NEW from @lisalsong.bsky.social and me: The Trump administration is now asking USDA workers to check the backgrounds of foreign nationals collaborating with the department’s scientists for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.” www.propublica.org/article/trum...

I know many of you know Joe James (of Binning Singletons) Joe and his family had a terrible tragedy occur on Christmas. If you can give, this is a good family to help out gofund.me/5cbfe22fe

Please repost: Undergraduates (globally) can receive free membership in the professional scientific society for plant pathogens, the American Phytopathological Society (APS). This society provides excellent professional development. www.apsnet.org/members/comm...

On scientific "style" for @undark.org: "[Style] is a positive feature of science that facilitates different routes to solving problems.....We can embrace differences in our approaches while still promoting rigor and clarity." undark.org/2025/12/04/o...

A timely article asm.org/articles/202...

If anyone wants some plant pathogens in fun colors let me know 🌈🧫 #Xylella #Pseudomonas #Pantoea Shoutout to @atinygreencell.bsky.social for inspiration and high quality source material www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

NSURP is looking for mentors for this summer! We had over 200 applications for about 10 spots. Please sign up if you are interested in being a mentor this year or in the future as it is helpful to show interest. Please share this! uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Plant tissue culture can help endangered species survive and adapt to climate change. Amateur plant biologist Jasmine Neal’s community lab could make this tech more accessible. 📷: Jasmine Neal buff.ly/8VZqZMb #plantscience #openscience

The overwhelming sentiment of the past few weeks is that the US Government is no longer a good faith employer. In a global marketplace with competition from both private companies and state actors, this is going to prove much more costly to the US taxpayer than any savings, which they will never see

I know funding is very uncertain right now, but if anyone at UC Merced wants to hire an excellent undergraduate with several years experience in microbiology/molecular biology let me know!

The idea that government credit cards are a free for all of inappropriate spending is complete insanity for anyone who has dealt with the many layers of approval, documentation, and oversight that comes with a gov credit card. Nothing is easier to track than then credit card records…

Although we are not federally funded for this summer, WE WILL STILL RUN The National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP) in 2025. We remain committed to the work that needs to be done and will continue to meet people where they are. 1/4 nsurp.org

“Like all federal employees in the US, I took an oath to the Constitution, not to a president or political party” www.bmj.com/content/388/...

To probationary federal employees who have been terminated: Democracy Forward has filed a first-of-its-kind class-wide complaint with the Office of Special Counsel. If civil servants want to join in the complaint, you can email [email protected]

Not wrong 🫣

Many people from the #USDA were terminated yesterday/today. A place where agricultural research is done to support agricultural production. Scientists, research assistants, custodians. This is unacceptable. #PlantPathology #PlantScience #USDA-ARS #AttackOnScience

Federal employee terminations will cause widespread economic damage even beyond the hardships for specific employees How many federal workers live in your state or county or congressional district? I made an little interactive site to tell you economic.github.io/federal_work...

ASM stands firm in its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as such efforts are critical to advancing the microbial sciences for everyone. Read our statement: asm.org/Press-Releas...

AGU was clearly not paying attention to what happened with ASM if they think this will end well for them……

ATTN FEDERAL WORKERS: I’ll say this again: download all your SF-50s, performance evals, and your eOPF. Now. Print hard copies. And make sure you file an informal grievance with your supervisor within 15 days of any adverse action. Here is a template: www.muellershewrote.com/p/informal-g...

Mass firing a generation of new scientists is lazy, stupid, & counterproductive. I've been a fed. researcher. Sure, there's 'waste' in these systems. Some programs should be sunsetted. But figuring out what should go takes smart and energetic management. Not this. www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/f...

The #BloodyThursday attempted firings are illegal. No reporters should be describing them in any other way than "attempted." 🥄🥄🥄

For those working in federal public service, today was dark. We serve in many capacities and for many reasons, but what we have in common is working every day for the public of the United States. And this is what we get.

