Daniel Padfield
@padpadpadpad.bsky.social
Microbial ecologist/carer. NERC IRF and MRF Emerging Leaders Fellow at the University of Exeter in Penryn. I like warming up bacteria, open & reproducible science, making focaccia, and exercise.
Pinned
First trip of 2026. Soph's vertigo has gotten worse. This has made everything worse. I really cannot convey how hard that visit was. Or how she gets through every day.
07/01/2026 The worst visit ever. #severeME #MECFS #pwME
padpadpadpad.netlify.app/posts/caring....
07/01/2026 The worst visit ever. #severeME #MECFS #pwME
padpadpadpad.netlify.app/posts/caring....
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
The New World asked me to speak to some British trans women about what life has been like for them over the past few years - here's what they had to say, in their own words: www.thenewworld.co.uk/marie-le-con...
January 21, 2026 at 9:38 AM
The New World asked me to speak to some British trans women about what life has been like for them over the past few years - here's what they had to say, in their own words: www.thenewworld.co.uk/marie-le-con...
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
New post!
Where does new knowledge come from when everyone relies on AI models and those models collapse because they only have their own output to train on?
https://tomstafford.substack.com/p/model-collapse
Where does new knowledge come from when everyone relies on AI models and those models collapse because they only have their own output to train on?
https://tomstafford.substack.com/p/model-collapse
Model collapse
when AI alters our behaviour and our institutions, the risk isn't just theoretical
tomstafford.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:00 AM
New post!
Where does new knowledge come from when everyone relies on AI models and those models collapse because they only have their own output to train on?
https://tomstafford.substack.com/p/model-collapse
Where does new knowledge come from when everyone relies on AI models and those models collapse because they only have their own output to train on?
https://tomstafford.substack.com/p/model-collapse
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
Please help spread the word on this, especially to those who may be feeling cold winds towards their research.
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
January 15, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Please help spread the word on this, especially to those who may be feeling cold winds towards their research.
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
Ok science hivemind 🧪. I have a distinct memory of an awesome graphic in a paper about how environmental filtering and biotic interactions determine whether an organism can live in any given place. Almost like multiple filter layers on top of another. Does anyone have a preferred graphic of this?
January 7, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Ok science hivemind 🧪. I have a distinct memory of an awesome graphic in a paper about how environmental filtering and biotic interactions determine whether an organism can live in any given place. Almost like multiple filter layers on top of another. Does anyone have a preferred graphic of this?
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
Very happy to say I will be starting a NERC Independent Research Fellowship in April with the University of Exeter 🥳
This 5-year project will be looking at how environmental conditions determine the impact of phage on microbial communities 🧫🦠
Thank you to the lovely ppl who helped along the way!
This 5-year project will be looking at how environmental conditions determine the impact of phage on microbial communities 🧫🦠
Thank you to the lovely ppl who helped along the way!
January 5, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Very happy to say I will be starting a NERC Independent Research Fellowship in April with the University of Exeter 🥳
This 5-year project will be looking at how environmental conditions determine the impact of phage on microbial communities 🧫🦠
Thank you to the lovely ppl who helped along the way!
This 5-year project will be looking at how environmental conditions determine the impact of phage on microbial communities 🧫🦠
Thank you to the lovely ppl who helped along the way!
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
A four-year postdoc focusing on "plant growth-promoting bacteriophages" available in my group. Skills in metaviromics and metagenomics essential. Application deadline: 2.2.2026. For more info, see the link.
Postdoctoral Researcher in discovering the benefits of plant growth-promoting bacteriophages
Postdoctoral Researcher in discovering the benefits of plant growth-promoting bacteriophages
jobs.helsinki.fi
December 29, 2025 at 6:29 AM
A four-year postdoc focusing on "plant growth-promoting bacteriophages" available in my group. Skills in metaviromics and metagenomics essential. Application deadline: 2.2.2026. For more info, see the link.
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
Academia has this way of making you feel utterly unsuccessful even when by any reasonable standard you are doing just fine.
