Sign in

Peter Pelka

@peterpelka.bsky.social
339 followers 661 following 52 posts

Professor at the University of Manitoba who studies virus-host interactions, viral causes of cancer, and oncoproteins. Lover of adenovirus and E1A. Science is my jam, but I have an open mind and diverse interests.

PostsRepliesMedia
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Manitoba's decision to have permanent Daylight Savings Time is misguided and wrong. Standard time is much closer to astronomical and biological clocks. Now kids in the winter, especially December and January, will leave their homes to go to school while it's still completely dark outside!
001
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The proposed rule changes to meat processing in the US are dangerous and will lead to even more food-related diseases and may potentially lead to spike in prion-related illness (like vCJD), the latter can take years or decades to manifest: www.qualityassurancemag.com/news/meat-in...
qualityassurancemag.com
030
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
My department and the University of Manitoba is hiring a structural virologist/vaccinologist for a tenure-track position at assistant or associate level, if you know of someone or are interested the details can be found in this job ad: jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/679829/a...
jobs.sciencecareers.org
Assistant or Associate Professor in Vaccinology or Biologics - Winnipeg (Region), Manitoba job with The University of Manitoba Department of Microbiology | 679829
The candidate will be expert in applied vaccinology or therapeutic biologics related to human/zoonotic viral pathogens.
032
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Postcard perfect Banff, CANADA.
A view of a town in a mountainous valley with blue sky and fluffy white clouds.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Johnston Falls ink pots area in Banff, absolute beauty and serenity!
A serene photo of a mountain forest and a valley, with sharp distant mountain peaks.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Well, this isn't surprising at all. I've observed that the overall grades have dropped in the courses I teach by double-digits over the last couple of years. AI is truly making us dumber! arstechnica.com/ai/2026/07/w...
arstechnica.com
Suspecting AI cheating, Ivy League prof ordered an in-person final; scores fell 50%
AI cheating leads to "a failed society," professor says.
000
Reposted by Peter Pelka
T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
No one could have foreseen this. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Cross-resistance patterns in SARS-CoV-2 against 3CL protease inhibitors - Nature Communications
SARS-CoV-2 can develop resistance to antivirals. Here, the authors identify the pathways utilized by the virus to attain resistance to atilotrelvir, ibuzatrelvir, and simnotrelvir, revealing extensive...
1209
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Could innate immunity be trained to reduce inflammation in the brain and reduce the risk of age-onset dementia? Perhaps, some evidence points that the "untrainable" innate immune responses may be modulated by vaccines with some scientists hypothesising that this may occur via chromatin changes.
arstechnica.com
Routine vaccines may cut dementia risk—experts have startling hypothesis on how
Vaccines may be training a part of our immune system long thought to be untrainable.
000
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
David Attenborough turns 100 today, happy birthday! A remerkable human being, conservationist, humanitarian, among other accolades. He had a huge influence on me as a boy and is one reason I became a scientist. I would run home to watch his shows, especially Life on Earth and The Living Planet.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Very sad to see this, unbelievable how much damage is being done and unnecessary death and suffering is inflicted by the constant stream of lies and deception from those who either do not understand science or do it out of self-interest. arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
arstechnica.com
Infants are bleeding to death after parents shun routine vitamin K shots
Hospitals report more parents are declining vitamin K shots for their newborns.
000
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I thought it was May.
Screenshot of the weather app showing 3 degrees Celsius in Winnipeg on May 4, 2026.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Sad news, Dr. Venter made huge impact on molecular biology with the Human Genome Project and paved the way for how we do science today. Saw him once give a very engaging talk at UCSD. www.npr.org/2026/04/30/n...
npr.org
Craig Venter, pioneering human genome decoder, dies at 79
Pioneering scientist J. Craig Venter has died at 79. His "whole genome shotgun method" helped genome sequencing become faster and cheaper.
