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Thomas P200 Burke

@findmeinthelab.bsky.social

1.2K followers 650 following 74 posts

Asst Prof at UC Irvine. Studying host-pathogen interactions, microbial cancer therapies. Expert takes on unserious content burkelab.medschool.uci.edu

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Thomas P200 Burke @findmeinthelab.bsky.social · Dec 2

I'm pumped to finally share our lab's first publication!
Microbiology and cancer are deeply intertwined, and this is our first foray into the cancer field. We asked: how do bacteria activate innate immunity in tumors to elicit anti-cancer responses?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Cytosolic bacterial pathogens activate TLR pathways in tumors that synergistically enhance STING agonist cancer therapies

Intracellular bacterial pathogens are distinctive tools for fighting cancer, as they can proliferate in tumors and deliver therapeutic payloads to the…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Ryan Hernandez @rdhernand.bsky.social · 6h

There are unprecedented challenges for science, calling for bold action and collective effort. Training the next generation of scientific leaders has never been more important. Join us as we grow National PROPEL to answer this call. Learn more: propelscholars.org @propelscholars.bsky.social 🧪🧬🖥️🧵

Building a community of PROPEL-affiliated programs at UCSF, U. Utah, UCSC, MUSC, U. Iowa, UW/Fred Hutch, OHSU, and Stanford!

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Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 8d

This is why we fund scientists to study things like oyster slobber even if you don’t think it sounds important

Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 9d

⚠️ Chinese researchers have invented bone glue that mimics how oysters stick to surfaces underwater.

The adhesive can reportedly repair orthopedic fractures in 2-3 minutes, even in blood-rich environments, and is bioabsorbable.

interestingengineering.com/science/chin...

China's oyster-inspired 'bone glue' bonds fractures in minutes

A new oyster-inspired Bone-02 adhesive can revolutionize bone repair without metal fasteners.

interestingengineering.com

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Joanne Flynn @joanneflynn19.bsky.social · Aug 20

We are hiring! The Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics is looking for faculty at the Assistant or Associate professor level (tenure track). Please consider joining our vibrant microbiology and immunology community at the University of Pittsburgh School of medicine

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berkeleyMCB @berkeleymcb.bsky.social · Aug 20

We're Hiring! Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine in MCB. Learn more and apply online:
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05096

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Piali Sengupta @senguptalab.bsky.social · 23d

A huge shoutout to all the dedicated grants management specialists at the NIH who are working around the clock to push grants out before the Sep 30 deadline. And also to the POs responding to frantic emails.
Not an easy job under the best of circumstances and right now it's the pits.
Thank you!

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Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · 15d

🚨 Microbiologists! We are recruiting Assistant / Associate Professors in 3 collaborative areas of our U. Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...

Faculty Professor Associate - Full-Time | Vaughn Cooper

We are recruiting Faculty microbiologists in three (3) different, complementary, and collaborative areas at the University of Pittsburgh associated with the School of Medicine. 1) Fundamental researc...

www.linkedin.com

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Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 24d

Shutting down the war on cancer.

“New presidential administrations have usually gone out of their way to make transitions at the NIH as seamless as possible so as not to disrupt ongoing research…”

Right. That’s not what is happening now. Must-read article.

🧪

Trump Is Shutting Down the War On Cancer

www.nytimes.com

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Prahathees Eswara @eswaralab.bsky.social · 26d

We are hiring! Please share the news.

Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Bacterial Pathogenesis

See link below for details.

We are a vibrantly growing department with friendly colleagues and supportive environment. Bonus: year-round sunshine in Tampa, FL 🌤🌴

Job Ad: tinyurl.com/USF-Microbio...

Assistant Professor - Molecular Biosciences

Department Name / Number: Molecular Biosciences / 0-1210-000 College: College of Arts and Sciences Hiring Salary: Negotiable Appointment Start Date: August 7, 2026 The Department of Molecular Bioscien...

tinyurl.com

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Thomas P200 Burke @findmeinthelab.bsky.social · Sep 4

You’re probably thinking of the controversy from a retracted paper about detecting tumor bacteria in blood as a diagnostic. The field has shown rather thoroughly that bacteria naturally colonize tumors, cool stuff!

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

The human tumor microbiome is composed of tumor type–specific intracellular bacteria

Different human tumor types show differences in the composition of bacteria that they harbor.

www.science.org

Reposted by Thomas P200 Burke

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · Aug 28

"Tao is one of the most prominent mathematicians and academics to publicly oppose the administration’s actions, calling them an “existential threat” to his field, and academic science, more broadly. He said public advocacy is a priority over his research, for now."

www.nbcnews.com/science/scie...

The 'Mozart of Math' rarely speaks about politics. The wide-ranging cuts to science funding made him change that.

UCLA's Terence Tao called the Trump administration's actions an "existential threat" to academic research in the U.S.

www.nbcnews.com

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Demetre Daskalakis @drdemetre.bsky.social · Aug 28

Enough is enough. The health of the country is in danger. Read our resignation letters: insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...

