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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸

@thommurphy.bsky.social
409 followers 437 following 2K posts

PhD student in the Ho Lab at Columbia med center and New Yorker 🗽🏳️‍⚧️ Plasmodia, cryoEM, membrane proteins 😍

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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 17h
BREAKING NEWS: “Do geese see God” is a palindrome
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
5 potatoes cubed is still 5 potatoes because potatoes are root vegetables
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Sternberg Lab @sternberglab.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
1/13 — New pre-print from the Sternberg Lab in collaboration with Leifu Chang's Lab! TnpB nucleases have repeatedly given rise to TldRs, nuclease-dead RNA-guided transcription factors. Here we define the biological role of one TldR clade in its native host. Story: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Kicking science journalists out of MAHA events? Seems to be a familiar playbook. I'm sorry this happened to you @sherylnyt.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/maxk...
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Omar Harb @omarharb.org · 29/09/2026
Sunday, Oct 11: I'm running the Gaza 5K in Prospect Park to raise $1,000 for UNRWA mental health services in Gaza. Counselors there, many of them refugees themselves, help children cope with trauma. Please give what you can: getinvolved.unrwausa.org/fundraiser/7... #Gaza5k
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Cell Press @cellpress.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"Fire amoeba" found in hot spring breaks heat tolerance record, as it's able to survive temperatures up to 158F (70C)--the highest of any complex organism. Learn more in Cell: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... Angela M. Oliverio & colleagues @cp-cell.bsky.social
first page of Cell paper: "A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes"
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
incredibly cool work
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
RCSB Protein Data Bank @rcsbpdb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
September 21 is #WorldAlzheimersDay Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases are linked to unnatural aggregation of proteins into amyloid fibrils.
pdb101.rcsb.org
PDB101: Molecule of the Month: Amyloids
Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases are linked to unnatural aggregation of proteins into amyloid fibrils.
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
There has been a noticeable lack of serious reaction over Turkish persecution of LGBTQIA+ community from the global community. As in many other countries, Türkiye tries to mask persecution by claiming being LGBTQIA+ isn't illegal and then using "obscenity laws". www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
theguardian.com
Turkey detains dozens in crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists and journalists
Protesters teargassed as minister claims widespread raids and arrests under obscenity laws were to ‘protect families’
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Doudna Lab @doudna-lab.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Out now in Science: Two papers from our lab reveal VIPR, an RNA-guided DNA-targeting system in bacteriophages, providing clues to the origins of CRISPR www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Congrats to Peter Yoon, @kenjmloi.bsky.social @terryzzy.bsky.social, T.Docter & team
science.org
A noncontiguous code for RNA-guided DNA recognition at the origin of CRISPR-Cas
CRISPR-Cas provides RNA-mediated adaptive immunity, but how its first RNA-guided effector arose is unclear. In this study, we report the discovery of Viral Interference Programmable Repeat (VIPR) syst...
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
James Goodwin @jamesgoodwin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
"A federal statute is the best interpretation of the Constitution our system produces, not because Congress is infallible but because Congress’s interpretation is the one the people can democratically change." What is so hard about that? www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/18/o...
bostonglobe.com
The Constitution belongs to ‘We the People,’ not nine justices - The Boston Globe
The Supreme Court was never meant to have the last word on self-government.
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Kevin A. Scott, PhD @sculpturatus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
found at ucsf
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James Goodwin @jamesgoodwin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Is this their closing argument for the midterms?
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Jesse Felder @jessefelder.com · 16/09/2026
“It is unprecedented. We have two major waterways obstructed, active attacks, Iran escalating attacks, proxies being active and no signs of diplomatic talks. It’s a disastrous situation when you’re looking at it from an energy security angle.” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/b...
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Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I don't think people really understand the psychic impact of knowing that multiple times a day every day your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and everyone who could ever have any power over you is being flooded with agitprop designed to make them hate you
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
ACLU @aclu.org · 16/09/2026
BREAKING: We're suing Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the National Institutes of Health Director for their ideologically-driven termination and censorship of biomedical research grants. Targeting views the government disagrees with for not aligning with a political agenda is unconstitutional.
