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Harriet Alexander

@nekton4plankton.bsky.social
966 followers 691 following 25 posts

biological oceanographer | bioinformatics enthusiast | data and twin wrangler | alexanderlabwhoi.github.io assistant scientist @ WHOI | she / her 👩🏽‍🔬🧬🦠🌊🏳️‍🌈 twitter archive: halexand.github.io/old_tweets

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Harriet Alexander @nekton4plankton.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Anyone looking to do grad school in fields related to ecology/evolution should consider applying!
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Juan Pierella Karlusich @jjpk.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Patterns and drivers of diatom diversity andabundance in the global ocean rdcu.be/ehlG4
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Many of us who don’t work on space science directly were inspired to become scientists because of NASA. Also, about 30% of NASA's science budget is for Earth and climate science, and they run one of the global climate models that's used by the IPCC. What happens at NASA will affect all of us.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
The Trump administration just withdrew the US from two global climate programs: the loss and damage fund, which aids countries hit by climate disasters, and the Just Energy Transition Partnership, which helps developing countries transition from coal.
washingtonpost.com
Trump just reversed course on two key U.S. climate pledges
By pulling out of two global climate finance programs, the United States has increased challenges for vulnerable countries.
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Dan "Mr. Bones and Me" Greene @dmgreene.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Judith Butler: "Once you decide that a single vulnerable minority can be sacrificed, you’re operating within a fascist logic, because that means there might be a second one you’re willing to sacrifice, and a third, a fourth, and then what happens?"
english.elpais.com
Judith Butler, philosopher: ‘If you sacrifice a minority like trans people, you are operating within a fascist logic’
A leading figure in feminism and gender studies, the thinker welcomes EL PAÍS in California after being voted one of the most influential minds in the world
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Nick Haddad @nickhaddad.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Our paper is out, and it is distressing. Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century
Numerous declines have been documented across insect groups, and the potential consequences of insect losses are dire. Butterflies are the most surveyed insect taxa, yet analyses have been limited in ...
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
www.cpr.org/2025/03/03/h...
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Roland Hatzenpichler @environmicrobio.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Stand up for Science on March 7th. Find your local rally or organize one yourself! standupforscience2025.org #Science #Sciencenotsilence
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Jelena Godrijan 🫧❾🌊🦋 @godi.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
⚠️A recent study reveals that a novel acidic organelle in the marine phytoplankton Scyphosphaera apsteinii plays a dual role in both phagocytosis and autophagy, highlighting its multifunctional catabolic capabilities. #coccolithophores 🌊 #protistsonsky nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
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Andy Truman PhD @trumanlab.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Access to the GPM database removed for US researchers 😬
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Dave Jones | GeoCollaborate @geocollaborate.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Crowds are massive in Silver Spring, Maryland…the home of NOAA. People chanting, “Save NOAA Now!” and “We will not weather the storm.” Make your voices heard and keep it up. #NOAA #NWS Severe Weather is on its Way. And so is hurricane season. 🌀 🧪
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Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
As my friend @drshepherd2013.bsky.social says, asking why we need a National Weather Service when we have apps and the Weather Channel is like asking why we need potato farmers when we can buy fries at McDonalds.
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Steven Biller @stevenbiller.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Our latest on the genetic content carried within different populations of DNA-containing particles in the oceans! Vesicles and viruses likely play distinct roles in microbial horizontal gene transfer networks. Grateful to all collaborators www.nature.com/articles/s41... #MicroSky
nature.com
Distinct horizontal gene transfer potential of extracellular vesicles versus viral-like particles in marine habitats - Nature Communications
Biller et al. use long-read sequencing of fractionated ocean nanoparticles, showing that extracellular vesicles and virus-like particles contain distinct pools of genetic information and thus may diff...
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
Francis Collins, the NIH Director for 12 years, led the Human Genome Project and other NIH efforts for 32 years, resigned today. Key words from his resignation letter www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/u...
