iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

A pooled image-based CRISPR screen identifies EAF1 as a T. gondii modulator of ESCRT subversion. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…

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Kranzusch Lab @kranzuschlab.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

How do human cells defend against viruses? @sgfern.bsky.social discovers that human immune proteins named ISGs target ancient features of replication shared between animal and bacterial viruses – opening analysis of human immunity to the power of bacterial genetics www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

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Alex Merz 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇦 @merz.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

As Fran was nice enough to highlight this, I thought I'd put up a brief thread. 3 in 10 proteins that our cells make are either embedded in membranes (ion channels, adhesion molecules, etc.) or secreted (insulin, antibodies). They move through the secretory pathway. 1/

simple diagram of the secretory pathway.

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Microbiology Society @microbiologysociety.org · 18/12/2025

Born #OnThisDay in 1922, Esther Lederberg was the first to isolate the lambda phage in 1951. She characterised the lysogenic phase, whereby the phage are able to integrate into the bacterial genome, staying dormant. This discovery made them a model tool of study, leading to many more breakthroughs.

Esther Lederberg in the laboratory in the 1950's. Credit: Estherlederberg.com

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Buzz Baum @buzzbaum.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

We have wondered what a complex archaeal cell might look like ever since 2014. It’s been a long road (and the journey is far from over), but it’s a good time to pause for breath and look. These Asgard archaeal cells are a surprise! And that is the joy of being a cell biologist.

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Sorek Lab @soreklab.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

Last year it was discovered that a single bacterial NLR-like protein can recognize multiple, structurally unrelated phage proteins (Béchon et al, Kibby et al) Now, a new study shows the same for a plant NLR. Another example how principles of immunity remain conserved from bacteria to eukaryotes

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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

Some charts for those who don't know the extent of the US public (and private) investment in research (particularly in biomedical research) compared to other countries and institutions. The destruction of the US' scientific institutions has global implications.

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Stefan Schoenfelder @stefanschoenfelder.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

This paper uncovers that HERVK LTR5Hs, a hominoid-specific retrovirus, act as epiblast enhancers with a crucial function in human pre-implantation development - stunning! doi.org/10.1038/s415...

doi.org

A human-specific regulatory mechanism revealed in a pre-implantation model - Nature

Genetic manipulation of blastoids reveals the role of recently emerged transposable elements and genes in human development.

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Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology @mpiib-berlin.mpg.de · 19/09/2025

📃 New paper alert! The Zychlinsky Lab and @raunser-lab.bsky.social identified the first protein that converts chromatin into an immune effector: Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps. Now published in @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps - Nature

Myeloperoxidase, a highly expressed neutrophil protein, disassembles nucleosomes, facilitating neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, and binds stably to NETs extracellularly.

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Judith Behnsen @judith-behnsen.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Excited to share our new publication, out today in Nature! www.nature.com/articles/s41.... @kanchanj.bsky.social led this fascinating fungal-bacterial interaction project. We are grateful for our wonderful collaborators Brian Peters and David Underhill.

nature.com

Commensal yeast promotes Salmonella Typhimurium virulence - Nature

Commensal Candida albicans enhances the virulence and dissemination of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium.

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Katelyn Jetelina @kkjetelina.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

CDC employees standing up and walking out in light of the mass shootings, firings, and *waves hands in the air* everything else. #USAnotRFK Lets gooooo

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Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

New: In 7 months, Kennedy has broken the CDC, perhaps irreparably. For all he’s done with mass firings, gutting expertise, and attacking vaccines, Wednesday’s loss of its most senior and competent leaders—truly the CDC’s backbone—is the most consequential attack yet. www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/c...

msnbc.com

‘People will die because of this’: How RFK Jr. drove out the CDC’s senior leaders

On the same day Susan Monarez was fired, four of the agency’s top leaders quit.

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Jake Scott, MD @jakescottmd.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Vaccines do not cause autism.

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Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

As with other coronaviruses, immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is short-lived. Prioritizing older persons for vaccination saves more lives, while targeting younger persons decreases the number of infections. Banning the vaccine will predictably result in more infections, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID.

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Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

If RFK Jr. had any interest in regulating big pharma or helping americans eat better or reducing chronic illness he would not have gutted the agencies he is in charge of. *Every* story about his alleged policy ideas should lead with this extremely elementary reality.

