Erin Purcell
@erinpurcell.bsky.social
Alarmone signaling and stress survival in C. difficile. Why are these bacteria so hard to kill? I sort of love them for it. Books, board games, and baking when I remember to protect the time. She/her. Views my own.
Pinned
Erin Purcell
@erinpurcell.bsky.social
· Nov 21
I had fun with this site, and it looks like a good way to introduce myself to new Bluesky members.
Link: scholargoggler.com
Link: scholargoggler.com
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Meanwhile, even if a reader takes the time to click on and read the article, they still have to scroll past two ads and a list of related stories to get to the "okay but" paragraph explaining that real scientists are highly skeptical of these new FDA claims.
November 29, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Meanwhile, even if a reader takes the time to click on and read the article, they still have to scroll past two ads and a list of related stories to get to the "okay but" paragraph explaining that real scientists are highly skeptical of these new FDA claims.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Well, it's after American Thanksgiving. You know what that means:
A FULL BARRAGE OF HALLOWEEN ADS! Christmas won't expect an ANTICHRONAL ATTACK on its TIMEWARD FLANK.
I WANNA SEE SKELETONS DANCING IN THE SNOW GODDAMNIT. FILL THOSE BASTARDS SO FULL OF CHRISTMAS SPIRITS THEY'LL RUN FOR THE DOORS
A FULL BARRAGE OF HALLOWEEN ADS! Christmas won't expect an ANTICHRONAL ATTACK on its TIMEWARD FLANK.
I WANNA SEE SKELETONS DANCING IN THE SNOW GODDAMNIT. FILL THOSE BASTARDS SO FULL OF CHRISTMAS SPIRITS THEY'LL RUN FOR THE DOORS
November 29, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Well, it's after American Thanksgiving. You know what that means:
A FULL BARRAGE OF HALLOWEEN ADS! Christmas won't expect an ANTICHRONAL ATTACK on its TIMEWARD FLANK.
I WANNA SEE SKELETONS DANCING IN THE SNOW GODDAMNIT. FILL THOSE BASTARDS SO FULL OF CHRISTMAS SPIRITS THEY'LL RUN FOR THE DOORS
A FULL BARRAGE OF HALLOWEEN ADS! Christmas won't expect an ANTICHRONAL ATTACK on its TIMEWARD FLANK.
I WANNA SEE SKELETONS DANCING IN THE SNOW GODDAMNIT. FILL THOSE BASTARDS SO FULL OF CHRISTMAS SPIRITS THEY'LL RUN FOR THE DOORS
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Admin are continually pressuring us to make the course "more accessible," by which they mean "devastatingly easy to complete," but it's not about access. Many students refuse to read or write in any capacity that isn't tech-aided, no matter how simple the assignment, no matter how process-based.
November 28, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Admin are continually pressuring us to make the course "more accessible," by which they mean "devastatingly easy to complete," but it's not about access. Many students refuse to read or write in any capacity that isn't tech-aided, no matter how simple the assignment, no matter how process-based.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Frikkin amazing stuff.
November 26, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Frikkin amazing stuff.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Reposted by Erin Purcell
#NewResearch
A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.
#MicroSky 🦠
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.
#MicroSky 🦠
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Structure-guided design of a synthetic bile acid that inhibits Clostridioides difficile TcdB toxin - Nature Microbiology
A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.
www.nature.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:59 PM
#NewResearch
A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.
#MicroSky 🦠
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.
#MicroSky 🦠
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ran to the grocery store at lunch, and the trio of young teens hanging out outside on what is very much a school day was upsetting as a parent and an educator, but also just aesthetically. Don't skip school kids, but if you do, do something cooler than watching videos in a Harris Teeter parking lot!
November 24, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Ran to the grocery store at lunch, and the trio of young teens hanging out outside on what is very much a school day was upsetting as a parent and an educator, but also just aesthetically. Don't skip school kids, but if you do, do something cooler than watching videos in a Harris Teeter parking lot!
