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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

A leucistic female pheasant - I’ve never seen one of these before! Norfolk, UK. @rspb.bsky.social

Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Recently I started working with Germinate. They have a strong track-record with successful grants: the people they worked with secured more than €60M in funding. As competition increases for decreasing funds, optimising your proposal with an experienced editor can really help. Get in touch with us!

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

If you are interested in working with me, please see what my other clients have to say and feel free to get in touch! biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/

biosciedit.co.uk

Testimonials

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

My editing and writing focus on ensuring the proposal makes sense and that the aims will allow you to achieve the objectives. This is more than proofreading, it is an in-depth assessment of your proposal that enables you to make sure it is in the best shape for submission. 4/5

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

I have worked with many researchers to construct and refine grant proposals for funding organisations in the US, UK and Europe. I can advise on the plan and edit full drafts to ensure they are convincing and clear. I can also draft grant proposals based on your material. 3/5

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Grant proposals can be tricky for many reasons, not least because you may not have time to invest in them. It can also be difficult to critically assess your own work that you know intimately. I can help with this. 2/5

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Do you need help with grant proposals? After 18 years at @natureportfolio.nature.com and @science.org, I am now a freelance editor and writer. I can give objective and constructive feedback to improve grant proposals. I can also help you write them. 1/5 biosciedit.co.uk

biosciedit.co.uk

biosciedit

Editing and writing services for researchers in the biological sciences.

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

I volunteer for this excellent foundation...apply for a free edit from a professional editor...

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

"Her editorial expertise in scientific writing is exceptional, offering deep insights that greatly enhance clarity, structure, and overall impact." - Steffen Hage, @unituebingen.bsky.social 15/end

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

"Gemma has a remarkable ability to distil complex topics extremely clearly, cutting out any unnecessary jargon in the process." - @gernon.bsky.social , University of Southampton 14/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

"Gemma is an exceptional scientific writer and editor—the best I’ve had the pleasure of working with." - R. Scott Powers, @stonybrookmedicine.bsky.social 13/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

"Gemma's expert editing significantly improved the clarity and impact of my manuscript, helping refine complex microbiological concepts for submission to a top-ranked journal" - Alexandre Soares Rosado, KAUST 12/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

These are all very easy to say/write down, but much harder to do. Which is why a professional editor can really help. But don’t just take my word for it… www.biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/ 11/n

biosciedit.co.uk

Testimonials

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

8. Some pet peeves: tell me the organism (mouse, human, fish) and how many! Do not anthropomorphise…eg/ cancer cells do not choose to avoid the immune system or resist drugs. Use simple language, not flowery words no-one else understands. Don’t forget to add page numbers! 10/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

7. Write concisely. Writing short is hard! Use active language, split up long sentences with multiple clauses, think about what the reader NEEDS to know to understand your paper/grant etc. 9/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

6. Be balanced. Make it clear when you are being opinionated and what that opinion is based on. Cite work from other labs (including competitors), avoid bias. 8/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

5. Spell it out. You are the expert, those reading your work are not, so clearly explain the rationale. Don’t make assumptions. 7/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

4. Avoid overgeneralising. It is important to be accurate and specific about interpretations without going further than the data or model. Avoid long discussions, keep focused on the results and direct interpretations. 6/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

3. Accessibility. This doesn’t mean dumbing-down. It means explaining the basics and how an interpretation is reached. It’s about educating, not oversimplifying… …But finding the right level for general science readers vs general public can be tricky. So a second set of eyes can help. 5/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

2. Insight. Tell me why I should care. What are the wider implications? What are the limitations and future challenges? How do we overcome hurdles? Don’t just conclude that “we need an interdisciplinary approach to move forward”. What concrete ideas do you have? 4/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

These are some of the main issues my edits often address: 1. Narrative flow and storytelling are important. Building an argument in a stepwise manner so that ideas and experiments are connected helps create a clear and convincing piece. 3/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

I often edit papers and revisions to help with the narrative flow, clarity and to make the importance stand out. I also work on grants to help with narrative flow, clarity, and accessibility, as well as to highlight why your proposal is novel and important. 2/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

After 18 years as an editor at @natureportfolio.nature.com journals and @science.org, I am now a freelance editor. By being a step away from your work, I can take an objective view and give constructive feedback to improve papers, revisions, and grant proposals. www.biosciedit.co.uk 1/n

biosciedit.co.uk

biosciedit

Editing and writing services for researchers in the biological sciences.

