The rise in applications indicates a “huge increase in the amount and cost of work for academics completing these applications”. “[Researchers] must be spending less time either teaching or doing research, and spending more time on writing these grants”. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

1 AUG

P-hacking Removing outliers, using alternative statistical methods and running extra experiments are some methods that could be used to change the P-value. Be careful not to fall in this trap! Stay sceptical! Null results are a normal part of science. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

It was fantastic to have @labliston.bsky.social give a talk at the @mrc-mbu.bsky.social on building a positive research culture. Valuable for all investigators/group leaders regardless of career stage, check out the resources below: listonlab.uk/careers/

The temptation to create beautify images can be a slippery slope. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Stem cells were initially touted as a cure-all, but aside from a few anecdotal studies, this has not been proven true. Is it finally going to happen? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Clinically translatable mitochondrial #GeneTherapy in muscle using tandem mtZFN architecture. By P. Nash, @mitogene.bsky.social & colleagues @mrc-mbu.bsky.social 🗞️ doi.org/10.1038/s443... Read also related N&V by A. Ghifari & M. Ott 👉 doi.org/10.1038/s443...

Congratulations, Pavel! Proud to have been involved in this project.

Reposting since it's been a while since I posted this, and new MBU members might have joined.

Mitochondria differ in type and density in different parts of the brain. For example, the evolutionarily oldest brain regions have a lower density of mitochondria than newer regions. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Shared first authorship, but who gets to be first? According to this study, there is no disadvantage to sharing credit. Weakness of the study: The test name was a gender-neutral European name. Can someone please repeat this study with female/non-European names? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

In-cell architecture of the mitochondrial respiratory chain | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

“These findings will need to be confirmed in vivo.“ Animal research can be extremely valuable, but isn't it time to encourage novel alternative non-animal models if they are available? Shouldn't funders encourage research to establish such alternative models more? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

It is often said that the first responsibility of any government is the safety and protection of its people. Vaccines save lives, and casting doubt on their safety could have dangerous and far-reaching consequences. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Can internet use become addictive? A #SciencePerspective discusses the addictive potential of the #internet and how it can be best conceptualized and evaluated. scim.ag/3R5Npv1 #BrainAwarenessWeek

Conference alert: Machines acting on DNA and RNA Madrid, May 28-30 Abstract deadline: April 24 Organised by @cniostopcancer.bsky.social. Come to share your research with experts in the molecular mechanisms of DNA & RNA machines. See the list of speakers below. Please repost.

Thought that only purine nucleotides could inhibit mitochondrial thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue? Edmund Kunji and coworkers @mitocarriers.bsky.social @mrc-mbu.bsky.social show that pyrimidines bind and inhibit UCP1 in similar manner www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Today is World Kidney Day. Are you sure your kidneys are OK? Do the quick test in the link and read about the risks. www.worldkidneyday.org/2025-campaign/

Alcohol raises the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, liver, and esophageal cancer. Yet, many drinkers remain unaware. Is there truly a “safe” amount of alcohol? Would a cancer warning label be helpful? htps://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00729-5

"I had spent half my life working toward my dream of being a scientist. It had given me a sense of purpose. But now it dawned on me that, for the sake of my health, I was going to have to let that dream go." This week's #ScienceWorkingLife. scim.ag/4bCwyth

New research from Dr Craig Thompson reveals that mitochondria do more than generate energy - they form specialized subpopulations under stress, playing a key role in cancer cell survival. Will this discovery could reshape our understanding of metabolism and disease treatment?

Transgenic mice. Not to be confused with transgender mice. youtu.be/CAtHupHQSEE?...

