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joy watts

@joyemwatts.bsky.social
406 followers 704 following 12 posts

Cheerleader for microbes.... using my skills in interpretative dance and environmental microbiology (ok I was lying about the dance).

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Reposted by joy watts
Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
ERC Advanced Grants 2026 update: 'The ERC received 3 458 proposals - 3.9% more than last year and 37% compared to the year before. Women submitted 866 proposals (25%), similar share as in the last call' share.google/nnayYdXujtXs...
share.google
Applications for ERC Advanced Grants 2026: Facts and figures
The ERC Advanced Grant 2026 call closed for applications on 28 August 2026.
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joy watts @joyemwatts.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
difficult to choose as it clashes with Muppet Christmas Carol!
static.klipy.com
Gary Oldman as Dracula: Welcome To My Home
ALT: Gary Oldman as Dracula: Welcome To My Home
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Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Researchers celebrate Dolly Parton's contributions to science The country singer was an advocate for vaccines, public health, literacy and marginalized communities. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Dolly Parton dies aged 80 – researchers celebrate her contributions to science
The country singer was an advocate for vaccines, public health, literacy and marginalized communities.
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joy watts @joyemwatts.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
the never ending leaks!
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Microbiome @microbiomej.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
In #Microbiome The microbiome is key to supporting the life of deep-sea sponges🦠 Read more👉 doi.org/rbhw #OpenAccess
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Simon Kuestenmacher @simongerman600.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
This made me laugh. Here is a London Tube map of the digestive system. Source: buff.ly/23pvsjh
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Microbiome @microbiomej.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
In #EnvironmentalMicrobiome Microbiome and plasmidome shifts drive carbon, nitrogen, and greenhouse gas dynamics within transitioning permafrost🦠 Read more👉 doi.org/q9kb #OpenAccess #Microbes #GreenhouseGas
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Matt Hutchings @matthutchings.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Good to see this @microbiologysociety.org cross journal special collection taking shape: Advances in the biology of Actinomycetes www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/adva...
microbiologyresearch.org
Advances in the biology of Actinomycetes | Microbiology Society
The Actinomycetota are amongst the most diverse bacterial phyla with representatives found globally in a wide range of ecological niches. To reflect this biological diversity, the 20th International S...
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Dr Dan Shugar 🇨🇦 @watershedlab.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Let's see how this works on Bsky: I am looking for a scientist by the name of Spice to write a Shugar & Spice paper. 🧪⚒️
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Martin Polz @polzlab.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Very excited to share our new paper out in Nature. Congrats to Xiaoqian (Annie) Yu and all the coauthors. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Genome-wide sweeps create ecological units in the human gut microbiome - Nature
Genome-wide selective sweeps commonly occur in the human gut microbiome and can spread across the world within decades to produce epidemic-like population structures.
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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The Barrick & Lenski Labs in Dept of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology at Michigan State Univ seek a Research Assistant II to manage their research operations and participate in projects related to microbial evolution and synthetic biology. See details below. careers.msu.edu/jobs/researc...
careers.msu.edu
Research Assistant II - East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Position Summary The Barrick and Lenski Labs in the Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology at Michigan State University are seeking a Research Assistant II to manage their research ope...
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Freya Harrison @friendlymicrobe.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
My super department @warwicklifesci.bsky.social is hiring 6 assistant profs in the wake of recent retirements. We're looking for people in microbiology/infection, cellular disease / immunity; environmental biology; and plant/crop science. #MicroSky warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
warwick-careers.tal.net
Assistant Professor x6 (111522-0426) - University of Warwick
Title: Assistant Professor x6 (111522-0426). Application Deadline: . Position Type: Permanent
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European Commission @ec.europa.eu · 16/04/2026
The United Kingdom is coming back to Erasmus+. The European Union and the United Kingdom have enabled the UK's association to Erasmus+ in 2027. More ↓ link.europa.eu/MHc9JP
A square graphic on a white background. At the top, there are two distinct, rough, painted-style brushstroke patches side-by-side: one in the blue and yellow of the European Union flag and one in the red, white, and blue of the United Kingdom's Union Jack.

