Prof Anthony Isles
@profantisles.bsky.social
#Neuroscience 🧠 | #ImprintedGenes 🧬 | #preclinical models 🐭🧫| MURIDAE lead @mrcmousenetwork.bsky.social | Cardiff University | posting in a personal capacity, mostly about science
https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/islesar1
https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/islesar1
Pinned
Prader-Willi syndrome genes are expressed in placenta and play a role in function https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.20.692090v1
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Our Best Models Working Group can offer advice on the use of a range of model systems.
The next in our series of #MeetTheExpert posts features Laura Greaves, whose group investigates the role of age-related mitochondrial DNA mutations in cancer biology
nmgn.mrc.ukri.org/working-grou...
The next in our series of #MeetTheExpert posts features Laura Greaves, whose group investigates the role of age-related mitochondrial DNA mutations in cancer biology
nmgn.mrc.ukri.org/working-grou...
February 10, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Our Best Models Working Group can offer advice on the use of a range of model systems.
The next in our series of #MeetTheExpert posts features Laura Greaves, whose group investigates the role of age-related mitochondrial DNA mutations in cancer biology
nmgn.mrc.ukri.org/working-grou...
The next in our series of #MeetTheExpert posts features Laura Greaves, whose group investigates the role of age-related mitochondrial DNA mutations in cancer biology
nmgn.mrc.ukri.org/working-grou...
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
A Glimpse Of The Sun. 7°C and a gentle Southeasterly.
Rabbits.
Rabbits.
February 7, 2026 at 10:45 AM
A Glimpse Of The Sun. 7°C and a gentle Southeasterly.
Rabbits.
Rabbits.
Well done Emma! 👏👏
February 11, 2026 at 10:05 AM
Well done Emma! 👏👏
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Plans to invade Greenland have just been cancelled after this
February 9, 2026 at 6:42 AM
Plans to invade Greenland have just been cancelled after this
Three episodes into this series and I can say it provides a fascinating insight into the scientific process, #DrugDiscovery and development, #BigPharma and the biology of obesity… oh, and @gilesyeo.bsky.social’s dietary habits
Starting on 9 Feb - BBC Radio 4's The Hunger Game is a 5 part series presented by Prof @gilesyeo.bsky.social from the @ims-mrl.bsky.social, exploring the GLP-1 weight loss drug revolution - their development, the latest research and the marketing strategy behind them.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - The Hunger Game
A series exploring the weight loss drug revolution. Presented by Professor Giles Yeo.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 11:22 AM
Three episodes into this series and I can say it provides a fascinating insight into the scientific process, #DrugDiscovery and development, #BigPharma and the biology of obesity… oh, and @gilesyeo.bsky.social’s dietary habits
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
‘Peregrine’
Birds of Prey, 1970
Artist: John Leigh-Pemberton
Birds of Prey, 1970
Artist: John Leigh-Pemberton
February 9, 2026 at 8:11 AM
‘Peregrine’
Birds of Prey, 1970
Artist: John Leigh-Pemberton
Birds of Prey, 1970
Artist: John Leigh-Pemberton
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Have a read of this. Great scoop, obviously, but it’s also an absolute masterclass in how to report on these jokers. Plenty of London-based hacks could learn a lot from Martin Shipton here. If they actually wanted to…
nation.cymru/news/the-new...
nation.cymru/news/the-new...
The new leader of Reform UK Wales lives in Bath, not Wales
Martin Shipton The newly appointed leader of Reform UK in Wales hasn’t moved back to his home town in the Valleys, but has bought a £1m house near Bath, we can reveal. Dan Thomas, the former Conservat...
nation.cymru
February 7, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Have a read of this. Great scoop, obviously, but it’s also an absolute masterclass in how to report on these jokers. Plenty of London-based hacks could learn a lot from Martin Shipton here. If they actually wanted to…
nation.cymru/news/the-new...
nation.cymru/news/the-new...
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Happy #Lawyercat Anniversary for all who celebrate! It's been four years since the kitten appeared in my Zoom courtroom, and I released the 48 second video that made the whole world laugh. Here is the full video showing the big reveal at the end (in two parts because Blue sky). Enjoy!
