Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 23h

It’s time for the fly party with my fly friends! #CSHLDros

A cartoon from smbc captioned “the life of a scientist sounds way more fun if you describe it like you’re a 6 year old.” The scientist in the cartoon is wearing glasses and a teal polo. Their speech bubble says “I like flies and me and my friends look at flies all the time and sometimes the flies are neat and we tell our other friends about it and our friends also like flies and sometimes we have fly parties and so no we know a lot about flies.” The original cartoon said rocks, Annika photoshopped in flies.

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

I'm always looking for more well-researched, well-sourced science journalism on topics relevant to any aspect of gene regulation and cancer biology, so hit me up with your recommendations. I also accept comics! Like this one: xkcd.com/3056/

RNA

xkcd.com

3 5

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

www.outsports.com/2024/4/12/24...

Trans athlete study concludes blanket bans in sports are a mistake

The lead researcher of a landmark IOC-funded study looking at strength, power and aerobic capacity of trans athletes tells Outsports that sports federations should consider its findings carefully.

www.outsports.com

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/h...

Baby Is Healed With World’s First Personalized Gene-Editing Treatment

www.nytimes.com

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...

No, You Can’t Design Your Baby—And Trying Would Be a Terrible Idea

A genomics firm saying they can help parents with “genetic optimization” of their embryos is tone-deaf Silicon Valley marketing trampling over legitimate science. Parents should be wary

www.scientificamerican.com

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

www.thetransmitter.org/sex-differen...

Revisiting sex and gender in the brain

To conduct scientifically accurate and socially responsible research, think of “sex” as a complex, multifactorial and context-dependent variable.

www.thetransmitter.org

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

www.404media.co/open-source-...

Open Source Genetic Database Shuts Down to Protect Users From 'Authoritarian Governments'

"The risk/benefit calculus of providing free & open access to individual genetic data in 2025 is very different compared to 14 years ago."

www.404media.co

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

undark.org/2025/03/26/u...

In Genetics, a Tense Coexistence of Mainstream and Fringe Views

In an era of open data, genome-wide association studies have become entangled with efforts to prove Black inferiority.

undark.org

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 1d

Clearing out my bookmarks folder to prep readings I'll be using in my 300-level Gene Regulation class next semester! We cover a lot of primary "classic" literature in class, with recent accessible science journalism as assigned reading to see how gene regulation is relevant to today's issues. 🧵

1 2 3

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 2d

Ahhhhhh!!! I’ve been waiting so long for the wide release! (Extra special cool people have had access, so I’ve known it’s in the works). 🪰🧪

Janelia FlyEM @janelia-flyem.bsky.social · 2d

We're very proud to be releasing the complete male fly CNS connectome!

It's the product of a huge team effort here at Janelia in partnership with the Cambridge Fly Connectomics group (@jefferis.bsky.social and colleagues), plus invaluable collaborators.

More soon...
www.janelia.org/project-team...

Male CNS Connectome

A team of researchers has unveiled the complete connectome of a male fruit fly central nervous system —a seamless map of all the neurons in the brain and nerve cord of a single male fruit fly and the ...

www.janelia.org

1 4 21

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 2d

Heading to #CSHLDros this week, which means it’s time to get an embroidery project cued up to keep my hands busy while I listen!
🧪 🧬 🪰🪡

A wooden embroidery hoop with cream colored Aida lies on a wooden surface. At left a spectrum of thread skeins in green, yellow and brown. On top of the unstitched fabric is a bitty pair of TSA-permissible scissors.

2 6 52

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 2d

Characteristic motor features of fly sleep! Tho of course it would be cuter if they curled up under a blankie.

Mehmet Keles @flyman.bsky.social · Apr 8

I am proud to share that our work of 4+ years has finally been published. We wondered if there are distinct behaviors that mark sleep in 🪰, where sleep has been defined as prolonged immobility.
🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

FlyVISTA, an integrated machine learning platform for deep phenotyping of sleep in Drosophila

A machine learning platform identifies and characterizes the dynamics of microbehaviors during fly sleep.

www.science.org

1 7

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 4d

Started in Jan 2020 and haven’t caught a break since. But you can bet P&T committees don’t care - taking any world circumstances into account is “lowering the bar.” I’ve been told all standards for grants and publication remain the same. And I have too much service.

