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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

The Wells Lab of UCLA @wellslab.bsky.social · 8d

The first (of hopefully many) reports to come from our collaboration with @hjp.bsky.social

We present a new type of cell fitness assay that allows you to both quantify and explain differences across human donors in cell proliferation and sensitivity to environmental toxicants.

bioRxiv Genetics @biorxiv-genetic.bsky.social · 9d

Cell villages and Dirichlet modeling map human cell fitness genetics https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.26.678880v1

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Harold Pimentel @hjp.bsky.social · 9d

Super excited to get this out. This collab started a few years ago and is the first paper from it. Here, with experimental and computational approaches we:

1. establish that cell villages can be just as accurate (one might argue more accurate!) than arrayed-based designs

bsky.app/profile/bior...

bioRxiv Genetics @biorxiv-genetic.bsky.social · 9d

Cell villages and Dirichlet modeling map human cell fitness genetics https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.26.678880v1

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Nael Nadif Kasri @naelnadifkasri-lab.bsky.social · Sep 1

New #cilia preprint alert

Our latest manuscript is now live on bioRxiv:
"The Neuronal Primary Cilium is a Key Regulator of Homeostatic Plasticity"

We hope you enjoy reading it!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The Neuronal Primary Cilium is a Key Regulator of Homeostatic Plasticity

The capacity of neurons to maintain stable activity levels through homeostatic plasticity is essential for proper brain function. Primary cilia, which are non-motile, antenna-like organelles projectin...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Nature Biotechnology @natbiotech.nature.com · 20d

CRISPR activation restores expression of a haploinsufficient neuronal sodium channel, rescuing neuronal deficits associated with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders. #NBThighlight www.nature.com/articles/s41...

CRISPR activation for SCN2A-related neurodevelopmental disorders - Nature

Using SCN2A haploinsufficiency as a proof-of-concept, upregulation of the existing functional gene copy through CRISPR activation was able to rescue neurological-associated phenotypes in Scn2a haploin...

www.nature.com

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Michael F. Wells @mfwells.bsky.social · Sep 9

$29.95?? IN THIS ECONOMY????

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Steve Ramirez @okaysteve.bsky.social · Sep 8

Good morning everyone!
So, I wrote a book (!!) and it’s coming out November 4th in physical and audiobook form. It’s called *How to Change a Memory*

www.amazon.com/How-Change-M...

How to Change a Memory: One Neuroscientist’s Quest to Alter the Past

Buy How to Change a Memory: One Neuroscientist’s Quest to Alter the Past on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

www.amazon.com

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Michael F. Wells @mfwells.bsky.social · Sep 2

CONGRATS!

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Brian McHugh @brianmchugh.bsky.social · Aug 24

ICYMI

Alarming levels of Pfas in blood of those living near US air force base, study finds

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ were found at a level 10 times higher than people who did not work in contaminated zone

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Alarming levels of Pfas in blood of those living near US air force base, study finds

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ were found at a level 10 times higher than people who did not work in contaminated zone

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Ian Weissman, DO @drianweissman.bsky.social · Aug 23

Air pollution from oil and gas is linked to 91,000 premature deaths and hundreds of thousands of health issues across the United States each year—with Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic groups consistently among the most affected.
time.com/7311655/us-o...

91,000 Premature Deaths Each Year Linked to US Air Pollution

Air pollution from oil and gas production and use in the U.S. has an enormous health toll. A new study tallies the cost.

time.com

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Sasha Gusev @sashagusevposts.bsky.social · Aug 10

I wrote about how genetic risk works in the context of embryo selection and how people often think about it all wrong. A short 🧵:

What we talk about when we talk about risk

How embryo selection exploits our flawed intuitions about risk

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Aug 6

New Story in The Atlantic about NIH

www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

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How Many Times Can Science Funding Be Canceled?

Whether or not Congress cuts NIH’s budget, the Trump administration has devastated its ability to operate.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Roshni Patel @roshnipatel.bsky.social · Aug 6

Bittersweet to be leaving @docedge.bsky.social after a wonderful postdoc, but excited to share that I'm joining @uoregon.bsky.social next month as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Data Science.

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Michael F. Wells @mfwells.bsky.social · Aug 1

Hundreds of millions of dollars suspended for cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's research (among many, many other equally important diseases and endeavors) and for what? What is the point of all of this? Help me understand how this makes our country better, stronger, and healthier in any way.

Thanh Neville, MD, MSHS @thanhneville.medsky.social · Aug 1

The massive list of suspended UCLA grants came out today: 300 NSF and 500 NIH grants. I am miraculously not on the list, but this is devastating. Science will be lost, progress will be frozen, people will lose jobs, and careers in science and medicine are being destroyed. This is not ok.

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

👻Sewall Fright🎃 @stairwaytokevin.bsky.social · Jul 30

New snake oil just dropped

And proudly boosting the nazi approval, bold business strategy!

Alex Strudwick Young
@AlexTISYoung
·
3h
The widget pictured below gives you the expected range of predicted IQs (or disease risks) for the number of embryos. The difference between the average and the highest gives you the expected gain in IQ if you were selecting the embryo with the highest predicted IQ. The spread does not depend on the mean you choose.

The mean IQ you put in is actually the genotypic mean IQ of the parents (as we state) as we didn't want to get into the complexities of modeling regression to the mean in this widget, although we do of course model regression to the mean in our customer reports.

We will be detailing rigorous validation of our IQ predictor in an upcoming publications, along with lots of other exciting science.

-Quote tweeting the nazi Jordan Lasker (Cremieux) saying: "The latest embryo selection company is live, and guess what:

They're publicly letting people select for IQ!"