February 9, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Happy #Lawyercat Anniversary for all who celebrate! It's been four years since the kitten appeared in my Zoom courtroom, and I released the 48 second video that made the whole world laugh. Here is the full video showing the big reveal at the end (in two parts because Blue sky). Enjoy!
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Happy Monday!
Just narrowly avoided signing off an email with "Thank you for your hell" but I should have just left it
February 9, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Happy Monday!
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
“Heavy rains that often fall in February have flooded the low-lying meadows in the broad valley.”
‘What to Look for in Winter’, 1959
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL Grant Watson
‘What to Look for in Winter’, 1959
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL Grant Watson
February 8, 2026 at 8:18 AM
“Heavy rains that often fall in February have flooded the low-lying meadows in the broad valley.”
‘What to Look for in Winter’, 1959
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL Grant Watson
‘What to Look for in Winter’, 1959
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL Grant Watson
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Interested in antisense oligonucleotides?
Check our story about downstream-of-gene ASOs (DG-ASOs)!
Together with the Roche Innovation Center we
identified transcription termination windows of protein-coding genes as ASO target regions.
link to BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Check our story about downstream-of-gene ASOs (DG-ASOs)!
Together with the Roche Innovation Center we
identified transcription termination windows of protein-coding genes as ASO target regions.
link to BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
February 8, 2026 at 11:03 AM
Interested in antisense oligonucleotides?
Check our story about downstream-of-gene ASOs (DG-ASOs)!
Together with the Roche Innovation Center we
identified transcription termination windows of protein-coding genes as ASO target regions.
link to BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Check our story about downstream-of-gene ASOs (DG-ASOs)!
Together with the Roche Innovation Center we
identified transcription termination windows of protein-coding genes as ASO target regions.
link to BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Never been to a fried chicken shop in my life (apart from KFC when I was 8…), and probably never will
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
How US fried chicken craze is transforming British takeaways
An internet craze for American-style chicken has come to the UK, but what does it mean for traditional chippies?
www.bbc.co.uk
February 8, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Never been to a fried chicken shop in my life (apart from KFC when I was 8…), and probably never will
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Spring arriving quietly at the Backs, with @kingscollege.bsky.social keeping watch 🌼
📸 Lloyd Mann
#CambridgeUniversity #KingsCollegeCambridge #Cambridge #UniversityOfCambridge
📸 Lloyd Mann
#CambridgeUniversity #KingsCollegeCambridge #Cambridge #UniversityOfCambridge
February 7, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Spring arriving quietly at the Backs, with @kingscollege.bsky.social keeping watch 🌼
📸 Lloyd Mann
#CambridgeUniversity #KingsCollegeCambridge #Cambridge #UniversityOfCambridge
📸 Lloyd Mann
#CambridgeUniversity #KingsCollegeCambridge #Cambridge #UniversityOfCambridge
Really shocked to hear of the death of Annette. She was #BNA President during my time as a trustee and was very supportive of everyone's efforts at the #BNA, and of #neuroscience and #neuroscientists in the UK in general.
I also liked to talk to her about #Cricket 🏏
She will be greatly missed.
I also liked to talk to her about #Cricket 🏏
She will be greatly missed.
Professor Annette Dolphin (1951–2026), former BNA President and renowned neuroscientist, leaves a lasting legacy through her research, leadership, and support of the neuroscience community.
www.bna.org.uk/resource/ann...
#Neuroscience #InMemoriam #neuropharmacology
www.bna.org.uk/resource/ann...
#Neuroscience #InMemoriam #neuropharmacology
Annette Dolphin (1951–2026): Former BNA President and Champion of the Neuroscience Community
www.bna.org.uk
February 7, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Really shocked to hear of the death of Annette. She was #BNA President during my time as a trustee and was very supportive of everyone's efforts at the #BNA, and of #neuroscience and #neuroscientists in the UK in general.
I also liked to talk to her about #Cricket 🏏
She will be greatly missed.
I also liked to talk to her about #Cricket 🏏
She will be greatly missed.
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
So now we have it- not only the reduction from 12-13 to 3 grants from each board recommended for funding but the budget for applicant-led research to be reduced from £200 million to £113 million per year. This is appalling, Especially given all that is happening with medical research in the US.
Medical Research Council ‘will fund fewer applicant-led grants’.
