jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

I want to give this multiple hearts for your shout-out to NIH staff! ❤️❤️❤️ But also, science breakthroughs only happen after seemingly useless exploration. That's science. If we already knew the answer and how to get it, we wouldn't need all these studies... Exploration IS progress!

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

SqueezeCall: nanopore basecalling using a Squeezeformer network. #Nanopore #Basecalling #LongRead #Sequencing #Bioinformatics @nanoporetech.com @gigabytejournal.bsky.social gigabytejournal.com/articles/148

submitted 2 hours ago • 0 comments

Biodepot Launcher: an app to install, manage and launch bioinformatics workflows. #Bioinformatics #Workflows @gigabytejournal.bsky.social 🧬 🖥️ gigabytejournal.com/articles/146

submitted 2 hours ago • 0 comments

"These kinds of shocks are going to lead to a mass exodus … for minorities in particular.” For my latest @science.org story, I spoke with early career researchers who have been affected by the federal upheaval and are concerned about what it means for their future. www.science.org/content/arti...

submitted 1 day ago • 19 comments

Pitt to pause PhD admissions, following Vanderbilt and USC, because of uncertainty of NIH funding to academic universities. Who will teach and train US scientists for pharma and biotech? Should we import them from countries that do? www.wesa.fm/health-scien...

submitted 13 hours ago • 8 comments

Deeply concerned about NSF. They fired more people than they needed and now leadership is illegally reclassifying employees as probationary. www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

submitted 12 hours ago • 1 comment

The kind of trainwreck I would expect from an LLM. Coincidence?

submitted 22 hours ago • 2 comments

This

submitted 22 hours ago • 0 comments

Federal judge Angel Kelly has extended her hold on the NIH's overhead cut. www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

submitted 1 day ago • 2 comments

This is good advice! American scientists (who still have the capacity) can also try to shore up science culture locally -- volunteer at your local library, school, or museum. Most Americans have never met a scientist!

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Cuts to NSF expected to be at 50% reduction in force for an independent agency that fuels discovery and innovation. "The NSF budget was $9B, or 0.13% of the total [budget]." This is not about fiscal prudence. This is about killing universities. nanoscale.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-...

submitted 1 day ago • 121 comments

Not nearly enough. We need about 15-20% of the market to completely evaporate, jobs to disappear, military jobs get cut to the bone, and revenues for non-to-plutocrats to crash. Then, and only then, will there be action.

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

In my latest article for @science.org, I reflect on the current challenges faced by early-career researchers, including delays in grant reviews, uncertainty around NIH funding freezes and changes, and the critical need for continued support and advocacy. www.science.org/content/arti...

submitted 1 day ago • 2 comments

THIS IS HUGE! Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center say results of a Phase I trial of an mRNA vaccine aimed at preventing pancreatic cancer show promise. The vaccine PREVENTED the cancer from coming back in patients who had already received treatment for MORE THAN three years. 🧪🧵⬇️

submitted 1 day ago • 341 comments

Several excellent USDA group leaders were fired last week. Anyone at scientific federal agencies that could be fired, were. Anyone within a couple years of hiring (Matthew Moscou, Amelia Lovelace, etc, etc), or reclassified within the last couple years (promotion, new department, new title). 1/2

submitted 22 hours ago • 5 comments

DOGE = Department of Gross Errors

submitted 1 day ago • 1060 comments

Minor correction. I don't think it is a "deep, persistent incomprehension of how scientific research works and what it provides" so much as a deep rejection of how science research works and what it provides. The Continuing Crisis, Part IV | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/blog...

submitted 1 day ago • 2 comments

"NSF leadership is apparently helping with layoffs, and that 'permanent Program Directors will be undergoing RIF or Reduction In Force process within the next month or so. So far, through buyout and firing today we lost about 16% of the workforce, and RIF is expected to bring it up to 50%.'" 1/2

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

"This work was in part funded by NIH..." That survival curve was unthinkable just a few years ago for this cancer type. Amazing work like that is now not funded anymore. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

So. It has officially happened. I have been officially let go from my position at CDC. I wasn’t a probationary employee. I had stellar performance reviews every year. I’ll be ok. But please understand that many worked HARD to get into these positions and were doing great public health work.

