Christopher Zobek
@czobek.bsky.social
Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Missouri Columbia
Studying the mechanics and anatomy of snakes 🐍
https://christophermzobek.wixsite.com/christopher-zobek
Studying the mechanics and anatomy of snakes 🐍
https://christophermzobek.wixsite.com/christopher-zobek
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
Workshops give me a chance to play with other people's data. In this case Kate Jackson's snake heads. This is Bitis nasicornis.
Storing bones in formalin is bad for mineralization.
🧪🐡
Storing bones in formalin is bad for mineralization.
🧪🐡
October 11, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Workshops give me a chance to play with other people's data. In this case Kate Jackson's snake heads. This is Bitis nasicornis.
Storing bones in formalin is bad for mineralization.
🧪🐡
Storing bones in formalin is bad for mineralization.
🧪🐡
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
#ssSnaketember the 3rd is about #Conservation!
So how are #snakes doing? For a start, they need a new PR team!
A dislike of snakes by humans can hinder research & preservation projects. Add that to the secretive nature of many snakes & conservation becomes a difficult topic.
[1/6]
#Herpetology
So how are #snakes doing? For a start, they need a new PR team!
A dislike of snakes by humans can hinder research & preservation projects. Add that to the secretive nature of many snakes & conservation becomes a difficult topic.
[1/6]
#Herpetology
September 3, 2025 at 1:49 PM
#ssSnaketember the 3rd is about #Conservation!
So how are #snakes doing? For a start, they need a new PR team!
A dislike of snakes by humans can hinder research & preservation projects. Add that to the secretive nature of many snakes & conservation becomes a difficult topic.
[1/6]
#Herpetology
So how are #snakes doing? For a start, they need a new PR team!
A dislike of snakes by humans can hinder research & preservation projects. Add that to the secretive nature of many snakes & conservation becomes a difficult topic.
[1/6]
#Herpetology
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
Excited to share our new paper by @danpaluh.bsky.social out today in @royalsociety.org Open Science; with a great team, including undergraduate researchers! "The metamorphic transition of the frog mouth: from tadpole kertanized mouthparts to adult teeth" 🦷🐸
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
The metamorphic transition of the frog mouth: from tadpole keratinized mouthparts to adult teeth | Royal Society Open Science
Teeth have been a prominent feature of most vertebrates for 400 million years, and
the core regulatory network underlying embryonic tooth formation is deeply conserved.
In frogs, however, odontogenesi...
royalsocietypublishing.org
September 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Excited to share our new paper by @danpaluh.bsky.social out today in @royalsociety.org Open Science; with a great team, including undergraduate researchers! "The metamorphic transition of the frog mouth: from tadpole kertanized mouthparts to adult teeth" 🦷🐸
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
I’m proud to announce my first first-author paper of my Ph.D! We described and modeled the muscle architecture of a pangolin’s tongue using DiceCT and 3D modeling approaches. Each model is available on the Holliday lab Sketchfab.
academic.oup.com/icb/advance-...
sketchfab.com/holliday/col...
academic.oup.com/icb/advance-...
sketchfab.com/holliday/col...
3D Muscle Architecture of the Tongue of the White-bellied Pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) Reveals a Muscular Hydrostat
Synopsis. The tongues of pangolins are among the more derived of other mammalian ant-eating specialists, extending nearly a body length to capture food. Pa
academic.oup.com
August 26, 2025 at 8:44 PM
I’m proud to announce my first first-author paper of my Ph.D! We described and modeled the muscle architecture of a pangolin’s tongue using DiceCT and 3D modeling approaches. Each model is available on the Holliday lab Sketchfab.
academic.oup.com/icb/advance-...
sketchfab.com/holliday/col...
academic.oup.com/icb/advance-...
sketchfab.com/holliday/col...
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
I got an email yesterday afternoon that my NSF SPRF Postdoctoral Fellowship was terminated. My grant focused on testing interventions to address online misinformation and I was 8 months into a two year appointment.
Friday Night Massacre of accurate information.
A devastating day for the USA as tens of millions of dollars of grants seeking to combat the spread of false information were terminated. We have a federal govenrment that does not consider the verifiable truth a priority. www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
A devastating day for the USA as tens of millions of dollars of grants seeking to combat the spread of false information were terminated. We have a federal govenrment that does not consider the verifiable truth a priority. www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
Updates on NSF Priorities
www.nsf.gov
April 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I got an email yesterday afternoon that my NSF SPRF Postdoctoral Fellowship was terminated. My grant focused on testing interventions to address online misinformation and I was 8 months into a two year appointment.
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
🚨New publication alert!🚨 A big one! It might just be my *biggest* one: doi.org/10.1093/iob/... IMPORTANT THREAD! From the moment Dave Blackburn set me loose at the Florida Museum, I had a marvelous time using diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced CT (diceCT) to create anatomical datasets 🧪1/6
April 21, 2025 at 7:42 PM
🚨New publication alert!🚨 A big one! It might just be my *biggest* one: doi.org/10.1093/iob/... IMPORTANT THREAD! From the moment Dave Blackburn set me loose at the Florida Museum, I had a marvelous time using diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced CT (diceCT) to create anatomical datasets 🧪1/6
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
When I CT scanned this diamondback rattlesnake specimen, I found a surprise rodent inside 🐍🐁
The #oVertTCN CT data is available for download on MorphoSource here: www.morphosource.org/concern/medi...
The #oVertTCN CT data is available for download on MorphoSource here: www.morphosource.org/concern/medi...
