Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 14h

Six of the nine Nobel Prize winners this year work in the U.S.
Three of the six were born outside the U.S., which is the pattern most years. No country has benefited more from welcoming immigrants from around the world.
www.nobelprize.org

The official website of the Nobel Prize - NobelPrize.org

The Nobel Prize rewards science, humanism and peace efforts. This is one of the central concepts in the will of Alfred Nobel, and it also permeates the outreach activities that have been developed for...

www.nobelprize.org

24 430 1.1K

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Mike Fainzilber @mfainzilber.bsky.social · 4d

Intriguing new insights on axonal TDP-43 in ALS from @labperlson.bsky.social and colleagues

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Muscle-derived miR-126 regulates TDP-43 axonal local synthesis and NMJ integrity in ALS models - Nature Neuroscience

Ionescu, Ankol et al. show that, in ALS mouse and iPSC models, TDP-43 aggregation at NMJs stems from aberrant axonal translation, normally repressed by muscle EV-derived miR126. Loss of miR126 in ALS increases TDP-43 buildup, impairs local synthesis and triggers degeneration.

www.nature.com

5 6

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · 10d

Cool pre-print and valuable resource highlighting the molecular and cellular diversity of human sympathetic ganglia and DRG cell types

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

A multi-omic atlas of human autonomic and sensory ganglia implicates cell types in peripheral neuropathies

The human peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of many ganglia, including sympathetic ganglia (SG) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG), that house the cell bodies of many constituent neuron types and no...

www.biorxiv.org

3

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Lori O'Brien @llobrienlab.bsky.social · 12d

For this #FluorescenceFriday, a gorgeous image of an adult mouse kidney labeled with AQP2 and alpha SMA antibodies. AQP2 (green) marks the collecting duct and distal connecting segment while SMA marks the arterial tree. Courtesy of talented postdoc Sarah McLarnon.

Image of a fluorescently labeled adult mouse kidney showing AQP2 staining of collecting ducts and connecting segment in green and alpha SMA staining of the arterial tree in magenta. The collecting ducts look like squiggly branches.

5 32 110

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 12d

This paper does a great job with a "It's a Wonderful Life" scenario about NIH, supposing the consequences of the bottom 40% of the funding NIH grants never existed.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

tl:dr The world would lose a lot, but directly and indirectly

What if NIH had been 40% smaller?

Replaying history with less NIH funding shows widespread impacts on drug-linked research

www.science.org

3 59 120

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 18d

Any academic folks on H1B visas (even with stamps in passports) please get legal advice from your University attorneys before leaving the US.

8 140 290

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · 25d

I found this to be particularly acute in public spaces in India. Almost no one used headphones while playing content on their phones, so there is a cacophonous assault of Bollywood songs, tv dramas, cooking shows etc 😀

5

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Sep 8

Arundhati Roy’s intense memoir of her mother “Mother Mary comes to me” is a brutal read, yet funny and poignant. Rekindled my love of reading and brought on all the emotions of complicated mother-daughter relationships, orthodoxy of Kerala Syrian Christians, and not conforming to societal norms.

6

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · Aug 23

It bears repeating that nearly the entire US enterprise in science and technology has been irreversibly gutted. This is shocking.

All this loss has occurred without any real benefit to the average US citizen. Except we now have the biggest, best funded secret police force perhaps ever.

Yay for us!

8 120 330

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Aug 22

Wistfully thinking about the days when incompetent Reviewer 3 was the biggest problem…

1 21

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · Aug 15

The GOP needs to understand the economic impact of the cuts from the Trump administration. Higher education drives economies.

“If you include the hospital systems, [our impact] is well over $60 billion, and it's 7% of our whole economy — literally more than coal and natural gas combined.”

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette @post-gazette.com · Aug 15

A new report says colleges in the Pittsburgh area contribute billions to economy

Pittsburgh’s independent colleges contribute more than $5 billion to the state’s economy annually, a new report has found. The report, published...

www.post-gazette.com

3 15 27

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · Aug 14

Science is a long game.

Translational science, or clinical medicine is only possibly because of basic science discoveries where the clinical applications are not yet known.

Also: Nobels are typically awarded for basic science… *exploratory* basic science.

True story.

Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · Aug 13

Over 20 years after Julius’s lab and mine cloned TRPM8, it is rewarding to see this science helping patients. The TRPM8 agonist Tryptyr treats dry eye by increasing tear production. A reminder that NIH-funded curiosity-driven research translates to medicines.
tryptyr.myalcon.com?gad_source=1...

TRYPTYR (acoltremon ophthalmic solution) 0.003% eye drops | Alcon US

TRYPTYR is a prescription eye drop used for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. See prescribing information, how to save, and more.

tryptyr.myalcon.com

31 130

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · Aug 13

Over 20 years after Julius’s lab and mine cloned TRPM8, it is rewarding to see this science helping patients. The TRPM8 agonist Tryptyr treats dry eye by increasing tear production. A reminder that NIH-funded curiosity-driven research translates to medicines.
tryptyr.myalcon.com?gad_source=1...