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · Jul 31

The NIH budget will INCREASE by $400 million — not slashed by 40%, as Trump proposed — according to a proposal by Senate appropriators, says Sen Murray.

"Some have asked if there will even be an NIH by [2029]. The commmittee's resounding message is yes—Congress has your back", she says.

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Michael F. Wells @mfwells.bsky.social · Jul 30

I just want you all to know that I am doing my part. I have successfully taught my 3-year-old son that cybertrucks are called "Dork wagons."

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · Jul 28

Yet another study (Danish) has found no association between aluminum in childhood vaccines & 50 different health conditions, including autism, asthma & autoimmune diseases. In this study, they tracked 1 million kids over 21 years.

🧪🔗 en.ssi.dk/news/news/20...

Large Danish Study: No link between vaccines and autism or 49 other health conditions

A new Danish study finds no association between aluminum in childhood vaccines and 50 different health conditions, including autism, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. The findings reaffirm the safety o...

en.ssi.dk

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Melissa Stetten @melissastetten.bsky.social · Jul 25

The Tesla diner is unfortunately in my neighborhood so I took a little peek to see boxes of milk and frozen foods out in the heat. Good luck to everyone’s stomachs.

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Suel-Kee Kim @suelkeekim.bsky.social · Jul 9

Excited to share our latest work, Mato-Blanco et al., nature.com/articles/s41.... Thanks to the incredible collaboration with Nicola Micali, Rakic lab, Sestan lab, Vaccarino lab
@yaleneuro.bsky.social @santperelab.bsky.social @carlocolantuoni.bsky.social

Early developmental origins of cortical disorders modeled in human neural stem cells - Nature Communications

The implications of early telencephalic development in cortical disorders remain elusive. Here, the authors define risk gene dynamics and perturbation effects in neural stem cells, revealing vulnerabi...

nature.com

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · Jun 16

BREAKING: A federal judge in Massachusetts (the Reagan-appointed William Young) has declared the Trump administration's cuts to NIH grants — ostensibly over Trump's EOs on gender ideology and DEI — are "illegal" and "void." He's ordering many grants restored.

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

E. Rosalie @erosalie.infoepi.com · Jun 11

Genetic material shed by tumors can be detected in the bloodstream three years before cancer diagnosis, according to a study led by investigators at Johns Hopkins University.

That study was made possible with federal funding. Now, many studies like this are canceled. hub.jhu.edu/2025/06/04/...

Cancers can be detected in bloodstream three years prior to diagnosis

Detection of cancer before a clinical diagnosis could give patients and caregivers more time for intervention and may lead to better outcomes because tumors are more likely to be curable

hub.jhu.edu

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Michael F. Wells @mfwells.bsky.social · Jun 11

Come join this amazing lab!

Brunilda Balliu @brunildaballiu.bsky.social · Jun 10

🚨 Applications are open for the UCLA Postdoct Training Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics 🧠🧬
Deadline: 6/30
👉 neurogen.semel.ucla.edu/curriculum/
Contact me if you're interested to write a proposal together combining genetics + functional genomics + digital phenotypes from wearables/smartphones!

Curriculum – UCLA Center for Neurobehavioral GeneticsAccessibility ToolsIncrease TextDecrease TextGrayscaleHigh ContrastNegative ContrastLight BackgroundLinks UnderlineReadable FontReset

neurogen.semel.ucla.edu

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Carlo Colantuoni @carlocolantuoni.bsky.social · Jun 10

The recording of today's DDD seminar by Magdalena Sutcliffe (lab of Dr. Madeline Lancaster @lancasterlab.bsky.social ) “Epigenetic restoration of differentiation competency via reversal of epiblast regionalisation” is now online at: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis... (www.carlocolantuoni.org/seminar)

Developmental Diversity in a Dish Seminar Series - YouTube

A virtual seminar series focusing on stem cell models and functional variation across human iPSC lines. Monthly virtual seminar series, held on one Tuesday o...

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Michael F. Wells

Paul Graf @paulginva.bsky.social · Jun 3

Man comes to the US from Lebanon. Starts out delivering pizzas, becomes a Nobel winning neuroscientist. Trump freezes his funding, he gets an email from China offering to move his lab “any city, any university I want" with guaranteed funding for 20 years.

What are we doing?

Ardem Patapoutian's story is not just the American dream, it is the dream of American science.

He arrived in Los Angeles in 1986 at age 18 after fleeing war-torn Lebanon. He spent a year writing for an Armenian newspaper and delivering Domino's at night to become eligible for the University of California, where he earned his undergraduate degree and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience.

He started a lab at Scripps Research in San Diego with a grant from the National Institutes of Health, discovered the way humans sense touch, and in 2021 won the Nobel Prize.

But with the Trump administration slashing spending on science, Dr. Patapoutian's federal grant to develop new approaches to treating pain has been frozen. In late February, he posted on Bluesky that such cuts would damage biomedical research and prompt an exodus of talent from the United States. Within hours, he had an email from China, offering to move his lab to "any city, any university I want," he said, with a guarantee of funding for the next 20 years.

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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · May 31

Cutting $20 billion to NIH over 25 years may save $500 billion on paper, but it’d end up costing $8.2 trillion in lost human health.

But NIH isn't the only thing being cut. The budget also slashes all NSF-funded science by 73 percent. NASA faces “the biggest single-year cut to NASA in history."

Donald Trump’s proposed budget would gut American science

It would slash cancer research, drug trials, space exploration, and so much more.

www.motherjones.com

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