Sign in

PombeDoc

@pombedoc.bsky.social
1.5K followers 1K following 342 posts

Distinguished Professor, fission yeast geneticist. Replication stress and genome integrity. Photographer. 🏳️‍🌈

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by PombeDoc
Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"Philosophy of Biology: The power of theory in the life sciences" elifesciences.org/articles/112... @zdblount.bsky.social shared this thought-provoking paper with the lab group.
elifesciences.org
Philosophy of Biology: The power of theory in the life sciences
Theory can help address cell and molecular biology’s major challenges, particularly those arising from large omics datasets.
110346
Reposted by PombeDoc
Professa Murray @kalimurray.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
An Executive Order must be consistent with established law. You want a new administrative board: pass a law. And one of the reasons I keep on encouraging @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social on to create a commission on Science and Innovation is to put to rest this nonsense.
23614
Reposted by PombeDoc
Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Seeing this in my timeline reminded me of this classic... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl4L...
youtube.com
Zheng Lab - Bad Project (Lady Gaga parody)
YouTube video by ZhengLabProductions
3336
Reposted by PombeDoc
Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Russell Vought wants to be in charge of #ScienceDeathPanels at NIH. Congress has made it pretty clear they don’t want political appointees in charge of funding decisions. Science community: it’s time to get loud (again)! www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
politico.com
Trump asked budget chief to draft order bringing health research funding under his control
The move came after the NIH director refused Trump’s request to cut Harvard grants in an Oval Office meeting.
77857
Reposted by PombeDoc
Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Folks have known for years that adding magnesium to media rescues the lethality of deleting many 'essential' genes, but why? @eswaralab.bsky.social and @subtisilly.bsky.social say that free iron builds up in these mutants. Mg2+ mitigates this by redirecting metabolism towards limiting ROS production
03912
Reposted by PombeDoc
Joy Jeongyoon Choi @joyjoychoi.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Excited to share our new preprint on in situ chromatin structure of the inactive X chromosome in differentiated female mouse embryonic stem cells. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 🧵1/8
611742
PombeDoc @pombedoc.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
My commute js disrupted due to heavy surf in SoCal interfering with the Surfline, the historical single track that connects San Diego to LA. 2nd busiest train corridor in the country and its closed because waves are breaking over the tracks.
000
Reposted by PombeDoc
Darin Self @darinself.com · 07/09/2026
This is absolutely incredible news. My uncle could still be alive if we had had this vaccine a decade ago.
0418
Reposted by PombeDoc
Abby Dernburg @adernburg.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Enter or upload comments here: rfi.grants.nih.gov?s=6a2b1c22c3.... For inspo, I suggest this excellent essay: www.forbes.com/sites/brucel...
rfi.grants.nih.gov
Request For Information
086
Reposted by PombeDoc
Abby Dernburg @adernburg.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Biomedical scientists - a reminder that NIH proposes to "improve" peer review by hiding impact scores from Program Officers and applicants, and binning applications into broad categories of "Most competitive,""Competitive," or "Not discussed." Please provide feedback before the October 13 deadline!
26961
Reposted by PombeDoc
Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The deets of this theft of NIH appropriations.
073
Reposted by PombeDoc
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
absolute fuckers "Trump officials at NIH disclosed the existence of DoD’s efforts only after being pressed for information by House Appropriations Committee Democrats." democrats-appropriations.house.gov/news/press-r...
democrats-appropriations.house.gov
Defense Officials Attempt to Raid NIH Funds to Cover Department of Defense Activities
House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) has learned that officials at the Department of Defense (DoD) are working to divert billions of dollars from the National Institute...
1018394
Reposted by PombeDoc
Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 02/09/2026
We see our biggest victory as building a political machinery for scientists in the United States. The lack of a system is part of the reason science even ended up in this situation. Once the midterms are over, and we have levers of power to pull, goodness, we'll pull them.
Protesters in inflatable dinosaur and yellow duck costumes stand outside the capitol holding signs that read "Don't let good SCIENCE go EXTINCT" and "Science saves Lives" beneath text that reads "Scientists are unbelievably difficult to mobilize
Our victory is that Stand Up for Science built political machinery for scientists in the United States.
The fact that scientists didn’t put up any sort of resistance before is part of the reason why science even ended up in this situation.
Once Stand Up for Science gets through the upcoming midterms, and we have some levers of power to pull, goodness, we’ll pull them."
1309
Reposted by PombeDoc
hellabores92.bsky.social @hellabores92.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Protect Peer Review. Please take the time to read the article written by knowledgeable NIH current and former workers. Submit a comment by October 13th! bsky.app/profile/nihv...
022
Reposted by PombeDoc
Dr. Robin Tanamachi 🌪️ @tornatrix.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
You might be thinking, “Wait, didn’t we just close a public comment period on this same OMB rule back on 14 July?” Yes, we did. They’re trying to make an end run around the process and sneaking it in through another mechanism. Dust off your previous comment and resubmit it!
