Isabel
@isabelott.bsky.social
Evolutionary & population biology of vector-borne viral disease systems. 🦟 genetics PhD student in NC.
Arbovirologist, orthobunyavirus wonk, feral reference librarian, & public health advocate. 80s mosquito. Coaster-sized earrings. (she/her) 🏳️🌈
Arbovirologist, orthobunyavirus wonk, feral reference librarian, & public health advocate. 80s mosquito. Coaster-sized earrings. (she/her) 🏳️🌈
Pinned
Isabel
@isabelott.bsky.social
· Jun 11
The Athens (GA) Immigrants Rights Coalition, which I volunteered with for several years, is currently fundraising for their Support for Immigrant Families in Crisis fund. 98.5% of donations go straight to families in need. Please boost & contribute if you can!
www.athensimmigrantrights.org/donate
www.athensimmigrantrights.org/donate
Reposted by Isabel
In wonderful news for people who ride bikes and those who walk in Chapel Hill—in other words, all of us—the three greenways that were damaged and impassable following Tropical Storm Chantal this summer have all reopened!
Chantal-Damaged Trails Are Reopened! - Triangle Blog Blog
A group civics blog covering town council, education, transportation, and recreation in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC.
triangleblogblog.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:50 PM
In wonderful news for people who ride bikes and those who walk in Chapel Hill—in other words, all of us—the three greenways that were damaged and impassable following Tropical Storm Chantal this summer have all reopened!
Reposted by Isabel
Six families & a camp—mostly kids—are still struggling to survive, and we're still in the position of being able to help. Isn't that something to seize with all seriousness, boldness, and creativity?
Emergency healthcare, food, shelter, winter & newborn supplies: chuffed.org/project/hope...
Emergency healthcare, food, shelter, winter & newborn supplies: chuffed.org/project/hope...
Keep Hope Alive: a Gaza Giving Circle
We are a team of volunteers in the US and UK, led by two sisters passionate about helping our friends on the ground keep their families and neighbors alive with food, water, & shelter. We saw that…
chuffed.org
November 29, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Six families & a camp—mostly kids—are still struggling to survive, and we're still in the position of being able to help. Isn't that something to seize with all seriousness, boldness, and creativity?
Emergency healthcare, food, shelter, winter & newborn supplies: chuffed.org/project/hope...
Emergency healthcare, food, shelter, winter & newborn supplies: chuffed.org/project/hope...
Reposted by Isabel
November 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Isabel
The evidence of the COVID vaccine causing child deaths is, AFAICT, a single claim by a conflicted anti-vaccine political activist (Tracy Beth Hoeg).
And the FDA, of course dedicated to radical transparency in RFK's HHS, has refused to provide any details for the people to double-check the work.
And the FDA, of course dedicated to radical transparency in RFK's HHS, has refused to provide any details for the people to double-check the work.
There is no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to deaths in children. There is evidence that COVID causes serious harm — including long COVID, MIS-C, cardiac complications & diabetes.
This administration’s actions are dangerous, and the damage to the public and children may be irreversible
This administration’s actions are dangerous, and the damage to the public and children may be irreversible
Big change: FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements under RFK Jr ally
Vinay Prasad signaled changes to annual flu shots, concurrent vaccines + more
Prasad said his team found link between covid-19 shots and kids' deaths, necessitating a new approach overall
with @rachelroubein.bsky.social
Vinay Prasad signaled changes to annual flu shots, concurrent vaccines + more
Prasad said his team found link between covid-19 shots and kids' deaths, necessitating a new approach overall
with @rachelroubein.bsky.social
November 29, 2025 at 2:10 PM
The evidence of the COVID vaccine causing child deaths is, AFAICT, a single claim by a conflicted anti-vaccine political activist (Tracy Beth Hoeg).
And the FDA, of course dedicated to radical transparency in RFK's HHS, has refused to provide any details for the people to double-check the work.
And the FDA, of course dedicated to radical transparency in RFK's HHS, has refused to provide any details for the people to double-check the work.
Reposted by Isabel
more radical transparency…
Prasad wrote that staff who did not agree with the core principles of his new approach should submit their resignations.
Wondering if this will be made public before ACIP meeting or during the gathering.
#Medsky #IDsky #vaccines #COVID #immunization #pediatrics
Wondering if this will be made public before ACIP meeting or during the gathering.
#Medsky #IDsky #vaccines #COVID #immunization #pediatrics
FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements, claiming child covid shot deaths
Vinay Prasad, the nation’s top vaccine regulator, said his team concluded that coronavirus shots were linked to children’s deaths, necessitating a new approach.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:10 PM
more radical transparency…
Reposted by Isabel
this isn't a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here,
our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
its own ways of making people disappear.
-Adrienne Rich, What Kind of Times Are These
#everynightapoem
it's necessary to talk about trees.
our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
its own ways of making people disappear.
-Adrienne Rich, What Kind of Times Are These
#everynightapoem
it's necessary to talk about trees.
