Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Julia Saltz

Greg Copenhaver @copenhaverlab.bsky.social · 2d

The @uncchapelhill.bsky.social Department of Biology is searching for tenure-track Assistant Professor in Plant Molecular Biology. Chapel Hill is a wonderful place and Biology is an amazing group of people. To apply, see:
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...

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Julia Saltz @juliasaltz.bsky.social · 5d

Thanks! 🪰

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Julia Saltz @juliasaltz.bsky.social · 5d

my lab has moved to @iubiology.bsky.social! We're getting the #newlab set up here and excited to interact with @iu-cisab.bsky.social, @bdsc.bsky.social, and more! I'd love to hear from prospective lab members, especially prospective PhD students, postdocs, and technicians. more info: saltzlab.com

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Smith Bee Lab @smithbeelab.bsky.social · 22d

The Smith Bee Lab is HIRING! 🐝🐝🐝
- Postdoc (2-4yrs, flexible start-date)
- 1-2 Graduate Students (to start Fall 2026)

No prior experience with honey bees needed, we encourage people from diverse research areas to apply!

(no jerks, plz)

Advertisement for applying to the Smith Bee Lab

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · 26d

The next stand-alone meeting of the American Society of Naturalists @asn-amnat.bsky.social will be on the East Coast!!! Mark your calendars for January 8-12, 2027 and we'll talk evolution, ecology, behavior, and integrative organismal biology at www.themansionatglencove.com/meeting-venues

VENUES | The Mansion at Glen Cove | Luxury Mansion Wedding Venues & Events

Discover premium meeting spaces at The Mansion at Glen Cove. Our mansion is perfect for corporate events with elegant surroundings and modern amenities.

www.themansionatglencove.com

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Julia Saltz @juliasaltz.bsky.social · 23d

(Sorry I’m not familiar with prominent east coast mansions)

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Julia Saltz @juliasaltz.bsky.social · 23d

Saved you a click: Long Island

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27d

Would you like some good news? A new vaccine has just been approved for protecting koalas from chlamydia, which is one of their leading causes of death.

Australia approves first vaccine to save koalas from chlamydia

A vaccine to protect Australia's koalas against chlamydia has been approved for the first time, a development that scientists believe could stop the spread of the deadly disease that has ravaged populations of the beloved endangered animal.

www.reuters.com

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Kathy Darragh @kdarragh.bsky.social · 27d

I'm looking for PhD students to join the lab starting August 2026. We study the evolution of insect chemical signals so if you're interested in evolutionary biology, chemical ecology, molecular biology, behavior, or genetics, this could be a good fit for you! More info here: tinyurl.com/mrxchwfm

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

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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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Kelly Weinersmith @weinersmith.bsky.social · Aug 12

Come see @stevebrusatte.bsky.social and I TODAY at the @edbookfest.bsky.social!

We'll be talking about A City on Mars, and the @royalsociety.org is going to announce their 2025 Book Prize short-list during the session!

Tickets available here: www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival...

Kelly Weinersmith: To Boldly Go?

From Tue 12 Aug - Hear Weinersmith chat with us about this hilarious, wise, deeply-researched project that makes us glad to still live on our third rock from the sun. Plus, find out which books made 2...

www.edbookfest.co.uk

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Prosanta Chakrabarty @prosanta.bsky.social · Jul 20

"Save The NSF" - a little blogpost I wrote to amplify the #SaveTheNSF mission.

The National Science Foundation is one of the world’s premier funders of basic science research; proposed federal cuts would derail how we do science in the U.S.

aguidetoacademia.blogspot.com/2025/07/save...

Save the NSF

The National Science Foundation is one of the world’s premier funders of basic science research (i.e. the fundamental di...

aguidetoacademia.blogspot.com

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Armando Rosario-Lebrón @rosariolebronentomology.com · Jul 20

A Peacock Fly (Callopistromyia sp.) showing off the beautiful display on those wings! They strut around waving their wings and doing a little wiggle, an amazing behavior right in your own backyard.

#Invert #Diptera #bugsky 🌿 #entomology

Macrophotograph of a Peacock Fly (Callopistromyia sp) resting on a slightly weathered metal beam. The fly holds its patterned wings upright in an elaborate, fan-like display, appearing almost butterfly-like. Each wing is intricately marked with shades of dark brown, black, white, and subtle hints of iridescent blue, creating a mosaic-like camouflage pattern. The fly’s body is robust and heavily speckled in shades of brown, black, and cream. Bright, vivid orange-red eyes stand out distinctly on its head, along with delicate antennae and fine bristles visible along its legs and thorax. The textured metal beam beneath it has faint scratches and rust streaks, providing contrast that highlights the detail and coloration of the insect.

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

The Salt Lake Tribune @sltrib.com · Jul 8

Proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation “would cause immense and largely irreversible damage to the successful American scientific enterprise,” write Jerry Kaplan and Dana Carroll in an op-ed.