submitted 1 day ago • 1842 comments

I have now heard from multiple sources that NIH staff can now travel, going to scientific meetings. They can also participate in peer review of papers. Still not allowed to talk about NIH policies. This may affect in person study section meetings (if the powers that be will let these be scheduled)

submitted 1 day ago • 10 comments

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

DOGE By The Numbers theonion.com/doge-by...

submitted 2 days ago • 178 comments

Are you involved in pathogen data research, policy, or education? Contribute your insights to this 10-question survey by the Pathogen Data Network. Your feedback will help shape training and support for our community. www.surveymonkey.com/r/pdn-stakeh... #PDNSurvey2025

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

Congrats to the DNALC’s @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social for winning the Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education from the Genetics Society of America (@genetics-gsa.bsky.social)! The award recognizes individuals for their contributions to genetics education. www.cshl.edu/williams-rec...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

Interesting read - 'Conspiracists are about to get a dose of reality' www.thetimes.com/article/b3bb...

submitted 3 days ago • 598 comments

The thing about destroying NIH is NIH’s scale in medical research just dwarfs everyone else. For ex, in 2023 the American Cancer Society gave out $64.5 million worth of grants. Sounds big, right? But NIH’s budget was $49 billion. With a B. Kill NIH and the floor drops out of US science.

submitted 2 days ago • 9 comments

I lost my job at the National Science Foundation yesterday, along with 167 of my colleagues, including some dear friends. This was the best job I've ever had, and I thought it would be my last. The PI community has been sympathetic and supportive, without exception. I will miss working for you.

submitted 3 days ago • 604 comments

This is going to destroy labs

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

Things pediatricians are scared of: Grapes Hot dogs Lawn mowers Unmounted TVs Babies on laps in cars Riders without helmets Ungated pools Crib bumpers Trampolines Hot tubs Guns Things pediatricians are not scared of: Any/all the vaccines

submitted 3 days ago • 30 comments

Humans have a hormone called “relaxin”, which loosens up ligaments and the pelvic symphysis to prep for birth. Today I learned something that made me smile: a similar hormone is found in rays. The researchers dubbed it “raylaxin”. This is just delightful and I have a new favorite hormone name!

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

Remarkable thread offering guidance to current and prospective NSF grantees about how to navigate the times ahead — from an NSF program officer who was fired in yesterday's DOGE purge (!)

submitted 3 days ago • 4 comments

Do you deliver training and/or professional development aimed at supporting life science research or education? Join our slack and monthly calls. The next set are tomorrow at 2 glob-friendly time zones.

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

Thanks for the info from reviewers... All 8 CSR study section meeting scheduled today have been cancelled (due to the Federal Register announcement issue). Some reviewers are finding out that their meetings are cancelled when they are notified by the travel agency that their tickets are cancelled.

submitted 3 days ago • 14 comments

www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/f...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

Every scientist, long before they were a scientist, was a little kid who stood in front of a fish tank or stared up at the stars or turned over a rock to look at the bugs underneath and said “wow”. On the best days, working in science still feels like that.

submitted 4 days ago • 27 comments

I want to give this multiple hearts for your shout-out to NIH staff! ❤️❤️❤️ But also, science breakthroughs only happen after seemingly useless exploration. That's science. If we already knew the answer and how to get it, we wouldn't need all these studies... Exploration IS progress!

SqueezeCall: nanopore basecalling using a Squeezeformer network. #Nanopore #Basecalling #LongRead #Sequencing #Bioinformatics @nanoporetech.com @gigabytejournal.bsky.social gigabytejournal.com/articles/148

Biodepot Launcher: an app to install, manage and launch bioinformatics workflows. #Bioinformatics #Workflows @gigabytejournal.bsky.social 🧬 🖥️ gigabytejournal.com/articles/146

Pitt to pause PhD admissions, following Vanderbilt and USC, because of uncertainty of NIH funding to academic universities. Who will teach and train US scientists for pharma and biotech? Should we import them from countries that do? www.wesa.fm/health-scien...

Deeply concerned about NSF. They fired more people than they needed and now leadership is illegally reclassifying employees as probationary. www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

The kind of trainwreck I would expect from an LLM. Coincidence?

This

Federal judge Angel Kelly has extended her hold on the NIH's overhead cut. www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

This is good advice! American scientists (who still have the capacity) can also try to shore up science culture locally -- volunteer at your local library, school, or museum. Most Americans have never met a scientist!

