iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Our latest work tracks the continued spread of Aedes albopictus 🦟in Iowa, now detected in at least 10 counties. Representing its northern range in the Midwest, this has broader implications for its continued spread in the US. academic.oup.com/jme/article/...

academic.oup.com

Continued range expansion of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iowa, United States

Abstract. The mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) serves as a competent vector of several arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya, an

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Join us! We're hiring a Research Scientist to support projects on mosquito immunity and mosquito‑borne disease transmission. Ideal for a post‑bac or recent M.S. looking to gain experience in cutting-edge research in vector biology. isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJob...

isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

Mosquito Research Scientist

Position Title: Mosquito Research Scientist Job Group: Professional & Scientific Required Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree Preferred Qualifications: Proficiency in molecular biology techn...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

👀There will be a Keystone Symposium with a focus on Vector-Pathogen Interactions to be held in Geneva, Switzerland in February 2027. It should be a great meeting and hope to see you there! www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...

keystonesymposia.org

Vector-Pathogen Interactions: From Vector Biology to Innovative Control Strategies | Keystone Symposia

Join us at the Keystone Symposia on Vector-Pathogen Interactions: From Vector Biology to Innovative Control Strategies, February 2027, in Geneva, with field leaders!

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Our latest work involving the development of genetic markers for mosquito hemocytes and their characterization using spectral imaging flow cytometry. The result is an advanced characterization of mosquito immune cells and the foundation for building genetic tools. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Characterization of Anopheles gambiae immune cells through genetic and functional immunophenotyping - Nature Communications

Classification of mosquito hemocytes into subtypes has thus far relied on morphological properties. Here, the authors develop new genetic resources that facilitate the visualization and analysis of he...

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Waggoner Lab @labwaggoner.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

A genome-wide CRISPR knockout in a major malaria vector identifies genes important for fitness & immune-related processes @natcomms.nature.com @perrimonlab.bsky.social @iowastateu.bsky.social @harvardmed.bsky.social @georgesaman.bsky.social @vectorimmunity.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

I'm happy that I could contribute even a small part to this fantastic and monumental study! Huge shoutout to @oliviagoldman.net @nadavshai.bsky.social and @leslievosshall.bsky.social for their incredible leadership in organizing this massive project!

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Since my study section meeting was postponed, I am able to submit my own grant a few days earlier than expected. I just wish that my outlook for the entire system was better than at present.

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Trends in Parasitology @cp-trendsparasitol.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

David Hall & @vectorimmunity.bsky.social highlight @merklinglab.bsky.social & colleagues’ Cell Genomics article on #mosquito cellular responses in #midgut & #fatbody after #bloodfeeding. #Aedes #aegypti #scRNAseq #Metabolomics @iastateresearch.bsky.social‬ ‬ authors.elsevier.com/a/1lbEr5Eb1x...

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brackneylab @brackneylab.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Despite all the shit going on, we have to celebrate our victories. New publication with @entomososwin.bsky.social and @vectorimmunity.bsky.social showing that hemocytes play a central role in disseminating flaviviruses to secondary tissues potentially functioning as a Trojan Horse(TBD) rdcu.be/euj4g

rdcu.be

Mosquito immune cells enhance dengue and Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti

Nature Communications - Infection of mosquito immune cells by dengue and Zika virus enhances the spread of virus infection to mosquito tissues, such as the salivary glands, to promote virus...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Heading out for a night of weirdness with the family

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

It's nice to start off your day with "We are delighted to accept your manuscript..."

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

It's the time of the year when a student can be genuinely excited about getting a D-. D's get degrees. Only the best and brightest are ready to hit the workforce!

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Dr. Becca @docbecca.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

This is a great explainer of just how much trouble NIH-funded scientists are about to be in. 😨

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Malinda Lo @malindalo.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Harvard redid its whole homepage to push back against the administration’s demands. I mean, this is just a website but I think it’s kind of a great PR move: www.harvard.edu

harvard.edu

Harvard University

Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders who make a difference globally.

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Does anyone have recommendations for a preferably free or low-cost software platform for cloning, plasmid design, and curation for the lab. I "grew up" scientifically with VectorNTI. Is SnapGene the best current option? Any other alternatives that you might recommend?

media.tenor.com

a cartoon character from south park says please in front of a sign that says south park

ALT: a cartoon character from south park says please in front of a sign that says south park

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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 17/02/2025

The cost-saving claims don’t hold up. Every dollar in NIH research grants generates $2.46 in economic activity, research shows—a total of $93 billion in 2023 alone. “It’s incredible to me that we would give up this thing that has such obvious societal benefits,” says biologist Mark Peifer.

motherjones.com

America will pay dearly for the NIH’s mindless war on wokeness and DEI

Colleges, businesses, patients, students, workers, and US excellence will all suffer—and for what?