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Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
Francis Collins, longtime NIH director with bipartisan bona fides*, retires as of yesterday. He returned to NIH in 2023 to focus on research in his own lab, in the NIH in-house intramural research campus. His letter seems to imply he wasn’t ready to leave. NIH is being torn down. 1/🧪 #academicsky
Statement by Francis Collins, MD. PhD
March 1, 2025 Yesterday I notified NIH Acting Director Matt Memoli, MD of my retirement from the federal government.
effective February 28, 2025. The National Institutes of Health is the world's foremost medical research institution. It has been rightfully called the "crown jewel" of the federal government for decades. It has been the greatest honor of my life to be part of this institution in various roles
over the last four decades. In the 1980s, NIH supported my work at the University of Michigan through a peer-reviewed grant. That led
to the identification of the gene for cystic fibrosis. Thirty years later that has led to an almost miraculous treatment that allows most kids with cystic fibrosis to
look forward to an almost normal life span. I was recruited to NIH in 1993 to lead the Human Genome Project - an extraordinarily bold initiative to read out the three billion letters of the human DNA instruction book. Funded by the U.S. Congress, the project completed its work -- two years ahead of schedule, and $400 million under budget. The success of the project, and the commitment to share all of the data rapidly and freely, has revolutionized every aspect
of human biomedical research and medical practice. Subsequently I was honored to be asked to serve as the Director of the National Institutes of Health. I had the chance to serve three Presidents - Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden. I also had the opportunity to work regularly
with members of Congress in both parties. I loved those interactions and
relationships.
Throughout that time, investmentrelieving
human suffering, and
contributing
substantially to the U.S. economy.
That consistent
support
made
possible
bold
new projects
in regenerative medicine, brain science, precision health, cancer, and solutions for opioid addiction, to name just
a few. When the worst pandemic in more than a century arose in 2020, it was my job as Director of NIH to pull together partnerships with the FDA, academia, and the private sector to produce what only America's unparalleled biomedical sector could have: COVID vaccines in just 11 months, a staggering medical
achievement that saved over three million lives in the
U.S.alone. After a stint in the White House as the President's Acting Science Advisor, where I had the chance to organize a major initiative to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States, i returned to the intramural research program of the National Human Genome Research Institute in 2023. There I have been overseeing a research laboratory of a dozen highly talented and visionary scientists who are providing new insights into the causes and possible means of prevention of type 2 diabetes, as well as seeking a gene therapy cure for one of the world's rarest diseases - progeria, a
premature aging disorder. NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. It is the main piston of a biomedical discovery engine that is the envy of the globe. Yet it is not a household name. It should be. NIH supports everything from basic science to clinical trials,
providing the foundation of many breakthroughs. When you hear about patients surviving stage 4 cancer because of immunotherapy, that was based on NIH research over many decades. When you hear about
sickle cell disease being cured because of CRISPRgene editing, that was built on many years of research supported by NIH. It has also been the largest supporter of global health research in the world, winning us many friends and colleagues from across
the globe. I have loved being employed by this extraordinary, life-giving institution for 32 years. I will continue to devote my life in other ways to seeking knowledge and enhancing health, to healing disease and reducing suffering, and to doing what I can to bring together our fractured communities around the shared values of love, truth, goodness, and faith. As I depart NIH, I want to express my gratitude and love for the men and women with whom I have worked side-by-side for so many years. They are individuals of extraordinary intellect and integrity, selfless and hard-working, generous and compassionate. They personify excellence in every way, and they deserve the utmost
respect and support of all Americans.
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Kevin Reuning @reuning.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
This is sad www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
NSF downsizes summer research program for undergraduates
Many participants are from groups underrepresented in science
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Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 28/02/2025
Ted Cruz said he’d found $2 billion in “woke” science grants, but his team used keyword searches that flagged things out of context, like a grant to develop a device to treat severe bleeding that mentioned “victims” and “trauma.” www.propublica.org/article/ted-...
propublica.org
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.”
