Justin Blumenstiel
@bdelloid.bsky.social
Evolution, Genomics, Genetics, Epigenetics, Transposons, Small RNAs, Meiosis, Politics, Music, Kansas....AND DROSOPHILA!!!
Freaked out ribosome and DNA truther doing my own research.
"We are our own reviewers" - Alejandro Montenegro
Freaked out ribosome and DNA truther doing my own research.
"We are our own reviewers" - Alejandro Montenegro
Pinned
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
I am excited to offer a postdoctoral research position in my lab in Oxford studying the distribution of small RNAs during plant sexual reproduction. shorturl.at/7Goxt
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
January 26, 2026 at 4:31 PM
I am excited to offer a postdoctoral research position in my lab in Oxford studying the distribution of small RNAs during plant sexual reproduction. shorturl.at/7Goxt
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Video proves beyond a doubt that ICE murdered Alex Pretti in cold blood, he never unholstered his weapon, and was disarmed when the regime thugs shot and executed him. This was 100% intentional. It's a homicide. #3E #GoodvsEvil
January 24, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Video proves beyond a doubt that ICE murdered Alex Pretti in cold blood, he never unholstered his weapon, and was disarmed when the regime thugs shot and executed him. This was 100% intentional. It's a homicide. #3E #GoodvsEvil
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
What's the plan, Chuck? I run a fake news website. You're the Senate Minority Leader. What's the plan?
ICE out of Minnesota NOW.
Breaking News: Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a person in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, state and local officials said. Follow live updates.
January 24, 2026 at 7:11 PM
What's the plan, Chuck? I run a fake news website. You're the Senate Minority Leader. What's the plan?
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Say it out loud and say it with your chest. It was murder.
Not a "shooting"
Not a "execution"
Not a "mistake"
Murder. ( Homicide. Democide. Femicide. )
#3E #GoodvsEvil
Not a "shooting"
Not a "execution"
Not a "mistake"
Murder. ( Homicide. Democide. Femicide. )
#3E #GoodvsEvil
January 24, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Say it out loud and say it with your chest. It was murder.
Not a "shooting"
Not a "execution"
Not a "mistake"
Murder. ( Homicide. Democide. Femicide. )
#3E #GoodvsEvil
Not a "shooting"
Not a "execution"
Not a "mistake"
Murder. ( Homicide. Democide. Femicide. )
#3E #GoodvsEvil
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Most nematodes don't have piRNAs?!!
January 24, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Most nematodes don't have piRNAs?!!
This really me helped reconcile a bunch of conflicting ideas rattling in my head. My devotion to the nearly neutral school is increasingly untenable. Hat tip to Luis Madrigal Roca (not on Blue Sky). If you need the PDF, DM me. KU doesn't even get this journal. LOL.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Adaptive tracking with antagonistic pleiotropy results in seemingly neutral molecular evolution - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Population genetics simulations and analysis of experimental datasets in yeast, Drosophila and E. coli show that beneficial mutations are abundant but transient, as they become deleterious after envir...
www.nature.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:54 PM
This really me helped reconcile a bunch of conflicting ideas rattling in my head. My devotion to the nearly neutral school is increasingly untenable. Hat tip to Luis Madrigal Roca (not on Blue Sky). If you need the PDF, DM me. KU doesn't even get this journal. LOL.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
PSA on Competitive, Not Discussed NIH proposal outcomes drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2026/01/23/p...
PSA on Competitive, Not Discussed NIH proposal outcomes
As you know, Dear Reader, the current and following rounds of NIH study section meetings have adopted temporary* new triage/streamlining rules. Previously, approximately half of proposals are Not D…
drugmonkey.wordpress.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:52 PM
PSA on Competitive, Not Discussed NIH proposal outcomes drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2026/01/23/p...
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Construction of complex and diverse DNA sequences using DNA three-way junctions www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Construction of complex and diverse DNA sequences using DNA three-way junctions - Nature
Sidewinder enables high-fidelity DNA assembly by separating the information that guides assembly from the final assembled sequence.
www.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:20 AM
Construction of complex and diverse DNA sequences using DNA three-way junctions www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Crushed to hear of Mark Batzer’s passing. He was the Boyd Professor at Louisiana State University. His influential research revealed how mobile elements shape the genomes of humans & other mammals. Mark’s personality, generosity & positivity were larger than life. He lifted everyone up. HUGE loss 💔
January 22, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Crushed to hear of Mark Batzer’s passing. He was the Boyd Professor at Louisiana State University. His influential research revealed how mobile elements shape the genomes of humans & other mammals. Mark’s personality, generosity & positivity were larger than life. He lifted everyone up. HUGE loss 💔
Not the first thing I was expecting looking up "Kimura Drift" in Google Image search.