Reposted by Erin Purcell
In an era filled with tech dipshits who never developed emotionally past the age of 13 & use their wealth to become odious monsters ...
... listen to Steve Wozniak.
... listen to Steve Wozniak.
November 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
In an era filled with tech dipshits who never developed emotionally past the age of 13 & use their wealth to become odious monsters ...
... listen to Steve Wozniak.
... listen to Steve Wozniak.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
America putting most of its eggs in the generative AI basket, China going hard into green tech. When history looks back on this period, someone is going to look awfully stupid.
November 22, 2025 at 7:18 PM
America putting most of its eggs in the generative AI basket, China going hard into green tech. When history looks back on this period, someone is going to look awfully stupid.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
hey guys i made a seasonal meme
November 22, 2025 at 5:41 AM
hey guys i made a seasonal meme
Reposted by Erin Purcell
For the first time in my career, I can’t tell people to trust what the CDC website says. And that is an incredibly sad and devastating place for this country to be.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 4:22 AM
For the first time in my career, I can’t tell people to trust what the CDC website says. And that is an incredibly sad and devastating place for this country to be.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
November 20, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
Reposted by Erin Purcell
We're hiring! My dept. is looking for a candidate with a research program focusing on plant systems. All areas of molecular and cellular biology research will be considered. Not sure if you'd fit? Reach out to me. Please share! #microsky
November 17, 2025 at 6:18 PM
We're hiring! My dept. is looking for a candidate with a research program focusing on plant systems. All areas of molecular and cellular biology research will be considered. Not sure if you'd fit? Reach out to me. Please share! #microsky
Reposted by Erin Purcell
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Scientists find hidden antibiotic 100x stronger against deadly superbugs
A team of scientists discovered a hidden antibiotic 100 times stronger than existing drugs against deadly superbugs like MRSA. The molecule had been overlooked for decades in a familiar bacterium. It…
buff.ly
November 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Bacteria export alarmone synthetases that produce (p)ppApp and (p)ppGpp 🦠🤯
From Boyuan Wang and John Whitney
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
From Boyuan Wang and John Whitney
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Bacteria export alarmone synthetases that produce (p)ppApp and (p)ppGpp | mBio
Alarmone synthetases are intracellular enzymes that promote bacterial survival by
responding to environmental stress. Although extracellular alarmone production has
been reported in Streptomyces, the ...
journals.asm.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Bacteria export alarmone synthetases that produce (p)ppApp and (p)ppGpp 🦠🤯
From Boyuan Wang and John Whitney
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
From Boyuan Wang and John Whitney
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Erin Purcell
I do not want to “Do my own research.” I want to pay trained accredited experts to do the research, trained accredited experts to report on findings, and trained accredited experts to make policy based on them.
I am busy af with my own job, I don’t need to do eight zillion more.
I am busy af with my own job, I don’t need to do eight zillion more.
November 15, 2025 at 1:11 PM
I do not want to “Do my own research.” I want to pay trained accredited experts to do the research, trained accredited experts to report on findings, and trained accredited experts to make policy based on them.
I am busy af with my own job, I don’t need to do eight zillion more.
I am busy af with my own job, I don’t need to do eight zillion more.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Reposted by Erin Purcell
"If you publish your book now, in the teeth of my opposition, history will condemn you”
“the tone used to describe Rosalind's work in the Epilogue
is perfectly reasonable,
but contrasts ludicrously with
the descriptions of her
in the text itself.”
-Francis Crick
Letter criticizing Watson’s book 🧪
“the tone used to describe Rosalind's work in the Epilogue
is perfectly reasonable,
but contrasts ludicrously with
the descriptions of her
in the text itself.”
-Francis Crick
Letter criticizing Watson’s book 🧪
November 8, 2025 at 12:04 AM
"If you publish your book now, in the teeth of my opposition, history will condemn you”
“the tone used to describe Rosalind's work in the Epilogue
is perfectly reasonable,
but contrasts ludicrously with
the descriptions of her
in the text itself.”