November 27, 2025 at 7:24 PM
this isn't a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here,
our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
its own ways of making people disappear.
-Adrienne Rich, What Kind of Times Are These
#everynightapoem
it's necessary to talk about trees.
our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
its own ways of making people disappear.
-Adrienne Rich, What Kind of Times Are These
#everynightapoem
it's necessary to talk about trees.
Reposted by Isabel
The child advocacy nonprofit Fairplay issued an advisory warning people against buying AI toys this holiday season. It's not the only group.
Ahead of the holidays, consumer and child advocacy groups warn against AI toys
The child advocacy nonprofit Fairplay issued an advisory on Thursday warning people against buying AI toys this holiday season. It's not the only group.
n.pr
November 28, 2025 at 8:34 PM
The child advocacy nonprofit Fairplay issued an advisory warning people against buying AI toys this holiday season. It's not the only group.
Reposted by Isabel
Bong Joon Ho hit me up for the squad you legend deadline.com/2025/11/bong...
November 29, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Bong Joon Ho hit me up for the squad you legend deadline.com/2025/11/bong...
Reposted by Isabel
Northwestern’s leaders will likely try to justify their choice to appease fascist extortion with some BS about needing to help researchers get federal funds that were illegally withheld, so it’s important to note that virtually all of the researchers said not to.
So apparently the administrators at Northwestern have caved to the extortionist demands of the Feds. Faculty voted 595-4 AGAINST this measure.
November 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Northwestern’s leaders will likely try to justify their choice to appease fascist extortion with some BS about needing to help researchers get federal funds that were illegally withheld, so it’s important to note that virtually all of the researchers said not to.
Reposted by Isabel
It's only a matter of time before humanities departments will be forced to accept AI-authored assignments, as part of revised university policy to cooperate with these billionaires. It's already happening, and our response needs to be decisive. Because our students' ability to *think* is at stake.
November 28, 2025 at 10:37 PM
It's only a matter of time before humanities departments will be forced to accept AI-authored assignments, as part of revised university policy to cooperate with these billionaires. It's already happening, and our response needs to be decisive. Because our students' ability to *think* is at stake.
Reposted by Isabel
Sadly, I assume the best ones have already been eaten
November 29, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Sadly, I assume the best ones have already been eaten
Reposted by Isabel
On international students:
November 29, 2025 at 1:17 PM
On international students:
Reposted by Isabel
calmly explaining why we shouldn't bomb random venezuelan boats to people who argued we should torture random iraqis and then won an election by saying they were against a war they advocated for
November 29, 2025 at 4:35 AM
calmly explaining why we shouldn't bomb random venezuelan boats to people who argued we should torture random iraqis and then won an election by saying they were against a war they advocated for
Reposted by Isabel
There is no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to deaths in children. There is evidence that COVID causes serious harm — including long COVID, MIS-C, cardiac complications & diabetes.
This administration’s actions are dangerous, and the damage to the public and children may be irreversible
This administration’s actions are dangerous, and the damage to the public and children may be irreversible
Big change: FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements under RFK Jr ally
Vinay Prasad signaled changes to annual flu shots, concurrent vaccines + more
Prasad said his team found link between covid-19 shots and kids' deaths, necessitating a new approach overall
with @rachelroubein.bsky.social
Vinay Prasad signaled changes to annual flu shots, concurrent vaccines + more
Prasad said his team found link between covid-19 shots and kids' deaths, necessitating a new approach overall
with @rachelroubein.bsky.social
FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements, claiming child covid shot deaths
Vinay Prasad, the nation’s top vaccine regulator, said his team concluded that coronavirus shots were linked to children’s deaths, necessitating a new approach.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:47 PM
There is no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to deaths in children. There is evidence that COVID causes serious harm — including long COVID, MIS-C, cardiac complications & diabetes.
This administration’s actions are dangerous, and the damage to the public and children may be irreversible
This administration’s actions are dangerous, and the damage to the public and children may be irreversible
Reposted by Isabel
Just pointing out how grim the funding situation is. If an institution fights you have no idea where future grants are coming from. Harvard won in court and is still telling researchers to cut everything 20% because they don’t know what happens next. Somehow everybody has to make it to Jan 2029
Yes I agree with this. The problem for grant-dependent researchers is that even if they win in court to get their illegally withheld funds, they’re sure to be denied any new grants by these corrupted agencies. 2026-2028 will be a killing field as institutions hemorrhage their research apparatus
November 29, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Just pointing out how grim the funding situation is. If an institution fights you have no idea where future grants are coming from. Harvard won in court and is still telling researchers to cut everything 20% because they don’t know what happens next. Somehow everybody has to make it to Jan 2029
Reposted by Isabel
Make Mesothelioma Great Again: “The Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have required makeup manufacturers to test talcum powder and cosmetics made with talc for traces of asbestos, a highly carcinogenic contaminant.”
F.D.A. Withdraws Rule to Require Testing Cosmetics Made With Talc for Asbestos
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Make Mesothelioma Great Again: “The Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have required makeup manufacturers to test talcum powder and cosmetics made with talc for traces of asbestos, a highly carcinogenic contaminant.”
