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Richard Lenski

@relenski.bsky.social

5.6K followers 820 following 370 posts

Evolving better E. coli for 75,000 generations. Prof at MSU, but opinions my own. (Ok, I also speak for billions -- er, TRILLIONS -- of E. coli.) Website for LTEE: the-ltee.org Banner pic from NYC, shared by Darwin. (The microbiologist, not the other one.) .. more

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Richard E. Lenski is an American evolutionary biologist who is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a MacArthur Fellow. Lenski is best known for his still ongoing 37-year-old long-term E. coli evolution experiment, which has been instrumental in understanding the core processes of evolution, including mutation rates, clonal interference, antibiotic resistance, the evolution of novel traits, and speciation. He is also well known for his pioneering work in studying evolution digitally using self-replicating organisms called Avida. .. more

Biology 54%

Sociology 10%

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · Aug 12

Excited to share new #program, STEPS, which can simulate #dynamics of the E. coli Long-Term Evolution Experiment (#LTEE) or other microbes in serial transfer regime.

telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...

STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.

STEPS To It

Announcing a new program, called STEPS, to simulate the dynamics of evolving microbial populations.

telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 16h

Mike Travisano back at MSU to give EEB Distinguished Alumni Lecture on "The major consequences of micro-evolution"

Mike a key player in establishing #LTEE and microbial expt'l evolution more generally. Here we are with LTEE lines in the incubator & Mike holding y'day flasks w/ @ofria.bsky.social

Lenski and Travisano with LTEE lines in incubator.

Ofria and Travisano, who is holding metal tray containing LTEE populations in their flasks.

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

American Philosophical Society @amphilsociety.bsky.social · 1d

"Knowledge in every country is the surest basis of public happiness." George Washington (APS 1780)

Since 1743, APS Members have supported useful knowledge! Check back weekly for their words of wisdom.

#usefulknowledge #wordsofwisdom #GeorgeWashington #amrev #americanrevolution

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski, Rosanna E. Guadagno

Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 3d

This.

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 6d

😅

Reposted by Alan McNally

Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 6d

Truth in advertising ... or poorly designed sign?

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Richard E. Lenski, Jane E. Fountain , and 5 more Anna O. Law, Richard E. Lenski, Jane E. Fountain, Melanie C. Green, Dean Eckles, Blair Fix, Manisha Sinha, Prakash Kashwan

Melissa Ryan @melissaryan.bsky.social · 7d

I always pay attention to what stories People Magazine and other consumer media outlets cover. That's how you can tell that something has broken through the usual political and news bubbles. This horrific Chicago story has broken through. people.com/ice-agents-o...

ICE Agents Rappel from Helicopter in Overnight Chicago Raid, Dragging Kids from Beds to U-Hauls

Overnight on Tuesday, Sept. 30, federal agents from different agencies raided an apartment building on the South Side of Chicago, pulling men, women and children — some of them allegedly naked — from ...

people.com

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Richard S.J. Tol, Richard E. Lenski , and 7 more Anna O. Law, Richard S.J. Tol, Richard E. Lenski, Melissa Johnson, Joseph Schafer, Anand Menon, Melanie C. Green, Robert B. Reich, Anne Norton, Dean Eckles

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 7d

ICE is running around Chicago harassing people for not being white.

Just a year ago, that was illegal in the United States and now it’s commonplace.

That’s not making America great again.

South Shore Residents Return To Ransacked Apartments After ICE Raid: 'It Looks Like Hell'

A "now renting" sign outside touts granite countertops. Inside, residents are trying to make sense of the raid that made their already neglected building even worse.

blockclubchicago.org

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

American Philosophical Society @amphilsociety.bsky.social · 7d

"We especially need imagination in science..." Maria Mitchell (APS 1869)

Since 1743, APS Members have supported the cultivation of useful knowledge through intellectual inquiry and critical thought. Check back weekly for their words of wisdom.

#usefulknowledge #wordsofwisdom

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 8d

"Jane Goodall, Eminent Primatologist Who Chronicled the Lives of Chimps, Dies at 91"

[gift link, free to read]

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...

Jane Goodall, Eminent Primatologist Who Chronicled the Lives of Chimps, Dies at 91

www.nytimes.com

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 8d

Been there, done that ... many times. 😅

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

C. Brandon Ogbunu @cbo.bsky.social · 8d

When writing an article/book, you may experience the situation where you make a non-trivial change every time you look at it.

This means one of two things:

i) You're on the right track, so keep on editing (and presumably, improving) it.

ii) You should have submitted it a month ago (or longer).

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Rosana Zenil-Ferguson @roszenil.bsky.social · 8d

The Department of Biology at the University of Kentucky is hiring a Microbiologist (broadly defined). Microbial eco-evo folks, this is your sign to come work with us. Not in the search committee, but happy to answer questions.
ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/600...
#microbiology #ecology

Assistant or Associate Professor in Microbiology

The Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY seeks to fill a tenure-eligible faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor le...

ukjobs.uky.edu

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski, Smith

Amelia Randich @ameliarandich.bsky.social · 8d

Interested in a tenure track position teaching and doing research with undergrads at a PUI? We are looking for a broadly-defined microbiologist who can teach Med Micro and Immunology. Apply at universityofscrantonjobs.com/postings/8308. Pls share widely to feeds (& on twitter if you still tweet)! 🦠

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 11d

Now out in @plantphys.bsky.social
"Illuminating Growth: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Joanne Chory"
A summary of the recent Joanne Chory Symposium, which featured talks and photos from her former mentees.
doi.org/10.1093/plph...
(Photo shows an excited Joanne on a roller coaster).

