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Primrose Boynton

@pjboynton.bsky.social

1.7K followers 2.6K following 300 posts

Environmental yeast ecology and evolution! I love model and non-model organisms, and single-celled and filamentous fungi alike. I love R! Assistant Professor at Wheaton College, Massachusetts and senior editor of Yeast, but my posts are my own. she/her

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 17

I think you can be right and this can still be a case of predatory via negligence. Like, it's not a secret that strategies of "engagement no matter what" has consequences, and they could've dialed it back much more quickly. I've also seen "AI can be the friend you're missing!" in marketing.

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 17

I took it as it's sad and predatory that the company put the person in the position in the first place. Like, setting up a chatbot to talk a vulnerable person into falling in love, especially if they're so bereft when things change, is a horribly manipulative way to treat people.

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 15

Thanks, I needed to hear this one.

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 14

Sneaky!

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 14

On a related note, does anyone have an undergraduate-friendly reading that explains fungal primary vs. secondary metabolism, cellular respiration vs. fermentation, and what carbohydrate-active enzymes are? Everything I turn up is either garbage or too advanced for beginners.

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 14

I'm not a good enough biochemist to know whether those are the pathways to break down SCFAs. I AM a good enough mycologist/biochemist to know that this is a useless definition of "fungal metabolism."

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 14

AI slop is making it harder for me to find useful information. Here's the ScienceDirect overview of "Fungal Metabolism":

Screenshot of AI-generated ScienceDirect overview of fungal metabolism that states, "Fungal metabolism refers to the biochemical processes by which fungi, such as C. albicans, convert substrates like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) into energy and cellular components, involving pathways such as ghe glyoxylate cycle, beta-oxidation, and gluconeogenesis, which can influence their growth, virulence, and antifungal resistance."

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 14

Or how science works, for that matter!

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 14

Nothing during the semester. During the summer we have the opportunity to apply for an internal program which gives the student a stipend, the instructor a stipend (works out to state minimum wage but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick) and a small research budget.

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 13

📌

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 13

Yeah; when people mention this to me I point out to them that, yes, during the summers I often get to take weekends off. It's a nice break from working through the weekends during the semester, but nothing near what they're expecting.

Reposted by Primrose Boynton

Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · Aug 12

I’m looking for folks to send me specimens of golden oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) collected from natural areas all over North America. I need specimens from everywhere other than Wisconsin: 2/n
pringlelab.github.io/gom_communit...

Pringle Lab UW-Madison

pringlelab.github.io

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 7

Step 1: Read the reviews
Step 2: Feel your feelings for a day without looking at the reviews again
Step 3: Get back to the reviews the next day, realize that they aren't as bad as you'd thought, and actually the reviewers had some really helpful points, and deal with them

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 7

My first reaction is always, "How dare these know-nothings say these things about my amazing work!" No matter how positive the review is. So I have a protocol for dealing:

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 4

You're not wrong, but I also encourage non-USians to do some reading about policies in their own countries. This kind of stuff tends to be hidden really well, and is worth bringing into the open everywhere.

Reposted by Primrose Boynton

HittingerLab @hittingerlab.bsky.social · Jul 10

We have an opening for postdoctoral training! Please apply by 15th August 2025 for full consideration. Here is the ad: hittinger.genetics.wisc.edu/People/Join/...

hittinger.genetics.wisc.edu

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Aug 1

It's important to note that what you're describing is continuous, especially in prisons, and has been ongoing for decades. Here's a useful Immigration and Human Rights Law Review blog post, dated 2021:

lawblogs.uc.edu/ihrlr/2021/0...

Not Just ICE: Forced Sterilization in the United States | Immigration and Human Rights Law Review

Last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) was accused of forcibly sterilizing detainees under their care.[1] Forced sterilization can occur under many different circumstances, such as when an individual is not aware of the procedure taking place, has been given no opportunity to truly consent to the procedure, or gives consent under duress.[2] As shocking as this may seem, forced sterilization of minorities has been a part of U.S. history for decades.

lawblogs.uc.edu

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Jul 31

This one made me chuckle.

Reposted by Primrose Boynton

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · Jul 30

Are you an early-career biologist or ecologist who would benefit from an invited seminar? Would you like to come to UMaine next fall or spring to give a talk? Leave a brief comment with some info about what you do. I'm co-hosting our seminar series again, and am filling out our rosters.

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Jul 31

Hi! I'm an Assistant Professor at Wheaton College (a PUI) in Massachusetts, and I do work on naturally-occurring yeasts. Right now my lab (me and some undergrads) is working on interactions between yeasts and their viruses. Mycoviruses are pretty weird!

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Jul 26

I can't access the paper (too bad!), but I enjoy discussions like this. I work with yeasts—single-celled fungi—which evolved several times from multicellular ancestors. I often confront students and colleagues who struggle with the idea that multicellularity can be ancestral to unicellularity.

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Jul 26

This sounds absolutely horrible! Is the purpose to weed students out? I can't imagine it'll add to inclusiveness in science.

Reposted by Primrose Boynton

Yeast Journal @yeast-journal.bsky.social · Jul 24

@pjboynton.bsky.social advertises our upcoming special issue about the #Yeast2025 conference in Paris

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Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Jun 25

Haha, we can share!

Primrose Boynton @pjboynton.bsky.social · Jun 25

Made Daily with Food!!!!

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