020
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Very sad and further destruction of American leadership in science, and indeed ceding that leadership to China. Long term, possibly multi-generational damage is and has been done to American science by the current administration: arstechnica.com/science/2026...
arstechnica.com
National Science Board eviscerated; Trump admin fires all 22 members
Members had planned to release report that US is ceding scientific ground to China.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Want an example of really bad science, here it is: arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
arstechnica.com
Absurd study suggests eating fruits and vegetables leads to cancer
Experts point out a series of flaws, including small size and no control group.
000
Reposted by Peter Pelka
University of Manitoba @umanitoba.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Join UM experts as they explore how discoveries in the microscopic world are advancing viral defense, combating antibiotic resistance, and addressing environmental contamination. Reserve your spot for the UM Knowledge Exchange on March 25: umanitoba.ca/research/kno...
013
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 25/02/2026
arstechnica.com
Could a vaccine prevent dementia? Shingles shot data only getting stronger.
Latest data hints that benefits seen so far could be underestimates.
011041
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
So #CIHR is considering going to annual project grant competitions. The idea is to increase success rate and reduce grantee/reviewer burden. Neither will be accomplished. Without more funding, this wil result in either more grants streamlined or increased reviewer burden, solving nothing.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Pleiades caught from my back yard with the Celestron Origin telescope last night. Not bad for light polluted Winnipeg. Note faint nebulosity around Maia and Merope.
000
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Carolina Tropini (TropiniLab@UBC) @ctropini.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
CIHR funding rate: 13.6%. Early 2000s: 30%+. Canada’s new $1.7B Impact+ program recruits talent — but without increased Tri-Council base funding, we risk further strain on an already stretched system. We’re calling for $1B over 5 years. Support here: tinyurl.com/33c5av46
34731
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Beautiful hoar frost (not "horror" frost as my student thought) this morning in Winnipeg.
Image of a field and trees covered in hoar frost with clear blue sky in the background and snow on the ground.
000
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Very nice study explaining what caused VITT in patients who received adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccines. Turns out that the viral protein VII has some similarity to Platelet Factor 4 and in very rare cases antibodies against pVII bound strongly to PF4, driving clotting. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
nejm.org
Adenoviral Inciting Antigen and Somatic Hypermutation in VITT | NEJM
Vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) is a rare prothrombotic complication that occurs after adenoviral vector–based vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019; in rare ca...
011
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Welcome to Winnipeg, where it’s so cold that my Nest cameras quit working!
Text showing Nest cameras turned off due to cold.Winnipeg temperature of -32 degrees Celsius on January 22, 2026
010
Reposted by Peter Pelka
🍁 Alex Smith 🍁 @alexsmithants.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
🤦
One does not simply meme with the top text reading 'one does not simply' and the bottom text reading 'attract 'top researchers' without funding existing canadian research programs
05316
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Dr. Dawn Bowdish @msmacrophage.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Excited to share my acting debut with Ontario's public broadcaster TVO (@tvodocs.bsky.social @therundowntvo.bsky.social & more). I was in an episode on fever for the TVO Kids series 'Burps, Butts, and Bones' (do they know their audience or what?). I learned about acting from the +++talented Ryan.
youtu.be
Hot to Trot 🥵🤒 | 💀 BURPS, BUTTS AND BONES 🧪 | Answer Questions About The Human Body | TVOkids
YouTube video by TVOkids
0204
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Winnipeg autumn with hoarfrost.
View of farm fields with distant trees covered with hoarfrost.
020
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Canada has lost its measles elimination status. This is an unfortunate consequence of vaccine resistance/hesitancy and unnecessarily puts vulnerable at risk of a very serious illness. We need to do more to educate the public about how truly safe these vaccines are. www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
cbc.ca
Canada loses its measles elimination status — as it happened | CBC
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Our latest article on the role of ARGLU1 in adenovirus infection is now out at the Journal of Virology, #ASM, check it out here and congratulations to the team! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org
ARGLU1 is a negative regulator of the adenoviral replicative cycle | Journal of Virology
This study uncovers a novel antiviral role for ARGLU1, known for its involvement in splicing, transcriptional regulation, and DNA damage repair. Our study demonstrates that ARGLU1 functions as a viral restriction factor by reducing virus growth through the inhibition of viral gene expression and enhanced DNA damage response, leading to reduced viral growth. These findings not only highlight an important role for ARGLU1 in host antiviral mechanisms but also emphasize the utility of adenovirus as a tool to uncover critical cellular pathways.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
It was fantastic to see everyone's project at our CBRF-funded V3P project retreat last week! Thank you all for coming, presenting, and participating. And thank you to the organizers for making it such an awesome event!
