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Julia Van Etten

@couchmicroscopy.bsky.social

1.6K followers 990 following 260 posts

Incoming assistant professor at University of Maryland, College Park • NSF PRFB postdoc • PhD from Bhattacharya lab @RutgersU • Passionate about algae / protists + genomics + evolutionary biology + microscopy • vanettenlab.org #NewPI Opinions are my own.

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · Jul 16

I’m thrilled to announce that next summer I’ll be joining the University of Maryland Department of Biology as an assistant professor! The Van Etten lab will study how horizontal processes (DNA and gene transfer + organelle acquisition) drive and are driven by ecology and evolution. vanettenlab.org

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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 2d

Spoke with cnn while sitting on the floor of my hotel room hallway bc my family were asleep in the other room.

6a E Mark.mp4 - 6a E Mark - Frame.io

next.frame.io

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 1d

bsky.app/profile/jgil...

Jonathan Gilligan @jgilligan.org · 1d

Student governments of Vanderbilt, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, UVA, and Arizona issued a joint statement condemning the Compact and stating that "Academic Freedom is not negotiable." www.instagram.com/p/DPm507ljBJ...

On October 1st, 2025, the White House sent the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education to our seven universities, outlining expectations universities must meet to continue receiving federal benefits.

Although the compact's full implications remain unclear, the document outlines
unprecedented expectations universities must meet to receive federal benefits. This could systemically alter the mission of higher education and erode the independence that has long defined our universities. We must not allow these attempts to control what can be taught, studied, or spoken on our campuses.

Our universities represent the full spectrum of American higher education, from liberal arts colleges to leading research institutions. As students, this directly impacts us, and thus, our voices must be heard. We know firsthand that institutional autonomy is instrumental to the perpetuation of innovation and progress. As the Compact itself acknowledges, “American higher education is the envy of the world and represents a key strategic benefit for our Nation," yet the document undermines the very principles that make this statement true. Our administrations have been presented with a false choice between their commitments to knowledge and education and our access to the resources that sustain them. To preserve our status as world leaders in education, we must remain true to the foundation of academic freedom that has propelled us forward.

As student representatives, we stand in united opposition to the outlined conditions. We call on our community of students, faculty, alumni, and leadership to reaffirm our commitment to reject political interference and federal overreach. Academic freedom is not negotiable.

Reposted by Julia Van Etten

Filip Husnik @filiphusnik.bsky.social · 2d

Pretty excited to share our new preprint!
Non-photosynthetic Plastid Replacement by a Primary Plastid in the Making
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 1d

When will all the US universities release a statement at the same time condemning threats to academic freedom?

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 1d

I sincerely hope that Rutgers takes a stronger stand here and that universities across the US use their power (and don’t give in to bizarre threats from the federal government) to protect the faculty members that they’ve invested in.

Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 1d

young people learn and grow intellectually. When fascism takes root, the fascists always attack the academics and intellectuals first. This is becoming a really scary time for individual professors that are being attacked for reasons that don’t stand up to scrutiny at all.

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 1d

I am appalled by this and the further you get into the article the worse it gets. I don’t even know where to start honestly. But colleges, especially public universities like Rutgers (where I did my PhD, and my local U as a kid) are where free speech is supposed to flourish and where

Rutgers Expert on Antifa Flees to Spain After Death Threats

www.nytimes.com

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angela oliverio @oliverio.bsky.social · 3d

Accepted version of our article "Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites" now out in ISMEJ!

Awesome effort led by undergrad Joanna Lepper and with @hbrappap.bsky.social.

Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · 3d

Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites

-in #ISMEJournal by Joanna Lepper, @hbrappap.bsky.social and @oliverio.bsky.social

academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...

Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites

Abstract. Although microbial eukaryotes comprise the majority of eukaryotic phylogenetic diversity and inhabit nearly all ecosystems globally, most researc

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Julia Van Etten

KevinDKohl @kevindkohl.bsky.social · 29d

Pleased to share new work tinkering with and testing the concept of the holobiont
@isme-microbes.bsky.social

"Experimental evolution of a mammalian holobiont: bank voles selected for herbivorous capability evolved distinct and robust gut bacterial communities"
🌾🐭🦠

academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...

Experimental evolution of a mammalian holobiont: bank voles selected for herbivorous capability evolved distinct and robust gut bacterial communities

Abstract. According to the “hologenome” theory of evolution natural selection and evolution can act through a conglomerate biological unit, the “holobiont”

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Julia Van Etten

Jarrett Byrnes @jebyrnes.bsky.social · 4d

Heeeeey #Microbial #Ecology folk! My department has a job opening for a tenure track Microbial Ecologist! Feel free to DM me with questions. Come join our awesome supportive whip-smart & kind crew in the Biology Department of @umassboston.bsky.social! employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...

The ISC - your new home at UMass Boston?

