Rebecca Shay

A VERY important thread to read

In a hotel with limited channels watching Shark Week with a wary eye thanks to @whysharksmatter.bsky.social. pleased to see two local marine biologists featured on whatever this is we're viewing

Well, well, well. If it isn't our old nemesis deadly heatwave.

I want to connect with and highlight more trans voices working with plants, wildlife, and the natural environment so I've created a starter pack!

If this sounds like you, introduce yourself by quote-posting this skeet and I'll add you to the list 🏳️‍⚧️

The scope of #fungi #biodiversity is only beginning to be fathomed.

Every day almost ten new species are described. 🍄🤯

David Hibbett László Nagy and Henrik Nilsson introduce the fungal tree of life. www.cell.com/current-biol...

Quick. Somebody tell Trump that the best way to own Elon is to restore all research grants and double NSF funding.

Absolutely, paper submissions count as at least a full day's work, if not more.

Agar plate pic. There's some chunks out of the agar, but the grown part is hazy with no distinct color.

Microscope image of bacterial cells (?). Image taken at 10000x total magnification. Cells are rod shaped, with one large structure at one end. They're slightly blurry because the stupid things kept moving instead of staying still for pictures

Does anyone have a guess on an ID for this culture? Culture is on MEA, grown at 35C aerobically. The cells are motile, pic w/ 40x objective and 25x occular. Our best guess is Clostridium based on appearance, but since they grew aerobically we're not sure now. Pls help, #microsky 🔬

If you’re a scientist, check out (and sign) this letter opposing this executive order. If you know a scientist, share this with them. 🧪

www.standupforscience.net/open-letter-...

Panel One: A scientist is giving a lecture. she stands at a lecturn. The current slide shows a list of the five kingdoms of living things: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista and Monera. She says "Most people assume that fungi are plants. Whereas in fact, they form a kingdom of their own." Panbel Two: Caption : After the lecture The scientist now appears to be in a subterranean cave, before her stand two very large mushrooms guarding a larger, beardedmushroom who sits in athrone wearing a crown. One of the mushrooms says "His majesty is very pleased with the work you are doing."

A recent @newscientist.com cartoon #fungi

The average American has three friends.

I love the thought that Middleton is in a different season than Madison. There's definitely a punchline in that somewhere

theonion.com/botanists-vo... Mycologists lumped in with botanists feels appropriate #mycosky

A cute freestanding mailbox looking silly with the words "send the letters today that make someone's tomorrow" written on the side

USPS has its fair share of issues, but we still love it in this house and hope to NEVER see it get privatized 😭

born too late to get a two Western blot Nature paper, born too early to be a science TikTokker, born just in time to start a postdoc during a global pandemic and look for faculty positions during a historic hiring freeze

Really happy to see the Mycological Society of America's email about current DEI policies. Snippet from their statement: "Going forward, we aim to develop a long term plan that increases the financial stability of DEI initiatives with expanded goals." #mycosky

Resources for scientists who are being threatened or targeted below from the @nationalacademies.org www.nationalacademies.org/chr/resource...

It Is Becoming Difficult to Imagine What American Science Will Look Like Next Week Splinter is your home for news and opinions that challenge power in our political and economic system that's becoming more unhinged each and every day.

American science will not be same after all this.

Why aren’t we all calling this anti-diversity anti-DEI stuff for what it is: white supremacy. This is the language for it.

I'm very sad that "I have a paper on this" continues

Funding delays of > 30 days lead to, after 5 years:

- 40% increase in scientists exiting US labor force (constrained among those born in the US)
- 20% decrease in wages
- Burden is born by postdocs, grad students, and staff

Email from Justin Poll (jpoll@nsf.gov) ACM$ Transactions from 01/28/2025 have been canceled Our top priority is resuming our funding actions and services to the research community and our stakeholders. We are working expeditiously to conduct a comprehensive review of our projects, programs and activities to be compliant with the existing executive orders. Please note that all ACM$ transactions that were submitted on Tuesday 01/28/2025 have been cancelled. Please remember that award recipients must comply with agency policies regarding the timing of payments and are encouraged to review PAPPG 24-1 Ch. 8.C.2.a for additional guidance before preparing any resubmissions once ACM$ is back online. For certain programs, such as SBIR/STTE, there may also be program specific guidance you may need to refer to. NSF has created an Executive Order Implementation webpage to ensure the widest dissemination of information and updates. We will continue to communicate through this site as we receive additional guidance.

Image with alt text (sorry I forgot on the OP)

It’s official: all funding requests made on Tuesday by postdocs for their salaries have been unilaterally rejected by NSF.

If you have been affected by the fires in LA, or are concerned about your ability to keep precious Drosophila strains going during the latest funding crisis, we will host your strains as a backup. Please email me.

Please amplify. If you are also able to host fly strains, add your name as well.

Reiterating my call to fellow federally-funded scientists: Call your reps, tell them how this hurts science and everything good that comes from science

(Also non-scientists, and scientists without federal funding! But the more of us who can directly speak to the impacts of these freezes the better)

ReproductiveRights.Gov Vanished, So We Brought It Back theSkimm makes it easier to live smarter. You're welcome. Get all the info you need from AM to PM, wherever you are.

The administration took down the reproductive rights website that women need access to. So The Skimm bought a url and brought the content back. Pass this on!

Go to reproductiverightsdotgov.com

Orange cat sitting up on a sunny window bed. The cat is very sleepy looking, which makes sense since he just woke up from a nap in the sunshine

Happy Caturday

Please repost!
University of Vermont seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor if #Soil #Ecology to start in Aug 2025.

www.uvmjobs.com/postings/77192

#soilecology #soilbiology #soilhealth

EASTBIO: Resistance isn’t futile: Uncovering novel antifungals to combat drug resistance at University of Aberdeen on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - EASTBIO: Resistance isn’t futile: Uncovering novel antifungals to combat drug resistance at University of Aberdeen , listed on FindAPhD.com

PhD alert! Know a promising student who wants to do an interdisciplinary, funded PhD guided by experts in microbiology, antifungal drug resistance and chemistry? Please send them our way: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Assistant Professor in Fungal Biology University of California, Riverside is hiring. Apply now!

My department is hiring a fungal biologist! aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01990