José Vargas-Muñiz
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mycorican.bsky.social
José Vargas-Muñiz
@mycorican.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.5K following 66 posts
🇵🇷🏳️‍🌈 | Asst. Prof. @ Virginia Tech | UPRM & DukeMGM Alumnus | He/His/Him | Opinions are my own, RT ≠ endorsements. 🍄☣️🧫 Website: jvm-lab.weebly.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
jandbio.bsky.social
I just saw this and am excited to share!

🍄 Reverse the Red Day 7 Feb.
"Fungal Conservation in the New Year: Species Discovery, Action, Policy, and a Global Strategy"

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Poster for upcoming webinar. Title: Fungal Conservation in the New Year: Species Discovery, Action, Policy, and a Global Strategy. Seven February 2026 11AM PST / 2PM EST / 4PM BRT / 7PM GMT with a registration link. Photos of presenters with talk titles. Huzefa Raja: Discovery is the first step toward conservation: Atromagnispora, a newly identified genus of freshwater ascomycete fungus from Indiana. Kelmer Martins-Cunha: From fungal neglect to action: shifting paradigms in Brazilian conservation. Greg Mueller: Developing A global strategy for fungal conservation. Images of 4 fungi are followed by the text "A webinar presented for Reverse the Red Day" and the logos of Reverse the Red, IIUCN SSC Mushrooms, Brackets, and Puffballs Specialist Group. Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo. IUCN SSC FUNCC. IUCN SSC Brazil Fungal Specialist Group.
January 30, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
septinlab.bsky.social
Two new 🔥pre-prints 🔥 TODAY by us & @pwoakes.bsky.social @myosincity.bsky.social
change the way we think about the septin cytoskeleton

Septins buffer mechanical stress on actin and membranes!

Septins are like intermediate filaments

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
a woman in a suit and tie has the words wait what written on her face
ALT: a woman in a suit and tie has the words wait what written on her face
media.tenor.com
January 21, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
jeremybaskin.bsky.social
Thrilled to share our latest study, led by @reikatei.bsky.social, in @natchembio.nature.com! We began by asking a simple question—how do cells know if they have too much of a lipid in a particular membrane, and how do they respond to rectify this imbalance?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
More info 👇
Membrane editing with proximity labeling reveals regulators of lipid homeostasis - Nature Chemical Biology
Coupling an optogenetic lipid-modifying enzyme with proximity labeling reveals protein networks and mechanisms regulating lipid homeostasis in the membranes of target organelles.
www.nature.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
plosbiology.org
Thermally dimorphic #fungi like #Histoplasma switch between environmental filamentous & host-associated #yeast forms. This study shows that a rapidly reversible duplication of a #chromosome alters the efficiency of this switch, reducing virulence @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4qCC9Gf
Left: Example images of colonies from gain-and-loss rate experiments after 12 days at 25°C. Cells derived from an aneuploid parent (top, green) and colonies derived from a euploid parent (bottom, magenta) each showing one progeny colony (indicated by an arrow) that converted in morphology bias. Bar indicates 10 mm. Conversion in morphology bias was used as a proxy for converting in ploidy. Right: Rapid gain and loss of Chr7 aneuploidy may increase phenotypic diversity. Summary scheme of the authors' data, suggesting that rapid gain and loss of the Chr7 aneuploidy may benefit Histoplasma by rapidly increasing phenotypic diversity, helping populations survive frequent and abrupt transitions between environment and host. Histoplasma grows as yeast in the mammalian body and in the laboratory when grown at 37°C, but as hyphae in the environment or in the laboratory when grown at 25°C. Cells with a second copy of chromosome 7 are biased towards hyphal growth and outcompete euploid cells in the yeast-to-hyphal transition (black arrows). Euploid cells (with one copy of each chromosome) are biased towards yeast growth and outcompete in the hyphal to yeast transition (black arrows). Cells frequently gain and lose a second copy of Chr7 (gray arrows). Cells with one copy of Chr7 have increased virulence in comparison to cells with two copies of the chromosome. Cells with two copies of Chr7 have a hyphal-biased transcriptome as do cells with increased copy number of HYF1, a TF on Chr7.
January 7, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
morgancarterphd.bsky.social
After years of struggling with how to cryopreserve one of our endosymbiotic bacteria, we found something that worked!
🦠☃️
We crowd-sourced suggestions and then @ruthwright.bsky.social tried the most common ones (like 🥛...). Want to do the same? Here is how we did it:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Identifying Effective Cryoprotectant Agents for Emerging Bacterial Model Species
Host-associated bacteria live amongst eukaryotes within varied niches and form relationships ranging from facultative to obligate. With advancement in studies of such symbiotic associations, fastidiou...
www.biorxiv.org
December 8, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
joshcurrie.bsky.social
🚨 Preprint Friday! 🚨

Thrilled to highlight this collab with David Brown at Duke @cutitoutdave.bsky.social and Ken Poss at UW Madison/Morgridge @kenposs.bsky.social. By comparing 3(!!) regenerating models we identify a conserved role for Sp-family TFs in appendage regeneration (and more).....🧵
Enhancer-directed gene delivery for digit regeneration based on conserved epidermal factors
Limb loss remains a significant clinical challenge, but regenerative medicine approaches such as gene therapy offer a promising strategy to trigger endogenous regeneration programs. Optimal vector con...
www.biorxiv.org
December 5, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
kacylynn.bsky.social
I am hiring a postdoc (or two!) to work on C. elegans reproductive system development. Our MIRA funds work on cell size, migration, and niche signaling. Our CAREER funds work on regulation of gonad growth, degrowth, and regeneration during and after starvation

unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/310...
December 5, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
jpflores.rbind.io
Check out this piece from me, @abankston.bsky.social , @siararouzer.bsky.social, @kassstem.bsky.social , Crystal Hammond, & Amy Ralston!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Trump Administration Impacts on Early Career Scientists and How To Fight Back
Scientific research drives national progress and innovation, and must be protected at all costs. Actions from the Trump administration in early 2025 sent shockwaves across academic research. Federal s...
www.biorxiv.org
December 5, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#Archaea #ArchaeaSky #MicroSky

exceptional work, hiro & team 👏👏👏
it's wonderful to see 𝘓. 𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘮 dancing. live videos reveal so much more than stills!

