Reposted by Paul FlicekInigo Martincorena @imartincorena.bsky.social · 08/10/2026💯. I think too many people treat AI containment and alignment as an engineering challenge to be solved. As I see it, the problem is far more fundamental, and harder to solve (arguably unsolvable). Understanding why requires understanding evolution. Short thread 🧵 188
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 21/09/2026I also like the New Zealand Black Robin going from one breeding pair to 350 individuals www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...theguardian.comThe black robin, once down to just a single breeding pair, wins NZ bird of the yearFondly known as the ‘goth’ of New Zealand’s bird world, the black robin now has a population of 350 adults thanks to a pioneering breeding programme 020
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Watch coal usage for electricity generation completely vanish in the UK and renewables become the majority source over the last 15 years www.energydashboard.co.uk/historicalenergydashboard.co.ukHistorical GB Electricity Generation Mix & Carbon Intensity – Energy DashboardExplore historical GB electricity generation, demand and carbon emissions data trends over time. 110
Reposted by Paul FlicekColin Semple @csemple.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Monumental new paper from a great collaboration full of exceptional humans! www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comGenetic background sets the trajectory of experimental cancer evolution - NatureExperimentally replaying tumour evolution in divergent mouse strains reveals the importance of interactions between genetic ancestry and acquired cancer-driving mutations in shaping the earliest stage... 154
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 27/07/2026Clear-eyed analysis from @blekhman.bsky.social on the future value and current limitations of AI in science. TLDR: we need to change systems to realize AI's promise blekhman.substack.com/p/why-ai-wil... 021
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 27/07/2026It's fantastic to see this finally published! Huge credit to @s-j-aitken.bsky.social and @mstaylor.bsky.social for their determination and creativity on this project, which went in many unexpected directions (with many people along for the ride) and way beyond the initial experimental questions 092
Reposted by Paul FlicekSarah Aitken @s-j-aitken.bsky.social · 27/07/2026🧬NEW PAPER🧬 To what extent is cancer development deterministic? Does the germline genome affect that predictability? Find out in our #StrainDifferences paper @nature.com "Genetic background sets the trajectory of experimental cancer evolution" www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵[1/14]nature.comGenetic background sets the trajectory of experimental cancer evolution - NatureExperimentally replaying tumour evolution in divergent mouse strains reveals the importance of interactions between genetic ancestry and acquired cancer-driving mutations in shaping the earliest stage... 14717
Reposted by Paul FlicekBrian D. Wade @astrobrian.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Simons Graduate Fellowships in #Ecology and #Evolution #science #scienceSky #evoSky www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...simonsfoundation.orgSimons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and EvolutionThe purpose of these awards is to provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in ecology and evolution. While we will consider all projects in ecolo... 01928
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 23/04/2026I've previously put an explicit line in the acknowledgements stating which grant paid the publication fee just like when one grant pays for one person. 050
Reposted by Paul FlicekAdam Phillippy @aphillippy.bsky.social · 20/04/2026Friday was my last day at NHGRI. After 10 wonderful years, my lab is headed to Johns Hopkins University genomeinformatics.github.io/movingday/genomeinformatics.github.ioWe're moving!Friday was my last day at NHGRI. After 10 wonderful years, my lab is headed one hour north on I-95 to set up shop at Johns Hopkins University. This is a very bittersweet move for me, as NHGRI has prov... 1513719
Reposted by Paul FlicekDr. Mar @boldnewme.bsky.social · 12/04/2026Look at the women at NASA. They are the ones pushing the boundaries of science, solving problems most people can’t even understand, and carrying this country forward, while our politicians right now posture and stumble through talking points. And they are doing it all with joy.👇 417193814136
Reposted by Paul FlicekGenome Biology and Evolution @genomebiolevol.bsky.social · 03/04/2026Genome Biology and Evolution launches a new virtual collection on "Conservation Genomics" Read our accompanying Highlight: "Genome Science at the Forefront of Biodiversity's Greatest Challenges" 🔗 buff.ly/qBGcsG7 Access the new virtual collection 🔗 buff.ly/VxXZUKv #genome #evolution #congen 1199
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 10/03/2026Saddened to hear of Phil Bourne's death. I first encountered him as chair of ISMB 2000 in San Diego at my first ever computational biology conference. He always pushed for open science and always tried to make things better. In both he made a positive difference news.virginia.edu/content/memo...news.virginia.eduIn memoriam: Philip Bourne, founding dean of the School of Data ScienceThe leader, who propelled the school from a concept to national recognition, had battled mesothelioma. 010
Reposted by Paul FlicekCedric Feschotte @cedricfeschotte.bsky.social · 22/01/2026Crushed to hear of Mark Batzer’s passing. He was the Boyd Professor at Louisiana State University. His influential research revealed how mobile elements shape the genomes of humans & other mammals. Mark’s personality, generosity & positivity were larger than life. He lifted everyone up. HUGE loss 💔 0136