Below the flags, bold, dark blue text reads: "THE UK IS COMING BACK TO ERASMUS+."

In the bottom right corner, there is a small, rectangular official European Union flag.
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Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
I have now read this piece and it is very good. Massive respect for @merenbey.bsky.social and Iva for their persistence and documenting this torturous process. Highly recommended reading for anyone who cares about reproducibility in science.
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Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
I finally had the chance to listen to @peaseroland.bsky.social's excellent documentary - Superbugs: Resistance Rising. Highly recommended! Episode 1 is here www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or on your favourite podcast platform.
bbc.co.uk
Discovery - Superbugs: Resistance rising, part 1 - BBC Sounds
Antibiotic resistant bacteria is rising - is a great global crisis on the horizon?
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Phil PlAIt @philplait.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Love this shot. I think this is a thermal infrared camera, showing how the bottom of the capsule is still glowing due to its warmth after hypersonically ramming the atmosphere — compressing a gas heats it up a LOT when you're moving at superorbital speeds. #ArtemisII
Grayscale image of the capsule under the parachutes, which look silvery. The capsule is glowing brilliantly along the bottom where the heat shield took the brunt of the atmospheric beating.
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Daniel Padfield @padpadpadpad.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
PLEASE SHARE. PhD Opportunity with me, Ben Raymond and Jan Engelstaedter and Andrew Letten at University of Queensland. Experimentally testing mechanisms of how temperature may change selection and spread of AMR in E. coli. Coupled with some advanced modelling and sequencing. 🧪🦠 #microsky
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European Commission @ec.europa.eu · 31/03/2026
🇦🇺🔓🇪🇺 The EU and Australia open negotiations on Australia’s association to Horizon Europe — the world’s largest and most prestigious research and innovation funding programme. Read more: link.europa.eu/4VQthN @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu
Sunrise viewed through a natural red rock arch over a winding river in a rugged landscape. In the foreground, the European Union and Australian flags are displayed side by side above the text ‘EU-AUSTRALIA’ and ‘HORIZON EUROPE.’
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Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
MRC curiosity-driven research reopens with new approach www.ukri.org/news/mrc-cur... MRC applicant-led funding opportunities reopen 7 Apr, experimental medicine opportunities opening 30 Apr Complete change in selection of project: no boards, shortlisted applicants -> in-person panel interview.
ukri.org
MRC curiosity-driven research reopens with new approach
The Medical Research Council (MRC) unpauses curiosity driven research funding and improves the funding process.
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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Northumbria University’s attempt to entice academics to abandon expensive pension scheme by offering generous payouts described as ‘abject failure’
timeshighereducation.com
Only 7 per cent of Northumbria staff agree to give up TPS pension
University’s attempt to entice academics to abandon expensive scheme by offering generous payouts described as ‘abject failure’
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Ella Sieradzki @sieravirus.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
I'm hiring my first postdoc! Apply by 20/4/26, position #20443. Seeking an environmental microbiologist with experience in metagenomics (preferably viromics) and molecular biology. Experience with targeted metabolomics is a plus. international.au.dk/about/profil...
international.au.dk
Postdoc in Soil viral ecology - Vacancy at Aarhus University
Vacancy at Department of Agroecology - Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Aarhus University
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Stephan Köstlbacher @stephkoe.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
🧵 1/10 New paper out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com from my postdoc at @mib-wur.bsky.social! 🎉 How eukaryote-like was the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes? Sequence searches alone can't tell us — so we used protein structure prediction to look deeper. 🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Prediction of eukaryotic cellular complexity in Asgard archaea using structural modelling - Nature Microbiology
A structural catalogue of the Asgard archaeal pangenome reveals hundreds of eukaryotic-like proteins that suggest a higher degree of cellular complexity in the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes.
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Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Mark E. Smith, singer, lyricist and only constant member of post-punk group the Fall, was born in Broughton, Salford, on this day 1957. Smith formed the band after attending a 1976 Sex Pistols gig at Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, and was its leader until he died in 2018.