But "Kimura The Drift King" definitely opens up some possibilities.
But "Kimura The Drift King" definitely opens up some possibilities.
January 21, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Not the first thing I was expecting looking up "Kimura Drift" in Google Image search.
But "Kimura The Drift King" definitely opens up some possibilities.
But "Kimura The Drift King" definitely opens up some possibilities.
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
"l no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace"
January 19, 2026 at 9:20 PM
"l no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace"
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
This shiny app is pretty cool. Just cruising around, I found one special issue where it appears one editor jammed his name onto all five papers. LOL. It looks like this was the price of admission into this issue.
www.mdpi.com/journal/gene...
paolocrosetto.shinyapps.io/Editors_as_a...
www.mdpi.com/journal/gene...
paolocrosetto.shinyapps.io/Editors_as_a...
January 19, 2026 at 8:39 PM
This shiny app is pretty cool. Just cruising around, I found one special issue where it appears one editor jammed his name onto all five papers. LOL. It looks like this was the price of admission into this issue.
www.mdpi.com/journal/gene...
paolocrosetto.shinyapps.io/Editors_as_a...
www.mdpi.com/journal/gene...
paolocrosetto.shinyapps.io/Editors_as_a...
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Thanks to Jeffrey and the @science.org news team for this highlight!
Find the paper here:
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
Find the paper here:
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
#SpecialIssues have fueled the growth of some of the largest #OpenAccess publishers. Does a journal that allows a #GuestEditor to both plan a special issue and write many articles in it have a conflict of interest? #scicomm #peerreview @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...
Some guest editors pack special issues with their own articles
Thousands have penned more than one-third of a journal issue, raising conflict-of-interest concerns
www.science.org
January 19, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Thanks to Jeffrey and the @science.org news team for this highlight!
Find the paper here:
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
Find the paper here:
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
*Homer Simpson voice*: The dumbest diplomatic crisis of your life *so far*
this is the dumbest diplomatic crisis of my life
January 19, 2026 at 5:21 PM
*Homer Simpson voice*: The dumbest diplomatic crisis of your life *so far*
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
I'd argue that the AI wasn't art until it was eaten
January 18, 2026 at 9:44 PM
I'd argue that the AI wasn't art until it was eaten
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Trump scrambles Louisiana Senate race by endorsing a challenge to Republican incumbent - The Times
apple.news/AU2mjwNHWSTe...
💐 Bill Cassidy, who compromised his principles by (still) supporting RFK Jr hoping he could make it through the election unscathed
apple.news/AU2mjwNHWSTe...
💐 Bill Cassidy, who compromised his principles by (still) supporting RFK Jr hoping he could make it through the election unscathed
Trump scrambles Louisiana Senate race with Julia Letlow endorsement — The Times
President Trump on the Louisiana Senate race:
apple.news
January 18, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Trump scrambles Louisiana Senate race by endorsing a challenge to Republican incumbent - The Times
apple.news/AU2mjwNHWSTe...
💐 Bill Cassidy, who compromised his principles by (still) supporting RFK Jr hoping he could make it through the election unscathed
apple.news/AU2mjwNHWSTe...
💐 Bill Cassidy, who compromised his principles by (still) supporting RFK Jr hoping he could make it through the election unscathed
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
sometimes just starting to write makes the idea clearer than endlessly agnoizing around my head
January 18, 2026 at 12:40 AM
sometimes just starting to write makes the idea clearer than endlessly agnoizing around my head
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
STOP.
We have a major news story in our house. It's been building up for a few days and this afternoon came the denouement.
It's the story of a banana.
We have a major news story in our house. It's been building up for a few days and this afternoon came the denouement.
It's the story of a banana.
January 16, 2026 at 9:14 PM
STOP.
We have a major news story in our house. It's been building up for a few days and this afternoon came the denouement.
It's the story of a banana.
We have a major news story in our house. It's been building up for a few days and this afternoon came the denouement.
It's the story of a banana.
Reposted by Justin Blumenstiel
hakeem jeffries is just chuck schumer on ketamine. he’s like if you let a sloth regurgitate the first clinton platform. someone who goes to a baseball game to root for the umpire.
January 15, 2026 at 3:42 PM
hakeem jeffries is just chuck schumer on ketamine. he’s like if you let a sloth regurgitate the first clinton platform. someone who goes to a baseball game to root for the umpire.
Maybe this is the true path for ACTUAL effective altruism..
The LeBron James of divorced women. No one is doing it like her.
The Trevor Project, known for its hotline for LGBTQ+ youth, received $45 million from billionaire and author MacKenzie Scott at the end of 2025. https://bit.ly/4sEbdYv
January 13, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Maybe this is the true path for ACTUAL effective altruism..