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
NEW: Yet another group of researchers is suing the NIH and HHS over a massive purge of federal research grants. The class-action suit alleges the Trump admin is violating scientists' first amendment rights by using keyword searches to censor science that doesn't align with its political views.
aclu.org
Researchers Challenge NIH Screening of Grants for Disfavored Viewpoints | American Civil Liberties Union
Class action lawsuit seeks to stop censorship and termination of federally funded scientific research
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Dave Herman @dherman.dev · 13/09/2026
“When Obama said he supported civil unions in the run-up to the 2008 and 2012 elections, he was offering gay people a slower pace of progress. When Democrats today triangulate on transgender rights, they are offering us a slower pace of decline.”
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Nature @nature.com · 11/09/2026
Nature research paper: Ancient proteins identify various Denisovan remains from Southwest China go.nature.com/4AdEBJc
go.nature.com
Ancient proteins identify various Denisovan remains from Southwest China - Nature
Identification and proteomic analysis of bone fragments and teeth from an excavation in Southwest China provide insight into the evolution and phenotype of Denisovans and fill a geographical gap in their documented distribution.
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Razvan Borza @rborza.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
🤯 This is how much space an IDR can occupy. Often hard to picture until you see it. 🤔 Did you expect this? This is my favorite complex, Zincore. Using Cryo-EM, I could only resolve the folded core. Here, I modeled the IDRs with AlphaFold3 and visualized it in Blender using MolecularNodes.
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Basil Greber @bjgreber.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
👀
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Anh Hoang Le, PhD 🏳️‍🌈🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇻🇳 @anhhle2702.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Very happy to share my postdoc paper is out now in @natcellbio.nature.com titled "Tissue flow acts as a guidance cue for immune cell polarization and directional migration". If you love imaging and immune cells, this is for you! #microscopymonday www.nature.com/articles/s41... A 🧵: 1/n
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Jane Munday @janemunday.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Latest paper properly out ... beautiful figures @scotomorph.bsky.social
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
If you are ever feeling inclined to believe that NIH Director Bhattacharya has any core scientific beliefs, remember this... He criticized and eliminated pandemic preparedness and biodefence from the NIAID strategic plan (without any process). www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/4
nature.com
The new vision from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) - Nature Medicine
Preparing for tomorrow’s threats by enhancing our ability to help patients today.
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
actually they will usually think "what's NIAID? and what's biodefense?"
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Judy Weston @westonjk.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
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Simon W Davis @woodforbrains.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Ho-LEE fuck 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...
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Land of 10,000 Takes @notokayfabe.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Look, we all know it’s a cult but this is truly staggering. What information about Canada could you possibly have been told to suddenly think they’re “the enemy” other than just being told that’s who you’re supposed to hate now?
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Kristian G. Andersen @kgandersen.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
This is a wonderful article about my friend and colleague, Bob Garry - about his scientific work, from early HIV discoveries to COVID-19 origins. It is also, however, a reminder of the personal toll and damage caused by endless social media-driven conspiracism. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
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Nature @nature.com · 02/09/2026
Earth will breach a long-standing target before the end of the decade, according to a new UN report. go.nature.com/4xAY4Sh
go.nature.com
UN finally admits global warming will shoot past 1.5 ºC climate limit
Earth will breach a long-standing target before the end of the decade, report says.
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
To be fair, my best guess would probably suck too :/
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Sternberg Lab @sternberglab.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Link to paper! academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com
Large-scale mutational analysis uncovers molecular mechanisms governing dual RNA functions in transposons
Abstract. Transposons are among the most abundant mobile genetic elements in nature. IStrons are a unique class of transposons, encoding a transposase for
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Sternberg Lab @sternberglab.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Just published! IStrons are a unique class of transposable elements that pack three distinct functions in one nucleotide sequence. In this work, we used pooled library mutagenesis and high-throughput sequencing to systematically map the sequence and structural features that govern these functions.