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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

TL;DR: 5 justices say Trump doesn't have to immediately restore the funding, but 5 *also* signal that the underlying directives are unlawful. That sends a fairly strong (if mixed) message that Trump will lose these cases *eventually,* but only once they're brought in the Court of Federal Claims.

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Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

This is scant comfort to NIH-funded researchers. It would take many months or more than a year to re-file cases in Federal Claims Court, win them, and get grant money back. It's also expensive. Lawyers fees add up. The practical result is that all of this research is gone. What a waste.

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Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

🧪 Senate appropriators say: NIH's budget gets a... boost! Rather than 40% cut, NIH gets a $400M *increase* in the Senate committee bill for FY26 (about +1%). "Congress has your back," said @murray.senate.gov. ADVOCACY MATTERS! There's still a long road (esp in the House), so keep up pressure.

appropriations.senate.gov

Full Committee Markup of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Acts | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

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Sofia de Oliveira, Ph.D. @sdeoliveira.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

📣The @aai.org allocated $8M RESTORE Grants Program, an initiative that will focus on providing financial support to researchers whose grants were abruptly terminated or frozen in 2025 for reasons unrelated to their scientific merit! 👏 Check the details 👇 #SupportResearch #Immunology

news.aai.org

$8M RESTORE Grants Program Launched for Researchers Hit by Federal Funding Terminations - AAI News

AAI has launched an $8 million emergency funding initiative called the RESTORE Grants Program to support scientists whose immunology-focused federal research grants were abruptly terminated or frozen ...

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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Wait, sometimes there are surprises. Apparently some Republicans have now grasped the immense damage to their communities caused by massive cuts to NIH funding. We told them this beforehand, yet they still thoroughly enjoyed seeing the massive cuts…until it affected them directly.

politico.com

14 Republican senators urge White House to release delayed NIH funds

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) is leading the letter making the ask of OMB director Russ Vought.

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Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

The assault on higher education is not just about coastal elite schools. "Federal agencies terminated or were attempting to terminate more than 4,000 grants across over 600 institutions. These grants are worth between $6.9 billion and $8.2 billion combined." www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...

insidehighered.com

Feds Axed Grants Across Red, Blue States, Report Finds

The Center for American Progress says the Trump administration has targeted for termination more than 4,000 grants across over 600 institutions. Adjusting for statewide enrollment, South Dakota is hit...

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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Not just Americans.....children around the world Cutting off support of the organization that has saved the lives of 17 million children around the world in the past 2 decades Front page @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/h...

nytimes.com

Kennedy Withdraws U.S. Funding Pledge to International Vaccine Agency

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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

politico.com

RFK Jr. says US won’t donate to global vaccine effort

Kennedy ripped into Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in a video address at its pledging summit.

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Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Before the vaccine, close to 10% of measles infections resulted in deafness. It currently causes 100K children/yr to become blind. 1/1000 who recover completely will later develop a fatal encephalitis. Every infection disrupts the immune system, and can cause loss of all immunity to other infections

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 19/06/2025

What happens when NIH is under threat? 📉 Fewer clinical trials. 💔 No new treatments for cancer, rare diseases. And long-term? We surrender our global leadership in biomedical research. NIHers risked everything to speak out, b/c the stakes are life and death. Stand with them here⬇️ zurl.co/OArEE

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Esteban Hoijman @estebanhoijman.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

How innate immunity starts? Early embryos eliminate bacterial infections by epithelial phagocytosis, a conserved process from zebrafish to human embryos. Check our story: www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

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Mike McFadden @mcfaddmj.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

I'm also excited to share some recent observations with @teresaomeara.bsky.social about how the growth phase of the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris influences its pathogenesis: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

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Lauren McKenzie @themckenziest.gay · 14/06/2025

Look at downtown LA right now

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Shan-Lu Liu @shanluliu.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Our new work: ZIKV infection induces autophagy which mediates the downregulation of host entry factors TIM-1 and AXL. This, in turn, promotes sustained ZIKV infection by preventing superinfection and dampening the host innate immunity. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

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News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Holy shit, New York! Here’s the full view. #NoKings #50501Movement

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