iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Glad I was able to sneak out today to a remnant oak savanna in central Illinois today.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I'm ordering a heatsink from Dell for my lab server and this "intended product use" caught my eye. Perhaps some of my students feel that bioinformatics has caused them mass destruction??

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

We had a great Data Nuggets @datanuggets.bsky.social workshop for Chicago teachers as part of my joint NSF and Walder Foundation program to provide research experiences for preservice teachers. It's been a joy hosting the Data Nuggets creators the past 5 years for this workshop.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

We had a big crew from Loyola at #Evol2026 in Cleveland this past week. So many great talks and poster presentations from our postdocs, grad students, and undergrads across 4 labs @loyolachicago.bsky.social

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

My student Josh Melnick did a great job presenting his masters research at #Evol2026 on comparative population genetics between Astragalus lentiginosus and rhizobia. This was his first conference talk. He is off to Florida State for a PhD this fall.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

My new postdoc Akash Datta and grad student Nick McNutt @loyolachicago.bsky.social have been busy homogenizing lots and lots of field soil for our GWAS of microbiome variation in Medicago.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Congrats to my USRE (summer undergrad research intern) student Jens on presenting his research on plant microbe interactions in a cool native legume Lespidiza. It was great having Jens in the lab! @loyolachicago.bsky.social

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

We moved 1200 Medicago plants out to the field today for our GWAS mapping microbiome variation. This is part of my NSF CAREER grant and we have a Chicago Public School teacher and a pre-service teacher on our team.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Pretty? More like pretty nasty. Lesser Celandine is a very aggressive invasive species that is becoming dominant along the riverbanks in Chicago. It completely blankets the ground. I saw a few Trout Lilies but they likely will be choked out soon.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Last summer I lost my favorite Costa sunglasses while doing field work in a remnant oak savannah. I absolutely loved these glasses and spent a ton of time looking for them. Here we are a year later and I found them today! ...after a prescribed burn. So I treated myself to Dairy Queen to cheer up.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Students in my CURE @loyolachicago.bsky.social have been busy setting up their experiments comparing microbiome interactions between native and invasive legumes. It's single digits outside here in Chi-beria but feels like spring in our rooftop greenhouse!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

I had a great time presenting at the Plant and Animal Genome conference and visiting with so many awesome folks. Lots of cool science! #PAG33

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Happy new year from northern Michigan.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

I wish invasive species came with warning labels. This is Birds Foot Trefoil, which I need for research. Unknowing customers might think this species might be a welcome addition in a native garden. But local land managers are at their wits end dealing with this species in restored prairies.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

We had lots of Midwest fall fun this weekend at a mega corn maze in southwest Michigan with tons of awesome signage on the history/diversity of life!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Amazing talk today by Andrea Case @andreacase.bsky.social on her fascinating work to understand how closely related Lobelia co-occur.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

I had a hot (91F) morning trying to navigate through the tall grass prairie at Nachusa Geasslands in search of Illinois Bundleflower. It was so cool exploring this incredibly rare habitat in its final glory at the end of the growing season.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

This is the second "Professor Oppressor" postcard that I have received. They aren't overtly threatening, but it's unsettling that "they" have my home address. Many faculty at Loyola have been receiving them. We live in interesting times...

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

It's that time of year...oh boy.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

#PlantBio2025 has been an awesome conference! So much awesome plant-microbe work! It's been so nice meeting new colleagues and catching up with old friends. I gave a talk and 3 of my labbies from @loyolachicago.bsky.social presented posters.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

That's a wrap on year 4 of our NSF and Walder Foundation funded summer research program for pre-service STEM teachers. We finished with a bang and a great poster session. What an inspiring group of future educators! @loyolachicago.bsky.social

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Field work in Midwest Oak Savannas includes fruit snacks this time of year! Blueberries and black raspberries for days.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

We had a wonderful day yesterday sampling native and invasive legumes at Nachusa grasslands. Such a special place. Huge shout out to @s0il0rgmatters.bsky.social for spending the day with us!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Big week for my lab. I presented at #Evol2025 and 2 MS students defended. Congrats Cian (microbiomes and plant soil feedbacks) and Josh (coevolution of Astragalus and rhizobia)!! The whole lab crew celebrated with drinks on the Lakeshore (5 min walk from lab).

