Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Kara Gavin @karagavin.bsky.social · 19d

This photo is making the rounds on social media and some have asked if it's legit.

It is.

As the curator of a new exhibit on U-M medical history that opens this weekend, I wanted to share a link showing that it was taken by a LIFE magazine photographer: www.life.com/animals/anim...
#IDsky

3 17 70

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 27d

Really looking forward to this Oct 14 UTI Hour online to learn more about veterinary UTIs! utiga.org/upcoming #UTIsky

1 1

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Brad Takei @bradtakei.bsky.social · 28d

I may be American, but I’ll never be the Gestapo.

140 620 4.1K

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 28d

A screencap of the montage

16 photos taken from the same place overlooking a small lake, showing seasons, weather, and wildlife.

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 28d

An archivist from my local library asked to include the photos as the local history collection. So, I’m stunned and delighted to share this! 3/end aadl.org/taxonomy/ter...

Melanie Pearson Collection | Ann Arbor District Library

aadl.org

1

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 28d

Recently I shared a montage of 16 photos that I chose to showcase the beauty and variety of this location. People kept encouraging me to share to bigger audiences 2/

1

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · 28d

I normally post to this account for scientific reasons, but I’m excited to share something more personal. I’ve been taking photos from the same spot for a few years. 1/

1 1

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Gc Rox @gcrox.bsky.social · Sep 6

Postdoc position (please re-post)
A funded postdoctoral position, will open in 2026 to study aspects of Neisseria gonorrhoeae pathogenesis, antigenic variation, genetics, or physiology.
If interested in more information, please contact Hank Seifert
[email protected]
#MicroSky

24 19

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Dr. Wendy Bohon @drwendyrocks.bsky.social · Sep 6

👏👏👏 👏👏

6 180 450

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

ASM @asm.org · Sep 3

As national medical, scientific, public health and patient organizations, we call for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure the health of the American people. Read our statement: asm.org/press-releas...

Joint Statement Calling for Secretary Kennedy Resignation

The American Society for Microbiology released a joint statement calling for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

asm.org

12 340 740

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · Aug 21

The practical upshot is that justice delayed is justice denied; or to be more precise, a lab which had to fire all of its researchers and halt work on groundbreaking research isn't going to be able to ever restore itself to the same position it would have been without a multi-year pause in funding.

Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · Aug 21

TL;DR: 5 justices say Trump doesn't have to immediately restore the funding, but 5 *also* signal that the underlying directives are unlawful.

That sends a fairly strong (if mixed) message that Trump will lose these cases *eventually,* but only once they're brought in the Court of Federal Claims.

Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · Aug 21

Splitting 5-4 (with Chief Justice Roberts joining the three Democratic appointees in dissent), #SCOTUS grants *partial* stay to Trump administration in NIH funding case; holds that challenges to grant terminations (but *not* the underlying guidance) need to be filed in the Court of Federal Claims:

21 300 860

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Aug 19

Are the mRNA vaccines incredible? YES!

Are the mRNA vaccines perfect? No.

Have the mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives? YES!

Can we make the mRNA vaccines even better? YES!

Can we use mRNA vaccine technology to prevent and treat many other diseases? YES!

Fund mRNA research!

290 4.5K 19K

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · Aug 14

Veterinary #UTIs don't just happen to companion animals.

A study in the 1980s found urinary tract infections were the cause of death in up to 30% of female koalas!*

Our Oct 14 (12EDT, 1600UTC) #UTIhour can help explain how 🐨 infections can impact 🧍‍♀️too

*(PMID: 6887434)

1 1 3

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

The Walker Lab at UTHealth @walkerlab.bsky.social · Aug 12

Mark your calendars for the next #UTIHour on Oct 14th focusing on veterinary #UTI

UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · Aug 12

Daisy is a healthy pup, but she's still pawsitively devoted to supporting animals' urinary health ❤️🐶

That's why our #UTIhour on October 14th (12EDT) is on veterinary #UTI!

Do you have a furry friend who supports urinary health? Post a photo and tag us or send it here to post

A white dog curled up on a fluffy black bed with her ball

3 2

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · Aug 5

New publication from our lab, featuring Dr. Santosh Paudel’s work offers a refined cost-effective approach to study bacterial growth rates during infection @globaluti.bsky.social #UTIsky

U. Mich Micro-Immuno Dept @umichmicroimmuno.bsky.social · Aug 5

Multiplexed PCR to measure in situ growth rates of uropathogenic E. coli during exp. UTI journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @proteusqueen.bsky.social Cost-effective/efficient alt. for studying bacterial replication during infection, offering new info re pathogen behavior/host-microbe interactions.