ALT source: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
December 3, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
cientificolatino.com
🎓 GSMI 2025 Webinar on Navigating the STEM Interview Weekend⁠ ⁠

Hear from graduate students as they break down what to expect, how to prepare & navigate the experience with confidence.⁠ ⁠

🗓 When: December 8th at 4pm ET⁠
🔗 Register here: eventbrite.com/e/gra…
November 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
morgancarterphd.bsky.social
We are hiring!! Biological Sciences as UNC Charlotte has a broad search for a new assistant professor.
Apps reviewed 12/15.

Please spread the word! 💚⛏️
#PlantSci 🧪🦠🧬
jobs.charlotte.edu/postings/65141
Assistant Professor
Applicants should possess a Ph.D. in the biological sciences or related fields.Candidates are expected to document expertise in their specialty by a record of postdoctoral training, peer reviewed publ...
jobs.charlotte.edu
November 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
aaandmoore.bsky.social
Still posting cytoskeleton videos, it seems. Actin this time.

Sample: Lifeact-eGFP in HeLa cells.
Modality: Airyscan confocal

Timestamp is mm:ss and the scale bar is 5 µm.
November 23, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
jpjhall.bsky.social
🚨#PhD studentship opportunity! Plasmids provide bacteria with antimicrobial resistance, but do they have more fundamental effects on behaviour? 🧫🦠💫🧟‍♂️

Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Resistant zombies: how drug-resistance plasmids manipulate the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at University of Liverpool on Fin...
PhD Project - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Resistant zombies: how drug-resistance plasmids manipulate the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at University of Li...
www.findaphd.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
tbharat-lab.bsky.social
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments

Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
cellclub.bsky.social
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments
The emergence of eukaryotes from a merger between an archaeon and a bacterial cell ~two billion years ago involved a profound change in cellular organisation. While the order in which different featur...
www.biorxiv.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
michaelhendricks.bsky.social
It's irritating that they describe the effects of his racism as limited to causing controversy within science and reputational consequences for himself rather than giving an immeasurable boost, false veneer of legitimacy, and idiot-friendly prestige to modern scientific racism and eugenics.
November 7, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
mbottery.bsky.social
Exciting news! I have two positions open in my lab at the UoManchester: one PDRA and one Research Tech.
Join our team to study evolutionary mycology and help us understand antifungal resistance in fungal pathogens. A fantastic opportunity to join the brilliant Manchester Fungal Infection Group!
November 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
meikeesther.bsky.social
Being a leading edge fellow has been the single best thing for my scientific career.

Zara’s voice and vision was no small part in that.

Apply. Apply. Apply.
leadingedgeprogram.bsky.social Leading Edge Fellows Program @leadingedgeprogram.bsky.social · Nov 5
The Leading Edge Fellows gathered this week to celebrate Zara Weinberg, a beloved member of our community. Our 7th cohort of Leading Edge Fellows (2026) will be named in her honor.

The Zara Weinberg Leading Edge Cohort application is now open! Due Feb 2.

www.leadingedgesymposium.org/apply/
Candid photo of Zara Weinberg. She has short red hair, bangs and glasses. She is laughing.
November 5, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
mblscience.bsky.social
We are hiring!

Interested? Apply here: go.mbl.edu/AS1887
November 4, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
sacnas.bsky.social
Day Two at #NDiSTEM2025 was packed with discovery + community! ✨ Plenary speakers, Expo, Posters, and Oral Presentations fueled the day, ending with the SACNAS Powwow. 🥁 Don’t miss the Pachanga today! 🎉
#STEMCommunity #SACNAS #STEM #STEMWorkforce #STEMLeadership
@kaliceaphd.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
uehlinglab.bsky.social
job alert: UC Davis is looking to hire a 9 month tenure-track Assistant Professor of Mycology in the Department of Plant Pathology. More details below, for full consideration submit by 1 December 2025

recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07339
Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology
University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ucdavis.edu
October 16, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
amlarracuente.bsky.social
Come be our colleague! The University of Rochester is hiring a TT Assistant Professor in evolutionary genetics and genomics: apply.interfolio.com/173431.
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:12 PM
mycorican.bsky.social
On my way to #NDiSTEM2025! If you are attending and looking for grad school in bio sci, Mol and cell bio or infectious diseases let’s connect and chat about opportunities at Virginia Tech!
October 29, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
needhibhalla.bsky.social
@joann-trejo.bsky.social, @marymunson4.bsky.social and I have a commentary in @natcellbio.nature.com on recent attacks on DEI in biomedical research: "If scientific research, especially biomedical research, is meant to serve everyone, then it requires that everyone has an opportunity to participate"
Scaling back DEI programmes and the loss of scientific talent
Nature Cell Biology - Programmes that support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in science are under attack in the USA. Data indicate that diversity in the scientific workforce increases...
www.nature.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reposted by José Vargas-Muñiz
henriqueslab.bsky.social
🦠🔬🤖🧑‍💻 #mAIcrobe is out! With @pinholab.bsky.social's lab, we launched an open-source framework for high-throughput bacterial image analysis. By rockstars A. Brito & B. Saraiva et al, making #DeepLearning for phenotyping accessible! Easy to use, plus model training

📜 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 22, 2025 at 11:10 AM