This is an absolute outrage that should be discussed as widely as possible. I expect that this failing government will try and use the MRC to divert funding from academic research into commercial enterprises, killing UK research in the process.

Both MRC and BBSRC responsive modes now withdrawn until further notice. Existing applications unlikely to succeed (late 2025 round expecting 1-5% success rate). Listen, I get that UKRI wants to pivot. But killing both at once is devastating. Let's hope at least one opens by summer... #AcademicSky

I am sorry. We all knew the three buckets were coming. We are all prepared for a shift in priority. But this message does nothing for all the UK scientists dependent on project grant funding. It doesn’t actually give any information www.ukri.org/news/open-le...

More cheery news from UKRI 'MRC instructs grant review boards to slash funding rates' www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Update on UKRI funding situation. Summary: it is mostly bad news, and with significant uncertainties around new funding model.

Has the MRC research funding ‘pause’ been covered by any major news network? It feels like it should be a major news story

Absolutely “We need to talk about salaries in science” www.nature.com/articles/d41...

'Despite all their difficulties, universities remain an enormous and irreplaceable national asset. As well as educating millions of people, they generate about £24bn in export earnings, which is about 1% of GDP – more than aircraft manufacturing and legal services combined'. 1/2

Taking advantage of a natural experiment, this follow-up by @pascalge.bsky.social of their earlier study in Nature on the beneficial effects of shingles vacination on dementia. Very cool stuff! www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

BBC News - Top UK scientist says research visa restrictions endanger economy www.bbc.com/news/article...

"Why do we put hurdles in the way of the people that are actually going to drive our economy? It makes zero sense." Prof Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel prize winning scientist, says the UK's scientific future is being put at risk www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We need to apply @nc3rs.bsky.social principles, ensure animal welfare & do the best possible by research animals. But let's not confuse people or ourselves by thinking they're dispensable. Why we have to continue with animal testing for medical research | Letters www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Key points on the need for continued animal use in scientific research. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Vaccinating boys and girls. It works bitches.

“There were no cervical cancer cases diagnosed in women aged <25 years in 2021 – the first time that this has occurred in data going back to 1982. This remarkable achievement is almost certainly due to the impact of HPV vaccination.” From report.cervicalcancercontrol.org.au #vaccinationsaveslives

Frikkin amazing stuff.

Today is the International day for the elimination of violence against women. In 2024, an estimated 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members worldwide. That is 137 women and girls every day. One every ten minutes. www.un.org/en/observanc...

#Sudan: We call on the RSF to protect health facilities and staff, following the death of a Ministry of Health colleague during a shooting at Zalingei hospital. For the second time this year, we have withdrawn staff to ensure their safety. ow.ly/O8VW50XxNcx

We are recruiting a Reader/Professor of Immunobiology at @kingslsm.bsky.social . This is a unique opportunity to shape basic immunology at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social . Please RP. www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/131447-...

'THE’s analysis includes more than 120 institutions from the government’s gender pay gap service providing undergraduate education in 2024-25, and excludes school trusts and further education colleges.' 1/3

'The UK should establish a network of “disruptive invention” labs outside of the university system to pursue frontier science and technology'. (Tony Blair Institute) The UK should stabilise the disrupted university system before faffing about with shiny new disruptive networks. (actual researcher)

Not sure why @lpachter.bsky.social did not post this here. But it is brilliant. Single cell genomics finally makes it to the clinic.

Fantastic Inaugural Lectures by Katie Doores and Patricia Barral @barrallab.bsky.social . It is a real privilege to have colleagues like them at @kingslsm.bsky.social .

Scientists feel that the pressure to publish is rising, but that the time and resources they have to do the necessary research are falling, according to a survey of 3,200 researchers go.nature.com/4hNDvuN

It is not often that a new flow cytometry protocol makes the newspaper! I also got a kick out of seeing our science tagged as "quirky"! www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/fairy-l...

I just made an account and voted for this biology laboratory made of LEGO to "promote biological research and inspire more people into the world of biology". They need 10K votes. Reposting and/or voting below would be helpful. 🤗 beta.ideas.lego.com/product-idea...

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📣: I haven’t been this excited to be part of something new in 15 years… Thrilled to reveal the passion project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half!🙀🥳 (thread 👇)

Dear funding agencies, I know we all want to discover the wonder drug that will cure the horrible diseases, but to do that, we need to invest in basic, unsexy, foundational research on how the systems work. Funding can’t all be drug development. Sincerely, Looking for basic research grants.

www.linkedin.com/posts/paola-... Looking for a PhD? We are offering a project for the 2026 intake at the Crick!