Reposted by Isabel
OMG--read this thread. Remarkable clever use of a trick to visualize plasmid competition that reveals key insights into evolution!!!! 🧪
Hot off the press! Our latest paper led by @fernpizza.bsky.social, understanding how plasmids evolve inside cells. These small, self-replicating DNA circles live inside bacteria and carry antibiotic resistance genes, but also compete with one another to replicate. 1/
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Intracellular competition shapes plasmid population dynamics
From populations of multicellular organisms to selfish genetic elements, conflicts between levels of biological organization are central to evolution. Plasmids are extrachromosomal, self-replicating g...
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 12:29 AM
OMG--read this thread. Remarkable clever use of a trick to visualize plasmid competition that reveals key insights into evolution!!!! 🧪
Reposted by Isabel
Sadly Darren is right
After dismantling the US public health system & driving a surge in illness, suffering, & death, these MAGA/MAHA academics will suffer no professional consequences
After all, they were “in government”
These MDs have aided & abetted Trump & RFK Jr—IMHO they should be shunned
After dismantling the US public health system & driving a surge in illness, suffering, & death, these MAGA/MAHA academics will suffer no professional consequences
After all, they were “in government”
These MDs have aided & abetted Trump & RFK Jr—IMHO they should be shunned
That's Johns Hopkins Professor of Medicine Marty Makary, who will be welcomed back by his colleagues with open arms when his time in this admin ends.
While Makary spreads bullshit about the origin of HIV.
(To be clear, this has been thoroughly investigated and fits neither the timing nor the molecular epidemiology of HIV).
(To be clear, this has been thoroughly investigated and fits neither the timing nor the molecular epidemiology of HIV).
November 29, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Sadly Darren is right
After dismantling the US public health system & driving a surge in illness, suffering, & death, these MAGA/MAHA academics will suffer no professional consequences
After all, they were “in government”
These MDs have aided & abetted Trump & RFK Jr—IMHO they should be shunned
After dismantling the US public health system & driving a surge in illness, suffering, & death, these MAGA/MAHA academics will suffer no professional consequences
After all, they were “in government”
These MDs have aided & abetted Trump & RFK Jr—IMHO they should be shunned
Reposted by Isabel
me, smart, a big-shot university president, paying the Danegeld: that should be the last we hear from the Dane
November 29, 2025 at 3:33 AM
me, smart, a big-shot university president, paying the Danegeld: that should be the last we hear from the Dane
Reposted by Isabel
Amazing example of influenza cheat/cooperator cycles in this recent paper - the repeatability of the oscillatory cycles is so striking
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses
November 28, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Amazing example of influenza cheat/cooperator cycles in this recent paper - the repeatability of the oscillatory cycles is so striking
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses
Reposted by Isabel
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Widespread and intron-rich mirusviruses are predicted to reproduce in nuclei of unicellular eukaryotes - Nature Microbiology
Environmental metagenomic explorations show that Mirusviricota lineages lack essential replication and transcription genes and contain spliceosomal introns, suggesting nuclear reproduction.
www.nature.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Isabel
One of my favorite preprints of the year from the great @mollyschumer.bsky.social. A foamy virus that makes things sparkle, now up on TWiEVO episode 120 for some podcast peer review www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T65...
TWiEVO #120 Livestream 11/26/25 1:00 PM Eastern
YouTube video by MicrobeTV
www.youtube.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:01 PM
One of my favorite preprints of the year from the great @mollyschumer.bsky.social. A foamy virus that makes things sparkle, now up on TWiEVO episode 120 for some podcast peer review www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T65...
Reposted by Isabel
Thats 216 biomedical PhD students for their whole degree, or 140 2 year R21 grants, or 30 5 year R01 grants, or one fired football coach...
FIFTY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS, to fire a football coach at a state university
SOURCE: LSU has given Brian Kelly formal written notice that he has been terminated without cause and that it will fulfill the obligation of his nearly $54 million buyout.
November 27, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Thats 216 biomedical PhD students for their whole degree, or 140 2 year R21 grants, or 30 5 year R01 grants, or one fired football coach...
Reposted by Isabel
“I was just following otters.”
November 28, 2025 at 9:09 PM
“I was just following otters.”
Reposted by Isabel
Read through this and think about how absolutely unimaginable a message like this would have been just 13 months ago.
The suppression of US academic liberty has been accepted and normalized instantly. The federal government is in full control of what thoughts and values are allowed in lecture halls
The suppression of US academic liberty has been accepted and normalized instantly. The federal government is in full control of what thoughts and values are allowed in lecture halls
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Read through this and think about how absolutely unimaginable a message like this would have been just 13 months ago.
The suppression of US academic liberty has been accepted and normalized instantly. The federal government is in full control of what thoughts and values are allowed in lecture halls
The suppression of US academic liberty has been accepted and normalized instantly. The federal government is in full control of what thoughts and values are allowed in lecture halls