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ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · 04/03/2026
#Methanol is a key starting material for chemical products. Researchers from ETH Zurich can now produce this precursor from #CO2 and hydrogen with high efficiency using single atoms for #Catalysts.
ethz.ch
Using individual atoms to achieve fossil-free chemistry
Methanol is a key starting material for chemical products. Researchers from ETH Zurich can now produce this precursor from CO2 and hydrogen with high efficiency by using isolated metal atoms as cataly...
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Paul Hoskisson 🧫 🦠🐸 @paulhoskisson.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Really fantastic piece of work from @christianlandry.bsky.social et al., -elegant set of experiments to uncover mechanisms that contribute to understanding of duplicate retention & redundancy- Paralog interference contributes to the preservation of genetic redundancy www.cell.com/current-biol...
cell.com
Paralog interference contributes to the preservation of genetic redundancy
Duplicated self-interacting proteins can interact and interfere with each other’s function. Cisneros, Mattenberger, et al. show that selection against interfering loss-of-function alleles extends the ...
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Bram van Dijk 🏳️‍🌈 @bramvandijk.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
In case you missed it: our review titled "Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities" is out! 🚨 Let me hit you with some highlights on why spatial structure matters. (and why you should care!) Sharing is appreciated 🙏 🧵👇 doi.org/10.1093/fems...
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Alasdair Hubbard @dralhubb.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
I can highly recommend Nicole's and the Modernising Medical Microbiology research group. I spent a brilliant 12 months with them about 10 years and it really set me up with the skills and ideas to get to the level I am now! If you have a chance to work with them, do it!
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Guillaume Méric @gmeric.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
New postdoc position available in the Tooke lab in our department. Perfect if you like molecular microbiology, structural biology and biochemistry! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQP592/p...
jobs.ac.uk
Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Bath
Searching for an academic job? Explore this Postdoctoral Research Associate opening on jobs.ac.uk! Click to view more details and browse other academic jobs.
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EMBL @embl.org · 19/02/2026
EMBL International PhD Programme - summer recruitment 2026! 👀 Research groups across EMBL are recruiting now! www.embl.org/about/info/e... Don’t miss this opportunity to receive dedicated mentoring while doing interdisciplinary research.
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Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Viruses transform microbes, populations, & ecosystems. In new work jointly led w/@tn-marine-micro.bsky.social + more, we find a link between enhanced viral infection and productivity 50 meters below the surface in the otherwise nutrient limited Sargasso Sea. a 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Seasonal enhancement of the viral shunt catalyzes a subsurface oxygen maximum in the Sargasso Sea"
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67002-1
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Dr. Hilary Rose Dawson @hilaryrosed.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
If you're an #EcoEvo #PhD candidate anywhere in the world looking for project funding, consider applying for the @asn-amnat.bsky.social Student Research Award. Ten proposals for $2k in research funds will be awarded. Due 13 March 2026. Please share widely! 🧪 #grants #ecology #evolution #behavior
amnat.org
Student Research Award
<p>The ASN Student Research Awards support research by student members that advances the goals of the society: the conceptual unification of ecology, evolution, and behavior. Each award consists of a ...
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Matt Hutchings @matthutchings.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Research into filamentous actinomycetes, the antibiotic producers, is in steep decline. Loads of natural products chemistry research worldwide but not much aimed at understanding their biology and ecology. The latter is key to unlocking their specialised metabolism link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Revitalizing actinobacteria research: an urgent response to the antimicrobial resistance crisis - Natural Products and Bioprospecting
Abstract The crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is escalating while the antibiotic pipeline remains stagnant. Our bibliometric analysis of eight decades of literature reveals a critical imbalanc...
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Hassan Salem @hassansalem.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
How specific are heritable symbioses? And what can we learn from swapping obligate symbionts across host species? We address this in our latest, led by @inespons.bsky.social & in our collaboration w/ @microbiome.bsky.social 🦠🪲 Out today in @natcomms.nature.com! 1/n www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Amanda Moehring @flybehaviour.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Ooooh. Cool new paper on origins of life. A simple 45-nucleotide RNA molecule that can perfectly copy itself. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
A small polymerase ribozyme that can synthesize itself and its complementary strand
The emergence of a chemical system capable of self-replication and evolution is a critical event in the origin of life. RNA polymerase ribozymes can replicate RNA, but their large size and structural ...