13530
Reposted by PombeDoc
Job Dekker @jobdekker.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
How do nuclear compartments form inside cell nuclei? We show RNA glues certain loci together to form a nuclear compartment. This involves special GC-rich regions of highly expressed genes that also associate with nuclear speckles, but interactions between these loci are independent of speckles!
19748
Reposted by PombeDoc
Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
How do you oversee the grant award policy of a NIH Institute/Center to achieve gold standard science if you’ve never been PI responsible for generating gold standard science? Or *any* science, for that matter.
2135
Reposted by PombeDoc
Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 20/08/2026
AI did not discover a cancer vaccine. Scientists discovered it because their research was supported and funded.
161027231
Reposted by PombeDoc
Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
per the article, NSF is withholding $1 billion of its budget so that the money can go to a special White House project grant (and grand) theft in broad daylight
1192104
Reposted by PombeDoc
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I just completed my standing study section service in June (2022-2026) and want to emphasize Bryan's point: maintaining the integrity of the peer review process is an important act of service for our colleagues, especially right now. If you are asked and can swing it, please consider serving.
16523
Reposted by PombeDoc
Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
NIH RFI on plans to stop using percentiles to select grants for funding drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2026/08/18/n...
drugmonkey.wordpress.com
NIH RFI on plans to stop using percentiles to select grants for funding
The NIH issued NOT-OD-26-088 Request for Information (RFI) on Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review on 8/14/2026. It proposes a radical upheaval of the way that NIH’s Pr…
42614
Reposted by PombeDoc
Robert MJ Thompson @wh0n0z.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
From another selection of 250/250 compiled by @hcrichardson.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI-8...
youtube.com
Stonewall Uprising, Narrated by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde
YouTube video by Heather Cox Richardson
29027
Reposted by PombeDoc
Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics @bermaninstitute.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
NIH plan to keep peer-review scores for grants secret draws concern. Under “binning” proposal, applications’ numerical ratings would no longer be used for final funding decisions. | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
NIH plan to keep peer-review scores for grants secret draws concern
Under “binning” proposal, applications’ numerical ratings would no longer be used for final funding decisions
0511
Reposted by PombeDoc
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
"Citizens cannot tell the truth if they do not know the truth. Those who believe in free, open, and responsive institutions must recognize how critically linked science is to democracy itself and defend its integrity with every tool at their disposal."
172
Reposted by PombeDoc
Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Executive Order
10207104
Reposted by PombeDoc
callista yee @csybio.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
hiiii everyone! my department @zoology.ubc.ca is hiring an assistant professor in cell and developmental biology! deadline is october 1! academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32408 // please share!!!!!
academicjobsonline.org
University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology
Job #AJO32408, Assistant Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CA
16598
Reposted by PombeDoc
Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
In the November elections, to be radical is to be pragmatic.
1002117470
Reposted by PombeDoc
Central Oregon Daily News @codaily.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Oregon's senators are demanding the CFTC crack down on prediction markets that let people bet on wildfires — warning the practice could tempt gamblers to start fires themselves to win their bets.
centraloregondaily.com
Senators warn wildfire prediction markets could spur arson for profit
Oregon's senators are demanding the CFTC crack down on prediction markets that let people bet on wildfires — warning the practice could tempt gamblers to start fires themselves to win their bets.
110249
Reposted by PombeDoc
derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Bay Area friends: would you consider opening your home to these two cuddly cats? A friend found them behind a gas station. Their sibling, a black cat, got adopted, but it appears no one likes orange cats. They are being kept in a bathroom for the time being and need a home.
Two orange cats in a cage with food and water.Two orange cats in a cage with food and water.Two orange cats laying on the floor. Two orange cats in a spare bathroom with food and water and a litter box.
10230651112
Reposted by PombeDoc
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
“A White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said institutions that do announce reforms could be more likely to be involved in discussions around reshaping the roughly $200 billion federal research funding apparatus that is vital to higher education.” It’s extortion
21720
Reposted by PombeDoc
Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Today in “Existential threats to American higher education that make one wonder why university presidents are so totally absent from the public square in defending our interests” bsky.app/profile/mcop...
27226
Reposted by PombeDoc
Lisa Needham @snipy.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Oh hello, I wrote a gazillion words about Trump's proposed new golden age of science and how it is anything but.
open.substack.com
