Simon Cook
@drsimoncook.bsky.social
Researching Cell Signalling at the Babraham Institute @babrahaminst.bsky.social Walker; watching woodpeckers; tree hugger; listening to The Jam. European. Views my own. I could go on for hours and I probably will....
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👍
It’s beyond insane that the BBC World Service might end in 7 weeks when its funding runs out. A beacon of information, education and UK soft power - Ministers would be crazy not to find money to support it
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial
Editorial: With just seven weeks before its funding runs out, the UK’s greatest cultural asset and most trusted international news organisation must be supported
www.theguardian.com
February 15, 2026 at 10:45 PM
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👍
Reposted by Simon Cook
It’s beyond insane that the BBC World Service might end in 7 weeks when its funding runs out. A beacon of information, education and UK soft power - Ministers would be crazy not to find money to support it
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial
Editorial: With just seven weeks before its funding runs out, the UK’s greatest cultural asset and most trusted international news organisation must be supported
www.theguardian.com
February 15, 2026 at 10:41 PM
It’s beyond insane that the BBC World Service might end in 7 weeks when its funding runs out. A beacon of information, education and UK soft power - Ministers would be crazy not to find money to support it
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Simon Cook
Researchers have found that 6 of 10 abortion restrictions — bans on Medicaid funding for abortion, mandated waiting periods, 2nd-trimester abortion bans, ACA marketplace insurance coverage bans, biased counseling laws, and ultrasound requirements — were linked to higher rates of maternal mortality.
Laws restricting abortions linked to rise in 'abhorrently high' maternal mortality rates
Rising state-level abortion restrictions in the United States were linked to a similar, parallel rise in maternal deaths from 2005 to 2023, according to research presented at The Pregnancy Meeting. ...
www.healio.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Researchers have found that 6 of 10 abortion restrictions — bans on Medicaid funding for abortion, mandated waiting periods, 2nd-trimester abortion bans, ACA marketplace insurance coverage bans, biased counseling laws, and ultrasound requirements — were linked to higher rates of maternal mortality.
Reposted by Simon Cook
The New York Times reports that the Department of Homeland Security has sent Google, Meta, and other media corporations subpoenas for the names on accounts that criticize ICE enforcement. The department wants to identify Americans who oppose what it’s doing. I’ll save them time.
A short note to Kristi Noem
To a current Cabinet secretary from a former one
robertreich.substack.com
February 15, 2026 at 5:01 PM
The New York Times reports that the Department of Homeland Security has sent Google, Meta, and other media corporations subpoenas for the names on accounts that criticize ICE enforcement. The department wants to identify Americans who oppose what it’s doing. I’ll save them time.
"Ratcliffe says sorry his language 'offended some people' after criticism of immigration comments"
Man uses offensive and inflammatory language and then apologises if his language caused offence....
Man uses offensive and inflammatory language and then apologises if his language caused offence....
February 12, 2026 at 12:25 PM
"Ratcliffe says sorry his language 'offended some people' after criticism of immigration comments"
Man uses offensive and inflammatory language and then apologises if his language caused offence....
Man uses offensive and inflammatory language and then apologises if his language caused offence....
Reposted by Simon Cook
This is a concern. mRNA flu vaccines have the potential to improve annual influenza preparedness. If the US won’t consider them, these vaccines might not be economically viable so won’t be made for other countries either.
So the feds ARE NOT considering an mRNA vaccine for the flu, which could save countless lives, but ARE backing research into whether horse dewormer can cure cancer, because the right views vaccines as elite and ivermectin as populist.
Cool.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Cool.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
FDA won’t review Moderna application for first mRNA-based flu vaccine
The decision, which shocked company officials, comes as the FDA says it will take a stricter approach to federal vaccine approvals.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:55 AM
This is a concern. mRNA flu vaccines have the potential to improve annual influenza preparedness. If the US won’t consider them, these vaccines might not be economically viable so won’t be made for other countries either.
Reposted by Simon Cook
And a new paper from the lab. A follow up to a previous study in which we elucidate the mechanism of the nuclear transport. Read the full story: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 11, 2026 at 5:12 PM
And a new paper from the lab. A follow up to a previous study in which we elucidate the mechanism of the nuclear transport. Read the full story: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Simon Cook
BREAKING: Congressman Ted Lieu just exposed Pam Bondi for lying under oath. This is a federal crime. Wow.
