Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Now that UW is in the Big 10, we apparently get access to other activities besides just football. I was pleased to be selected for the Big Ten Academic Alliance Department Executive Officers Program this year. Had our first meeting today, and it seems like it'll be pretty interesting! 0110
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Here’s the link for anyone interested (I get zero dollars and zero cents for any purchases btw, so no COI in posting it!) mbaa-store.square.site/product/brew...mbaa-store.square.siteBrewing Yeast Volume 1: Yeast Fundamentals and Propagation | MBAAOffers a road map on processes and procedures that even a small brewery could easily implement in its day-to-day operationsSupported by extensive visual material: photographs, process diagrams, graphs... 050
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 06/10/2026While book chapters are frequently a bear to write, it’s always thrilling to get a physical object at the end. Thanks to my coauthors Chris and Barbara! We got the intro to yeast chapters for this nice volume from MBAA. 3262
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Whoops, looks like this link might have changed. Try this one docs.google.com/forms/d/1HRr...docs.google.comGenome Sciences grad information sessions 000
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Here's the ad for the Genome Sciences faculty positions ap.washington.edu/ahr/position...ap.washington.eduPosition Details - Academic Personnel & Faculty 03337
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 30/09/2026My kingdom for a reference manager that maintains proper italicization of gene and species names. 1161
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Chris was able to find all sorts of cool patterns combining our population sequencing data with previously published. One of my favorite results is if you are near a Ty hotspot, you have different mutations available to you vs other loci, and that shows up in the mutation distribution. 020
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Aaron and his team of undergrads (also authors on the paper) did nearly 100 yeast chemostat evolution experiments using our "ministat" platform. Truly an incredible amount of work but worth it to get that many replicates. Here's how to build them if you're interested www.jove.com/t/50262/desi...jove.com 130
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 29/09/2026New paper that includes work from one of my first grad students (Aaron) and one of my most recent (Chris). Experimental evolution really is the gift that keeps on giving. Mutational bias and local genome context constrain adaptive paths in experimental evolution academic.oup.com/genetics/adv...academic.oup.comValidate User 1112
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 28/09/2026The little trick where you pipetted the reactions+loading buffer out on parafilm so you wouldn't get oil in the gel. So satisfying. 140
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Let them finish their sentence when the timer goes off. Ask one follow-up question. Move on. It’s great as a way to judge many posters in a short amount of time, and shakes people out of their usual spiel. Obviously lacks something in depth but I can always go talk to the person more later. And fun! 020
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 25/09/2026People might not believe you initially, so give them a second to process then hit start. They will then get down to business and tell you the most interesting thing! What they find most interesting is an interesting choice in its own right. 120
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Caveat: this method only works for situations like retreats where you more or less know the background and can skip to the good stuff. I elbow aside anyone else at the poster and say I’m a judge. Then I set a timer for 1 minute and ask them to tell me the most interesting thing on their poster. 100
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Great fun as always at the @uwgenome.bsky.social retreat, this year on Bainbridge Island (photos from the ferry this morning). Very stimulating talk on the history of the concept of inheritance by @matthewcobb.bsky.social And i feel compelled to share my favorite poster judging method for retreats: 140
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Exciting news: @uwgenome.bsky.social will be hiring for two tenure-track faculty positions this year, one open rank and one assistant professor. Both are “Genome Sciences” interpreted broadly so we welcome applicants working in a variety of fields and methods. Ad will be out shortly. 1107105
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 24/09/2026With any luck I will post more about it later :) 010
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Seattle locals request: does anyone have a set of "port tongs" that I could borrow for what I promise is a very highly scientific cause? 100
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 23/09/2026lol. It was Pokemon Go night so I did get a fancy Pikachu with the stadium in the background. 020
Reposted by Maitreya Dunhamtracey depellegrin @traceydepellegrin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026The @c4lifesciences.bsky.social is seeking an Executive Director. CLS is a terrific group of engaged scientific & scholarly society leaders. Check out the position (ideal for a person experienced in policy & advocacy + Capitol Hill) & share w/interested, qualified folks.ascb.applytojob.comExecutive Director, Coalition for the Life Sciences - American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) - Career PageApply to Executive Director, Coalition for the Life Sciences at American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) in Bethesda, MD. 037
