You have more in common with the people of Iran than you do with anyone in this administration, any member of the technocracy, anyone who is profiting from this war, or any billionaire. When you see Iranians forming human chains outside key infrastructure sites, you should feel a sense of kinship.

All Republican members of Congress, no matter what other good and bad things they've done in their lives, will be remembered for choosing party over country and keeping this guy in office when it's clear that he's 100% unfit for office.

(202) 224-3121 is the capitol switchboard for connecting to any senate or house office; even if you've never called; even though the lot of them are useless. no abominable war crimes, no war, no.

Microbial communities can harbor many species that do not coexist in pairs, yet can coexist in the full community. Here we provide the mathematical foundations of emergent coexistence, and explain why it can't be predicted from pairwise tests journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

If you know a graduating undergraduate looking for the chance to spend 1-2 years in a lab before graduate school, we're hiring! Our lab explores morphogenesis, defining how the cell adhesion & cytoskeletal machinery work together to allow cells to change shape & move tarheels.live/peiferlab/ 1/n RT

NIH watchers, you will be mostly unsurprised to see that the triage line will continue at ~one third past the first two rounds that were promised. I seen credible intel on that recently. In context that suggests this will be permanent. Ie CSR loves the results and the honoraria cost savings.

📉 FY2026 is worse. NIH has made 10,195 awards so far. NSF has made 613. Six hundred thirteen. Congress appropriated the money. The agencies are not spending it. Grant freezes. NOFO collapse. Staff RIFs. Review cancellations. You can win the budget fight and still lose the funding war.

An opposition party would not be on vacation right now. They would have coordinated message to the public about the fact that a President in cognitive decline is threatening more war crimes. They would be BLASTING the message on all available platforms.

FEMS is seeking a new President and two Trustees for our Board (2027–2029) Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for leadership and governance? We are looking for mission‑driven candidates dedicated to advancing microbiology across Europe and beyond. Apply by 10 June: buff.ly/btwi7u9

I will say this again: Science isn’t just something that nerds do, it’s the foundation of the modern world. It’s why this app exists. It’s why child mortality rate isn’t 50% anymore. It’s how we’re able to launch people to the moon. It’s how we’re able to grow food that feeds half the world.

Proposed cuts to BIO by the NSF.

NIH and NSF Updates (using graphs from grant-witness.us) NIH all awards (New and Non-Competitive Renewal, Type 1 and Type 5, consistent with what is shown on NIH Reporter) The flattening MAY be due to the lack of an OMB apportionment, which has now been remedied. 1/5

🌿 PhD opportunity in forest molecular ecology! Study how trees and their microbiome respond to climate stress in the ECOSENSE forest 🌳 🧬 RNAseq | qPCR | Fieldwork | Interdisciplinary research 📅 Deadline: April 20, 2026 @uni-freiburg.de

I am shocked to see this language from the NSF. “The U.S. National Science Foundation's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request reflects a strategic alignment of resources in a constrained fiscal environment while eliminating woke and weaponized grant programs that previously funded radical DEI projects.”

Here's a big one from NIH. It remains Trump admin policy to - Cap indirects at 15% (repeatedly rebuffed by courts and Congress) - Multi-year fund *all* grants. As a reminder, this has the effect of dramatically decreasing the total number of labs and projects supported by the government.

Congress didn't go for this last year and won't this year. However, there is an ongoing quiet impoundment on grants that is setting up for an illegal pocket rescission late in the summer. TBD what actual science funding will be this FY and in future years. 🧪⚛️

For NIH, it proposes a $5 billion cut to research program funding (~11% cut). It also proposes elimination of 1 institutes and 2 centers: National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Fogarty International Center 2/9

Although there is no narrative, the document proposes a $4.0 billion budget for the National Science Foundation (NSF), a 55% cut from the fiscal year 2026 enacted level. It proposes a budget of $18.8 billion for NASA, a 23% cut from the fiscal year 2026 enacted level. 6/9

📣 We’re hiring a postdoc in the Rhee Lab at Michigan State University! This position focuses on plant–nematode interactions and desiccation tolerance in C. elegans, with collaborative projects across C-SPIRIT + WALII. Come work with us! 🔗 careers.msu.edu/jobs/researc... #plantscience

was just reminded that tomorrow is april fool’s day and especially this year can we just… not, please

New way to disincentivize serving as a standing NIH study section member: Ending continuous submission. Are we tired of winning yet? (I'm so, so tired 🫠). 🧪 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Happy trans day of visibility, here is a wrasse design I made awhile ago because all wrasses change sexes as they age.

Come for my angst, put please read through @barrlab.bsky.social thread where she highlights how people helped her navigate through this experience. (Though I got negative comments on putting similar details she describes in my biosketch, so ymmv).

On my CV and biosketch, I list motherhood (2000, 2002, 2004 - present). Then I wanted my reviewers/critics to know. Now I want ECR women to know. Ask for help. Find your support network. It is critical that us senior women in science support and advocate for ECR #womeninSTEM. PAY IT FORWARD

Dear letter writers, study sections, grant panels, etc…..(though expecting little will resonate)….

