Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieCharles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 19/09/202621,627 applications for the Marie Curie early career fellowships. 711944
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieSarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Attention Ecologists! We are going to need *a lot* of ecologists. The First Lego League Teams need to speak with a scientist about their projects every year. Every year it's a different type of scientist. Last year was archaeologists. This year, ecologists! Sign up: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... 12211117
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Managed to steal a day for a solo trip to the Edinburgh Fringe - I can confirm that these three comedy shows are excellent and you should go see them! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 @tpneenan.bsky.social @gracejarvisohno.bsky.social @alicefraser.bsky.social 1112
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 06/08/2026@alicefraser.bsky.social I had just listened to the recent Realms Unknown, where you were talking about fantasy currency exchange rates, when this relevant comic by @checrawford.bsky.social popped up! 050
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 29/07/2026Blinking upconversion nanoparticles enable < 1 nm super-resolution imaging #upconversion #optics #chemsky www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comSpontaneous and indefinite blinking in upconverting nanoparticles for ångström-precision multicolour super-resolution imaging - Nature NanotechnologyCompositionally engineered, spontaneously blinking upconverting nanoparticles enable multicolour super-resolution imaging with a single excitation source and achieve localization precision down to 0.6... 081
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieKirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger.bsky.social · 27/07/2026Earlier this year UKRI launched a funding call to invest £40M in ONE AI lab. www.ukri.org/opportunity/... For some unknown reason they decided to fund TWO AI labs at the cost of £60M. An extra £20M. Just found. That's the equivalent of 7 more years of Jodrell Bank. www.ukri.org/news/ukri-la...ukri.orgUKRI launches two AI research labs to stay ahead in global raceTwo new labs will back British researchers to develop next generation artificial intelligence (AI) systems, helping secure the UK’s position as a global leader. 10433250
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 16/07/2026@alicefraser.bsky.social a fun coincidence in my podcast feed 010
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 03/07/2026@alicefraser.bsky.social perhaps a science story for The Gargle? The latest in synthetic cells. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nytimes.comThis Cell Feeds, Grows and Reproduces. And It’s Manmade. (Gift Article)From chemical building blocks, scientists have created synthetic cells that have most of the hallmarks of life. 010
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 03/07/2026The latest impressive work on artificial cells, from the group of Prof Kate Adama, who led the big report on Mirror Life risks in Science in 2024. 000
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Today in science diagrams that go hard - this paper on where they fire an air gun at a mechanoluminescent material! 110
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 25/06/2026This may be in my latest seminar talk, specifically relating to quantum superfluorescence 040
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieAlice Fraser @alicefraser.bsky.social · 22/06/2026@realmsunknown.bsky.social deep dive for this week is First Contact (With a New Species / civilisation). Tell me your favourite examples of first contact done interestingly in sci fi and fantasy! 20221
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieAdam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 22/06/2026Think this week is hot in the UK? In 30 years' time this could look mild, according to a new @metoffice.gov.uk forecast of a 1976-style heatwave in 2056. The forecast suggested a peak of 45C and nine consecutive days at more than 40C. Story soon. 64021
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieCityEd @cityedyt.bsky.social · 25/05/2026My latest video on Newcastle. Take a trip through the city's architecture, famous bridges, urbanism, and history - from its founding as a Roman fort 2,000 years ago to its Georgian city planning, right up to its modern day regeneration. www.youtube.com/watch?v=inf8...youtube.comWhy I like NewcastleYouTube video by CityEd. 105015
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 12/06/2026#Upconverison nanoparticles are good because they don't "blink", unlike conventional dyes. But every rule has an exception - here's a new paper about blinking #UCNPs for super-res microscopy! #optics #photonics #chemsky www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comSpontaneous photoblinking upconversion microscopy - Nature PhotonicsSpontaneous photoblinking in Yb3+/Ho3+-codoped upconversion nanoparticles enables super-resolution imaging of biological cells with a spatial resolution down to 30 nm at excitation power densities of ... 010
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026New #preprint from my group - using a different polymer molecular weight made our #upconversion nanoparticles ~5X brighter, but the trade-off is FRET efficiency! A nice showcase of our new spectrometer capabilities & a big thanks to excellent collaborators! chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.... #Chemsky 020
