Dr. Keith R. Brunt

On the left - western blot of B16F10 cells wt and KO for CDK8. Our in house produced antibodies give a lot of unspecific bands. On the right same probes with antibodies preincubated with fixed CDK8 KO cells - there is a specific band and faint unspecific bands, which can be probably eliminated with increase of amount of KO cells.

Neat trick if you polycolonal ab's suck. Incubate them with fixed cells with a KO of your protein of interest, then spin. Protocol here: www.med.upenn.edu/markslab/ass...
I was amazed how well it worked on first try (I'm sure that I can completely eliminate unspecific bands)
#WesternBlot #cellsky

We are looking for a new technician to join our lab and gain some hands on #zebrafish and molecular biology experience. Interested parties should apply here: jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/259... Happy to answer any and all questions about the lab! #STEMJobs

"Food insecurity is higher than at any time since the aftermath of the Great Recession, according to federal data, and many food banks are reporting higher need than they saw at the peak of the pandemic. Demand is only expected to increase."

It's all just so cruel. We need to put a stop to it all.

The annual New Brunswick Heart Conference by the @HeartStrokeNB kicks off today, a premium CME event in NB for primary care providers, to help ensure that access and best practices improve outcomes. #NBpoli

Pouring over the data: researchers find Canada’s first sugary drink tax lowered odds of consumption nearly 25%

🧪🥤Researchers find Canada’s first sugary drink tax lowered odds of consumption nearly 25%
New report highlights the potential of the tax to improve public health
@avisfavaro.bsky.social
www.heartandstroke.ca/what-we-do/m...

We mourn the loss of #JaneGoodall, whose research revolutionized #science, transformed the study of animal behavior, & paved the way for generations of field researchers. A tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world, her legacy inspires conservationists everywhere. 🌎 🧪

Pouring over the data: researchers find Canada’s first sugary drink tax lowered odds of consumption nearly 25%

🧪🥤Researchers find Canada’s first sugary drink tax lowered odds of consumption nearly 25%
New report highlights the potential of the tax to improve public health
@avisfavaro.bsky.social
www.heartandstroke.ca/what-we-do/m...

Jordan’s Principle cuts end Yukon food program for Indigenous kids An advocacy organization in Yukon says it was forced to axe its rural nutrition program after its Jordan’s Principle funding was cut.

Yukon-based First Nations education advocacy organization says it ended the rural nutrition program after its Jordan’s Principle funding was cut.

Mi’kmaw Friendship Centre in Halifax hosts event for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation The Mi'kmaw Friendship Centre is hosting an event Tuesday to expand awareness about the history of Orange Shirt Day and the services they offer.

Mi’kmaw Friendship Centre in Halifax hosts event for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation #Halifax #NovaScotia

www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nov...

I think a lot of companies are overselling what AI can do reliably.

Trump directs defense secretary to deploy troops to Portland In a post on Truth Social, the president said that he was authorizing the use of "full force" to protect Portland and ICE facilities if necessary.

BREAKING: Trump directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy troops to Portland, authorizing the use of 'full force' if necessary.

Huntington’s disease treated for first time using gene therapy Nature - Preliminary results from a small trial offer the clearest evidence yet that the brain disease’s progression can be slowed.

A one-time gene therapy can markedly slow the progression of Huntington’s disease, potentially paving the way for the first ever treatment to alter the course of this rare, inherited brain disorder.

go.nature.com/4gLO6Wz

LLM needn't be personally trained to be useful, true, but can also be superficial or miss creative triggers that only a human mind can achieve. AI is an efficiency tool for existing techniques (a sophisticated copycat) and useful for populating doldrums, and repetitive notions - immense value there.

I knew it was AI almost instantly, did it dig into the issue or accurately cover the surface, what do you think?

A Paris court has sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy in his trial into accusations the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi helped fund his victorious 2007 presidential run. #AFP

📸 Julien De Rosa

World’s first AI-designed viruses a step towards AI-generated life Scientists used AI to write coherent viral genomes, using them to synthesize bacteriophages capable of killing resistant strains of bacteria.

🦠 AI designs viruses for the first time

Scientists used AI to generate complete viral genomes, creating bacteriophages that killed antibiotic-resistant E. coli. A step toward AI-designed life, with big ethical questions.

🔗 doi.org/10.1038/d415...

#SciComm #SyntheticBiology 🧪 #GenAI #AI

The easiest thing for #NewSkies who want more science, less politics, is to pin the #sciencesky feed to the top. If you want your posts to be included in the feed, get approved to contribute, drop a 🧪and it will show up. Instructions at link: bossett.io/science-feed/

Despite fear of retaliation, hundreds of federal workers urge Congress to protect medicine and science Federal workers send Congress a letter pleading for help, but their trouble attracting signatures reflects fear of retaliation.

In an effort that reflects both defiance and rising fears of retaliation, federal workers from more than 50 agencies published a letter on Thursday that condemns the Trump administration for executive overreach and urges Congress to step in.

🧪 www.statnews.com/2025/09/18/f...

archive.today/cuCNE

University’s that don’t consult their own Faculty before hiring external consultants are failing their mission.

Cannabis

Cannabis use was associated with a nearly fourfold increased risk of developing diabetes over a 5-year period, according to an analysis of real-world data from more than 4 million adults. ms.spr.ly/63324sWvru

A&M Dean removed following student complaints over curriculum The Department of Justice has also acknowledged the situation and said it would be investigating.

A professor at Texas A&M taught… something related to gender that offended a student, who secretly filmed herself objecting. That video is picked up by TX legislators, who demand her firing, and now the dean and dept head have been fired.

www.kbtx.com/2025/09/09/a...

It is worth watching this linked video. The student's assertions that teaching about gender is illegal based on executive order is completely false. See, for example, civicsforlife.org/executive-ac... .

The capitulation of officials at Texas A&M to these tactics are shameful and dangerous.

Texas A&M President to Step Down After Controversy Over ‘Gender Ideology’

Texas A&M President fired over the "Gender ideology" "scandal."

It is not illegal to teach about gender in Texas. Technically.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/u...

Photo of Donald Trump eating spaghetti goes viral—is it real?

An image of the president chomping on a plate of the classic pasta dish at the grand state banquet at Windsor Castle has been viewed millions of times online.

Orfoglipron in @nejm.org

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

See discussion below for why this is significant!

#MedSky #NephSky

Potential photochemical controls on trace metals and rare earth elements in an acid mine drainage impacted wetland - Biogeochemistry Recent climate trends in the Colorado Mineral Belt have intensified acid mine drainage (AMD) impacts, increasing the importance to understand trace metal and rare earth element (REE) cycling in affect...

New paper! 🎉 Abandoned mines aren't just leaching trace metals, they're also releasing REEs with systematic diel cycling. Our wetland study revealed distinct light-driven patterns for different REEs. Understanding these processes matters for both ecological risk assessment & remediation planning. 🧪⚒️

The Hepatitis B vaccine, given at birth, is done so for a very clear medical reason: to protect babies from exposure to a virus that can cause devastating chronic liver disease.

Screening first was tried years ago and didn’t work - it’s why we vaccinate, so we don’t miss anyone.

🚨 Trump's war on DEI causes shortage of aircraft mechanical talent.

Industry group expects 10% shortfall in certified mechanics required to meet U.S. commercial aviation needs.

What could possibly go wrong?

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

This study shows that #tirzepatide reduces liver fat accumulation in #MetabolicDysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (#MASLD) by downregulating #CD36 and OBP2A, suggesting its potential as a #therapeutic strategy for MASLD. #medsky
#OpenAccess:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...