@KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
@kaytrue.bsky.social
Scientist at UW-Seattle. Excited about membrane biophysics and increasing access to STEM. Opinions my own.
The U.S. Senate will vote tomorrow (Thursday, Jan 29) to decide whether to pass a bill that includes funding for ICE. Hey friends (both those I've met and those I haven't yet), did you call your senators today? I did tonight. I was easy and fast with 5calls.org www.politico.com/live-updates...
Capitol agenda: Shutdown threat weighs on Senate lunches
Senate Majority Leader John Thune says it's "to be determined" what happens if Thursday's vote fails.
www.politico.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:53 AM
The U.S. Senate will vote tomorrow (Thursday, Jan 29) to decide whether to pass a bill that includes funding for ICE. Hey friends (both those I've met and those I haven't yet), did you call your senators today? I did tonight. I was easy and fast with 5calls.org www.politico.com/live-updates...
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗞𝗢, Untitled, 1961
Pen and ink on paper
©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
☼𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘
Pen and ink on paper
©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
☼𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘
January 28, 2026 at 6:05 PM
𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗞𝗢, Untitled, 1961
Pen and ink on paper
©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
☼𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘
Pen and ink on paper
©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
☼𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘
Want to join me to donate for essentials for parents like diapers and warm food? Or care of pets whose owners are suddenly gone? Or rent for people who can't get to work? A handy list of options is at www.standwithminnesota.com. Many organizations have a Tax ID #, making your donation tax deductible
Stand With Minnesota Donation Directory
Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.
www.standwithminnesota.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Want to join me to donate for essentials for parents like diapers and warm food? Or care of pets whose owners are suddenly gone? Or rent for people who can't get to work? A handy list of options is at www.standwithminnesota.com. Many organizations have a Tax ID #, making your donation tax deductible
Dear @murray.senate.gov: Your Senate voicemail is full (again). I did reach your Seattle office to express my opinions as your constituent, but I would encourage your staff to get more voicemail storage. The days have been tragedy-filled. We're counting on you & @cantwell.senate.gov to take action.
January 25, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Dear @murray.senate.gov: Your Senate voicemail is full (again). I did reach your Seattle office to express my opinions as your constituent, but I would encourage your staff to get more voicemail storage. The days have been tragedy-filled. We're counting on you & @cantwell.senate.gov to take action.
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
MN protestors #protip put 2 Idaho Russets in the oven at 420 degrees for 45 min, take them out and foil wrap, 1 in each pocket before you go out. Theyll stay warm for 3-4 hours even in this weather and you can eat em when you like. They used to send us kids out like this back in the 70s trust me.
January 23, 2026 at 2:39 PM
MN protestors #protip put 2 Idaho Russets in the oven at 420 degrees for 45 min, take them out and foil wrap, 1 in each pocket before you go out. Theyll stay warm for 3-4 hours even in this weather and you can eat em when you like. They used to send us kids out like this back in the 70s trust me.
"Understanding reaction stoichiometries is clearly essential in order to design and operate chemical plants efficiently."
Pick up the nearest book. Turn to page 42, post the second sentence.
"The result was an explosion of innovation."
"The result was an explosion of innovation."
Pick up the nearest book. Turn to page 42, post the second sentence.
"House construction is more substantial and there
are massive monumental constructions at Jericho, to rival those in northern Mesopotamia at Göbekli Tepe (Schmidt 2006)."
"House construction is more substantial and there
are massive monumental constructions at Jericho, to rival those in northern Mesopotamia at Göbekli Tepe (Schmidt 2006)."
January 21, 2026 at 8:03 PM
"Understanding reaction stoichiometries is clearly essential in order to design and operate chemical plants efficiently."
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
The National Science Foundation sign on our Eisenhower Av building is now gone.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
January 18, 2026 at 2:00 AM
The National Science Foundation sign on our Eisenhower Av building is now gone.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
To decrease load on individuals in responding to the NSF request for public input below, is anyone aware of any helpful lists of talking points that have been prepared by scientific professional societies, like the @acs.org, @biophysicalsoc.bsky.social, @agu.org, APS, etc.? Any other good resources?
🧪⚛️ NSF is seeking community feedback on their draft strategic plan for the next few years. Now is the time to make your views known. (Maybe disbanding nearly all advisory committees wasn’t the best idea.) www.nsf.gov/od/updates/n...
NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan
www.nsf.gov
January 17, 2026 at 9:50 PM
To decrease load on individuals in responding to the NSF request for public input below, is anyone aware of any helpful lists of talking points that have been prepared by scientific professional societies, like the @acs.org, @biophysicalsoc.bsky.social, @agu.org, APS, etc.? Any other good resources?
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
Sorry to tangentialize this subject. An unvaccinated family with measles traveled from SC to WA state over the holidays. They went to a huge church, SeaTac ✈️, rode ferries, went to restaurants & an indoor trampoline park. As of yesterday, we now have an outbreak in my community because of it.
