Heidi Arjes, PhD
@heidiarjes.bsky.social
Microbe enthusiast - harnessing microbes for good
Crafting extraordinaire - once upon a time I kept up with www.craftimism.com
Halloween fun: My Toto loves people and enthusiastically greeted all the people giving out candy on our walk home - she didn't need treats, she was the treat! 😆
November 2, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Halloween fun: My Toto loves people and enthusiastically greeted all the people giving out candy on our walk home - she didn't need treats, she was the treat! 😆
Advice needed: I'm currently using Zotero to organize papers at my company. A colleague finds the user interface clunky, and his network suggested paperpile. Anyone have opinions? We will be using it to store papers for reading and commenting and citations. Pic of Mickey in a sweater for attention.
October 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Advice needed: I'm currently using Zotero to organize papers at my company. A colleague finds the user interface clunky, and his network suggested paperpile. Anyone have opinions? We will be using it to store papers for reading and commenting and citations. Pic of Mickey in a sweater for attention.
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
An important application of generative A.I. is facilitating discovery to override antimicrobial resistance with newly designed antibiotics, as demonstrated here for in vivo effectiveness vs S. aureus and N. gonorrhoeae www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
August 14, 2025 at 4:54 PM
An important application of generative A.I. is facilitating discovery to override antimicrobial resistance with newly designed antibiotics, as demonstrated here for in vivo effectiveness vs S. aureus and N. gonorrhoeae www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
Ever wondered why some antibiotics are made by Streptomyces on agar plates but not in liquid cultures? Read this work on redox control of antibiotic biosynthesis. Led by katienoble241.bsky.social and Rebecca Devine, and in collaboration with @barriewilks.bsky.social
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org
August 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Ever wondered why some antibiotics are made by Streptomyces on agar plates but not in liquid cultures? Read this work on redox control of antibiotic biosynthesis. Led by katienoble241.bsky.social and Rebecca Devine, and in collaboration with @barriewilks.bsky.social
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
It’s too late to save these lost young lives in Texas, but not too late to avert the next tragedy that could be fully avoided.
It’s one thing to say you’re making things more efficient and quite another to gut something essential with no replacement.
Turn the f’ing lights back on!
/fin
It’s one thing to say you’re making things more efficient and quite another to gut something essential with no replacement.
Turn the f’ing lights back on!
/fin
July 7, 2025 at 1:47 AM
It’s too late to save these lost young lives in Texas, but not too late to avert the next tragedy that could be fully avoided.
It’s one thing to say you’re making things more efficient and quite another to gut something essential with no replacement.
Turn the f’ing lights back on!
/fin
It’s one thing to say you’re making things more efficient and quite another to gut something essential with no replacement.
Turn the f’ing lights back on!
/fin
Advice needed. I'm in the market for a new laptop. I've had macs in the past, but am slightly leaning PC. Any recommendations for a computer that is a good value for what you get?
June 15, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Advice needed. I'm in the market for a new laptop. I've had macs in the past, but am slightly leaning PC. Any recommendations for a computer that is a good value for what you get?
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
This is Ripley. He was nervous about taking the stairs. May have panicked a bit. 12/10
April 7, 2025 at 10:21 PM
This is Ripley. He was nervous about taking the stairs. May have panicked a bit. 12/10
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
When public health works, “nothing” happens. People stay healthy. People go on living.
A tricky thing about modern society is that no one has any idea when they don’t die.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
April 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
When public health works, “nothing” happens. People stay healthy. People go on living.
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
I had not heard or realized this before. Good to know: www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/r...
April 5, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I had not heard or realized this before. Good to know: www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/r...
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
One of these things is not like the others
March 13, 2025 at 3:51 PM
One of these things is not like the others
Pretty cool! Why was the previous thought that they would toggle? It seems more adaptable to quickly changing O2 and S availability to have both running simultaneously if both terminal acceptors are there (small cost to producing the proteins to carry out both)?
[̲̅P][̲̅A][̲̅R][̲̅A][̲̅D][̲̅I][̲̅G][̲̅M]
[̲̅S][̲̅H][̲̅I][̲̅F][̲̅T]
𝘏𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 isolated from Yellowstone hot springs use both oxygen (aerobic) and elemental sulfur (anaerobic) respiration AT THE SAME TIME. Until now, cells were thought to toggle between the two—not do both simultaneously
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
[̲̅S][̲̅H][̲̅I][̲̅F][̲̅T]
𝘏𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 isolated from Yellowstone hot springs use both oxygen (aerobic) and elemental sulfur (anaerobic) respiration AT THE SAME TIME. Until now, cells were thought to toggle between the two—not do both simultaneously
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
March 9, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Pretty cool! Why was the previous thought that they would toggle? It seems more adaptable to quickly changing O2 and S availability to have both running simultaneously if both terminal acceptors are there (small cost to producing the proteins to carry out both)?
