Gabriel Aughey
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gabrielaughey.bsky.social
Gabriel Aughey
@gabrielaughey.bsky.social
190 followers 210 following 13 posts
Neurobiologist at UCL. Interested in neurological disease, genetics, behaviour, and development.
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gabrielaughey.bsky.social
Always shocking to see these kinds of data collected together. "[publishers made]US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024" - That's $12 billion diverted away from actual research or materially supporting the community - these are disgusting numbers.
hansonmark.bsky.social Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · 1d
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:

a 🧵 1/n

Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A table showing profit margins of major publishers. A snippet of text related to this table is below. 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. A figure detailing the drain on researcher time. 1. The four-fold drain 1.2 Time The number of papers published each year is growing faster than the scientific workforce, with the number of papers per researcher almost doubling between 1996 and 2022 (Figure 1A). This reflects the fact that publishers’ commercial desire to publish (sell) more material has aligned well with the competitive prestige culture in which publications help secure jobs, grants, promotions, and awards. To the extent that this growth is driven by a pressure for profit, rather than scholarly imperatives, it distorts the way researchers spend their time. The publishing system depends on unpaid reviewer labour, estimated to be over 130 million unpaid hours annually in 2020 alone (9). Researchers have complained about the demands of peer-review for decades, but the scale of the problem is now worse, with editors reporting widespread difficulties recruiting reviewers. The growth in publications involves not only the authors’ time, but that of academic editors and reviewers who are dealing with so many review demands. Even more seriously, the imperative to produce ever more articles reshapes the nature of scientific inquiry. Evidence across multiple fields shows that more papers result in ‘ossification’, not new ideas (10). It may seem paradoxical that more papers can slow progress until one considers how it affects researchers’ time. While rewards remain tied to volume, prestige, and impact of publications, researchers will be nudged away from riskier, local, interdisciplinary, and long-term work. The result is a treadmill of constant activity with limited progress whereas core scholarly practices – such as reading, reflecting and engaging with others’ contributions – is de-prioritized. What looks like productivity often masks intellectual exhaustion built on a demoralizing, narrowing scientific vision. A table of profit margins across industries. The section of text related to this table is below: 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. The costs of inaction are plain: wasted public funds, lost researcher time, compromised scientific integrity and eroded public trust. Today, the system rewards commercial publishers first, and science second. Without bold action from the funders we risk continuing to pour resources into a system that prioritizes profit over the advancement of scientific knowledge.
November 11, 2025 at 1:20 PM
gabrielaughey.bsky.social
Really confused about what problem LLMs like qed are meant to be solving? Is it meant to be for people writing papers - in which case we already have well established mechanisms for feedback (i.e. speaking with human colleagues), or for reviewers - obviously problematic for so many reasons!?
November 11, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
aemonten.bsky.social
PREACH!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reaffirming the value of model organisms in training scientific minds - Nature Cell Biology
As biomedical research prioritizes human models and translational promise, classic model organisms are increasingly dismissed. Here we argue that they have a lasting value, both in enabling discovery and in cultivating scientific thinking, by training researchers in systems reasoning, integrative thinking and independent inquiry.
www.nature.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
flybase.bsky.social
We currently have a call for support that has gone out to European labs, to support FlyBase-UK. We are asking our colleagues from labs in the US and other countries to wait for a similar call to them that will go out in the near future, to support the US sites. We thank you for your patience.
hansonmark.bsky.social Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · Jun 3
URGENT: FlyBase has lost practically all its funding overnight; even user fees are tied up in denied grant funding. 🤬🤯

Any lab using @flybase.bsky.social please donate using the link in post below.

This incredible community, on whose backs our #Drosophila labs depend, can't be left out to dry.
marcsdionne.bsky.social Marc Dionne @marcsdionne.bsky.social · Jun 3
My lab studies bacterial infections. We spend a lot of time looking at (or for) species-specific genetic and genomic databases for hosts and microbes. FlyBase is the best of all—there is literally no comparison. Its existence is under threat. Please donate.
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
June 3, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
poppi62.bsky.social
SUSTAINABILITY & #DROSOPHILA - If you keep flies & have tried to re-use containers but then given up on it, please could you let us know & tell us the reasons? We urgently need statements for a publication about sustainability in fly labs. Please, contact Andreas.Prokop@manchester.ac.uk
June 4, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
hansonmark.bsky.social
URGENT: FlyBase has lost practically all its funding overnight; even user fees are tied up in denied grant funding. 🤬🤯

Any lab using @flybase.bsky.social please donate using the link in post below.

This incredible community, on whose backs our #Drosophila labs depend, can't be left out to dry.
marcsdionne.bsky.social Marc Dionne @marcsdionne.bsky.social · Jun 3
My lab studies bacterial infections. We spend a lot of time looking at (or for) species-specific genetic and genomic databases for hosts and microbes. FlyBase is the best of all—there is literally no comparison. Its existence is under threat. Please donate.
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...
Drosophila Genetic Database
The Drosophila Genetic Database, FlyBase, is on the brink of collapse due to the sudden termination of the FlyBase NIH grant, which includes salaries for 5 literature curators based at the University ...
www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk
June 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
tonysouthall.bsky.social
New preprint! We have discovered that the splicing factor Sex lethal (Sxl - well known for its role in sex determination) binds to chromatin and regulates tRNA synthesis in neurons by interacting with RNA Pol III! Highlighting Sxl as a novel modulator of neuronal homeostasis. tinyurl.com/s44s2z95
Sex-lethal is recruited to chromatin to promote neuronal tRNA synthesis in males through RNA Polymerase III regulation
The RNA-binding protein Sex-lethal (Sxl) is classically known as a master regulator of sex determination and mRNA splicing in Drosophila melanogaster. However, this role is not conserved across specie...
tinyurl.com
April 26, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
surfinnurd.bsky.social
Pedestrians killed by car drivers in UK annually: >400
Cyclists killed by car drivers in UK annually: >100
Pedestrians killed by cyclists in UK annually: <3

So which of these is the most scary and worthy of more laws?

www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ap...
Cyclists who kill pedestrians could be jailed for life under new law in England and Wales
Reckless cycling is currently prosecuted under legislation from the 1860s, with a maximum two-year jail sentence
www.theguardian.com
April 25, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
royentsoc.bsky.social
🔔 Reminder: RES #InsectWelfare Survey 🦗

We’re gathering perspectives on the ethical treatment of insects in research. If you’re in #InsectResearch, your voice is essential!