TRYPTYR (acoltremon ophthalmic solution) 0.003% eye drops | Alcon US

TRYPTYR is a prescription eye drop used for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. See prescribing information, how to save, and more.

tryptyr.myalcon.com

6 57 200

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Aug 7

From a trip to PNW and being reminded how beautiful this country is. My childhood was spent in a crowded and polluted city (much as I loved it). But the majestic splendor of the natural beauty in the US will never cease to amaze me. Hope we can sustain the national parks.

19

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

@LaBonneLaB @labonnelab.bsky.social · Jul 31

Senate Appropriations has a modest *INCREASE* in NIH funding but it will need to be recconciled with the house cut. If you have not been calling your representative of late now would be a good time to start again
www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/ful...

Full Committee Markup of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Acts | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

www.appropriations.senate.gov

1 28 27

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Jul 29

Yup this.. paylines below 5% are demoralizing not only for applicants but also reviewers. Good luck, NIH, finding reviewers to take on this task..

JStark lab @jstarklab.bsky.social · Jul 27

4% payline demoralizing for reviewers - review 9 grants each taking 3-4hrs (total reviewed by all is 90) flying to DC, a hotel conference room to discuss the top half of grants (45) 15 min each, 3x a year for 4 yrs. Paid $300. 4% = maybe 3/90, 0-1 that you reviewed funded. I couldn’t.

3 4

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Jul 27

I wish our media had the knowledge for pushback. NIH is not a business. Funds science that no business would touch. Provides momentum for science that companies run with. Trains a pipeline of scientists for pharma/biotech. That Vought’s own kid has the quality of life because of NIH funded research

17 48

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Jul 25

Finding comfort in little things these days. Working with a good group of people, discussing science, sharing ideas. Trying to tune the noise and chaos out in moments like this. Lab lunch.

2 27

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Mark Histed @markhisted.org · Jul 24

I don’t know how to say it more strongly: it is asinine to think that AI and basic/exploratory, creative science are at all similar, never mind interchangeable.

There are many details one could get into on this, but the important takeaway is the above. 🧪

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Jul 21

1. From the FDA to the NSF’s new priorities to Chan-Zuckerberg’s recent pivot, there’s a massive push — particularly on they political right — to hand off as much of the scientific process as possible to AI.

It’s not about competing with China in AI. Not while gutting the US research ecosystem.

3 14 58

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Jul 21

So, it seems that the conclusions are:

(1) The communications around this policy have been atrociously bad;

(2) NIH leadership includes some people with strong opinions about animal-based research who aspire to reduce or eliminate the use of animals, but realize that this would be foolish now.

spongebob from spongebob squarepants is standing in front of a rock and says phew .

ALT: spongebob from spongebob squarepants is standing in front of a rock and says phew .

media.tenor.com

4 8 53

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Jul 21

so.... NIH issued a news item clarifying the new use of animals policy.

It seems that the bottom line is that NIH will not issue NoFOs specifically about creation or use of animal models of disease.

1/2

grants.nih.gov/news-events/...

How Does the NIH Initiative to Prioritize Human-Based Research Affect Research Proposing the Use of Laboratory Animals? | Grants & Funding

grants.nih.gov

3 36 67

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Jul 15

Thank you for this..I served on study section recently for all the reasons you articulated so well. A service that I have always valued.

2

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

John Tuthill @tuthill.bsky.social · Jul 14

i wrote an essay for @thetransmitter.bsky.social about what it feels like to serve on an NIH grant review panel (study section) right now

www.thetransmitter.org/craft-and-ca...

Fear and loathing on study section: Reviewing grant proposals while the system is burning

As grants are canceled, delayed and subject to general uncertainty, participating in study sections can feel futile. But it’s more important than ever.

www.thetransmitter.org

8 58 130

Rejji Kuruvilla @rkuruvi1.bsky.social · Jul 13

All the best Bryan in this next phase in your life. It has been a lot this year…

2

Reposted by Rejji Kuruvilla

Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · Jul 12

Wish I could repost this a million times! In addition to shifting research focus, the increasing dependence on philanthropic and private foundation funds also meant that these billionaires had to be placated and flattered to maintain support, even if they were completely wrong.

Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · Jul 12

The funniest part to me is there's a newsworthy thing here, about faculty being cut off from federal money and then having to conform or change their research to get private foundation money from these people and what might that mean for the future of science. But, I guess we'll do this instead.

Roxane Gay @roxanegay.bsky.social · Jul 12

Stop asking billionaires questions, recording their answers and sharing their uninformed and/or racist and/or otherwise bigoted and nonsense ideas as journalism. It’s ridiculous. They are the most boring people. Oh wah I am a white man who has more money than I can spend and I’m so mad about it!

2 8 20