascientifica.bsky.social and team. #phages in bee poop, what's not to like? #microbiome #bees
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Hiroshi Arai @haraipapilio.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
Our final version of eLife paper (VOR) is now out! (doi.org/10.7554/eLif...). I investigated functions of wmk and Oscar homologs in a native host (moth) with @daisukekageyama.bsky.social and others:))
doi.org
Prophage-encoded Hm-oscar gene recapitulates Wolbachia-induced male-killing in the tea tortrix moth Homona magnanima
Oscar homologs play a conserved role in Wolbachia-induced male-killing in Lepidoptera but not in other insects, highlighting the evolution of diverse male-killing mechanisms induced by Wolbachia.
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Greg Hurst @greghurst.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
@haraipapilio.bsky.social paper on evolution of Wolbachia MK mechanism through prophage acquisition in molina butterflies - avoiding suppression by the host. Now out! #symbiosky www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti.... With @daisukekageyama.bsky.social @bolinabug.bsky.social and others
sciencedirect.com
Evolution of Wolbachia male-killing mechanism within a host species
Male-killing bacterial symbionts, prevalent in arthropods, skew population sex ratios by selectively killing male progeny, profoundly impacting ecolog…
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
If they are flagella… then they are bloody enormous - what do you think they are?
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STAT @statnews.com · 05/03/2025
A federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from slashing NIH payments for research overhead
buff.ly
Judge issues preliminary injunction blocking Trump cuts to NIH research overhead payments
A federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from slashing NIH payments for research overhead
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Happy hump day to all who celebrate
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
One of the more interesting sculptures on campus
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Lemon drop at Tony’s steakhouse in Indy. Great start to a weekend that’s been a wonderful combination of adventure and connection
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
This summer's GRC on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics: unique opportunity to compare and contrast methods, paradigms, and datasets 4 microbial and eukaryotic systems. I am thrilled to be co-chairing this with @samyeaman.bsky.social and welcome you to join us! www.grc.org/ecological-a...
grc.org
2025 Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics Conference GRC
The 2025 Gordon Research Conference on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics will be held in Lucca (Barga), Lucca Italy. Apply today to reserve your spot.
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Not a cocktail but it’ll do
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Sam Yeaman @samyeaman.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Very nice location for discussing evolution!
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Hey everyone! I’m a functional microbial genomics researcher who loves symbiosis and cocktails :) follow if interested in either!
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
This summer's GRC on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics: unique opportunity to compare and contrast methods, paradigms, and datasets 4 microbial and eukaryotic systems. I am thrilled to be co-chairing this with @samyeaman.bsky.social and welcome you to join us! www.grc.org/ecological-a...
grc.org
2025 Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics Conference GRC
The 2025 Gordon Research Conference on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics will be held in Lucca (Barga), Lucca Italy. Apply today to reserve your spot.
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Kirk Lohmueller @klohmueller.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Looking forward to the 2025 Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics Gordon Conference in Italy this summer! This meeting was fantastic in 2023 and promises to be outstanding again! Get more info and register here: www.grc.org/ecological-a... @samyeaman.bsky.social @chicascientifica.bsky.social
grc.org
2025 Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics Conference GRC
The 2025 Gordon Research Conference on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics will be held in Lucca (Barga), Lucca Italy. Apply today to reserve your spot.
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Corrie Detweiler @csdetweiler.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Thoughtful questions. We microbiologists ARE ASM. @asm.org @vscooper.micropopbio.org @microgem.bsky.social @gilbertjacka.bsky.social @romneyintn.bsky.social @abaumler.bsky.social @blugenes.bsky.social @chicascientifica.bsky.social @ssclabquips.bsky.social @goodrumviruslab.bsky.social
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Sandra Newman @sannewman.bsky.social · 12/02/2024
Humans share 70% of our DNA with zebrafish. So when you're having difficulty getting anything done, it's usually because a zebrafish is using the DNA.
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Irene Newton @chicascientifica.bsky.social · 08/02/2024
I finally made it here, y'all! Looking for my science community that also enjoys an occasional cocktail :)
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