Breaking News: Read three top CDC officials' resignation emails.

The end of an era.

insidemedicine.substack.com

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Oren Samet @osamet.bsky.social · Aug 28

I know there's a lot happening today, but this is sneaking in under the radar. This proposed new rule would absolutely crush foreign PhD students, potentially making it impossible for them to enroll with any certainty of their ability to finish www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Aug 24

New York Times story with profiles of researchers whose grants were terminated.

[Gift Link]

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/o...

Opinion | America First? Not When It Comes to Your Health.

www.nytimes.com

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Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · Aug 22

NIH funding had a 156% basic annual return in 2024 (ie not taking into account any previous and/or future investments and/or returns). I’m no finance expert but it seems crazy that we’re all going to have that thrown away cause some people think public schools want to turn kids into transgender mice

NIH Grants Fueled $95 Billion In FY 2024 Economic Activity, Finds New Report

National Institutes of Health grants generated almost $95 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY 2024 according to a new report by United for Medical Research.

www.forbes.com

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Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · Aug 21

Our Pitt Microbiology and Molecular Genetics department in the School of Medicine is recruiting..

Microbiologists! 🧫🦠🔬🧪

Please apply to join our faculty and enjoy these views 👀 while doing great science

cfopitt.taleo.net/careersectio...

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Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · Aug 19

NIH progress on new R01s in FY 2025 drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/n...

NIH progress on new R01s in FY 2025

I know Doctor Editor Director Professor Berg has more sophisticated analyses going but this simple data set made sense to me once I realized how few new R01 NIAAA has issued so far (5). Since we ar…

drugmonkey.wordpress.com

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Julie Pfeiffer @jkpfeiff.bsky.social · Aug 18

Faculty search announcement 2025: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Microbiology at UT Southwestern. We seek candidates working in microbial pathogenesis (some preference may be given to bacterial pathogens). Come join our community! (1/5) www.utsouthwestern.edu/departments/...

Department members sit at a very long table in the hallway eating a pre-Thanksgiving potluck feast.

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Michael Caley @michaelcaley.bsky.social · Aug 17

bsky folks are saying this woman made a bad decision and obviously she did but the dairy is selling a self-refutingly irresponsible product -- they label the raw milk "not for human consumption" and sell it in milk bottles at health food stores for people to buy www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2...

Mother sues Florida dairy farm, claims she lost fetus after raw milk led to bacterial infection

A New Smyrna Beach dairy farm was named in a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims she lost her fetus after falling ill while caring for her toddler who became sick after drinking raw, unpasteurized mil...

www.clickorlando.com

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Matthew Lawrenz @lawrenzlab.bsky.social · Aug 17

My alma mater is hiring a microbiologist! Assistant/Associate Prof. 👇👇

Assistant/Associate Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics - McGovern Medical School in Texas, United States | Faculty & Physicians at UTHealth Houston

Apply for Assistant/Associate Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics - McGovern Medical School job with UTHealth Houston in Texas, United States. Faculty & Physicians at UTHealth Houston

careers.uth.tmc.edu

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Amanda Amodeo @aaamodeo.bsky.social · Aug 14

My Department (Biology) at @dartmouthartsci.bsky.social is hiring this year! We have an opening for a Tenure Track Cell and/or Molecular biologist (broadly defined).

Please share with your trainees/labmates/friends and reach out if you have questions.

apply.interfolio.com/171625

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

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Andrew Stoehr @andrewstoehr.bsky.social · Aug 14

We're hiring TWO (two!) tenure-track assistant professors in my Biology department: cellular/molecular biology and plant biology. Within those categories, we are very open to research focus. Come work with me! And please spread the word! fa-exer-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Careers At Butler Careers

Welcome

fa-exer-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com

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Dr. Lauren E. Fuess @laurenfuess.bsky.social · Aug 12

🚨🚨We’re hiring a postdoc!🚨🚨

Min two year contract; start in 2026 (flexible) & contribute to this project focused on understanding the link between bleaching recovery and disease in cnidarians!! Opportunities to work on side projects too!

Deadline Nov 1!

Info here: tinyurl.com/y2abjsem

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The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Aug 5

The rapid decline of American science has few precedents in history, argues @rossandersen.bsky.social. We are witnessing an unparalleled act of self-sabotage: https://theatln.tc/d40fABTK

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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · Aug 8

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees www.statnews.com/2025/08/08/t...

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees

A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants

www.statnews.com

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ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · Aug 7

Please share my 1 min video on the importance of maintaining NIH funding of infectious diseases and drug discovery research vs rising antibiotic resistance

Drastic budget cuts harm our health and imperil the next generation of scientists

More @UCSanDiego “Behind Every Breakthrough” bit.ly/3FlXQs3

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