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

The biggest hit to extramural program staff appears to be grants management specialists (GMSs). It appears that 15-20% of GMSs were terminated. This is quite concerning since these folks have already missed essentially a month of getting-grants-out time and have lots to do. They already work hard.

media.tenor.com

kermit the frog has his hand on his mouth

ALT: kermit the frog has his hand on his mouth

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

🚨 We are recruiting for two post-doc positions!🚨 1) Development of genetic tools to study mosquito immune cells isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJob... 2) Role of mosquito immune cells in immune recognition and priming isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJob...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Excited to share that I officially received my first R01 today! It's been a long road, one marked by persistence and several grants that narrowly missed the payline. Now to do all of the exciting work that we proposed! I will be hiring, so be on the lookout for job postings!

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

Nice to see the influx of people moving onto this platform. Fingers crossed that we can develop something comparable to SciTwitter before Elon

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 29/08/2024

🚨Mosquito/fly tweeps🚨 Does anyone know of an alternative to E-RNAi? I/we have used that platform to design dsRNAs for more than 15 years and it appears as though the URL is no longer available. Any help would be much appreciated! TIA!

media.tenor.com

a man is crying while laying on a couch and saying i 'm begging .

ALT: a man is crying while laying on a couch and saying i 'm begging .

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brackneylab @brackneylab.bsky.social · 15/04/2024

Excited to be apart of this exciting work examining the role of hemocytes during arbovirus infection. Check it out now on bioRxiv. @vectorimmunity.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 05/04/2024

Excited to share our latest work! Together with @brackneylab.bsky.social and @entomososwin.bsky.social we demonstrate that mosquito immune cells act as "trojan horses" to help spread DENV and ZIKV infection from the midgut to other mosquito tissues! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 05/03/2024

Slowly emerging back into society after submitting two R01s

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Kelsey E Fisher, PhD @kefisher.bsky.social · 30/12/2023

CAES is hiring an assistant scientist II (equivalent to assistant professor, but 100% research) in the area of modeling and data analysis for vector-borne diseases. Come join my department! @entsocamerica.bsky.social portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES...

portal.ct.gov

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Matt Aliota @aliotalab.bsky.social · 21/12/2023

I unexpectedly have a position available in my laboratory. If you know anyone interested in relocating to the Twin Cities, tell them to get in touch. Could involve genomic surveillance, mosquito-virus interactions, and/or molecular virology.

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 15/12/2023

Early Xmas gift from one of my colleagues. Love it!

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 12/12/2023

Just another reminder that the margins between funded/accepted/awarded are always razor thin, act accordingly

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 16/10/2023

For anyone attending #TropMed23, myself and others from the lab will be presenting some of our exciting unpublished work regarding mosquito immune cells and parasite/virus infection. Come and join us!

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

After enough experience, grant writing really becomes formulaic. Once you develop a "style", you can drop in any project in a relatively short period of time. Yet there is still no guarantee that reviewers will like a project...

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 25/09/2023

Introduce yourself with some jobs you have done apart from what you do now: -movie theater cashier/usher/manager -Starbucks barista -small mammal biologist

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 25/09/2023

As scientists, I think that we too often look for "what's wrong?" in a grant or paper instead of "what's right?" Research doesn't have to be perfect to make a significant advance in the field. Stop the gatekeeper mentality.

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Marianne Alleyne @cotesia.bsky.social · 21/09/2023

For the INSECT MICROBIOME crowd: The Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois will be hiring an Assistant Professor in Insect Microbiomes. Please share this ad with any one working in this area. (Application deadline = October 6th) illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Aerial picture of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Quad, showing multiple buildings. Including the Illini Union in the foreground and Foellinger Hall at the other end of the main quad.

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Jason Rasgon @vectorgen.bsky.social · 01/08/2023

I guess I should re-post from the Bird Site "The Rules For Academic Success here": I always get asked for advice about starting/surviving the tenure track. Here are the rules I've found useful. Thought I'd put it out there for the masses... This list gets longer all the time

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 19/09/2023

Has anyone found an alternative to the Drummond Nanoject III? We now have three in the lab that don't work and face (expensive) repair. They only seem to have a shelf life of a few years. Any suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social · 19/09/2023

Hoping for bluer skies... New here 👋 after watching the former bird app die and trying out a few other less-than-ideal alternatives

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