February 11, 2026 at 6:26 PM
BREAKING: Congressman Ted Lieu just exposed Pam Bondi for lying under oath. This is a federal crime. Wow.
Reposted by Simon Cook
This says it and it’s exactly what it is….
February 11, 2026 at 7:57 AM
This says it and it’s exactly what it is….
Reposted by Simon Cook
Yeast ubiquilin Dsk2 scaffolds proteasome-containing condensates under stress via multivalent interactions – @castanedalab.bsky.social et al show how dynamic interactions among its STI1 domain & transient helices in its disordered region promote its phase-separation
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
STI1 domain engages transient helices to mediate Dsk2 phase separation and proteasome condensation - The EMBO Journal
Ubiquitin-binding shuttle proteins are important components of stress-induced biomolecular condensates in cells. Yeast Dsk2 scaffolds proteasome-containing condensates via multivalent interactions wit...
link.springer.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Yeast ubiquilin Dsk2 scaffolds proteasome-containing condensates under stress via multivalent interactions – @castanedalab.bsky.social et al show how dynamic interactions among its STI1 domain & transient helices in its disordered region promote its phase-separation
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Simon Cook
“Success in US science has come from sustained funding and welcoming the best talent from around the world, yet both of these advantages are in decline”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
China turns the tables in biotech
For at least a century, major scientific research initiatives have reliably occurred in the United States, usually in response to geopolitical competition. This helped establish the country’s status a...
www.science.org
February 11, 2026 at 12:03 PM
“Success in US science has come from sustained funding and welcoming the best talent from around the world, yet both of these advantages are in decline”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Simon Cook
🚨 BREAKING: Jewish activists heckle Nigel Farage during the launch of Reform UK's Jewish alliance
"My grandmother fled Germany, you would deport her!"
"My grandmother fled Germany, you would deport her!"
February 11, 2026 at 10:24 AM
🚨 BREAKING: Jewish activists heckle Nigel Farage during the launch of Reform UK's Jewish alliance
"My grandmother fled Germany, you would deport her!"
"My grandmother fled Germany, you would deport her!"
pretty sure we’ll trust in science over here. as an older adult I’ll raise my hand now✋🏼
It is absolutely outrageous that Moderna’s flu vaccine was met with a “refusal-to-file” even after their approved their protocol with FDA and carried out the trial as agreed. This vaccine works better in older adults than the current flu vaccines.
apnews.com/article/mode...
apnews.com/article/mode...
Moderna says FDA refuses its application for new mRNA flu vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine made with mRNA technology.
apnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:14 PM
pretty sure we’ll trust in science over here. as an older adult I’ll raise my hand now✋🏼
Reposted by Simon Cook
It is absolutely outrageous that Moderna’s flu vaccine was met with a “refusal-to-file” even after their approved their protocol with FDA and carried out the trial as agreed. This vaccine works better in older adults than the current flu vaccines.
apnews.com/article/mode...
apnews.com/article/mode...
Moderna says FDA refuses its application for new mRNA flu vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine made with mRNA technology.
apnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:13 AM
It is absolutely outrageous that Moderna’s flu vaccine was met with a “refusal-to-file” even after their approved their protocol with FDA and carried out the trial as agreed. This vaccine works better in older adults than the current flu vaccines.
apnews.com/article/mode...
apnews.com/article/mode...
Reposted by Simon Cook
Good for Sadiq Khan. Time for more of Labour to admit this.
Sadiq Khan: My ultimate goal is to reverse Brexit
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
www.telegraph.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 9:43 PM
Good for Sadiq Khan. Time for more of Labour to admit this.
Reposted by Simon Cook
Uganda's strict abortion law leads to high maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion - which is almost entirely preventable if abortion was decriminalized and made available free and on request. Yet advocates continue to call for more contraceptive use and education, and rarely for legal reform.
Unsafe abortions increasingly recorded among adult women, new data shows
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Unsafe abortion is no longer predominantly a problem among teenage girls, as previously reported. New health surveillance data indicate that adult women, many of th...
www.independent.co.ug
February 11, 2026 at 3:39 AM
Uganda's strict abortion law leads to high maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion - which is almost entirely preventable if abortion was decriminalized and made available free and on request. Yet advocates continue to call for more contraceptive use and education, and rarely for legal reform.