Multiplexed PCR to measure in situ growth rates of uropathogenic E. coli during experimental urinary tract infection | Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Accurately measuring bacterial growth rates in the host, which plays a crucial role in determining the success of pathogens in establishing infections, poses significant challenges. To address this, b...

journals.asm.org

3 2

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Danielle Johnson @dwhren.bsky.social · Jul 20

Just saw this shared. You can see which stations stand to lose more than 50% of their funding adoptastation.org

Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media

Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.

adoptastation.org

1 50 40

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · Jul 11

I really want to know what that Duluth lab found! www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

Mysterious lifeform discovered on Great Lakes ship

The crew of a scientific research vessel discovered a strange black goo clinging to their ship. Perplexed, they sent a sample to microbial biologists for analysis, who found DNA.

www.wbur.org

1

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · Jul 10

Tomorrow!

UTI Global Alliance @globaluti.bsky.social · Jul 7

Our #UTIhour is THIS FRIDAY!

📅⏱️ 7/11, 9am EDT/1pm UST

🔗Zoom link in UTIGA.org/upcoming

Our host is Arthika Manoharan, from @sydney.edu.au 🇦🇺

Our theme is Pediatric #UTIs: Characterizing pathogenesis and immune responses 👶🦠

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE

#UTIsky #IDsky

Urinary Tract Infection Global Alliance

No membership fees Join now!

UTIGA.org

1

Melanie Pearson @proteusqueen.bsky.social · Jul 1

I am both a professional microbiologist and a hobbyist gardener and I’m just finding out about mosquito dunks!

Terry McGlynn @hormiga.bsky.social · Jul 1

If you don't know about mosquito dunks, you should!

They're floating plant material containing a type of bacterium that only attacks mosquito larvae. Just put one in the water and stop mosquitos from hatching.

They're inexpensive and highly effective.

Signed, a friendly bluesky entomologist.

Isabel @isabelott.bsky.social · Jul 1

Hey y’all - heads up that mosquito-borne viral diseases in the US are off to an *early* start this summer. Make sure to cover/bugspray up and reduce standing water around your home (or treat with products like Mosquito Dunks that kill developing larvae!)

1

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · Jun 23

In case you are wondering what it's like for scientists now, every person I saw at the ASM conference asked others in a deeply serious voice "But how are you really?" I thought it was just me, but no, everyone is asking everyone this!

3 32 180

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · Jun 3

If you burn down a forest, you don't miss out on lumber for just that season. You have to replant all the trees, nurture them, and wait for them to grow.

The science and research budget cuts happening now are wanton, senseless arson. Recovery, if it ever happens, will take generations.

90 2.5K 8K

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · May 23

Senator Durbin noted that some (I believe Republican Senators) had indicated the US had been doing more than its share of biomedical research and it was time for other countries take a turn.

I felt I had to interrupt to respond...

20 110 360

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · May 21

Who's calling the shots at NIH?

Sworn testimonies and internal e-mails reveal for the first time the breadth of DOGE's control over the world's largest public biomedical funder.

DOGE has provided lists of hundreds of grants to cut, and DOGE is now reviewing ALL NIH awards before they're released

NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE

Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.

www.nature.com

13 220 310

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Mallory Harris, PhD @malar0ne.bsky.social · May 19

The NIH Director continues to misunderstand (or mischaracterize) the extent to which research is being gutted. I appreciate this program officer for speaking up.

At the town hall, Bhattacharya told staffers that they ought not to worry about the anti-DEI push, explaining that studies of the impacts of specific policies like redlining affecting minority populations would not be cut. However, this remark was met with pushback from the audience.

”As the program officer who oversees this research, I will tell you my studies have been terminated,” an individual interrupted.

Bhattacharya clarified that studies into the effects of structural racism would be cut, to which the individual responded, “What do you think redlining is?”

26 540 1.6K

Reposted by Melanie Pearson

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · May 9

Last year, Ben Mazer wrote this piece about the revenge of the Covid contrarians all now ensconced as leaders of public health, science & healthcare. but they’re a whole lot of fellow travelers among the liberal establishment who should take some of the blame. 1/ www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

Revenge of the COVID Contrarians

They’re angry at the public-health establishment. Now they’re in control of it.

www.theatlantic.com

4 61 210