Patrick S. Mitchell
@psmitchej.bsky.social
1.2K followers 390 following 48 posts
HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar and Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Washington studying host-pathogen interactions in beautiful Seattle. (he/him). Posts reflect my own opinions and do not represent my employers.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
matthewcobb.bsky.social
Co-discoverer of reverse transcriptase at 32, Nobel Prize at 37, played a key role at the 1975 Asilomar comference.
David Baltimore, Nobel-Winning Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
teralevin.bsky.social
I'm excited to announce our new biorxiv preprint, wherein we investigate the evolution of the weirdest genetic locus I've ever seen! Behold the tgr genes of the social amoeba, which mediate self/non-self discrimination during facultative multicellularity 🐅 🧵 1/
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Hypermutable hotspot enables the rapid evolution of self/non-self recognition genes in Dictyostelium
Cells require highly polymorphic receptors to perform accurate self/non-self recognition. In the amoeba Dicytostelium discoideum, polymorphic TgrB1 & TgrC1 proteins are used to bind sister cells and e...
www.biorxiv.org
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
standupforscience.bsky.social
What does 18,000+ brave signatories look like standing together in massive solidarity with the #NIH heroes of the historic Bethesda Declaration??...

Find out by adding YOUR NAME to our #NIHLove letter here! -

actionnetwork.org/forms/add-na...

#StandUpForScience
#BethesdaDeclaration
#StopTrump
ADD YOUR NAME: Sign the Open Letter in Support of NIH Staff
Join the courageous and committed National Institutes of Health (NIH) public servants by adding your name now.
actionnetwork.org
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
bencollins.bsky.social
Especially if you're on the fence about it, protest today. Fascism is isolating and lonely. Its very goal is to make you feel like you're the only person unwilling to accept a cult of personality. On days like today you fully realize there are more of us than there are them. You will feel better.
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
carlbergstrom.com
"Sources said the administration is specifically considering a full termination of federal grant funding for the University of California and California State University systems."

Pure vandalism.

This could never happen in a country with functioning checks and balances.
Trump preparing large-scale cancellation of federal funding for California, sources say | CNN Politics
The Trump administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding to California, an effort which could begin as soon as Friday, according to multiple sources.
www.cnn.com
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
gcbias.bsky.social
The university of California is a powerhouse of innovation, healthcare, and social mobility for California and the US.
Federal investment in UC research Federal funds are the university’s single most important source of support for research, accounting for more than half of UC’s total research awards.

Many of California’s leading industries grew from UC research, including biotechnology, computing, semiconductors, telecommunications and
agriculture.

Providing health care at UC University of California Health (UC Health) is one of the nation’s largest public academic health systems, serving
as a critical part of the California safety net.

UC trains approximately 36% of the medical residents in California
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
asm.org
ASM @asm.org · May 2
Together with leading science organizations, ASM filed an amicus brief calling for immediate restoration of NIH grants supporting early-career scientists. Read the press release: asm.org/press-releas...
Four Leading Science Organizations File Amicus Brief Supporting Funding Restoration
ASM joined leading life science organizations in an amicus brief filed in support of a suit calling for immediate funding restoration.
asm.org
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
murray.senate.gov
NIH's work saves lives—& Trump is gutting it.

Straight from D.C. I headed to Seattle Children's to hear from researchers & patients alike about the importance of NIH funding—it's not just about lines in a budget, it's about lifesaving discoveries.

We ALL need to speak up to save it.
psmitchej.bsky.social
#Seattle showed out for the #Handsoff rally. Truly heartening to see the local and national turnout. Keep fighting.
psmitchej.bsky.social
You can count on me to be a square anytime Vineet. But @elearlybird.bsky.social and I are not mutually exclusive - hedge your bets!
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
standupforscience.bsky.social
🚨 Over 70 graduate programs in the biological and biomedical sciences have frozen or slashed admissions.

The consequences are profound—how many brilliant minds are being shut out of research entirely? How much future discovery is being lost before it even begins?

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Graduate Reductions Across Biomedical Sciences (2025)
docs.google.com
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
ddiamond.bsky.social
See this chart for one stark example: NIH funding has dramatically slowed down.

Grant awards are down *$3 billion* so far, compared to same time period last year

I asked the White House to explain.

“This is not a researcher entitlement program,” said an official, defending their new approach.
psmitchej.bsky.social
written with my wonderful colleague Deb Fuller.
psmitchej.bsky.social
I want to highlight:

...trainees are the lifeblood of biomedical research and its future. Supporting young people committed to public service through research and health care is an investment in medical advancements and public health...

We see you. You belong here.
psmitchej.bsky.social
We lose:

✖️Basic science advancements that help us understand the causes of disease.

✖️New treatments and cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. Our ability to combat infectious diseases.

✖️the biomedical workforce.

✖️the next generation of researchers and health professionals.
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
jem.org
First authors Madeline Churchill and Ankit Pandeya @nkeet50.bsky.social from @rauchlab.bsky.social show that tuft cells, known for their role in anti-parasite defenses, can also contribute to anti-bacterial responses in the small intestine. rupress.org/jem/article/...

#InfectiousDisease
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell
rauchlab.bsky.social
Let's not forget that apart from science advocacy the Rauch lab also does kick-ass science!
Together with the @psmitchej.bsky.social and Tait Wojno labs, we show that #tuftcells can induce specific protective signaling after recognition of intracellular bacterial infection via the #inflammasome!
jem.org
First authors Madeline Churchill and Ankit Pandeya @nkeet50.bsky.social from @rauchlab.bsky.social show that tuft cells, known for their role in anti-parasite defenses, can also contribute to anti-bacterial responses in the small intestine. rupress.org/jem/article/...

#InfectiousDisease
Reposted by Patrick S. Mitchell