A V3P team photo with all who attended the retreat.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Got my COVID and flu shots yesterday in Winnipeg. Could not have been easier, in and out in less than 20 minutes and totally free. Get yourself (and your kids) vaccinated!
030
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Dr. Dawn Bowdish @msmacrophage.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
What the latest on adult vaccines? Come join me and and exceptional panel at Zoomer media to get the lowdown. • Recommended Vaccines & How To Get Them ‣ Navigating Provincial Health Systems ‣ The Role Your Pharmacist Can Play ‣ Emerging Science ‣ Fighting Disinformation & Vaccine Fatigue. Free!
Get the Facts. National Vaccine Summit Explained Oct 23, 2025 register at everythingexplained.ca
32710
Reposted by Peter Pelka
WHO @who.int · 11/06/2025
If you don’t get your child vaccinated against #measles, it can put them at a high risk of this serious infection, which can lead to severe complications or even death. Make sure your child’s measles vaccination is up to date.
If you don’t get your child vaccinated against measles, it can put them at a high risk of this serious infection, which can lead to severe complications or even death.

Make sure your child’s measles vaccination is up to date.
29946385
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
Our new paper on the transcriptomics of S-phase induction in adenovirus infected cells is now out in PLOS One with important implications for adenovirus-based vectors: journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
journals.plos.org
Cellular transcriptomics of arrested normal lung fibroblasts IMR-90 infected with Human Adenovirus 5 E1A mutants
Induction of S-phase is paramount to the replication of most human DNA viruses. Human adenoviruses have evolved sophisticated mechanisms that drive the infected cells into S-phase to ensure that viral...
040
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Physicians for a Healthy Democracy @physiciandemocracy.medsky.social · 17/05/2025
Go to a cemetery.  See all the baby graves there before the 1950s and 1960s?  That’s when people started vaccinating their kids.  If you are unsure, the answer is literally, written in stone.
231507489
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Dr Ryan MacDonald @distantworlds.space · 01/05/2025
Welbanks+2025 try 90 hydrocarbons, finding 5 provide a better fit than DMS or DMDS. Propyne (C3H4) offers the best fit. Propyne has been seen in Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Titan, so it is plausible for K2-18b. In other words, DMS and DMDS *vanish* once you include C3H4 in your model.
Model fit to K2-18b's JWST MIRI transmission spectrum. The model including CH4, CO2, and C3H4 provides an excellent fit to the data.Preview of a table from Welbanks+2025 listing 90 different hydrocarbons and the quality of their fit to K2-18b's MIRI data. Propyne (C2H4) provides the best fit.
1215
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
It's not just Texas and US south that's affected by measles, Ontario and north Mexico have big outbreaks also. Very important to get your kids vaccinated with the very safe and very effective MMR/MMRV vaccine! www.who.int/emergencies/...
who.int
Measles – Region of the Americas
As of 18 April 2025, a total of 2318 measles cases, including three deaths, have been confirmed in six countries in the WHO Region of the Americas, an 11-fold increase compared to the same period in 2...
001
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Another galaxy from my imaging session while I learn how to use the awesome Celestron Origin. The Fireworks Galaxy!
An orange spiral galaxy in a sea of stars.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Loving the Celestron Origin. Taken last night. Bode’s Nebulae.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
Happy Easter to all who celebrate! Here’s the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) that I imaged last night.
Image of a galaxy with grand spiral arms, a defined core, and stars all around.
