Ryan Smith

Vector-Pathogen Interactions: From Vector Biology to Innovative Control Strategies | Keystone Symposia Join us at the Keystone Symposia on Vector-Pathogen Interactions: From Vector Biology to Innovative Control Strategies, February 2027, in Geneva, with field leaders!

👀There will be a Keystone Symposium with a focus on Vector-Pathogen Interactions to be held in Geneva, Switzerland in February 2027. It should be a great meeting and hope to see you there! www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...

a man speaking into a microphone with the words you better start early ALT: a man speaking into a microphone with the words you better start early

Make sure you keep this in mind and start early if you are going to be submitting to the February NIH deadlines!

As a heads up, it is now required that your NIH biosketch be created using Sciencv. This can be tricky since ORCID must be linked to your MyNCBI account, and for many, including myself, multiple accounts may have to be merged by NIH support staff. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

I'd like to thank the colossal efforts of @georgesaman.bsky.social and Hyeogsun Kwon, as well as the help from the UMITF in providing transgenic An. gambiae.

Characterization of Anopheles gambiae immune cells through genetic and functional immunophenotyping - Nature Communications Classification of mosquito hemocytes into subtypes has thus far relied on morphological properties. Here, the authors develop new genetic resources that facilitate the visualization and analysis of he...

Our latest work involving the development of genetic markers for mosquito hemocytes and their characterization using spectral imaging flow cytometry. The result is an advanced characterization of mosquito immune cells and the foundation for building genetic tools. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I'd also like to acknowledge the huge contributions from
Enzo Mameli and @georgesaman.bsky.social in this monumental and collaborative study

A genome-wide CRISPR screen in Anopheles mosquito cells identifies fitness and immune cell function-related genes Nature Communications - Mosquitoes are major vectors for the transmission of many serious pathogens. This study uses genome-wide CRISPR screens in the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, to reveal new...

Pleased to share our recent work in collaboration with the
@perrimonlab.bsky.social in which we perform the first genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen in Anopheles to examine essential fitness genes and genes associated with clodronate liposome function
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A genome-wide CRISPR knockout in a major malaria vector identifies genes important for fitness & immune-related processes @natcomms.nature.com @perrimonlab.bsky.social @iowastateu.bsky.social @harvardmed.bsky.social @georgesaman.bsky.social @vectorimmunity.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Excited to contribute to this beautiful study led by @yukihaba.bsky.social and @lindymcbr.bsky.social!

I'm happy that I could contribute even a small part to this fantastic and monumental study! Huge shoutout to @oliviagoldman.net @nadavshai.bsky.social and @leslievosshall.bsky.social for their incredible leadership in organizing this massive project!

Since my study section meeting was postponed, I am able to submit my own grant a few days earlier than expected. I just wish that my outlook for the entire system was better than at present.

David Hall & @vectorimmunity.bsky.social highlight @merklinglab.bsky.social & colleagues’ Cell Genomics article on #mosquito cellular responses in #midgut & #fatbody after #bloodfeeding. #Aedes #aegypti #scRNAseq #Metabolomics @iastateresearch.bsky.social‬ ‬

authors.elsevier.com/a/1lbEr5Eb1x...

a man in a red robe is dancing in a living room with his arms in the air . ALT: a man in a red robe is dancing in a living room with his arms in the air .

Congrats Becky!

TNF signaling mediates cellular immune function and promotes malaria parasite killing in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae Author summary Mosquito innate immunity is a major determinant of vector competence with significant implications in malaria transmission. During infection with the Plasmodium parasite, mosquitoes mou...

Celebrating the holiday weekend with another bang! Our work describing roles of TNF signaling on mosquito immune cell function and in limiting malaria parasite infection is now published. Big shout out to @georgesaman.bsky.social and others for their contributions! journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

Mosquito immune cells enhance dengue and Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti Nature Communications - Infection of mosquito immune cells by dengue and Zika virus enhances the spread of virus infection to mosquito tissues, such as the salivary glands, to promote virus...

Despite all the shit going on, we have to celebrate our victories. New publication with @entomososwin.bsky.social and @vectorimmunity.bsky.social showing that hemocytes play a central role in disseminating flaviviruses to secondary tissues potentially functioning as a Trojan Horse(TBD)
rdcu.be/euj4g

Mosquito immune cells enhance dengue and Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti Nature Communications - Infection of mosquito immune cells by dengue and Zika virus enhances the spread of virus infection to mosquito tissues, such as the salivary glands, to promote virus...

Excited to share our latest collaborative work with @entomososwin.bsky.social @brackneylab.bsky.social looking at the role of mosquito immune cells in virus infection. It turns out that these cells help disseminate virus infection, increasing the potential for virus transmission rdcu.be/euiZt

I wouldn’t say unhinged, but it was fun. I would say it was more of a show than a concert. We still had a great time

Heading out for a night of weirdness with the family

It's nice to start off your day with "We are delighted to accept your manuscript..."

The phone calls are soooo much better...

It's the time of the year when a student can be genuinely excited about getting a D-. D's get degrees.

Only the best and brightest are ready to hit the workforce!

This is a great explainer of just how much trouble NIH-funded scientists are about to be in. 😨

Harvard University Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders who make a difference globally.

Harvard redid its whole homepage to push back against the administration’s demands. I mean, this is just a website but I think it’s kind of a great PR move: www.harvard.edu

a cartoon character from south park says please in front of a sign that says south park ALT: a cartoon character from south park says please in front of a sign that says south park

Does anyone have recommendations for a preferably free or low-cost software platform for cloning, plasmid design, and curation for the lab. I "grew up" scientifically with VectorNTI. Is SnapGene the best current option? Any other alternatives that you might recommend?

When it rains it pours

New

Got the NoA on a R01 through NIAID last Monday. Full award with normal IDCs.

America will pay dearly for the NIH’s mindless war on wokeness and DEI Colleges, businesses, patients, students, workers, and US excellence will all suffer—and for what?

The cost-saving claims don’t hold up. Every dollar in NIH research grants generates $2.46 in economic activity, research shows—a total of $93 billion in 2023 alone.

“It’s incredible to me that we would give up this thing that has such obvious societal benefits,” says biologist Mark Peifer.

kermit the frog has his hand on his mouth ALT: kermit the frog has his hand on his mouth

The biggest hit to extramural program staff appears to be grants management specialists (GMSs). It appears that 15-20% of GMSs were terminated.

This is quite concerning since these folks have already missed essentially a month of getting-grants-out time and have lots to do. They already work hard.