Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
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crystal4.bsky.social
Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
@crystal4.bsky.social
49 followers 82 following 36 posts
I do science about wastewater
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Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
rporetsky.bsky.social
Poretsky Lab presentations at #ASMicrobe:
1. Poster and rapid fire talk on Friday by @crystal4.bsky.social: Improving the Signal-to-Noise Ratio of Metagenomic Wastewater Surveillance for Human Pathogens and ARGS
June 19, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
samd.bsky.social
it’s honestly incredible that republicans in Congress, the Supreme Court, elite universities, and top law firms have all bought into this conception of Trump invincibility when he’s on the precipice of completely blowing up the economy and neutering his entire presidency
April 9, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
erininthemorning.com
1. Major news: Remember those "Biological men"/"Biological Women" signs at University of Cincinnati?

They have come down thanks to MASSIVE student protests at the college, which have continued.

The latest from S. Baum.

Subscribe to support our journalism.

www.erininthemorning.com/p/university...
University of Cincinnati Protests Lead to "Biological" Bathroom Signs Reversal
“Deny, delay, fight back.”
www.erininthemorning.com
February 28, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
erininthemorning.com
"We are older than your laws and we will outlive them," one sign said.

EITM correspondent S. Baum attended this weekend's Stonewall protest, organized by Transexual Menace, which connected trans elders, youth, and everyone in between.

Read their story and subscribe to support our journalism.
“We Will Outlive Them”: At Stonewall, Resistance Flares
“There are queer and trans kids, adults and elders in the future.”
www.erininthemorning.com
February 24, 2025 at 11:03 PM
crystal4.bsky.social
As a nonsense phrase of shady provenance makes the rounds, Elsevier defends its use retractionwatch.com/2025/02/10/v...
As a nonsense phrase of shady provenance makes the rounds, Elsevier defends its use
The origin of the phrase? The phrase was so strange it would have stood out even to a non-scientist. Yet “vegetative electron microscopy” had already made it past reviewers and editors at several j…
retractionwatch.com
February 24, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
altcdc.altgov.info
ATTENTION FEDS
In NM et al v Musk, the judge denied a TRO against DOGE firings due to lack of evidence of immediate and irreparable harm. Attorneys are asking us for evidence of harm to states (including individuals) due to firing/cancelled services. Message altcdc.99 on signal for submission email
February 19, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
worsaae.bsky.social
Our paper describing the second species of Micrognathozoa, Limnognathia desmeti, is out: doi.org/10.1098/rspb... - big thanks to all coauthors, to Willem H. De Smet for finding this species, and to the Villum Foundation a.o. for supporting this project!
Micrognathozoa, or ‘little jaw animals’, are one of the ~32 evolutionarily independent lineages on the animal tree of life. This phylum contains some of the smallest animals reaching a maximum size of 150µm. Populations are found in Greenland, the Pyrenees Mountains, and a Subantarctic island. Despite this disjoint distribution, there is currently only one described species, Limnognathia maerski. After almost a decade of collecting effort, the Katrine Worsaae group here at BIO, UCPH, joining teams from USA, UK, France, and Spain, was able to collect samples from all three populations. With this new material, using advanced microscopy, single-cell transcriptomic techniques, and machine learning, we interrogate the relationships among populations, test species limits, and infer their biogeographic history for the first time. Although we find no morphological differences, genetic data distinguish the Subantarctic population as a separate species, here named Limnognathia desmeti. The distribution of this old freshwater phylum, Micrognathozoa, can only be explained by overseas dispersal which raises questions about potential dormant life stages and undiscovered populations.
February 19, 2025 at 3:06 PM
crystal4.bsky.social
The list of things I love about the USA is short but the #NationalParks are very high on it
February 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
joeyalison.bsky.social
February 9, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
golikehellmachine.com
- racist DOGE guy (redundant) canned
- federal judge upholds birthright citizenship
- another judge blocks voluntary resignation
- NY state going to court over treasury business
- patel put on ice for at least a week
golikehellmachine.com GOLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · Feb 6
trump and musk have been taking big L’s all day and it’s important you celebrate them because these people can be beaten
February 6, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
chanda.blacksky.app
Read this whole thread about how segregation is being enacted at the NIH