Although women still account for only about 35% of the STEMM workforce, research has shown that they are more likely to excel when given access to mentoring, support and guidance from other women with similar lived experiences www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Today is #RareDiseaseDay Did you know there's still no cure for #mitochondrialdisease? @lilyfoundation.bsky.social are fighting to change this. We've invested over £3 million in research since 2007 Please help us to raise awareness of mito Find out more www.thelilyfoundation.org.uk

A new survey finds the top reason: holding onto their professional identity. But does this limit opportunities for younger researchers? Read more: www.science.org/content/arti... #Science #Academia #Retirement

Studies show that members of over-represented groups are more likely to not notice a lack of diversity, whether deliberately or not, and do not always welcome diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that they think they don’t benefit from. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Do you suffer from digital amnesia? Do you remember phone numbers? Do you know your way without a GPS? "We’re gonna lose our memory because we don’t use it anymore," say scientists. What will AI do to our memory? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Second of two videos I made about vaccines for kids & teens! YouTube promotes videos with engagement, so likes/comments/shares help reach the right audience. Even if you're not the target, your support matters! 💙 Watch & boost? 🔗 youtu.be/ScOQ2tt5HQQ #SciComm #Vaccines #ScienceForEveryone

First of two videos I made about vaccines for kids & teens! YouTube promotes videos with engagement, so likes/comments/shares help reach the right audience. Even if you're not the target, your support matters! 💙 Watch & boost? 🔗 youtu.be/KC42D0ZpqtE #SciComm #Vaccines #ScienceForEveryone

Cancer is more than just a medical diagnosis—it’s a deeply personal matter. Men, get tested for PSA; Women, book your cervical screening test today. Quit smoking And if you can, donate to cancer research. Together, we can make a difference. #WorldCancerDay #EarlyDetection #FightCancer

Science has gone digital, but have we lost transparency? Too many papers treat bioinformatics like a black box—vague methods, missing parameters, and no reproducibility. Would we accept "we used PCR" without primer details? #Bioinformatics #ScienceIntegrity www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden...

Interesting article from @frezzalab.bsky.social.

Are all scientists Star Wars fans? 🤔 At #FoG2025, a Star Wars photo op got me thinking—what's the link between genetics & the galaxy far, far away? Is it just nerdy stereotypes? Confession: I'm a scientist who doesn’t like Star Wars. Am I alone in this?

Bluesky is nicer and kinder than X? Sure, but how active are people here on Bluesky? Am I the only one who thinks that many people who signed up aren't really reacting to posts? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

OUr universities (and industry, schools....) need technicians and their strategic input. wonkhe.com/blogs/we-nee...

If 23andMe folds, the fate of its customers’ genetic information is a major worry. What is 23andMe going to do with the data that they still have possession of? Are they going to try to sell access to it in order to generate funds? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How to help AI to tell the truth? The particular problem of false scientific references is rife. In one 2024 study, various chatbots made mistakes between about 30% and 90% of the time on references. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Exciting news! I’ve recently launched a YouTube channel where I explain science in a simple, fun way—perfect for kids and teens! Watch, like, subscribe and share the link! 👉 www.youtube.com/@SimpleScien... Because science should be easy to understand and fun to explore.

Plagiarism detection tools are powerful, but they often overlook a critical issue: language bias. Non-native English speakers and multilingual authors face unfair challenges, from false positives to inequitable evaluations. www.linkedin.com/posts/lindse...

I had two children during my PhD, and this article from Nature deeply resonated with me. There’s no "perfect" time, only the right time for you. What are your thoughts on balancing family and academic life? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Super interesting article by Martin Picard

A study of 86,000 scientists shows only 26% of women continue publishing after 19 years vs. 36% of men. Not "giving up"—many shift to impactful careers. But academia still isn’t built to support women long-term. #WomenInSTEM #GenderEquality #Science www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Editing a relatively small number of genomic variants could make a substantial difference to an individual’s risk of developing coronary artery disease, Alzheimer’s disease, major depressive disorder, diabetes and schizophrenia. But what about the ethical issues? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Can AI Replace Peer Review? Peer review is the backbone of scientific publishing—but it’s far from perfect. Can AI address the biases, inefficiencies, and inconsistencies plaguing the process? www.linkedin.com/posts/lindse...

AI has revolutionised data analysis, but it also risks amplifying systemic inequalities—like gender bias in academic citations and racial disparities in healthcare. www.linkedin.com/posts/lindse...

A database of retracted preprints? Why? These papers were withdrawn for factual errors, not misconduct. Now they'll be fodder for "I've done my research" types & AI models. Will anyone realize they're invalid—or just spread the flaws? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

A new study highlights a surge in early-career researchers becoming top-cited within just 5–8 years of their first publication—some publishing at an “extreme” rate of more than one paper per week. www.nature.com/articles/d41...