Leighton Pritchard
@widdowquinn.bsky.social
Computational biologist. Views/opinions mine, not my employer's. Repost != agreement. Not green, just pleasant. Fabian. =﹥÷
I can’t see DMs because of the Online Safety Act.
I can’t see DMs because of the Online Safety Act.
Pinned
‘What’s in a name? Fit-for-purpose bacterial nomenclature’: meeting report
Rapid and economical DNA sequencing has resulted in a revolution in phylogenomics. The impact of changes in nomenclature can be perceived as an absolute necessity of scientific rigour, coupled with th...
doi.org
About 18 months ago we held a @microbiologysociety.org meeting in Glasgow to discuss the thorny topic of #microbial #taxonomy and #nomenclature - and now you can read what we talked about :D
#microbiology #controversy
doi.org/10.1099/ijse...
#microbiology #controversy
doi.org/10.1099/ijse...
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
This is something that really bothers me in so much talk about benefits including from some policy wonks.
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
Sorry, no, Motability was not about 'helping the most vulnerable' - it was about providing people who need modified vehicles modified vehicles!
November 26, 2025 at 1:19 PM
This is something that really bothers me in so much talk about benefits including from some policy wonks.
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
A reminder that the New York Times published nearly *300* stories on Biden's age. They've had 2 to date about Trump and the reason is that Fox News directed the narrative. The Times actually fabricated a story about neurologists visiting the WH to examine Biden when Biden wasn't even in the country
November 26, 2025 at 12:43 PM
A reminder that the New York Times published nearly *300* stories on Biden's age. They've had 2 to date about Trump and the reason is that Fox News directed the narrative. The Times actually fabricated a story about neurologists visiting the WH to examine Biden when Biden wasn't even in the country
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Something wicked this way comes... 🧬🧬🧬
(to the ATCC Genome Portal on Monday, Dec 1st...)
(wicked in a good, different, leap forward way... 😄)
(to the ATCC Genome Portal on Monday, Dec 1st...)
(wicked in a good, different, leap forward way... 😄)
November 26, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Something wicked this way comes... 🧬🧬🧬
(to the ATCC Genome Portal on Monday, Dec 1st...)
(wicked in a good, different, leap forward way... 😄)
(to the ATCC Genome Portal on Monday, Dec 1st...)
(wicked in a good, different, leap forward way... 😄)
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Our review is now available #OpenAccess online and as formatted PDF doi.org/10.1093/fems...
Delighted that our review on resistance to last-resort antibiotics in Enterococci has been published in FEMS Microbiology Reviews
academic.oup.com/femsre/advan... (accepted manuscript version)
TL;DR: the Enterococci are really good at evolving resistance to antibiotics in new and creative ways.
academic.oup.com/femsre/advan... (accepted manuscript version)
TL;DR: the Enterococci are really good at evolving resistance to antibiotics in new and creative ways.
Resistance to last-resort antibiotics in enterococci
Abstract. The genus Enterococcus comprises a diverse group of species, many of which are commensal members of the gut microbiota of humans and animals. The
academic.oup.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Our review is now available #OpenAccess online and as formatted PDF doi.org/10.1093/fems...
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
And honestly I don't give a fuck if it's popular or not. It's going to make a lot of kids' lives better. That's the point of government. Not an opinion poll.
November 26, 2025 at 1:12 PM
And honestly I don't give a fuck if it's popular or not. It's going to make a lot of kids' lives better. That's the point of government. Not an opinion poll.
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Arduino makers are revolting against Qualcomm's new corporate-style ownership. www.techspot.com/news/110375-...
Qualcomm rewrote Arduino's TOS, and the community is not taking it well
Qualcomm recently acquired Arduino for an undisclosed sum, sparking immediate fears that the "death of Arduino" was imminent. According to New York-based electronics vendor Adafruit Industries (AI),.....
www.techspot.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Ultimately the minimum wage is a brilliant tool, but it can’t compensate for “we haven’t built any housing”, “we have cut cash transfers to the bone” and “all the third spaces have been cut to pay for social care”.
The minimum wage is not a cure all — we’re asking too much of business
Politicians spend too much time uttering cheap rhetoric about cheap labour
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Ultimately the minimum wage is a brilliant tool, but it can’t compensate for “we haven’t built any housing”, “we have cut cash transfers to the bone” and “all the third spaces have been cut to pay for social care”.