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieReese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · 06/06/2026Thermo Fisher now has a page up in response to our observations. They flatly deny that images were manipulated or fabricated while repeating that images were "optimized for presentation and clarity on the website", no lie, six times. www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/l...thermofisher.com 1917577
Reposted by Lewis MacKenziePhil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 05/06/2026Pretty much the last place in the universe I'd expect to find planets is in the incredibly violent and radiation-laden accretion disks around supermassive black holes. And yet… maybe? ⚫ 🌎 www.scientificamerican.com/article/plan... [thanks to @saavikford.bsky.social for a convo about this] 🧪 🔭scientificamerican.comPlanets may swarm around supermassive black holes. Could any be habitable?Planets might exist in the least likely place you’d imagine—around the outskirts of supermassive black holes 1311820
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzie👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 03/06/2026somebody’s dream job just dropped 1629578
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 01/06/2026A topical paper - #upconversion nanoparticles enable trans-tissue non-invasive release of GLP-1 upon NIR light stimulus, providing extended glycemic control #chemsky #BioNanoTech www.cell.com/cell-biomate...cell.comUpconversion nanoparticles-loaded injectable supramolecular hydrogels for on-demand glycemic regulation by optogenetic GLP-1 releaseKim et al. develop an injectable supramolecular hydrogel platform integrating upconversion nanoparticles and optogenetically engineered cells for on-demand GLP-1 secretion. Administered via a single s... 011
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 01/06/2026#upconversion nanoparticles turbo-charge micro-algae by converting NIR light to visible light - interesting! #BioNanoTech #nanotechnology #chemsky pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....pubs.acs.orgUpconversion Nanoparticles Expand the Photosynthetically Active Spectrum of Microalgae into the Near-Infrared for CO2 BiofixationThe process of photosynthetic carbon fixation by microalgae represents a significant pathway for achieving green and sustainable carbon capture. However, the mismatch between the microalgal pigments’ ... 000
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieAlexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 20/05/2026“On 20 May the university’s UCU branch said it will take 61 days of strike action from Monday 1 June to Friday 31 July, on top of a pre-scheduled strike day in May.” Two months of strikes confirmed at #Nottingham University. Difficult times for everyone involved. @uniofnottingham.bsky.social 033
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieUniversity of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · 20/05/2026If you wish to support our efforts, you can do so here. Any funds donated here will be used to off set any loss income suffered by those of us mabbing. www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding... You can also donate here: UCU Nottingham LA63 Hardship Fund Account number: 20346359 Sort code: 60-83-01justgiving.comHelp raise £10000 to support the Nottingham UCU hardship fund – JustGiving CrowdfundingIʼm raising money to support the Nottingham UCU hardship fund. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page. 11210
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieHank Green @hankgreen.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Hello. The moment you gate educational videos behind a paywall, a massive wall of bureaucracy goes up. Teachers have to beg administrators for budgets, companies have to wine-and-dine school boards, millions of students get locked out, and people get forced into using material they don't like. 332155250
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 16/05/2026The Christophers is an excellent movie and I recommend you go see it! 010
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Crazy news from Nottingham Uni. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukUniversity of Nottingham puts 2,700 staff at risk of redundancyThe University of Nottingham says it is facing 035
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 14/05/2026Picked up a copy of Focus magazine. The article on #mirrorlife is good. The 2 page editorial spread did give me a chuckle though! Our mirror life detection preprint is still making it's way through the peer review system... hope it'll get some press attention when it does! 020
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieLauren Sumner-Rooney @laurensr.bsky.social · 13/05/2026Beautiful new preprint from Antonio and Andres on the evolution of eye loss in spiders! Find the full thread below for details on unequal losses across parallel visual systems, possible regains of eyes, 1000s of surveyed species, ecological and developmental clues, and a gratuitous dinosaur emoji 🦕 34815
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 13/05/2026The Davidson glass works in England really took fluorescence to the next level #uraniumglass 181