December 4, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Academia has this way of making you feel utterly unsuccessful even when by any reasonable standard you are doing just fine.
Had a great time at #MicroEvo25 soaking up some inspiring science from lots of amazing people. Even networked! Very well organised by @microbiologysociety.org. Next time hopefully more of the work presented is published in society journals! If we don't use it we will lose it!
November 27, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Had a great time at #MicroEvo25 soaking up some inspiring science from lots of amazing people. Even networked! Very well organised by @microbiologysociety.org. Next time hopefully more of the work presented is published in society journals! If we don't use it we will lose it!
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
Two fully-funded PhD openings in my research group at the University of York.
If you’re excited about viromes, phage biology, Nanopore sequencing, soils and the odd bit of alpine or agricultural field sampling, we’d love to hear from you!
🌱🦠🏔️
tiny.cc/c4pv001
tiny.cc/e4pv001
If you’re excited about viromes, phage biology, Nanopore sequencing, soils and the odd bit of alpine or agricultural field sampling, we’d love to hear from you!
🌱🦠🏔️
tiny.cc/c4pv001
tiny.cc/e4pv001
A Farewell to Arms: The Trade-off Between Growth and Defence in Bacteria (York YBDTP Project) at University of York on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - A Farewell to Arms: The Trade-off Between Growth and Defence in Bacteria (York YBDTP Project) at University of York, listed on FindAPhD.com
tiny.cc
November 27, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Two fully-funded PhD openings in my research group at the University of York.
If you’re excited about viromes, phage biology, Nanopore sequencing, soils and the odd bit of alpine or agricultural field sampling, we’d love to hear from you!
🌱🦠🏔️
tiny.cc/c4pv001
tiny.cc/e4pv001
If you’re excited about viromes, phage biology, Nanopore sequencing, soils and the odd bit of alpine or agricultural field sampling, we’d love to hear from you!
🌱🦠🏔️
tiny.cc/c4pv001
tiny.cc/e4pv001
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
A lot has happened since our first announcement of #ExE2026, an evolutionary ecology conference hosted by @uniexecec.bsky.social in #Cornwall from June 29 to July 3 2026.
Have a look at our new website to see our confirmed plenary speakers, the mid-conference excursions, and more.
👉 evoxeco.uk 👈
Have a look at our new website to see our confirmed plenary speakers, the mid-conference excursions, and more.
👉 evoxeco.uk 👈
November 21, 2025 at 4:50 PM
A lot has happened since our first announcement of #ExE2026, an evolutionary ecology conference hosted by @uniexecec.bsky.social in #Cornwall from June 29 to July 3 2026.
Have a look at our new website to see our confirmed plenary speakers, the mid-conference excursions, and more.
👉 evoxeco.uk 👈
Have a look at our new website to see our confirmed plenary speakers, the mid-conference excursions, and more.
👉 evoxeco.uk 👈
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
1) 🇩🇪 Some really good news! Germany plans to invest half a billion euros in research on diseases such as ME/CFS and Long Covid.
They are calling it "The National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases"
They are calling it "The National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases"
November 14, 2025 at 8:30 AM
1) 🇩🇪 Some really good news! Germany plans to invest half a billion euros in research on diseases such as ME/CFS and Long Covid.
They are calling it "The National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases"
They are calling it "The National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases"
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
The link between the gut #microbiome and autism is not backed by science, researchers say.
Read the full opinion piece in @cp-neuron.bsky.social: spkl.io/63322AbxpA
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social, @statsepi.bsky.social, & @deevybee.bsky.social
Read the full opinion piece in @cp-neuron.bsky.social: spkl.io/63322AbxpA
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social, @statsepi.bsky.social, & @deevybee.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The link between the gut #microbiome and autism is not backed by science, researchers say.
Read the full opinion piece in @cp-neuron.bsky.social: spkl.io/63322AbxpA
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social, @statsepi.bsky.social, & @deevybee.bsky.social
Read the full opinion piece in @cp-neuron.bsky.social: spkl.io/63322AbxpA
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social, @statsepi.bsky.social, & @deevybee.bsky.social
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
PhD opportunity with me at University of Edinburgh linked with Forest Research, funded by E5 DTP.
