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Melanie Pearson

@proteusqueen.bsky.social
179 followers 129 following 33 posts

Microbiologist, especially Proteus mirabilis and UTIs. U. Michigan. Interested in lots of things. Inveterate lurker.

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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
The Walker Lab at UTHealth @walkerlab.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
📣 #UTIHour is one month from today! Mark your 🗓️ to join @globaluti.bsky.social and our host @gu-e.bsky.social to learn about Pre-analytic specimen handling for quantitative urine culture: implications for clinical practice and research
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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
LUF @liveutifree.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Clinicians: Support the global UTI patient study! Share this 10-min survey with adult patients (18+) who’ve had a UTI. forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage… #UTIResearch #PatientVoices
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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
Salvador Almagro-Moreno @bioetry.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
We are looking for motivated Postdocs to join our lab to investigate the emergence and evolution of bacterial pathogens. If your profile and interests fit the description below get in touch! Please share.Thank you!
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The Walker Lab at UTHealth @walkerlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
If you missed #UTIHour this week, which focused on understudied uropathogens 🦠, the recording has been posted! All those on #UTISky check it out utiga.org/upcoming
utiga.org
Urinary Tract Infection Global Alliance
No membership fees Join now!
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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
‼️⏰⏲️ OUR #UTIhour is just 5 hours away, TODAY 7/20 AT 1:30PM EDT/1730 UTC!!! Zoom link on UTIGA.org/upcoming Recordings available after on UTIGA.org/past The final speaker of this seminar should be familiar to you - she hosted #UTICONF26! 🧵/2 👇
utiga.org
Urinary Tract Infection Global Alliance
International society of clinical, research and biomedical professionals
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UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Our next #UTIhour on understudied uropathogens is WEEK! 🦠 Our host Dr. @lauraamike.bsky.social has assembled a dream team of speakers. She herself is in the #KlebClub - she studies #Klebsiella at @Pittdeptofmed.bsky.social! 📅 7/20 1:30PM EDT / 1700 UTC 🔗 UTIGA.org/upcoming #UTIsky #IDSky
utiga.org
Urinary Tract Infection Global Alliance
International society of clinical, research and biomedical professionals
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James Connolly @ruamicro.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Very nice work on sugar transport during Proteus UTI
journals.plos.org
Selective sugar transport supports Proteus mirabilis fitness in the urinary tract
Author summary All living organisms require nutrients to grow, survive, and cause disease. Bacteria like Proteus mirabilis, which causes urinary tract infections, rely on specialized systems to import...
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
journals.plos.org
Selective sugar transport supports Proteus mirabilis fitness in the urinary tract
Author summary All living organisms require nutrients to grow, survive, and cause disease. Bacteria like Proteus mirabilis, which causes urinary tract infections, rely on specialized systems to import...
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I’m excited to announce our newest publication, “Selective sugar transport supports Proteus mirabilis fitness in the urinary tract“ in PLoS Pathogens! @aeshealab.bsky.social @globaluti.bsky.social #UTIsky
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Fills my heart to catch up with all my UTI colleagues, including this group of former Mobley Lab postdocs who now all run their own labs. @aeshealab.bsky.social @lauraamike.bsky.social @chelsamicro.bsky.social @globaluti.bsky.social #UTIconf26 #UTIsky
Drs. Mike, Armbruster, Pearson, Shea, and Subash on the steps to the Wyatt Rotunda at Vanderbilt.
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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
The Walker Lab at UTHealth @walkerlab.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Fantastic Official Day 1 at #UTICONF2026 catching up with collaborators @globaluti.bsky.social #UTISky
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Thanks, Jen!
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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 09/03/2026
If you’re roughly my age, it’s wild to reflect on the optimism for the future Americans felt when Obama was elected — young Americans spontaneously took to the streets to celebrate! — and contrast with what we face today. The falloff over the past 18 years is hard to process.
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
#UTIsky @globaluti.bsky.social
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UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Our next #UTIHour is just under a month away! Join our panel of experts on 2/17 at 4pm EST / 9PM UTC (ONE DAY AFTER #UTICONF26 ABSTRACTS ARE DUE). We'll discuss the gut-bladder axis, and how disruptions in our intestines influence bladder health, infection risk & recurrence! #IDSky #UTISky
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UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
#UTICONF26 is just around the corner! We've got a great program covering: 🦠 #UTI diagnosis 🦠 Pathogenesis 🦠 Drivers 🦠 Microbiomes/reservoirs 🦠 Personalized therapies 🦠 Host-pathogen interactions Deadlines: Travel award - 1/12 Abstracts - 2/16 Early registration - 2/26 #UTISky #IDsky
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Prof Jenny Rohn @jennyrohn.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
This is *the* premiere #UTI conference in the field, and only happens every two years, so you don't want to miss it! Nashville, April 9-11 utiga.org/2026-6th-csa...
utiga.org
Urinary Tract Infection Global Alliance
No membership fees Join now!
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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
Registration for our 6th conference on clinical & scientific advances in UTI is OPEN! 📅WHEN: 4/9/26 - 4/11/26 🌎WHERE: Nashville, TN 🇺🇸 ‼️APPLICATION DEADLINES‼️ ✈️💰TRAVEL AWARD: 1/12/26 🗣️ABSTRACT: 2/16/26 🗓️EARLY REGISTRATION: 2/26/26 UTIGA.ORG/2026-6TH-CS... #UTICONF26 #UTISKY #IDSKY