There's a lot of organizations declaring "we're doing this based on legal advice about EOs" going around. As an administrator I always knew that advice is not a mandate. It takes a leader's directive to convert advice to action. Leaders need to be prepared to own that directive AND its consequences.

Ok this is not ok. ASM actively sought out BMA and its members for Juneteenth and Black History month content for the last 4 years. Actively asked for black labor and then takes it down?! @asm.org this is unacceptable. You should be standing up for marginalized microbiologists not erasing them.

Very disappointing…..I serve in many volunteer positions with ASM. One of the main reasons I cite often for supporting professional societies is the collective political power they can hold and use for good. If they are not going to use that power for good that changes the equation. @asm.org

For all the non-central valley folks, here’s some geographic context to highlight the absurdity of Trump’s Flows to Nowhere. Highlighted Kaweah and Tule rivers illustrate just how far removed they are from LA, w/ no connection to CA aqueduct that lifts water 1900’ over Tehachapi mtns.

Writing is thinking. If you outsource that, your are shortcuts by the actual meaningful work of reading and reflecting and using your brain to synthesize. Anyone that thinks AI can shortcut this doesn’t understand that the process is the meaningful work.

Make them tell you, specifically, what you're not allowed to do. Don't make changes you guess that they want. Don't offer them a menu of things that you infer they might be telling you not to do. Do the work you proposed, and received funding to do, unless instructed otherwise in specific detail.

Does anyone know of good studies on topic bias in scientific funding and literature? Bias towards pathogens in microbiology, crop plants in plant science etc. These biases clearly exist, but I would be interested to see some attempt to quantify how much.

👇 who does all the work that needs to be done, and why?

The skills and speed are crazy! Very important part of our food system. 🍽️

#Microsky and specifically ASM members--looking for a volunteer opportunity? Abstract reviewers for ASM Microbe are responsible for looking at ~50 abstracts. If you're interested, sign up here by Nov 27. Abstract review takes place Jan 28-Feb 4, 2025. asm.org/Microbe2025-Abstract-Reviewer

I recently expressed a desire to shift the culture in academic research to one that values scientists as much as the science they produce. This article does a really good job of that in the context of scientific fraud 🧪: www.thetransmitter.org/science-and-...

NSURP T-shirts! Buy a shirt and support this awesome program! I had a great time mentoring an NSURP scholar over the summer. She is headed to ABRCMS this fall to present her research. Fundraisers like this support these young scientists. www.customink.com/fundraising/...

#ASMicrobe 2025 in LA wants more #plant content!Proposals due Aug 1, send us your plant pathogen, microbial ecology, and microbiology education topics! As a program committee member I’m happy to answer questions about submissions. ://asm.org/Events/ASM-Microbe/Session-Proposals?_zs=eKArl&_zl=Vjsx2

I heard that at #ASMicrobe this year, AES had the biggest crowds! Submit proposals for next year’s Applied & Environmental Sciences sessions here: asm.org/Events/ASM-M...

Support @binningsingletons.com and get your own awesome 🔥 #swiftie #Microbe shirt! www.customink.com/fundraising/...

Never thought I would see this weather in Fresno!🥶

Microbiologists - what’s an explanation for why increasing DNA methylation would increase expression of lacZ/lacI in E. coli? Anyone studied this in depth?

Applications for 2024 are now OPEN! Please share widely amongst your networks! Mentee (undergrad) app: etap.nsf.gov/award/407/op... Mentor (grad student/post doc/faculty) app: uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

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I think about this a lot since almost all the students I hire to work in my lab have no prior experience. This is fine, and my main goal is to help them gain experience and find opportunities that they want (whatever it is). I’m fortunate to be able to do this without needing competitive funding.

Excited to be talking about plant disease tomorrow at ABRCMS!

It was crazy to see how much journal submissions dropped when the impact factor changed journals.asm.org/doi/full/10....