The new "science golden age" looks suspiciously like a grift
Trump wants to run scientific research like his family business.
1159
Reposted by PombeDoc
Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 30/07/2026
“If the government hadn’t funded research into desert lizard venom, we wouldn’t know about semaglutide…If research scientists hadn’t studied how bees optimize nectar foraging within a colony, we wouldn’t have the algorithm that assigns internet traffic” www.publicnotice.co/p/michael-kr...
publicnotice.co
The new "science golden age" looks suspiciously like a grift
Trump wants to run scientific research like his family business.
26027
Reposted by PombeDoc
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The goal of the battle over the origins of COVID19 is “to sow distrust in science and scientists”. This article shows why experts believe that this was a spillover event and not a lab leak. The maps showing the cluster of the first cases around the wet market are old school Epidemiology. Solid.
npr.org
Animal spillover? Lab leak? What the science says about the origins of COVID-19
The release of Dr. Anthony Fauci's pandemic diaries has rekindled the debate over the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Here's how scientists have weighed in.
10362162
Reposted by PombeDoc
American Society for Cell Biology @ascbiology.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The White House has finalized changes to F, J & I student visa terms. Beginning Sept 15 2026, visas will generally be limited to four years, replacing the current Duration of Status policy. www.ascb.org/science-policy/white-h…
1510
Reposted by PombeDoc
Joël Lemière @joellemiere.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
New preprint! How does a cell "know" how big to make its nucleus? This has puzzled biologists since the 1800’s. We show the answer is physics: colloid osmotic pressure. 🧵1/5
25324
Reposted by PombeDoc
Mia Farrow @miafarrow.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Trump canceled billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states that did not vote for him www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/b...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him
Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.
27307115
PombeDoc @pombedoc.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Blunt and totally true
000
Reposted by PombeDoc
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
"Instead, it’s time for politics...This destruction will take place most easily in an atmosphere of worn-out apathy and helplessness, so give them the opposite. Make it hard for these people, because if they get their way it’s for sure that they want to make it very, very hard on you."
12614
Reposted by PombeDoc
Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 23/07/2026
Can a cancer become a new species of parasite? Here's my story on the discovery of a transmissible cancer lurking in Vermont catfish. Gift link: nyti.ms/4whfi6v
nyti.ms
Deep in This Lake, a Contagious Cancer Is Spreading (Gift Article)
Transmissible tumors have been reported in a handful of animal species, but never before among fish. Is it possible in humans?
47321
Reposted by PombeDoc
Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The pro-peptide stacked FDA advisory committee voted to lift the ban for BPC-157, as expected. This ban lifting is baseless and will give the public a sense of legitimacy for a peptide with no clinical trial data to support safety or efficacy. Pathetic.
14379127
Reposted by PombeDoc
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Useful information as many of us make tentative plans about whether and how our labs will be funded this year. This policy has been disastrous and we will lose labs simply based on when they applied or came up for renewal. You can look at specific ICs, funding mechanisms and grant activity.
32715
Reposted by PombeDoc
Jennifer N. Victor @jenvictor.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
The era of American scientific leadership is over. Trump killed it. They want to expel international students after four years, no matter what. It seems like putting white supremacists in charge of the federal government is a bad idea. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
insidehighered.com
Trump Administration Finalizes Limits on Student Visas
International students previously could stay as long as their program lasted. The Trump administration is ending that 1978 policy.
29030
Reposted by PombeDoc
Ben Allen @evodynamics.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Congrats we just made it impossible to come here for a PhD www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/16/m...
bostonglobe.com
Trump administration limits student visas to four years, changing longstanding policy - The Boston Globe
The new rule, which also restricts the international students’ ability to transfer schools or change majors without approval in their first year, will go into effect in mid-September.
12939561522
Reposted by PombeDoc
Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
I requested that they override this rule through the legislative and appropriations process and write into legislation a requirement to follow peer review and best scientific practices. In this way, Congress can stop the attacks on science.
0199
Reposted by PombeDoc
Ian Dworkin @idworkin.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
I am excited to tell you about our new study led by Tyler Audet and in collaboration with Stefan Lüpold's group. Below you see two species. On the right is Drosophila melanogaster. On the left, Drosophila prolongata. Notice the highly exaggerated legs of the males in D.p! doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Two panel image of Drosophila prolongata and Drosophila melanogaster. In the top panel is a female of Drosophila prolongata on the left and a female of Drosophila melanogaster on the right. It shows that D. prolongata females are somewhat larger than melanogaster, and have spotted wings. Importantly the legs are proportional in each species.