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
DOGE was created for data theft and infrastructure dismantling and it wildly succeeded on both counts within the first few weeks of its existence. It will take a generation to rebuild what it destroyed and the breach of data is unprecedented.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 PM
DOGE was created for data theft and infrastructure dismantling and it wildly succeeded on both counts within the first few weeks of its existence. It will take a generation to rebuild what it destroyed and the breach of data is unprecedented.
Teaching experimental design again tomorrow and once more reminded of this awesome distillation of why we need to teach it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbOD...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbOD...
Biostatistics vs. Lab Research
YouTube video by JavaMama926
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Teaching experimental design again tomorrow and once more reminded of this awesome distillation of why we need to teach it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbOD...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbOD...
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
“AI workers said they distrust the models they work on because of a consistent emphasis on rapid turnaround time at the expense of quality.”
Meet the AI workers who tell their friends and family to stay away from AI
When the people making AI seem trustworthy are the ones who trust it the least, it shows that incentives for speed are overtaking safety, experts say
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:12 PM
“AI workers said they distrust the models they work on because of a consistent emphasis on rapid turnaround time at the expense of quality.”
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
I like this from @vamrhein.bsky.social et al. I assigned it to my class last semester and tried to explain that p-values measure how compatible (vs. surprising) the data are with the null, given our assumptions. But yeah, tests & CIs are hard to understand!
www.blakemcshane.com/Papers/natur...
www.blakemcshane.com/Papers/natur...
November 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
I like this from @vamrhein.bsky.social et al. I assigned it to my class last semester and tried to explain that p-values measure how compatible (vs. surprising) the data are with the null, given our assumptions. But yeah, tests & CIs are hard to understand!
www.blakemcshane.com/Papers/natur...
www.blakemcshane.com/Papers/natur...
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Do I understand correctly that there is now a dispute within the administration about whether this "peace plan" was written by Russians or Americans?
November 23, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Do I understand correctly that there is now a dispute within the administration about whether this "peace plan" was written by Russians or Americans?
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
on.ft.com/4icxVlG A country in the grip of a doomsday cult. Anti-vaccines, climate denial, gun ownership encouraged…
Moderna is most shorted stock in S&P 500 as Americans skip jabs
Maker of Covid-19 shots has slumped since pandemic as people turn against vaccines
on.ft.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:38 PM
on.ft.com/4icxVlG A country in the grip of a doomsday cult. Anti-vaccines, climate denial, gun ownership encouraged…
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
It’s so important to understand- as Arthur explains here - that the so called peace plan is not only a disaster for Ukraine but a threat to all of Europe
Moscow's guilty men in the White House are trying to destroy Ukraine and weaken Europe.
open.substack.com/pub/arthursn...
open.substack.com/pub/arthursn...
Another Day, Another Russian-US Attempt to Betray Ukraine and Destroy Europe
The Putin-Trump surrender plan will lay the groundwork for Russia to expand its attacks on other parts of Europe
open.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:28 PM
It’s so important to understand- as Arthur explains here - that the so called peace plan is not only a disaster for Ukraine but a threat to all of Europe
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
For the journalism schools:
Making a conspiratorial dimwit sound like a maverick hero in a just battle of wills against the negatively valenced "scientific" orthodoxy.
That is not even performative neutrality any more, that is taking sides
@peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
@michaelemann.bsky.social
Making a conspiratorial dimwit sound like a maverick hero in a just battle of wills against the negatively valenced "scientific" orthodoxy.
That is not even performative neutrality any more, that is taking sides
@peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
@michaelemann.bsky.social
Breaking News: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he personally instructed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism. The move underscores his determination to challenge scientific orthodoxy — in this case, that vaccines save lives — and bend the health department to his will.
RFK Jr. Says He Instructed CDC to Change Vaccines and Autism Language on Website
In an interview, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited gaps in vaccine safety research. His critics say he is ignoring a larger point: Vaccines save lives.
nyti.ms
November 22, 2025 at 4:20 PM
For the journalism schools:
Making a conspiratorial dimwit sound like a maverick hero in a just battle of wills against the negatively valenced "scientific" orthodoxy.
That is not even performative neutrality any more, that is taking sides
@peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
@michaelemann.bsky.social
Making a conspiratorial dimwit sound like a maverick hero in a just battle of wills against the negatively valenced "scientific" orthodoxy.
