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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Jul 15

I’m excited to contribute as an associate editor for “Primers in Genetics.” The focus is on educational materials. Should be fun!
@genetics-gsa.bsky.social
genestogenomes.org/genetics-exp...

GENETICS Expands Primers Section

Beth De Stasio of Lawrence University will serve as Senior Editor and work with a newly formed team of six Associate Editors to expand the publication of Primers in GENETICS.

genestogenomes.org

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Jul 14

Decoding nature’s grammar with DNA language models | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... - Serguei Pakhomov was a great co-author for this commentary on PlantCaduceus

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

www.pnas.org

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Kelly Zamudio @kzutaustin.bsky.social · Jun 20

Very happy with this perspective piece just published. Highlighting how anti DEI has the same impacts as good old racism on educational equity.

Cissy Ballen @cissyballen.bsky.social · Jun 20

Using anti-DEI policies to dismantle education: A new front in a really old battle - a perspective with @kzutaustin.bsky.social and @hormiga.bsky.social | PLOS Biology

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Using anti-DEI policies to dismantle education: A new front in a really old battle

Educational equity faces renewed threats across higher education in the United States. This Perspective addresses what can be done by life science instructors and researchers to prioritize equitable, ...

journals.plos.org

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Jun 5

This sounds like retaliation. In his defense, it isn’t very flattering photo. He looks both drunk and tired.

Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Jun 5

My only one-on-one meeting with a higher ed president was after an investigative piece on room and board expenses published in the student paper. Unflattering because costs were high compared to other institutions. Apparently word had reached the admin that I was working on another story.

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Jun 5

Also missing Asia, but it’s a small continent.

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Jun 5

Around the world? I never realized the planet was a half sphere. You guys don’t know anyone in Australia, South America, or Africa? Don’t people do maize winter nurseries in Chile and New Zealand?

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra @jrossibarra.bsky.social · Jun 5

My HPC team at UC Davis is hiring! Looking for an experienced sysadmin to help build and maintain clusters (hardware and software). HPC experience great, but if you’re an experienced sysadmin and willing to learn, please apply!

careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucdavis/...

An error has occurred.

careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Jun 5

New paper w/ @plos.org! @chaochihl.bsky.social identifies a unique mutational pattern among sodium azide-induced mutants. SNPs in 'CC' context and indels. Thanks to @justinfay.bsky.social @lilei0051.bsky.social @giuliafrascarelli.bsky.social @nanoporetech.com et al

journals.plos.org/plosgenetics...

Sodium azide mutagenesis induces a unique pattern of mutations

Author summary Sodium azide is frequently used as a mutagen for experimental studies in plants. It induces primarily C → T changes. We find that these most often occur when a cytosine (C) is followed ...

journals.plos.org

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · May 28

A cool trick from AI coding companions. Creating temporary intermediate files in a shell script is pretty easy! Saves IO.

log " -> Convert a GFF of gene positions to a BED file"
intermediate_bed=$(mktemp)
awk '$3 == "gene" {print $1"\t"$4-1"\t"$5}' "${GFF}" > "${intermediate_bed}"

Reposted by Peter Morrell

European Research Council (ERC) @erc.europa.eu · May 19

Are you based in the U.S. 🇺🇸 or Canada 🇨🇦 and thinking of doing research in Europe?

ERC grants offer up to €4.5 million to support groundbreaking, investigator-driven frontier research in all fields.

Watch the dedicated info session for researchers in your region👉 youtu.be/92QYink1Lik

#ChooseEurope

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · May 19

“Cutting basic science doesn’t save money.”

Barbara Kaskosz @kaskosz.bsky.social · May 19

America’s long-term growth is at stake. Congress is weighing sweeping FY2026 cuts to fundamental science, including $18 billion from the NIH and $5 billion from the NSF.

In the long run, these cuts will cost the economy billions.

@jdrakephd.bsky.social

www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Trump’s NIH And NSF Cuts Estimated To Cost The U.S. Economy $10 Billion Annually

Economists find public R&D drives U.S. productivity growth — and pays for itself

www.forbes.com

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Aaron Sojourner @aaronsojourner.org · May 5

Very facts. Very statistics.
bsky.app/profile/jona...