January 16, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Sorry to tangentialize this subject. An unvaccinated family with measles traveled from SC to WA state over the holidays. They went to a huge church, SeaTac ✈️, rode ferries, went to restaurants & an indoor trampoline park. As of yesterday, we now have an outbreak in my community because of it.
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
The waitlist application is open for Seattle's Fresh Bucks program. If you make less than $84,850 (or higher depending on household size), you qualify for $60 a month to buy fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, independent grocers, and some supermarkets.
Seattle’s Fresh Bucks welcomes 4,500 households off waitlist, increases monthly benefit, and more in 2026 - Greenspace
Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program is ringing in the new year with a major expansion! On January 1, Fresh Bucks welcomed more than 4,500 households off the waitlist, increased monthly benefits from $40 to ...
greenspace.seattle.gov
January 15, 2026 at 6:46 PM
The waitlist application is open for Seattle's Fresh Bucks program. If you make less than $84,850 (or higher depending on household size), you qualify for $60 a month to buy fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, independent grocers, and some supermarkets.
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
A new post, on hot plants attracting insects (commentary on an excellent recent paper).
eighteenthelephant.com/2026/01/13/s...
eighteenthelephant.com/2026/01/13/s...
Some Like it Hot: Plant Edition
There are basic facts about the living world that we learn when very young. One is that mammals and birds are warm-blooded. More technically, mammals and birds fall into the category of endotherms,…
eighteenthelephant.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:34 PM
A new post, on hot plants attracting insects (commentary on an excellent recent paper).
eighteenthelephant.com/2026/01/13/s...
eighteenthelephant.com/2026/01/13/s...
If you don't feel like hiking in the drizzle today out to where the bald eagles live, maybe they will visit you in YOUR Seattle neighborhood... at least until the crows gang up to drive them away
January 12, 2026 at 12:43 AM
If you don't feel like hiking in the drizzle today out to where the bald eagles live, maybe they will visit you in YOUR Seattle neighborhood... at least until the crows gang up to drive them away
Excited to see Jonesy (Dr. Alisha Jones) featured as Biophysicist in Profile in the Biophysical Society Bulletin (biophysics.cld.bz/Biophysical-...)
“It was during graduate school [at @uwchemistry.bsky.social !] that she found her true calling in RNA structural biology”
Go, UW Chemistry & alums!
“It was during graduate school [at @uwchemistry.bsky.social !] that she found her true calling in RNA structural biology”
Go, UW Chemistry & alums!
January 11, 2026 at 5:36 AM
Excited to see Jonesy (Dr. Alisha Jones) featured as Biophysicist in Profile in the Biophysical Society Bulletin (biophysics.cld.bz/Biophysical-...)
“It was during graduate school [at @uwchemistry.bsky.social !] that she found her true calling in RNA structural biology”
Go, UW Chemistry & alums!
“It was during graduate school [at @uwchemistry.bsky.social !] that she found her true calling in RNA structural biology”
Go, UW Chemistry & alums!
Exciting news! @uwchemistry has approval to build a new lab building…if we raise the remaining funds. Washington State and generous donors have made significant contributions, but we aren’t all the way there yet. If you’d like to know more about the great things we do, please see chem.washington.edu
January 11, 2026 at 5:20 AM
Exciting news! @uwchemistry has approval to build a new lab building…if we raise the remaining funds. Washington State and generous donors have made significant contributions, but we aren’t all the way there yet. If you’d like to know more about the great things we do, please see chem.washington.edu
It was a beautiful day at Discovery Park, looking from Seattle across Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains. It seemed like no January day could possibly be better than this, and then a huge bald eagle surprised us by swooping in very close to land on the bluff.
January 11, 2026 at 2:52 AM
It was a beautiful day at Discovery Park, looking from Seattle across Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains. It seemed like no January day could possibly be better than this, and then a huge bald eagle surprised us by swooping in very close to land on the bluff.
It's only Wednesday, and it is the third time this week I've called all my members of Congress as a way to try to process my grief about where the U.S. is and where we are headed. In brighter moments, I hope that, together, our voices and actions can spur change... but today I am overwhelmingly sad
January 8, 2026 at 5:55 AM
It's only Wednesday, and it is the third time this week I've called all my members of Congress as a way to try to process my grief about where the U.S. is and where we are headed. In brighter moments, I hope that, together, our voices and actions can spur change... but today I am overwhelmingly sad
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
Always use the mic at a conference even if you’re loud. People who can’t hear you *can’t hear you * when you ask if you can hear them in the back. Some of us went to one too many hardcore shows in our youth without ear plugs and our hearing ain’t what it used to be 🥺
#SICB2026
#SICB2026
January 4, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Always use the mic at a conference even if you’re loud. People who can’t hear you *can’t hear you * when you ask if you can hear them in the back. Some of us went to one too many hardcore shows in our youth without ear plugs and our hearing ain’t what it used to be 🥺
#SICB2026
#SICB2026
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
New Year's Day is a Discover Pass Free Day, with no pass needed Thursday to park at state public lands.
Free Parking Days | Discover Pass
discoverpass.wa.gov
December 31, 2025 at 10:53 PM
New Year's Day is a Discover Pass Free Day, with no pass needed Thursday to park at state public lands.