For #BCAM, know the "rule of 40s": start mammography at age 40 for 40% reduction in risk of death due to #breastcancer and easier treatments. For the 40% of women with #densebreasts, 40% of cancers are missed on mammography and adding MRI helps; US if MRI not possible. @densebreastinfo.bsky.social

Looking for a PhD for 2026? We have 2 projects in collaboration with Clare Bennett (UCL) looking at macrophage metabolism in breast cancer. Check them out! @cruk-cityoflondon.bsky.social www.colcc.ac.uk/2026-phd-pro... crukradnet.colcc.ac.uk/phd-students...

Looking for a PhD for 2026? We have 2 projects in collaboration with Clare Bennett (UCL) looking at macrophage metabolism in breast cancer. Check them out! @cruk-cityoflondon.bsky.social www.colcc.ac.uk/2026-phd-pro... crukradnet.colcc.ac.uk/phd-students...

Are you interested in doing a #PhD in #cancerresearch? 🧪🧑‍🔬👨🏽‍🔬👩🏿‍🔬🧫🦠🔬 Do you want to develop new #biotherapeutics? Find cancer cures for #youngpeople? Applications for our fully funded 4-year PhD programme starting in Autumn 2026 are open! bit.ly/4mHbPIH #uclcancer #QMBCI #KCLcancer_pharm #KCL #TheCrick

Interested in carrying out research in cancer Radiotherapy and Radiobiology? Applications are open now for our PhD programme for 2026 intake! @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @qmbci.bsky.social @crick.ac.uk @ucl.ac.uk crukradnet.colcc.ac.uk/phd-students...

The 2025 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body 🧪 www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medic...

The HPV vaccine is doing what had been promised. 17 years after it became available, HPV infections decreased significantly in vaccinated people and unvaccinated people because of herd immunity. buff.ly/WvjQ1BS h/t @boghuma.bsky.social #medsky #pedsky 🛟🧪

Dev biologists! 3-yr postdoc position at King's, collaboration with Trizzino lab @marcotrizzino.bsky.social modelling CHD3 neural crest. We are looking for postdocs with mad embryology skills @the-node.bsky.social #developmental @ccrb27.bsky.social thenode.biologists.com/jobs/postdoc...

'In February 2024, in response to an independent review of research bureaucracy, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology urged UKRI to consider alternative options on the collection of research impact data, “including no longer using Researchfish, from 2025 onwards”.' 1/3

UKRI renews contract with Researchfish, despite the government last year urging the funder to consider alternatives to the impact-tracking service. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

“Vaccines save lives, and when coverage drops, disease spreads.” Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe. • invest in strong local health systems • ensure vaccines are available to all • fight misinformation www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

We are doing it again!! 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️🚶🧪🧫🔬 For the Second Year My Lab is participating to the One_Walk_London 🎡 to raise money for life-changing research & make a difference to T1D #diabetes ⤵️ support.breakthrought1d.org.uk/fundraisers/... Please help us raise funds for @breakthrought1duk.bsky.social

Our third webinar from the AUS/APAC region, will feature Nick Gherardin and Sho Yamasaki. Thursday, June 12th at 17:00 AEST (8:00 London, 16:00 Tokyo). If you'd like to keep up to date, sign up to the mailing list here: cd1mr1.com/cd1-mr1-soci...

All 4 of my NIH research grants are terminated. These were grants on MDR-TB treatment & strategies for supporting adolescents living w/ HIV. This is a massive waste of resources. I am heartbroken for my Harvard team, my partners in Peru, the next generation of scientists & our country. Shame.

“The visa fees are so exceedingly high that it makes coming here very difficult for some people. We are fishing for the best scientists in the world. They want to come and work here because we are such an effective country at science, but if we have these high costs, they can and will go elsewhere.”

#InTheNews: Beating cancer requires top scientists, but our latest global policy report has found that political discourse and high visa costs are deterring experts from working in the UK. Read more in @theguardian.com 👇

It’s #WorldImmunizationWeek Vaccines have saved 154 million lives in the last 50 years. That’s 6 lives every minute. A reminder of what is #HumanlyPossible. Science saves lives. #VaccinesWork bit.ly/wiw2025

Academia is cool because if you're doing it right, every paper you published in the last 3 years feels inadequate now that you understand the topic better, but it'll take 3 years to get out the version where you get it more right, and you get to do that until one day you die! Isn't that cool

"Science in the US is entering a phase resembling the Lysenko era in the Soviet Union." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This is a hard read from Paul Bieniasz, the tragedy is that the end of this nightmare doesn't seem anywhere close. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Gender equality doesn’t just 'happen.' Women’s rights must be fought for and protected. Our responsibility is clear. To lead by example and create a world where opportunities are fair for all. Not just today, but every single day. #InternationalWomensDay