Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Geoff Findlay @geofffindlay.bsky.social · 1d

It’s a great afternoon for stock-flipping! 🔱⚾️

Geoff Findlay @geofffindlay.bsky.social · 2d

Congrats to lab alum Brendan Kelly '19 on his co-first author publication from his MS work at Ohio State! journals.plos.org/plosntds/art...

The effects of mating and blood feeding on the immune defense of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Author summary: Mating and the subsequent process of reproduction can either enhance or suppress the ability of female insects to respond to pathogenic infection. In most mosquitoes, blood feeding is ...

journals.plos.org

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 2d

Normally people don’t stress much about the odds of giving up six runs in a single inning, but I’m a Mariners fan and that’s its own kind of generational trauma.

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Skype a Scientist @skypeascientist.bsky.social · 10d

On October 7th, learn how to communicate genetics topics to classrooms and informal settings with with @robomalley.bsky.social from @pged.bsky.social!

This is for teachers and all other kinds of educators.

RSVP for free here: givebutter.com/8TVNiA

DNA floats in the background of a texty event flyer that says "Personal genetics engagement in classrooms and communities, Learn about genetic advances and about how to bring conversations about ethical, legal, and social dimensions of genetics into classrooms and informal science learning. Tuesday October 7, 2025, 12pm EDT. brought to you by Skype a scientist and the personal genetics education and dialogue program. RSVP at linktr.ee/skypeascientist

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

William DeWitt @wsdewitt.github.io · 12d

Here at UW Genome Sciences, PhD students take a summer course at the end of 1st year to write NSF GRFP proposals. They finished refining proposals on Wednesday, the first day of Autumn quarter, marking the start of their 2nd year. With NSF's announcement, the entire cohort is suddenly ineligible.

Katie Langin @klangin.bsky.social · 13d

Today was a hard day for Ph.D. students who found out that they can no longer apply for NSF's prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program. "Devastating“ was how one student described it to me. #GradSchool #NSFGRFP

www.science.org/content/arti...

‘Completely shattered.’ Changes to NSF’s graduate student fellowship spur outcry

The announcement comes months later than usual, leaving many would-be applicants stranded

www.science.org

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 15d

New from #SCIMaP - analysis of the White House’s Proposed FY 2026 National Science Foundation Budget.

Take-home: Slashing NSF by >50% will lead to ~$11 billion in economic loss and extensive job loss and reduced training opportunities in communities nationwide.

Report: osf.io/e8rnc

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Economic loss from the White House's NSF FY 2026 Proposed Budget

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Cedric Feschotte @cedricfeschotte.bsky.social · 16d

📣 Our department is hiring an Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Cell and Molecular Biology to join the @weillinstitute.bsky.social PLS spread the word!
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30607

Cornell University, Molecular Biology & Genetics

Job #AJO30607, WDR-00055221 Assistant Professor, Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, US

academicjobsonline.org

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Stuart Wigby @stuartwigby.bsky.social · 17d

New out in Molecular Ecology! In which we show that small males try harder when it comes to seminal fluid proteins. w/ @ju-morimoto.bsky.social @iremsepil.bsky.social @becks-seascience.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Geoff Findlay @geofffindlay.bsky.social · 23d

Excited to share that our new NSF RUI grant was funded! 🎉🪰 We'll be looking into Drosophila fertilization proteins and studying how orphan genes function in non-model fly species. We're hiring for a 3-year lab manager/staff scientist position: app.jobvite.com/j/?cj=oGzWxf... Shares/RTs appreciated!

College of the Holy Cross is looking for Lab Manager / Staff Scientist.

College of the Holy Cross is looking for Lab Manager / Staff Scientist. Learn more or Jobvite a friend.

app.jobvite.com

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Science X / Phys.org @sciencex.bsky.social · 23d

Female fruit flies possess two visually identical sperm storage organs that differ in origin, sperm storage, and release rates, highlighting functional asymmetry in paired biological structures. doi.org/g93t23

Surprising find reveals asymmetry in identical-looking fruit fly organs

At Cornell, Dawn Chen was counting sperm stored in a pair of organs called spermathecae in female fruit flies, fully expecting the counts to be roughly the same.

phys.org

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Geoff Findlay @geofffindlay.bsky.social · 23d

Excited to share that our new NSF RUI grant was funded! 🎉🪰 We'll be looking into Drosophila fertilization proteins and studying how orphan genes function in non-model fly species. We're hiring for a 3-year lab manager/staff scientist position: app.jobvite.com/j/?cj=oGzWxf... Shares/RTs appreciated!

College of the Holy Cross is looking for Lab Manager / Staff Scientist.

