Allan Konopka | Lightnews

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 13h

Source: New York Times
Conclusion: WAG -- their credibility has tanked over the past 10 years.

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 2d

Looks great — can’t wait to read it!

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 3d

@uncultured.carinilab.com -- FYI, they look specifically at C fluxes in desert, arid, and grass and/or shrub and/or scrubland streams, AKA the West.

Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 3d

River metabolism in the contiguous United States: A West of extremes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #jcampubs

River metabolism in the contiguous United States: A West of extremes

River metabolism is among the most uncertain fluxes in the global carbon cycle. We present estimates for gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) for more than 175,000 rivers ac...

www.science.org

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 3d

I just came onto this 2019 paper, prepping for my next Think Like a Microbe post -- it is a very interesting and thoughtful counterpoint to Monod's "the cell is indeed a machine"
🧪🧫 #philsci
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Is the cell really a machine?

It has become customary to conceptualize the living cell as an intricate piece of machinery, different to a man-made machine only in terms of its supe…

www.sciencedirect.com

Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 3d

River metabolism in the contiguous United States: A West of extremes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #jcampubs

River metabolism in the contiguous United States: A West of extremes

River metabolism is among the most uncertain fluxes in the global carbon cycle. We present estimates for gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) for more than 175,000 rivers ac...

www.science.org

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 4d

This comment comes from significantly outside my expertise ... but curious re: how it branches vs. other Halococcus using a Halobacterium sequence as an outgroup vis a vis novel genus

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 4d

Looks to me like packets of 8?
Is there support for this as novel genus?
Halosarcina

“Latin word "sarcina," meaning pack or bundle, after the cuboidal (2x2x2) cellular associations they form during division along three plane”

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 13d

New on Think Like a Microbe!
🧫🧪 #philsci
open.substack.com/pub/thinkmic...

Creativity in Science

When innovating in microbial ecology, Think Like a Microbe™ …

open.substack.com

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 17d

@jcsmoot.bsky.social
FAMEs!! This should have been a Findlay lab study
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Civet Robusta and natural Robusta coffee are different on key fatty acid methyl esters and total fat - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Civet Robusta and natural Robusta coffee are different on key fatty acid methyl esters and total fat

www.nature.com

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 18d

Hope you don’t mind suggestion from old-school microbiologist. RE streak plate. I don’t think you are doing enough streaks in quadrants. I would do 3 quadrants with >12 streaks per quadrant to get isolated colonies

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 18d

I started reading bits of your Wordpress. Rock on!

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · 19d

Oooof …. Sulfolobus acidocaldarius?
Better shot at being monophyletic as a consequence of strong purifying selection?

Jarrett Byrnes @jebyrnes.bsky.social · Oct 7

Heeeeey #Microbial #Ecology folk! My department has a job opening for a tenure track Microbial Ecologist! Feel free to DM me with questions. Come join our awesome supportive whip-smart & kind crew in the Biology Department of @umassboston.bsky.social! employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...

The ISC - your new home at UMass Boston?

The view of Boston Harbor from front of campus

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Oct 6

New on Think Like a Microbe ... Iron!
🧫🧪 #philsci

open.substack.com/pub/thinkmic...

Ecological Consequences of Iron Scarcity

Gold is for the mistress, silver for the maid, copper for the craftsman, cunning at his trade, ‘Good’ said the Baron, sitting in his hall, ‘but iron — cold iron — is master of them all’.

open.substack.com

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Oct 4

@elisabethbik.bsky.social
Does the rapid rise of AI in images complicate sleuthing?
I am stunned how seamlessly I can remove objects in my art photographs

www.chemistryworld.com/news/fake-mi...

Fake microscopy images generated by AI are indistinguishable from the real thing

Materials scientists warn that raw data and replication studies are needed to tackle the looming threat of near-undetectable AI fraud

www.chemistryworld.com

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Oct 3

Dashun Wang has done a lot of interesting stuff in this area
www.dashunwang.com/book/the-sci...

Book: The Science of Science — Dashun Wang

www.dashunwang.com

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Oct 3

From 0.09% to 0.18%
Tabloid journalism at NYT

Marc Veldhoen @marcveld.bsky.social · Oct 2

Long Covid Risk for Children Doubles After a Second Infection, Study Finds

The new research provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences.

Oh dear, this is not good from the NYT.

www.nytimes.com/2025...
1/6

Long Covid Risk for Children Doubles After a Second Infection, Study Finds

The new research provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences.

www.nytimes.com

Marc Veldhoen @marcveld.bsky.social · Oct 2

Long Covid Risk for Children Doubles After a Second Infection, Study Finds

The new research provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences.

Oh dear, this is not good from the NYT.

www.nytimes.com/2025...
1/6

Long Covid Risk for Children Doubles After a Second Infection, Study Finds

The new research provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences.

www.nytimes.com

Kristen DeAngelis 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🍉 @kristenobacter.bsky.social · Oct 2

UMass Amherst Microbiology is hiring a tenure-track virologist. Come work with me! 🦠🧪
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...

Details - Assistant Professor - Virology | Human Resources | UMass Amherst

careers.umass.edu

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Oct 2

NB this is 🏈 only. The ‘profit’ goes to support other parts of Athletics Dept

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Oct 2

Greg Chick posted this a few days ago

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Sep 30

I'll confess to knee-jerk response when admin costs are 50% (eg charities)
Do ADs (anyone?) understand NIL -- not supposed to be pay for play but everyone knows it is pay for play. Are the NIL firms just laundering the $?
Will the system totally change again in 2 years to reconcile the hypocrisy?

Allan Konopka @hamatsa50.bsky.social · Sep 30

So … Blueprint will be soliciting NIL funds ‘to help the student-athlete [sic]’ but I imagine not letting the donors know they’re pocketing 50% for themselves

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