Chris

Had a really cool day advocating for microbiology research with @asm.org on the hill today. Staffers and the politicians I met with were very open and welcoming. I’m remain hopeful we can make a difference.

Joanna Goldberg, Michael D. L. Johnson and Vaughn Cooper

ASM board members in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Michael D. L. Johnson and Joanna Goldberg standing in front of a NASA space suit

ASM board members spent yesterday on Capitol Hill meeting with members of Congress and their staff, emphasizing the need for stable, full-year funding for science and public health agencies. See ASM’s FY2027 funding requests: asm.social/2Q4 #ASMAdvocacy

Green and brown lily pads on the surface of water, with several bright purple flowers

Post a pic you took, no context, to bring some Zen to the feed.

Fabulous day with @drchriskellogg.bsky.social and @viromegirl.bsky.social at the Mote Marine Lab International Coral Genetic Bank near Sarasota today!

Sea urchin spines inspire self-powered underwater sensors Nature does it again! The natural world has a knack for giving us the blueprints for some useful technologies, and the humble sea urchin is the latest contributor. Scientists have designed a new class...

#Seaurchin spines inspire self-powered underwater sensors share.google/CHwztl4RbvpH...

Echinoderm stereom gradient structures enable mechanoelectrical perception - Nature Sea urchin spines show exceptional mechanoelectrical sensing from gradient structures and can be replicated in 3D-printed mimics for underwater sensing.

New study finds that sea urchin spines are more than defensive spike to dissuade predators; they are also sensory that can produce electric currents! 🤯

Echinoderm stereom gradient structures enable mechanoelectrical perception | Nature share.google/2NVffuXMXpgh...

MicroSEA (Microbial Sea Eukaryotes) course is a one-week, field-based summer school to train early-career researchers in the diversity, ecology, and single-cell biology of marine protists. MicroSEA course integrates lectures, field sampling, and lab-based practicals in advanced techniques, such as flow cytometry, microscopy, culturing, and molecular analysis. The main objectives of MicroSEA course are: Fostering a deep understanding of marine protist diversity, ecology and biology; Providing hands-on training in advanced single-cell methods that are not commonly available in university programs; Building participants' confidence in designing and conducting research projects from field to data analysis; Promoting international collaborations and peer networking among students and speakers/trainers. The course will take place at the Station Biologique de Roscoff - SBR (France) - 7th to 12th of June, 2026 (arrival on the 6th, departure on the 13th). 20 participants will be selected, including 10 from EuroMarine member institutes. https://opbc.sciencesconf.org/

Protist lovers: Please apply for a week of rhapsody! Learn by doing:

MicroSEA (Microbial Sea Eukaryotes) course is a one-week, field-based summer school to train early-career researchers in the diversity, ecology, and single-cell biology of marine protists. opbc.sciencesconf.org

#protistsonsky

Phage therapy offers a powerful tool against AMR infections—but only if we move from isolated cases to coordinated systems. The first initiative of the ASM Health Unit, led by Colleen Kraft and Dev Mittar, will tackle this. Delighted by this scientific leadership, join us!

asm.org/about-asm/as...

Screening, sorting, and the feedback cycles that imperil peer review The process of peer review is vital to contemporary science, but is also under enormous strain. This study uses mathematical models to dissect the threats to the long-term viability of peer review, su...

1. Kevin Gross and I have a new paper out today PLOS Biology.

We used economic models based around screening games and the market for unpaid labor to highlight a meltdown cycle threatening peer review.

Great review on marine apicomplexans! Well done @ambonacolta.bsky.social et al. 🙌🏻👏🏼

Assessment of antibiotic resistance genes in Caribbean corals, including those treated with amoxicillin - Coral Reefs The decimation of reefs from stony coral tissue loss disease prompted the use of a topical amoxicillin treatment to prevent coral mortality. Application of this treatment led to concerns about uninten...

New paper alert! Super happy to finally see this in print: "Assessment of antibiotic resistance genes in Caribbean corals, including those treated with amoxicillin" doi.org/10.1007/s003... #SCTLD #CoralDisease 🧪🧫👩‍🔬🪸🌊🦑

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Restorative aquaculture technician/research assistant (Sea Urchins) - Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Application deadline 23rd February 2026

Full details here: werkenbij.hvhl.nl/o/restorativ...

#coralreefs #seaurchins #aquaculture #husbandry #job #careers #caribbean #marineresearch

Huge congratulations to all of the amazing new AAM fellows!

Sincere appreciation for the many other outstanding microbiologists who were nominated.

Congrats @jcamthrash.bsky.social!

Congratulations Fellows!

