July 1, 1946 CDC was created, in the heart of the south, to combat malaria in the US. That year there were ~48,610 US malaria cases. With the help of WHO and others, CDC established case reporting, investigation, and preventative measures. By 1957, endemic malaria had been eradicated in the US.

the answer is mostly lab supplies, equipment, lab rent, etc.- research ain’t cheap at all. a basic USED everyday centrifuge will run you about $20,000. those cute little tabletop centrifuges that only hold 1.5mL tubes? $4500-7500. a 100 keV cryo-electron microscope will cost you $5 million.

it’s a labor of love, most of us work long hours and don’t get paid for overtime. we do it because we love contributing to science and learning new things. so, where do those millions of dollars of grant money go?

also, it’s a common misconception that academic and government researchers are overpaid. industry (biotech) has some nice salaries, but the average PhD candidate stipend is around $23,000-33,000 per year, and the average postdoc salary is around $61,143-71,523 per year. (data: Glassdoor)

we also DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING YET… cells and bodies are super complicated. it can be super unsettling to not know the cause of something, especially when it’s causing you or a loved one physical/emotional pain. however, we’re trying our best- 3.3 million scientific papers were published in 2022!

…this means that sometimes, SCIENCE CHANGES. we discover new things that offer us NEW INFORMATION!!! did you know that up until the 1500s, it was thought that the EARTH revolved around the SUN? 🌎☀️ and they executed the guy who proposed our current solar system as we know it!

so like, WHAT EVEN IS SCIENCE????? science isn’t the concrete truth (except for laws of physics, shit like gravity where if it wasn’t true the universe would implode), it’s the millennia long PROCESS OF US FINDING OUT STUFF ABOUT OUR UNIVERSE. 🤓🦠🧬🌌🚀☄️👽

hey y’all! repurposing this account for a new project where i’ll be explaining scientific concepts in SIMPLE ASS terms for everyone. it’ll be like talking your bestie, but you might learn something. 🤓follow along for more!

Post the amazing science things you have done with federal funding.

The CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) webpages and data seem to have been scrubbed. These helped prepare public health responses by identifying geographical areas of the U.S. that may need extra resources during disasters, outbreaks, etc. I don’t think this admin cares if the vulnerable die.

“One scientist texted his landlord to say February rent would be late. Another wasn’t able to pay her credit card bill. Yet another wondered how much longer he could afford his mortgage.” @ericboodman.bsky.social on NSF’s payment system being down 🧪🔬🦠 www.statnews.com/2025/01/30/t...

We have heard from multiple sources that HHS and CDC websites will be fully offline at 5:00pm ET tonight. Bird flu, TB, measles and whooping cough outbreaks continue.

pfp is now ms frizzle because what’s more punk than an awesome ass science teacher

13/ Public health must serve everyone. LGBTQ+ health is public health. Diversity and equity are essential to addressing health disparities. The CDC website purge of these resources is a step backward—and we must fight back. #HealthEquityMatters #ProtectLGBTQHealth #PublicHealthForAll

12/ What can we do? - Demand transparency from the CDC—why were these resources removed? - Support organizations filling the gap in LGBTQ+ and equity-focused health work - Hold policymakers accountable for health decisions based on ideology, not science.

🚨 The CDC website is purging resources on LGBTQ+ health, diversity, equity, and health disparities. This is not just a bureaucratic change. It’s a dangerous decision with profound negative public health consequences. Let’s break down the harm this will cause. 🧵⬇️

Rand Paul, M.D. (R - KY) KY ranks 41st in overall health rankings, 46th in preventable hospitalizations, 46th in premature death, 45th in drug deaths, 47th in teen births #rfkjr

Science will prevail. We’ve got this.

I just made the pfp for this account some of my HEK293 cells, but I would love a cute cell pfp/a tissue culture hood banner if any artists want to draw one or provide pics! Just didn’t want to steal from any artists, will try to draw a cute cell later xoxo