Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 06/10/2026Everybody loves San Diego. This is Trump’s “shoot this puppy” moment. 000
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 02/10/2026Interestingly, most Republicans talking about polarization want those who oppose sexist and racist political voice to shut up and they don’t seem to mind the sexism and racism in their own party. 021
Reposted by Michael TaffeDominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026"In other words, the people who are the most 'polarized' in the U.S. electorate are those who are racist and sexist, and those who oppose racists and sexists." 2753204
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 02/10/2026Persistent effects of repeated adolescent and adult heroin vapor inhalation in female Wistar rats link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comPersistent effects of repeated adolescent and adult heroin vapor inhalation in female Wistar rats - PsychopharmacologyRationale Drug exposure initiated in adolescence has been associated with more severe mental health outcomes related to substance abuse and anxiety disorders. Objectives The aim of the present study w... 010
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 22/09/2026But sure. A system of competitive biomedical research grants is the real government waste 🙄 062
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 18/09/2026"texas compliant" vape devices? what? perfectvape.com/texas-compli...perfectvape.comPerfect Vape | E-liquid, Nicotine, & ConcentratesBuy E-Liquid, Nicotines, and Concentrates from Perfect Vape & Get them Delivered to Your Location. Cash on Delivery. Terms & Conditions Applied! 000
Reposted by Michael TaffeKris Willis @kawillis.bsky.social · 17/09/2026One might argue that applicants can start writing now, knowing the opportunity is in the forecast. But if the program never materializes, the applicant has spent time chasing a mirage. I don’t think that’s reducing administrative burden or increasing efficiency. 071
Reposted by Michael TaffeAdmirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Biochemist Dr. Ida Stephens Owens mapped how human genes control drug metabolism. The first Black woman to earn a PhD from Duke (1967), she spent ~50 years at NIH. She identified the UGT1A gene complex, decoding how enzymes detoxify drugs & harmful toxins. She was born #OTD in 1939.🧵 #WomenInSTEM 5034681036
Reposted by Michael TaffeNate Brought @usfreepressspain.bsky.social · 09/09/2026$1B is enough to pay each of those 30,000 people $33.3K for the next year. Profit for 2025 & 2026 YTD? $559,390,000,000 That pays those 30,000 people $18,646,333 for a year... Or $372,926 per year, EACH for 50 years... Or the entire 2024 NIH budget for 11.5 years... @jeremymberg.bsky.social 14114
Reposted by Michael TaffeMax Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 04/09/2026What does moving this portfolio mean for science? Biosecurity experts warn that shifting research into the military threatens the transparency and clinical translation that define NIH-funded work. DOD research will likely focus less on the average American and more on soldiers, one employee says. 411828
Reposted by Michael TaffeMax Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 04/09/2026The effort was pushed by Pentagon official Robert Kadlec, who initially sought $1.9B from NIAID—roughly one-third of the institute’s budget. After internal pushback, talks narrowed to moving up to $700M of projects, potentially scaling up over 10 years. 410028
Reposted by Michael TaffeMark Histed @markhisted.org · 05/09/2026Ok here we go: It DOES look like a major purpose of this NIH funding transfer to NIH is to circumvent NIH’s peer review processes so political appointees can have control. Check out the redacted agreement @maxkozlov.bsky.social released: 1/ 11441245
Reposted by Michael TaffeBryan Roth @zenbrainest.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Btw Shokat was hhmi funded (mainly) but heck give nci credit! 062
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 28/08/2026Obvious that this takes care of some “gum up the works” issues. These also happen to work for direct volatilization of cocaine HCl and heroin HCl. No vehicle required. 000
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 28/08/2026And of course in 2018 the market was evolving rapidly. Is this an e-cig or vape? Sure, in colloquial use. www.vapehoneystick.com/collections/...vapehoneystick.comProducts For Dab ConcentrateHoneyStick offers best vape pens for oils, dab pens for wax concentrate, 510 thread batteries and dry herbs vaporizers made with a vaper in mind. 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 28/08/2026If addition of a weak acid dissolves crack enough for iv injection than odds are good it can be put in an e-cig vehicle. scholarlyworks.lvhn.org/cgi/viewcont...scholarlyworks.lvhn.org 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 28/08/2026I assume that was what was meant by “common crystal form”. While I suppose they might have meant “crack” for cocaine, there’s no similar “common” form of heroin. So I’m betting they meant HCl. 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 28/08/2026And all of this is a distraction from my point which is that there is nothing magic about the salts. 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 28/08/2026Some additional drugs proven effective in other labs. Getting cute about nomenclature is stupid. People use “e-cigs” and “vapes” imprecisely and generically. We’ve made attempts to use EDDS instead of ENDS in the scientific literature but adoption is slow. 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 28/08/2026Here are the drugs which can be delivered with canister style e-cigarettes without “gumming up the works”. Nicotine, 6-methyl nicotine, THC, CBD, crude cannabis extracts, JWH-081, heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, methamphetamine, MDPV, alpha-PVP and a bunch of other cathinones. That’s from my lab. 100
