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...
Check out our newly published work in #GENETICS!
New in #GENETICS: A systematic disruption of small RNA-binding capacity of multiple Argonaute proteins identifies a critical role of small RNA loading in maintaining the stability and localization of Argonaute proteins during #Celegans germline development. buff.ly/Aguq9c5
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A line graph showing the number of NIH new and competitive renewal awards funded in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal years 2020-2025. The fiscal year 2026 curve lies below the other curves and appears to be flattening out somewhat. A total of 840 awards have been made in fiscal year 2026.
New and competitive renewal awards
Fewer than 40 new awards were made in the past week, compared to over 100 the previous week.
5/9
Oh no!
Me too! I always get Caroline.
Been hearing some horrifying chatter about dealing with the new #NIH common form and #ScienCV system, so I put together a short video with some tricks for mitigating some of those pain points.
Hope it helps? 🧪
open.substack.com/pub/emptymod...
Another YouTube Tutorial – This one on Proximity Labeling and connected to our recent EMBO J. paper (PMID: 41381733). This is a recording of a talk at the IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics in Little Rock AR. One of the top facilities in the country!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T9P...
Greetings! I decided to make a YouTube video of my AlphaFold workshop that I've given a few times in the past year. Caveats aside, people seem to find this useful for thinking about how to model protein interactions and how to interpret various AF outputs 1/2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u63o...
New review out! 🧬🪱 How do Argonautes bind the right small RNAs?
We synthesize how small RNA features, Argonaute properties, chaperones, and subcellular organization shape small RNA binding specificity.
rnajournal.cshlp.org/content/earl...
Y'all, I just got out of the NSF-BIO webinar where they explained changes to peer review. It's not good. 🧪 scienceforeveryone.science/changes-to-n...
Today @anthropic.com released PubMed integration for Claude. No hallucinations. Just real science, real data. As a beta tester, this has been game changing— a supercharged research tool. Here are 6 prompts that will transform how you search the literature. A 🧵
www.anthropic.com/news/claude-...
Dear all, A scientist from UNC Chapel Hill, Paul Maddox, is running for congress in NC for a seat currently held by a republican. If you care about science (and democracy) please consider donating to his campaign #Standupforscience secure.actblue.com/donate/paul-...
Today was a hard day for Ph.D. students who found out that they can no longer apply for NSF's prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program. "Devastating“ was how one student described it to me. #GradSchool #NSFGRFP
www.science.org/content/arti...
A book cover with a strand of RNA on a pink background, with the title, authors name, and publisher.
I did a thing. I wrote a textbook about #RNA. I wrote it so that those without formal science training could understand what RNA is and how it is used in medicine. It releases in the US and Europe on September 8th. www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
The US could see a 30-40% decline in new international student enrollment, resulting in nearly $7 billion in lost revenue and more than 60,000 fewer American jobs. www.nafsa.org/fall-2025-international-...
A little known - but hugely consequential - part of the government’s changes to science funding:
open.substack.com/pub/sciencea...
Go worms! #worm25
Huge thanks to Cathy Savage-Dunn @cswormlab.bsky.social and Baris Tursun @baristursun.bsky.social for an amazing #worm25 !!
I want to call out the OUTSTANDING meeting they created! Talks and posters were A+++. Most of all they brought us together in one of the most challenging times we've had.
c. elegans, ba-ba-bah #worm25
CNN story updated with specifics:
"the administration is specifically considering a full termination of federal grant funding for the University of California and California State University systems.
A White House official said Friday afternoon that no final decision had been made on the cuts."
Dear lord: "On Capitol Hill, at least one committee was told recently by a whistleblower that all research grants to the state were going to be cancelled."
The U of Cali system alone accounts for $4B+ per year in federal R&D. If true, let's hope for another all-or-nothing fight like Harvard's.
Now there's a memorable stat!
"Colleges and universities are among America’s most competitive international exporters. In dollar terms, last year, the United States sold more educational services to the rest of the world than it sold in natural gas and coal combined."
wapo.st/3EvzMCI
in these bleak times for US science and society, it was so wonderful to connect and celebrate with Ruvkun lab members from the decades. i can't believe postdocs and students i met 33 yrs ago in college still remember me. thanks Gary for giving me a chance and showing me everything cool in science!
Great news: NIH postbac program is recruiting again! If your grad school plans were affected by program cutbacks or admissions freezes this year I highly encourage you to apply, this could be a perfect opportunity. Please repost.
www.training.nih.gov/research-tra...
