Congratulations to Scripps Research Professor Jin-Quan Yu, who has been elected to the Fellowship of The Royal Society, the U.K.’s national academy of sciences, for his pioneering work in synthetic organic chemistry and carbon–hydrogen (C–H) activation research. More: https://ow.ly/GWJr50Z4TaP

We’re still celebrating the Skaggs Graduate School Class of 2026 🎓✨

Oh. My. God. Y’all need to stop what you’re doing and give yourself the gift of watching this.

The Proximal Origin of the MV Hondius Andes virus outbreak. virological.org/t/potential-...

"NIH director Jayanta Bhattacharya has said that the agency needs reform and must move away from ‘politicized’ science." Hmmm, what's in a word...............away or toward?

Key human defenses against pathogens were forged billions of years ago in microbial battles with viruses. Learn more this week in Science: https://scim.ag/3RTyCap

"The situation is still murky." Just another example of the darkness enveloping NIAID and the NIH itself.

The final few seconds of the last episode (season 3) of Good Omens is the most appropriate ending for a TV series I've seen in quite a while. Terry with the universe in his glass.

Quick note to anyone thinking of buying my books: please purchase the new Swift Press versions, NOT the relatively small number of Unbound versions still knocking about, & being sold by OOINYA. Unbound stopped paying me for my work early in 2024 and I will never see a penny for these books.

"mildly PCR positive." Mildly? Really!

An interesting mix of reflections on how self-doubt can impact a career in science. My career has been no different...it ain't an easy life choice. But self-doubt can be overcome. Imposter syndrome! Not so easily defeated. 🧪

I love it when a book expands my understanding of scientific enquiry. The Jewel House is an amazing glimpse into the men and women of 16th century London and their contributions to the beginnings of the scientific revolution. 🧪

READ THIS BOOK: bsky.app/profile/dj-a...

Scripps Research has very smart, very productive faculty. One of them, Jeff Kelly, is a standout example of how to translate research into significant contributions to human health.

He's far more than just a hero to the Brits. His love and concern for everything on our planet has made him the epitome of what it means to be a unique individual.

"To some public health experts, the alarming thing about this situation is not the hantavirus ............. It is that the administration’s sluggish response and lack of communication suggest the United States is ill prepared for a larger health crisis, such as another pandemic." 🧪

‘The greatest ambassador for life on Earth’: Tributes paid to David Attenborough on his 100th birthday

Another episode in The US CDC Versus Viruses.....one is very much present, the other is missing in action.

Worth a read... www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/nih-... 1/5

New national rankings place @scripps.edu at #3 in the U.S. and #1 in the West in the inaugural 2026 #CureInnovationIndex, recognizing top-performing biomedical institutes and centers that translate scientific discovery into real-world healthcare solutions. More: ow.ly/sOUR50YSzUN

Dr. David Morens - who is 78 years old and served his country for nearly 50 years - used Gmail, which he shouldn't have done. However, "[he] was stripped and handcuffed [by] a half-dozen federal agents carrying guns and wearing tactical gear [..] and jailed". www.science.org/content/arti...

Scripps Research Prof. Jin-Quan Yu has been elected to @nasonline.org, recognized for his pioneering work in C-H bond activation. His methodologies have simplified the construction and modification of complex molecules, with potential applications in medicine, agriculture and materials science.

Congrats to Scripps Research Professor Benjamin Cravatt on being named the 2026 laureate of the Emanuel Merck Lectureship, which recognizes his pioneering work in chemical biology, particularly in reactive proteomics and activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). More: https://ow.ly/4tpU50YQRWm

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Yes, finding the lab EXIT sign.

Are we going for a walk? Please, please can we go for a walk.

"Senator Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the Senate health committee, asked about the author of the study; Mr. Kennedy gave him the author’s name. Later in the hearing, Mr. Cassidy produced the paper and told Mr. Kennedy he had taken it out of context." In other words, he lied.

This is a rare event..Maggie with a paw resting on Finnigan. Such tenderness. Or is it? Fin no doubt is enjoying the attention. He loves dogs. But that look says Maggie was contemplating something more sinister.

