Guy Leonard
@guyleonard.bsky.social
Bioinformatician w/ Tom Richards & Team at @oxfordbiology.bsky.social
Homebrewer. WSET Beer Level 2.
Rejoiner 🇪🇺🤝🇬🇧
AI is not 'inevitable', resist its uncritical adoption.
Constant politics-doom ruined the other place.
Homebrewer. WSET Beer Level 2.
Rejoiner 🇪🇺🤝🇬🇧
AI is not 'inevitable', resist its uncritical adoption.
Constant politics-doom ruined the other place.
Pinned
Guy Leonard
@guyleonard.bsky.social
· Dec 17
De novo genome sequence assembly of the model algal endosymbiont Micractinium conductrix derived from its host Paramecium bursaria 186b
Endosymbiosis is a major driver of evolutionary innovation and underpins the function of diverse ecosystems. The origins and evolution of endosymbiosis are challenging to study experimentally due to t...
doi.org
De novo genome sequence assembly of the model algal endosymbiont Micractinium conductrix derived from its host Paramecium bursaria 186b.
Guy Leonard, Irma Vitonyte, Fiona R Savory, Erika M Hansson, Duncan D Cameron, Michael Brockhurst, Thomas A Richards
bioRxiv doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...
Guy Leonard, Irma Vitonyte, Fiona R Savory, Erika M Hansson, Duncan D Cameron, Michael Brockhurst, Thomas A Richards
bioRxiv doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...
Today in luxury surveillance.
February 9, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Today in luxury surveillance.
Reposted by Guy Leonard
If your study is framed as asking whether "AI" does X as well as humans do, it's fundamentally misguided and I'd argue not scientifically sound.
A short 🧵>>
A short 🧵>>
February 9, 2026 at 2:15 PM
If your study is framed as asking whether "AI" does X as well as humans do, it's fundamentally misguided and I'd argue not scientifically sound.
A short 🧵>>
A short 🧵>>
Reposted by Guy Leonard
This is Smartwashing AI. Many know that the econ & political conditions that enable the tech industry to infiltrate every sector of public & private life are unsustainable & dangerous. But bc resistance is cast as emotional or archaic a cottage industry of wishful thinking from the left has emerged.
I think part of this is academic-brain. We've disciplined ourselves into believing that refusal or simply identifying something as irredeemable are not respectable intellectual positions. Instead, the clever posture is to wishcast a scenario on to which we can project our own smart version of sthing
February 9, 2026 at 1:01 PM
This is Smartwashing AI. Many know that the econ & political conditions that enable the tech industry to infiltrate every sector of public & private life are unsustainable & dangerous. But bc resistance is cast as emotional or archaic a cottage industry of wishful thinking from the left has emerged.
Reposted by Guy Leonard
*sighs deeply* She can't teach an AI model to have morals, only to imitate her understanding of what having morals means. Its a pattern imitation machine, not an intelligent machine, people!
“She compares her work to the efforts of a parent raising a child. She’s training Claude to detect the difference between right and wrong while imbuing it with unique personality traits.”
This Philosopher Is Teaching AI to Have Morals
The tech company has entrusted the philosopher to endow its chatbot with a sense of right and wrong.
www.wsj.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:46 PM
*sighs deeply* She can't teach an AI model to have morals, only to imitate her understanding of what having morals means. Its a pattern imitation machine, not an intelligent machine, people!
If someone has used an LLM to entirely vibe-code a piece of software, and also used it (almost entirely) to prepare the paper - should this be accepted at any current journal? Especially if this is not mentioned once in the manuscript/github?
It does not sit well with me in the slightest.
It does not sit well with me in the slightest.
February 9, 2026 at 12:05 PM
If someone has used an LLM to entirely vibe-code a piece of software, and also used it (almost entirely) to prepare the paper - should this be accepted at any current journal? Especially if this is not mentioned once in the manuscript/github?
It does not sit well with me in the slightest.
It does not sit well with me in the slightest.
February 9, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by Guy Leonard
so is it a common experience that the same dudes who were super into crypto like 7 years ago are the same dudes that are super into ai hype now?
is it just the same group of guys getting scammed over and over while they lecture us normies about how we are missing out because we are stupid?
is it just the same group of guys getting scammed over and over while they lecture us normies about how we are missing out because we are stupid?
February 9, 2026 at 2:43 AM
so is it a common experience that the same dudes who were super into crypto like 7 years ago are the same dudes that are super into ai hype now?
is it just the same group of guys getting scammed over and over while they lecture us normies about how we are missing out because we are stupid?
is it just the same group of guys getting scammed over and over while they lecture us normies about how we are missing out because we are stupid?
