Mark Wanner
@markgenome7.bsky.social
Chronicler and translator of the latest biomedical research news, with a focus on genetics, genomics, and their impact on clinical practice. In between things professionally but committed to staying in the game.
Reposted by Mark Wanner
PO just confirmed that our 5th percentile R01 is not getting funded. Past NCI Payline at 4 percent. Cant believe it.
July 23, 2025 at 7:35 PM
PO just confirmed that our 5th percentile R01 is not getting funded. Past NCI Payline at 4 percent. Cant believe it.
After covering biomedical research and genetics/genomics for nearly 2 decades, I'm branching out into general life sciences and ag for UNH. First off, carnivorous sea snails, aka whelks, an increasingly important fishery off the NE coast: www.unh.edu/unhtoday/202...
The Rhythms of the Sea and a Snail
Researchers led by Elizabeth Fairchild are studying channeled whelk movement and behavior to support the growing whelk fishery along the New England coast.
www.unh.edu
July 15, 2025 at 1:08 PM
After covering biomedical research and genetics/genomics for nearly 2 decades, I'm branching out into general life sciences and ag for UNH. First off, carnivorous sea snails, aka whelks, an increasingly important fishery off the NE coast: www.unh.edu/unhtoday/202...
Reposted by Mark Wanner
NEW PAPER, JUST OUT! 👀
Insects from the '70s and '80s were already collecting microplastic, decades before the term microplastic even existed. 🤯
A thread on the surprising history of this pollutant and the incredible insect larvae that helped us uncover it. 🐛
Let's dive in! 🧵👇 1/x
Insects from the '70s and '80s were already collecting microplastic, decades before the term microplastic even existed. 🤯
A thread on the surprising history of this pollutant and the incredible insect larvae that helped us uncover it. 🐛
Let's dive in! 🧵👇 1/x
April 9, 2025 at 10:07 AM
NEW PAPER, JUST OUT! 👀
Insects from the '70s and '80s were already collecting microplastic, decades before the term microplastic even existed. 🤯
A thread on the surprising history of this pollutant and the incredible insect larvae that helped us uncover it. 🐛
Let's dive in! 🧵👇 1/x
Insects from the '70s and '80s were already collecting microplastic, decades before the term microplastic even existed. 🤯
A thread on the surprising history of this pollutant and the incredible insect larvae that helped us uncover it. 🐛
Let's dive in! 🧵👇 1/x
Reposted by Mark Wanner
NHGRI’s comm team was exceptionally good and if anyone is looking for a talented science communicator, you should snap up Jenny as soon as possible.
So long, NIH. The place I grew up in and discovered my passion for science communication.
I found a true calling to help take innovative genomics research and make it accessible, interesting and fun for wider audiences.
I'm so devastated that my whole team got laid off today.
I found a true calling to help take innovative genomics research and make it accessible, interesting and fun for wider audiences.
I'm so devastated that my whole team got laid off today.
April 2, 2025 at 12:38 PM
NHGRI’s comm team was exceptionally good and if anyone is looking for a talented science communicator, you should snap up Jenny as soon as possible.
Reposted by Mark Wanner
The USDA has halted funding for UMaine programs: www.pressherald.com/2025/03/11/u...
USDA halts funding for University of Maine programs
The temporary spending pause comes two weeks after President Donald Trump threatened to cut all of Maine's federal funding following an altercation with Gov. Janet Mills over allowing transgender athl...
www.pressherald.com
March 11, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The USDA has halted funding for UMaine programs: www.pressherald.com/2025/03/11/u...
A good thread about the attacks on science from someone who's been through the "lab leak" wringer. And it gets me thinking, not about scientists but about #Scicomm, my profession until v recently. I was passionate about making research more accessible to more people, but was it futile? 🧵
Weeks ago I highlighted the false balance of “if only scientists could communicate better”.
One OpEd writer kindly reached out to me and I want to share my main response to them because I find it remarkable that people still can’t see what we are now all seeing has been under way for years.
🧵👇
One OpEd writer kindly reached out to me and I want to share my main response to them because I find it remarkable that people still can’t see what we are now all seeing has been under way for years.
🧵👇
February 10, 2025 at 5:13 PM
A good thread about the attacks on science from someone who's been through the "lab leak" wringer. And it gets me thinking, not about scientists but about #Scicomm, my profession until v recently. I was passionate about making research more accessible to more people, but was it futile? 🧵
I know the work that goes into papers like this is painstaking and far from glamorous. But integrating global 'omics data--gnomad also comes to mind--provides fascinating insights and vital foundations for further inquiry, here for the gut #microbiome.
January 24, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I know the work that goes into papers like this is painstaking and far from glamorous. But integrating global 'omics data--gnomad also comes to mind--provides fascinating insights and vital foundations for further inquiry, here for the gut #microbiome.
Reposted by Mark Wanner
We’re thrilled that our first paper on the Human Microbiome Compendium, an integrated dataset of over 168,000 uniformly processed human gut microbiome samples, is officially out today in Cell! @richabdill.com @blekhman.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Integration of 168,000 samples reveals global patterns of the human gut microbiome
The Human Microbiome Compendium is a unified database of publicly available human
gut microbiome 16S samples, built with the integrated data from hundreds of independent
projects. The compendium is us...
www.cell.com
January 22, 2025 at 5:31 PM
We’re thrilled that our first paper on the Human Microbiome Compendium, an integrated dataset of over 168,000 uniformly processed human gut microbiome samples, is officially out today in Cell! @richabdill.com @blekhman.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
In part, #aging research shows us how nature works to eliminate organisms, including us, after reproductive age. Immune response degradation is but one part of a complex system. Multiple studies with DO mice now provide some #genetic clues. Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Analysis of lifespan across Diversity Outbred mouse studies identifies multiple longevity-associated loci
Lifespan is an integrative phenotype whose genetic architecture is likely to highlight multiple processes with high impact on health and aging. Here, we conduct a genetic meta-analysis of longevity in...
www.biorxiv.org
November 22, 2024 at 8:01 PM
In part, #aging research shows us how nature works to eliminate organisms, including us, after reproductive age. Immune response degradation is but one part of a complex system. Multiple studies with DO mice now provide some #genetic clues. Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...