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Kara Gavin @karagavin.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
This photo is making the rounds on social media and some have asked if it's legit. It is. As the curator of a new exhibit on U-M medical history that opens this weekend, I wanted to share a link showing that it was taken by a LIFE magazine photographer: www.life.com/animals/anim... #IDsky
life.com
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Really looking forward to this Oct 14 UTI Hour online to learn more about veterinary UTIs! utiga.org/upcoming #UTIsky
utiga.org
Urinary Tract Infection Global Alliance
No membership fees Join now!
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Reposted by Melanie Pearson
Brad Takei @bradtakei.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
I may be American, but I’ll never be the Gestapo.
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
I normally post to this account for scientific reasons, but I’m excited to share something more personal. I’ve been taking photos from the same spot for a few years. 1/
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Gc Rox @gcrox.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
Postdoc position (please re-post) A funded postdoctoral position, will open in 2026 to study aspects of Neisseria gonorrhoeae pathogenesis, antigenic variation, genetics, or physiology. If interested in more information, please contact Hank Seifert h-seifert@northwestern.edu #MicroSky
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Dr. Wendy Bohon @drwendyrocks.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
👏👏👏 👏👏
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ASM @asm.org · 04/09/2025
As national medical, scientific, public health and patient organizations, we call for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure the health of the American people. Read our statement: asm.org/press-releas...
asm.org
Joint Statement Calling for Secretary Kennedy Resignation
The American Society for Microbiology released a joint statement calling for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
The practical upshot is that justice delayed is justice denied; or to be more precise, a lab which had to fire all of its researchers and halt work on groundbreaking research isn't going to be able to ever restore itself to the same position it would have been without a multi-year pause in funding.
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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 19/08/2025
Are the mRNA vaccines incredible? YES! Are the mRNA vaccines perfect? No. Have the mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives? YES! Can we make the mRNA vaccines even better? YES! Can we use mRNA vaccine technology to prevent and treat many other diseases? YES! Fund mRNA research!
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UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Veterinary #UTIs don't just happen to companion animals. A study in the 1980s found urinary tract infections were the cause of death in up to 30% of female koalas!* Our Oct 14 (12EDT, 1600UTC) #UTIhour can help explain how 🐨 infections can impact 🧍‍♀️too *(PMID: 6887434)
Koala sleeping in a tree
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The Walker Lab at UTHealth @walkerlab.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
Mark your calendars for the next #UTIHour on Oct 14th focusing on veterinary #UTI
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
New publication from our lab, featuring Dr. Santosh Paudel’s work offers a refined cost-effective approach to study bacterial growth rates during infection @globaluti.bsky.social #UTIsky
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Danielle Johnson @dwhren.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Just saw this shared. You can see which stations stand to lose more than 50% of their funding adoptastation.org
adoptastation.org
Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media
Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
I really want to know what that Duluth lab found! www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...
wbur.org
Mysterious lifeform discovered on Great Lakes ship
The crew of a scientific research vessel discovered a strange black goo clinging to their ship. Perplexed, they sent a sample to microbial biologists for analysis, who found DNA.
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Tomorrow!
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Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
I am both a professional microbiologist and a hobbyist gardener and I’m just finding out about mosquito dunks!
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
In case you are wondering what it's like for scientists now, every person I saw at the ASM conference asked others in a deeply serious voice "But how are you really?" I thought it was just me, but no, everyone is asking everyone this!
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 03/06/2025
If you burn down a forest, you don't miss out on lumber for just that season. You have to replant all the trees, nurture them, and wait for them to grow. The science and research budget cuts happening now are wanton, senseless arson. Recovery, if it ever happens, will take generations.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Senator Durbin noted that some (I believe Republican Senators) had indicated the US had been doing more than its share of biomedical research and it was time for other countries take a turn. I felt I had to interrupt to respond...
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Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Who's calling the shots at NIH? Sworn testimonies and internal e-mails reveal for the first time the breadth of DOGE's control over the world's largest public biomedical funder. DOGE has provided lists of hundreds of grants to cut, and DOGE is now reviewing ALL NIH awards before they're released
nature.com
NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE
Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.
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Mallory Harris, PhD @malar0ne.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
The NIH Director continues to misunderstand (or mischaracterize) the extent to which research is being gutted. I appreciate this program officer for speaking up.
At the town hall, Bhattacharya told staffers that they ought not to worry about the anti-DEI push, explaining that studies of the impacts of specific policies like redlining affecting minority populations would not be cut. However, this remark was met with pushback from the audience.

