Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Celeste Allaband

ASM @asm.org · 3h

It’s time to let your creativity grow! Submit your entry for this year’s Agar Art Contest: Microbes Make the World Go Round. From food and health to climate and beyond, microbes shape our lives—now show us your story in agar! Submit by Oct. 26: asm.social/2Dt

Pain palette with microbes as the paint swatches.

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 19h

Dogs who experience neglect as puppies are more likely to be fearful and aggressive in adulthood, suggests research in Scientific Reports. go.nature.com/4pT9hKp 🧪

This is figure 1, which shows key information about the included sample of dogs.

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Preeti Chhibber @runwithskizzers.bsky.social · 9d

Banned Books Week starts on Sunday, October 5—there are a ton of ways to support!

Find ways to get involved here: www.ala.org/bbooks/banne...

(If you're overwhelmed, even just checking out, buying, or elevating a banned book is helpful! Talking about them w/ the ppl in your life is an action!)

A graphic that reads BANNED BOOKS WEEK, Oct 5 - 11, 2025.

Censorship is so 1984. Read for your rights. ala.org/bbooks

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 5d

Dogs who experience neglect as puppies are more likely to be fearful and aggressive in adulthood, suggests research in Scientific Reports. go.nature.com/4pT9hKp 🧪

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

UC Davis @ucdavis.bsky.social · 5d

A first-of-its-kind cancer drug trial by UCSF at UC Davis is offering new hope for cats and humans. 35% of treated cats had their squamous cell carcinoma controlled with minimal side effects, paving the way for potential future human therapies.

Learn more: ucdav.is/4nqVU2q

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Wolf Conservation Center 🐺 @nywolforg.bsky.social · 6d

17 wolves have been killed in MT's hunting season. These wolves are more than just numbers - they each played vital roles in their packs, symbolized resilience, and served as keystone species.

This is an important reminder of what could happen in other states if wolves lose federal protections.

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Alley Cat Allies @alleycatallies.bsky.social · 6d

You may be surprised at how many things you use, eat, or decorate with pose a risk to your feline family members. We have a guide on how to protect cats from poisoning, including a list of harmful items, at alleycat.org/Poison

A brief list of common items to watch out for:

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 7d

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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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 11d

Frustrated about our health agencies? Worried about research funding? Concerned about RFK Jr's Quack cures?

✊TAKE ACTION! Speak at your local No Kings Rally on 10/18 about the fight for science. Follow our step-by-step guide to engage in democracy at the local level, and make allies along the way!

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 14d

I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA

10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Oregon Veterinary Medical Association @oregonvma.org · 14d

September is Animal Pain Awareness Month. Pain management is a high priority for veterinarians caring for their canine patients. Watch for changes in your dog's activity level and behavior as these are the best indicators that it may be experiencing pain. 1/2

A brown and white dog with orange-brown eyes and black dots on its nose looks up at the camera.

September is Animal Pain Awareness Month. Consult with your veterinarian if your dog is not acting normally or is showing any of these signs of pain:
* Lameness or abnormal gait
* Reluctance to move or navigate stairs
* Difficulty jumping, lying down or getting up
* Decreased appetite
* Changes in feeding behavior
* Excessive drooling
* Decreased interest in toys or play
* Mood or temperament changes
* Worried facial expression
* Squinting or closed eyes
* Restlessness
* Abnormal sleeping habits
* Abnormal reaction to petting or brushing
* Licking a specific body region
* Straining to urinate or defecate
* Biting or aggressive behavior
* Unusual whimpering, growling or groaning
* Any evidence of injury

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Celeste Allaband @laballaband.bsky.social · 14d

Great Resource! @asm.org #ASMambassadors

International Microbiology Literacy Initiative - IMiLI @imili-micro.bsky.social · 15d

Welcome to the social media account of the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (IMiLI). Nearly 1,000 researchers freely contribute to the IMiLI project integrating microbiology into education providing downloadable resources for all. Explore at imili.org

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Steve Valeika @zoonotic1.bsky.social · 14d

I deal with this a lot, more than anti-vax. It’s the same playbook as human wellness/SCAM. It tends to rope in very well meaning and usually pretty smart pet owners just trying to do their best. And with the skyrocketing costs of vet care (thanks private equity), trust in us is at an all time low.

Simon F. Haeder @simonfhaeder.bsky.social · 16d

Happy to see my work on pets and veterinarians published in @avmajavma.bsky.social covered in the The New York Times

The Wellness Industry Carves Out a New Niche: Pets
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/w...

Read the corresponding article here:
doi.org/10.2460/javma.24.08.0551

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 14d

a new mRNA therapy apparently can cut the rate of Huntington's disease progression by ~75%. yet more miracle shit www.bbc.com/news/article...

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time

One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.

www.bbc.com

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Celeste Allaband @laballaband.bsky.social · 20d

As a veterinarian and microbiologist, I approve this message!