On the microbial mechanisms of soil carbon cycling in tree-planted upland soils. Apply before 14th Dec. Please share with your network.
Pic: one of our Scottish sites.
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
On the microbial mechanisms of soil carbon cycling in tree-planted upland soils. Apply before 14th Dec. Please share with your network.
Pic: one of our Scottish sites.
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
October 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
PhD opportunity with me at University of Edinburgh linked with Forest Research, funded by E5 DTP.
On the microbial mechanisms of soil carbon cycling in tree-planted upland soils. Apply before 14th Dec. Please share with your network.
Pic: one of our Scottish sites.
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
On the microbial mechanisms of soil carbon cycling in tree-planted upland soils. Apply before 14th Dec. Please share with your network.
Pic: one of our Scottish sites.
e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item...
A glitch in the matrix? No! I have another PhD available on temperature and AMR, this time with @swbiodtp.bsky.social. Join a friendly group (padpadpadpad.netlify.app/about) in Cornwall to do evolutionary ecology, experimental evolution, and combine phenotyping and sequencing. 🧪🦠 #microsky
November 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
A glitch in the matrix? No! I have another PhD available on temperature and AMR, this time with @swbiodtp.bsky.social. Join a friendly group (padpadpadpad.netlify.app/about) in Cornwall to do evolutionary ecology, experimental evolution, and combine phenotyping and sequencing. 🧪🦠 #microsky
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
November 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
@franwin.co.uk drove a massive rework of rTPC this year, making package maintenance much easier. rTPC now supports 49 different model formulations, vignettes are updated, & you can parallelise model fitting using new purrr & mirai, which is DOPE. #rstats 🧪
padpadpadpad.github.io/rTPC/article...
padpadpadpad.github.io/rTPC/article...
October 12, 2025 at 7:04 PM
@franwin.co.uk drove a massive rework of rTPC this year, making package maintenance much easier. rTPC now supports 49 different model formulations, vignettes are updated, & you can parallelise model fitting using new purrr & mirai, which is DOPE. #rstats 🧪
padpadpadpad.github.io/rTPC/article...
padpadpadpad.github.io/rTPC/article...
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
Three Bicentenary research fellowships on offer at @officialuom.bsky.social @fbmh-uom.bsky.social for exceptional ECRs with <3y postdoc experience
3yrs salary + £30k pa research expenses
Do you have a great idea & want to join @mermanchester.bsky.social?
www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/sup...
3yrs salary + £30k pa research expenses
Do you have a great idea & want to join @mermanchester.bsky.social?
www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/sup...
Bicentenary Early Career Research Fellowships | Biology, Medicine and Health | University of Manchester
Find out about and apply for a Bicentenary Early Career Research Fellowship.
www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk
October 9, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Three Bicentenary research fellowships on offer at @officialuom.bsky.social @fbmh-uom.bsky.social for exceptional ECRs with <3y postdoc experience
3yrs salary + £30k pa research expenses
Do you have a great idea & want to join @mermanchester.bsky.social?
www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/sup...
3yrs salary + £30k pa research expenses
Do you have a great idea & want to join @mermanchester.bsky.social?
www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/sup...
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
Independent research fellowships leading to tenured positions at the John Innes Centre.
Repost = nice. Thank you very much!!!
Repost = nice. Thank you very much!!!
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to give a seminar at the Fellows Conference, which will be held on 10 March 2026.
Candidates who win Fellowships will be offered a Tenure Track Group Leader position from the outset, initially for 5 years.
Find out more: www.jic.ac.uk/training-car...
Candidates who win Fellowships will be offered a Tenure Track Group Leader position from the outset, initially for 5 years.
Find out more: www.jic.ac.uk/training-car...
Independent Research Fellowships Leading to Tenured Faculty Positions | John Innes Centre
The John Innes Centre (JIC), is a world leading centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences based on the Norwich Research Park, UK. We are inviting applications from outstanding researchers…
www.jic.ac.uk
October 3, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Independent research fellowships leading to tenured positions at the John Innes Centre.