Dr. Jonathan N. Stea @jonathanstea.bsky.social · May 5

RFK Jr and Statistics:

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology @biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · Apr 15

Identification of genetic variation associated with high-temperature tolerance in cowpea https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.09.647789v1

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Leonie Moyle @speciationlab.bsky.social · Mar 22

foolish & malicious
"the food you consume is the result of generations of work by agricultural scientists and plant breeders... This work is only possible because of the availability of...extensive collections of plant genetic resources."

Steve @stevecmatt.bsky.social · Mar 22

Why Did Elon Musk Go After Bunkers Full of Seeds? - NY Times Opinion Guest Article
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/o...

Opinion | Why Did Elon Musk Go After Bunkers Full of Seeds? (Gift Article)

Gene banks are like a survivalist cache: our nation’s safeguard against all future challenges to growing the food we need.

www.nytimes.com

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Mar 20

Your hair is the same color as some of the kernels right behind you. Coincidence?

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Mar 17

Wow, really sad to hear this. She was extremely nice!

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · Mar 13

New analysis says ~2/3 of unpaid taxes come from the top 10% of households, w/ 28% coming from the top 1%.

The GOP CR would cut $20.2 billion of IRS funding for catching rich tax cheats - because the GOP is laser-focused on helping the rich cheat on their taxes.
budgetlab.yale.edu/research/rev...

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Mar 14

One aspect of this story caught my attention. The interviewee notes that Target pledged to spend $2B with black businesses and rescinded the pledge after the inauguration! Unless the need for investment in the community no longer exists, Target should keep their pledge.
www.npr.org/2025/03/13/n...

Some congregations are giving up Target for Lent after it rolled back DEI commitments

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church about leading a movement to swear off shopping at Target for Lent.

www.npr.org

Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Mar 2

www.eventbrite.com/e/stand-up-f...

Stand Up for Science 2025 - St. Paul, MN

Stand up for science with us on March 7th, 2025, because science is for everyone! More info at www.standupforscience2025.org

www.eventbrite.com

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · Feb 23

Here’s something concrete you can do to defend science: lots of states need coordinators and organizers for the March 7 rally!

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Feb 22

🚨 WANT TO HELP US STAND UP FOR SCIENCE? 🚨

Here's a little update on where we're currently at with the planning process!

Is your state red or grey & you want to see an event happen? Fill out our volunteer form or share with a friend! airtable.com/app4h5wUssMG...

#standupforscience2025

Photo of the United States with a color code for states that have rallies confirmed, in progress, needing a leader, or no leader.

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Feb 22

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is firing women and minorities from prominent roles because he thinks they didn’t earn those positions. Did his race or gender play any part in his appointment? Allegations of alcohol and sexual abuse and poor fiscal management can be disqualifying for most jobs!

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Peter Morrell @peterlmorrell.bsky.social · Feb 19

I never worked for Brandon, but he’s been one of the most important mentors in my life and career. I don’t have to go back very far to see his influence. I had a great conversation with him at the beginning of January. I’m still really impressed by all the terrific scientist he has trained!

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Matt Carling @mdcarling.bsky.social · Feb 18

This is absolutely devastating www.wired.com/story/nation...

National Science Foundation Fires 168 Workers as Federal Purge Continues

Firings at the NSF included permanent employees who had already completed their one-year probationary period, as well as at-will workers.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Peter Morrell

Miriam Goldstein @miriamgoldstein.bsky.social · Feb 6

Just in case you thought that removing DEI criteria would mean that everyone is competing equally: NIH is removing grad students from underrepresented backgrounds from the applicant pool altogether. Their applications will not be considered. Other students, not from these backgrounds, will be.

Update: They were removed from our reviewer assignments completely. I'm so sorry to all those graduate students.

Anonymous to protect the identity of the NIH employee I spoke to...I am on study section next month to discuss F awards. We were just instructed to put the F31-Diversity applications on the bottom of our priority list for review because there is a chance we may not be able to review them. My heart is breaking for the grad students and their mentors that put so much work into these just for them to be disqualified and thrown out.

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