The view of Boston Harbor from front of campus

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Reposted by Julia Van Etten

Varsha Mathur @varshamathur.bsky.social · 5d

How to upgrade stolen organelles into permanent plastids: A comparative transcriptomic perspective | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #protistsonsky

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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Thibaut Brunet @thibautbrunet.bsky.social · 6d

Latest from ours: www.cell.com/cell-reports...

This is two stories in one: a case study/cautionary tale on developing genetic tools in new organisms, and the first hint at a gene regulatory network for choanoflagellate multicellular development (which turn out to involve a Hippo/YAP/ECM loop!) A 🧵

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Reposted by Julia Van Etten

Jelena Godrijan 🫧❾🌊🦋 @godi.bsky.social · 6d

⚠️New paper ➡️ isolating >600 freshwater microbes using dilution-to-extinction and low-nutrient, lake-mimicking media.

🤯Expands cultured diversity to ~70 % of detected genera and enables physiological studies of streamlined oligotrophs.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#protistsonsky

Bringing the uncultivated microbial majority of freshwater ecosystems into culture - Nature Communications

A large fraction of aquatic bacteria remains uncultured. Here, the authors cultivated 627 strains of abundant freshwater bacteria from 14 European lakes, thus generating a collection that includes many previously uncultured, oligotrophic bacteria that may serve as model organisms.

www.nature.com

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Holly Moeller @mixotrophe.bsky.social · 8d

🚨GRFP DEADLINE ALERT!🚨 I missed this in my original solicitation read-through, so FYI 📣LETTERS ARE DUE BEFORE PROPOSALS📣 this year!

"Reference letters are due Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)."

www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 8d

Rutgers Newark is hiring multiple new profs who work in microbial pathogenesis, structural bio, human/microbial genetics, genomics, biochemistry, or computational biophysics. I loved doing my PhD at Rutgers and I LOVE New Jersey. Reach out if you’re applying and have questions about the school/area.

Open Rank Faculty Position on the Tenure Track - Newark, New Jersey (US) job with Rutgers | 12844885

MULTIPLE TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITIONS AVAILABLE The Dept. of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Julia Van Etten

ISME - International Society for Microbial Ecology @isme-microbes.bsky.social · 9d

We are looking for photos or videos of microscopy images and microbial ecologists at work! The winning photos and videos will be used to promote the ISME Society and our publications. Submit your entry by 11 November! More information: isme-microbes.org/call-for-mic...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 11d

Thanks 😊

Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 12d

Pics from a recent trip to Yellowstone where we collected microbial community samples from hot springs! We were led through the backcountry by collaborator Tim McDermott (MSU) who has been sampling at YNP for 31 years. I can’t share research photos (park rules) but here are some other highlights!

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 12d

I wish we knew what was going on in these decision-making processes right now but the lack of transparency is a troubling theme across the federal government these days. I believe the program managers are doing all they can to keep these programs alive and this must be demoralizing for them.

Under Trump, NSF faces worst crisis in its 75-year history

Political directives have undermined agency's independence and record of supporting the best basic research

www.science.org

Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · 12d

I’m disappointed for the graduate students who were applying for the GRFP with hopes of being considered for a life-changing career opportunity, particularly those in their second year who had proposals written already, only to find out the rules have changed and they are no longer eligible.

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 13d

Here's my NSF GRFP OpEd. Who wants to publish it?

"Revert text of NSF 25-547 (GRFP FY26) to NSF 24-591 (GRFP FY25) and keep current competition dates so that all applicants have a fair chance and awards can be made in advance of April 2026 decisions for graduate school."

A proposal to address the late release of the NSF GRFP call (25-547).

Proposal: Revert text of NSF 25-547 (GRFP FY26) to
NSF 24-591 (GRFP FY25) and keep current competition dates so that all applicants have a fair chance and awards can be made in advance of April 2026 decisions for graduate school.

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Jason Williams @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 16d

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io

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Julie Boisard @protistsforthewin.bsky.social · 15d

Now completely published :)
Really proud of this paper led with Karla at @cstairs.bsky.social lab.
doi.org/10.1093/isme...

Anaerobic breviate protist survival in microcosms depends on microbiome metabolic function

Abstract. Anoxic and hypoxic environments serve as habitats for diverse microorganisms, including unicellular eukaryotes (protists) and prokaryotes. To thr

doi.org

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 27d

It should be needless to say, but it is perhaps at this moment worth saying, that transgender individuals have the same right as anyone else to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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Julia Van Etten @couchmicroscopy.bsky.social · Sep 6

On our way to Yellowstone for a quick sampling trip! (And then I’m staying for bit to take a vacation 😊) @bhattacharyalab.bsky.social

Reposted by Julia Van Etten

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · Sep 4

An absolute barnburner by @gregggonsalves.bsky.social!

www.thenation.com/article/soci...

RFK Jr., American Psycho

He needs to go. Now.

www.thenation.com

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