This will have life and death consequences for communities of color that depend on interlocutors from our communities that do science with our well-being in mind 🧪
miriamgoldstein.bsky.social Miriam Goldstein @miriamgoldstein.bsky.social · Feb 6
Just in case you thought that removing DEI criteria would mean that everyone is competing equally: NIH is removing grad students from underrepresented backgrounds from the applicant pool altogether. Their applications will not be considered. Other students, not from these backgrounds, will be.
Update: They were removed from our reviewer assignments completely. I'm so sorry to all those graduate students. Anonymous to protect the identity of the NIH employee I spoke to...I am on study section next month to discuss F awards. We were just instructed to put the F31-Diversity applications on the bottom of our priority list for review because there is a chance we may not be able to review them. My heart is breaking for the grad students and their mentors that put so much work into these just for them to be disqualified and thrown out.
February 7, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
csdetweiler.bsky.social
Thoughtful questions.
We microbiologists ARE ASM.
@asm.org
@vscooper.micropopbio.org
@microgem.bsky.social
@gilbertjacka.bsky.social
@romneyintn.bsky.social
@abaumler.bsky.social
@blugenes.bsky.social
@chicascientifica.bsky.social
@ssclabquips.bsky.social
@goodrumviruslab.bsky.social
nagissa.bsky.social Nagissa Mahmoudi @nagissa.bsky.social · Feb 5
I've grown increasingly upset about ASM's actions and the way this situation may have unfolded. Whose idea was this? Was there a meeting with ASM leadership and they flagged webpages to be taken down? Did they vote on this? Was this done unilaterally by a single person?

#MicroSky
csdetweiler.bsky.social Corrie Detweiler @csdetweiler.bsky.social · Feb 5
ASM has begun to respond: asm.org/Press-Releas...
We need to continue constructively criticizing but also supporting ASM and all other science-based institutions.
February 5, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
michaelhobbes.bsky.social
how dare you
autocorrect changing gayming to gaming
February 2, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
ezralevin.bsky.social
UPDATE: 8 Dems voted today to confirm yet another Trump nominee during Musk's coup: Bennett (CO), Gallego (AZ), Hassan (NH), Heinrich (NM), Hickenlooper (CO), King (ME), Lujan (NM), Shaheen (NH). If you're a constituent, don't just call - write an op-ed, protest their office, make clear you care.
ezralevin.bsky.social Ezra Levin ❌👑 @ezralevin.bsky.social · Feb 3
The Senate takes 3 votes this afternoon:
1) Go into executive session to consider Russell Vought to be OMB Director
2) Cloture vote for Pam Bondi for Attorney General
3) Confirmation of Christopher Wright for Energy Sec

These should be 3 easy NO votes for Dems. Watch yours and provide that input.
February 4, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
jocalynclark.bsky.social
Censor CDC scientists and ask them to withdraw papers from medical journals?

This is not how it works, Mr President.

Our response @bmj.com on the Trump Executive Order and his "forbidden words"

www.bmj.com/content/388/...
February 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
blackinmicro.bsky.social
A statement from the BMA Board Members to the BMA Community and Beyond.