College of the Holy Cross is looking for Lab Manager / Staff Scientist. Learn more or Jobvite a friend.

app.jobvite.com

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Jen Perry @jennyperry.bsky.social · 26d

MSc position in my lab. Come study the evolutionary & behavioural ecology of insects!
@stfx-university.bsky.social

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Alexey Amunts @amunts.bsky.social · Sep 3

The scent of silence! Cool research in Cell @cellpress.bsky.social to brighten up your day🌹. The mystery of why some roses are fragrant and others aren't has an answer. It's called SCREP: a rose-specific gene that evolved from non-coding DNA 16.8 million years ago 👇

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · Aug 29

This is good: With Trump/RFK destroying CDC, JB Pritzker's officials are exploring the possibility of buying Covid vaccines from manufacturers and distributing them in-state themselves, source tells me.

Dem govs must step up and fill the void.

New piece from me:
newrepublic.com/article/1998...

Trump’s Decapitation of CDC Takes Darker Turn—and Hands Dems a Weapon

Illinois’s J.B. Pritzker is leading a charge other Democratic governors should take up: In our America, we’ll make sure public health systems remain strong.

newrepublic.com

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

bioRxiv Genomics @biorxiv-genomic.bsky.social · Aug 21

A predicted structural interactome reveals binding interference from intrinsically disordered regions https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.15.670535v1

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Megan Ranney MD MPH @meganranney.bsky.social · Aug 19

Also important this week: A trustworthy guide to childhood vaccine schedules, from actual pediatricians (many of whom saw these diseases before they could be vaccinated against).

* pin it & share it *

Ps: no, pediatricians are not pharma shills, don’t @ me
www.healthychildren.org/English/safe...

All About the AAP Recommended Immunization Schedule

Here's what to know about the recommended immunization schedule for children and teens. The schedule is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics and based on ongoing review of the most recent sc...

www.healthychildren.org

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Megan Ranney MD MPH @meganranney.bsky.social · Aug 19

A must-read, must-share piece - clearly deconstructing the shoddy science of the Geiers (who are inexplicably in charge of studies at HHS).

Consider this an early warning for what lies ahead. 🛟🩺🧪

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Opinion | The Playbook Used to ‘Prove’ Vaccines Cause Autism (Gift Article)

Data can easily be manipulated to show a causation that doesn’t exist.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · Aug 16

Been hearing folks don’t realize NIH is more than its internal labs.

That cutting NIH is ok because Dana Farber will still do cancer research. Joslin will cover diabetes, etc.

But these centers get most of their funding from NIH.

Stop NIH, and the whole system fails, across the entire US.

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · Aug 16

You might find this relevant - scorecards by district on the local economic impacts of White House proposed FY26 budget cuts.

scienceimpacts.org/fy26

SCIMaP - Impacts of Federal Cuts to Science and Medical Research

View Projected Impact of the FY2026 Budget Cuts to the NIH

scienceimpacts.org

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · Aug 15

FlyBase needs your help! We ask that European labs continue to contribute to Cambridge, UK FlyBase, whereas US and other non-European labs can contribute to US FlyBase. For more information and how to donate: wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...

FlyBase:Contribute to FlyBase - FlyBase Wiki

wiki.flybase.org

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Genomics Education Partnership @genomicsed.bsky.social · Aug 8

In 2005, a small team of researchers asked:
What if undergrads didn’t just learn genomics, but contributed to real discoveries?

That question launched the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP).
#GenomicsEducation #UndergradResearch #GEPCUREs

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Genomics Education Partnership @genomicsed.bsky.social · Aug 7

Undergrads learning real genomics?
Yes—through the Pathways Project.

The GEP provides:
• A gene annotation walkthrough
• A full YouTube video series
• All prerequisite curriculum materials
—all free and open-access.

Explore here: thegep.org/projects/pat...

#Genomics #STEMed #GEPtools

Graphic of the UCSC Genome Browser with accompanying text. Image text: "The Pathways Project: Free, open-access genomics curriculum for undergraduates. Learn more at thegep.org."

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology @biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · Aug 3

Protein sequence evolution underlies interspecies incompatibility of a cell fate determinant https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.02.668269v1

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

bioRxiv Genomics @biorxiv-genomic.bsky.social · Jul 25

Gene model for the ortholog of Glyp in Drosophila ananassae https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.18.665411v1

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

Melissah Rowe @melissahrowe.bsky.social · Jul 24

We are looking for a postdoc to join our group to work on an ERC funded project on avian reproductive microbiomes. nioo.knaw.nl/en/vacancies...
Please RT! #microbes #microbiomes #sparrows #postdoc

Postdoctoral researcher: avian microbiomes and reproduction

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join our team working on avian reproductive microbiomes at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) in the group of Dr. Melissah Rowe. The postd...

nioo.knaw.nl

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Reposted by Geoff Findlay

K.T. Elliott @ktelliottmicro.bsky.social · Jul 17

🚨🚨🚨PUI TT Job Alert!!

My dept at TCNJ is hiring a tenure track cell and molecular biologist. Come join my supportive colleagues, helpful staff, & fabulous students!

We're surprisingly well resourced w/excellent equipment (confocal, SEM etc) and research w/students counts towards our teaching load!

Assistant Professor - Biology

Click the link provided to see the complete job description.

tcnj.taleo.net

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