Percentage of adults with a Ph.D.

I am hiring a popgen postdoc!

Looking for a creative scientist to join us at USC to investigate recessive variation and complex traits in model or non-model species. The project is funded by a multi-year NIH grant, contract can be renewed.

Job add & details 👇🏽

usccareers.usc.edu/job/los-ange...

150,000 Illinois households may lose federal food assistance beginning May 1 Article Summary Due to changes from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, some immigrants are no longer eligible

The Trump administration is kicking 150,000 Illinoisans off of SNAP on May 1.

He's ripping away help from Illinoisans as the cost of their groceries, gas, and utilities continues to rise.

Make sure to check your status at abe.illinois.gov.

The surprising origin of 4 features that superglue kids — and adults — to screens Taken together, these four features can create a trancelike state that can keep us stuck on social media apps or video games for hours. Children are particularly vulnerable.

Taken together, these four features can create a trancelike state that can keep us stuck on social media apps or video games for hours. Children are particularly vulnerable.

📣 EvolDir is now managed by @eseb.bsky.social!

We are delighted to be taking the reins and express our gratitude to both Brian Golding who began this service to the community in the mid-1980s and to @rdmpage.bsky.social who ran this account until now 👏

You can now find evoldir here: evoldir.net

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed an executive order banning state employees from using insider info to bet on prediction market apps like Kalshi and Polymarket, warning the unregulated boom “opens the door to insider trading and abuse.”

A vaccine for Lyme disease could be on the horizon The vaccine candidate is the furthest any shot has gotten since the last one was pulled in 2002. Scientists are testing other ways to block infection.

New clinical trial data from vaccine makers show that their Lyme disease vaccine reduced cases by about 70%.
www.sciencenews.org/article/lyme...

An infographic titled "Magnolia molecules: perfume and medicines" details the plant's chemistry. Pink petals contain cyanidin and peonidin pigments. Aroma molecules include aldehydes like 2-nonenal and heptanal, and terpenes like alpha-pinene and linalool. Medicinal bark compounds include magnolol and honokiol, which have antioxidant properties. It also highlights yulanosides, unique phenylethanoid glycosides. Chemical structures for these compounds surround a central magnolia branch photo.

Did you know magnolia petals are edible?

I didn't until this year, and discovering that they are led me to this exploration of magnolia chemistry (and experiments in making magnolia gin).

Learn more in the graphic here: www.compoundchem.com/2026/04/20/m...

#ChemSky 🧪

This rather creepy photo is Artemis II’s heat shield underwater, as taken by the U.S. Navy. This is the first photo we have of the heat shield, and upon initial examination it doesn’t seem to have the char loss that Artemis I’s had.

Excited to attend the ribbon-cutting for the next segment of California’s solar canal initiative later this month in Hickman. Imagine generating solar power over 4,000 miles or so canals across the state. A lot of Sierra and Colorado River water to save via avoided evaporation.

My first post here, we have a new preprint out from @aicjanelia.bsky.social! Upright LSFM is fantastic for live imaging, but not amenable to all samples - especially those requiring an air-liquid interface. We worked with Tokai Hit to try to fix that.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

First thought from skimming the tree is PACMAD deserves some love too ☹️

A graphic with text that reads "ASPB Advocacy and Science Policy Update. Call to action: Support the NSF BIO Plant Biology Act. Strengthening U.S. Leadership in Plant Science."

The NSF BIO Plant Biology Act (H.R.7949) would strengthen investments in plant and microbial research—helping drive innovation and protect U.S. agriculture. Learn why it matters and how to take action 👉 buff.ly/xRu6Eqz #PlantScience #SciencePolicy

We Need to Prepare for the Mammoth Task of De-Trumpification The damage he and his cronies have wrought could take decades to repair, particularly when it comes to science and public health.

The task of de-Trumpification of science and public health will take a generation and a "Marshall Plan" to rebuild. Without a bold, expansive vision to guide us, there is no coming back. Small-bore, poll-tested versions of the future will not help us. www.thenation.com/article/soci...

You have a little under two weeks to apply for BSA's @botsocamerica.bsky.social Impact Award! Deadline 5/1. Reach out with questions or with nominations, and apply! 💚

My uncle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he died within a month of his diagnosis. It would have made such a difference our family to have had extra time. Our government should be supporting research and life saving discoveries like this instead of defunding it.

