iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Dr. Hopson’s application of Evolutionary Rate Covariation in malaria discovers functional clusters related to virulence and a new invasion gene!

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

This is such a brilliantly executed merger of molecular biology and evolution. It shows that there's so much more to learn even about well studied systems. Nice work @transcribe-or-die.bsky.social @aakashg20.bsky.social and Karen Arndt!

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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 16/06/2026

How has #evolution shaped Transcription Elongation Factors, important for #GeneExpression? This study by Alex Francette, Karen Arndt &co traces ten core factors to the last eukaryotic common ancestor, and shows they display both conserved and lineage-specific domains. 🧪#AcademicSky plos.io/4eaCUTJ

The authors' proposed model reflecting the acquisition and putative loss of transcription elongation factor domains across clades in the Tree of Life

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

I heard from several sources yesterday that NIH is planning to release a Request for Information (RFI) that apparently will include this: Scores and percentiles for NIH grant applications will not be shared with applicants although they will be provided to NIH program officers and staff. 1/3

Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Want to impress reviewers? Make figures with: 1. fonts large enough to be read by a macroscopic organism I constantly review grants/manuscripts with 2-point font surrounded by tons of extra white space. Quadruple the font size. It's that easy! Contribute other pro tips below!

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🧬Jacob L Steenwyk @jlsteenwyk.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

The ggpubfigs package just got more stable. Now, every time the code updates, it’s automatically tested on older, current, and development versions of R—which you can see on the green badge. I officially support R versions 4.4, 4.5, and the latest development release. (1/2)

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 03/02/2026

In @nytopinion.nytimes.com “A lot of Americans are tired of being pitted against their neighbors and hunger to be brought together for a common purpose; they want common-sense solutions and to preserve our most cherished public institutions,” our columnist Thomas Friedman writes.

nyti.ms

Opinion | How a Conservative Texas District Rejected the Politics of Division

Many Americans are growing both exhausted and frightened by Trump’s scorched-earth, hyperpartisan, fire-ready-aim approach to the presidency.

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Evolutionary Rate Covariation (ERC) analysis finds new Plasmodium protein involved in red blood cell invasion. An online resource and study with @helenahopson.bsky.social and @ellenleffler.bsky.social Paul Sigala and Jordan Little

biorxiv.org

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Testing for positive selection *specific* to a set of foreground branches. A purpose-made method with Sergei Pond, @averyselberg.bsky.social, and Maria Chikina.

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Vincent J Lynch 🐘🦣🦥 🦇🐋🐢🐍 @devoevomed.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Sigh. The #ColossalBio #DeExtinction #DisInformation campaign appears to be kicking into gear again — so too shall my truth telling. It’s a scam. 🧪 🐺 🦣 substack.com/@devoevomed/...

substack.com

The Extinction of Truth

Or, a Colossal Pile of Bullshit

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Please find attached the annual progress report for our federal grant.

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Yawako @yawaguchi.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

I’ve released a tool to sketch and edit phylogenetic trees! yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/ Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches. Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.

yawak.jp

PhyloWeaver – Interactive phylogenetic tree editor

Edit and visualize phylogenetic trees directly in your browser. PhyloWeaver lets you interactively rearrange tree topologies and export high-quality figures for publications and presentations.

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🧬Jacob L Steenwyk @jlsteenwyk.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

I confirmed with the organizer of the Evomics workshops that we will be *unable* to extend the registration date. Please ensure your seat and register before November 15 :) bsky.app/profile/jlst...

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Looking forward to presenting but also learning from others!

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Sam Bogan @snbogan.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Excited to share this work, out today in MBE! In polar fishes, we found that antifreeze protein genes expanded in copy number at low temperatures and contracted in the deep sea, highlighting a role of depth and pressure in AFP evolution. 🔗 academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

When my out-of-office email hits your inbox and you have one set too, why doesn’t it result in an infinite out-of-office emailing loop?

media.tenor.com

a black laptop is floating in the air with clouds behind it

ALT: a black laptop is floating in the air with clouds behind it

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Grant writers of the NIH kind: Did you know the grant guide asks for Letters of Support from *all* senior personnel, Co-Is, etc...? I have never done this! Have you? I had no idea, just assumed they're funded on the grant and helped write it, so why?

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Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Reupping support for journalism outlets not beholden to corporate interests. When everything is a commodity, it's worth asking where your news is coming from. What are your favorites? Mine are @apnews.com @propublica.org @theguardian.com @pbsnews.org @motherjones.com @haaretzcom.bsky.social

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Congrats to lab postdoc, Dr. Emily Kopania, on being selected for a Catalyst Award from the Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine! Her project will develop a Virtual Reality experience demonstrating to students how other species see the world through their differing visual systems.

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

There's this great showdown between Gothic and Brutalism a block from work at Pitt. Who will win?

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Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · 31/08/2025

NEW: "Long the envy of the world…the CDC finds itself no longer able to advocate for what its scientists believe the best available research shows….The agency has since January shed literally centuries' worth of collective experience through a combination of firings, retirements, and resignations."

thebulwark.com

This Is What—and Who—We’re Losing in RFK’s Purge

The story of one scientist, a career in public health, and the crisis at the CDC.

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Lab purchase for equipment made in Canada only. Guess who’s paying the tariff? Hint: it’s not the company!

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

NOA has arrived. Research continues in our little corner of the scientific world. Thanks to those NIH officials working hard to move things forward. We appreciate you.

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

railroad trestle in the Burgh

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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

A hearty welcome to Scientific American on Bsky!

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Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

BEHOLD! One of Earth's greatest lineages of life: the lil wiggle arm guys, Meteora. These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Right. Imagine the race to the moon, but instead we landed astronauts on a plateau in Arizona with manmade craters. This is Colossal. As much as it hurts to say so.

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 08/07/2025

BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Lab on NPR! High Altitude Mammals Have Reduced Senses of Smell nclarklab.org/wp-content/u...

nclarklab.org

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

It was a pleasure to collaboratively write this perspective. The process was amazing. 6 busy PIs met over zoom every 2 weeks for an hour to write. It was forbidden to work on it outside that time. So no guilt. It came together quickly and nicely.

academic.oup.com

Integrating Intermediate Traits in Phylogenetic Genotype-to-Phenotype Studies

Synopsis. A major goal of research in evolution and genetics is linking genotype to phenotype. This work could be direct, such as determining the genetic b

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Nice write-up of Allie Graham's latest publication and last from our lab. Congrats! ...and for future grad students, Prof. Graham now has a lab at the University of Kansas. www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Mountain-dwelling animals may have a worse sense of smell

Poor olfaction could be an adaptation to frigid environments

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

High altitude species have reduced olfactory receptor repertoires! The reduction has happened repeatedly throughout mammals. Why? We're not sure, but perhaps because there are fewer things to smell above the tree line! authors.elsevier.com/c/1lJxH3QW8S...

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Wayne Maddison @waynemaddison.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Mesquite 4 beta released! Many new features, esp. phylogenomic. Check out the trailer and longer video on the home page: www.mesquiteproject.org, and use the download link there to get a copy. Feedback welcome! Ask and discuss on our new Google Group (groups.google.com/g/mesquite-p...).

The Mesquite icon shown, as a Mesquite leaf against a black background, and as a leave against the sun and a blue sky.

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Quote post this with a picture of the airplane you’ll accept as a bribe.

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Nathan Clark @nclark.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

20 people is ~1.8% of Talkeetna's population. Per capita that's more than NYC's protest. Way to go, Talkeetna!

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