🎓🌟 These six Scripps Research alumni have taken their training in many directions, from vaccine design and drug discovery to entrepreneurship, public service, and science advocacy, each making their own unique impact far beyond campus. More: https://ow.ly/MaOp50YN9uX

I've been watching Robbie Cumming's Canal Boat Diaries and his adventures on the Thames and it reminded me of Jerome K Jerome's little book. Life on the Thames in 1889 and 2025. You need a dog Robbie.

Forgotten in a cool, dark place for far too long. No head when poured but, man, the richness of the flavors was excellent. Would have been wonderful if only I had remembered to open it earlier!

Charlie Kirk: “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.” Meet the pilot. 🧑🏾‍🚀🚀🌔💙🤘🏾✨

In @usnews.com’s 2026 Best Science Schools rankings, the Skaggs Graduate School ranked No. 1 in Biological Sciences and No. 7 in Chemistry, rising from No. 9 in Biological Sciences and reaffirming its strength in chemistry education. More: ow.ly/qRgo50YGIqc

Pathetic. gift link wapo.st/4ccudpF

"the pandemic was an accident of mind-control bioweapons research" Yep, sounds believable to me. 🤪

Dogs ❤️

In March, Matt Ridley gave the inaugural "Scientific Freedom Lecture" at NIH, on a lab leak origin of COVID-19. The talk was so full of misrepresentations, omissions, falsehoods and lies that I will need several blog posts to debunk it. Here's Part I: pandemonium.hypotheses.org/995 🧪 #covidorigin

In a new @natchembio.nature.com study, Scripps Research scientists report first-in-class compounds that block a key protein interaction in immune cells, reducing inflammatory signaling in autoimmune disease without compromising immune defense.

Since I'm getting a questions about the new data - a few _preliminary_ comments: 1️⃣ Are the outbreaks in the US connected? 👉 Very likely. 2️⃣ Does this mean US will lose elimination status? 👉 Yes, but that's been clear for a while. Data: nextstrain.org/measles/geno... A few details + caveats 🧵👇

A look at the southern end of the Scripps Research campus, designed over 25 years ago as a “monastery for scientists,” remains a lasting example of architecture built to support scientific work.

Congratulations to Scripps Research professors Jeffery Kelly and John Yates III, named laureates of the 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award (@gairdnerawards.bsky.social), recognized for discoveries that have made a major impact on scientific progress and human health.

Congrats to Prof. @chrisgparker.bsky.social, recipient of the 2026 @acs.org Chemical Biology Early Career Award! 🚀 Formally receiving the award at last week’s ACS Spring meeting, his lab uses chemical proteomics to map druggable sites across human proteins, revealing new paths for drug discovery.

A walk with the dogs was interrupted by brunch and the great view of the SoCal coastline from Destiny Coast, a restaurant on the campus of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

Matt Ridley gave the inaugural "NIH Scientific Freedom Lecture Series" earlier today and I just wanted to run through some of the main claims he made - you'll be unsurprised to learn that almost all of them are false. Here's his summary slide - let's start there. 🧵👇

I hope this may prompt a tiny bit of self-reflection among the folks on Fox News who minimized COVID ("it's just a cold!") or pushed for mass infection ("we want them infected!") rather than mass vaccination But these folks are now in the MAGA/MAHA administration, so there'll be no self-reflection

In the 19th-early 20th C, the most prestigious diplomas in academic science came from German universities. In the 20th-early 21st, they were in English, esp from American universities. In the 21st, they may well be written in Mandarin.

I'm glad to see this being covered - because, frankly, this is a death-blow to collaborative science - however, the assumption of good faith in any of these decisions by reporters is mind-boggling. This is happening for one reason - to assure top-down control of what gets funded and what does not.

@scripps.edu scientists have received nearly $5M from the National Cancer Institute to study how RNA modifications—a hidden layer of gene regulation—may influence cancer growth. In collaboration with @hopkinsmedicine.bsky.social, the team will test how diet-derived nutrients reshape RNA chemistry.

New paper from the lab showing that silica in the lungs can lead to severe RA-like disease. Led by foreign grad student Lisa and Staff Scientist Jessica, it argues that the association between occupational silica exposure and RA is a complex, multigenic process. 🧪

We lost one of the greatest writers of the 20th and 21st century 11 years ago today. Crack open "Small Gods" in his memory, or any other of his books. They are all masterpieces.