Reposted by Michael TaffeLaura @lauraapollo.bsky.social · 26/08/2026"This year's admirals are always last year's pirates, and they insist that what they did to their predecessors was progress, while anyone who tries to do the same thing to them is a thief." 211115
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 26/08/2026as is "Nixodine". Points to them for admitting this up front instead of hiding behind marketing misdirections? nicotineriver.com/collections/...nicotineriver.comAlternativeNixodine-S™: (S)-6-Methylnicotine Nixodine-S™ Salts: (S)-6-Methylnicotine + Fema GRAS Acid Nixodine-S™ Pure: 1000mg (S)-6-Methylnicotine Nixodine-S™ Polacrilex 20%: (S)-6-Methylnicotine 20% + Polacril... 000
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 26/08/2026"metatine" is also 6-MN metatine.commetatine.comMetatine™Using patented technology and several trade secret processes, Metatine is a synthetically derived molecule that is structurally similar to, but chemically different from, other vaping alkaloids. 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 26/08/2026for the moment, my reference to declared efforts can be seen in the "legal consult" letters here www.signaturebrandsusa.com/compliance and in the marketing part of the website. The former was found via a tipoff from @sejordt.bsky.socialsignaturebrandsusa.comChoiceIntroducing Choice™ – The Smarter Alternative to Smoking 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 26/08/2026The salt form is not protection against efficacy. This is all I was pointing out. Whether significant numbers of individuals choose to use this method for inhalation rather than heat vaporization is another question entirely. As is gateway theory. 000
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 26/08/2026Let's not counter panic now, this was from 2018. and let's try to stay on point which is that while they were correct that ecigarette devices support inhalation delivery of a wide variety of drugs, they were incorrect in their apparent speculation about heroin HCl and maybe about cocaine HCl 200
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 26/08/2026More of our initial efforts to determine the effects of the nicotine analog 6-MN that has been marketed in a declared effort to evade regulatory oversight, sales restrictions, taxation, etc. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgEffects of vapor inhalation of 6-methyl nicotine in female and male ratsBackground: The nicotine analog 6-methyl nicotine (6-MN) has appeared in commercial e-cigarette liquids, and other products, spurring interest in determining the extent to which it conveys similar eff... 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 25/08/2026I will acknowledge here that the evidence for cocaine HCl vaping efficacy is suspiciously thin, given the length of time the field has been working on rodent vape models and given how many people in the field have a primary interest in cocaine. 000
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 25/08/2026cocaine hydrochloride.... www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comDevelopment of a nose-poke restricted vaporized cocaine self-administration model in mice - NeuropsychopharmacologyNeuropsychopharmacology - Development of a nose-poke restricted vaporized cocaine self-administration model in mice 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 25/08/2026also works no problem for fentanyl citrate and sufentanil citrate pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govFentanyl vapor self-administration model in mice to study opioid addictionFentanyl vapor self-administration in mice provides a novel and noninvasive model to study opioid addiction. 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 25/08/2026when a test of exposing animals to vapor from putting heroin's most common "crystal form" (aka salt) in a common vehicle shows it delivers an antinociceptive dose, no problem. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govA vapor exposure method for delivering heroin alters nociception, body temperature and spontaneous activity in female and male ratsThe ongoing crisis related to non-medical use of opioids makes it of continued importance to understand the risk factors for opioid addiction, the behavioral and neurobiological consequences of opioid... 100