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

"Working with Gemma is great because, first of all, the quality of her editing is exceptional. In addition, Gemma is a very pleasant person, who greatly communicates and always meets the deadline. In short – highly recommended *****" @jonykipnis.bsky.social

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

"Her scientific writing, suggestions and feedback strengthened the clarity and narrative of our research articles." @gorkaorive.bsky.social www.biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/

biosciedit.co.uk

Testimonials

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

"Your keen editorial eye and insightful suggestions strengthened both the clarity and impact of my work." Raquel Peixoto 7/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

"Dear Gemma, before working with you, we collaborated with different scientific editors, but none provided proofread papers of such high quality and with such deep insights into structural improvements and even suggestions for additional experiments." Valentina Boeva 6/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Here's what some of my clients have said: "Gemma's expertise in scientific writing is invaluable; her insightful feedback strengthened both the clarity and narrative of our research." Daniela Vallentin 5/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Additionally, I work with people who have a paper that they are really excited about to ensure that the job of editors and reviewers is as easy as possible. But don’t just take my word for it… 4/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Also, I work with PIs who cross multiple fields (such as cancer and AI) because writing in a way that speaks to different disciplines equally and convincingly is challenging. 3/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Editing is about coaching. I often work with PIs who do not have the time to thoroughly edit first drafts from students and postdocs, which can take a lot of time. To paraphrase a client, “you can do it faster and I would rather they hate you than me”! 2/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

After 18 years as an editor at Nature journals and Science, I am now a freelance editor. By being a step away from your work, I can take an objective view and give constructive feedback on papers, grants etc. www.biosciedit.co.uk/testimonials/ 1/n

biosciedit.co.uk

Testimonials

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Reposted by Gemma Alderton

Roychoudhuri Lab @roychoudhurilab.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Thrilled to share new work led by @jieyang437.bsky.social in the lab published today in @Nature. We find that Aspirin prevents metastasis by releasing T cells from immune suppression by platelet TXA2. @Cambridge_Uni @CRUKCamCentre rdcu.be/eci1U

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Vance accuses the UK of having a free speech problem while a list of banned words have been introduced by the US govt to “censor” scientific research. Erm… 🤨 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

theguardian.com

JD Vance decried as extremist over attack on UK abortion clinic safe zones

US vice-president’s comments, part of a wide-ranging tirade against Europe, called inaccurate and misogynistic

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Additionally, I work with people who have a paper that they are really excited about to ensure that the job of editors and reviewers is as easy as possible. 13/end

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Also, I work with PIs who cross multiple fields (such as cancer and AI) because writing in a way that speaks to different disciplines equally and convincingly is challenging. 12/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

8. Some pet peeves: tell me the organism (mouse human, fish) and how many! Do not anthropomorphise…cancer cells do not choose to avoid the immune system or resist drugs! Use simple language, not flowery words no-one else understands. 10/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

7. Write concisely. Writing short is hard! Use active language, split up long sentences with multiple clauses, think about what the reader NEEDS to know to understand your paper/grant etc. 9/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

6. Be balanced. Make it clear when you are being opinionated and what that opinion is based on. Cite work from other labs (including competitors), avoid bias. 8/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

5. Be insightful. Tell me why I should care. What are the wider implications? What are the limitations and future challenges? How do we overcome hurdles? 7/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

4. Narrative flow and storytelling are important. Building an argument in a stepwise manner so that ideas and experiments are connected helps create a clear and convincing piece. 6/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

3. Spell it out. You are the expert, those reading your work are not, so clearly explain the rationale. Don’t make assumptions. 5/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

2. Avoid overgeneralising. It is important to be clear and specific about interpretations without going further than the data or model. Avoid long discussions, keep focused on the results and direct interpretations. 4/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

…But finding the right level for general science readers vs general public can be tricky. So a second set of eyes can help. 3/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

1. Accessibility doesn’t mean dumbing-down. It means explaining the basics and how an interpretation is reached. It’s about educating, not oversimplifying… 2/n

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

After 18 years as an editor at Nature journals and Science, I am a freelance editor. By being a step away from your work, I can take an objective view and give constructive feedback on papers, grants etc. www.biosciedit.co.uk These are some of the main issues my edits often address: 🧵1/n

biosciedit.co.uk

biosciedit

Editing and writing services for researchers in the biological sciences.

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

And for comparison, as a Deputy (managing) editor at Science, I worked 60 hours a week for <$100K a year. The staff who actually put the journal together to make all this money for AAAS and to pay execs are not valued. Which is part of the reason I left and now freelance.

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

I will be watching from the outside, as I am now a freelance editor and writer, working with researchers to ensure papers, reviews, grants etc are clear, convincing and accessible. www.biosciedit.co.uk

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Gemma Alderton @gemma-biosciedit.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

But we may be at a crossroads, will journals change as research has to become free and APCs are increasingly seen as problematic. What will journals look like in 5 years?

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