Computational Biology Program Scientist MIT - Computational Biology Program Scientist - Cambridge MA 02139

Interested in a *staff computational scientist* position? We are looking for an experienced computational biologist (ideally with microbiology experience) to support published packages while also driving new research. Pay range $73k-$111k w excellent benefits. careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/cl...

Radiolab Natural Sciences Podcast · Updated weekly · Radiolab is on a curiosity bender. We ask deep questions and use investigative journalism to get the answers. A given episode might whirl you through scienc...

podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/r...

A line graph of the number of NSF awards in fiscal 2026 compared to fiscal years 2021-2025. The fiscal year 2026 is well below the other curves and increasing only very slowly.

NSF Update through March 13, 2026

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I don't think people fully appreciate how apocalyptic things are for US science. I haven't had any new funding since 2024, but I'm still ok since typical grants are for three years. This means next year I will be completely out of funding and will have to fire everyone in the lab. It's not great.

Siderophore-producing Bacillus and free-living nematodes are associated with soil suppressiveness to banana root-knot nematodes - Nature Communications Continuous monoculture of banana can result in proliferation of parasitic nematodes. Here the authors show that in the long term, soil can become suppressive to disease and this is associated with enr...

Siderophore-producing Bacillus and free-living nematodes are associated with soil suppressiveness to banana root-knot nematodes

in @natcomms.nature.com from Yuanmei Zuo, Chunxu Song
with Stefan Geisen at @w-u-r.bsky.social, Jos Raaijmakers at @niooknaw.bsky.social

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

Our work shows how different bacterial cell surface properties alter microbiogeography and social interactions! Fun collaboration with @digglelab.bsky.social

#MicroSky people, have you ever grown a Staph aureus biofilm that forms a crispy or hard exterior crust (not in urine)? My MBio student Izabela has, and we are not finding much literature on this.

🌿 Postdoc opportunity in plant evolutionary ecology/genetics!

My lab in the Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to start Fall 2026.

We study plant adaptation, using weeds as model systems.

#Postdoc #EcoEvo

Pls RT!

New paper showing that bacteria with more genes for cooperation can live in a broader range of habitats and that genes for cooperation are more more likely to be in the accessory genome www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... @lauriebelch.bsky.social

In case you missed it: our review titled "Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities" is out! 🚨

Let me hit you with some highlights on why spatial structure matters. (and why you should care!)

Sharing is appreciated 🙏 🧵👇

doi.org/10.1093/fems...

Loss of Fsr quorum sensing promotes biofilm formation and worsens outcomes in enterococcal infective endocarditis - Nature Communications Infective endocarditis (IE) is an understudied biofilm-associated infection. Here, analyses of preclinical and clinical data reveal that the Fsr quorum sensing (QS) system of Enterococcus faecalis is ...

What if quorum sensing doesn’t promote biofilms - but restrains it? 🤔

New work from @harisantypas.bsky.social shows that the Fsr QS system in Enterococcus faecalis acts as a brake on biofilm formation and pathogenesis during infective endocarditis (IE).

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

The Burmeister Lab: Studying Microbial Evolution and Extinction ​Our research integrates evolutionary biology and microbiology, using bacteria and phage as study systems to address fundamental questions in both fields. ​ ​We study microbial evolution, a...

Alita Burmeister (@aburmeister.bsky.social) is looking to hire a postdoc (or potentially a PhD student) for projects on phage resistance and evolution. The position description is posted to the Eco-Evo Jobs wiki and also available on her lab's website (arburmeister.weebly.com).

🚨 New pre-print! 🚨 In the largest study of its kind to-date, we investigate the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms driving within-patient evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Read here:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... , and follow along with this thread, discussing our findings (1/21)

Our new study combines experiments with bioinformatics to examine amino acid metabolism in Pseudomonas strains co-isolated from pond and soil communities
by Simon Maréchal, Beni Heiniger, @swagatika.bsky.social, Shaohua Gu, Christian Ahrens
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

#MicroSky has anyone had trouble growing A. fumigatus on Saboraud dextrose agar at 37°C with ampicillin or chloramphenicol added?

