Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Ken Stedman

Claus Wilke @clauswilke.com · 1d

Biology is much more complicated than most non-biologists can imagine. And AI is not going to change this anytime soon.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/we-still-c...

We still can’t predict much of anything in biology

Biology is hard. Yes, even for AI.

blog.genesmindsmachines.com

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · 16h

PhD position on Regulation and Evolution of Bacterial Multicellularity ( #Streptomyces ) within @spp2389.bsky.social supervised by Natalia Tschowri (Hannover 🇩🇪) and Danny Rozen (Leiden 🇳🇱) with research at both locations

deadline: October 31, 2025

www.uni-hannover.de/en/jobs/id/802

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 16h

UC-Berkeley physicist who just won the Nobel Prize tells it like it is: "It is going to be disastrous if this continues"

For "It" read -> science, economy, rule of law, and beyond.

www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Nobel physics laureate says Trump cuts will 'cripple' US research

It was just past 2:00 am when a mysterious number rang Nobel laureate John Clarke, what he deemed "obviously a joke call" that grew increasingly surreal when he heard "a voice from Sweden."- 'Basic sc...

www.yahoo.com

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Julia Frunzke @frunzkelab.bsky.social · 23h

Please RT:
We have an opening for a junior group leader position in „Phage Biology & Biotechnology“.
www.fz-juelich.de/de/karriere/...

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact me via email for further details.

@spp2330.bsky.social; @mibinet.bsky.social

Junior Group Leader - Phage Biology & Biotechnology

As a leading research institution for microbial biotechnology the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences - Biotechnology (IBG-1, https://www.fz-juelich.de/de/ibg/ibg-1 ) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich foc...

www.fz-juelich.de

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Cathy Hernandez @cathyhernandez.bsky.social · 13h

Very happy to share that I will be starting as an Assistant Professor in the department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina in January! My group will be working on environmental phage ecology and evolution, and I am recruiting for the upcoming year (more info below).

A graphic advertising phage ecology and evolution research at the University of South Carolina, showing a central image of a tide pool flanked by a photo of an agar plate containing diverse microbes and a TEM image of a virus particle.

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Ken Stedman @xtremevirusprof.bsky.social · 2h

Done!

Black Microbiologists Assoc (Black In Micro) @blackinmicro.bsky.social · 12h

#BlackInMicro Week is more than just an event; it's a hub for connection. The need for strong communities like ours has never been more urgent. Donate today to show your support: tinyurl.com/GiveBiM (all links in bio) #BIMWeek2025 #HARMONY

Reposted by Ken Stedman

Ian Marshall @ianpgm.bsky.social · 13h

I'm recruiting a postdoc to figure out how aerobic methanotrophic bacteria oxidise methane in anoxic freshwater sediment environments: international.au.dk/about/profil... Come to Aarhus University in Denmark and work on this 2-year project funded by @villumfonden.bsky.social!

Postdoctoral position on methanotrophic bacteria - Vacancy at Aarhus University

Vacancy at Department of Biology - Microbiology, Aarhus University

international.au.dk

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

ASM @asm.org · 9h

Dr. Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir (JAM), an antimicrobial researcher and assistant professor at the University of California, provides insights on communicating complex scientific topics as a community educator. youtu.be/giyAR9XIEO0

Change Clothes and Go: Viral Mutations and the Remix of Infection

YouTube video by American Society for Microbiology

youtu.be

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Arnau Sebé-Pedrós @arnausebe.bsky.social · 10h

A thoughtful and beautifully written @quantamagazine.bsky.social article about genome regulatory innovation at the origin of animals. Featuring some of our work and highlighting key open questions. Thanks to @philipcball.bsky.social for this fantastic piece.

Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 15h

I adored writing this piece. It brings together several of the things preoccupying me right now, like chromatin organization and gene regulation. There's so much more to be said on that. Also, these marine critters look gorgeous.
www.quantamagazine.org/loops-of-dna...

Loops of DNA Equipped Ancient Life To Become Complex | Quanta Magazine

New work shows that physical folding of the genome to control genes located far away may have been an early evolutionary development.

www.quantamagazine.org

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 10h

Best consideration deadline, Friday Oct 10:

#SCIMaP (scienceimacts.org) seeks to hire a Research Communications and Media Outreach Specialist at U-Maryland to facilitate public engagement related to federal investment in science and health research.

umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMCP/j...

SCIMaP job opportunity - https://umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMCP/job/Research-Communications-and-Media-Outreach-Specialist_JR102577

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 9h

President Trump called Portland “War ravaged” to justify his move to send troops to the city. But in the days before his announcement, federal officials tasked with protecting government buildings said protests outside an ICE facility were “low energy.”

Before Trump Ordered In Troops, Federal Officers Called Portland Protests ‘Low Energy’

Oregon officials say the atmosphere outside an ICE building that has drawn daily demonstrations since June has grown worse since the president’s threats.

nyti.ms

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

angela oliverio @oliverio.bsky.social · 13h

Accepted version of our article "Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites" now out in ISMEJ!

Awesome effort led by undergrad Joanna Lepper and with @hbrappap.bsky.social.

Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · 16h

Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites

-in #ISMEJournal by Joanna Lepper, @hbrappap.bsky.social and @oliverio.bsky.social

academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...

Half of microbial eukaryote literature focuses on only twelve human parasites

Abstract. Although microbial eukaryotes comprise the majority of eukaryotic phylogenetic diversity and inhabit nearly all ecosystems globally, most researc

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

SciLifeLab @scilifelab.se · 16h

We’re launching a major #recruitment call for staff scientists in #ComputationalBiology, #DataScience, and #AI to strengthen Sweden’s life science research. 🧪🖥️

Positions are based at SciLifeLab sites across Sweden’s leading universities.

Learn more and apply ↓
www.scilifelab.se/news/scilife...

SciLifeLab launches major recruitment call for staff scientists in computational biology, data science and AI

Computational methods and artificial intelligence on large-scale molecular data are transforming the study of biological systems and processes, ranging from molecular structures and cellular processes...

www.scilifelab.se

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

RuthLeyMicro @microbiome.bsky.social · 4d

Thinking about a postdoc in microbiome science?
Our lab at the MPI for Biology (Tübingen) builds on the culture I established at Cornell: collaborative, creative, and internationally diverse. Postdocs lead their own projects with secure funding. Join us!
#PostdocJobs #HostMicrobe #AcademicJobs

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Roni Odai @rodai.bsky.social · 6d

Viral AlphaFold Database (VAD) is live in Science Advances

~27,000 predicted viral protein monomers & homodimers

Conserved folds across bacteria, archaea & eukaryotic viruses

New toxin–antitoxin system KreTA uncovered

Vast “functional darkness” remains uncharted

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

The Viral AlphaFold Database of monomers and homodimers reveals conserved protein folds in viruses of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes

VAD is a Viral AlphaFold Database of protein monomers and homodimers from viruses infecting hosts across the tree of life.

www.science.org

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 6h

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 3h

Twenty-two people in a broad spectrum of the arts and sciences were awarded the MacArthur Foundation fellowship, which comes with an $800,000 stipend.

MacArthur Foundation Announces 2025 ‘Genius Grant’ Winners

Twenty-two people in a broad spectrum of the arts and sciences were awarded the fellowship, which comes with an $800,000 stipend.

nyti.ms

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Mike Blazanin @mikeblazanin.bsky.social · 1d

Highly recommend working with Chang-Yu if you get the chance!

Chang-Yu Chang 張昌祐 @changyuchang.bsky.social · 1d

Excited to share that I’ll be starting my research group in Nov 2025 at the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica in Taipei🎉

We study how eco & evo rules govern complex systems layered by hosts🌱& symbionts🦠 & mobile genes🧬

Recruiting soon at all levels!
🔗 chang-yu-chang.github.io/changlab/

Laboratory of Microbial Symbiosis, Ecology, and Evolution

chang-yu-chang.github.io

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Asher Leeks @asherleeks.bsky.social · 1d

I gave a talk last year at TEDxNewEngland aimed at introducing the idea of viral sociality to a general audience, including implications for evolution & virology. Video now available online below.

#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪

The social lives of viruses | Asher Leeks | TEDxNewEngland

YouTube video by TEDx Talks

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 4d

I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · 1d

Reposting, submit soon!

Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · 15d

🚨 Microbiologists! We are recruiting Assistant / Associate Professors in 3 collaborative areas of our U. Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...

Faculty Professor Associate - Full-Time | Vaughn Cooper

We are recruiting Faculty microbiologists in three (3) different, complementary, and collaborative areas at the University of Pittsburgh associated with the School of Medicine. 1) Fundamental researc...

www.linkedin.com

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Steven Cook @dumpyunc.bsky.social · 1d

Our group at the Allen Institute is recruiting a technician and postdoc to work on light microscopy-based connectomics. Please DM me or share with anyone you think may be interested in this NIH BRAIN CONNECTS funded project.

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Sara Hastings-Simon 🇨🇦 @shastingssimon.bsky.social · 1d

My number one tip for researchers that do a significant amount of non peer reviewed paper publication/outreach:

Create an excel table, every time you give an interview, talk, write an oped or white paper, etc. take 5 seconds to immediately note it in the excel.

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Reposted by Ken Stedman

Greg Copenhaver @copenhaverlab.bsky.social · 2d

The @uncchapelhill.bsky.social Department of Biology is searching for tenure-track Assistant Professor in Plant Molecular Biology. Chapel Hill is a wonderful place and Biology is an amazing group of people. To apply, see:
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...

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Ken Stedman @xtremevirusprof.bsky.social · 2d

So beautiful!

The Daum Lab @daumlab.bsky.social · 2d

Out in Science Advances: Our #cryoEM structure of HFTV1, a virus infecting the halophile #archaea. *First full atomic structure (containing all structural proteins) of any tailed virus!* Congrats and thanks to all co-authors and our fantastic collaborators! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Cryo-EM resolves the structure of the archaeal dsDNA virus HFTV1 from head to tail

This structure of an archaeal tailed virus (arTV) provides detailed insights into arTV assembly and infection mechanisms.

www.science.org

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