Reposted by Paul FlicekSnowden St. @snowden.st · 02/12/2025Currently dorking out over this graph about child mortality with my brother. Just mind boggling to take in. 732505976
Reposted by Paul FlicekSarah Aitken @s-j-aitken.bsky.social · 26/03/2025My lab at hiring! - we have TWO postdoc positions (one computational, one wet lab focussed) at Yale @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social, working closely with our group members at University of Cambridge, UK @cambridgeuni.bsky.social Please help to spread the word! Adverts with full details below ⬇️ 22431
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 12/02/2025Celebrating all of the amazing women in science I've had as mentors, role models, colleagues and friends 🧬👩💻🧪 060
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 07/02/2025Not sure if this is exactly what you are looking for, but I found this book to be very enlightening en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dic...en.m.wikipedia.orgThe Dictator's Handbook - Wikipedia 010
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 15/01/2025A phenomenal effort to bring this together with so many interesting aspects of how genetic background influences cancer development. I'm honoured to have been part of this project! 151
Reposted by Paul FlicekSarah Aitken @s-j-aitken.bsky.social · 15/01/2025🌟NEW PREPRINT ALERT!🌟 We are very pleased to introduce #StrainDifferences: “Genetic background sets the trajectory of cancer evolution” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵[1/12]biorxiv.orgGenetic background sets the trajectory of cancer evolutionHuman cancers are heterogeneous. Their genomes evolve from genetically diverse germlines in complex and dynamic environments, including exposure to potential carcinogens. This heterogeneity of humans,... 88326
Reposted by Paul FlicekIan Henderson @hendersi.bsky.social · 29/11/2024Associate Professor / Professor of Evolutionary Genomics www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/49389/jobs.cam.ac.ukAssociate Professor / Professor of Evolutionary Genomics - Job Opportunities - University of CambridgeAssociate Professor / Professor of Evolutionary Genomics in the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge. 26676
Reposted by Paul FlicekPedro Beltrao @pedrobeltrao.bsky.social · 26/11/2024Abstract submissions are still open for the CSHL Network Biology meeting in March 11 - 15 2025 (abstract deadline: Jan 10). A large fraction of talks will be selected from the abstracts. On behalf of the organizers, we look forward to welcoming you there. meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.asp... 1167
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 14/11/2024Doesn’t seem to be. Many of the JGI authors on this paper have been working on understanding UCEs (with considerable success) at least since the 2007 Ahituv paper that knocked out some UCEs and got viable, apparently normal mice. Knocking out this element results in clear limb abnormalities 110
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 13/11/2024I’ve just read this pre-print and it’s fantastic. A conserved element with no endogenous enhancer activity is nonetheless necessary and sufficient for extreme long range enhancer action. Recommend to anyone interested in gene regulation 1284
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 12/11/2024This looks like a great meeting! In a great place too 020
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 09/10/2024The events of this week suggest that the excitement and hype around AI in science won’t be dying down anytime soon 120
Reposted by Paul FlicekMichael Hoffman @michaelhoffman.bsky.social · 05/10/20248/tl;dr: In most situations, it is to the author's maximal benefit to license their manuscripts thusly: preprints: any CC license journal publication: CC BY only 🧪 #AcademicSky 084
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 04/10/2024Far from the Tree / Andrew Solomon The Sports Gene / David Epstein The Vaccine Race / Meredith Wadman And others listed already 020
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 25/04/2024The comic is part of the scientific outreach activities from the MRC Toxicology Unit in Cambridge and the home @s-j-aitken.bsky.social's research group 020
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 25/04/2024The story is based on the discovery of lesion segregation a few years ago (www.nature.com/articles/s41...), in a project that I played a part in, which is a great read toonature.comPervasive lesion segregation shapes cancer genome evolution - NatureMutagenic lesions such as those that give rise to cancer frequently segregate—unrepaired—during cell division, resulting in phasing of multiple alleles across generations of daughter cells and co... 220
Paul Flicek @paulflicek.bsky.social · 25/04/2024Celebrate #DNADay by reading the comic (and scientifically accurate 🧪) adventures from Cell Town, home of Pol, Hely, Topy, and the Repair Squad as they set out on another round of cell division! drive.google.com/drive/folder...drive.google.comWhats wrong with this DNA? ENG - Google Drive 261
Reposted by Paul FlicekGraham Coop @gcbias.bsky.social · 28/02/2024The use of the phrase “ancestry-specific variant” is increasing, particularly to describe rare Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). But these alleles are not ancestry-specific. They have not yet been found elsewhere, but they will be. 1/n 23011
Reposted by Paul FlicekThe Jackson Laboratory @jax.org · 22/02/2024At the forefront of research involving long-read sequence data, JAX's @christinebeck.bsky.social & Peter Audano discuss how adjustments to the technical and analytical infrastructure are needed. Read more in their recent Genome Research paper 🧪🤝🖥️ 🧬 : www.jax.org/news-and-ins...jax.orgImproving whole genome sequence data analysesChristine Beck and Peter Audano are at the forefront of research involving long-read sequence data. They are particularly interested in structural variants, where segments of the genome are deleted, i... 032