Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Ken Stedman

Jörg Vogel @jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social · 3d

Two group leader positions available in the broader areas of RNA science, RNA technologies, and RNA medicine. Attractive packages and a great environment. Come and join us at Helmholtz RNA Würzburg, Bavaria.

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Christian Kost @kostchristian.bsky.social · 2d

Check out this great opportunity to metabolically model microbial communities 👇

Christoph Kaleta @kaletalab.bsky.social · 2d

1/4 🌍 We are looking for a passionate #PhD student in #Metabolic #Microbiome #Modeling in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network MenoBrain. Join us at one of Europe’s microbiome research hubs and push the boundaries of microbiome science! @uni-kiel.de
🔗 www.uniklinikum-jena.de/menobrain/en...

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Prof Gavin Yamey @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 2d

“A study, published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that last season’s 2024–2025 mRNA COVID vaccines reduced people’s risk of emergency department visits by 29%, their risk of hospitalizations by 39% & their risk of death by 64%”

Benefits were seen even if 0 risk factors

Soren Larsen (SEGL) @sorenlarsen.bsky.social · 2d

Annual COVID Vaccines Protect People against Severe Disease, Even with Prior Immunity

"The new research also “calls into question the idea that younger individuals and those without risk factors don’t need the vaccine,” Viswanathan says."

Annual COVID Vaccines Save Lives, New Study Shows

A new study shows that receiving an updated COVID vaccine reduced people’s risk of severe disease and death in all age groups, regardless of immunity from prior infection or vaccination

www.scientificamerican.com

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Cascales Lab @cascaleslab.bsky.social · 2d

Open position to work on Type IX secretion (#T9SS) in our lab, in collaboration withe the group of Eric Reynolds at the Dental School of the University of Melbourne. Please spread the word, and forward to anyone potentially interested ! Apply here:
emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Docto...

Portail Emploi CNRS - Offre d'emploi - Thèse en Microbiologie-Biochimie (H/F)

emploi.cnrs.fr

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Tom Williams @tweethinking.bsky.social · 2d

There's a PhD position now available with me in Bath, on the evolution of symbiosis. www.findaphd.com/phds/project.... The supervisory team also includes @anja1.bsky.social @phil-donoghue.bsky.social and others. NB, this is open both to UK-based students *and* to international students :)

The genomic basis of symbiotic integration at University of Bath on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - The genomic basis of symbiotic integration at University of Bath, listed on FindAPhD.com

www.findaphd.com

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Michael Brockhurst @brockhurstlab.bsky.social · 2d

Three Bicentenary research fellowships on offer at @officialuom.bsky.social @fbmh-uom.bsky.social for exceptional ECRs with <3y postdoc experience

3yrs salary + £30k pa research expenses

Do you have a great idea & want to join @mermanchester.bsky.social?

www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/sup...

Bicentenary Early Career Research Fellowships | Biology, Medicine and Health | University of Manchester

Find out about and apply for a Bicentenary Early Career Research Fellowship.

www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Claus Wilke @clauswilke.com · 4d

Biology is much more complicated than most non-biologists can imagine. And AI is not going to change this anytime soon.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/we-still-c...

We still can’t predict much of anything in biology

Biology is hard. Yes, even for AI.

blog.genesmindsmachines.com

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Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · 3d

PhD position on Regulation and Evolution of Bacterial Multicellularity ( #Streptomyces ) within @spp2389.bsky.social supervised by Natalia Tschowri (Hannover 🇩🇪) and Danny Rozen (Leiden 🇳🇱) with research at both locations

deadline: October 31, 2025

www.uni-hannover.de/en/jobs/id/802

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 3d

UC-Berkeley physicist who just won the Nobel Prize tells it like it is: "It is going to be disastrous if this continues"

For "It" read -> science, economy, rule of law, and beyond.

www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Nobel physics laureate says Trump cuts will 'cripple' US research

It was just past 2:00 am when a mysterious number rang Nobel laureate John Clarke, what he deemed "obviously a joke call" that grew increasingly surreal when he heard "a voice from Sweden."- 'Basic sc...

www.yahoo.com

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Julia Frunzke @frunzkelab.bsky.social · 3d

Please RT:
We have an opening for a junior group leader position in „Phage Biology & Biotechnology“.
www.fz-juelich.de/de/karriere/...

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact me via email for further details.

@spp2330.bsky.social; @mibinet.bsky.social

Junior Group Leader - Phage Biology & Biotechnology

As a leading research institution for microbial biotechnology the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences - Biotechnology (IBG-1, https://www.fz-juelich.de/de/ibg/ibg-1 ) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich foc...

www.fz-juelich.de

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Cathy Hernandez @cathyhernandez.bsky.social · 3d

Very happy to share that I will be starting as an Assistant Professor in the department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina in January! My group will be working on environmental phage ecology and evolution, and I am recruiting for the upcoming year (more info below).

A graphic advertising phage ecology and evolution research at the University of South Carolina, showing a central image of a tide pool flanked by a photo of an agar plate containing diverse microbes and a TEM image of a virus particle.

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Ken Stedman @xtremevirusprof.bsky.social · 2d

Done!

Black Microbiologists Assoc (Black In Micro) @blackinmicro.bsky.social · 3d

#BlackInMicro Week is more than just an event; it's a hub for connection. The need for strong communities like ours has never been more urgent. Donate today to show your support: tinyurl.com/GiveBiM (all links in bio) #BIMWeek2025 #HARMONY

Reposted by Ken Stedman

Ian Marshall @ianpgm.bsky.social · 3d

I'm recruiting a postdoc to figure out how aerobic methanotrophic bacteria oxidise methane in anoxic freshwater sediment environments: international.au.dk/about/profil... Come to Aarhus University in Denmark and work on this 2-year project funded by @villumfonden.bsky.social!

