Tap, tap, tap...it's been a minute, but I am at #ASB2026 and giving a talk this afternoon and have 3 students presenting posters. Check us out if you like learning about how tardigrades survive DNA damaging events. #tardigrades #Radiotolerance #DNAdamage

Tiny Tardigrades, Big Discoveries - Stories from UNC Asheville Tardigrades, also known as “water bears” or “moss piglets,” are ubiquitous, tiny creatures that have huge potential for groundbreaking discoveries.These microscopic creatures have already been discove...

@uncavl.bsky.social communications and marketing story featuring my lab! I am so proud about what this story shows about my lab, my students, and the student experience at UNCA #research #tardigrades #tinybutmighty
stories.unca.edu/tiny-tardigr...

Repping our department today with our new shirts! The artwork was created by one of the first students I taught here @uncavl.bsky.social ☺️. I figure it is okay to wear a T-shirt to teach if it has bugs on it, right?

I am scared to know why you are needing a sanity check. I'm assuming the latter has been voted as more important by someone...🙄

a pink starfish with the words today 's the daaaay ALT: a pink starfish with the words today 's the daaaay

#SICB2025 Today is the day! If you want to hear about how tardigrades survive beyond lethal-to-humans levels of ionizing radiation (and if you are still here 😅), check out my talk today at 2 pm in room A707. Hope to see you there! #tardigrades

Continuing the tradition of playing hooky and taking a break from #SICB2025 to do something extra fun by taking my students to @georgiaaquarium.bsky.social today. We had a BLAST!

They did great! Their poster was super busy every time I pretended to not be hovering 😅.

If you are at #SICB2025 and want to hear about cool tardigrade research from my amazing undergraduates, check out their poster this afternoon (P1-208)! #tardigrades #PUIScience

What Makes Tiny ‘Water Bears’ So Tough? They Quickly Fix Broken DNA. New research finds that microscopic tardigrades are remarkably good at repairing their DNA after a huge blast of radiation.

Scientific Achievement Unlocked! My science has been covered in @nytimes.com by @carlzimmer.bsky.social! He did a wonderful job highlighting these two recent papers that independently contribute to our understanding of the extreme radiation tolerance of tardigrades. www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/s...

These two papers independently confirm each other's results and then diverge to provide unique and important insights into tardigrade extreme radiation tolerance. Despite potential for competition, both groups leaned into these strengths to make sure no study got stranded.

In true "this is how science works" fashion, we learned after submitting to CB that another group discovered similar results essentially simultaneously. See that work in eLife elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...

I am grateful to our editor and reviewers @currentbiology.bsky.social The paper benefited greatly from their feedback.

TLDR: Tardigrades experience DNA damage from IR. In response, tardigrades upregulate DNA repair transcripts (32 to 315-fold!). We show that high levels of some DNA repair transcripts are sufficient to improve IR tolerance of bacteria and important for tardigrade IR tolerance

The product of my PD work is live today @currentbiology.bsky.social. The hook: How are tardigrades able to withstand extremely high levels if ionizing radiation (IR)? Free access here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1ivyP3QW8S...

I am grateful to our editor and reviewers @currentbiology.bsky.social The paper benefited greatly from their feedback.

TLDR: Tardigrades experience DNA damage from IR. In response, tardigrades upregulate DNA repair transcripts (32 to 315-fold!). We show that high levels of some DNA repair transcripts are sufficient to improve IR tolerance of bacteria and important for tardigrade IR tolerance

Can I be added please!
www.unca.edu/programs/bio...