Deadline: 1 April 🔽
buff.ly/kEmqgdr

#EthicsInScience #InsectEthics #AnimalResearch
Hairy-footed flower bee, Anthophora plumipes (c) Anthony Cooper
March 18, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
mayavoichek.bsky.social
1/ Transposable elements are often called "jumping genes" because they mobilize within genomes. 🧬
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
Drosophila follicle showing retrotransposons (pink & yellow) expressed in somatic cells infecting the oocyte
March 17, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
masudhusain.bsky.social
Why academia is sleepwalking into self-destruction. My editorial @brain1878.bsky.social If you agree with the sentiments please repost. It's important for all our sakes to stop the madness
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
March 6, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
mikefeigin.bsky.social
I had that nightmare again. The one where I’m a postdoc.
February 25, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
lioneltrolling.bsky.social
To me, a Nazi salute means, "I want to murder your family." There can be no irony about it: It puts deep anger and hatred in my heart to see it done and I will never forgive anyone who justifies or minimizes it.
February 23, 2025 at 6:14 PM
gabrielaughey.bsky.social
I've been a bit slow to post about this, but our work on RBL2-linked disease is now available online in #Brain. We provide a comprehensive characterisation of clinical phenotypes, and explore the neurological function of the #Drosophila orthologue, Rbf. (1/2) doi.org/10.1093/brai...
Clinical and genetic characterization of a progressive RBL2-associated neurodevelopmental disorder
RBL2 dysfunction, which disrupts cell-cycle gene expression, has been linked to a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Aughey et al. characterize a cohort o
doi.org
February 21, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
abigaildwilson.bsky.social
Delighted to have been selected to give a talk on 3rd March at the 4th Crick Rare Diseases Conference @crick.ac.uk - there's still time to register (and free to register for students!) www.crick.ac.uk/whats-on/4th...
4th Crick Rare Diseases Conference
www.crick.ac.uk
February 6, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
aukeflorian.nl
Bird nests made from anti-bird spikes?! 🤯

Hi, I'm a nest researcher 👋 and new here on BlueSky, sharing the craziest #bird nests I've ever found. 👀 Today, I’m sharing my discovery of rebellious birds that build nests out of anti-bird spikes. And honestly, it's like telling a joke...

A thread. 🧵
February 4, 2025 at 9:56 PM
gabrielaughey.bsky.social
Was wondering what had been going on. Please stop this - flybase is my emotional support database - I need to visit several times just to get through the day!
flybase.bsky.social FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · Jan 21
Once more with feeling!

Hey!
Are you using a script to scrape FlyBase?
Just stop.
NOW.
You're crashing the site for everyone.
Yes, we mean YOU.
January 28, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
annikabarber.bsky.social
If anyone happens to need it this week for...reasons...this is the best graphic on the complexity of human sex determination I've ever seen. I use it in an undergrad course on gene regulatory mechanisms. Shoutout to @unamandita.bsky.social!

www.scientificamerican.com/article/beyo...
Beyond XX and XY: The Extraordinary Complexity of Sex Determination
A host of factors figure into whether someone is female, male or somewhere in between
www.scientificamerican.com
January 21, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
loicaroyer.bsky.social
The birth of fruit fly's central nervous system imaged with multicolor #adaptive #lightsheet microscopy. The microscope self-aligns to a signal that appears during imaging.

www.nature.com/articles/nbt...
December 11, 2024 at 8:32 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
amoyellab.bsky.social
We're hiring a postdoc! Please forward to people you know who are looking for positions.
Interested in studying how metabolism is wired to support fertility? 🔬🪰 Come join us!
Ad to go live next week, but informal enquiries encouraged.
December 4, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
crisprflydesign.bsky.social
Our new preprint is out - please share!

We asked: How can we make CRISPR knockouts in vivo more efficient? And set up an assay that enables detection of CRISPR cutting with 100s-1000s of sgRNAs over entire chromosome arms in living animals.

Grab a ☕ and let’s dive in. 🧵🧪 1/n
#CRISPR #geneediting
December 2, 2024 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
micahgallen.com
Would you like to see @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social add a share to blue sky button?! I know I would! Share this post to let @richardsever.bsky.social @erictopol.bsky.social and others at bioarxiv know!
A screenshot of a paper on bioarxiv illustrating the lack of blue sky share button!
December 2, 2024 at 12:10 PM
Reposted by Gabriel Aughey
moitalab.bsky.social
Thrilled to present our latest BioRXiv on brain/body interactions during defensive freezing behaviour! (www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...). You might think that a frozen animal has, well, frozen muscle activity, right? Wrong! Underneath the still surface of a fly, something in the legs is beating… 🧵
December 2, 2024 at 9:57 AM
gabrielaughey.bsky.social
A (lightly) paraphrased sample of recent feedback from a failed fellowship application:
Strength - The project was important and ambitious.
Weakness - While the project was interesting and important, it was too ambitious to fund.
...not really sure what to take from this experience!🤔
November 28, 2024 at 12:32 PM