Mark Peifer (He, him)
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peiferlabunc.bsky.social
Mark Peifer (He, him)
@peiferlabunc.bsky.social
Cell adhesion, cytoskeletal regulation, Wnt signaling & wherever science leads us + wildflowers & my own idiosyncratic views. First gen college grad
Diversity, equity & Inclusion are core American Values
https://peiferlab.web.unc.edu
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
"This cover depicts The Bridge in the NGS Rain where people are being exposed to torrents of genomic information [...]. The man standing in the middle of the bridge is pictured deep in thought, considering how to utilize this sequence data set of the ALDH2 gene." @mbsj-official.bsky.social
February 4, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
MIM triggers formin to Arp2/3-based actin assembly in membrane remodeling in #Drosophila embryos, say Debasmita Mitra, Georgina K. Goddard, Sanjana S, Aparna K, Richa Rikhy (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune) & colleagues: rupress.org/jcb/article/...

#Cytoskeleton #Development
February 3, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Science isn’t a gut feeling. If you can’t defend your decision with evidence, don’t subject our kids to it.
(3/3 🧵)
February 4, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
(We already know how this works out: Florida has been rolling back recommended vaccines, and as vaccination rates plummeted, rates of preventable disease rose. )
(2/3 🧵)
February 4, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Bhattacharya cited no studies, no analysis, except his belief that vaccination rates will go up as they paradoxically remove vaccines from the childhood schedule.
(1/3 🧵)
February 4, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Excited to hear this. I am hopeful that
@neilshubin.bsky.social will bring a new approach to the NAS, in which they center scientists across the spectrum instead of just the elite and speak out strongly against the anti-science views of the current Administration!
February 4, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Neil H. Shubin has been elected as the next NAS President! A leading evolutionary biologist and science communicator, Shubin will succeed Marcia McNutt on July 1. The Academy also named Cherry Murray as International Secretary and elected new councilors. Read more: www.nasonline.org/news/2026_pr...
February 4, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Andrea L. Ambrosio, Santiago M. Di Pietro et al. discover GRIPAP1 is a component of the cellular machinery that produces the #platelet α-granule, a member of the #lysosome-related organelle family. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

#Biochemistry #Disease #Organelles #Trafficking
February 3, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
When research is halted and scientists are sidelined, people suffer, discoveries are delayed, and public trust is eroded. That is why, on Monday, I brought this complaint to the Office of Special Counsel.
katzbanks.com/news/nih-sci...
NIH Scientist Files Whistleblower Complaint Alleging Retaliation by HHS and NIH for Speaking Out Against Politicization of Science and Unlawful Grant Terminations - Katz Banks Kumin LLP
In Complaint Filed with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Career NIH Program Director Alleges Unlawful Retaliation for Protected Whistleblowing Activity (Washington, D.C.) – Dr. Jenna Norton, a care...
katzbanks.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
February 4, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Reuters: U.S. SUPREME COURT ALLOWS CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL MAP INTENDED TO BENEFIT DEMOCRATS
February 4, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
if the whole genocide thing wasn't enough for you, another good reason to get AIPAC money out of democratic politics is that the organization now exists to move republican donor money into democratic races to sow chaos and get the most republican-friendly democrat elected
Punchbowl has AOC quoted saying the same thing that I've been saying for the past few weeks re: AIPAC spending against pro-Israel Tom Malinowski.

“It’s quite shocking how moderate of a stance that they are mobilizing against. We’re not even talking about them targeting the left,” Ocasio-Cortez said
AIPAC’s first 2026 test
A Thursday special primary election will reveal whether Malinowski can survive a spending onslaught in a new era of anti-AIPAC sentiment among Dems.
punchbowl.news
February 4, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
This is who runs this account
February 4, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
I do appreciate a good quantitative data set.

Let me do some statistical analysis...

Oh wait, no need. It is effing obvious what is going on.
February 4, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
JK Rowling has not tweeted since openly denying that her team invited the world's most notorious child rapist to a kid's play despite evidence directly disproving her claims
February 3, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
The premiere of our movie, Nourishing Community: The PORCH Story, is right around the corner! Join us for a night of fundraising and celebration Saturday, February 21 from 6:30-8:30PM. Tickets are going fast so make sure to grab yours before they're gone: wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebL...
February 4, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
The original language benchmarked to FY24. Russell Vought reportedly threatened a White House veto over that language. Just so we are all clear where to place blame.
February 3, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Story in Undark on Kyle Walsh, the NIEHS Director appointed with no open position and no search process (and besties with JD Vance)

undark.org/2026/02/04/n...
The Unlikely New Director of U.S. Environmental Health Research
Kyle Walsh’s appointment to head the NIEHS, a $914-million public agency, is unprecedented. What is on his agenda?
undark.org
February 4, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Jeff Bezos took over the Washington Post Editorial Board and turned it into a mouthpiece for pro-corporate, pro-billionaire propaganda.

Now, WaPo is laying off hundreds of *real* journalists — including the reporter covering Amazon.

Democracy dies in billionaire hands.
February 4, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
#Minneapolis Personal Me: This is so much b.s. This AM, neighbors on my friend’s block foiled a kidnapping despite being assaulted and gassed. A school bus driver had to block the door to keep them from entering the bus while they were at it. 4 legal observers were kidnapped near us yesterday. 😡
Homan in Minneapolis: "Effective immediately, we will draw down 700 people effective today."
February 4, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
This is civic action.

Surprise, Arizona. Pop. 167,000. Huge crowd shows up to the City Council meeting to oppose DHS recent purchase of ginormous warehouse. Meeting + overflow room filled and hundreds more gathered outside.

130 people sign up to speak. 128 opposed to ICE warehouse.
The overflow room at the Surprise City Council meeting has also filled up (it has a 500 person capacity). I can’t tell how many are still outside but we can hear them chanting “ICE out” in here so it seems like quite a lot.
February 4, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
NEW: @telliotter.bsky.social got an inside look at an online forum where ICE and CBP agents often post about how the agencies have changed for the worse. “[T]his agency has managed to turn a righteous mission into a complete clown show,” one longtime user wrote. Scoop: www.wired.com/story/inside...
Inside the ICE Forum Where Agents Complain About Their Jobs
“I'm all for removing illegals, but snatching dudes off lawn mowers in Cali and leaving the truck and equipment just sitting there? Definitely not working smarter,” writes one forum user.
www.wired.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Immigrants are twice as likely to start a small business as native-born US citizens, so this move isn't about supporting businesses or the economy.
SBA says legal permanent residents will be ineligible for its loan program, effective March 1
The Small Business Administration said in a policy note that green card holders won’t be allowed to apply for SBA loans, effective March 1.
apnews.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Clearly he thinks mentioning several relevant parts of the US Constitution is inflammatory....
Homan: "I said back in March of this year [sic] that if the hateful rhetoric didn't stop I was afraid there would be bloodshed. And there has been."
February 4, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Mark Peifer (He, him)
Homan: "I said back in March of this year [sic] that if the hateful rhetoric didn't stop I was afraid there would be bloodshed. And there has been."
February 4, 2026 at 2:20 PM