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
February 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
I wish I'd made a stronger statement: this headline is a cowardly way to describe the ongoing destruction of science & pretty rude coming from the American Assoc for the Advancement of SCIENCE that will happily charge >$5,000 to publish in one of the most gatekept scientific journals in existence
"downsizes" is a weak way of saying "forced to cancel dozens of programs, which jeopardizes future STEM careers of talented undergrads" @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...
NSF downsizes summer research program for undergraduates
Many participants are from groups underrepresented in science
www.science.org
March 1, 2025 at 10:16 PM
I wish I'd made a stronger statement: this headline is a cowardly way to describe the ongoing destruction of science & pretty rude coming from the American Assoc for the Advancement of SCIENCE that will happily charge >$5,000 to publish in one of the most gatekept scientific journals in existence
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
Diversity is our greatest asset, even if the government disagrees… They not like us! POC in STEM are here to stay.
They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence!
Mustard on the [Be][At] bro.
Happy Black History Month!
They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence!
Mustard on the [Be][At] bro.
Happy Black History Month!
February 21, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Diversity is our greatest asset, even if the government disagrees… They not like us! POC in STEM are here to stay.
They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence!
Mustard on the [Be][At] bro.
Happy Black History Month!
They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence!
Mustard on the [Be][At] bro.
Happy Black History Month!
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
You missed our series about unnoticed, but influential female scientists in microbiology that were honoured by naming a bacterium after them?
Here is the basic information about the 26 women and their groundbreaking work 👉 www.dsmz.de/collection/honouring-women-in-science
#herstory #WomenInScience
Here is the basic information about the 26 women and their groundbreaking work 👉 www.dsmz.de/collection/honouring-women-in-science
#herstory #WomenInScience
January 20, 2025 at 8:57 AM
You missed our series about unnoticed, but influential female scientists in microbiology that were honoured by naming a bacterium after them?
Here is the basic information about the 26 women and their groundbreaking work 👉 www.dsmz.de/collection/honouring-women-in-science
#herstory #WomenInScience
Here is the basic information about the 26 women and their groundbreaking work 👉 www.dsmz.de/collection/honouring-women-in-science
#herstory #WomenInScience
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
Lentils ❤️ mycorrhizal fungi. More nodules and greater plant biomass already evident on the inoculated plants at the bottom, compared to non-inoculated up top, in this Australian lentil variety 👌🏼
December 18, 2024 at 1:19 AM
Lentils ❤️ mycorrhizal fungi. More nodules and greater plant biomass already evident on the inoculated plants at the bottom, compared to non-inoculated up top, in this Australian lentil variety 👌🏼
Neat - I'm looking forward to reading this!
It’s out!! We subjected soils from 30 different locations across Europe to extreme events and found that soil fungal and bacterial communities showed consistent responses that could be predicted from their origin! With @knightjar.bsky.social and many collaborators!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Soil microbiomes show consistent and predictable responses to extreme events - Nature
Soils from 30 grasslands across Europe were subjected to 4 contrasting extreme climatic events under drought, flood, freezing and heat conditions, with the results suggesting that soil microbiomes fro...
www.nature.com
November 28, 2024 at 11:35 AM
Neat - I'm looking forward to reading this!
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
Crazy stuff in PNAS
dental plaque bacterium 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘪 can divide into an unprecedented 14 daughter cells at once—then each daughter cell starts growing immediately in a rare process called multiple fission, achieving 0.5 mm per day of expansion
www.snexplores.org/article/bact...
dental plaque bacterium 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘪 can divide into an unprecedented 14 daughter cells at once—then each daughter cell starts growing immediately in a rare process called multiple fission, achieving 0.5 mm per day of expansion
www.snexplores.org/article/bact...
These mouth bacteria use a new type of cell division to make 14 cells at once
The newfound strategy seen in C. matruchotii might help oral bacteria recover lost territory after each eviction by toothbrushing.
www.snexplores.org
November 22, 2024 at 9:54 PM
Crazy stuff in PNAS
dental plaque bacterium 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘪 can divide into an unprecedented 14 daughter cells at once—then each daughter cell starts growing immediately in a rare process called multiple fission, achieving 0.5 mm per day of expansion
www.snexplores.org/article/bact...
dental plaque bacterium 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘪 can divide into an unprecedented 14 daughter cells at once—then each daughter cell starts growing immediately in a rare process called multiple fission, achieving 0.5 mm per day of expansion
www.snexplores.org/article/bact...
Any recommendations for shows to binge? I'm subscribed to Hulu and Disney+ at the moment and looking for engaging shows to help me get through the winter.
