🧪 A new position piece argues that the uncritical adoption of 'AI' in academia mirrors past collective blunders.

Fueled by industry hype, they posit this trend erodes critical thinking, academic freedom, and scientific integrity.
#AcademicSky #MLSky

Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece, we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to relevant work to further inform our colleagues.

Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI (black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf. Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al. 2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA).

Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe.

Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles

Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n

Neutrophils secrete exosome-associated DNA to resolve sterile acute inflammation | Nature Cell Biology Acute inflammation, characterized by a rapid influx of neutrophils, is a protective response that can lead to chronic inflammatory diseases when left unresolved. We previously showed that secretion of LTB4-containing exosomes via nuclear envelope-derived multivesicular bodies is required for effective neutrophil infiltration during inflammation. Here we report that the co-secretion of these exosomes with nuclear DNA facilitates the resolution of the neutrophil infiltrate in a mouse skin model of sterile inflammation. Activated neutrophils exhibit rapid and repetitive DNA secretion as they migrate directionally using a mechanism distinct from suicidal neutrophil extracellular trap release and cell death. Packaging of DNA in the lumen of nuclear envelope-multivesicular bodies is mediated by lamin B receptor and chromatin decondensation. These findings advance our understanding of neutrophil functions during inflammation and the physiological relevance of DNA secretion. Arya et al. report

Neutrophils release exosome-associated nuclear DNA to help resolve acute inflammation, preventing chronic disease progression. 🧬🔥 PMID:40404894, Nat Cell Biol 2025, @NatureCellBio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-025-01671-4 #Medsky #Pharmsky #RNA #ASHG #ESHG 🧪

Yes, you are right. In the Preface of the book we talk🧪 about science and truth: "Our “true” is just the ideas (theories,
hypotheses, models and scenarios) that agree most
closely with the results of observations and experiments" at a given moment. 🧪⚛️🔭

In the rise of Chinese biotech, some see opportunity. Others see a threat Some see molecules from China as an opportunity. Others see a threat to US biotech

As China’s biopharmaceutical industry churns out more innovative molecules, competition for Big Pharma deals is increasing. cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic... #chemsky 🧪

The changing landscape of primary autoimmune neuropathies - Nature Reviews Neurology Management of autoimmune neuropathies has remained unchanged for much of the past 30 years, but recent advances are changing the rate of progress. In this Review, the authors summarize the latest deve...

This Review summarizes the latest developments in autoimmune neuropathies, including discoveries in disease mechanisms, the implications of new diagnostic guidelines, identification of new biomarkers and the status of the most promising clinical trials.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Rapamycin may extend lifespans by protecting against DNA damage The drug rapamycin has been linked to a longer life and we're starting to understand how it might have this effect

The drug rapamycin’s anti-ageing effects could at least partly be due to it preventing DNA damage in our immune cells – an understanding that might help us unleash its potential as a life extender.

#health #science #aging #ageing 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

A little collie with a black-and-brown face and white-and-black body sits in her human’s arms with a sign reading, “I BITE FASCISTS”

Ditto.

How Novo Nordisk failed to protect its GLP-1 patent Traditional intellectual property tools have proved insufficient against pharmacy compounders producing weight-loss drugs

How Novo Nordisk failed to protect its GLP-1 patent on.ft.com/3JNai69 | opinion

#worklifebalance

China's new AI content labeling law goes into effect, as part of a broad effort to address AI-related risks such as misinformation and copyright infringement (Coco Feng/South China Morning Post)

Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

New broad-spectrum antiviral compounds target viral sugars Synthetic carbohydrate receptors use flexible arms to interact with <i>N</i>-glycans and stop membrane binding

Researchers have made a broad-spectrum antiviral that works against several virus families by blocking N-glycans—long thought of as undruggable targets. cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic... #chemsky 🧪

Three-dimensional confocal image of a swine trophoblast organoid immunostained for ZO-1 (green) and actin (purple), with nuclei counterstained using DAPI (grey). ZO-1 highlights tight junctions at the apical borders in the center of the organoids, while actin outlines cellular architecture, revealing organized epithelial polarity within the organoid structure. Image credit: Cole McCutcheon, Duke University.