Confirmation from deputy leader comes as council restructures investments, with calls on hold until summer.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Confirmation from deputy leader comes as council restructures investments, with calls on hold until summer.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Medical Research Council ‘will fund fewer applicant-led grants’ - Research Professional News
Confirmation from deputy leader comes as council restructures investments, with calls on hold until summer
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:04 AM
So now we have it- not only the reduction from 12-13 to 3 grants from each board recommended for funding but the budget for applicant-led research to be reduced from £200 million to £113 million per year. This is appalling, Especially given all that is happening with medical research in the US.
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
“February. Another cold, dead month, or so it seems. The elms are bare against the sky, the plough-ground is naked and wet, and still as brown as the sodden leaves.
Yet the world is waking up”.
Artists: Edith Hilder, Rowland Hilder (ShellGuide, 1955)
Yet the world is waking up”.
Artists: Edith Hilder, Rowland Hilder (ShellGuide, 1955)
February 7, 2026 at 8:03 AM
“February. Another cold, dead month, or so it seems. The elms are bare against the sky, the plough-ground is naked and wet, and still as brown as the sodden leaves.
Yet the world is waking up”.
Artists: Edith Hilder, Rowland Hilder (ShellGuide, 1955)
Yet the world is waking up”.
Artists: Edith Hilder, Rowland Hilder (ShellGuide, 1955)
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Other work of the Ladybird artists.
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
February 5, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Other work of the Ladybird artists.
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Marvellous. It can summarise all the AI-written crap that we are being flooded with, and then we will have a perfect spiral of ever-growing mediocrity. THE POINT OF READING IS TO UNDERSTAND, CRITICALLY, not tick a box grumble grumble.
Scientists have a new tool for keeping on top of the exponentially growing body of research papers, which broke 4 million in 2024: an #AI program designed specifically to analyze the scientific literature. https://scim.ag/4a0OzCs
Open-source AI program can answer science questions better than humans
Developed by and for academics, OpenScholar aims to improve searches of the ballooning scientific literature
scim.ag
February 6, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Marvellous. It can summarise all the AI-written crap that we are being flooded with, and then we will have a perfect spiral of ever-growing mediocrity. THE POINT OF READING IS TO UNDERSTAND, CRITICALLY, not tick a box grumble grumble.
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Beauty is in the eye of the treeholder
February 4, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Beauty is in the eye of the treeholder
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
A Cold February Day. 2°C and misty. Hares on the fields.
February 3, 2026 at 11:41 AM
A Cold February Day. 2°C and misty. Hares on the fields.
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
Excited to share this preprint of my postdoc work, only several years late to the party 🎉
We examined how loss of function in SETD1A, a high confidence schizophrenia risk gene, impacts neural synchrony across circuits supporting working memory in mice.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We examined how loss of function in SETD1A, a high confidence schizophrenia risk gene, impacts neural synchrony across circuits supporting working memory in mice.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
February 3, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Excited to share this preprint of my postdoc work, only several years late to the party 🎉
We examined how loss of function in SETD1A, a high confidence schizophrenia risk gene, impacts neural synchrony across circuits supporting working memory in mice.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We examined how loss of function in SETD1A, a high confidence schizophrenia risk gene, impacts neural synchrony across circuits supporting working memory in mice.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Prof Anthony Isles
I watched much of Ian Chapman's (Head of @ukri.org) appearance this morning at @ukparliament.parliament.uk Science, Innovation and Technology Committee..
A few points and new information that bioscientists may find interesting...
A 🧵
A few points and new information that bioscientists may find interesting...
A 🧵
February 3, 2026 at 1:57 PM
I watched much of Ian Chapman's (Head of @ukri.org) appearance this morning at @ukparliament.parliament.uk Science, Innovation and Technology Committee..
A few points and new information that bioscientists may find interesting...
A 🧵
A few points and new information that bioscientists may find interesting...
A 🧵
mañana, mañana
February 3, 2026 at 2:23 PM
mañana, mañana
Supposed to be on A/L, but catching up on this. Am I right in understanding that this won’t be sorted until 2027?!? 🤯
February 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Supposed to be on A/L, but catching up on this. Am I right in understanding that this won’t be sorted until 2027?!? 🤯