In the bottom panel are males. On the left is a Drosophila prolongata male which is larger than all the other individuals, and has highly exaggerated legs in terms of width and length, and also has black stripes. In contrast male Drosophila melanogaster are much smaller than all the others, with normally proportioned legs.
35120
Reposted by PombeDoc
Vinny Costa @vincentcostaphd.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Just submitted my comments on the OMB proposed rule. Gets yours in before tomorrow afternoon.
02812
Reposted by PombeDoc
Steven Beschloss @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Respect.
321925324
Reposted by PombeDoc
Maureen Barr @barrlab.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Posted my comments opposing OMBs proposed rule. It was so easy, using this great letter writing tool of @faseborg.bsky.social www.faseb.org/science-poli... Did you submit yours yet? The deadline is soon - July 13. This is essential to save science and research in the US.
I write in my personal capacity as a research-active faculty member, not on behalf of my institution. I am a distinguished professor at a leading state R1 university. I am also a Senior Principal Investigator whose research laboratory is NIH. I submit these comments in strong opposition to OMB's proposed rule revising 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (Docket OMB-2026-0034). I am requesting that OMB withdraw this rule entirely because of the devasting consequences it will have on biomedical research, human health, the economy, and the nation.

The proposed pre-issuance review requirement (§ 200.205) eliminates that independence by giving political appointees – who may have no experience or training in the biomedical research field - veto power over peer-reviewed funding decisions. As a Senior PI / Lab director whose research is supported by NIH, I am deeply concerned that the best science will not be funded, instead politicians will decide not based on merit and research quality, but rather ideology. Peer-review is critical for gold-standard science.

This proposed discretionary termination provision (§ 200.340) jeopardizes the future and well-being of the researchers in my laboratory, my department, my university, my state, and the United States.  My research program has been continuously funded by the NIH for over two decades. My laboratory is like a small business – with NIH funding, I employ eight full-time personnel. These scientists are at all stages of their careers – newly minted bachelors who are working as research technicians or graduate students; postdoctoral researchers who are completing additional training in order to go onto careers in academia, biotech, industry, governments; senior scientists who have devoted their entire careers to biomedical research and training the next generation of scientists, physicians, dentists, teachers, etc. 

The proposed international collaboration restrictions (§§ 200.202(e), 200.220) will isolate US scientists and lead to the demise…
36926
Reposted by PombeDoc
ContempraInn 🌹 @contemprainn.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A seal 🦭 mom gives birth and thinks her little one is dead. Then she realizes the little one is alive… and her joy is unforgettable.😍
14294621148