This is true. Measles virus can infect and kill your memory B and T cells, effectively wiping out your immune system’s record of past infections or vaccinations. Good article here journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

Morning peeps! I’ve written a piece for @thespinoff.bsky.social on why I ended up taking legal action against my employer and a little bit about how it played out. The whole story needs a book to tell but this is a good start 😂 thespinoff.co.nz/society/01-1... thespinoff.co.nz/society/01-1...

Witches and fungi and rye, oh my! 🧙‍♀️🍄🍞🔥💀 #herbarium #herbaria #FungalFriday #FungiFriday #Halloween ag.purdue.edu/news/2024/10...

With the rising measles cases in NZ I thought I better check that I was up to date with my vaccinations. Turns out I had one in 2019 thanks to a tweet by my colleague @siouxsiew.bsky.social during a previous outbreak!

Global diversity analysis of plant-associated Pseudopithomyces fungi reveals a new species producing the toxin associated with facial eczema in livestock: Pseudopithomyc…... published in Studies in Mycology using @gbif.org mediated data: #CiteTheDOI: ✅ https://doi.org/10.3114/sim.2025.112.02

Today, we send solidarity greetings to all involved in the #NewZealand #Megastrike. 100,000 teachers and medical staff taking action. Share this post and support the strike. #StrikeMap

No Microsoft Word spell check, I did actually intend the word "Species" not your suggested spelling "skirr Hodon"

🌍🌱 Abstract submissions are OPEN! Join the 12th IUFRO WP 7.02.09 Meeting: Phytophthora in Forests & Natural Ecosystems 📍 Grabouw, South Africa 📅 13–18 Sept 2026 ⏳Submit your abstract by 24 March 2026 👉 iufro-sa2026.carlamani.com #Phytophthora #Forests #ForestScience #ForestResearch

Happy U.K. Fungus Day. This was drawn using the ink from a shaggy ink cap growing in my own garden.

Sacred kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) [Kōtare] perched on a tōtara branch in Auckland, New Zealand. Shot on #Nikon Z8 with a 180-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250s, ISO7200 #birds #nzbirds

I started this #Mycologists Starter Pack, aiming to get all professional fungal researchers on BlueSky in one place. DM if you want to be added. go.bsky.app/UMrVSsp

China Eastern Airlines CES711 having a bit of trouble landing in this #Auckland wind, did a go around.

Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) [Tauhou] perched at dusk on a willow twig in Auckland, New Zealand. Shot on #Nikon Z8 with 180-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1600s, ISO2800 #birds #nzbirds

Swamp harrier (Circus approximans) [kāhu] circling overhead during golden hour in Auckland, New Zealand. Shot on Nikon Z8 with 180-600 @ 600mm, f/8, 1/1250s, ISO500 #birds #nzbirds

Rare taxonomic #mycology job in NZ! Conduct fungal biodiversity & taxonomy research, secure funding, publish outputs. Working with the National Collections. PhD + postdoc experience required 🧪. Apply here: careers.sciencenewzealand.org/jobdetails?a...

@dylanreeve.com Congratulations!

the suspense! #internetnz

Oooh! Think I just discovered an entire fake scientific society website...with a very impressive list of fellows, and a nice large donate button!

Ah nice, AirNZ is doing a domestic Wifi trial on two of the A320D aircraft. Just left Auckland…

The cosmic jester strikes again

"Like all good culture wars, it was imported from the U.S.." Cracking good yarn by @andrewstafford.bsky.social in @australia.theguardian.com today on a 4 letter word beginning with "F". Music boffins will love this story a lot!! 🔥👩‍🎤 www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

Well that was fun, had a go around on landing at Wellington airport as last seconds tail wind pushed us too far down the runway. NZ409 www.flightaware.com/live/flight/...

@adzebill.bsky.social @siobhanleachman.bsky.social I am thinking about archiving pages on the CRI websites somehow, no doubt many will be lost in the merger. Used IABot on pages that mention "Landcare Research" as a start, will do other orgs. iabot.wmcloud.org/index.php?pa... Any other suggestions?

These fighting possums are damn noisy!

These fighting possums are damn noisy!