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Mark O. Martin @markowenmartin.bsky.social · 21d

Today is #InternationalMicroorganismDay! My #Bio350 #Micronauts were offered extra credit to create artwork to celebrate the Small Masters of our #PlanetMicrobe. Please enjoy! This one celebrates the primacy of microbes everywhere! @univpugetsound.bsky.social @asm.org @microbetv.bsky.social #IMD2025

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Zoognosis with Joy! @zoognosisjoy.bsky.social · 22d

This is HUGE. Chlamydia is one of the leading conservation issues in koalas after habitat loss and motor vehicles, especially for joeys. Antibiotics used to treat Chlamydia in humans can kill the bacteria in the Koala gut microbiome, leading to fatal dysbiosis. 🧪 #vetmed

Mongabay @mongabay.com · 22d

Australia’s veterinary medicine regulator has approved a vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia, one of the leading causes of koala infertility and death.

Researchers found the single-dose vaccine reduced mortality in wild koalas by at least 65%.

Australia approves the world’s first chlamydia vaccine for koalas

Australia’s veterinary medicine regulator has approved a vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia, one of the leading causes of koala infertility and death. Researchers found the single-dose vaccine…

news.mongabay.com

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 23d

A simple way to help reduce obesity and stroke?
Stop the shifts in our clocks twice a year
www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Circadian-informed modeling predicts regional variation in obesity and stroke outcomes under different permanent US time policies | PNAS

Seasonal changes in time policy, such as switching between Standard Time (SDT) and Daylight Saving Time (DST), have been adopted by many countries,...

www.pnas.org

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

William H. Grover @wgrover.bsky.social · 25d

❤️❤️❤️ these posters in the Geology building at UC Riverside ❤️❤️❤️

Seriously, why aren't we putting messages like these everywhere? I'd happily chip in some pro-NSF and pro-NIH billboards? 🧪

The internet is the
greatest single scientific innovation of the 20th century
Brought to you by NSF

NSF Funds
Supercomputing
Facilities
Bringing You:
Weather Forecasts
Heat Advisories

NSF and NASA
Maintain GPS
Satelites
Bringing You:
Navigation Apps

NSF Funds
Supercomputing
Facilities
Bringing You:
Surf Forecasts
Severe Weather Alerts

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Anthony (Tony) J. Martin @ichnologist.bsky.social · 28d

Gut contents: the trace fossils that answer the question "What was for dinner?", even if dinner was 180 million years ago. 🧪

Jeanne Timmons @mostlymammoths.bsky.social · 29d

LOVE papers about gut contents!

Vampyromorph coleoid predation by an ichthyosaurian from the Early Jurassic Lagerstätte of Bascharage, #Luxembourg

Valentin Fischer et al

peerj.com/articles/197...

(Seen thanks to @arctomet.bsky.social!)

From paper: Figure 2: Photographs and interpretation of specimen MNHNL TV211.
(A) overview of the specimen. (B) anatomical interpretation of the right lateral portion of the skull. (C) zoom on the fossilised gut content, showing a vampyromorph gladius (red arrow).

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Celeste Allaband @laballaband.bsky.social · 29d

Did you know that the anti-viral remdesivir/Veklury that treats COVID-19 in humans was originally made to treat a deadly cat disease, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)? Hear all about the saga. #betterdatasavespets #onehealth #vetmed
stevedalepetworld.com/blog/report-...

Am update on FIP and the FIP story from the latest symposium

EveryCat Health Foundation hosted a feline infectious peritonitis symposium; the latest information and why Chinese drugs are no longer needed

stevedalepetworld.com

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Celeste Allaband @laballaband.bsky.social · 29d

Great thread! Reminds me of this, lol, catchy (to the tune of Espresso), but maybe not as accurate? youtu.be/TzN148WQ2OQ?...

SARGASSO // EELS (Sabrina Carpenter Parody) | A Capella Science

YouTube video by acapellascience

youtu.be

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

HELLody SchreiBOO @melodyschreiber.com · Sep 7

The first US screwworm patient in the US comes after an increase of cases in South and Central America and the Caribbean in recent years. It highlights the importance of international cooperation on research and prevention, which has taken hits under Trump. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Maryland screwworm case has US officials bracing for return of an old foe

Rise in cases south of the border prompts concern over US livestock as Trump budget cuts hit research and foreign aid

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

CIDRAP @cidrap.bsky.social · Sep 4

FDA warns of H5N1 avian flu detection in raw cat food

he company said it pulled the affected lots before the FDA announcement and questioned the agency's communications and testing.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...

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Reposted by Celeste Allaband

Mark Mandel @markjmandel.bsky.social · Sep 4

Are you a bacterial geneticist looking for a football player to root for this year? Obvious choice is LAC McConkey.

His name is Ladd McConkey and he plays for LAC. Went to microbiology powerhouse Georgia so that checks out.

Last year's Ladd McConkey football rookie card (WR, LA Chargers).

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