The annual news blitz about danger this time year of Vibrio vulnificus is upon us. If you live in the Gulf or Atlantic areas, and particularly if you have liver disease, cancer, or immunosuppression, Vv is a danger. The disease is rare but death rates high, survivors have long hospitalizations 🧵

Great time with my awesome Northwestern colleagues at #GRCMAST

Congratulations to Mason Clark who won the @fems MicroLife poster prize at the Microbial Adhesion and Signal Transduction GRC!

Northwestern Micro representing at the 2025GRC MAST conference in beautiful Newport. Great science, collegial people but there’s a cloud hanging over us all. ☁️

“NIH will introduce a cap on allowable publication costs starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, ensuring that publication fees remain reasonable across the research ecosystem. The policy aims to curb excessive APCs & ensure the broad dissemination of research findings w/o unnecessary financial barriers”

This is an event on Tuesday in the House of Representatives hosted by the minority Science committee, led by @lofgren.house.gov. Real question: why isn’t this being held in the evening and produced for TV and social media? There are production and storytelling resources in Congress.

"A document [DHHS] sent to lawmakers to support Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to change U.S. policy on covid vaccines cites scientific studies that are unpublished or under dispute and mischaracterizes others." kffhealthnews.org/news/article... via @kffhealthnews.org

RFK Jr's "MAHA" report is filled with references to studies that literally do not exist, or that completely misinterpret the studies' findings. “We did not publish a paper.. on this topic with that co-author group, or with that title,” says one cited researcher. www.notus.org/health-scien...

Thanks to Northwestern Feinberg communications for writing this nice article on our recent work for the newsletter. @vibrio-vulnificus.bsky.social

Great new study by my excellent colleague @jutraslab.bsky.social on treatments for Luke’s disease

To say it once more today: I think you'll be moved if you take 2 minutes to look through 269 institutions signed on here. Yes, still a few notable absences. (Where is Stanford?) But such an array of *presence.* Big and small. Public and private. World famous and barely known. Check them out.

Graduate student Jiexi Chen presented today in the emerging scientist session #ASBMB25 on her new paper on toxin binding N-glycans. She did a great job!!

Taking a break from the news in Bsky. Happy to share amazing study by student Jiexi Chen on Vibrio vulnificus MARTX toxin engagement of N-glycans and receptor L1CAM. First study on this toxin binding to cell surfaces. #vibrio #microsky #toxins www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Was great to participate in this project designed to test robustness of AI ligand prediction but had a side benefit of crowd-sourced discovery of a SARS-CoV-2 helicase inhibitor

Slashing IRS staff will end up costing the U.S. government. Multiple studies have shown that for every dollar spent by the IRS, the agency returns between $5 and $12. New @propublica.org by @andykroll.bsky.social

Wonderful recognition! Hank gave great speech at ceremony on how service and faculty joining together is most important in challenging times

🗽🔬 STAND UP FOR SCIENCE. Chicago joins the nationwide movement to demand that our government fully support scientific research, which employs people, benefits our economy, and SAVES LIVES Join Indivisible Chicago & @standupforscience.bsky.social on Fri, March 7th, 12pm, Federal Plaza. Info/Sign-up:

It’s impossible to overstate how much damage Trump/Elon/Vought/RFKJ are doing to science in America. We need everyone who can to show up and demand action to save scientific research in this country. Scientists are trained to question everything which is why fascists always target them first.

This is a crisis threatening the US scientific research enterprise which drives our wealth, health and prosperity. Make that clear to anyone and everyone you know

Elon Musk said DOGE made a mistake by cutting USAID’s Ebola prevention but it had been “restored.” That’s not true, current and former officials told me and @johnphudson.bsky.social. “There have been no efforts to ‘turn on’” Ebola prevention, said Nidhi Bouri, who oversaw team until January.

I am going to join the Stand Up for Science in DC! Friends DM if will be there too. Chicago folks, will be missing you at Federal square #standupforscience2025

Gregg is a former Marine and Forest Service ranger. He's saved the lives of hikers dangling off a cliff or going through cardiac arrest, and he's bravely fought forest fires to save small rural towns. 100% of his salary is paid by WA state. Elon fired him. Share his story.

With measles flaring up and threatening to become a significant concern and H5N1 knocking on the door, today seems like a perfect day to fire all the fellows and postdocs working at the CDC WTAF?!

JUST IN: A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked the Trump administration's rate change to NIH grants. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Why does Trump care about a corrupt Democrat Illinois ex-governor? I suppose he is upset there is precedence that is illegal for governors to sell empty senate seats to highest bidder.

Trainees who applied for an NIH diversity fellowship whose applications were withdrawn/not being reviewed, there's a NYTimes reporter who wants to talk, especially interested in applicants with disabilities. DM me & I'll put you in touch, will keep all contact confidential. Please amplify

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Looking forward to presenting our long-term cancer project on Ras Degrader RRSP shrinking tumors for Lurie Cancer Center in the Basic Sciences Forum Tues Feb 11. Have never presented this work start to finish, thanks to RHLCC for the invite! @luriecancer.bsky.social #RAS #ChicagoBiomedicalConsortium

Pete Buttigieg sets the record straight.

Wow, just wow. V different approach reveals numerous problems in Scientific Reports - cf deevybee.blogspot.com/2024/10/an-o... I do hope @springernature.bsky.social will start to publish reviewer reports and editor info as we suggested

Delighted to be at the wedding for my awesome colleague Tom Hope. Totally cool in yellow beside his beautiful bride Ann.

Nice work from Rhee group on new inhibitor that impedes disease by blocking toxin secretion. A nice global strategy to manage toxin that is highly variable among strains

It's funny because it's true #HigherEducation #AcademicSky Class Is Canceled Until Further Notice While I Do My Job www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/cla...

Great meeting! See you there!

The call for ASM Microbe 2025 abstracts close on Jan 22, 2025. Don't miss out on our conference in LA! asm.org/Events/ASM-M...

Excellent advice on the tenure & promotion process that broadly applies to faculty in biomedical sciences as well! 👇

They said that sea urchins couldn't have a bluesky account because we "don't have thumbs." We have hundreds of tube feet, we can push a few buttons 😤

#Microsky and specifically ASM members--looking for a volunteer opportunity? Abstract reviewers for ASM Microbe are responsible for looking at ~50 abstracts. If you're interested, sign up here by Nov 27. Abstract review takes place Jan 28-Feb 4, 2025. asm.org/Microbe2025-Abstract-Reviewer

The Torres Lab is seeking a Senior Scientist to lead studies focused on understanding the immune response to bacterial infections. Candidates must have extensive postdoctoral research experience in immunology and a strong record of publications. talent.stjude.org/careers/jobs...

@felixrl.bsky.social Please add me Microbial Cell Starter Pack

Calling all microbiologists! Registration is open for the Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting, February 2-4, 2025.! Abstract deadline is 12/8/2024, but don't wait, filling fast. Check it out at mampm.org.

For anyone interested in Vibrio. Let me know if you are on this platform and want to be included in the list. 🦠 go.bsky.app/DevLmyf

We are pleased to announce that ETOX 2025, the 22nd European Workshop on Bacterial Protein Toxins, will be held in Spain, June 29 - July 3, 2025. Registration opens on January 6. Apply here etox-meetings.org and join us for a great meeting! Please repost

Apply today for #ASMicrobe Travel Awards! 🧪 asm.org/Events/ASM-M...

The myths and facts of NIH K99-R00. Should the university administrators obsess over K awards during hiring?! #AcademicSky 🧪 elifesciences.org/articles/88984