The senator flagged thousands of National Science Foundation grants for using words like “female” and “diversify.” A ProPublica analysis found numerous examples of projects caught up in his crude meth...
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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Hero
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Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
All the folks who exited NBC today. Seen together, hoo boy. Message received.
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Flora Vincent @floravincent.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
THE conference of diatom molecular and cell bio is happening in Ghent this year ! Make sure to submit an abstract ! Flora
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Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Two obsessed mathematicians spent 20 years and finally solved one of the biggest outstanding problems in the field www.quantamagazine.org/after-20-yea...
quantamagazine.org
After 20 Years, Math Couple Solves Major Group Theory Problem | Quanta Magazine
Britta Späth has dedicated her career to proving a single, central conjecture. She’s finally succeeded, alongside her partner, Marc Cabanes.
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Hope Jahren @realhopejahren.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
At this point, doing science is resisting.
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
I escaped poverty because I am a scientist. And I am a scientist because of the National Science Foundation. A 🧵:
A Lady Professor with brown hair and glasses, wearing a scarf in red, green, yellow, & black, a gift from an incredible lactation  consultant, sitting in in front of cactus.
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Jonathan Lambert @jonlambert.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
NEW: NSF confirmed that they fired 168 employees today, out of their staff of ~1,500 feds. This includes some people who'd finished their 1-year probationary periods, which were extended to 2-years last month without explanation. More to come.
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Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Firings are happening right now at the National Science Foundation. Essential staff are being cut. This isn’t about the budget. If it was, they’d be going after the military (17%) or state appropriations (38%). NSF is 0.7% of the federal budget. All federal employees make up only 4% of the budget.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 17/02/2025
People in tech talk about the idea of a “10x programmer” — someone whose work is worth that of 10 others. I get the impression Musk etc think they can apply it all over the federal workforce but like… there’s no such thing as a 10x ATC navigational aid maintenance worker. Some jobs just need people.
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CantlonLab @cantlonlab.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
I wrote a column in my hometown newspaper about the importance of keeping SCIENCE FUNDING in our community 🧪 More soon about the power of writing back HOME 🏠 www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/15/g...
chicagotribune.com
Guest column: Why science funding matters to Indiana
Last week the government cut “indirect costs” to universities and medical centers, which cover shared resources like buildings, utility bills, computer networks, and support staff. Indiana will los…
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Jonathan Lambert @jonlambert.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
I'm starting to hear that NSF firings have begun. If you're affected and want to talk, please reach out via signal @jonlambert.12
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Jonathan Lambert @jonlambert.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Dear NSF scientists and staff: If you're looking to talk to a journalist about what's going on at the agency, please reach out (from a non-governmental phone/computer) via signal @jonlambert.12
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Leslie Rissler @ljrissler.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Firings happening right now at the NSF.
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Jaida Elcock @sofishtication.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Part 2 of Dr. Young’s story
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Jaida Elcock @sofishtication.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
I am forever grateful for the strength, bravery, and determination Dr. Young had in the face of great adversity. No one should have to face what she did. #BlackHistoryMonth
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Jaida Elcock @sofishtication.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Happy #BlackHistoryMonth friends! Let’s talk about Earnest Everett Just (part 1)
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Harriet Alexander @nekton4plankton.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Paper out in Ecology Letters from @akrinos.bsky.social : onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... Exploring intraspecific diversity of thermal performance of G. huxelyi in lab experiments and ocean ecosystem models 🧪🌊🌡️#protistsonsky
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Intraspecific Diversity in Thermal Performance Determines Phytoplankton Ecological Niche
Temperature impacts species of phytoplankton in biogeochemically important ways which can be modelled. We conducted a series of culture experiments that demonstrate that intraspecific diversity impac...
