iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Rita Tamayo

Shonna McBride @shonmcbride.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Hey y’all, did you know that study sections have been asked to vote each round to adopt the “modified review” practice of only discussing the top 1/3? What if we don’t vote yes?.. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

grants.nih.gov

NIH Guide: Weekly Index for September 11, 2026 | Grants & Funding

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Jake Choby @jakechoby.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I’m excited to share the final two papers from my postdoc with @dweisslab.bsky.social. Together, they reveal two mechanisms of antibiotic heteroresistance (HR) that do not rely on gene copy-number changes, but instead arise from cell-to-cell differences in transcription. A short thread: 1/4

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Beautiful work and a joy to read! I have serious microscopy envy. Congrats to the team!

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Huge congratulations to Nicole Gadda, who led the project with assistance from @jilarie.bsky.social. Both recently defended their dissertation and will be sorely missed!

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

New from the lab--C. diff uses phase variation to initiate infection in a virulent state but that phenotype presents a fitness cost as disease develops. A programmed reset mechanism primes Clostridioides difficile virulence at the onset of infection | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

A programmed reset mechanism primes Clostridioides difficile virulence at the onset of infection

Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This pathogen produces toxins essential for disease and flagella that promote intestinal colonization. Flagella and toxins ...

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Drew Hryckowian @a-hryckowian.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

New preprint from the lab led by Alex Dobrila! We show that butyrate-dependent toxin release in C. difficile is mediated by a broadly-conserved endolysin (EndD), which is under the control of the sporulation sigma factor SigK. Excited to share this story! 👇 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

biorxiv.org

EndD mediates butyrate-dependent toxin release in Clostridioides difficile

Clostridioides difficile is an urgent threat to human health. Current treatments for C. difficile infections (CDIs) are antibiotics and microbiome restoration therapy (MRT) for recurrent cases. Howeve...

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Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

For ESIs dealing with grants being rescinded: if an investigator’s 1st substantial independent research award is terminated within the first 3 years of the project period (not due to scientific misconduct ) they can request the reinstatement of ESI status grants.nih.gov/news-events/...

My First Substantial Independent Research Award Was Terminated Early. Can My ESI Status Be Reinstated?
June 12, 2025
Investigators lose their Early Stage Investigator (ESI) eligibility when they successfully compete for and receive a substantial independent research award. In the event an investigator’s first substantial independent research award is terminated within the first three years of the project period, and this was not due to scientific misconduct or other disqualifying events, the investigator can request the reinstatement of ESI status, using the ESI Extensions request tool in eRA commons. See Requesting an Extension for instructions.

For more, see the Early Stage Investigators FAQ page.

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Evening at Missy Lane's, Durham, NC

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Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

This NY Times podcast discusses 1,700 NIH grants that were cancelled mid-stream. They largely fell into two categories: (a) studies of underrepresented populations (e.g., black women, gay men); and (b) studies by researchers from underrepresented groups. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/p...

nytimes.com

Breaking Down the Massive Cuts to Science Funding

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

New review article from the lab! "Maximizing bacterial survival: integrating sense-and-respond and bet-hedging mechanisms": www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Led by PhD student Nicole Gadda & former-PhD student from the Cotter lab Lilli Lowrey Access link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1lHuj_,2Ci...

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Wiep Klaas Smits (ExpBac/CMAT) @smitslab.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Important: if a bug does not make the WHO's priority list, this does not mean it is not relevant. We present arguments why investment in R&D for surveillance, control and treatment of C. difficile (CDI) is of critical importance: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

Clostridioides difficile is a bacterial priority pathogen

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM Implementation of Schedule F This is what a lot of us have been worried about. This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs. BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD... 1/n

media.tenor.com

the word alert is in a purple circle

ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

BV study section rescheduled for mid-April, posted on the Federal Register yesterday

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Shonna McBride @shonmcbride.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Super duper. What could go wrong?

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Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Join us today, in Raleigh NC and around the nation, as we remind our communities what science brings to the nation--solutions to our toughest challenges, new cures for disease and good jobs that pay a living wage standupforscience2025.org

Poster for the rally at the state Capitol, Noon, Friday March 7

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Good company makes evening work better

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

We're now actively rescheduling last week's cancelled study section. Well, there's a Doodle poll anyway...

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Bacterial Virulence study section was cancelled this morning. The email was sent 2 hours before the meeting start time. I feel terrible for the investigators 😡

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Shonna McBride @shonmcbride.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Courage is contagious! #CDC #SAVEUSSCIENCE #ATL

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

So.... Will there finally be pushback from universities? We know people and science don't matter to them, but this is an enormous hit to their bottom line.

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David F. Warner @dwarnersoc.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

⚠️ Effective Monday 2/10/25, NIH indirect rate capped at 15%. Applies to existing & future grants. —> Deep budget cuts & program closures coming to a university near you. Is this the break the glass moment for university administrators who have been silent so far about the attack on science?

grants.nih.gov

NOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD

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Mike Feigin 🥯 @mikefeigin.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

If institutions are not going to use their multi-billion dollar endowments to protect us, then I agree with the GOP, tax them to hell. What the fuck are they there for?

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Teacher agrees (in September) to write my high school senior a recommendation letter for college apps. Says they'll write it over the break. Teacher has a chronic illness and has been out for two weeks. Teacher cannot be reached (unfortunate but understandable). Application deadline is January 1.

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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 18/12/2024

Bacterial ncRNAs influence various cellular functions & have complex 3ry structures. @tinalence.bsky.social @ffaberlab.bsky.social &co show that the #ncRNA ModT is conserved in 2,500 bacterial spp and regulates growth transition & sporulation in #Cdifficile via c-di-GMP #PLOSBiology plos.io/4iIpgYm

This shows the C. difficile ModT locus, the genes regulated by ModT, and the conserved tertiary structures of ModT RNAs from 5 bacterial species.

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Bench scientists, I need your expertise! @drwalkermsbanta.bsky.social discovered these samples while cleaning out a freezer. What's in these tubes??

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

I'm so excited that multiple projects in the lab are coming together beautifully. We have a lot of writing to do in the coming months! Maybe not the best time for me to start perusing another social media platform...

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Matthew Lawrenz @lawrenzlab.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

Calling all microbiologists! Registration is open for the Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting, February 2-4, 2025.! Abstract deadline is 12/8/2024, but don't wait, filling fast. Check it out at mampm.org.

mampm.org

MAMPM

February 2-4, 2025 Wintergreen Resort, Virginia

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Rita Tamayo @ritatamayo.bsky.social · 06/10/2023

I'd really like to see more scientific societies avoid holding conferences in cities with anti-LGBTQA and anti-choice legislation. Both for the safety of attendees and to keep our dollars out of those states.

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