Reposted by Guy Leonard
Reposted by Guy Leonard
What genAI promises to oppressed people is the absolute certainty that their creativity, unlike those of their grandparents, will vanish from history in a whiff of a ketamine fart from a billionaire pedophile the moment he feels like it.
Leaving nothing behind, something not even genocide could do
Leaving nothing behind, something not even genocide could do
February 6, 2026 at 3:31 AM
What genAI promises to oppressed people is the absolute certainty that their creativity, unlike those of their grandparents, will vanish from history in a whiff of a ketamine fart from a billionaire pedophile the moment he feels like it.
Leaving nothing behind, something not even genocide could do
Leaving nothing behind, something not even genocide could do
Reposted by Guy Leonard
And since this is not a naturally tenable position for a whale, this poor innocent creature had very little time to come to terms with its identity as a whale before it then had to come to terms with not being a whale any more.
February 6, 2026 at 11:05 AM
And since this is not a naturally tenable position for a whale, this poor innocent creature had very little time to come to terms with its identity as a whale before it then had to come to terms with not being a whale any more.
Reposted by Guy Leonard
Attention Firefox users!
Starting with the next rollout, Firefox is adding a "disable all generative AI features" button.
www.findarticles.com/firefox-will...
Starting with the next rollout, Firefox is adding a "disable all generative AI features" button.
www.findarticles.com/firefox-will...
Firefox Will Let Users Block All AI Features
Mozilla is giving Firefox users a master switch to opt out of generative AI. The browser’s upcoming AI Controls will let you block every current and
www.findarticles.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:47 AM
Attention Firefox users!
Starting with the next rollout, Firefox is adding a "disable all generative AI features" button.
www.findarticles.com/firefox-will...
Starting with the next rollout, Firefox is adding a "disable all generative AI features" button.
www.findarticles.com/firefox-will...
Reposted by Guy Leonard
Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes (San Feliu, Spain):
Abstract submission is open, with a short deadline! comparativegenomics2026.com
Join us as we explore the most diverse, surprising, and still largely uncharted branches of the eukaryotic tree.
Abstract submission is open, with a short deadline! comparativegenomics2026.com
Join us as we explore the most diverse, surprising, and still largely uncharted branches of the eukaryotic tree.
February 2, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes (San Feliu, Spain):
Abstract submission is open, with a short deadline! comparativegenomics2026.com
Join us as we explore the most diverse, surprising, and still largely uncharted branches of the eukaryotic tree.
Abstract submission is open, with a short deadline! comparativegenomics2026.com
Join us as we explore the most diverse, surprising, and still largely uncharted branches of the eukaryotic tree.
slate.com/technology/2...
If we sank as much money into actual health care social and mental health services - we would not be in this position.
If we sank as much money into actual health care social and mental health services - we would not be in this position.
It’s Causing People to Lose Jobs, Shatter Relationships, and Drain Their Savings. One Support Group Is Sounding the Alarm.
Victims often lose their grip on reality—but an unexpected recovery movement is taking shape online.
slate.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:04 PM
slate.com/technology/2...
If we sank as much money into actual health care social and mental health services - we would not be in this position.
If we sank as much money into actual health care social and mental health services - we would not be in this position.
OpenClaw is an extraction engine.
Extracting money from idiots.
Your confused desire for convenience at any cost is making arseholes rich.
Stop The Slop.
Extracting money from idiots.
Your confused desire for convenience at any cost is making arseholes rich.
Stop The Slop.
I’m starting to think the people who are excited about “AI agents” have literally never used a computer in their lives
February 1, 2026 at 1:51 PM
OpenClaw is an extraction engine.
Extracting money from idiots.
Your confused desire for convenience at any cost is making arseholes rich.
Stop The Slop.
Extracting money from idiots.
Your confused desire for convenience at any cost is making arseholes rich.
Stop The Slop.
Reposted by Guy Leonard
The day is finally here!! On behalf of all the co-organizers the Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes website is open.
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
CGUE 2026 – Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes 2026. San Feliu, Spain. 5-10 October
comparativegenomics2026.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:20 PM
The day is finally here!! On behalf of all the co-organizers the Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes website is open.
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
Reposted by Guy Leonard
Can interactive web apps help biology students become better modellers?
peischllab.github.io/MEEW.html
We're running an ethics-approved, pre-registered study thanks to funding from the University of Bern.
Are you lecturing in the Spring?
Contact me to receive the survey link!
peischllab.github.io/MEEW.html
We're running an ethics-approved, pre-registered study thanks to funding from the University of Bern.
Are you lecturing in the Spring?
Contact me to receive the survey link!
