Cara Pager
@pagerlab.bsky.social
Virologist & RNA Biologist. Biological Sciences Associate Professor at SUNY-Albany. Heterogeneity is in my DNA. She/Her/Hers
Reposted by Cara Pager
It is worth paying close attention to the new bill "Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act" introduced by Senator Roger Marshall.
If enacted, it will effectively stop all of virological research, including for vaccines.
www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
🧵👇
If enacted, it will effectively stop all of virological research, including for vaccines.
www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
🧵👇
February 27, 2025 at 7:37 PM
It is worth paying close attention to the new bill "Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act" introduced by Senator Roger Marshall.
If enacted, it will effectively stop all of virological research, including for vaccines.
www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
🧵👇
If enacted, it will effectively stop all of virological research, including for vaccines.
www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
🧵👇
Reposted by Cara Pager
The first thing to understand is that the proposed bill targets *institutions*, not individual grants.
So if an institution is deemed to be performing "gain-of-function research" (very broadly defined, more on that), then that institution can't receive *any* grants, not just *GoF* grants.
So if an institution is deemed to be performing "gain-of-function research" (very broadly defined, more on that), then that institution can't receive *any* grants, not just *GoF* grants.
February 27, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The first thing to understand is that the proposed bill targets *institutions*, not individual grants.
So if an institution is deemed to be performing "gain-of-function research" (very broadly defined, more on that), then that institution can't receive *any* grants, not just *GoF* grants.
So if an institution is deemed to be performing "gain-of-function research" (very broadly defined, more on that), then that institution can't receive *any* grants, not just *GoF* grants.
Reposted by Cara Pager
So what constitutes "gain-of-function research"? According to the bill, work involving influenza viruses, coronaviruses, and "Select Agents" that may be "reasonably anticipated" (whatever that means) to "enhanced infectivity, pathogenicity, or transmissibility [+'threat']".
But, there's more.
But, there's more.
February 27, 2025 at 7:37 PM
So what constitutes "gain-of-function research"? According to the bill, work involving influenza viruses, coronaviruses, and "Select Agents" that may be "reasonably anticipated" (whatever that means) to "enhanced infectivity, pathogenicity, or transmissibility [+'threat']".
But, there's more.
But, there's more.
Reposted by Cara Pager
First off, such enhanced 'function' is not just based on human infectivity - it also includes animals.
Want to understand which mutations in H5N1 confer cattle vs bird vs human infectivity? Can't do that.
Want to understand how SARS-CoV-2 escapes immunity? Can't do that.
But there's more..
Want to understand which mutations in H5N1 confer cattle vs bird vs human infectivity? Can't do that.
Want to understand how SARS-CoV-2 escapes immunity? Can't do that.
But there's more..
February 27, 2025 at 7:37 PM
First off, such enhanced 'function' is not just based on human infectivity - it also includes animals.
Want to understand which mutations in H5N1 confer cattle vs bird vs human infectivity? Can't do that.
Want to understand how SARS-CoV-2 escapes immunity? Can't do that.
But there's more..
Want to understand which mutations in H5N1 confer cattle vs bird vs human infectivity? Can't do that.
Want to understand how SARS-CoV-2 escapes immunity? Can't do that.
But there's more..
Reposted by Cara Pager
Reposted by Cara Pager
A statement from the BMA Board Members to the BMA Community and Beyond.
Additional alt text to follow due to the character limit.
Additional alt text to follow due to the character limit.
February 4, 2025 at 7:46 PM
A statement from the BMA Board Members to the BMA Community and Beyond.
Additional alt text to follow due to the character limit.
Additional alt text to follow due to the character limit.
Reposted by Cara Pager
Uganda Ebola Sudan outbreak total rises to 2, with more cases suspected
The index patient's wife is the second confirmed case, and three close contacts are isolated for treatment and testing.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/e...
Photo: NIAID/Flickr cc
The index patient's wife is the second confirmed case, and three close contacts are isolated for treatment and testing.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/e...
Photo: NIAID/Flickr cc
February 4, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Uganda Ebola Sudan outbreak total rises to 2, with more cases suspected
The index patient's wife is the second confirmed case, and three close contacts are isolated for treatment and testing.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/e...
Photo: NIAID/Flickr cc
The index patient's wife is the second confirmed case, and three close contacts are isolated for treatment and testing.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/e...