Voices: Federal funding cuts to genetic research will be devastating for years to come

Proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation “would cause immense and largely irreversible damage to the successful American scientific enterprise,” write Jerry Kaplan and Dana Carroll in an op-ed.

www.sltrib.com

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Anne Simon @simonsocial.bsky.social · Jul 11

Hi, if you are looking to come to Canada for a post-doc or a PhD, consider my lab to study the genetic basis of social interactions, using the fruit fly! My university (Western University) has a new program to welcome you! See below! #drosophila #postdoc #canada #PhD #social #behaviouralneurogenetic

Western University @westernu.ca · Jul 8

To attract top global talent, #WesternU is doubling the number of Postdoctoral Fellowship Program awards and launching the new US-CAN Doctoral Excellence Awards. #CdnPSE #HigherEd

Western expands PhD and postdoc funding - Western News

Western is boosting funding for postdoctoral fellows and PhD candidates from the U.S. and other countries with expanded and new award programs.

news.westernu.ca

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · Jul 11

One small hint here:

Everyone in the country wants cancer cures. And they’re cheap and easy compared to other programs:
Fund NIH/NSF, and keep politics out of those agencies. Politicians should lean hard into this!

Jack Phantom @jackphantom.bsky.social · Jul 11

But the problem for Democratic candidates here is that they really don't have anything to offer. They don't want healthcare, because their donor base - they can't do anything about jobs because God forbid they enforce laws donors don't want.

When 68% of households don't earn enough for basics...

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Zack Labe @zacklabe.com · Jul 8

I can't stress enough how close U.S. science is to the cliff.

"Numbers released in May by the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicate that if Congress approves the cuts to the agency proposed by the White House, the number of early-career researchers it supports could fall by 78%" (@science.org)

‘It’s a nightmare.’ U.S. funding cuts threaten academic science jobs at all levels

“There is a lot of pressure to essentially leave the country or not pursue research,” one Ph.D. student says

www.science.org

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Jul 8

BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Marc Joanisse @drmarcj.bsky.social · Jul 8

My university has announced a special international graduate fellowship for PhD students whose acceptance at a US university has been rescinded. Check it out: grad.uwo.ca/finances/wes...

US-CAN Doctoral Excellence Award

Western University, in vibrant London, Ontario, delivers an academic and student experience second to none.

grad.uwo.ca

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Sofia Forss @sofiaforss.bsky.social · Jul 4

Do you have expertise in Animal Behavior & in Editorial work? Open position below👇🏼

ASAB @asab.org · Jul 4

We are seeking a full-time Managing Editor for our journal Animal Behaviour. This editor will be involved in all stages of the publication process & must have a general understanding of the topics covered. Position starts Oct 1, application deadline July 31.

More details:
www.asab.org/opportunities

Opportunities — ASAB

www.asab.org

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Richard Sever @richardsever.bsky.social · Jul 4

"A generation of scientific talent at the brink of being lost to overseas competitors by dismantling of NSF" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Scientists warn US will lose a generation of talent because of Trump cuts

Political interference and chaotic cuts to staff, programs and grants at the National Science Foundation are producing ‘devastating consequences’

www.theguardian.com

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Krish Sanghvi @krishsanghvi11.bsky.social · Jun 27

How to interpret sexual selection using Bateman gradients? When are these not informative & how should researchers identify, deal with confounded gradients? We simulate anisogamy & sperm competition to provide a guide for using Bateman gradients. Out in Evolution

academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...

Diagnosing confounded Bateman gradients

Abstract. The Bateman gradient is a fundamental metric of sexual selection, often interpreted as the fitness advantage individuals gain by increasing their

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Phil Martin @philmartin.bsky.social · Jun 27

Great new paper shows that using knowledge from non-English language journals can strengthen global biodiversity databases. Including info from Brazilian journals increased species & population coverage & reduced uncertainty in population trends besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Knowledge from non‐English‐language studies broadens contributions to conservation policy and helps to tackle bias in biodiversity data

Collecting data from local sources markedly further strengthens global biodiversity databases by adding species not previously included in international datasets. Furthermore, the addition of these d...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Jun 26

@madisonplunkert.bsky.social speaks to the people of #Maryland: Budget cuts to NIH, NOAA, and other agencies threaten our health, safety, and economy. These aren’t just numbers—they endanger the scientific foundation of our future."

zurl.co/B7VCL

#StandUpForScience
#SummerFightForScience

All Marylanders at risk with cuts to science funding | GUEST COMMENTARY

Funding science is an investment in Maryland’s future, writes Madison Plunkert.

zurl.co

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Reposted by Julia Saltz

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Jun 24

The 2024 Breakthrough of the Year @science.org
Where did it come from?
NIH supported research
www.science.org/content/arti...

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