Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · 25d

Today, scientists know that genetics plays a role in many conditions and diseases. But back in the ’90s, geneticist Mary-Claire King was the first to link a gene to an inherited form of a common cancer.

A Trailblazing Geneticist Reflects On Her Life And Work

Dr. Mary-Claire King was the first to link a gene to hereditary cancer risk with the identification of BRCA1. She was just getting started.

buff.ly

2 30 100

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Renee Geck @reneegeck.bsky.social · Aug 15

It's been a long time coming but, my postdoc work characterizing thousands of variants in G6PD is now available! Many thanks to @maitreya.bsky.social @dougfowler.bsky.social @afrubin.bsky.social and their labs! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Functional evidence for G6PD variant classification from mutational scanning

G6PD deficiency is the most common enzyme deficiency worldwide, and increases the likelihood of adverse reactions to certain drugs and foods. Identifying people at risk is challenging, since most are ...

www.biorxiv.org

6 24

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · Jul 22

Announcing the yEvo Mutation Browser, a Shiny app for visualizing and exploring sequencing data from experimental evolution and genetic screens. This is the latest from our @yevolab.bsky.social high school teaching & research project and led by my grad student Leah. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The yEvo Mutation Browser: Enhancing student understanding of experimental evolution and genomics through interactive data visualization

Experimental evolution is a powerful method for studying the relationship between genotype and phenotype by observing how populations genetically adapt to controlled selective pressures. In educationa...

www.biorxiv.org

2 8 16

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · Jun 23

Welcome to our new lab members, postdoc Sarah (co with @kelleyharris.bsky.social) and grad students Zanny and Megan! Very exciting!

1 6

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Jun 13

Thanks for sharing!! 🩷

1

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Jun 13

I’m thrilled to share my first big paper is live on @nature.com SMB! I poured my heart into this project while I was a tech, and I’m so happy it’s out in the world now.

Plus, how often does someone get to say they published with their two best friends? 🎉

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Multiplex and multimodal mapping of variant effects in secreted proteins via MultiSTEP - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology

Multiplexed assays of variant effect can resolve clinical variants but are incompatible with secreted proteins. Here Popp et al. develop MultiSTEP, a generalizable surface-tethering method to assess v...

www.nature.com

1 5

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Apr 21

I passed my PhD program qualifying exam today! I am now a PhD candidate 🎉🧬

7

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Saccharomyces Genome Database @yeastgenome.bsky.social · Mar 20

The Pacific Northwest Yeast Club is holding their annual meeting on June 20th, 2025 in beautiful Vancouver, Canada! There are only 100 spots and registration is open now: www.pnwyc.net

9 17

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Apr 9

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

NSF slashes prestigious PhD fellowship awards by half

US National Science Foundation announces lowest number of Graduate Research Fellowship Programme recipients in 15 years.

www.nature.com

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

UW Genome Sciences @handle.invalid · Apr 8

Congratulations to Abby McGee and Val Browning on being awarded NSF Fellowships, and to Matt Chaw, Marazzano Colon, Bria Metzger, Rachel Powell, and Catherine Sniezek on receiving honorable mention!

2 14

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Apr 8

I am feeling very proud and grateful to have been awarded an Honorable Mention for the 2025 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program!

While I didn’t receive the award itself, it is so validating to be recognized at a national level as a junior trainee. I am definitely celebrating this win 🌟

5

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Jan 31

Check out our updated preprint for MultiSTEP and coagulation Factor IX! This work highlights my most substantial contributions from my tech days in @dougfowler.bsky.social's lab 🧬 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Multiplex, multimodal mapping of variant effects in secreted proteins

Despite widespread advances in DNA sequencing, the functional consequences of most genetic variants remain poorly understood. Multiplexed Assays of Variant Effect (MAVEs) can measure the function of v...

www.biorxiv.org

1 1

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Science Magazine @science.org · Dec 4

After 60 years, scientists finally know why ginger, calico, and tortoiseshell #cats look the way they do. scim.ag/3BpxRxY

Gene behind orange fur in cats found at last

After 60 years, scientists know why gingers, calicos, and tortoiseshells look the way they do

scim.ag

7 46 160

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Alison Feder @alisonfeder.bsky.social · Nov 8

I made a starter pack of folks affiliated with UW Genome Sciences (past and present)

go.bsky.app/L8RAbiJ

It's fairly sparse for now, so please let me know if you'd like to be added!

UW Genome Sciences

Join the conversation

go.bsky.app

4 13 20

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Oct 15

Channeled my inner Ms. Frizzle today - spent the day doing 1:1 scientific writing & editing with high school students ✍🏻

2

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Sep 25

Thanks so much Zymo Research for the graduate student starter kit!! This isn’t sponsored - just super stoked about it 🙌🏻

Zymo DNA clean & concentrator 5 kit on a black bench top. Zymo branded swag included: lip balm, water bath tube floaty, magnetic timer, and bound composition notebook.

1

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Jul 26

Attending my conference ever today! 🧬 #pnwyc #pnwyc2024

1

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Jul 19

Take a look at the website I created for our lab! 🌐

Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · Jul 19

Nice new lab website, thanks to grad student
@geneticswithrae.bsky.social! depts.washington.edu/dunhamlab/

The Dunham Lab

depts.washington.edu

2

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · Jul 18

It's not every day that you get voted on by the UW Board of Regents and get a letter signed by the president and provost. Looks like I'm officially Chair! (effective July 1, which is why this article is from earlier this month) huddle.uwmedicine.org/maitreya-dun...

Maitreya Dunham Named Chair of the Department of Genome Sciences

Starting July 1, 2024.

huddle.uwmedicine.org

4 6 27

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · Jun 17

Two new students starting in the lab today! Welcome grad student Rachel and undergrad Elinor!

1 6

Reposted by Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬

Maitreya Dunham @maitreya.bsky.social · Jul 11

New @yevolab.bsky.social paper in G3 led by @reneegeck.bsky.social and featuring work from the classrooms of Tim Renz and Rebecca Brewer! Experimental evolution of S. cerevisiae for caffeine tolerance alters multidrug resistance and TOR signaling pathways academic.oup.com/g3journal/ar...

Experimental evolution of S. cerevisiae for caffeine tolerance alters multidrug resistance and TOR signaling pathways

Abstract. Caffeine is a natural compound that inhibits the major cellular signaling regulator TOR, leading to widespread effects including growth inhibitio

academic.oup.com

1 6 12

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · May 18

I am thrilled to share that I will be joining @maitreya.bsky.social’s lab for my thesis work, starting in June! 🔬🧬

1 5

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Apr 23

Robin is such a delight to work with (and to be around, generally). If you’re looking for speakers that match their skillset and expertise, please pass along their info!

www.linkedin.com/posts/robinx...

Robin Aguilar on LinkedIn: #pride #sciencecommunication #genomics #dei #transscientist #research

Last week, I presented a seminar on my graduate school research and advocacy through the Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CCID). A huge thank you to…

www.linkedin.com

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Apr 2

I am beyond thrilled to share this preprint with Nicholas Popp from Doug Fowler’s lab. I can’t wait to see where MultiSTEP goes next! 🧬🔬

Take a look here! ⤵️
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

#deepmutationalscan #dms #vampseq #factorix #factor9 #hemophiliab

Multiplex, multimodal mapping of variant effects in secreted proteins

bioRxiv - the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and educational institution

www.biorxiv.org

1

Rachel 👩🏻‍🔬 @rachelbiology.bsky.social · Mar 13

It seems to be a great publication day for our cohort - congrats Zach Amador!

Take a look here ⤵️
doi.org/10.1038/s414...