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
Rides will be free on New Year's Eve on King County Metro and the Water Taxi, the Seattle Streetcars, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Pierce Transit.
Ringing in the New Year: King County Metro and regional transit agencies celebrate New Year’s Eve with free fares
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced today that Metro will join other regional transit agencies to provide free rides this New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31. Riders can travel without paying fares …
kingcountymetro.blog
December 23, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Rides will be free on New Year's Eve on King County Metro and the Water Taxi, the Seattle Streetcars, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Pierce Transit.
Tell your members of Congress NCAR is key for:
• Safer airline flights
• Accurate forecasts
• Safety in severe weather
• Supporting national defense
• Detecting smoke
• Computer resources
• Developing LIDAR to map terrain
& detecting solar activity that disrupts GPS
• Training future engineers
• Safer airline flights
• Accurate forecasts
• Safety in severe weather
• Supporting national defense
• Detecting smoke
• Computer resources
• Developing LIDAR to map terrain
& detecting solar activity that disrupts GPS
• Training future engineers
I've mostly been talking about the Trump regime's plan to dismantle NCAR, but you might be asking yourself, wtf is NCAR and why should I care? @drshepherd2013.bsky.social has got you covered here.
www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...
www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...
December 22, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Tell your members of Congress NCAR is key for:
• Safer airline flights
• Accurate forecasts
• Safety in severe weather
• Supporting national defense
• Detecting smoke
• Computer resources
• Developing LIDAR to map terrain
& detecting solar activity that disrupts GPS
• Training future engineers
• Safer airline flights
• Accurate forecasts
• Safety in severe weather
• Supporting national defense
• Detecting smoke
• Computer resources
• Developing LIDAR to map terrain
& detecting solar activity that disrupts GPS
• Training future engineers
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
We have 526 scientists signed up for spring semester. We try to get that to about 1000 scientists before unleashing the teachers on the database. Wanna connect a class of kids with science this spring? Sign up!
Alright scientists! It's that time again!
Time to sign up for Skype a Scientist's spring semester.
Want to get matched with a classroom in 2026?
Sign up now 🥰
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Time to sign up for Skype a Scientist's spring semester.
Want to get matched with a classroom in 2026?
Sign up now 🥰
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
December 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
We have 526 scientists signed up for spring semester. We try to get that to about 1000 scientists before unleashing the teachers on the database. Wanna connect a class of kids with science this spring? Sign up!
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
Did you know we offer one-on-one mentoring, including peer-to-peer mentoring, at the Annual Meeting?
Learn more and sign up to be or have a mentor at #bps2026
Learn more and sign up to be or have a mentor at #bps2026
BPS2026 Professional Development | Biophysical Society
Get Online Support
buff.ly
December 16, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Did you know we offer one-on-one mentoring, including peer-to-peer mentoring, at the Annual Meeting?
Learn more and sign up to be or have a mentor at #bps2026
Learn more and sign up to be or have a mentor at #bps2026
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
Ups we did it again! Please mark your calender. EMBO Workshop “Lipid Code to Life”, taking place September 7–11, 2026, in Dresden, organized by Maria Fedorova, @lipid.bsky.social, Valerie O'Donnell, @holthuislab.bsky.social and @molcellbiophys-lab.bsky.social 🥳 Retweets = lipidlove
December 15, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Ups we did it again! Please mark your calender. EMBO Workshop “Lipid Code to Life”, taking place September 7–11, 2026, in Dresden, organized by Maria Fedorova, @lipid.bsky.social, Valerie O'Donnell, @holthuislab.bsky.social and @molcellbiophys-lab.bsky.social 🥳 Retweets = lipidlove
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
very cool and novel stuff from @fletcherlabucb.bsky.social and brilliant postdoc Caitlin Cornell! She's one to watch (and hire).
How does a macrophage decide to eat or simply nibble? Check out our latest paper! You can also read this nice review. Congrats Caitlin for leading this amazing work!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Target cell cortical tension regulates macrophage trogocytosis - Nature Cell Biology
Cornell et al. show that target cells with low cortical tension induce macrophages to preferentially trogocytose, or engulf in small fragments, whereas target cells with high cortical tension tend tow...
www.nature.com
December 16, 2025 at 1:04 AM
very cool and novel stuff from @fletcherlabucb.bsky.social and brilliant postdoc Caitlin Cornell! She's one to watch (and hire).
Reposted by @KayTrue (Sarah L. Keller)
Study finds manager scores for employee performance correlated to employee self-evals. Women and ppl of color tended to give themselves lower marks. Women of color rated themselves the least favorably and got the lowest scores from managers.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
Why self-appraisals may not be best way to judge job performance — Harvard Gazette
Research shows women, workers of color rate themselves lower; manager ratings tend to mirror them if bosses read rankings before writing their own.
news.harvard.edu
December 14, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Study finds manager scores for employee performance correlated to employee self-evals. Women and ppl of color tended to give themselves lower marks. Women of color rated themselves the least favorably and got the lowest scores from managers.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...