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Day 2 of our Walder Foundation and NSF sponsored Data Nuggets @datanuggets.bsky.social workshop was also a big success! We had preservice, middle, and high school teachers from throughout Chicago and from several other states. Huge thank you to @eschultheis.bsky.social @kjelvikm.bsky.social and Sam.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Day 1 of our Walder Foundation sponsored Data Nuggets @datanuggets.bsky.social workshop was a big success! Scientists from Loyola, the Field Museum and Chicago State built new Data Nuggets on prairie restoration, Anolis lizards, plant microbiomes, and endangered mice..and we caught a Cubs game!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Fun night of comedy and science focused on sex/gender. Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social and Greg Matthews @statsinthewild.bsky.social rocked it!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Last Lupinus perennis inflorescence and first Tephrosia virginiana flower in this remnant sand prairie in central Illinois. (Plus lots of ticks).

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Students in my lab have been busy measuring AMF root colonization this week. We are asking if remnant prairie soil inoculation improves plant establishment for native species with low success in restoration sites. @loyolachicago.bsky.social

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

The preRETs (REUs going into teaching) in our NSF funded program had a great time today at the Museum of Science and Industry @msichicago.bsky.social exploring the exhibits and learning about opportunities for teachers. Here they are in a real submarine captured from the Nazis 81 years ago today

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Love my summer bike commute to lab! Golden Alexander, Ohio Spiderwort, and Columbines are in full bloom in the restored prairie patches along the North Channel Trail in Chicago.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Had a great Memorial day family hike in northern Michigan.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Was able to find some late Morels Northern Michigan.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

On my way back to Chicago after a successful week chasing locoweeds (Astragalus) in California. This was my first time collecting out west since 2020. Looking forward to getting rhizobia out of these guys.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

Congrats to our lab graduates from @loyolachicago.bsky.social . Cian and Josh will be defending their Masters this summer. Zoe and Edie have been long time undergrads in the lab. You will be missed!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Some of the native plants I saw blooming during my bike commute this morning along the North Channel Trail in Chicago.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

I had a great semester teaching a CURE on plant-microbe interactions. Students worked on a project that is part of my Walder Foundation Biota grant testing if remnant prairie soil inoculation improves plant establishment in restored prairies.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Hard to tell from the pic, but I love that we have a view of Lake Michigan from the lab!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

My lab crew and I had a great time today at the Chicago Plant Science Symposium. It was great meeting new people and connecting with friends and colleagues. Thanks @andrewlhipp.bsky.social and the other organizers for hosting.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Great talk by @thomsanger.bsky.social yesterday (and the other panelists) on the societal and scientific aspects of sex and gender. I'm looking forward to his presentation at #Evol2025 for the @sse-evolution.bsky.social education and outreach symposium.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Great talk and visit this week by Gabby Nunez-Mir! She also came to my CURE (plant microbe interactions) to discuss her recent PNAS paper showing that invasive plants are associated with homogenization of soil microbial communities across Neon sites. 10.1073/pnas.2418632121

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Loved exploring El Yunque National Forest yesterday! So many cool plants!

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Congrats to Betsy Leong on her defense! Betsy has been examining the impacts of pre-service teacher research experiences for our NSF funded program. Of note, she found that research experiences ⬆️ teacher identity as scientists. Here she is with my stellar coPI (and her advisor) Lara Smetana.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Proud science moment. Josh McKeever, the first undergrad in my lab, came back to give a seminar. Josh graduated from Loyola @loyolachicago.bsky.social in 2019 and is finishing up his PhD in immunology at U Chicago. So proud of him and excited to see what his future holds.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Had a great time at Jim Cheverud's retirement party. I remember reading one of his papers when I was a 1st year grad student. What an impactful career over 40 years at multiple institutions, with 4 papers cited over a thousand times and an incredible legacy of mentoring the next generation.

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Mike Grillo @mikegrillo.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

I'm teaching a CURE this semester for the first time. It was a busy week for students setting up experiments testing if soil inoculation from remnant prairies improves plant establishment in agriculture soil. It was super frigid outside here in Chicago, but nice and warm in the greenhouse.

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