Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Prof_GD_Foster

@profgdfoster.bsky.social

900 followers 800 following 290 posts

Retired Prof in Molecular Plant Pathology: Emeritus in Everyway: enjoys life voraciously: enjoys beer: enjoys family & 2 dogs even more than beer(!) L'pool FC through thick & thin

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Jun 27

Any of my planty followers recognise what this is.

There’ll be a follow up question.

7 2

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · 8h

Anytime 👍

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · 8h

UK universities offered to monitor students’ social media for arms firms, emails show

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

UK universities offered to monitor students’ social media for arms firms, emails show

Loughborough, Heriot-Watt and Glasgow corresponded with companies concerned about campus protests

www.theguardian.com

3 2 2

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · 3d

As an academic/scientist I might’ve worked on sweet potato diseases for many years. But I’ve still got a lot to learn about growing them outside in the UK. But still not to bad a crop so far 🍠

1 2

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · 8d

Glasgow University accused of failing student who killed himself on graduation day

Ethan Scott Brown was wrongly told he had not earned geography degree despite marks being enough for a 2:1

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Glasgow University accused of failing student who killed himself on graduation day

Ethan Scott Brown was wrongly told he had not earned geography degree despite marks being enough for a 2:1

www.theguardian.com

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · 22d

🌽 🥔 🍅 🫛 🌾 🍎

www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/u...

‘Farmageddon’: Many US farmers are warning they are at a breaking point | CNN

Many farmers in the Delta are pleading for financial help from the government, warning that low prices, high costs and tariffs could push many into bankruptcy. CNN’s Dianne Gallagher reports.

www.cnn.com

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Sep 5

Needed a drink to get thru Dancing Queen and Super Trouper

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Sep 5

Our daughter bought us tickets to see the ABBA Show in London. We are in a restaurant close by and realised Friday night is regarded as ‘Ladies Night’. I’m lsurrounded by 100s of menopausal women in glitter & sparkles. I think I’m gonna be vastly outnumbered in the arena.

Please pray for me 🙏

1 1

Reposted by Prof_GD_Foster

The Global Plant Council @globalplantgpc.bsky.social · Aug 16

Barley #plants produce unique antifungal compounds called hordedanes.

But one of them, B. sorokiniana, exploits these defenses to thrive. By neutralizing theme, it extends its parasitic phase, showcasing the evolutionary battle between plants and pathogens.

buff.ly/5LV93xB...

Image: Foxtail barley. Credit: 👀 Mabel Amber, who will one day / Pixabay

1 2 3

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 15

HBD 🥳 to my very own Queen of the Slipstream ❤️

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 12

ICTV have decided not to use Latin anymore. They’ve now decided to use Ancient Elvish for naming.

Microbiology Society @microbiologysociety.org · Aug 12

Discover the latest updates on viral classification in the ICTV taxonomy summaries collection published in Journal of General Virology: bit.ly/4fBCVPK #JGV #ICTV

ICTV Virus Taxonomy Summaries | Microbiology Society

ICTV Virus Taxonomy Summaries are published by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) annually in Journal of General Virology and provide a complete and authoritative record of all…

www.microbiologyresearch.org

1 1

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 12

An abomination. Latin names are idiotic for viruses.

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

We lost deliberately. Mo is a genius as he knew no team in history has won the Community Shield and then gone on to win the league that season.

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

Not bloody penalties. I’m on holiday. It’s too early in the season to get this stressed. ⚽️

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

Front row seats in pub in Croyde for Liverpool match ⚽️ Pint of lovely chilled cider and chilli nachos.

#heaven

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

Not bloody penalties. I’m on holiday. It’s too early in the season to get this stressed. ⚽️

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

Front row seats in pub in Croyde for Liverpool match ⚽️ Pint of lovely chilled cider and chilli nachos.

#heaven

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

John Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · Aug 9

VACANCY - We’re recruiting for a visionary group leader to lead fundamental research on Discovery Plant Science as part of our vibrant research community

Successful candidate will be offered a six-year tenure-track position with the opportunity to apply for tenure:

www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/gr...

4 1

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

1 3

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 10

Front row seats in pub in Croyde for Liverpool match ⚽️ Pint of lovely chilled cider and chilli nachos.

#heaven

Reposted by Prof_GD_Foster

Elisabeth Bik - Perpetrator 5, a fraudulent microbiologist @elisabethbik.bsky.social · Aug 4

Fantastic new paper by @reeserichardson.bsky.social et al.

An enormous amount of work showing the extent of coordinated scientific fraud and involvement of some editors.
The number of fraudulent publications grows at a rate far outpacing that of legitimate science.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

6 59 130

Reposted by Prof_GD_Foster

Reese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · Aug 4

Today, our article "The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly" is finally published in PNAS. I hope that it proves to be a wake-up-call for the whole scientific community.

reeserichardson.blog/2025/08/04/a...

A do-or-die moment for the scientific enterprise

Reflecting on our paper “The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly”

reeserichardson.blog

9 190 320

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 6

🥂

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 6

Could RFK Jr's move to pull mRNA vaccine funding be a huge miscalculation?

YES !!!!!

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Could RFK Jr's move to pull mRNA vaccine funding be a huge miscalculation?

The US is withdrawing $500m for vaccines for diseases like flu and Covid. Health correspondent James Gallagher asks if it's the right call.

www.bbc.com

1 2

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 5

Don’t blame me. It was the peoples choice. They voted. And we ALL know how that can go wrong. 😑

1 2

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 2

Hell yeah.

1 1

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Aug 2

Tonight’s menu. Just a little something I rattled up the good lady. But she’s worth it.

1 2

Prof_GD_Foster @profgdfoster.bsky.social · Jul 28

Edinburgh University’s ‘skull room’ highlights its complicated history with racist science

Skulls were collected from all over the world because of some academics’ fascination with phrenology, the discredited belief that skull shape denoted intelligence

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Edinburgh University’s ‘skull room’ highlights its complicated history with racist science

Skulls were collected from all over the world because of some academics’ fascination with the discredited belief that skull shape denoted intelligence

www.theguardian.com

1 1 1