A young woman with dark hair is on a roller coaster. She is looking over her shoulder at the camera behind her, clearly screaming. Whether she is screaming from fear, excitement, or both is unclear.

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 15d

Go Green! Both #MSU and the #environment.

(Free link to story)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/c...

Satellites and Drones Are Unlocking Benefits ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ in Michigan

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Richard E. Lenski, Michael Wagner , and 29 more Timothy Snyder, Richard E. Lenski, Michael Wagner, Koen Frenken, Stefan Reis, Thomas Agoritsas, Gavin L. Foster, Leigh Sparks, Amir Attaran, Jacob Montgomery, Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey, Cathy N. Davidson, Alison Phipps, Sanford F. Schram, Enzo Rossi, Nancy T. Ammerman, Peter Schöttler, Jonathan Hopkin, Laurent Pech, Leonhard Dobusch, W. Andy Knight, Rory O’Connell, Aurélien Mondon, Peter Stegmaier, Henry Jones, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Arlene Stein, Greg Linden, Pam Jarvis, Dan Immergluck, Annalee Newitz, Bill Hare

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 15d

The richest man on earth owns X.

The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.

The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.

See the problem here?

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 19d

www.axios.com/2025/09/20/t...

New H-1B visa fee will not apply to existing holders, official says

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Michelle Lacey @nolastatprof.bsky.social · 19d

The logic of sabotaging the ability to hire trained researchers from abroad while simultaneously sabotaging the ability of US universities to train American researchers is truly baffling.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Richard S.J. Tol, Colin F. Camerer , and 39 more Jonathan Portes, Richard S.J. Tol, Colin F. Camerer, Richard E. Lenski, Robert N. Stavins, Ashish Arora, Elena Litchman, Joshua S. Weitz, Tom Clark, Bryan D. Jones, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Diane Ravitch, David Rothschild, Luca Rossi, Eric Goldman, Peter Holmes, Juan Cole, Orin S. Kerr, Daniel W. Drezner, Iikka Korhonen, Trevon D. Logan, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Alan Richardson, David R. Miller, Aaron Sojourner, McKenzie Wark, Holger Hestermeyer, Lesley Bartlett, Jacob T. Levy, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Scott A. Imberman, Robert B. Reich, Elizabeth Stevenson, James Goodwin, Wolfgang Huber, Andrew Rudalevige, Nathan Richardson, Alexandra Cirone, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Prakash Kashwan, Timothy D. McBride, Southern Africa

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 19d

Critical part of the President's new $100,000 charge for H1-B visas: The Administration can also offer a $100,000 discount to any person, company, or industry that it wants. Replacing rules with arbitrary discretion.

Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski, Peter Thorne, John Barry , and 6 more Richard E. Lenski, Peter Thorne, John Barry, Amir Attaran, P. de Vries, Joseph Schafer, William A. Allen, Karen O’Leary, Rebecca Zorach

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 19d

This is amazing.

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Cargobiker @cargobiker530.bsky.social · 20d

H1-B visas are used for international medical graduates that want to pursue residencies at US hospitals.

Residents are working doctors who treat patients. Instant physician shortage.

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Ernest Belding @misterernest.bsky.social · 20d

Do not Google how many nurses are here on those visas

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 20d

Vaccinations save lives and increase life-span.

For every death averted, 66 years of full health were gained, translating to 10.2 billion years of full health.

The answer to whether vaccinations prevent deaths is written in stone- and in the data.
🧪 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17C2hiurja/

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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Richard E. Lenski, Peter Thorne , and 10 more Dorothy Bishop, Richard E. Lenski, Peter Thorne, Michael S. Rosenberg, John R. Hutchinson, Nicole Dubilier, Iain Davidson, Rosemary A. Joyce, Dawn J. Wright, Margaret Johnston, Elizabeth Stevenson, Zen Faulkes, Aviel Roshwald

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 20d

I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski, Elena Litchman

Georgii "Yegor" Bazykin @gbazykin.bsky.social · 21d

Now hiring a computational postdoc (evolutionary genomics, molecular evolution) in my lab at Emory University.
If you’re interested in population genetics, fitness landscapes, and viral evolution — get in touch.
faculty-emory.icims.com/jobs/151181/...

Careers | Emory University | Atlanta GA

faculty-emory.icims.com

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 22d

Students and colleagues! 🥳

Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · 22d

New in Evolution:
Historical effects during experimental evolution of multicellularity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
by Joleen Khey and Mike Travisano
academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...

Validate User

academic.oup.com

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Richard Lenski @relenski.bsky.social · 22d

I've gotten by with lots of help from my friends.

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski

Betty C. Jung @bettycjung.bsky.social · 27d

E.P.A. to Stop Collecting Emissions Data From Polluters @nytimes.com
The proposal would lift requirements for thousands of coal-fired power plants, oil refineries, steel mills and other industrial facilities across the country.

Remember, no emissions data does not mean there are no emissions.