American science is shrinking.
A Post analysis found that, halfway through this fiscal year, the number of competitive grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health is down by more than half compared with the same period last year. https://wapo.st/3OgoHKV
The flatmount multi-focal GA retina, imaged shows Müller cells encasing drusen to create a subretinal membrane.
Another example why Müller cells are the coolest cells in the retina. In our latest paper, we describe Müller cell changes in the eyes from a donor with multi-focal GA. Extremely grateful to the eye donor and her family as well as all coauthors.
iovs.arvojournals.org/Article.aspx...
Normal neuro-vascular maps of the macular inner-retina. Top half clinical imaging: Topographic analyses from 96 normal eyes for OCT thickness (Trinh et al., 2022b) and 57 normal eyes for OCTA signal (Trinh et al., 2021a), with exclusion of any retinal macular/optic nerve pathology. Common locations of the optic nerve head and retinal blood vessels were excluded from OCT scans (Burke et al., 2024a, 2024b; Tong et al., 2020; Trinh et al., 2020, 2021b, 2022b). OCT layers are depicted on the left using a standardised thickness scale (darker green = greater thickness), while OCTA slabs are depicted on the right using a standardised OCTA signal (darker red = greater OCTA signal). Vascular slab approximations were adapted from Campbell et al. (Campbell et al., 2017). For reference, the RPE-BM (drusen layer) is shown using OCT thickness, and the choriocapillaris is shown using OCTA signal. Bottom half histological imaging: Resin embedded, 100 nm serial section of mid-peripheral retina of aged, normal human eye (87 year old male) with amino acid immunolabelling of GABA, glycine, and glutamate mapped to the red, green, and blue colour channels, respectively, and rod opsin labelling indicated in yellow. The section illustrates the laminar organisation of the inner- and outer-retina for cross-reference with the OCT layers above and the distinct neurochemical signatures of neurons in these layers. White scale bar 100 μm. RNFL, retinal nerve fibre layer; GCL, ganglion cell layer; IPL, inner plexiform layer; INL, inner nuclear layer; OPL, outer plexiform layer; ONL, outer nuclear layer; IS/OS, photoreceptor inner- and outer-segments; RPE-BM, retinal pigment epithelium to Bruch's membrane.
New publication: Inner-Retinal Changes In AMD: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Future Perspectives.
A fun project with Matt Trinh, Michael Kalloniatis, myself, Glenn Yiu, Enrico Borrelli, and Lisa Nivison-Smith
bryanwjones.com/2026/03/inne...
I cannot believe we got so far!!! Help us to pass to the next round. Thank you!!!! 💙💙💙
Resident tissue #macrophages (RTM) are now recognized as integral regulators of tissue physiology, not transient immune sentinels. one fundamental question remains unresolved: why do some populations achieve lifelong self-maintenance, while others are replaced under steady-state conditions? 🧵1/11
Here is the thing about basic science research.
You never know where it will end up. But you can be guaranteed that there would not be the progress we have had were it not for robust support of basic science research.
All of this is now threatened.
Preparing a talk on my career path made me reflect on my journey. I’ve studied coral reef fish, dolphins, manatees and reef sharks & watched sea turtles hatch. Now, I look at cells in human retinas. Along the way, I’ve made amazing friends & had mentors who changed my life. So grateful!
We are now in Round 2 - vote for us! #STATMadness #aging #therapy
<sigh>
One reviewer used AI to review our manuscript.
How do we know?
Suggested papers to cite that do not exist. Some titles correct, but everything else is wrong or just fabricated out of whole cloth.
Requested citations for things I’ve said in review papers that were citing other papers.
That is crazy and awful. Hope the editor realizes this. Sorry!
Peripheral CNV in a donor eye with multi-focal GA
In my lab's latest paper, just out in IOVS, D. Scott McLeod beautifully illustrated the choroidal pathology in a donor with multi-focal GA. I am grateful to Christine Curcio and K. Bailey Freund for allowing us to study these eyes and to all other co-authors.
iovs.arvojournals.org/Article.aspx...
The most impt change at #NIH and to US science this year is bigger than grant cancellations— it’s how the agency is governed.
For 75 years NIH has been largely independent of presidential control. That’s changed this year. New piece from me and @nataliebaviles.bsky.social in @nature.com
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The U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office.
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies. Read more: https://scim.ag/4boPkq8