-Francis Crick
Letter criticizing Watson’s book 🧪
“the tone used to describe Rosalind's work in the Epilogue
is perfectly reasonable,
but contrasts ludicrously with
the descriptions of her
in the text itself.”
-Francis Crick
Letter criticizing Watson’s book 🧪
Reposted by Erin Purcell
"i asked grok" "i asked chatgpt" yeah well i asked carl sagan and he said the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge 🧪
July 18, 2025 at 4:12 AM
"i asked grok" "i asked chatgpt" yeah well i asked carl sagan and he said the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge 🧪
Reposted by Erin Purcell
🚨 Publication alert! We are stoked to report the structural basis for activity of a novel class of antimicrobials targeting Gram positive priority pathogens in @natcomms.nature.com. There is something for everyone on this paper, and I will highlight a few things below 👇 1/9 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
A unique inhibitor conformation selectively targets the DNA polymerase PolC of Gram-positive priority pathogens - Nature Communications
In this work, Urem et al. characterize the mode of action as well as mechanism of reduced susceptibility related to a class of antimicrobials that is in development for the treatment of infections wit...
doi.org
November 6, 2025 at 10:29 AM
🚨 Publication alert! We are stoked to report the structural basis for activity of a novel class of antimicrobials targeting Gram positive priority pathogens in @natcomms.nature.com. There is something for everyone on this paper, and I will highlight a few things below 👇 1/9 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
I would honestly probably check out this version of Frankenstein
November 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
I would honestly probably check out this version of Frankenstein
Reposted by Erin Purcell
That's unfair. It's only part of who James Watson was.
He was also incredibly sexist. Proper old-fashioned male academic S-Rank level grubby sexism.
You know. Saying that Rosalind Franklin could have been pretty if she'd tried. Calling her 'Rosy' even though she never used that name. That level.
He was also incredibly sexist. Proper old-fashioned male academic S-Rank level grubby sexism.
You know. Saying that Rosalind Franklin could have been pretty if she'd tried. Calling her 'Rosy' even though she never used that name. That level.
November 8, 2025 at 4:44 PM
That's unfair. It's only part of who James Watson was.
He was also incredibly sexist. Proper old-fashioned male academic S-Rank level grubby sexism.
You know. Saying that Rosalind Franklin could have been pretty if she'd tried. Calling her 'Rosy' even though she never used that name. That level.
He was also incredibly sexist. Proper old-fashioned male academic S-Rank level grubby sexism.
You know. Saying that Rosalind Franklin could have been pretty if she'd tried. Calling her 'Rosy' even though she never used that name. That level.
Please repost if anyone in your orbit might be last minute stressing out because they changed the rules at the last minute when there's no one at the NSF to answer phone/emails! 'Chrome messes it up' is probably catching some people.
Student submitted GRFP despite 'official' transcript reqs! What worked for her: "Open your official transcript in duck duck go. Then hit “print to pdf”. This saves it without putting “copy” on it and removes the “protected status”. I think other browsers could be used, but chrome messes it up."
November 7, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Please repost if anyone in your orbit might be last minute stressing out because they changed the rules at the last minute when there's no one at the NSF to answer phone/emails! 'Chrome messes it up' is probably catching some people.
Student submitted GRFP despite 'official' transcript reqs! What worked for her: "Open your official transcript in duck duck go. Then hit “print to pdf”. This saves it without putting “copy” on it and removes the “protected status”. I think other browsers could be used, but chrome messes it up."
November 7, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Student submitted GRFP despite 'official' transcript reqs! What worked for her: "Open your official transcript in duck duck go. Then hit “print to pdf”. This saves it without putting “copy” on it and removes the “protected status”. I think other browsers could be used, but chrome messes it up."
Reposted by Erin Purcell
Neighbors protecting neighbors – this is what community power looks like. ✊❤️
Chicago cyclists are buying out tamale carts to keep vendors home and safe from ICE. blockclubchi.co/42KQ57O
November 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Neighbors protecting neighbors – this is what community power looks like. ✊❤️