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Is there anything better than hanging out with a room full of people who geek out about yeast as much as a yeast geneticist? Got invited to be the guest of the Rat City Homebrew Club, who is planning some experiments with S. eubayanus. Ran out of yeast stab vial party favors. 0150
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 17/09/2026I got a copy of the book for the CSHL Yeast Course library since it does such a good job of capturing that experience, as also mentioned in the article by Mark Rose. 000
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 17/09/2026One fun thing at the Botstein symposium was being reminded of this great article about the novelist Jeffrey Eugenides visiting the lab to get some "spice" for The Marriage Plot. I can literally hear David say "I have here a novelist” when he brings him into the lab. www.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/s...nytimes.comThe Scientist Was a Figment, but His Work Was Real (Gift Article)Jeffrey Eugenides’s new novel, “The Marriage Plot,” has scenes describing yeast genetic studies that ring so true, many assume that researchers had to have given him some in-depth help. 192
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Welcome to our new graduate student, Joey! He is a student in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences co-mentored with @clairewilling.bsky.social. I'm excited and a bit intimidated to move On Beyond Ascomycetes. Auditing Claire's Fungal Ecology & Biology class this quarter to get up to speed 1120
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Emotional and meaningful day celebrating and remembering the legacy of David Botstein. pph.princeton.edu/david-botste...pph.princeton.eduDavid Botstein Memorial Symposium 0244
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 28/08/2026If you are thinking of applying to the @uwgenome.bsky.social PhD program this fall, we have a couple of zoom info sessions set up for Oct 6 and Oct 22. Please register at the link. Our website also has a ton of useful information about crafting your application. www.gs.washington.edu/news/graduat...gs.washington.eduGraduate Program Information Sessions – UW Genome Sciences 11214
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Latest w/ Bonny Brewer and Raghu. We evolved different DNA repair mutants to investigate the mechanism of a gene amplification we've been working on for many years. We got all sorts of interesting alternate outcomes, including these cool subtelomeric repeats in Ku mutants dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...dx.plos.orgTelomeric amplicons of SUL1 and Y’ in yeast are generated by microhomology-mediated break induced replication occurring in cisAuthor summary The human genome is peppered with repeated segments that are located at sites both nearby and distant from the original, ancestral segments. These Copy Number Variants, or CNVs, appear ... 0122
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Since we originally posted it, another group found a similar result in S. pombe! dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...dx.plos.orgHypomorphic mutations in ura6 confer 5-FOA resistance in fission yeastGenome integrity is essential for cellular survival and adaptation across diverse physiological states. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe relies on conserved DNA repair pathways to maintain ... 040
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Updated version of our preprint about mutations in URA6 causing 5-FOA resistance in S. cerevisiae, now including new metabolite profiling data! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...biorxiv.orgURA6 mutations provide an alternative mechanism for 5-FOA resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiaeThe URA3 gene is frequently used in the budding yeast community as the mutation target for 5-fluoroorotic acid (5-FOA) resistance. We identified a class of ura6 mutants that can grow in the presence o... 1186
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 19/08/2026About to attempt a live demo on yeast strain development at @brewingchemists.bsky.social 2026 meeting. Wish us luck! 1150
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 10/08/2026But challenges remain, including, among other things, looking at complex alleles, better utilizing the turbidostat, and harnessing other yeast phenotypes. Renee and her lab are continuing to work on some of this, as is my summer REU student, Diana, so stay tuned! 010
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 10/08/2026I continue to find G6PD just a fascinating gene. So much genetic variation. Balancing selection since deficiency can be protective against malaria. Interesting tech challenges too: the human gene can rescue the yeast zwf1 knockout, and we competed the mutant library in turbidostats to tune selection 120
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Our deep mutational scan of G6PD is out in final form! @reneegeck.bsky.social did an incredible job on the project, & @dougfowler.bsky.social has been fantastic to collaborate with, as usual. Really gratifying to contribute functional evidence on VUS classification for G6PD deficiency. rdcu.be/fyTlfrdcu.beEvidence for G6PD variant classification from multiplexed functional assays 1124