”As the program officer who oversees this research, I will tell you my studies have been terminated,” an individual interrupted.

Bhattacharya clarified that studies into the effects of structural racism would be cut, to which the individual responded, “What do you think redlining is?”
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Last year, Ben Mazer wrote this piece about the revenge of the Covid contrarians all now ensconced as leaders of public health, science & healthcare. but they’re a whole lot of fellow travelers among the liberal establishment who should take some of the blame. 1/ www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
theatlantic.com
Revenge of the COVID Contrarians
They’re angry at the public-health establishment. Now they’re in control of it.
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NPR @npr.org · 06/05/2025
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
npr.org
Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
This report of interview with new NIH Director Jayanta Bhattacharya from @jocelynkaiser.bsky.social reveals a real $hit show... www.science.org/content/arti... 1/n
science.org
‘It’s been a tough period’: NIH’s new director speaks with Science
Jay Bhattacharya discusses staff morale, grant cuts, and “rumors”
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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Bezos plans to sell ~$4.8 billion of Amazon stock. That's only 2.5% of his holdings in the company. That sale roughly equals the proposed ~50% cut to NSF. IOW, with modest endowment-level growth of Amazon, Bezos could fund the entire NSF shortfall into perpetuity. www.cnbc.com/2025/05/02/j...
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Sebastian S. Cocioba @atinygreencell.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
I got hit by some rather sudden and extreme financial hardship so if anyone is in need of remote wetlab contract research, strictly BSL1, do let me know. Currently scrambling for gigs. Plant, Bacterial, Archaeal Non-model Bioeng Custom Lab Hardware Turn Key Genetic Design Please repost for reach 💚
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
Final point here: this post is from an anonymous NIH employee, and it feels critical to raise these voices precisely because the Trump administration has silenced credible NIH officials and their leadership is not representing them. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nih-bu...
It’s a mess inside NIH right now, and the staff needs public support and help. The top of NIH has been lopped off, with almost all senior leadership, from former acting director Larry Tabak to head of HR Julie Berko, removed via forced retirements or RIFs. Thousands of staff, from grants program officials to fellows to scientists, have been removed via possibly illegal means, and are not working.

Morale is uneven. In a personal conversation earlier this week, one senior employee said to me “NIH is dead right now. Unless things change dramatically soon, NIH is finished as a funder of high-quality science.” Scientists go through a lot of rejection in a career, and so they are resilient. Thanks to that resilience, some NIH’ers are keeping hold of the mission of supporting US science, staying positive, and rolling with the punches. But there are widespread fears the agency is in a state of collapse.
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Jonathan Howard @joho.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Our current Medical Establishment got famous by going on Fox News and saying how well they *would have* handled COVID. Don’t believe them. Now that they are in power, they are botching measles and everything else. My latest. sciencebasedmedicine.org/measlesfail/
sciencebasedmedicine.org
Our Current Medical Establishment Would Have Botched COVID, The Same Way They Are Botching Measles
Those of us who paid attention to their COVID wishcasting are not the least bit surprised that measles is killing and injuring children under their watch.
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Juliana Finch @writeplayrepeat.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
It's a great time to support @trevorproject.bsky.social and the vital work they do for kids.
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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 20/04/2025
The NYT wants you to think universities became dependent on government. This is false. The government invested in the national research infrastructure by competitive grants to universities. The taxpayers built this. It got us to the moon. Won the Cold War. Created Silicon Valley. Made the McRib.
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UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Ever wonder how 2 people can be exposed to the same 🦠 but have wildly different #UTI experiences? It's because UTI isn’t one-size-fits-all. Genetics, hormones, aging, & immunity all play a role in who gets sick - and how often. Join our 4/30 #UTIhour to learn more! #UTIsky #IDsky
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Dor Salomon @drdorsalomon.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
Phage people - does anyone have a lambda phage with a deletion/mutation in the integrase gene (unable to lysogenize)? If so, can you please share it with us to help us test a cool hypothesis? Thanks! Please RT. 🦠🙏
media.tenor.com
a cartoon character from south park says " i m gonna need your help "
ALT: a cartoon character from south park says " i m gonna need your help "
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