PSA for people with NIH grant periods starting January 1st (including most NIGMS MIRAs): your RPPR is due Saturday, but they haven’t sent out the usual automated reminders, presumably due to the shutdown

Best part of this job is hearing about admissions and job offers. Today was a fucking good day. I’m so glad to see our lab members persevering in a tough job market. For those in the thick of it. Remember, job offers are like cloning — you only need that one. Keep at it.

If you need more scary fun this weekend, the documentary “A Shot In The Arm” is free on PBS until 11/9. Lots of interviews with RFK Jr pre-HHS fame. Narrated by @neildegrassetyson.com from @scotthamkennedy.bsky.social. #Virosky #LoveVirology #TruthisScarierThanFiction www.pbs.org/show/shot-in...

Halloween isn’t scary This is. Vote in your local elections this Tuesday, or better yet, this weekend! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

In professor world, Halloween is the one night a year professors can make horrible jokes and all the students have to laugh.

Happy Halloween! You have my eternal respect if you guess my costume.

Want to turbo charge your R skills? The Bioinformatics online R courses here are very good I hear. It will definitely help you know when your AI generated R code is actually stupid registration.genomecenter.ucdavis.edu/events/r_nov...

eRA Commons in the time of chaoslera drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/10/28/e...

If anyone is hiring a technician, I’ve got a great candidate. I wish I could hire her myself! She’s got the grit, she knows how to hustle, and she does publication quality work. Lots of molecular biology, protein, and cell culture experience. Please DM me if you are interested.

If anyone is hiring a technician, I’ve got a great candidate. I wish I could hire her myself! She’s got the grit, she knows how to hustle, and she does publication quality work. Lots of molecular biology, protein, and cell culture experience. Please DM me if you are interested.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/s... An unknown sea otter was spotted stealing surfboards at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz this week. Is 841 back to her old ways or have other otters learned to hang 10? Check out my latest for @nytimes.com

Nothing prepares you for the stress of a 3rd grade soccer game going to PKs. I need a Xanax.

President Trump reduces trade surplus in profitable export industry that provides middle-class jobs all across America.

#NoKings Walnut Creek, CA

Odd to consider, but T-Rex had a Krebs cycle

Proud to be an MIT alum today.

15 years in the making, we confirmed that mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cell - have an unusual localization in patients who experience psychosis (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorders). You’ll never guess what kind of patient cells we used to make this discovery… 🧵

You know what they say. Never waste a Friday night on a fascist news dump.

DID YOU GIRL BOSS TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN? Call it what you want, but TS is a singular talent.

We are currently in the process of recruiting a technician. 🥼🐭🔬 If you know anyone with enthusiasm to learn new skills and stamina to hear me go on and on about IFNs, please have them reach out to me for more details!

No one: Me trying to convince my students to read their textbook:

The real generational divide is people who refuse to watch a video if it could be an article versus people who refuse to read an article if it could be a video

Self medicating with Fat Bear Week and @weratedogs.com

WHY DO FRIDAYS HAVE TO SUCK SO MUCH IN 2025? Every. Single. Week.

NSF GRFP is out 2.5 months late w/key changes 1. 2nd year graduate students not eligible. 2. "alignment with Administration priorities" 3. Unlike prior years, they DO NOT specify the expected number of awards... that is a BIG problem. a brief 🧵 w/receipts www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

Is this the Dems cellphone cache?

Giving a webinar on #BlueSoup this Friday, in case anyone wants to pop in during their lunch!

ADD YOUR THOUGHTS ON LIMITING STUDENT VISA TO FOUR YEARS Comment period ends September 29th www.federalregister.gov/documents/20... 1/2

I see we have moved onto the phase of openly fascist government.

www.cell.com/cell/abstrac... A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis

MANUSCRIPT NOT REJECTED

Me in the faculty group chat today

Today I had to sheepishly admit to our hip new faculty member that I prefer to collaborate on Word and not Google Docs. Never felt so old.

This is Wally. He's distraught because he had a fun time playing at grandma's house and has to go home. Tries not to play favorites, but grandma is definitely his. 13/10

We mourn the passing of Nobel laureate David Baltimore, a towering figure in molecular biology and virology, and a pioneer and founder of ASV. His discoveries transformed science and medicine, and his mentorship inspired generations. His legacy will continue to guide and inspire virology and ASV.

We’re back with another season of monthly seminars bringing together diverse and leading investigators worldwide to share cutting-edge arbovirus science. 🧬 Topics span molecular virology, virus–vector interactions, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and more. 📅 3rd Thursday each month 🕚 11 AM US ET Zoom

So at what point do the boiling frogs start protesting? Asking for all the very hot frogs.

As RFK testifies in front of the Senate today, ASV wants to emphasize the risks posed by his decisions related to virus outbreaks and the public health of Americans. Together with our partner organizations, we call for RFK's resignation: asm.org/press-releas...

A show of bipartisan support for NIH. Basically flat except for ARPA-H. The President’s budget proposal basically ignored (as it should have been).

I did the most geriatric Millennial thing I could think of tonight and it absolutely rocked

remember folks, we cant have gun restrictions because if we do the federal government will occupy our streets, imprison people without due process, ship dissidents to foreign gulags and things of that nature

Really missing this guy on #NationalDogDay

In honor of TS announcing her engagement (congrats!) I’d like to propose that she would make an excellent virology teacher (in addition to English teacher). Just in case she is considering a career change. Which TS ERA (Baltimore class) are you? #sorrynotsorry #virology

Do you love virology but wish you had more colleagues who wanted to discuss the latest papers? FEAR NOT! JVI has you covered with their JVI Seminar Series, where you can hear about a JVI paper directly from the authors. The next seminar is on September 16 at 10am EST: asm.org/webinars/jou...

Blood, sweat, and beers: investigating mosquito biting preferences amidst noise and intoxication in a cross-sectional cohort study at a large music festival https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.21.671470v1

Important news from California www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/u...

Old and common #NIHGrant seeker advice, I know. But now more than ever. Diversify your study sections. Even if one is the seeming perfect fit. Spread your precious six apps per year around.

New from the Choi lab! Our study shows how West Nile virus polymerase recognizes its RNA promoter, stem-loop A. Excitingly, RNA decoys mimicking this structure can block viral replication + infection. 👏 Mandi Feinberg & My Le in collaboration with the Barrett Lab! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...