Irene Newton

Microbial Databases, Software Tools, and Web Services Publish your microbial database or software tool in MRA to gain recognition, citations, and community trust.

Excited to share our new call for papers at @asm.org's MRA journal. Do you have a database, software, or web-based tool that would be a great resource for the micro community? Consider submitting it to MRA! journals.asm.org/journal/mra/...

BEST CONFERENCE BABY EVER!!!!!
Thanks so much for participating!

FFS

Anyone know how to view the recorded talks from ASMicrobe2025?

#ASMicrobe in LA was just what I needed - I leave feeling energized and excited about the future of microbial sciences - see you in DC next year!

Thanks for attending!! 🥰

Great pics! It was indeed amazing!

Evolutionary trends in Bombella apis CRISPR-Cas systems | mSystems Honey bee worker gut microbes have been implicated in everything from protection from pathogens to breakdown of complex polysaccharides in the diet. However, there are multiple niches within a honey bee colony that host different groups of microbes, ...

New collaborative work from our group and friends in our NSF Biology Integration Institute,Evolutionary trends in Bombella apis CRISPR-Cas systems
journals.asm.org/eprint/DXFSP...

Is she available!?!

Hello science fam! We have had a last-minute cancellation for our GRC on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics and are looking for someone who studies EEG in the context of microbes who would be available to come to beautiful Tuscany in July! Message me!

I'm most excited about exploring what these Drosophila proteins mean for Wolbachia symbiosis and biology! 3/3

Wolbachia harbor SOOOO many ankyrin repeat proteins - sometimes upwards of 80 in a 1Mb genome! What could these proteins be doing for the microbe? For years, the community has assumed they might be secreted effectors and in this study, we use Drosophila + yeast to identify host targets. 1/2

Wolbachia uses ankyrin repeats to target specific fly proteins Arthropods, the most diverse phylum on Earth, are hosts to a plethora of bacterial parasites that secrete various toxins of unknown function during infection. The most prevalent of these is the intrac...

So excited to present work from my lab on characterizing which host proteins are targetted by Wolbachia wMel ankyrin repeats - (1/3) www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A screenshot of the termination notice showing "Outstanding Investigator Grants"

A screenshot of the termination notice with "This award is terminated effective the date of this award, due to unsafe antisemitic actions that suggest the institution lacks concern for the safety and wellbeing of Jewish students." highlighted

Yesterday, the NIH R35 “Outstanding Investigator” grant to fund scientists in my lab studying antibiotic resistance was terminated for reasons not related to the content of the science, or any actions taken by me or members of my lab

This is the beauty and wonder that we are being told has no value—or is even antithetical to American values.

Well they're wrong, as anyone can see if they simply take a moment to imagine, truly imagine, what superpowers science gives us to see into worlds where we could otherwise never tread.

YouTube video by cadamole A Biologist's Mother's Day Song

Happy Mother’s Day! youtu.be/osWuWjbeO-Y?...

Weather and climate research funds are being “chainsawed” from NOAA's budget. Last I checked, Louisiana & Florida, which are maximally susceptible to Hurricanes, voted Red in the last General Election.

Wondering if residents there knew in advance this would happen.

Trump proposes unprecedented budget cuts to US science Huge reductions, if enacted, could have ‘catastrophic’ effects on US competitiveness and the scientific pipeline, critics say.

Trump proposes unprecedented budget cuts to US science

Seriously

Policy Notice: Implementation of Standard 15% Indirect Cost Rate

Why are they trying to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs? #WithoutNSF the US would not be at the forefront of science innovation in the world. #SaveNSF #StandUpForScience www.nsf.gov/policies/doc...

Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones US science funder also plans to screen grant applications for compliance with ‘agency priorities’.

Is this the end of US science? When will congress grow a backbone? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

U.S. National Science Foundation @NSF At NSF, our mission is to advance science, health & prosperity for all. Today, we terminated additional awards that did not align with our priorities. This decision reflects our commitment to funding research opportunities for all Americans everywhere. https://bit.ly/42LQ2aN

Further grant terminations from NSF. I don't yet have a list of what has been cut.

It's been hard to concentrate today when every email ping could a notice from NSF that another of our grants is being terminated.

Yes - this would be perfect for MRA

Very cool recent preprint from @chicascientifica.bsky.social
and team. #phages in bee poop, what's not to like? #microbiome #bees

Prophage-encoded Hm-oscar gene recapitulates Wolbachia-induced male-killing in the tea tortrix moth Homona magnanima Oscar homologs play a conserved role in Wolbachia-induced male-killing in Lepidoptera but not in other insects, highlighting the evolution of diverse male-killing mechanisms induced by Wolbachia.

Our final version of eLife paper (VOR) is now out! (doi.org/10.7554/eLif...). I investigated functions of wmk and Oscar homologs in a native host (moth) with @daisukekageyama.bsky.social and others:))

Evolution of Wolbachia male-killing mechanism within a host species Male-killing bacterial symbionts, prevalent in arthropods, skew population sex ratios by selectively killing male progeny, profoundly impacting ecolog…

@haraipapilio.bsky.social paper on evolution of Wolbachia MK mechanism through prophage acquisition in molina butterflies - avoiding suppression by the host. Now out! #symbiosky www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti.... With @daisukekageyama.bsky.social @bolinabug.bsky.social and others

lol

If they are flagella… then they are bloody enormous - what do you think they are?

Judge issues preliminary injunction blocking Trump cuts to NIH research overhead payments A federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from slashing NIH payments for research overhead

A federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from slashing NIH payments for research overhead

Happy hump day to all who celebrate