Postdoctoral position on methanotrophic bacteria - Vacancy at Aarhus University

Vacancy at Department of Biology - Microbiology, Aarhus University

international.au.dk

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

ASM @asm.org · 3d

Dr. Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir (JAM), an antimicrobial researcher and assistant professor at the University of California, provides insights on communicating complex scientific topics as a community educator. youtu.be/giyAR9XIEO0

Change Clothes and Go: Viral Mutations and the Remix of Infection

YouTube video by American Society for Microbiology

youtu.be

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Arnau Sebé-Pedrós @arnausebe.bsky.social · 3d

A thoughtful and beautifully written @quantamagazine.bsky.social article about genome regulatory innovation at the origin of animals. Featuring some of our work and highlighting key open questions. Thanks to @philipcball.bsky.social for this fantastic piece.

Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 3d

I adored writing this piece. It brings together several of the things preoccupying me right now, like chromatin organization and gene regulation. There's so much more to be said on that. Also, these marine critters look gorgeous.
www.quantamagazine.org/loops-of-dna...

Loops of DNA Equipped Ancient Life To Become Complex | Quanta Magazine

New work shows that physical folding of the genome to control genes located far away may have been an early evolutionary development.

www.quantamagazine.org

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 3d

Best consideration deadline, Friday Oct 10:

#SCIMaP (scienceimacts.org) seeks to hire a Research Communications and Media Outreach Specialist at U-Maryland to facilitate public engagement related to federal investment in science and health research.

umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMCP/j...

SCIMaP job opportunity - https://umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMCP/job/Research-Communications-and-Media-Outreach-Specialist_JR102577

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 3d

President Trump called Portland “War ravaged” to justify his move to send troops to the city. But in the days before his announcement, federal officials tasked with protecting government buildings said protests outside an ICE facility were “low energy.”

Before Trump Ordered In Troops, Federal Officers Called Portland Protests ‘Low Energy’

Oregon officials say the atmosphere outside an ICE building that has drawn daily demonstrations since June has grown worse since the president’s threats.

nyti.ms

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angela oliverio @oliverio.bsky.social · 3d

Accepted version of our article "Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites" now out in ISMEJ!

Awesome effort led by undergrad Joanna Lepper and with @hbrappap.bsky.social.

Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · 3d

Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites

-in #ISMEJournal by Joanna Lepper, @hbrappap.bsky.social and @oliverio.bsky.social

academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...

Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites

Abstract. Although microbial eukaryotes comprise the majority of eukaryotic phylogenetic diversity and inhabit nearly all ecosystems globally, most researc

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

SciLifeLab @scilifelab.se · 3d

We’re launching a major #recruitment call for staff scientists in #ComputationalBiology, #DataScience, and #AI to strengthen Sweden’s life science research. 🧪🖥️

Positions are based at SciLifeLab sites across Sweden’s leading universities.

Learn more and apply ↓
www.scilifelab.se/news/scilife...

SciLifeLab launches major recruitment call for staff scientists in computational biology, data science and AI

Computational methods and artificial intelligence on large-scale molecular data are transforming the study of biological systems and processes, ranging from molecular structures and cellular processes...

www.scilifelab.se

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

RuthLeyMicro @microbiome.bsky.social · 7d

Thinking about a postdoc in microbiome science?
Our lab at the MPI for Biology (Tübingen) builds on the culture I established at Cornell: collaborative, creative, and internationally diverse. Postdocs lead their own projects with secure funding. Join us!
#PostdocJobs #HostMicrobe #AcademicJobs

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Roni Odai @rodai.bsky.social · 9d

Viral AlphaFold Database (VAD) is live in Science Advances

~27,000 predicted viral protein monomers & homodimers

Conserved folds across bacteria, archaea & eukaryotic viruses

New toxin–antitoxin system KreTA uncovered

Vast “functional darkness” remains uncharted

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The Viral AlphaFold Database of monomers and homodimers reveals conserved protein folds in viruses of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes

VAD is a Viral AlphaFold Database of protein monomers and homodimers from viruses infecting hosts across the tree of life.

www.science.org

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 3d

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d

Twenty-two people in a broad spectrum of the arts and sciences were awarded the MacArthur Foundation fellowship, which comes with an $800,000 stipend.

MacArthur Foundation Announces 2025 ‘Genius Grant’ Winners

Twenty-two people in a broad spectrum of the arts and sciences were awarded the fellowship, which comes with an $800,000 stipend.

nyti.ms

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Mike Blazanin @mikeblazanin.bsky.social · 4d

Highly recommend working with Chang-Yu if you get the chance!

Chang-Yu Chang 張昌祐 @changyuchang.bsky.social · 4d

Excited to share that I’ll be starting my research group in Nov 2025 at the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica in Taipei🎉

We study how eco & evo rules govern complex systems layered by hosts🌱& symbionts🦠 & mobile genes🧬

Recruiting soon at all levels!
🔗 chang-yu-chang.github.io/changlab/

Laboratory of Microbial Symbiosis, Ecology, and Evolution

chang-yu-chang.github.io

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Asher Leeks @asherleeks.bsky.social · 4d

I gave a talk last year at TEDxNewEngland aimed at introducing the idea of viral sociality to a general audience, including implications for evolution & virology. Video now available online below.

#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪

The social lives of viruses | Asher Leeks | TEDxNewEngland

YouTube video by TEDx Talks

www.youtube.com

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