Cuts to NSF expected to be at 50% reduction in force for an independent agency that fuels discovery and innovation. "The NSF budget was $9B, or 0.13% of the total [budget]." This is not about fiscal prudence. This is about killing universities. nanoscale.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-...

Not nearly enough. We need about 15-20% of the market to completely evaporate, jobs to disappear, military jobs get cut to the bone, and revenues for non-to-plutocrats to crash. Then, and only then, will there be action.

In my latest article for @science.org, I reflect on the current challenges faced by early-career researchers, including delays in grant reviews, uncertainty around NIH funding freezes and changes, and the critical need for continued support and advocacy. www.science.org/content/arti...

Several excellent USDA group leaders were fired last week. Anyone at scientific federal agencies that could be fired, were. Anyone within a couple years of hiring (Matthew Moscou, Amelia Lovelace, etc, etc), or reclassified within the last couple years (promotion, new department, new title). 1/2

DOGE = Department of Gross Errors

Minor correction. I don't think it is a "deep, persistent incomprehension of how scientific research works and what it provides" so much as a deep rejection of how science research works and what it provides. The Continuing Crisis, Part IV | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/blog...

"NSF leadership is apparently helping with layoffs, and that 'permanent Program Directors will be undergoing RIF or Reduction In Force process within the next month or so. So far, through buyout and firing today we lost about 16% of the workforce, and RIF is expected to bring it up to 50%.'" 1/2

"This work was in part funded by NIH..." That survival curve was unthinkable just a few years ago for this cancer type. Amazing work like that is now not funded anymore. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

So. It has officially happened. I have been officially let go from my position at CDC. I wasn’t a probationary employee. I had stellar performance reviews every year. I’ll be ok. But please understand that many worked HARD to get into these positions and were doing great public health work.

I have now heard from multiple sources that NIH staff can now travel, going to scientific meetings. They can also participate in peer review of papers. Still not allowed to talk about NIH policies. This may affect in person study section meetings (if the powers that be will let these be scheduled)

DOGE By The Numbers theonion.com/doge-by...

Are you involved in pathogen data research, policy, or education? Contribute your insights to this 10-question survey by the Pathogen Data Network. Your feedback will help shape training and support for our community. www.surveymonkey.com/r/pdn-stakeh... #PDNSurvey2025

Congrats to the DNALC’s @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social for winning the Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education from the Genetics Society of America (@genetics-gsa.bsky.social)! The award recognizes individuals for their contributions to genetics education. www.cshl.edu/williams-rec...

Interesting read - 'Conspiracists are about to get a dose of reality' www.thetimes.com/article/b3bb...

The thing about destroying NIH is NIH’s scale in medical research just dwarfs everyone else. For ex, in 2023 the American Cancer Society gave out $64.5 million worth of grants. Sounds big, right? But NIH’s budget was $49 billion. With a B. Kill NIH and the floor drops out of US science.

I lost my job at the National Science Foundation yesterday, along with 167 of my colleagues, including some dear friends. This was the best job I've ever had, and I thought it would be my last. The PI community has been sympathetic and supportive, without exception. I will miss working for you.

This is going to destroy labs

Things pediatricians are scared of: Grapes Hot dogs Lawn mowers Unmounted TVs Babies on laps in cars Riders without helmets Ungated pools Crib bumpers Trampolines Hot tubs Guns Things pediatricians are not scared of: Any/all the vaccines

Remarkable thread offering guidance to current and prospective NSF grantees about how to navigate the times ahead — from an NSF program officer who was fired in yesterday's DOGE purge (!)

Do you deliver training and/or professional development aimed at supporting life science research or education? Join our slack and monthly calls. The next set are tomorrow at 2 glob-friendly time zones.

Thanks for the info from reviewers... All 8 CSR study section meeting scheduled today have been cancelled (due to the Federal Register announcement issue). Some reviewers are finding out that their meetings are cancelled when they are notified by the travel agency that their tickets are cancelled.

www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/f...

Every scientist, long before they were a scientist, was a little kid who stood in front of a fish tank or stared up at the stars or turned over a rock to look at the bugs underneath and said “wow”. On the best days, working in science still feels like that.

The interocellar area is very raised so you know exactly where to kiss the Ophion on the forehead goodnight 💋🛌

Math is hard

Reposted with ALT image description: