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vscooper.micropopbio.org
Vaughn Cooper
@vscooper.micropopbio.org
7.7K followers 1.5K following 1.5K posts
Evangelist for the study of evolution in action by everyone.
Pitt Prof | EvolvingSTEM | biofilms | EvMed | genomics entrepreneur (@SeqCoast.bsky.social, @midauthorbio.bsky.social) | ASM President-Elect | exercise addict ~ swim bike run
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vscooper.micropopbio.org
Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · Jan 21
I'm incredibly honored by this opportunity to serve as President-Elect of @asm.org starting this summer. Looking forward to working with the Board, ASM leadership ,and staff to help advance the microbial sciences. I'm also glad to share my Vision statement, please join us!
asm.org/Press-Releas...
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
vscooper.micropopbio.org
🚨Call for papers🚨
Microbial Evolution: Impacts on Human Health
in the society journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health

Guest Editors: Bob Woods, Silvie Huijben & Camilo Barbosa
EIC: me

This will be great, please submit and share!
academic.oup.com/emph/pages/m...
Microbial Evolution: Impacts on Human Health Call for Papers A defining characteristic of infectious diseases is that they evolve. The consequences of this evolution are among the most pressing medical issues facing humanity, including emerging pandemics, antibiotic resistance, and the success or failure of vaccines. Pathogen evolution profoundly influences virulence, transmission, and responses to a broad array of human interventions. While the evolutionary dynamics of pathogens have historically been challenging to study, large-scale genomic sequencing, novel computational tools, and experimental methods are rapidly changing the field. We encourage submissions on the broad topic of the evolution of infectious diseases. This Special Issue aims to feature research that blends evolutionary approaches to understanding pathogen heterogeneity and ongoing genetic change in clinical samples and models of human infection. It also seeks to highlight opportunities to design treatment and prevention strategies that remain effective in the face of ongoing pathogen evolution. Submission – open until January 31, 2027 Guest editors Robert Woods, MD PhD, University of Michigan Camilo Barbosa, PhD, University of Michigan Silvie Huijben, PhD, Arizona State University
January 9, 2026 at 4:49 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
Worst announcer jinx ever
January 10, 2026 at 1:40 AM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
🚨Call for papers🚨
Microbial Evolution: Impacts on Human Health
in the society journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health