Additional alt text to follow due to the character limit.
The statement reads: We are disappointed in the rapid capitulation by some U.S. institutions and organizations to recent attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. At their core, these weak arguments are fueled by the familiar underlying assumption that people from Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized identities cannot be excellent and therefore have not ‘earned’ our place in public intellectual life. However, we have always been competent, hardworking, and creative people who have contributed positively to society at large, across sectors but especially in science. We reject these attempts at silencing and erasure and will continue to be a place of respite and community in these turbulent times. To our members, your talent, skills, and safety are important! To our friends and allies, you may be feeling like everything happening is out of your control, but we want you to know that your voice and actions can make a difference. We want to point you towards some immediate actions that you can take. These are the top 3 issues we are concerned about and what you can do about it if you mirror our concerns. Freezing of federal funding and cutting grant programs for scientific research that have any connotation of being “DEI.” The potential confirmation of RFK Jr., a vocal anti-vaccination proponent, as the head of HHS. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) removed their ABRCMS and IDEAAS webpages in addition to some scientist spotlights and written articles highlighting the current and historic contributions of microbiologists who are a part of marginalized communities including LGBTQIA+, Women, Indigenous and Black, as well as others page that could be considered “‘DEI”. Many have now been reinstated with changes to language (i.e. removing terms like “equity” and “marginalized”), and the statements released by ASM did not acknowledge the harm that they have caused to their members and showed no remorse for their actions.
February 4, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
jlgoff.bsky.social
I am just so overwhelmed yet heartened by the response that I’ve seen from the microbiology community in speaking out on the events of the past few days. I truly believe that we have one of the best professional communities out there and seeing all of your advocacy gives me so much hope. ❤️❤️❤️
Quote by John Lewis: Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.
February 5, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
jlgoff.bsky.social
Please continue to amplify!!
napaaqtuk.bsky.social Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · Feb 5
This page is also a 404 @asm.org. Several others are under review. When are they coming back up? Where is the communication to due paying members about how to support Black, Indigenous, and other underrepresented microbiologists in the face of EOs?

asm.org/Articles/202...
asm.org
February 5, 2025 at 1:42 PM
crystal4.bsky.social
February 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
wallaceucsf.bsky.social
Is anyone backing up genbank or pubmed databases before Trump deletes them?
February 3, 2025 at 10:21 PM
crystal4.bsky.social
The fact that nobody in the replies finds this statement adequate is at least giving me hope
asm.org ASM @asm.org · Feb 3
ASM has received questions about content on our site being under review—thank you to those who reached out. "Under review" never meant removal, despite understandable concerns to the contrary. Most modified pages have been or are in the process of being restored. Read our statement: asm.social/2h3
ASM Responds to Member Questions About Executive Orders
Our modified pages are back up or in the process of being restored. ASM has not retracted or altered any research articles, scientific papers or peer reviewed articles on our website.
asm.social
February 3, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
sarahmackattack.bsky.social
If you are a member (or not) you can email their leadership about this.

President Theresa M. Koehler Theresa.M.Koehler@uth.tmc.edu

President Elect Alexander McAdam Alexander.McAdam@childrens.harvard.edu

They need to know this bullshit cannot be tolerated.
February 3, 2025 at 4:40 AM
crystal4.bsky.social
This is absolutely shameful. ASM is NOT a federal organization and is not bound by executive orders.
sarahmackattack.bsky.social Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · Feb 3
Well the award for most cowardly, boot-lickingest academic society has squarely gone to the American Society of Microbiology, who has taken down features of various non-white scientists. Absolutely pathetic behavior. Those articles are now coming up as “under review”. Truly sickening cowardice here.
February 3, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Reposted by Christopher/Crystal4 Owen
jlgoff.bsky.social
I want to expand on the extent to which IDEAA materials have been purged: I wrote an article last year for women’s history month on the history of women in antimicrobial development….DELETED.
jlgoff.bsky.social Jennifer Goff, PhD @jlgoff.bsky.social · Feb 2
I’m on one of ASMs IDEAA committees and we have received 0 communication from ASM staff on why this is happening. I had to find out via social media. Extremely disappointing.
cecilianoecker.bsky.social Cecilia Noecker @cecilianoecker.bsky.social · Feb 2
ASM website screenshots from the wayback machine in December '24 (web.archive.org/web/20241211...) vs today. Pretty disappointing!! 🧪
February 2, 2025 at 9:16 PM