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Our placement student just got some exciting lab results today! 😁 Wish I could share them, but it is ultra-early stage and so has to remain secret for now 😉 It'll be a fun paper later in the year! 160
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieRoberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 07/05/2026I'm thrilled to announce that my book LOST IN CURIOSITY: Field Notes from Scientists' Adventures into the Unknown is available to pre-order now and has been chosen for Indies Introduce, the American Booksellers Association's list of best summer/fall debuts! www.instagram.com/p/DYCj597DTp... (1/N) 39028
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 10/05/2026Good video by Prof Dave Explains about Hantavirus and what we know, and why not to panic. Worth a watch and a share! #hantavirus #science www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZWx...youtube.comHantavirus: What You Need to Know (Featuring Marion Koopmans)YouTube video by Professor Dave Explains 011
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Another interesting #upconversion paper - latest developments for transparent volumetric RGB displays using sophisticated UCNPs. #nanotech #photonics #chemsky 130
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Interesting paper - very well engineered inert-core #upconversion nanoparticles improve CdTe solar cell power conversion efficiency by ~6% #UCNPs #nanotech www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...sciencedirect.comMultishell NaYF4@NaYF4: Yb, Er@NaYF4 upconversion nanoparticles for enhanced photovoltaic performance of CdTe solar cellsLanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are extensively used in spectral conversion layers of photovoltaic (PV) devices to capture near-in… 020
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 06/05/2026Updated #preprint on how CPL could be used as an assay for #mirrorlife biohazards chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.... 040
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 01/05/2026#MirrorLife has made it to the Doomsday Clock 2026! Here's my pre-print discussing how we could detect it before it becomes a big problem, and to underpin future biosecurity legislation! chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.... #chemrxiv #chemsky #bioscience 020
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Here's a YouTube webinar where I enthuse about all the cool bioscience things that can be done with upconversion nanoparticles, and what my research group has been up to #chemistry #chemsky #physics #optics #UCNPs www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghmG...youtube.comSpectroscopy in Action | Photonic Upconversion Nanoparticles for Biological applicationsYouTube video by Edinburgh Instruments 021
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 30/04/2026@robbotron.bsky.social thank you for shining the light on the Butterfly Effect special edition on Realms Unknown! It also traumatised me when a (now ex) put it on as a "cute" movie for valentines day 2018! @alicefraser.bsky.social 020
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 13/04/2026Super anti-stoked to be at #UPCON 2026 in Brno, Czechia! An entire week of upconversion at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology! #ucnps #Upconversion #nanotech 020
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieLucien Heurtier @lucienheurtier.bsky.social · 10/04/2026Inflation is hitting STFC quite badly, but the wider research community is warning that STFC cutting its programmes is going to hit the “substantial portion of the UK research community that relies on STFC facilities but is funded through other UKRI research councils”, another open letter says. 🧪🔭 022
Reposted by Lewis MacKenziePrincess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Fascinating! A 20 yr study into cloning has revealed a fundamental flaw. Repeated duplication leads to an accumulation of fatal genetic mutations. Researchers in Japan generated 1,206 cloned mice from a single female donor between 2005 & 2025. 🧪 www.independent.co.uk/news/science...independent.co.ukScientists tried to clone mice indefinitely – and made a grave discoveryScientists cloned 1,206 mice from one female donor over 20 years to test the limits of cloning 78953
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieEle Willoughby @minouette.bsky.social · 22/03/2026March 22 is #WorldWaterDay & an apt birthday for Japanese #geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi (1920-2007) who created tools that allowed her to make 1st measurements of CO2 in seawater, raised the alarm about nuclear fallout, tracing it in oceans & researched peaceful uses of nuclear power. 🧪🐡👩🏻🔬 #histsci 210030
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 22/03/2026Project Hail Mary is really good. Only one laboratory goof. Brilliant movie! 240
Lewis MacKenzie @lemackz.bsky.social · 20/03/2026A uranium glass shoe ornament - really rare to find one in the UK! #fluoresencefriday 150
Reposted by Lewis MacKenzieProf Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 19/03/2026This is *very* cool... www.space.com/astronomy/as...space.comRyugu asteroid sample contains all five key components of DNA, scientists findA sample collected by the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft from the spinning top-like asteroid contained the nucleobases adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil. 719172