January 16, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Can interactive web apps help biology students become better modellers?
peischllab.github.io/MEEW.html
We're running an ethics-approved, pre-registered study thanks to funding from the University of Bern.
Are you lecturing in the Spring?
Contact me to receive the survey link!
peischllab.github.io/MEEW.html
We're running an ethics-approved, pre-registered study thanks to funding from the University of Bern.
Are you lecturing in the Spring?
Contact me to receive the survey link!
Reposted by Guy Leonard
We urgently need a parliamentary debate on Palantir. Please sign this & share with your network. Via @the-citizens.bsky.social & @change.org.
www.change.org/p/hold-a-par...
www.change.org/p/hold-a-par...
January 29, 2026 at 3:42 PM
We urgently need a parliamentary debate on Palantir. Please sign this & share with your network. Via @the-citizens.bsky.social & @change.org.
www.change.org/p/hold-a-par...
www.change.org/p/hold-a-par...
Reposted by Guy Leonard
New online! Emergence and evolution of protein-coding de novo genes
Emergence and evolution of protein-coding de novo genes
Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 28 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41576-025-00929-9De novo gene evolution entails the birth of new genes from previously non-coding DNA. In this Review, Bornberg-Bauer and Eicholt overview how protein-coding de novo genes are identified, the mechanistic and evolutionary processes underlying their emergence and evolution, and the patterns in their encoded protein structures.
dlvr.it
January 28, 2026 at 9:43 PM
New online! Emergence and evolution of protein-coding de novo genes
Reposted by Guy Leonard
🚨🚨BREAKING 🚨🚨
The government has today announced that many private renters will have to wait a DECADE before their landlords will be forced to make sure their home is decent.
Read more of our statement in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/money/2026/j...
The government has today announced that many private renters will have to wait a DECADE before their landlords will be forced to make sure their home is decent.
Read more of our statement in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/money/2026/j...
January 28, 2026 at 4:15 PM
🚨🚨BREAKING 🚨🚨
The government has today announced that many private renters will have to wait a DECADE before their landlords will be forced to make sure their home is decent.
Read more of our statement in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/money/2026/j...
The government has today announced that many private renters will have to wait a DECADE before their landlords will be forced to make sure their home is decent.
Read more of our statement in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/money/2026/j...
Reposted by Guy Leonard
What I’m hearing: large open source projects are being absolutely hammered by AI-generated security reports. To the point of not being able to handle them.
Feeling is lots of ppl want an easy way to put a CVE on their CV and collect $$ for bug bounty.
Super bad for maintainers
Feeling is lots of ppl want an easy way to put a CVE on their CV and collect $$ for bug bounty.
Super bad for maintainers
January 27, 2026 at 8:57 PM
What I’m hearing: large open source projects are being absolutely hammered by AI-generated security reports. To the point of not being able to handle them.
Feeling is lots of ppl want an easy way to put a CVE on their CV and collect $$ for bug bounty.
Super bad for maintainers
Feeling is lots of ppl want an easy way to put a CVE on their CV and collect $$ for bug bounty.
Super bad for maintainers
Reposted by Guy Leonard
This is effectively a government backed advertising campaign for Big Tech for a product that doesn't work properly.
The government’s suggestion that rolling out 20 minute courses on writing “AI“ prompts, sponsored by Google, Microsoft and Amazon, is somehow comparable to the founding of the Open University (the Wilson government‘s, & Jennie Lee’s, proudest achievement), is an insult to our human intelligence.
January 28, 2026 at 10:35 AM
This is effectively a government backed advertising campaign for Big Tech for a product that doesn't work properly.
Reposted by Guy Leonard
Happy to have contributed to the #protists section of this @ergabiodiv.bsky.social whitepaper 👉 From Permits to Samples: Addressing Key Challenges for High-Quality Reference Genome Generation in Europe onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
January 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Happy to have contributed to the #protists section of this @ergabiodiv.bsky.social whitepaper 👉 From Permits to Samples: Addressing Key Challenges for High-Quality Reference Genome Generation in Europe onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Guy Leonard
Morning lecture on Single Cell Transcriptomics by Arnau Sebé-Pedrós (@arnausebe.bsky.social) in the Town Theatre of Český Krumlov! 🧫🧬💻 #evomics2026
January 21, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Morning lecture on Single Cell Transcriptomics by Arnau Sebé-Pedrós (@arnausebe.bsky.social) in the Town Theatre of Český Krumlov! 🧫🧬💻 #evomics2026
Reposted by Guy Leonard
Practical session in the House of Prelate on Comparative Genomics, led by Nathan Clark 🧬🌳💻 #evomics2026
January 21, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Practical session in the House of Prelate on Comparative Genomics, led by Nathan Clark 🧬🌳💻 #evomics2026