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joy watts @joyemwatts.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Interesting study and great cover art!
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Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Thanks to all the charlatans, quacks and fools who've allowed measles to reach my child's secondary school in London
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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Three years after the launch of the UK’s agency for ‘high-risk, high-reward research’, political expectations of the impact of public science funding are higher than ever. As UKRI funding is curtailed and redirected, how can Aria prove its worth, asks @jgro-the.bsky.social ow.ly/t9Z850YcQuZ
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Thijs J. G. Ettema 🦠🔬🇳🇱🇸🇪🇪🇺 @ettema.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
I have a postdoc position in metagenomic exploration available in my group. Candidates with documented experience in phylo & metagenomics and preferably with petabase-scale data mining and GLM workflows are encouraged to apply. Come join us! 🧬🦠💻 Please repost Apply here: www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/p...
wur.nl
Postdoctoral researcher Phylogenomics and metagenomics
Are you just as excited as we are about the fascinating world of microorganisms? Do you want to contribute to exploring and genomically characterize novel prokaryotic lineages? Do you have a PhD degre...
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Marc Tachelet @mtachelet.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Women make up just 34% of the researchers in the EU. The European Commission launched a call for evidence to shape an Action plan for women in R&I, tackling gender gaps and boosting equality in the European Research Area by 2030. Have your say by 23 Feb: link.europa.eu/hh3vx6 #SciComm 🧪
Visual with the text: Action plan for women in research, innovation and startups.
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Microbiology Society @microbiologysociety.org · 11/02/2026
On International Day of Women and Girls in Science 🔬👩‍🔬 We’re launching the Women Microbiologists Network: a member-led networking and discussions event for women in microbiology by Dr. Enas Newire. Read the news story and join: 🔗 microb.io/4ax5M5I
Audience attentively listening to speaker at the Women Microbiologist Network from Annual Conference 2025.
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joy watts @joyemwatts.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Biological data governance in an age of AI | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Biological data governance in an age of AI
Tailored access controls on new viral data would reduce misuse risks
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Paula Ramiro-Martínez @paularamiro.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
New paper out in PNAS!!! 🎉 Do more plasmid copies mean faster evolution? 🧵 Dive into the story www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Plasmid mutation rates scale with copy number | PNAS
Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules that spread by horizontal transfer and shape bacterial evolution. Plasmids are typically present at mul...
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Taylor priest @taylorpriest.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Do you have experience in bioinformatics and are looking for a new challenge? To immerse yourself in a group and institute doing highly diverse research? Then come and join our group !
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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
University of York latest to decline offer from publisher Elsevier, with several more expected to walk away after previous agreements expired #highered #AcademicSky ow.ly/zUjv50Y9maa
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Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Calling all microbial genomics early-career researchers in the Midlands, great event in Nottingham (5 June)
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Willem van Schaik @wvschaik.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Update on UKRI funding situation. Summary: it is mostly bad news, and with significant uncertainties around new funding model.
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Fabrice Jean-Pierre @fabricejpierre.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Cool stuff! “A quorum-sensing molecule from Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces defensive multicellularity in a coinfecting pathogen” #microsky
pnas.org
A quorum-sensing molecule from Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces defensive multicellularity in a coinfecting pathogen | PNAS
Microorganisms commonly exist in polymicrobial communities, where they can respond to interspecies secreted molecules by altering behaviors and phy...
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Vivek Mutalik @vivekmutalik.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
#microsky
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Hall Lab @halllab.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
We’re recruiting for an RA @unibirmingham.bsky.social! Support our #microbiome research - lab work + sample/data organisation & coordination. Looking for an organised, proactive & great team player. 🗓️ Closes 04/02/26 . To Mar 2028 Apply via UoB portal: edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com
Research Associate - Department of Microbes, Infection and Microbiomes - 106850 - Grade 6
As a Research Associate in the Hall Lab, you will play a crucial role in supporting microbiome research initiatives aimed at enhancing our understanding of the role of early life microbes in promoting...
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