Photo: NIAID/Flickr cc
Removal of DEI content from a microbiology group’s website shows reach of Trump executive orders www.statnews.com/2025/02/03/t... via @statnews.com
Removal of DEI content from a microbiology group’s website shows reach of Trump executive orders
The professional society for microbiologists stripped content about Black, female, and LGBTQ scientists from its website
www.statnews.com
February 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Removal of DEI content from a microbiology group’s website shows reach of Trump executive orders www.statnews.com/2025/02/03/t... via @statnews.com
Reposted by Cara Pager
Reposted by Cara Pager
So this was announced today: "President Biden Honors More Than 300 Americans with Nation’s Highest Award for Science and Mathematics Teachers and Mentors"
www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-up...
Happy #NationalMenteringMonth2025
#NationalMenteringMonth
www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-up...
Happy #NationalMenteringMonth2025
#NationalMenteringMonth
January 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
So this was announced today: "President Biden Honors More Than 300 Americans with Nation’s Highest Award for Science and Mathematics Teachers and Mentors"
www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-up...
Happy #NationalMenteringMonth2025
#NationalMenteringMonth
www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-up...
Happy #NationalMenteringMonth2025
#NationalMenteringMonth
Reposted by Cara Pager
Disappointing new study showing - once again - that women are leaving research careers at far higher levels than men
If you're interested to read about strategies to reverse these types of curves, check out our recent #Cell perspective- link below ⤵️
#WomeninSTEM 👩🔬👩🏾🔬🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
If you're interested to read about strategies to reverse these types of curves, check out our recent #Cell perspective- link below ⤵️
#WomeninSTEM 👩🔬👩🏾🔬🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Disappointing new study showing - once again - that women are leaving research careers at far higher levels than men
If you're interested to read about strategies to reverse these types of curves, check out our recent #Cell perspective- link below ⤵️
#WomeninSTEM 👩🔬👩🏾🔬🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
If you're interested to read about strategies to reverse these types of curves, check out our recent #Cell perspective- link below ⤵️
#WomeninSTEM 👩🔬👩🏾🔬🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Cara Pager
Our fully 3D-printed microscope is featured in @newscientist.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2462...
World’s first fully 3D-printed microscope made in under 3 hours
The microscope cost less than £50 to build using an open-source design and a common 3D printer
www.newscientist.com
January 10, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Our fully 3D-printed microscope is featured in @newscientist.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2462...
Reposted by Cara Pager
Our lab's 2nd preprint is now on bioRxiv! Led by Jordan Ort, we made H5 datasets that enable rapid clade assignment with Nextclade. We released these builds in the spring (due to cow flu) & finally wrote the paper! TLDR: it's fast, easy, accurate, and we hope, useful www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Development of avian influenza A(H5) virus datasets for Nextclade enables rapid and accurate clade assignment
The ongoing panzootic of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses is the largest in history, with unprecedented transmission to multiple mammalian species. Avian influenza A viruses of t...
www.biorxiv.org
January 10, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Our lab's 2nd preprint is now on bioRxiv! Led by Jordan Ort, we made H5 datasets that enable rapid clade assignment with Nextclade. We released these builds in the spring (due to cow flu) & finally wrote the paper! TLDR: it's fast, easy, accurate, and we hope, useful www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Cara Pager
Really proud to share our preprint describing early adaptation of H5N1 to US dairy cattle, and showing how these mutations enhance the ability of the virus to infect other mammals, such as pigs and humans.
With @influenzal.bsky.social @vidhid.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social and many more!
With @influenzal.bsky.social @vidhid.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social and many more!
Polymerase mutations underlie adaptation of H5N1 influenza virus to dairy cattle and other mammals.
In early 2024, an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle in the USA. The epidemic remains uncontrolled, with spillbacks into poultry, wild birds...
www.biorxiv.org
January 7, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Really proud to share our preprint describing early adaptation of H5N1 to US dairy cattle, and showing how these mutations enhance the ability of the virus to infect other mammals, such as pigs and humans.
With @influenzal.bsky.social @vidhid.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social and many more!
With @influenzal.bsky.social @vidhid.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social and many more!