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 25/08/2026always fun to run across confident statements based on chemical theorizing "Luckily..heroin and cocaine in their most common crystal form cannot be used in vaping devices, as the tight crystal structures in heroin and cocaine bind molecules strongly..un-vapable"" www.issup.net/knowledge-sh...issup.netHow Teenage Vaping Puts Structure in Place for Heroin and Cocaine AddictionThe rapid adoption of e-cigarettes has been driven, at least in part, by a huge jump in the potency of e-liquids. 231
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 14/08/2026Wow I can’t wait to read all the organoid and human studies that brought us to this potential therapy. 020
Reposted by Michael TaffeJosh Rodefer @rodefer.bsky.social · 14/08/2026modern medicine and <cough> vaccines <cough> 011
Michael Taffe @handle.invalid · 13/08/2026So when “yippy pouches” says “active ingredient” I raise an eyebrow over their non-nicotine assertion. Given the analog strategy and all. www.yippypouches.com/aboutyippypouches.comWhat Is Yippy? | About Yippy PouchesLearn what Yippy Pouches are, who makes them, and why our nicotine-free nootropic pouches are built for calm focus. 100
Reposted by Michael TaffeCatherine Bulka @drcatherineb.bsky.social · 12/08/2026NIH post-council is so funny bc it’s like oh hi it’s been radio silence for almost a year but PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL WITHIN 24 HOURS IF YOU WANT YOUR GRANT MONEY 173
Reposted by Michael TaffeRheum Cat @rheumcat.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Holy shit. My NIH K award currently supports a clinical trial. This will no longer be allowed for future K awards. 74327
Reposted by Michael Taffe88.5 WFDD @885wfdd.bsky.social · 13/08/2026The National Institutes of Health has awarded North Carolina A&T State University a nearly $17 million grant supporting research addressing health disparities in central North Carolina. #WFDD #HealthEquity #PublicHealthwfdd.orgA $17M NIH award boosts health disparities research at N.C. A&TThe National Institutes of Health grant will support community health education, early detection and prevention of diseases like Alzheimer's, hypertension and diabetes. 032
Reposted by Michael TaffeProf Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 13/08/2026The gaslighting from Dr Bhattacharya is wild There’s *documented evidence* of banned words under his tenure We spent wasted months going back & forth with our NIH program officer taking out banned words (“racial disparities”) He wrote an OpEd congratulating himself for “curing the NIH of DEI” 🤯 12711
Reposted by Michael TaffeAlt-NIHscience4ALL @alt-nihscience4all.altgov.info · 13/08/2026Somehow, NIH still cares about harassment taking place in labs funded by NIH grants. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...grants.nih.govNOT-OD-26-097: Recent Updates: Supporting a Safe and Respectful Workplace at Institutions that Receive NIH FundingNIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Recent Updates: Supporting a Safe and Respectful Workplace at Institutions that Receive NIH Funding NOT-OD-26-097. NIH 0143
Reposted by Michael TaffeLizzy Stone @lizzy-stone.bsky.social · 13/08/2026My university seems to mostly be plugging its metaphorical ears while saying “LALALA” and trying to get us all to go after DOD grants instead of NIH ones. 031
Reposted by Michael Taffeelizabethginexi.bsky.social @elizabethginexi.bsky.social · 13/08/2026This is publicly available data on grants.gov. Anyone who can work with excel spreadsheets can do what I am doing. I am focused on NIH because I know it well and can understand the data 100%.grants.govHome | Grants.gov 031
Reposted by Michael Taffeelizabethginexi.bsky.social @elizabethginexi.bsky.social · 12/08/2026I'm tracking 289 NIH funding opportunities stuck in the queue, 186 already overdue. $229M in set-aside money is tied to fiscal years closing within weeks. Plus what I'm hearing about a new OMB hold on all NOFO publication. formernih.substack.com/p/the-nih-fo...formernih.substack.comThe NIH Forecast Graveyard, RevisitedAn Update on NIH's Stalled Funding Pipeline, as the Fiscal Year Runs Out 35032
Reposted by Michael TaffeGregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 13/08/2026This week, @maxkozlov.bsky.social wrote a piece on how the NIH is limiting funding on the health effects of public policies. What is striking is that the current NIH director's career was all about the health effects of policies, social & economic conditions. scholar.google.com/citations?hl... 1015467
Reposted by Michael TaffeDana 🌈🔬🪱 @millerlab.bsky.social · 13/08/2026We need something like this in WA!!!!!! 011
Reposted by Michael TaffeKate Laskowski @katelaskowski.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Attention: dream job alert!! 🚨 This is *my* home department, which I unabashedly love! We're a super collegial group (that really protects & supports junior faculty 💪) and Davis is a great place to live. Happy to chat more about what it's like to be a faculty here 03432
Reposted by Michael TaffeAaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12/08/2026David Crowley: "I especially want to thank Rep. Francesca Hong. Her campaign reminded people across Wisconsin that there are no long shots when it comes to believing in a better future and fighting to expand opportunities to every family ... the real opponent has always been Tom Tiffany." 613413555