Guest Editors: Bob Woods, Silvie Huijben & Camilo Barbosa
EIC: me

This will be great, please submit and share!
academic.oup.com/emph/pages/m...
Microbial Evolution: Impacts on Human Health Call for Papers A defining characteristic of infectious diseases is that they evolve. The consequences of this evolution are among the most pressing medical issues facing humanity, including emerging pandemics, antibiotic resistance, and the success or failure of vaccines. Pathogen evolution profoundly influences virulence, transmission, and responses to a broad array of human interventions. While the evolutionary dynamics of pathogens have historically been challenging to study, large-scale genomic sequencing, novel computational tools, and experimental methods are rapidly changing the field. We encourage submissions on the broad topic of the evolution of infectious diseases. This Special Issue aims to feature research that blends evolutionary approaches to understanding pathogen heterogeneity and ongoing genetic change in clinical samples and models of human infection. It also seeks to highlight opportunities to design treatment and prevention strategies that remain effective in the face of ongoing pathogen evolution. Submission – open until January 31, 2027 Guest editors Robert Woods, MD PhD, University of Michigan Camilo Barbosa, PhD, University of Michigan Silvie Huijben, PhD, Arizona State University
January 9, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
geiselbiofilm.bsky.social
JB Editor's Choice: Bhattarai, Harshey et al. propose a new model for YcgR::c-di-GMP regulation of flagellar motility in Salmonella/E. coli. They provide evidence for the first part of their model.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology
January 9, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
npariente.bsky.social
Timeline cleanse
theguardian.com The Guardian @theguardian.com · 5d
On the lamb: 50 sheep break away from flock and storm German supermarket
On the lamb: 50 sheep break away from flock and storm German supermarket
Woolly incursion occurred during seasonal migration of animals in the Bavarian municipality of Burgsinn About 50 wayward sheep have broken off from their flock and stormed a discount supermarket in German town, startling and delighting customers as they rushed to explore the aisles before being escorted from the premises. The woolly incursion occurred on Monday during a routine seasonal migration of the farm animals in the Bavarian municipality of Burgsinn. A few dozen of the sheep had other ideas about the route and made their way into a store of the Penny retail chain. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:49 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
sharing a useful collaboration between me and Claude to pick the best heatmap colorscheme
color scheme comparison for heatmaps
January 8, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
plosbiology.org
Population bottlenecks shape the evolution of #cooperative traits in #Myxococcus via #LifeCycle trade-offs. @iamsamayp.bsky.social &co show that stringent bottlenecks favor growth & sporulation, while relaxed bottlenecks favor predation & germination @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3N1nia7
Outline of the life cycle experimental evolution of M. xanthus with either 1% (stringent) or 15% (relaxed) population bottlenecks. Four different colonies of M. xanthus (GV1) were used to establish four parallel evolving lines. One generation of the complex life cycle with multiple social traits involved the growth of M. xanthus populations in nutrient-rich CTT liquid (with gentamycin) medium till O.D. 600 nm reached 0.3–0.4. These cultures were then spotted on starvation TPM hard agar (1.5% agar) plate for sporulation and fruiting body development. Next, only the spores (and not vegetative cells that failed to sporulate) were harvested by first incubating the M. xanthus populations at 50°C, after which they were transferred onto TPM hard agar (supplemented with 0.025% glucose) beds overlaid with Escherichia coli lawns in flasks for germination and predation. After incubation for 4 days on E. coli lawns, populations were harvested by adding 4 mL TPM buffer, shaking at 200 rpm, and either (0.04 mL) 1%, or (0.6 mL) 15% of harvested populations were transferred to fresh CTT liquid media with gentamycin (M. xanthus is naturally resistant to gentamycin whereas E. coli is sensitive to it). This selection regimen was repeated for 10 cycles.
January 8, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
calvinjburke.bsky.social
Archive link available: archive.ph/aQlGU
archive.ph
January 7, 2026 at 9:07 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
Another newspaper icon falls
wesa.fm WESA @wesa.fm · 6d
The owners of Pittsburgh’s largest newspaper say they will shut down in May.

Block Communications, Inc. said Wednesday it plans to publish the final edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and cease operations on May 3.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announces it is shutting down May 3
The company said it has lost more than $350 million over the past two decades while operating the Post-Gazette.
www.wesa.fm
January 7, 2026 at 8:18 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
A terrific, principled essay by Lee Bollinger in the Chronicle borne from his perspective as a university president and legal scholar. Hope you can read it, no gift 🔗 available.

Side note: we met at UMich while swimming in the competition pool w/special access

www.chronicle.com/article/univ...
Universities Need a New Defense
The authoritarian threat is growing. The old playbook won’t work.
www.chronicle.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
catarmbruster.bsky.social
Congrats to Sean, Will, and co-authors! Shoutout to @cmuscience.bsky.social Quantitative Biology & Bioinformatics (QBB) MS student Isabelle D'Amico from my lab for her creative work on this cool collaboration!
January 7, 2026 at 4:51 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
Great call by an absolute warrior. Mic drop.
www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/...
Grand Tour champion Simon Yates announces shock early retirement at 33
End of career for Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España winner comes days before start of 2026 season
www.cyclingnews.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
scientificdiscovery.dev
NEW article by me!

We can now visualize pathogens down to atoms; design vaccines in weeks; manufacture them in microbial factories; engineer them more precise than ever before.

