Jennifer Biddle
@jenbiddle.bsky.social
Taking over the world one microbe at a time.
Taking myself not too seriously.
Taking myself not too seriously.
Me this weekend: there is so much I should do to prep for this holiday.
Me now: shit I have done nothing but buy a turkey.
Me now: shit I have done nothing but buy a turkey.
November 26, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Me this weekend: there is so much I should do to prep for this holiday.
Me now: shit I have done nothing but buy a turkey.
Me now: shit I have done nothing but buy a turkey.
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
"Inside the White House, top advisers joke that they are ruling Congress with an “iron fist,” according to people who have heard the comments. Steve Bannon, the influential Trump ally, likened Congress to the Duma, the Russian assembly that is largely ceremonial."
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Trump, Feeling Emboldened, Pushes Agenda Into Higher Gear
Recent moves by the president reflect a commander in chief who has seemingly faced little resistance to his agenda.
www.wsj.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:22 PM
"Inside the White House, top advisers joke that they are ruling Congress with an “iron fist,” according to people who have heard the comments. Steve Bannon, the influential Trump ally, likened Congress to the Duma, the Russian assembly that is largely ceremonial."
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
One of my absolute favorite studies.
70 teaspoons placed in tearooms around the institute & observed weekly over 5 months. 80% of spoons disappeared; spoon halflife~81 days. Communal room halflife lower than in specific labs. 250 spoons annually required to maintain 70 spoon population.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
The case of the disappearing teaspoons: longitudinal cohort study of the displacement of teaspoons in an Australian research institute
Objectives To determine the overall rate of loss of workplace teaspoons and whether attrition and displacement are correlated with the relative value of the teaspoons or type of tearoom. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting Research institute ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 20, 2025 at 12:35 PM
One of my absolute favorite studies.
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
November 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Guilty.
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 25, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Guilty.
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
They grow bacteria on those hairy arms and then lick the bacteria off for a delightful snack, isn't that gross and cool?
November 24, 2025 at 7:12 PM
They grow bacteria on those hairy arms and then lick the bacteria off for a delightful snack, isn't that gross and cool?
The incredible diversity and awesomeness of microbes has been the only thing able to keep my attention. And in academia I can travel for work. And I can work outside when I want to and exploring is now my job.
November 22, 2025 at 10:39 PM
The incredible diversity and awesomeness of microbes has been the only thing able to keep my attention. And in academia I can travel for work. And I can work outside when I want to and exploring is now my job.
Yesterday while teaching I told the students about strain variation in diatoms around Antarctica. Some strains do well under higher temperatures. Then I asked “so who is going to win in climate change?”
The class shouted back “the billionaires”
The class shouted back “the billionaires”
November 21, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Yesterday while teaching I told the students about strain variation in diatoms around Antarctica. Some strains do well under higher temperatures. Then I asked “so who is going to win in climate change?”
The class shouted back “the billionaires”
The class shouted back “the billionaires”
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
Baym continues to make freakin' art. Must see thread/paper
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 20, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Baym continues to make freakin' art. Must see thread/paper
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
Wild to think that just a few months ago this administration was cracking down on universities for not doing enough to root out antisemitism www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Wild to think that just a few months ago this administration was cracking down on universities for not doing enough to root out antisemitism www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
Starting this week, I set aside one hour each week to meet ECRs outside my group who want to discuss career development, mentorship, or any non-technical professional questions.
Here is a blog that explains my motivation for this and how to schedule a meeting:
merenlab.org/2025/11/16/E...
Here is a blog that explains my motivation for this and how to schedule a meeting:
merenlab.org/2025/11/16/E...
ECR connection: Meet Meren when you need to
A means for ECRs to get advice from a senior scientist outside of their support network
merenlab.org
November 16, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Starting this week, I set aside one hour each week to meet ECRs outside my group who want to discuss career development, mentorship, or any non-technical professional questions.
Here is a blog that explains my motivation for this and how to schedule a meeting:
merenlab.org/2025/11/16/E...
Here is a blog that explains my motivation for this and how to schedule a meeting:
merenlab.org/2025/11/16/E...
My nephew just zoomed me for bioinformatics help and my heart grew 5 sizes.
Being first gen was fine, but in a way, brutal. The idea I could call my aunt for very accurate help just blows my mind. He's like going to med school but at least he appreciates me!
Being first gen was fine, but in a way, brutal. The idea I could call my aunt for very accurate help just blows my mind. He's like going to med school but at least he appreciates me!
November 20, 2025 at 7:27 PM
My nephew just zoomed me for bioinformatics help and my heart grew 5 sizes.
Being first gen was fine, but in a way, brutal. The idea I could call my aunt for very accurate help just blows my mind. He's like going to med school but at least he appreciates me!
Being first gen was fine, but in a way, brutal. The idea I could call my aunt for very accurate help just blows my mind. He's like going to med school but at least he appreciates me!
We’re hiring! Ad for coastal physical oceanographer: careers.udel.edu/en-us/job/50...
Chat me if you have any questions! #oceanography #marine
Chat me if you have any questions! #oceanography #marine
University of Delaware - Details - Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Coastal Physical Oceanography
careers.udel.edu
November 20, 2025 at 1:22 PM
We’re hiring! Ad for coastal physical oceanographer: careers.udel.edu/en-us/job/50...