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
I was thinking about this today. Our lab uses BLAST all the time. Scientists pull genomes from NCBI to do comparison studies to identify new genes or figure out what genes do. Pubmed is an important tool to find published studies on most medical topics. These have to be up to date to be useful. 🧪
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Dave Baltrus 🦦 @surtlab.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Jesus Christ
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Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Fungal impacts on Earth’s ecosystems www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
nature.com
Fungal impacts on Earth’s ecosystems - Nature
This Review delves into the fungal kingdom, exploring the relationships among fungi, animals, plants and the environment, and investigating both the threats posed by fungi and their potential benefits...
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Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
A review of quorum-sensing and its role in mediating interkingdom interactions in the ocean www.nature.com/articles/s42... #jcampubs 🌊
nature.com
A review of quorum-sensing and its role in mediating interkingdom interactions in the ocean - Communications Biology
A review examines how quorum sensing, a bacterial communication system, shapes marine eukaryote interactions, influencing processes such as development, disease pathogenesis, and microbiome regulation...
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Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Observed declines in upper ocean phosphate-to-nitrate availability www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #jcampubs 🌊
pnas.org
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 04/02/2025
Sabotage. Criminal sabotage. "[The NSF] is planning to lay off between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months, a top National Science Foundation official said Tuesday." www.eenews.net/articles/sci...
eenews.net
Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs
National Science Foundation staff heard the plans at a meeting Tuesday.
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Thomas Mock @thomasmock.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Happy to share our latest paper led by Will Boulton just out in 'Scientific Data'. Significant effort including #Alfred-Wegener-Institute, @jgi.doe.gov, @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social ++ Metagenome-assembled-genomes recovered from the #Arctic drift expedition #MOSAiC www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
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Dave Baltrus 🦦 @surtlab.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Make the government make you take down articles @asm.org Don’t do it in advance as a precaution because of loss if funding or whatever. Hell, I would’ve paid way higher membership dues if I knew it would help you take a stand and if you gave us that choice vs whatever this is. Now, not so much
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 31/01/2025
What the NSF is doing this week is damaging *generations* of scientific researchers and American investments in science. Billions of US tax payer dollars in investment, being thrown away, because of a fucking fishing expedition that is intended to terrorize and set the stage for a real witch hunt.
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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 31/01/2025
🧑🏽‍🔬Hey #undergrad juniors and seniors! Seeking paid, hands-on experience in #marinescience + #engineering? Spend the #summer doing research with a WHOI #SummerStudentFellowship! 📲 Applications are due Feb. 5 - get the details: go.whoi.edu/ssf-program
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 31/01/2025
This is not business as usual. It’s not just a change in funding priorities going forward; it is the reneging on funding agreements and is profoundly disruptive for even those grants that will be found to be compliant. Meanwhile, trainees who often live paycheck to paycheck are going unpaid.
science.org
EXCLUSIVE: NSF starts vetting all grants to comply with Trump’s orders
Grantee accounts remain frozen, while union accuses NSF of ignoring rules governing peer review
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Stephen Turner @stephenturner.us · 30/01/2025
⚠️ Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-… 🐘🐅🦜🐋🪲
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Prakash Lab at Stanford @prakashlab.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
NSF Career Award supported invention of Foldscope - now reached 3 million kids globally with ~1 million kids in US - bringing joy of science to grassroots & communities with very little support. It’s brought communities working together on global problems. www.goldengooseaward.org/01awardees/f...
goldengooseaward.org
Foldscopes and Frugal Science: Paper Microscopes Make Science Globally Accessible — The Golden Goose Award
AWARDEES: Manu Prakash and Jim Cybulski FEDERAL FUNDING AGENCIES: National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health Picture a microscope. You are likely imagining a heavy metal base,...
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Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Post the amazing science things you have done with federal funding.
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Harriet Alexander @nekton4plankton.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Medicaid is shut down across the country. One of my daughters is reliant on nursing care to attend school (she requires a one-on-one nurse to be safe). Nursing is only covered by Medicaid— our private insurance pays for none of it. Without Medicaid I can’t work and she can’t go to school.
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