010
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
Was in the Winnipeg Free Press today about our vaccine work: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
winnipegfreepress.com
Sponsored: UM RESEARCH: Delivering Solutions
The Problem When COVID-19 emerged in March 2020, Canada’s health care system was confronted with a unique challenge. As emergency rooms swelled with patients, there was intense pressure to come up wit...
020
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Jim Woodgett @jwoodgett.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Not quitting my day job but here’s an example of the cool gear now available to support the Terry Fox Foundation, Research Institute and the Canadian cancer researchers working to overcome cancer. This and much more at: shop.terryfox.org Finish It!
Me wearing the 45th anniversary Terry Fox shirt. A shot of the back of the 45th anniversary Terry Fox shirt.
1346
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
First light with my new Celestron Origin, of course it had to be the majestic Orion Nebula! This is the unprocessed image from the Origin app.
Image of the Orion Nebula
000
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
A bit nippy today. Stay warm!
020
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Victor Javier @vjsanchez.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
USP19 potentiates autophagic cell death via inhibiting mTOR pathway through deubiquitinating NEK9 in #PancreaticCancer 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
USP19 potentiates autophagic cell death via inhibiting mTOR pathway through deubiquitinating NEK9 in pancreatic cancer - Cell Death & Differentiation
Cell Death & Differentiation - USP19 potentiates autophagic cell death via inhibiting mTOR pathway through deubiquitinating NEK9 in pancreatic cancer
064
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Please don't drink raw milk. Influenza is easily inactivated by pasteurization, raw milk leaves virus viable and infectious.
051
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Dr. Dawn Bowdish @msmacrophage.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
I spoke to the CBC Radio about a large measles outbreak in New Brunswick - article link below. I cannot stress enough how serious an infection measles is - recycling an op-ed I wrote on the topic(see link on my webpage for explainer video). www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... www.bowdish.ca/lab/2024/03/...
Image of a Globe & Mail op-ed on measles. For an accessible read see http://www.bowdish.ca/lab/2024/03/07/measles-is-not-a-harmless-childhood-infection-dr-bowdish-explains/
06438
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
And since I'm still new here, here's another nice paper from my lab published in mBio on the pathogenicity of human adenovirus strains that frequently cause severe pneumonia: journals.asm.org/doi/full/10....
journals.asm.org
Molecular insights into type I interferon suppression and enhanced pathogenicity by species B human adenoviruses B7 and B14 | mBio
Human adenoviruses form a large family of double-stranded DNA viruses known for a variety of usually mild diseases. Certain strains of human adenovirus cause severe pneumonia leading to much higher mo...
031
Reposted by Peter Pelka
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Since I'm new here, check out my lab's recent paper in Nucleic Acids Research on DNA damage repair, transcription, and the role of ARGLU1 in all of it: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com
ARGLU1 enhances promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II and stimulates DNA damage repair
Abstract. Arginine and glutamate rich 1 (ARGLU1) is a poorly understood cellular protein with functions in RNA splicing and transcription. Computational pr
011
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Oh and since I'm still new here, here's a video of me discussing our virology research and the importance of vaccines: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C150...
youtube.com
Advancing vaccine research on viruses | UM Faculty of Science
YouTube video by Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba
011
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
And since I'm still new here, here's another nice paper from my lab published in mBio on the pathogenicity of human adenovirus strains that frequently cause severe pneumonia: journals.asm.org/doi/full/10....
journals.asm.org
Molecular insights into type I interferon suppression and enhanced pathogenicity by species B human adenoviruses B7 and B14 | mBio
Human adenoviruses form a large family of double-stranded DNA viruses known for a variety of usually mild diseases. Certain strains of human adenovirus cause severe pneumonia leading to much higher mo...
031
Peter Pelka @peterpelka.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Since I'm new here, check out my lab's recent paper in Nucleic Acids Research on DNA damage repair, transcription, and the role of ARGLU1 in all of it: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com
ARGLU1 enhances promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II and stimulates DNA damage repair
Abstract. Arginine and glutamate rich 1 (ARGLU1) is a poorly understood cellular protein with functions in RNA splicing and transcription. Computational pr
011