Mara Duncan

Schizosaccharomyces orthogroup (SOG) resource: a web platform for exploring gene conservation in fission yeasts https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.24.701316v1

Hahaha. I legit just walked past an admin's office, saw a case of handwarmers, and thought, 'Aha! The logistical mastermind supplying MN.'

Nope, just the logistical mastermind trying to help our prospective students survive the bitter cold that is predicted for our recruitment days later this week.

We’re excited to share our latest preprint on the mechanism of excised linear intron stabilization in yeast! This work was led by PhD student @glennli.bsky.social and was a wonderful collaboration with @maxewilkinson.bsky.social. Link: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... (1/4)

😫 I think we’ve come a long way since then. I’m sure stuff still happens— I mean Michigan can’t stay out of the news for sex pests, but I sincerely think things have improved in departments and at conferences even if we have a ways to go yet.

My experience was at a departmental retreat, I’m mildly surprised it came up at recruitment events.

Write out each value for an in the fly calculation.
eg
Dilution of cells counted
Cells counted
Calculated cells/ml
Volume of cells added to each well.

Helps ID oopsie errors.

Concentrations for enzymatic solutions in terms of units per mL. Just because the vial always contains 100 mg doesn’t mean the concentration will be the same if you always reconstitute with the same volume because…

Your written protocols and lab notebooks are a love letter to your future self (whether it’s you or a future lab member). Please be kind. Here are some critical things I have frequently noticed missing: (feel free to add yours in thread 🧵)

There were rumors about a recruit who had sex with his host during the interview weekend.

That was 1-2 years before us, maybe why they nixed mixed sex housing in future years.

I stayed in a hotel at Berkeley, UCSF, UCSD in 1995. In 1996 or 1997, I hosted a student who slept on our pull out couch.

I just can’t imagine that happening now.

Yeah actually the only people I know who related 1st hand stories of UCSF hot tub stories are women who were students so maybe it wasn’t everyone at UCSF in the 90s hot tubbed but rather male faculty and female students did.

We are seeking a new Staff Research Associate: 75% research, 25% lab management. A recent graduate with a major in molecular and cell biology or a similar field is ideal. Staff Research Associate (9613C), Molecular & Cell Biology.
careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucb/EMPL...

I also got part numbers for new bearings which I'll be replacing when they come, but not for a month or so.

A photo of some bearing poking up out of a sealed metal peice with three holes.

TIL-sometimes if you call the company, they will send you detailed schematics and discuss how to do repairs that are not in the user manual.

I'll be replacing the belt on my orbital shaker, which will require removing this bead of silicon sealant.

The 90's were so weird.

I feel my peer group was very cautious about sex because of HIV, but also everything was about sex.

Probably the first led to the latter, but it was a weird time.

Nah-that was our time.

Weren't you at that retreat our 1st year north of SF where a UCSF faculty member was the keynote speaker and they asked when we were all going to go hot tubbing, and its ok if you don't have a suit you can go nude here?

I remember being horrified.

Happy to share the latest from the lab, led by Daniel Alvarez, in collaboration with @lizconibear.bsky.social‬. In this AA-MD tour-de-force, we delve deep into the mechanism and energetics of lipid uptake by bridge-like lipid transfer proteins, and we learn a few interesting things along the way...

A photo of a tiny calendar with many days crossed off. There are cute cats on the calendar. There is a sheet of gold stars nearby.

Here's the motivational calendar that I can use to record my writing sessions, and the sweet sweet gold stars that I could earn.

(Yes, I know it's weird, but I find gold stars motivating)

Maybe I should reward myself with more than just a gold star if I don't use any cheat days?

Weds are often a challenge, with a 9:30 meeting, often an 11 or 11:30 meeting and 3pm class. Today the sloppy commute made me arrive just before the 9:30 meeting, and I'm behind on class prep.

We'll see if I can squeeze in 30 min of writing after class prep.

New Year's writing resolution, I might need a cheat day today. I'm trying to write 30 min a day every day. I've set aside the 1st 30 min in the morning for this. I'm giving myself 2 cheat days a month.

I'm angling for that sweet sweet gold star I'll give myself if I make my monthly goal.

Hello immunofluorescence hive brain 🔬🧠

Which (covalent) antibody labeling kits work well?

We want to co-stain (confocal + FACS) proteins where we have Abs from the same species => Ab labeling 💡. Ideally using a kit that some of you can vouch for... (?)

Any input would be very helpful - thanks!

He ended up looking like a buffoon who hadn't made any effort to know who he was introducing. I bet he slaughtered all sorts of people's names because he didn't ask them beforehand how to pronounce their names.

Hey #Seattle #bioscience people, my daughter (studying neurosci/biochem) is looking for a Seattle area on-site biosci/biochem lab work internship opportunity for this summer. She has a year of biomanufacturing lab work experience. Pls DM if you know of something I could point her to!

I am looking for someone who successfully fought tenure denial at the dept level for a friend (NOT ME!!). If you have time and resources to help a friend of mine, please message me. #AcademicSky #AcademiaSky

Like after the 2nd one, wouldn't he have learned his lesson? If no lab was listed, it's probably a new PI.

There was also the conference where I was presenting my first talk as a new PI, where the organizer asked me whose lab I was in. @maitreya.bsky.social, and 1 or more other women in that session got the same question. I think three of us in a row.

This was the same dysfunctional department where, 3 minutes into the drive from the airport, the chair of the search committee said 'Wait, you aren't a chemist?'

I was a cell biologist who did a small-molecule screen. No, I was not a chemist.

Walking into a faculty member's office as a candidate for a faculty position in their department, 'You can't be old enough to even be a postdoc, what are you 12?'.

I was 34, not that it should have mattered.

Do I know any scientists based in Antarctica? Or who can put me in touch with someone? Reposts gratefully accepted!