Data is good but this is so insultingly obvious to every woman in academia who has had a child.

Now out in AEM @asm.org! 🎉🧪 *High school student-isolated mutants 👉🏻 novel genetic causes of biofilm-associated adaptations *We learn how diversity arises quickly and is maintained *EvolvingSTEM enables scalable research in classrooms & promotes scientific literacy journals.asm.org/eprint/FBU9M...

Oh and if you'd like to help fund our mural but are not currently in need of a t-shirt, or maybe only wear blue or something, we've got a page for that! givebutter.com/KenzoMural

Submit symposium proposals for the 2027 ASN meeting in Long Island by April 30, 2026. Topics should advance biology and promote diversity. More info: https://www.amnat.org/announcements/ASN-mtg-2027.html #conference

Open postdoc position in my lab on HGT and interbacterial competition. We seek candidates with a PhD in microbiology (or related fields)+ strong 1st-author publications. Curious, highly motivated, and dedicated team players ready to contribute fully are encouraged to apply. Details: tiny.cc/cz01101

We have 2 cool shirts! I have to sell them out by early April for 2 reasons: 1) 5 of my family members are staying in the Skype a Scientist stockroom in mid-April 😅 2) I need to fund our mural project which starts the first week of April! They're soft! They're cute! Get a shirt! SquidFacts.net

As I prepare for yet another NIH study section with low pay lines & a non-scientific political review post council meeting it is hard not to wonder - WTF But we cannot quit. We must hold the line & our integrity at every opportunity 💙 @princess-vimentin.bsky.social spklr.io/6043EyVh7?fb...

New iron-on patches for invertebrate lovers are now available! 🐛❤️ available here: shop.fossilforager.art Let me know in the comments which invertebrate or creature patches you’d like to see from me next! 🪳

Not a single biologist and only one university researcher on PCAST. This leaves the country unbelievably ill prepared for an age of biotechnology, a race we are already beginning to lose.

While the situation is grim at NIH, it's closer to catastrophic at NSF. They're just not able to move any money out the door. It appears OMB has them on lockdown. www.science.org/content/arti....

It’s great to see our latest microPublication go live! Four undergraduate researchers worked with grad student Kat Yamamoto to demonstrate a correlation between fat storage and survival of #Celegans on pathogenic bacteria! Congrats Alan, Grace, Tiffany, and Daniel! #undergradinthelab #proudPI

Beautiful read.

Today @spencernyholm.bsky.social joins the Quality Quorum to discuss his research group’s work exploring how some squid have harnessed microbes to protect their eggs against pathogens! @markowenmartin.bsky.social

We are looking for a talented research specialist to join our team at NCSU CVM in the Theriot lab! Please take a look and apply if your are interested. jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/228...

AMNH looking for a curatorial associate in the Invertebrate Zoology Division 🪰🐞🪲🪳🐝🐜🦋🦟🐌🕷️🐚🦂🌍🌐 🧪👩‍🔬

The @nationalacademies.org Awards for Excellence in #scicomm have honored some of the best thinkers & creatives I know, like @chanda.blacksky.app @neillewisjr.bsky.social @cbo.bsky.social Top award: $40,000. Deadline: April 3. Explore & apply www.nationalacademies.org/programs/NAE...

We are hiring POSTDOC now!🚨please repost! Fully-funded 5-year position 👩🏻‍🔬👨‍🔬🧬Looking forward to your application!✉️

We are looking for a new group leader to join the IGH (Montpellier, France). I can’t wait to meet my future colleague! Apply :-) More infos here: igh.cnrs.fr/join-igh-as-...

We’re looking for a new team member! 🚀 Only 3 more weeks to apply to the fantastic Vienna BioCenter PhD program

We’re hiring! Our lab is seeking a research technician interested in neurobiology. This position is ideal for recent graduates looking for a 2‑year research experience before their next academic chapter. Experience with Drosophila is a plus. Please share. indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/32602

Happy 1st day of spring! Have YOU talked to your neighbors about native plants yet?! We can help get that conversation started. If you'd like to go the mysterious route, we've got our Goth Girl Gardener. If you like the direct route, we've got you covered there too 😅 Get 'em here: SquidFacts.net

Excited to announce our new journal from @isme-microbes.bsky.social ISME Host Microbe is live and now accepting submissions. Look forward to receiving your papers! #Microsky 🧫 🦠

New @sloanfoundation.bsky.social grants: Exemplary Pathways to STEM Graduate Education. Up to $500,000 for orgs focused on helping remove obstacles for undergraduates who want to pursue advanced STEM degrees. Deadline is June 1. Please share & apply if this is you! sloan.org/programs/hig...

In case you weren’t already tagged @artologica.net you were featured art in the video montage.

NIGMS is signed onto the F31 NOFO. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...