In vitro model of porcine placental development: @crm110.bsky.social &co develop a swine trophoblast #organoid model that mimics in vivo #trophoblast diversity & gene expression, providing a platform for studying #placental biology & #MaternalFetalInteractions @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/47jf3yd

Left: representative images of livers with staining of the hepatocyte marker HNF4α, cholangiocyte marker CK19, the Kupffer cell marker CD68 or the endothelial cell marker CD31. Right: Schematic showing the regulation of JAK/STAT3 pathway by executioner caspases.

Some executioner caspases also have non-apoptotic functions. This study shows that sublethal executioner #caspase activation enhances #hepatocyte proliferation via JAK/STAT3 signaling, revealing a role for executioner caspases in promoting liver #regeneration @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3JEsH57

Lovely tribute to Elio Schaechter, touching on his contribution to microbiology, #scicomm, undergrad teaching, and more. For those who read blogs, strongly recommend reading entries of Small Things Considered

🦠🔬

schaechter.asmblog.org

asm.org/podcasts/twi...

How did life get multicellular? Five simple organisms could have the answer Single-celled species that often stick together in colonies have researchers rethinking the origin of animals.

Single-celled species that often stick together in colonies have researchers rethinking the origin of animals. A feature in Nature explores how five organisms are helping researchers define how life became multicellular. 🧪

Estimating the predictability of questionable open-access journals AI screening of journals identifies over a thousand questionable journals, helping experts review where it is needed most.

Science Advances (OA):
“flag over 1000 suspect journals, which collectively publish hundreds of thousands of articles, receive millions of citations, acknowledge funding from major agencies, and attract authors from developing countries.”
🧪 #PredatoryPublishers
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

New AI tool identifies 1,000 'questionable' scientific journals Questionable scientific journals, or those that publish studies without proper vetting for a profit, are growing around the world. A new AI system automatically

New AI tool identifies 1,000 'questionable' scientific journals
🧪 #PredatoryJournals #Scicomm
www.colorado.edu/today/2025/0...

A novel MLH1 small binder (MLH1-SB) enhances prime editing efficiency by inhibiting mismatch repair, outperforming dominant-negative MLH1 in precision. PMID:40769155, Cell 2025, @Cell https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00799-8 #Medsky #Pharmsky #RNA #ASHG #ESHG 🧪

People! AI is not in the best interest of humanity! It needs to be destroyed along with the drug addled tech bros promoting it.
PLEASE WAKE UP!

Texas is the first preseason No. 1 team to lose its opener since Miami in 1990.

Que ganas de tener pareja para que me diga: "No sé, tú sabrás"

Combining a diet rich in fermentable carbohydrates with metformin improves glycaemic control and reshapes the gut microbiota in people with prediabetes - Nature Metabolism In this double-blind, randomised, crossover trial, a diet rich in fermentable foods was shown to improve the glucose-lowering efficacy of metformin due, at least in part, to changes in gut microbiota composition.

RESEARCH | Chu, Chow et al (Chin U Hong Kong)

In this clinical trial, fermentable foods are shown to improve the efficacy of metformin, partially due to changes in the gut microbiota


https://bit.ly/4g4w6q3 ?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social_&utm_campaign=natmetab

Poly(dibenzothiophene methylimidazole oxindole) copolymer membranes with multiple hydrogen-bonding sites for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

doi.org/10.1016/j.cc...

The Yankees have trotted out some prolific lineups in years past.

But this could be the first to feature four players who have hit 30+ home runs in a season.

New York's penchant for power could carry it in October.

http://dlvr.it/TMmn8D

Mañana me voy a levantar tan tarde que voy a empalmar el desayuno con el aperitivo y voy a terminar mojando churros en cerveza.

If you like transcription regulation and its mechanisms, this WIP list is for you.

I'm sure I've forgotten lots of people, so don't hesitate to let me know so I can add you to the list.

go.bsky.app/8vTgeXB

I think the more you try to use genAI to deliver work product the more obvious it is that your personal skills still matter, although not necessarily the same skills as would matter without genAI

AI-based program designs new mRNA Generative models could reduce the effort needed to increase effectiveness of mRNA therapies and vaccines

In a new paper published in Science, researchers from Raina Biosciences have detailed their new AI-based design program, which can provide mRNA sequences to be used in a broad array of applications, from personalized vaccines to cancer therapies. cen.acs.org/biological-c... #chemsky 🧪

Direct contact between iPSC-derived macrophages and hepatocytes drives reciprocal acquisition of Kupffer cell identity and hepatocyte maturation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.26.672295v1