I am posting this for no other reason than it is a glorious and joyful piece of music. This is Dizzy's Quintet live in 1967. A quintet! Sounds like there ought to be 8=9 players www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj1j...
Dizzy Gillespie - Kush
YouTube video by Brother John
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:25 PM
I am posting this for no other reason than it is a glorious and joyful piece of music. This is Dizzy's Quintet live in 1967. A quintet! Sounds like there ought to be 8=9 players www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj1j...
Reposted by Simon Cook
Great news. MPs should also pay attention to our campaigns:
● Remove the 26 bishops
Religious office should not grant automatic voting rights in a parliamentary democracy.
● Scrap parliamentary prayers
Attending prayers should not to provide speaking advantages🧵
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
● Remove the 26 bishops
Religious office should not grant automatic voting rights in a parliamentary democracy.
● Scrap parliamentary prayers
Attending prayers should not to provide speaking advantages🧵
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
February 9, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Great news. MPs should also pay attention to our campaigns:
● Remove the 26 bishops
Religious office should not grant automatic voting rights in a parliamentary democracy.
● Scrap parliamentary prayers
Attending prayers should not to provide speaking advantages🧵
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
● Remove the 26 bishops
Religious office should not grant automatic voting rights in a parliamentary democracy.
● Scrap parliamentary prayers
Attending prayers should not to provide speaking advantages🧵
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
Reposted by Simon Cook
Golden Eagle found shot in Scottish Borders - Police Scotland appeals for information raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/09/g...
Golden Eagle found shot in Scottish Borders – Police Scotland appeals for information
Press release from Police Scotland (9 February 2026) APPEAL AFTER GOLDEN EAGLE SHOT IN THE SCOTTISH BORDERS Wildlife officers are appealing to the public for information after a four-year-old golde…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Golden Eagle found shot in Scottish Borders - Police Scotland appeals for information raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/09/g...
What the actual **ck is wrong with people?!!!! raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/09/g...
Golden Eagle found shot in Scottish Borders – Police Scotland appeals for information
Press release from Police Scotland (9 February 2026) APPEAL AFTER GOLDEN EAGLE SHOT IN THE SCOTTISH BORDERS Wildlife officers are appealing to the public for information after a four-year-old golde…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
February 9, 2026 at 3:01 PM
What the actual **ck is wrong with people?!!!! raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/09/g...
Reposted by Simon Cook
Democrats’ gains shake up Republicans
Republicans woke up in a panic last Sunday. Why? Because the night before, Democrat Taylor Rehmet had pulled off a 32-point swing in a Texas state senate district that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024.
That’s right — in Texas.
Republicans woke up in a panic last Sunday. Why? Because the night before, Democrat Taylor Rehmet had pulled off a 32-point swing in a Texas state senate district that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024.
That’s right — in Texas.
thehill.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Democrats’ gains shake up Republicans
Republicans woke up in a panic last Sunday. Why? Because the night before, Democrat Taylor Rehmet had pulled off a 32-point swing in a Texas state senate district that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024.
That’s right — in Texas.
Republicans woke up in a panic last Sunday. Why? Because the night before, Democrat Taylor Rehmet had pulled off a 32-point swing in a Texas state senate district that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024.
That’s right — in Texas.
There's no way you could do a worse job!
Available for consultation and advice on appointments to ambassadorships, other public roles, etc. Please contact my agent for fee schedule.
February 4, 2026 at 1:04 PM
There's no way you could do a worse job!
Reposted by Simon Cook
"we reveal striking age-related reductions in ER volume across diverse tissues and a morphological shift from rough sheets to tubular ER. This morphological transition corresponds with large-scale shifts in ER proteome composition from protein synthesis to lipid metabolism"
ER remodelling is a feature of ageing and depends on ER-phagy
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
ER remodelling is a feature of ageing and depends on ER-phagy - Nature Cell Biology
Donahue et al. show that ageing is associated with changes in ER morphology. ER-phagy drives age-associated ER remodelling through tissue-specific factors.
www.nature.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:29 PM
"we reveal striking age-related reductions in ER volume across diverse tissues and a morphological shift from rough sheets to tubular ER. This morphological transition corresponds with large-scale shifts in ER proteome composition from protein synthesis to lipid metabolism"
Reposted by Simon Cook
“Imagine if we had to follow the law”
February 3, 2026 at 5:16 PM
“Imagine if we had to follow the law”