Of 227 clinical trial proposals to the PRMRP program, only 5 were funded. Of 753 technology or therapeutic development proposals, only 14 were funded. Success rates of roughly 2%

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) has long supported translational research benefiting military service members. cdmrp.health.mil/prmrp/default

Like all US science funding, CDMRP has also dwindled. Insane funding rate of only 2% for the PRMRP program in 2025:

normally pretty optimistic that science funding will even out over reasonable time frames

But I honestly can’t see US science recovering from $ cuts (and everything else) until at least 2035

There’s about to be at least one lost generation and I feel like I’m watching a car crash in slow motion

Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities Spatial structure naturally emerges in microbial communities, shaping growth, interactions, and evolution, and revealing how microscale processes scale up

Most microbes don't live in shaking flasks; spatial structure shapes how microbes interact and evolve at every scale, as we discuss in our recent review @jeroenmeijer.bsky.social @simonvanvliet.bsky.social @bedutilh.bsky.social @bramvandijk.bsky.social and others
academic.oup.com/femsre/artic... 🧵👇

I am seeking a postdoc to join my group at UCLA -- ideally the candidate would have some experience in either population genetics or microbes/microbiome (computational background needed). We have a range of projects and are happy to tailer to your interests. Please dm/email me if interested.

No one can deny that ICE under this Administration is being overly aggressive, violating people's rights, and endangering the lives of U.S. citizens and law abiding immigrants. We cannot move forward without commonsense reforms.

Job opportunities...

Newly launched Quantitative Biology Initiative in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park seeks applications for three collaborative postdoctoral fellowships. Best consideration date 3/14.

Full Details:
umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMCP/j...

Ten Black Scientists That Science Teachers Should Know About Help your students see the possibilities of careers in STEM fields by providing them with diverse role models.

STEM Black History Fact 10/28

Vivien Thomas developed the surgical techniques that made lifesaving pediatric heart surgery possible for “blue baby syndrome.” He did not have an education past high school but received an honorary doctorate from Hopkins for his efforts.
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Gastropod Food Podcast · Updated Biweekly · Food with a side of science and history. Every other week, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley serve up a brand new episode exploring the hidden history and su...

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Perfect mix of science, history, and culture centered around the very non-controversial take that food is good!

NEW: Registration is now FREE for graduate students and postdocs for the 14th Annual Yosemite Symbiosis workshop. THANKS to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation! Space is limited. Learn more and REGISTER here: snri.ucmerced.edu/form/symbios...

The Institute for Environmental Genomics at U Oklahoma (www.ou.edu/ieg) has 3 Research Scientists & 4-6 Postdoc openings (see details linked below).

Contact ieg@ou.edu w/ questions.

We’re looking for a postdoc to join the Hendrickson lab!
The project will involve dissecting the molecular mechanisms of a fascinating mobile element in our honeybee biocontrol phages. Sound like something you would be interested in? Get in touch! Details:
jobs.canterbury.ac.nz/jobdetails/a...

Whole-tissue imaging reveals intrastrain diversity shapes the spatial organization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine infection model | mSphere Intrastrain genetic and phenotypic diversity within Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations is common in chronic pulmonary infections. While this intrastrain heterogeneity is a hallmark of chronic infectio...

P. aeruginosa intrastrain diversity drastically changes its spatial organization in lung infections. OSA-deficient variants, common in CF/COPD, surprisingly led to larger bacterial aggregates in vivo. #Microbiology #CFResearch journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Looking for a paid summer research experience? Apply to MSU’s Extreme Biofilms REU and work on cutting-edge biofilm science in extreme environments. No prior research experience needed.

#MicroSky
#PhageSky

Whole-tissue imaging reveals intrastrain diversity shapes the spatial organization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine infection model | mSphere Intrastrain genetic and phenotypic diversity within Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations is common in chronic pulmonary infections. While this intrastrain heterogeneity is a hallmark of chronic infection, its consequences for the spatial organization of P. aeruginosa within the airways remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the loss of O-specific antigen in a subpopulation of P. aeruginosa significantly alters the spatial architecture of P. aeruginosa, without changing the total population size or composition. Using a combination of tissue clearing and hybridization chain reaction RNA-FISH in a murine lung infection model, we mapped the localization of genetically distinct P. aeruginosa variants in mixed populations in vivo. These findings reveal that genetic diversification within a strain can reshape the infection landscape at the micron scale, highlighting the overlooked role of intrastrain dynamics in shaping the microbiogeography of infections and influencing host-pathogen interactions.

Recent work from the lab showing how presence of O-antigen deficient Pseudomonas variants change aggregate assembly and microbiogeography of infection

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...