Tonight's #Aurora Australis has arrived EARLY! As you can see from the ovation forecast model. (rule of thumb you can see Aurora in camera 1000km from the edge of the colour - this is still very early. STRONG negative BZ & BT are AS important as KP reading A wee 🧵

If you're interested in how to distinguish researchers with similar names in the literature (or you're a researcher yourself), see @rhizobia.nz's poster on ORCID and Wikidata. rhizobia.nz/downloads/We...

Understanding Facial Eczema in livestock 🐄 🧪 We discovered only one of two near-identical fungi on NZ farms makes the toxin that causes FE—and it now has a name: Pseudopithomyces toxicarius. This could change how we assess spore risk on farms. Full study: doi.org/10.3114/sim.... #mycology #taxonomy

Vote now for the New Zealand fungus of the year! interactives.landcareresearch.co.nz/foty/ #mycology #fungi

A milestone: #kakapo mating calls have been heard on the North Island of NZ for the first time in over a century. At least 2 of the 3 #kakapo males at the fenced sanctuary of Maungatautari have "boomed" this summer. #conservation www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... Video: www.scienceagency.co.nz

When lepidopterist Michael Braby spotted something odd on a rare butterfly specimen, an old case was re-opened: a heist involving Scotland Yard & a forgery that created a flutter throughout the taxonomic world. cosmosmagazine.com/nature/butterfly-heist-70-years-ago-is-still-causing-flutter/

I am reminded it has recently been the five year anniversary of Peanut Slab icecream bars.

Dear American citizens, whatever you wish more German citizens would have done in 1933, do that now.

Beautiful video of mycophagy in action 🧪

Happy #TaxonomistAppreciationDay! 🍄🦠🐞🌿 A massive thank you to everyone contributing to the accumulation of taxonomic and naturalist knowledge. Your contribution is truly invaluable — #taxonomy is the foundation upon which all our #biodiversity knowledge rests. Let's never forget that!

Taxonomists everywhere, and perhaps especially in the USA: tomorrow is #TaxonomistAppreciationDay! I see you, I hear you, we need you! A good time to share this correspondence we wrote for @nature.com, about fungi needing taxonomy champions, too: doi.org/10.1038/d415...

An NZ govt owned R&D firm, Callaghan Innovation, is launching a 'Web3 Hackathon' to develop our very own DOGE. It's fitting that they still tie themselves to vaporous scam tech (web3) in aspiring to loot the public good.

HUGE IN FLIGHT BIRD FOOTAGE VICTORY: Belted kingfisher in close proximity(under 50 feet!), in flight, AND video of it sticking the landing. You don't get much better than this! #birds

Wine Shelves in Canada - they are still not mucking around....US wines poof 💥 however I do see more room for New Zealand wines 🍾🥂🍷 get amongst it NZ Vineyards 🍷

Auckland is a banger on a good day! On Mt. Albert looking towards the CBD. #nikon #photography

RNA xkcd.com/3056

One thing @biodivlibrary.bsky.social is increasingly doing is becoming a home for "orphaned" journals (and their @crossref.bsky.social DOIs). Even major publications such as Mycotaxon can come to an end, which raises the question who looks after them one they stop publishing?

Fantastic work on plasmid evolution and competition! 🧪

🟢Visual Omics Series 12🟢 Out now! Explore the mitochondrial genomes of fascinating Morchella species through a retro 80s video game vibe. @fmartin54.bsky.social @imafungus.pensoft.net #Genomics #Fungi #DataViz 👉https://shorturl.at/KPqyH 🧪🧬🖥️

Waaay ahead of you. NZ 1 and 2 cent coins demonetised in 1990. Five cent coin demonetised in 2006. The 10 cent coin changed to copper plated steel and the 20 and 50 cent coins changed to nickel plated steel. The joy of realising your currency is degenerating.

The 2025 NZ National Government has completely failed to meet the aims of the 2017 National Government, as layed out in their National Statement of Science Investment (www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-...). Instead they have led an enormous attack on NZ research. Let's not race to the bottom of the OECD

Well the award for most cowardly, boot-lickingest academic society has squarely gone to the American Society of Microbiology, who has taken down features of various non-white scientists. Absolutely pathetic behavior. Those articles are now coming up as “under review”. Truly sickening cowardice here.

some #fountainpens currently inked with: Diamine gold star shimmer, Diamine kopi o kaw, Kyo-no-oto rokuyuiro, iroshizuku: yu-yake, yama guri, fuyu-syogun, and Parker Quink blue. Nice to have a bit of variety to write with!