April 14, 2025 at 2:36 PM
When I CT scanned this diamondback rattlesnake specimen, I found a surprise rodent inside 🐍🐁
The #oVertTCN CT data is available for download on MorphoSource here: www.morphosource.org/concern/medi...
The #oVertTCN CT data is available for download on MorphoSource here: www.morphosource.org/concern/medi...
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
Congratulations to our 2025 Class of Fellows! They were recognized at the Fellows reception tonight and received their AAA Fellows pin!🫀🧠
#Anatomy25 #anatomy #education #research #science #aaa #portlandoregon #scientificmeeting #annualmeeting
#Anatomy25 #anatomy #education #research #science #aaa #portlandoregon #scientificmeeting #annualmeeting
March 31, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Congratulations to our 2025 Class of Fellows! They were recognized at the Fellows reception tonight and received their AAA Fellows pin!🫀🧠
#Anatomy25 #anatomy #education #research #science #aaa #portlandoregon #scientificmeeting #annualmeeting
#Anatomy25 #anatomy #education #research #science #aaa #portlandoregon #scientificmeeting #annualmeeting
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
i’ve never been so obsessed with a video. please turn your sound on
March 15, 2025 at 6:27 PM
i’ve never been so obsessed with a video. please turn your sound on
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
Happy to share this new paper! We explored the relationships of head shape and feeding mechanics in dinosaurs. A cascade of changes from big brains, to reoriented muscles, to a breakdown of linkages resulted in avian powered kinesis, but not until neognathes.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
March 17, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Happy to share this new paper! We explored the relationships of head shape and feeding mechanics in dinosaurs. A cascade of changes from big brains, to reoriented muscles, to a breakdown of linkages resulted in avian powered kinesis, but not until neognathes.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
Lab had a great time at the Columbia Young Scientist Expo. Constant parade of families keen on discovery.
March 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Lab had a great time at the Columbia Young Scientist Expo. Constant parade of families keen on discovery.
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
For anyone who says, "Canada should hire all of America's displaced scientists."
Canadian colleges are facing the largest cuts we’ve in a generation.
After years of insufficient funding and the introduction of caps on international students, colleges across Canada are seeing massive program cuts, job losses and campus closures.
After years of insufficient funding and the introduction of caps on international students, colleges across Canada are seeing massive program cuts, job losses and campus closures.
March 4, 2025 at 3:10 PM
For anyone who says, "Canada should hire all of America's displaced scientists."
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
I am thrilled to announce that I have joined the MOBI (molecular biosciences) faculty at MTSU and am now able to supervise PhD students. Possible projects in southeastern fish ecomorphology, darter cranial anatomy (muscles, brains, skulls), and fish biology/macroevolution in general. #teamfish #MTSU
March 4, 2025 at 10:26 PM
I am thrilled to announce that I have joined the MOBI (molecular biosciences) faculty at MTSU and am now able to supervise PhD students. Possible projects in southeastern fish ecomorphology, darter cranial anatomy (muscles, brains, skulls), and fish biology/macroevolution in general. #teamfish #MTSU
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
The breakneck pace and devastating impact of the Trump administration’s policy changes has researchers shocked.
https://go.nature.com/4iboVwb
https://go.nature.com/4iboVwb
Trump’s siege of science: how the first 30 days unfolded and what’s next
Nature - The breakneck pace and devastating impact of the administration’s policy changes has researchers shocked.
go.nature.com
February 23, 2025 at 12:13 PM
The breakneck pace and devastating impact of the Trump administration’s policy changes has researchers shocked.
https://go.nature.com/4iboVwb
https://go.nature.com/4iboVwb
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
WHAT. Ecuador's government recently authorized a U.S. military base on the Galápagos Islands. NO. No no no no no no noooooooo NO 🧪 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Military base threatens Galápagos Islands
www.science.org
February 21, 2025 at 7:52 PM
WHAT. Ecuador's government recently authorized a U.S. military base on the Galápagos Islands. NO. No no no no no no noooooooo NO 🧪 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
The Trump Administration announced massive cuts to NIH indirect costs yesterday. The maximum indirect rate will now be 15%, slashing the rates our universities receive. Most universities are accustomed to receiving 45-65% on each grant.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-24-110: Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2024
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2024 NOT-OD-24-110. NIH
grants.nih.gov
February 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The Trump Administration announced massive cuts to NIH indirect costs yesterday. The maximum indirect rate will now be 15%, slashing the rates our universities receive. Most universities are accustomed to receiving 45-65% on each grant.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
Decision tree that has been sent to Program Officers at NSF
February 4, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Decision tree that has been sent to Program Officers at NSF
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
February 4, 2025 at 1:26 AM
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
CT folks—has anyone iodine stained an animal specimen and then done clearing/staining/histology on it afterwards? I’m thinking sodium thiosulfate would be necessary to fully recover from the discoloration, but 🤷
February 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
CT folks—has anyone iodine stained an animal specimen and then done clearing/staining/histology on it afterwards? I’m thinking sodium thiosulfate would be necessary to fully recover from the discoloration, but 🤷
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
BREAKING: A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars. U.S. District Judge Loren L.
apnews.com
January 28, 2025 at 10:06 PM
BREAKING: A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
WaPo: "The National Science Foundation has halted for at least the rest of the week the work of review panels, in which outside experts rate the merit of proposals for scientific research."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
January 27, 2025 at 10:45 PM
WaPo: "The National Science Foundation has halted for at least the rest of the week the work of review panels, in which outside experts rate the merit of proposals for scientific research."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Christopher Zobek