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Blue states are going to need to pass laws like this to protect science in the future, unless Congress acts to permanently insulate science funding infrastructure from future rogue Executives.
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Very very cool
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Obsessed with this lil guy
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Nature @nature.com · 01/09/2026
An experiment spots an energy flash similar to that of the long-sought weakly interacting massive particle, or WIMP. go.nature.com/4i6BsUK
go.nature.com
Is this the first glimpse of dark matter? Data point excites physicists
An experiment spots an energy flash similar to that of the long-sought weakly interacting massive particle, or WIMP.
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I cannot get over the googly eyes
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Nucleic Acids Research @narjournal.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
⭐ #NARBreakthrough ⭐ How do #IStrons juggle 3 competing functions from a single sequence? #Newstudy reveals an RNA-level #tug-of-war between #self-preservation and #hostprotection, shaped by #RNAfolding 🔬Read the article here: doi.org/10.1093/nar/...
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Nucleic Acids Research @narjournal.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Congratulations to Edan Mortman and @sternberglab.bsky.social @shsternberg.bsky.social on this fascinating and important achievement! 🎉 Your work provides a compelling look at how selfish genetic elements balance their own propagation with the survival of their host. @columbiauniversity.bsky.social
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Chad Loder @chadloder.dev · 28/08/2026
Texas has suspended over 1.2 million voter registrations. Many valid voters in Texas have found their voter registrations were somehow canceled when they checked. Check your registration here and fix it immediately - Texas doesn't always honor provisional ballots cast on election day.
goelect.txelections.civixapps.com
IvisMvpUi
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 26/08/2026
Nature honors Dolly Parton's scientific legacy. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Dolly Parton dies aged 80 – researchers celebrate her contributions to science
The country singer was an advocate for vaccines, public health, literacy and marginalized communities.
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I really think the core of what's wrong with the GOP today is they no longer want an open, liberal society and see politics as a means to impose Christian Nationalism on everyone else. This victory aside, they're still winning.
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Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
“One of the plaintiffs in the case, a drag queen who performs under the name Brigitte Bandit, impersonates Parton in her performances.” Bandit “announced she would also perform as Parton, who gave her a rhinestone guitar as a gift in 2023, at an Austin bar Saturday in her honor.”
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Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 @thommurphy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
love to see the bottom of the knitting lore iceberg
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Nature @nature.com · 19/08/2026
Obituary: Rudolph A. Marcus (1923-2026) theoretical chemist who explained how electrons jump between molecules go.nature.com/3S2C0R3
go.nature.com
Rudolph A. Marcus obituary: theoretical chemist who explained how electrons jump between molecules
His calculations explain the efficiency of batteries and solar cells.
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Jamie Blaza @jnb-lab.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Our preprint is now published!
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
This is a must-read for anyone interested in NIH. formernih.substack.com/p/nih-direct... NIH_Leadership™ held a session full of half-truths about the "unified funding strategy" while they and HHS continues to play politics with NIH grants. Chilling, but a call to action! @standupforscience.net
formernih.substack.com
NIH Directors Decide, Except When HHS Says No
A June 2026 Nature report revealed that mandatory reviews by top officials, checking for a list of 235 disfavored terms, have left hundreds of meritorious NIH applications in administrative limbo (Koz...
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Stephen Curry @scurry.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Unexpected and cool. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Alternate RNA decoding results in stable and abundant proteins in mammals - Nature
Alternate RNA decoding, an understudied process, leads to peptide sequence modifications that can have substantial functional effects on protein stability, tissue-specific proteomes and dise...
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Reposted by Tom Murphy 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸
Debnath Ghosal @debnathghosal.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Amazing to be a part of this fantastic work led by the @brendanburns999.bsky.social lab! Here, for the first time, we visualized unique viruses associated with Asgard archaea using cryoET. You can read it here: lnkd.in/gs7mztKw
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