November 19, 2024 at 10:57 PM
Any recommendations for shows to binge? I'm subscribed to Hulu and Disney+ at the moment and looking for engaging shows to help me get through the winter.
I'd like to learn a programming language to help with data analysis. My company is a scrappy startup and Matlab (the language I know) is too expensive. Is Python the obvious choice? Any advice on learning Python with prior Matlab knowledge?
May 1, 2024 at 1:36 PM
I'd like to learn a programming language to help with data analysis. My company is a scrappy startup and Matlab (the language I know) is too expensive. Is Python the obvious choice? Any advice on learning Python with prior Matlab knowledge?
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
Science folks-please amplify 🧪
PhD students Matt Cope-Arguello and Jiayu Li (Manikantan lab) collaborated to quantify the biophysics/rheology of the goopy colonies of #Raltonia wilt pathogens.
Are there other bacterial colonies (or other biological goops) that drip? Thanks!
youtu.be/ECz8aN5d58I
PhD students Matt Cope-Arguello and Jiayu Li (Manikantan lab) collaborated to quantify the biophysics/rheology of the goopy colonies of #Raltonia wilt pathogens.
Are there other bacterial colonies (or other biological goops) that drip? Thanks!
youtu.be/ECz8aN5d58I
Goopy colonies of Ralstonia wilt pathogens drip when plates are inverted
Note: This video was captured on a cell-phone using a feature to speed-up the video, so these colonies are dripping faster than they do in real-time. The rat...
youtu.be
December 18, 2023 at 5:34 PM
Science folks-please amplify 🧪
PhD students Matt Cope-Arguello and Jiayu Li (Manikantan lab) collaborated to quantify the biophysics/rheology of the goopy colonies of #Raltonia wilt pathogens.
Are there other bacterial colonies (or other biological goops) that drip? Thanks!
youtu.be/ECz8aN5d58I
PhD students Matt Cope-Arguello and Jiayu Li (Manikantan lab) collaborated to quantify the biophysics/rheology of the goopy colonies of #Raltonia wilt pathogens.
Are there other bacterial colonies (or other biological goops) that drip? Thanks!
youtu.be/ECz8aN5d58I
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
by Christoph
...Here now, it's again about C. acnes, but this time about several strains competing for growth in human hair follicles, pores. An ecological family affair, so to speak.
Read more > tinyurl.com/5n92ws6n
#MicroSky 🦠🧫
...Here now, it's again about C. acnes, but this time about several strains competing for growth in human hair follicles, pores. An ecological family affair, so to speak.
Read more > tinyurl.com/5n92ws6n
#MicroSky 🦠🧫
![Propionibacterium acnes. SEM image Matthias Mörgelin, Lund University, SE. [Source: https://www.genengnews.com/news/acne-bacteria-integral-part-of-skin-microbiota-defense-system/]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gudh3x7pgeh4uc6eee3zogtr/bafkreidrydv5hut4hnjevlretm3yfkkafire32vwecikzi3komgmpi66u4@jpeg)
October 30, 2023 at 10:19 AM
by Christoph
...Here now, it's again about C. acnes, but this time about several strains competing for growth in human hair follicles, pores. An ecological family affair, so to speak.
Read more > tinyurl.com/5n92ws6n
#MicroSky 🦠🧫
...Here now, it's again about C. acnes, but this time about several strains competing for growth in human hair follicles, pores. An ecological family affair, so to speak.
Read more > tinyurl.com/5n92ws6n
#MicroSky 🦠🧫
This dapper dude and I are day tripping in Salem, MA. Any tips for what to do?
October 11, 2023 at 3:01 PM
This dapper dude and I are day tripping in Salem, MA. Any tips for what to do?
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
Respiratory inhibitors triggered biofilm dispersal in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, making the cells more vulnerable to antibiotics. 💥
- In @AppEnvMicro (#AEM) journal
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
- In @AppEnvMicro (#AEM) journal
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Bacterial respiratory inhibition triggers dispersal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms | Applied and...
The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa grows in biofilm communities that are very difficult to treat in human infections.
Growing as a biofilm can protect bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system...
journals.asm.org
September 25, 2023 at 3:18 PM
Respiratory inhibitors triggered biofilm dispersal in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, making the cells more vulnerable to antibiotics. 💥
- In @AppEnvMicro (#AEM) journal
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
- In @AppEnvMicro (#AEM) journal
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Heidi Arjes, PhD
This is by far the coolest colony I ever isolated.
It’s called the “hurricane”.
natural #sciart
🧫🦠
It’s called the “hurricane”.
natural #sciart
🧫🦠
September 21, 2023 at 2:21 PM
This is by far the coolest colony I ever isolated.
It’s called the “hurricane”.
natural #sciart
🧫🦠
It’s called the “hurricane”.
natural #sciart
🧫🦠