The American Academy of Microbiology proudly announces the election of 63 fellows to the Class of 2026. Over the past 50 years, the Academy has elected +2,700 distinguished scientists. This year, the new fellows hail from 14 countries. Read press release: asm.social/2OC

Contribution and credit have not always aligned in science. So, we are highlighting the women who changed microbiology. Help us continue the work. Nominate a female microbiologist whose impact deserves more visibility; we'll feature them in our blog for International Women's Day: buff.ly/kk7Ieye

Behind many breakthroughs in microbiology are women whose impact outpaced their recognition. To celebrate #IDWGS, we are bringing attention to their work. And the work continues. Nominate a female microbiologist we should interview for our community blog: buff.ly/kk7Ieye

Artists, quote with something silly!

🪸 A recent study by WHOI Reef Solutions scientists shows that microbes and genetic material in seawater change when nearby corals are sick. Seawater was a better indicator of disease than sampling the corals themselves.

@amiposts.bsky.social has the scoop: go.whoi.edu/microbio-coral

Woman standing on a cliff looking out at seabirds with binoculars

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a moment to celebrate not just participation in science, but belonging within it...

🧵

This could be why Bitcoin is crashing. People are switching back to high yield tulips.

That’s fantastic! A victory worth celebrating. Congrats, Jen! 🏆

4 valentines, the top left has a squid and says "I find you a-lure-ing. Top right has two octopuses making hearts with their arms and a snailfish creeping from behind, and it says "I've whale fallen for you", an anglerfish that says "you're my light in the darkness" and a gulper eel that says "You make my jaw drop"

I've got about 100 packs of valentines left!

I'll be packing them up this afternoon and hitting the post office tomorrow.

They're cute as hell, each has a fact about the animal on the front of the card inside ❤️🐟❤️

Valentines support @skypeascientist.bsky.social!
Art by @aprilfinfrock.bsky.social

Congratulations!!! Fantastic photos - what an amazing venue!

🚨New Pub Alert🚨 We present a system-level molecular framework of natural diel regulation in the stony coral P. strigosa, integrating host & symbiodiniaceae transcriptomics with microbiome dynamics over 6hr intervals. Amazing to publish this PhD work @miamirosenstiel.bsky.social 👉 shorturl.at/TzYEr

In 2025, departures of govt scientists outnumbered new hires by a ratio of 11 to 1. This reduction in STEM PhDs translates to 106k yrs of federal work experience across 10,000 employees. These talents will take their expertise elsewhere. Experience is indispensable.
🧪 www.science.org/content/arti...

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is funded by the National Science Foundation to create "points of entry" for students interested in research. Students apply from across the country to spend 10 weeks in Bozeman, Montana this summer (May 26, 2026 - August 1, 2026). Admitted students are paired with a faculty mentor, who serves as an advisor for a student's summer project. Each student receives a stipend ($7000 for 10 wks). Travel compensation, room, and board are also provided. Our program leverages MSU’s unique microbiology expertise, focusing specifically on microbes living with little or no oxygen (like those in the hot springs of nearby Yellowstone). Low oxygen microbes are essential to human and ecosystem health. They influence (or control) such processes as the breakdown of food in the GI tract, removal of toxins from our bodies and the environment, and production of greenhouse gases. They are also models for understanding the origins of life on this planet, and the potential for life on other planets. A key goal of our program is to recruit students from schools with limited research infrastructure. Being in Montana, a state with a vibrant Native American community, we are particularly interested in applications from students at tribal colleges. However, ANYONE with an interest in microbiology - or biology/science in general - can and should apply. If willing and able, please share/tweet/spread the word far and wide. Applications are due February 14, 2026. Full details can be found through our website http://www.montana.edu/mbi/reu/

Friends, please help spread the word about our microbiology REU program at Montana State University.
www.montana.edu/mbi/reu/

Each student receives a stipend ($7000 for 10 wks). Travel compensation, room, and board are also provided.

Details in the attached pic--Feb 14 deadline
🧫🧪🦠#microsky

green and blue watercolor in swirling patterns with text printed on top. One says "CHATGPT KNOWS NOTHING" and one says "USE YOUR OWN BRAIN"

You know it's true ko-fi.com/s/19bbed3bfd

Emergency for Caribbean collaborators: There appears to be Diadema mortality somewhat reminiscent of the 2022 die off occurring right now in the USVI. If anyone hears of wider occurrences in the region please let us know! Please re-post!

I’m not an academic, I’m a federal scientist, but I work with a bunch of graduate students. We’ve held each other up this past year, to be honest. I think finding passion in doing science that will inform land management, and finding joy and peace in our field work has been everything.