Reposted by Cara Pager
ModiDeC: a multi-RNA modification classifier for direct nanopore sequencing www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
ModiDeC: a multi-RNA modification classifier for direct nanopore sequencing
RNA modifications play a crucial role in various cellular functions. Here, we present ModiDeC, a deep-learning-based classifier able to identify and distinguish multiple RNA modifications (N6-methylad...
www.biorxiv.org
January 7, 2025 at 11:28 PM
ModiDeC: a multi-RNA modification classifier for direct nanopore sequencing www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.albany.edu
December 16, 2024 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Cara Pager
Super happy to have this as my first post"It is finally OUT!! After a pandemic, lab moving across the country!, 1+year under review and >120 panels later. 🧵"
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Alphavirus infection triggers selective cytoplasmic translocation of nuclear RBPs with moonlighting antiviral roles
Kamel et al. apply complementary approaches to elucidate the composition of Sindbis virus ribonucleoproteins. They identified a subset of nuclear proteins that selectively translocate to the cytoplasm, interact with viral RNA, and suppress virus infection. Among them, U2 snRNP emerges as a ribonucleoprotein complex with moonlighting antiviral activity.
www.cell.com
December 6, 2024 at 10:42 AM
Super happy to have this as my first post"It is finally OUT!! After a pandemic, lab moving across the country!, 1+year under review and >120 panels later. 🧵"
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Reposted by Cara Pager
I am looking for 2 postdoctoral researchers to join my lab to work on the role of HIV-1 accessory proteins in the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS and viral latency.
Please contact me informally or ‘re-sky’ to anyone you think may be interested. Closing Dec 10th
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKV639/p...
Please contact me informally or ‘re-sky’ to anyone you think may be interested. Closing Dec 10th
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKV639/p...
Postdoctoral Research Associate at King's College London
Discover an exciting academic career path as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!
www.jobs.ac.uk
November 27, 2024 at 9:56 AM
I am looking for 2 postdoctoral researchers to join my lab to work on the role of HIV-1 accessory proteins in the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS and viral latency.
Please contact me informally or ‘re-sky’ to anyone you think may be interested. Closing Dec 10th
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKV639/p...
Please contact me informally or ‘re-sky’ to anyone you think may be interested. Closing Dec 10th
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKV639/p...
Reposted by Cara Pager
Open position: young group leader in the infection area preferably in virology for the Nordic EMBL node MIMS (Laboratory for Molecular Infection Sweden) in Umea, Sweden
See also www.umu.se/en/mims/ or the QR code provided below
See also www.umu.se/en/mims/ or the QR code provided below
November 27, 2024 at 9:58 AM
Open position: young group leader in the infection area preferably in virology for the Nordic EMBL node MIMS (Laboratory for Molecular Infection Sweden) in Umea, Sweden
See also www.umu.se/en/mims/ or the QR code provided below
See also www.umu.se/en/mims/ or the QR code provided below
Reposted by Cara Pager
Open-rank tenure track positions in computational biology! Come work with a gaggle of great colleagues in the CMSE department at Michigan State! #msu #cmse #compbio #bioinformatics #genomics #BioSky
careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/job...
careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/job...
MSU Careers Details - Ast/Asc/Full Professor - Tenure System
careers.msu.edu
November 21, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Open-rank tenure track positions in computational biology! Come work with a gaggle of great colleagues in the CMSE department at Michigan State! #msu #cmse #compbio #bioinformatics #genomics #BioSky
careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/job...
careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/job...
Reposted by Cara Pager
A whole new world over here @bluesky! I am based at the Burnet Institute and my team study the impact of viral infections on health, immune responses to infections and vaccines in variety of vulnerable populations. #WomenInSTEM
November 19, 2024 at 4:49 AM
A whole new world over here @bluesky! I am based at the Burnet Institute and my team study the impact of viral infections on health, immune responses to infections and vaccines in variety of vulnerable populations. #WomenInSTEM
Reposted by Cara Pager
Join us! Collaborative project between 3 labs at
Institut Pasteur on tick-borne flaviviruses
research.pasteur.fr/en/job/post-...
Institut Pasteur on tick-borne flaviviruses
research.pasteur.fr/en/job/post-...
November 18, 2024 at 8:52 PM
Join us! Collaborative project between 3 labs at
Institut Pasteur on tick-borne flaviviruses
research.pasteur.fr/en/job/post-...
Institut Pasteur on tick-borne flaviviruses
research.pasteur.fr/en/job/post-...
Excellent virtual seminar series!
September 14, 2024 at 9:10 AM
Excellent virtual seminar series!
Reposted by Cara Pager
We have an open faculty search for TWO positions in microbiology and virology at the University of Illinois! We have world class core facilities and a fantastic collaborative group of young faculty...you could be next!
Please re-post/skeet!
Please re-post/skeet!
September 9, 2024 at 8:36 PM
We have an open faculty search for TWO positions in microbiology and virology at the University of Illinois! We have world class core facilities and a fantastic collaborative group of young faculty...you could be next!
Please re-post/skeet!
Please re-post/skeet!