My mom holding an embroidery of a trilobite wearing a crown of flowers.

My mom - a geologist - gets out the embroidery that I made her every spring. Because trilobites wearing a crown of flowers are a harbinger of springtime.

#Embroidery

🧪 🧬

A image of a small cactus on a patio table which is almost globe like and bedecked in spines emerging out of a small pot with an illustrated cactus and the comment “looking sharp” on it.

Last night’s storm caused my Echinocereus to shed its first pup, fortunately @wmhammond.bsky.social provided me with the perfect starter pot for small cacti a while back!

GitHub - RILAB/statements: Successful Job Applications and Grants Successful Job Applications and Grants. Contribute to RILAB/statements development by creating an account on GitHub.

That time of year again! If you'd like an example of job apps in academia or industry, here's a good resource. If you got a job in industry or academia in the last few years, please consider adding yours! github.com/RILAB/statem...

Wildly speculative question but have you considered comparing regions that seem to be more or less prone to crossing over for in-family synteny or even micro synteny further out?

Fun side project. Using codex and claude code to do the heavy lifting on chain files, merging beds, etc. I gathered data from several different sources to map ~370,000 crossovers in maize. Crossovers like genes! Also, figuring out how to make a metaplot was hard. github.com/rossibarra/f...

Grieving for the Boundary Waters and what it means for all of us — the Senate voting to strip Minnesota’s Boundary Waters of protection from mining pollution sets a precedent for Republicans to tear down protected area status of all other public lands through the Congressional Review Act.

Wow

Postdoctoral Scholar position in the Coaker group University of California, Davis We are seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to join our research program focused on immune receptor engineering and spatial analyses of plant pathogens interactions using computational and imaging approaches. The position will involve integration of molecular, imaging, and computational approaches. Relevant publications from the laboratory include Nature Plants (2025, PMID: 40721669), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024, PMID: 38814867), and Cell Reports (2023, PMID: 37342910). https://www.coakerlab.org/ Qualifications: • Ph.D. in plant biology, molecular biology, genetics, computational biology, or a related field • Strong background in genomics and/or computational biology • First author publications in peer-reviewed journals • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment • Experience in plant innate immunity is preferred Application Instructions: The position is initially available for two years, with the possibility of extension based on performance and funding. Salary is based on the University of California postdoctoral salary scale (https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/represented-oct-2025-scales/t23.pdf). The salary range for this position is $69,073-$82,836 US Dollars/year. Review of applications will begin June 1, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. Please submit a CV, a brief statement of research interests (~1 page), and contact information for three references to glcoaker@ucdavis.edu. The research statement should describe your previous work, how your expertise aligns with ongoing research in the lab, and potential future research directions.

We are hiring! We’re excited to recruit a postdoc to our lab at UC Davis to work on plant immune engineering and single-cell analyses of plant pathogen interactions. Apply by June 1. Please repost. www.coakerlab.org/postdoctoral...

🪱 Serving head-to-tail fluorescence 💅 Whole-animal FISH in the planaria Schmidtea mediterranea: 🔵 Head 🟣 Gut 🟡 Tail ✨ Masters of regeneration and color coordination 📸 Image from Viraj Doddihal #FluorescenceFriday
To be featured submit your images here ➡️ forms.gle/PWyaViekkNNn...

The Bike Lane Gender Gap: New Research Shows Women Ride More Where Protected Infrastructure Exists.
momentummag.com/the-bike-lan...

Group of people standing near a large radio telescope at the Very Large Array. The landscape is flat and open, with grasses and distant mountains under a blue sky with wispy clouds.

The Very Large Array Spring Open House is almost here! Don't forget to get your (free!) tickets before arriving: https://nraoepo.ticketapp.org/portal/product/36

🗓️ Saturday, April 18
⏰ 9 AM - 4 PM
📍 NRAO Very Large Array - Magdalena, NM

Guided tours, talks, hands-on learning activities, and more!

Dear god. Very, very serious allegations of mass civil rights violations at the State of Florida's Everglades immigration detention center (officially known as "Alligator Alcatraz").

Makayla giving her talk at a podium with a slide and other people listening

PhD candidate Makayla giving her excellent 3rd year talk 🎉 @makaylathebotanist.bsky.social