Christopher A. Baker

This paper is suggestive but not conclusive - it shows that dumping spike protein on human retina cultures induces beta amyloid that colocalizes with spike, and that similar colocalization is detected in postmortem retina from COVID patients. Very thought-provoking nevertheless

intersection of SARS-CoV-2 and beta amyloid gets at concepts that have bugged me for years: 1) that amyloid deposition is an antecedent of infection or host defense, and 2) that spike protein itself may have amyloidogenic properties. science.org/doi/epdf/10....

I made a post earlier about Fluorescence Friday, but some people say it's Fascist Friday because of the ouster of UVA president... to which I say I'm still going to do science for the public interest for as long as I can

The subfornical organ is a nucleus for gut-derived T cells that regulate behaviour - Nature A distinct population of CD4 T cells resides in specific regions of the steady-state brain, and these T cells are programmed in the periphery by the microbiome to coordinate adaptive behaviour.

new pathway discovered by Tomomi Yoshida, Andrew Wang, and tons of other great @Yale folks, described in this recent report @ Nature www.nature.com/articles/s41...

above we see the Subfornical Organ dangling into the 3rd ventricle of the brain, flanked by choroid plexus cells making cerebrospinal fluid. Cell nuclei in blue, with in situ hybridization for genes marking macrophage subsets: F13a1 (yellow), Cx3cr1 (magenta), and Aif1 (cyan)

People consider the pineal gland to be a Third Eye. Maybe they should have focused on the Subfornical Organ instead - also in the middle of the brain, but with a newly acknowledged pathway for T cell traffic between the gut and the brain that affects behavior #FluorescenceFriday

Early grant success attracts more funding: study of 100,000 applicants hints at why Largest study of its kind explores the ‘Matthew effect’ in research.

This seems like a general principle in nature and not mysterious: early rate of return leads to a large inequity over time. That applies to success, wealth, and viral replication
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

My wife and I have fantasized about tattoos for years. They seemed like a luxury item, and now that tattoos are being used as an excuse for CBP/ICE harassment, we probably won't get any. (I'm a citizen born abroad; she is a naturalized citizen)

a woman with red hair and a scarf around her neck is wearing a yellow sweater and a scarf . ALT: a woman with red hair and a scarf around her neck is wearing a yellow sweater and a scarf .

What I think of every time I hear Trump say "two weeks"

Which Renaissance painter is this
#accidentalrenaissance

For this #fluorescencefriday I've got my go-to image of small pain sensing nerve fibers and collagen in the toe, now selected as one of many examples of the "Beauty of Science" for the current exhibit at @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social

A Bouvaldier, because it's been that kind of week

YouTube video by Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway How Trump Plans to Incentivize a Baby Boom | Pivot

I just want to thank @profgalloway.com for this uplifting commentary on American universities as engines of innovation, as well as his recognition of PhDs as incredible contributors to society and human knowledge. Have a nice weekend youtu.be/r4N7BKtgJHo?...

Today's activity: not exactly Maiden or Master of Puppets

"COVID-19 has killed more Americans than all the wars in the 20th century combined" ~ Shane Crotty, La Jolla Institute for Immunology

GitHub - hxu296/tariff: The official repository for tariff The official repository for tariff. Contribute to hxu296/tariff development by creating an account on GitHub.

Has importing python packages been a major problem to making your code great? Now you can impose TARIFFS on whenever you import a package github.com/hxu296/tariff

Nominations open for a prize in nanometer-scale connectomics, in honor of my friend Jennifer N. Bourne www.sfn.org/careers/awar...

People understand and endorse

Avelo's defense of ICE deportation flights targets Tweed, shows tension between airline and airport Avelo's CEO says the airline needs to fly ICE deportation charters to shore up its bottom line because of Tweed Airport issues

If New Haven is Avelo Air's most important market, they might have shot themselves in the foot by signing up to conduct ICE deportation flights (and then blaming New Haven for their problems) www.nhregister.com/news/article...

Weird to use ACE2 for Omicron studies - it's not necessary to use humanized transgenic receptor, but I'll have to read the paper. Maybe the transgenic expression alters the infection course

Employees returning to work at NIH in Bethesda are met with songs of support - WTOP News As federal workers on Monday returned to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, they were met by supporters holding signs and offering thanks.

Songs of hope wtop.com/montgomery-c...

Whooping cough surging in Washington and Seattle Whooping cough cases continue to surge in Seattle and across Washington state.

Whooping cough cases continue to surge in Seattle, and across Washington mynorthwest.com/local/whoopi...

75% of US scientists who answered Nature poll consider leaving More than 1,600 readers answered our poll; many said they were looking for jobs in Europe and Canada.

We polled Nature readers to ask if they were thinking of leaving the US for jobs abroad. Three-quarters of them (who said they were US-based scientists) said yes. 🧪

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The elimination of: grants to study #LongCovid, the Office of LC, & Advisory Committee on LC — have sent a chilling signal. We encourage folks to take the following action led by our partners:

1. Call your reps: win.newmode.net/longcovidcam...

2. Email your reps: actionnetwork.org/letters/long...

You forget who owns the military

This has been my nightmare for over ten years. They have unlocked an achievement

America's 'Tree of Life' is nearing the end of its life 'Tree of Life,' a Sitka spruce in Olympic National Park, is nearing the end of its life on the Washington coast.

Metaphor www.sfgate.com/national-par...

‘I Am Going Through Hell’: Job Loss, Mental Health, and the Fate of Federal Workers - KFF Health News Since the Trump administration began firing federal workers, they say they feel overwhelmed, have obtained or considered seeking psychiatric care and medication, and are anxious about paying their bil...

“I am going through hell”: The Trump administration’s mass firings are harming federal workers’ mental health, with major consequences for their lives, families, and communities.

📝: @rachanadpradhan.bsky.social + @aneripattani.bsky.social bit.ly/4c7KoUL

Saying ‘pandemic is over,’ NIH starts cutting COVID-19 research Grant terminations halt research on improving vaccinations and preventing future pandemics

@karaswisher.bsky.social I'm dying for you and Scott to address the gutting of science (and academics in general) under this administration on @pivotpod.bsky.social. You can discuss all tech and economic activity generated by NIH not to mention the novel therapeutics www.science.org/content/arti...

Saying ‘pandemic is over,’ NIH starts cutting COVID-19 research Grant terminations halt research on improving vaccinations and preventing future pandemics

Update from @science.org on termination of grants to study antivirals medications, pan-viral vaccines, and long COVID www.science.org/content/arti...