That is not even performative neutrality any more, that is taking sides
@peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
@michaelemann.bsky.social
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Many of you have been hoodwinked or bamboozled into thinking that tax is bad or evil. It’s literally the dues we pay for living in this big clubhouse we call civilization
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Many of you have been hoodwinked or bamboozled into thinking that tax is bad or evil. It’s literally the dues we pay for living in this big clubhouse we call civilization
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
We don’t resource the education system to create enough trained people, make good working conduits, or pay enough to attract enough people to the roles, so overseas labour gets brought in. It’s not hard to understand.
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
We don’t resource the education system to create enough trained people, make good working conduits, or pay enough to attract enough people to the roles, so overseas labour gets brought in. It’s not hard to understand.
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Dear UK: You don’t pay enough taxes to have an NHS that doesn’t run on immigration and immigrant labour.
Sorry to be brutally honest but it’s how it is
Sorry to be brutally honest but it’s how it is
November 23, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Dear UK: You don’t pay enough taxes to have an NHS that doesn’t run on immigration and immigrant labour.
Sorry to be brutally honest but it’s how it is
Sorry to be brutally honest but it’s how it is
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Photosynthetic sea slugs can decapitate themselves & regenerate whole body from the detached head (without the heart or guts), while the shed body do not regenerate. The process takes ~2-3 weeks. A new model for regeneration?
From: www.cell.com/current-biol...
From: www.cell.com/current-biol...
Extreme autotomy and whole-body regeneration in photosynthetic sea slugs
Autotomy, the voluntary shedding of a body part, is common among animals. Mitoh and
Yusa report an extreme case of autotomy with the shedding of the main body, including
the whole heart, and subsequen...
www.cell.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Photosynthetic sea slugs can decapitate themselves & regenerate whole body from the detached head (without the heart or guts), while the shed body do not regenerate. The process takes ~2-3 weeks. A new model for regeneration?
From: www.cell.com/current-biol...
From: www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
This #WAAW Don’t forget to get your awesome AMR abstracts submitted to join us in Hinxton to discuss AMR genomics, innovations in diagnostics,
therapeutics, and data analytics, and novel mechanisms of antimicrobial survival! #AMR2026
therapeutics, and data analytics, and novel mechanisms of antimicrobial survival! #AMR2026
Present your #AMR work at our dedicated forum for global researchers and practitioners! 🧫
🗓️ 23-25 March 2026
Submit abstract by 1 December 📩
Share #genomics and big data approaches for navigating the growing complexities in the AMR field.
📎bit.ly/3SWzJUm
#MicroSky #AMR2026
🗓️ 23-25 March 2026
Submit abstract by 1 December 📩
Share #genomics and big data approaches for navigating the growing complexities in the AMR field.
📎bit.ly/3SWzJUm
#MicroSky #AMR2026
November 19, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
New online! Insights into infectious diseases through ancient pathogen genomics
Insights into infectious diseases through ancient pathogen genomics
Nature Reviews Microbiology, Published online: 17 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01259-7In this Review, Kocher, Krause and Spyrou explore how ancient pathogen genomics is providing new perspectives on the history and evolution of infectious agents. They show how ancient DNA has revealed the aetiology and unfolding of historic outbreaks, pathogen evolutionary timescales, patterns of dissemination and functional evolution, and discuss existing limitations and perspectives of the field.
www.nature.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 PM
New online! Insights into infectious diseases through ancient pathogen genomics
Reposted by Leighton Pritchard
My account's upload and bulk download access were terminated permanently in 2021 without explanation after I published *checksums* of GISAID genomes. GISAID and its SAB have since ignored a dozen emails seeking explanation.
4 yrs on, even Nextstrain has lost access. GISAID has rotted from its core.
4 yrs on, even Nextstrain has lost access. GISAID has rotted from its core.
On Oct 1, 2025, GISAID informed us that they had ended updates to the flat file of SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences and associated metadata that we had used to update Nextstrain analyses since Feb 2020. GISAID's stated rationale was that their "resources are limited". 1/5
November 17, 2025 at 1:32 PM
My account's upload and bulk download access were terminated permanently in 2021 without explanation after I published *checksums* of GISAID genomes. GISAID and its SAB have since ignored a dozen emails seeking explanation.
4 yrs on, even Nextstrain has lost access. GISAID has rotted from its core.
4 yrs on, even Nextstrain has lost access. GISAID has rotted from its core.