AZ Faust @azfaust.bsky.social · 4d

A couple of related-unrelated thoughts that have swirling in my head:

1. This is a bad time to become a new PI in the US. Probably the worst since WWII. If you're negotiating for a position, know your road is way harder than it was for the people on your TT committee. Negotiate accordingly.

4 6 21

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 5d

It's not - cuz we get 6 different kinds! I myself like the white pizza. Also, none of the pizza has pineapple, so you know we are all trustworthy colleagues.

3 3

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 6d

Despite These Times...my department is hiring! I really like my department, we have a good mix of disciplines and organisms and we're really low-drama. We also get pizza at faculty meeting. So if you're a computational and structural biologist, join us! 🧪 jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/260...

Assistant Professor - Tenure Track Faculty

The Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is inviting applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position. The position requires a doc...

jobs.rutgers.edu

3 92 100

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 8d

I also jog in the park at dawn and dusk alone in complete safety (although technically the park is closed sunset to sunrise and I’m the rule-breaker!).

3

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 8d

Someone who used to live in my city said they wouldn’t go to the park near my house “unless it was in a tank.” My husband and I joke about it when we take our daily dog walk there, chat with neighbors, ride the free kayaks, and let kids on the playground pet Goose. 🙄

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 10d

the amount of raw, unadulterated fear that many Americans have of even small cities is never going to stop being darkly hilarious to me

1 9

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 8d

I commented and you can too! It was helpful to read the statement from the National Postdoc Association (downthread) when preparing my own statement.

Ian L Morgan @ianlmorgan.bsky.social · 9d

DHS is proposing a rule that would end "duration of status" for J, F and other visa holders. This would decimate the international graduate student and postdoc population, which are a crucial part of the United States biomedical workforce. There's still time for you to comment on the proposed rule.

Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media

Unlike most nonimmigrant classifications, which are admitted for a fixed time period, aliens in the F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and most I (representatives of foreign information media...

www.federalregister.gov

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 8d

It's been wonderful to be part of hosting www.jshs.org regional symposium at Rutgers the last few years. But the Department of Defense is not renewing this grant, impacting high schoolers across the United States. Killing STEM all the way down... 😥

Student STEM Competitions - Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

Elevating Every Mind The STEM competition that challenges high school students from everywhere to achieve, and to build the skills that prepare them for college and career. LEARN MORE A…

www.jshs.org

3

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 8d

Nona!!! What a sweetie, hope she's as sweet as her namesake.

1

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 9d

Useful knowledge. Also, my brain insists this is pronounced euro-pep-em-cee. 🫠

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 9d

When I was at NIH and shutdowns loomed, it was discovered that the administration was planning to shut down PubMed. The head of NCBI called the powers that be and pointed out that this would threaten patient safety

Who knows what will happen now

Just in case, remember Euruope-PMC
(europepmc.org )

a cartoon of donald trump with the words be prepared above him

ALT: a cartoon of donald trump with the words be prepared above him

media.tenor.com

1 2

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 9d

Which do you like better- writing a new book in a world you’ve already made or stand-alone books?

3

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 9d

Apple reviews are backkkkk on Bluesky! (Also go read Black River Orchard, I re-listen to the audio book every October as I run along the Delaware, to creep myself out).

Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 9d

Sure, let's eat and review this Shrek Ass of an apple --

Apple Review #4: Knobbed Russet

Holy fucking shit, look at this Shrek-Ass Apple. Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we begin, a note on how (and why) I’m reviewing these. The why, first. Once upon a time, ther…

terribleminds.com

4 40

Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 10d

Gotta get you a bestie who will fly all the way from Singapore to bring you the world’s best chips!

Collage of photos dates 2022, 2023, 2025 showing Annika posing with red bags of Ooh Mala chips

6

Reposted by Annika Barber

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 12d

This paper does a great job with a "It's a Wonderful Life" scenario about NIH, supposing the consequences of the bottom 40% of the funding NIH grants never existed.

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

tl:dr The world would lose a lot, but directly and indirectly

What if NIH had been 40% smaller?

Replaying history with less NIH funding shows widespread impacts on drug-linked research

www.science.org

3 59 120