Repost = nice. Thank you very much!!!
Repost = nice. Thank you very much!!!
I have an MRC-funded PhD project available (www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...) on how warming will change the problem of AMR. Join a small and friendly group (padpadpadpad.netlify.app/about) in (sometimes) sunny Cornwall. 🧪🦠 #microsky
Please share the ad below with anyone who may be interested.
Please share the ad below with anyone who may be interested.
September 16, 2025 at 8:08 AM
I have an MRC-funded PhD project available (www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...) on how warming will change the problem of AMR. Join a small and friendly group (padpadpadpad.netlify.app/about) in (sometimes) sunny Cornwall. 🧪🦠 #microsky
Please share the ad below with anyone who may be interested.
Please share the ad below with anyone who may be interested.
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
what postdocs actually want:
- to not have their grants canceled
- reasonable chances at getting an academic position
- job security
- a thriving private sector so the entire research system can flourish <3
higher ed institutions in 2025:
- best i can do is an origami night
- to not have their grants canceled
- reasonable chances at getting an academic position
- job security
- a thriving private sector so the entire research system can flourish <3
higher ed institutions in 2025:
- best i can do is an origami night
September 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM
what postdocs actually want:
- to not have their grants canceled
- reasonable chances at getting an academic position
- job security
- a thriving private sector so the entire research system can flourish <3
higher ed institutions in 2025:
- best i can do is an origami night
- to not have their grants canceled
- reasonable chances at getting an academic position
- job security
- a thriving private sector so the entire research system can flourish <3
higher ed institutions in 2025:
- best i can do is an origami night
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
@raviranjan.bsky.social & I are teaching a free online workshop with on experimental design for environmental scientists on the 23rd.
We'll focus on using simulations to evaluate how well different experimental designs help achieve your goals.
Please sign up & share! forms.gle/MZTxeQs4UpMr...
We'll focus on using simulations to evaluate how well different experimental designs help achieve your goals.
Please sign up & share! forms.gle/MZTxeQs4UpMr...
September 15, 2025 at 11:20 AM
@raviranjan.bsky.social & I are teaching a free online workshop with on experimental design for environmental scientists on the 23rd.
We'll focus on using simulations to evaluate how well different experimental designs help achieve your goals.
Please sign up & share! forms.gle/MZTxeQs4UpMr...
We'll focus on using simulations to evaluate how well different experimental designs help achieve your goals.
Please sign up & share! forms.gle/MZTxeQs4UpMr...
Today in the AI hellscape we are building for ourselves, people are easily creating "official looking" websites of popular bioinformatics software that are not at all linked to the developers.
minimap2.com is potentially a phishing site. Please don't use anything from that website.
github.com/lh3/minimap2...
github.com/lh3/minimap2...
Phishing site : minimap2.com · Issue #1316 · lh3/minimap2
Not sure how to label this one, but I have come across a website minimap2.com which appears to be AI generated but is serving it's own copy of the Github repository. If you search the address or em...
github.com
September 15, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Today in the AI hellscape we are building for ourselves, people are easily creating "official looking" websites of popular bioinformatics software that are not at all linked to the developers.
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
Time for my annual repost of this banger by Australian artist Denis Lushch.
Ever-more relevant with each new horrible year.
Ever-more relevant with each new horrible year.
January 5, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Time for my annual repost of this banger by Australian artist Denis Lushch.
Ever-more relevant with each new horrible year.
Ever-more relevant with each new horrible year.
Reposted by Daniel Padfield
This is a great cartoon of the illogical narratives I hear refuting climate warming. As I have said many times, it's not "either/or" when it comes to natural variability and human contributions, it's "both/and." Grass grows naturally and it grows differently when you fertilize the lawn....
September 1, 2025 at 8:01 PM
This is a great cartoon of the illogical narratives I hear refuting climate warming. As I have said many times, it's not "either/or" when it comes to natural variability and human contributions, it's "both/and." Grass grows naturally and it grows differently when you fertilize the lawn....