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Favorite hilarious thing I learned today: we borrowed a plate reader from a lab downstairs and they have two, named Jacob and Edward. They’re both apparently temperamental and people have superstitious favorites. Edward gave us an error so I guess we’re Team Jacob. So funny. 1150
Reposted by Maitreya DunhamFred Hutch Basic Sciences Division @basicsci.fredhutch.org · 05/08/2026Join @FredHutch.org's Basic Sciences Division as an Assistant or Associate Professor and help shape the future of fundamental biology. We welcome applicants whose work will complement, extend, or bring new directions to the division.apply.interfolio.comApply - Interfolio 02829
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 31/07/2026If anyone would like to join me in a last-gasp-of-summer attempt to catch up on things before the new school year hits, I'm calling August #FrogMonth during which I'm going to try to polish off as many proverbial Twainian frogs as possible. Moldering papers, overdue administrative tasks, & more 🐸🐸🐸 131
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Looking forward to our annual Wednesday Evening at the Genome Public Lecture tonight, this year in partnership with @burkemuseum.bsky.social: Samuel Wasser on using genetics to combat the illegal ivory trade. For future events, sign up for our mailing list mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/list... 060
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 22/07/2026At the Hutch today for a teacher training workshop with @sciedhutch.bsky.social New group of teachers trying out our yeast evolution and genomics high school activities as part of our @yevolab.bsky.social project. You can download materials from yevo.org (and we can send you strains too!)yevo.orgyEvo 131
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Congratulations to undergraduate researchers Katya and Nya on winning Herschel & Caryl Roman Scholarships! www.gs.washington.edu/academics/aw...gs.washington.eduHerschel & Caryl Roman Scholarship – UW Genome Sciences 070
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 08/07/2026The cartoons represent budding brewing/baking yeast cells, and the color gradient is supposed to give the impression that they’re evolving, which is what my lab studies :) I actually often do include a card with notes on the back when I give other people yeast strains from our collection. 010
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Got myself some new business cards from the wonderful Letterpress pdx! 161473
Reposted by Maitreya DunhamSaccharomyces Genome Database @yeastgenome.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Join the Pacific Northwest Yeast Club for the 2026 PNWYC annual meeting! July 31st, 2026 at Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA. Registration's FREE. Anyone working in any type of fungal system is welcome! www.pnwyc.net/home 082
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Registration is open for the 2026 PNW Yeast Club meeting, July 31 at WWU in Bellingham. Researchers in any yeast/fungal systems welcome. Register by July 10 for talks, or July 24 for posters & other attendees. Thanks @dan-pollard.bsky.social and @kinasequeen.bsky.social for hosting! www.pnwyc.netpnwyc.netPNWYCPNWYC 2026 Meeting A day for yeast labs in the Pacific Northwest to get together and share research, outreach, teaching, and more! July 31, 2026, in Bellingham, WA, USA Western Washington University ... 093
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 22/06/2026End of spring quarter we said goodbye to newly graduated PhD student Gabby, and now beginning of summer we say hello to summer REU student Diana! 020
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 17/06/2026I had a pretty good run too: kicked off by introducing @gsherloc.bsky.social’s great award lecture, helped celebrate David Botstein, co-ran a workshop on teaching genetics, tabled for outreach, & co-chaired the last session. And I can’t not mention the CSHL Yeast Course get-together. Fun all around! 182
Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · 17/06/2026The @genetics-gsa.bsky.social Yeast Meeting will always be my favorite. Highlights: grad student Leah winning best poster (!), postdoc Sarah's poster on a new @yevolab.bsky.social evolution scheme, Barbara's talk on beer yeast evolution, Leah's real time data analysis on the mentoring panel #Yeast26 1183
Reposted by Maitreya DunhamGenetics Society of America @genetics-gsa.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Building on a series of successful virtual meetings, members of GSA's Department Chairs Forum gathered at Asilomar for their first in-person meeting which provided a space for peer-level exchange on navigating a rapidly-shifting landscape and addressing challenges. ⬇️🧵 173
Reposted by Maitreya DunhamCaiti Smukowski Heil @caitismuheil.bsky.social · 17/06/2026Dunham lab past and present at #Yeast26 ! @maitreya.bsky.social 0151
Reposted by Maitreya DunhamSally G Pasion @sgpombe.bsky.social · 17/06/2026Graduate awardees of #Yeast26 YGM Student Poster Awards announced by #InesPinto @uarkansas.bsky.social: #LeahAnderson @maitreya.bsky.social lab @uwgenome.bsky.social, #NasimaAkhter @justinfay.bsky.social lab @urochester.bsky.social , & #OnyinyechiOnuoha #BruceKnutson lab @biochemdept-bmb.bsky.social 031