Chat me if you have any questions! #oceanography #marine
Chat me if you have any questions! #oceanography #marine
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
Absolute solidarity to all the women out there who have had a man at work lean forward, point a finger at you, and mutter the equivalent of “quiet piggy” while all of your colleagues just stand around and do nothing.
There’s a reason why that was so triggering to so many people.
There’s a reason why that was so triggering to so many people.
November 20, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Absolute solidarity to all the women out there who have had a man at work lean forward, point a finger at you, and mutter the equivalent of “quiet piggy” while all of your colleagues just stand around and do nothing.
There’s a reason why that was so triggering to so many people.
There’s a reason why that was so triggering to so many people.
My current professional desire is wanting oyster larvae in January.
Apparently our local oysters don't feel the same way.
Apparently our local oysters don't feel the same way.
November 19, 2025 at 8:05 PM
My current professional desire is wanting oyster larvae in January.
Apparently our local oysters don't feel the same way.
Apparently our local oysters don't feel the same way.
While teaching yesterday, I had to stop for a moment and ask class, "Wait, didn't Tom Brady clone his dog? I swear I read that recently".
Class confirmed that he had. people.com/tom-brady-cl...
Class confirmed that he had. people.com/tom-brady-cl...
Tom Brady Reveals His Dog Junie Was Cloned from Beloved Pet Lua, Who Died in 2023
Tom Brady's dog Junie is a clone of his dog Lua, who died in 2023, he announced Nov. 4, 2025. Colossal Biosciences, which Brady is an investor in, cloned the pit bull mix using a blood sample collecte...
people.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:03 PM
While teaching yesterday, I had to stop for a moment and ask class, "Wait, didn't Tom Brady clone his dog? I swear I read that recently".
Class confirmed that he had. people.com/tom-brady-cl...
Class confirmed that he had. people.com/tom-brady-cl...
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
I attended a talk by a scientist at a Chinese University and realized that all the background climate data that she used came from the US (CO₂ Keeling Curve, global temperature time series, etc.). Although China funds a lot of research, the destruction of US science will affect science globally.
November 17, 2025 at 10:26 PM
I attended a talk by a scientist at a Chinese University and realized that all the background climate data that she used came from the US (CO₂ Keeling Curve, global temperature time series, etc.). Although China funds a lot of research, the destruction of US science will affect science globally.
Our provost said he was recently at a meeting where a 15% F&A rate was still being floated.
I thought we were past this. This would bankrupt so many places.
I thought we were past this. This would bankrupt so many places.
November 19, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Our provost said he was recently at a meeting where a 15% F&A rate was still being floated.
I thought we were past this. This would bankrupt so many places.
I thought we were past this. This would bankrupt so many places.
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
Clone-FISH paper out: Manuscript/resource alert #microsky 🦠 We present a collection of 30 E. coli (CloneFISH) cultures, each carrying a plasmid for the heterologous expression of a (near) full-length 16S rRNA gene from one of 30 lineages of archaea, including 17 yet uncultured ones.
November 17, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Clone-FISH paper out: Manuscript/resource alert #microsky 🦠 We present a collection of 30 E. coli (CloneFISH) cultures, each carrying a plasmid for the heterologous expression of a (near) full-length 16S rRNA gene from one of 30 lineages of archaea, including 17 yet uncultured ones.
I TRIED to tell my UCSB friends this would happen. They said oh no, UC wouldn’t allow it. Also at least he’s not our problem anymore www.noozhawk.com/7-8-million-...
Ask him to send the car back that we paid for him to have.
Ask him to send the car back that we paid for him to have.
$7.8 Million Home Purchased for New UCSB Chancellor | Local News | Noozhawk
The University of California Board of Regents recently approved the $7.8 million purchase of a new home for UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis and
www.noozhawk.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:18 AM
I TRIED to tell my UCSB friends this would happen. They said oh no, UC wouldn’t allow it. Also at least he’s not our problem anymore www.noozhawk.com/7-8-million-...
Ask him to send the car back that we paid for him to have.
Ask him to send the car back that we paid for him to have.
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
The Department of Unsubtle Metaphors continues to exceed expectations
President Trump walking past the flag at the Whitehouse which has fallen to the ground
November 18, 2025 at 1:25 AM
The Department of Unsubtle Metaphors continues to exceed expectations
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
I wished every microbiology instructor would make listening to this podcast obligatory course work - or at least worth extra points. So much to gain from Mark’s work and there’s something for everyone!
It’s Friday: a new episode of #MattersMicrobial! This week, Dr. Julie Maresca joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss microbes and concrete and road salt! Please spread the #GoodMicrobialWord? @ASMicrobiology @univpugetsound @microbe.tv
youtu.be/3JpbySeOO20?...
youtu.be/3JpbySeOO20?...
November 18, 2025 at 1:18 AM
I wished every microbiology instructor would make listening to this podcast obligatory course work - or at least worth extra points. So much to gain from Mark’s work and there’s something for everyone!
Reposted by Jennifer Biddle
So I say this as a proud academic labor union member who believes deeply in the importance of tenure to the academic mission:
FIRE
LARRY
SUMMERS
FIRE
LARRY
SUMMERS
November 18, 2025 at 12:47 AM
So I say this as a proud academic labor union member who believes deeply in the importance of tenure to the academic mission:
FIRE
LARRY
SUMMERS
FIRE
LARRY
SUMMERS