McVey lab

Check out this new review (with animations, natch) of mechanisms of licensing origins of DNA replication - a wonderful (and continuing!) collaboration with Bruce Stillman @cshlnews.bsky.social and John Diffley @crick.ac.uk! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

An important correction in the NYT, to a chart that was shared a lot in recent days & that I shared myself, shows they'd made a mistake with the 18-24 year old turnout, and so it's not the case that age group outvoted all others.

Still: nothing to sneeze at here, still a huge surge in youth vote.

I think that this is one of the most difficult aspects of science today—finding time to think and reflect.

It's unconscionable that Congress is rushing to pass the reconciliation bill, which polling indicates is wildly unpopular across citizens of both parties. This isn't a political football to get across the goal line. It's a morally bankrupt contract. There's no shame in taking extra time to fix it.

Yes! We need to replicate this graph across the country.

Change in NSF GRFP awards from 2024-2025. Bar height shows absolute change, label shows percent change.

Although 500 new NSF GRFPs were added in June, the total number of fellowships in 2025 remains ~500 fewer than in 2024. Some fields—like CS and Physics—still saw net increases in total awards.

But others, including Life Sciences & Psychology, have taken hits of 50% or more compared to last year.

Too poor to science: how wealth determines who succeeds in STEM

Thought-provoking read, especially in these times of questioning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
🧪

This is a beautiful paper!

Biology of Aging at Tufts

This semester, the Tufts undergraduate Biology of Aging class created a new set of YouTube Videos describing the science behind different healthspan-promoting interventions. There were some really creative and informative entries! Check them out here: www.youtube.com/@BiologyofAg...

Our department can say with conviction that people like Chiara are exactly the individuals whose careers we need to be supporting. Now is not the time to be pulling back from commitments to young scientists!

🧵5 Top Free Alternatives to BioRender for Scientific Illustrations!

These five websites offer free scientific illustrations for biologists. Great for presentations, research papers and other research communication needs.

Save and share the post!

For those of you who rely on government websites for your research, American University has put together this guide to sites that have archived them.

subjectguides.library.american.edu/data_rescue/...

This is good news. May the rule of law prevail.

The NIH budget is on a fast track to disaster An NIH insider explains what Republicans are likely to do next, and what we can do

This piece by an anonymous NIH insider spells it out:
*Slow science spending as much as possible, ignore existing commitments
*Present the failure to spend as a "savings"
*House GOP leadership will make cuts permanent with rescission/tax cut
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nih-bu...

A non-tethering role for the Drosophila Pol θ linker domain in promoting damage resolution Abstract. DNA polymerase theta (Pol θ) is an error-prone translesion polymerase that becomes crucial for DNA double-strand break repair when cells are defi

The polymerase and helicase domains of DNA polymerase theta are important for double-strand break repair. Most scientists ignore its linker domain. Maybe we shouldn't do that anymore? Graduate student Justin Blanch from our lab shows why in a new paper:
track.smtpsendmail.com/9032119/c?p=...

Please consider making a public comment opposing the possibility of making NIH directors, program officers, and other staff (e.g. SRO, GMS) political appointees. This only took me ~90 seconds. Please repost. Thanks 👍

Not at our door, people. It’s in our house.

Yes!

DOGE takes over federal grants website, wresting control of billions A DOGE engineer removed users’ access to grants.gov, threatening to further slow the process of awarding thousands of federal grants per year.

Scoop: DOGE now controls how grant opportunities get posted across government.

DOGE engineer removed users’ permissions to post to Grants-dot-gov without telling them. Now requests flow thru DOGE-controlled mailbox.

with @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social + @hannahnatanson.bsky.social

These training programs have launched countless scientific careers. Their elimination is catastrophic. We are in mourning right now for the trainees, but will not abandon our long term goal of broadening participation in science.

This video is for all US citizens who are currently overwhelmed by Trump's more than 200 executive orders.

THIS should be retweeted to the MAX.

I never saw a more helpful video.

(It's about two minutes long. It's worth a lot.)

Webinar: Responding to Federal Research Grant Terminations Join AAAS on Friday, March 28 at 12 PM ET The AAAS Center for Scientific Responsibility and Justice and AAAS SEA Change will host a roundtable discussion on the laws and regulations that govern federal grant terminations, including procedures for appeals. Speakers will include a legal expert, former officials at scientific funding agencies, and a grant recipient who will share their personal experience. NIH and NSF will serve as case examples.

🚨 Attention NIH & NSF grantees!

AAAS is hosting a rapid response webinar this Friday, 12-1 pm ET, on responding to federal research grant terminations.

NIH and NSF will be case examples.

Register here: aaas.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

📢#BGFP25 GRANTS AVAILABLE & TALK DEADLINE EXTENDED!

💰We are excited to announce we have at least 10 reg support grants ready to award to those submitting abstracts!

🧑‍💼Our short talk submission deadline has been extended and will now close on 01 April.

Submit your abstract HERE: bit.ly/3AnsVZF

University of Minnesota Genomics Center Model Organism Sequencing Service Flyer. $25 for a 30x Drosophila genome.

Hey fellow Drosophila researchers - if you haven't heard, the UMGC is offering ultra low-cost genome sequencing! See here to learn more: z.umn.edu/UMGC-MOSS #Dros25

This analysis of how the US got to where it is today and a vision of how to forge a path forward is definitely a must read. Fifteen minutes to read and days to internalize. Totally worth it.

In state of city address, Wu mixes normal mayoral stuff with repeated warning to Washington: Don't mess with #Boston
www.universalhub.com/2025/state-c...

Mutated DNA Restored to Normal in Gene Therapy Advance The small study in patients with a rare disorder that causes liver and lung damage showed the potential for precisely targeted infusions.

Absolutely stunning example of a “one-shot” CRISPR gene therapy. Why would we stop funding science when it can give us this? #standupforscience
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/h...

Share this and fill in the info if you have it.

This is a great example of creative resistance!

Scientists in Boston are getting out the word!!! #standupforscience