We're living through a golden age of vaccine development, but only if we continue to invest in them.
The golden age of vaccine development - Works in Progress Magazine
The first vaccine was a lucky accident. Now we can design new vaccines in weeks, atom by atom.
worksinprogress.co
January 7, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
needhibhalla.bsky.social
👀

“If you are a 75-year-old professor reading this, now would be a good time to take emeritus status. It’s something that a lot of people could do that would contribute enormously. The job market for young people would be in much better shape if most people over 75 retired.”
January 6, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
johnlees.bacpop.org
Our new preprint which reimplements "the NFDS model" (of Corander et al) to forecast populations after vaccination as a compartmental model, and uses new bioinformatic tools to create and process the pangenome data

We look at which surveillance strategies are best to correctly forecast changes
leonielorenz.bsky.social Leonie Lorenz @leonielorenz.bsky.social · 22d
Very happy to share our preprint on a mathematical model for Streptococcus pneumoniae population dynamics after vaccine introductions. It's a reusable model that describes vaccine replacement dynamics and can help to determine strategies for genomic surveillance: doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.18.695090
A reusable model of pangenome selection informs optimal surveillance strategies over vaccine introductions
The human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of disease, including pneumonia and meningitis. The introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCVs) initially reduced the burden of ...
doi.org
January 6, 2026 at 3:49 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
The @asm.org statement in response to the changes in the childhood immunization schedule:

asm.org/press-releas...
Jan. 5, 2026 The rationale for the recent updates to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule is, at best, uncertain and sets a potentially dangerous precedent for public health. Whatever improvements may be needed to the process the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has followed in the past to update vaccine recommendations, it is unclear what scientific evidence led to these new guidelines. Protecting a country’s public health presents unique challenges that are specific to that country’s population. The prevalence of diseases in the U.S. is not the same as it is in other countries, and public health recommendations should be made based on the public health challenges faced by the American people. The changes by the CDC will reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. This includes narrowing the recommendation for the flu, which has already contributed to the deaths of at least 9 children this season and a near record number of pediatric flu deaths last season. Vaccines are a safe and effective tool to prevent the spread of infectious disease and infection-related deaths, and they have saved and continue to save lives. While we concur with National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya that “science demands continuous evaluation,” that must occur with full transparency and input from the scientific community. The schedule changes weaken vaccine recommendations at a particularly critical time. It is crucial that expert consultation and a review of scientific evidence be included in the decisions that impact the health and safety of the country.
January 6, 2026 at 3:59 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
Congratulations to Sean Yu-Hao Wang, Will DePas, @catarmbruster.bsky.social and colleagues on their use of experimental evolution to identify regulators of Mycobacterium abscessus biofilm production!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Experimental evolution in the cystic fibrosis chemical environment reveals early TCA cycle flux as a central regulator of Mycobacterium abscessus biofilm formation
Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB) is an emerging opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe, recalcitrant pulmonary infections in susceptible groups, in…
www.sciencedirect.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
cezanne.bsky.social
The Bay of l'Estaque and Saint-Henri, 1879
https://botfrens.com/collections/43/contents/12158
The Bay of l'Estaque and Saint-Henri
January 6, 2026 at 1:16 PM
vscooper.micropopbio.org
Good evening Pittsburgh
Sunset on the Mon river in Pittsburgh
January 5, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
johnhawks.net
New in @nytimes.com on how some research on human origins and genetics are being cut from federal science programs. @carlzimmer.com interviews Brenna Henn, who has done much to illuminate the genetic variation and history of southern African peoples.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/s...
She Wanted to Improve Genetic Medicine
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
kleinman.bsky.social
[as serious as a heart attack] Now that's what I call music
hipcrimevocab.net Lane Stellmaker @hipcrimevocab.net · 10d
The Billboard Modern Rock tracks from 30 years ago

Jesus Christ
January 5, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
coachfinstock.bsky.social
Lol
January 4, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
brenttoderian.bsky.social
This one is resonating today. #Andor
Screen shot from the show Andor. Someone says to Mon Mothma “They [meaning the Empire] don’t even bother to lie badly anymore.” Mon replies “I suppose that’s the final humiliation.”
January 3, 2026 at 10:40 PM