So excited about this project! My institute is teaming up with the only museum dedicated to the craft of beadwork to create a truly remarkable—AND GLITTERY— science-art & education experience in 2026. See how you can participate in one of the planned exhibits in this thread below #sicart #scicomm

I love this visual abstract! What a fantastic paper. Check it out!

The Microbe Institute is teaming up w/the Museum of Beadwork to host an art competition. The theme: Microbes & Mushrooms: Nature's Artistry in Detail. We challenge you to create a piece that introduces audiences to the microbial realm. #sciart www.museumofbeadwork.org/pages/microbe-challenge

A common issue in media reports on wasps is that the image associated with the article is very often that of a fly mimic, not a wasp. In light of that, I very much appreciate that birds are better at discriminating a fly from a wasp than we (historically) have been.

Harmful algal bloom species Microcystis aeruginosa releases thiamin antivitamins to suppress competitors journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... #jcampubs

If you, like me, are confused about the relationship of the "Big Beautiful Bill" to the 2025-2026 Federal budget and its relevance to science funding and other issues, here is a GREAT explainer from my friend Kevin Wilson 🧪@ascbiology.bsky.social

Hear me out... what if the orcas aren't exploring ways of sharing food with us (in an example of pro-social behavior) but instead testing which baits work for hunting humans?? psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202... #TeamWhale

After hiding in an internet hole for a bit, I'm back, & here w/a bit of whimsy, some science, & the space in between. Today I learned that the Tonka bean tree (of candle aroma fame) evolved to kill its enemies w/lightening (as the media headline described.) METAL! www.livescience.com/planet-earth...

GODDAMIT. IT’S NOT A RESURRECTED DIRE WOLF. 20 edits in 19,000 genes. IT’S NOT GOING TO AID CONSERVATION. EVERY WRITE UP THAT SWALLOWS AND REGURGITATES THIS GUFFERY WOLFSHIT IS DOING PR FOR A FUNDING ROUND.

📣 Calling on individuals interested in: ✨ Reinforcing the potential of preprints and expanding their uptake ✨ Role of preprints in improving trust and integrity ✨ Preprints in the Global South ✨ Institutional recognition of preprints If that's you, let us know!

Gave a webinar on careers in science communication at @harvardmed.bsky.social today. I managed to reference unicorns, whales, and gingerbread in an on-topic way (I swear). Wish I had access to this full career seminar series when I was in grad school! #scicomm

For decades, the US government has painstakingly kept American science #1 globally—and every facet of American life has improved because of it. The internet? Flu shot? Ozempic? All grew out of federally-funded research. Now all that's being dismantled. 1/ www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/21/1...

Every scientist, long before they were a scientist, was a little kid who stood in front of a fish tank or stared up at the stars or turned over a rock to look at the bugs underneath and said “wow”. On the best days, working in science still feels like that.

If a NBA team worth about $5B fired all its players and went from a $150M to a $0 payroll does that mean the team was efficient and saved money? Or, does it mean there is no basketball team and there is no more revenue because then no one comes and the team is worthless? #analogies

This is a brilliant resource!! Please share widely!

Even in the darkness, there is light. Even in isolating times, there are allies. A photo of me wearing living jewelry containing a naturally bioluminescent microbe that sometimes partners with a fish species to help it avoid predators. Be the light. Be the ally. #scicomm #lessonsfrommicrobes

Jumping back in to #FebruArty after being away for a bit - today’s prompt is glasses Went looking for a self portrait to post & came across this instead A response to the prompt ‘transparency’ in the #SciCommInk challenge a few years ago

I'm giving a seminar on careers in science communication to an audience of graduate students at a leading university next week. Any things you all want to make sure I share? #SciComm (Photo is a mirror selfie of me before I gave a commencement speech a few years back...yes, my hat is on backwards)

Devastated to hear what’s happening at #NSF. Dear colleagues, program managers, affected by this, there are no words to thank you for your service and dedication - always advocating for excellence in research & demonstrating committment to uplifting the nations scientific enterprise. #nowords

Teaching the next generations of young scientists a practical course about biofilms in building plumbing potable water... these are some fabulous images from their own shower hoses 🦠🧫

My research in graduate school was funded by an NSF GRFP. They invested in me to study the microbes of paper wasps of all things- the most basic and fundamental of sciences. Ten years later, this research led to patented brewing technology commercialized across the world. ... #NSF

Hey @defcon.bsky.social can this year’s event be about whitehat hacking not just for safer/more secure voting machines, but for democracy and free science? Asking for about 335m friends…

Needing a reminder that the collective action of many tiny creatures can have profound effects? This petri plate holds more living organisms than there are people in the USA. #sciart #microbes #yeast #valentinesday #scicomm

Bacterial community function increases leaf growth in a pitcher plant experimental system #mSystems by @jess-bernardin.bsky.social et al journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Thanks to everyone who has amplified and shared the initial starter pack. I have started another to amplify more Black Scientists here go.bsky.app/BkaCHkp

@NicoleGerardo on 𝕏 Apr 26 : Beautiful (both visually and scientifically) research by @thyreodon testing the role of chance in shaping squash bug colonization by bacterial symbionts. . journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... #SymbioSky

Look at #lichen! I think the recent iOS update made my phone’s camera better and I very excited about all my future hikes

I think this is good messaging from the CDC very early on RE #H5N1 bird flu. Very clearly shows airborne particles as a source of infection. Also shows face touching (👁️👃👄) is a mode of direct contact, suggesting a mask would reduce that avenue, if needed. 10/10 infographics 🧪🛟 #MedSky #EpiSky

Throwback to the editorial we wrote last year celebrating the Ig Nobels. Free-to-read link: rdcu.be/d09QN

This is the sort of content I was missing at the other place…

Really appreciating the science and #scicomm community here on Bluesky. 💕 (Image of a Saccharomyces sp of yeast growing in a Petri plate). #yeast

We’re closer to re-creating the sounds of Parasaurolophus. Preliminary model of its distinctive crest suggests the dinosaur bellowed like a large trumpet or saxophone, or perhaps a clarinet. arstechnica.com/science/2024...

Hello shout out to all the science friends and communities that have started to re-group and build where the skies are blue! 🔭📡🧪🎢👩‍🔬

Some of what I do as an entomology curator is Chrysis management.

Talked about careers in science—& the beauty of the microbial world (&yeast!)—with 120 6th graders in Maine yesterday. It surprises me that one of their main takeaways was that scientists don’t all look like Einstein. But how cute was this drawing one child did of me?! #thisiswhatascientistlookslike

Boy, is this going to be important over the next four years.

Incredible use of the medium, you gotta click through and read the bios go.bsky.app/KDY26rh

Termites also appreciate nightlights…but theirs are alive. (Ok, that was misleading, but Tom does a lovely job of explaining the real science below)

Today in relatable science: Gulls making a mysterious daily trip that turned out to be to a potato chip factory

The “if I’m nicer the bully will like me” energy here is…something. The idea that not advocating for evidence-based decision-making will somehow make those who ignore science (at best) more open to receiving information is breathtaking in its naivete.

Phallic #fungus Friday!!!! [and it's a bug party too 🥳] #Phallaceae: #Mutinus (w/rove #beetle, #Staphylinidae, & vinegar #flies, #Drosophilidae) Raleigh, North Carolina (October)

Latest data from AllTheBacteria described in our updated preprint. All illumina WGS bacterial+archaeal sequence data to Aug 2024 consistently assembled, QC, and now AMR profiling. That's 2.4 million genomes. Gene annotations almost done , coming next. Please use! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Life has been too busy, but attempting to be back and active here. Have a maggot fossil in these trying times. (Bot fly larva, Eocene, Green River Fm, Utah)

Tell me you’re a microbiologist without telling me you’re a microbiologist:

Hi! I’m a microbe wrangler scientist who has worked across academia and industry finding “microbial solutions to human problems.” I love #scicomm, #sciart, and democratizing microbial discovery so that everyone can find wonder, inspiration, & novel tech in the microverse. www.ted.com/talks/anne_m...

Just updated the PoC in #SciComm starter pack with recent requests! If I've missed you, yell at me (nicely) 😊 Reminder this is OPT IN so let me know if you would like to be added ❤️ Tag anyone who should be on it below! go.bsky.app/MaDPSzx

For those moving from X/Twitter, I just used this excellent tool to transfer 1000+ Followings in 5 min. chromewebstore.google.com/detail/sky-f...

Hey #academicsky, there's a great opportunity for a visiting fellowship for someone from the Global South in Arts and Humanities, to spend time at Cambridge. Do pass on! www.cai.cam.ac.uk/vacancies/vi...

tagging #MicroSky this deserves several tags, seth, feel free to add more 🤗