Robin Friedman
@robinfriedman.bsky.social
Computational biologist in industry; views are my own. Wide interests in genomics, immunotherapy, pharmacology, biotech, single cell methods, and reproductive biology.
Reposted by Robin Friedman
The fallout from the fact that data science/classical machine learning & generative AI are both called "AI" has been remarkably broad & persistent
Policy addresses the wrong harms, companies have been confused about who should lead efforts, hiring is misguided, academic discussion is often muddled.
Policy addresses the wrong harms, companies have been confused about who should lead efforts, hiring is misguided, academic discussion is often muddled.
October 22, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The fallout from the fact that data science/classical machine learning & generative AI are both called "AI" has been remarkably broad & persistent
Policy addresses the wrong harms, companies have been confused about who should lead efforts, hiring is misguided, academic discussion is often muddled.
Policy addresses the wrong harms, companies have been confused about who should lead efforts, hiring is misguided, academic discussion is often muddled.
Might explain some features of Lupus etiology?
We’re excited to report work led by postdoc Jennifer Porat in the lab, finding that DNA accumulates on the surface of living cells and that the secreted extracellular protein DNASE1L3 can modulate its levels on B and T cells. With a new twist for ATAC-seq as well www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
DNASE1L3 surveils mitochondrial DNA on the surface of distinct mammalian cells
The extracellular space is a critical environment for discriminating self versus non-self nucleic acids and initiating the appropriate immune responses through signaling cascades to relay information ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 11, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Might explain some features of Lupus etiology?
Reposted by Robin Friedman
2 bits of data from new Economist/YouGov poll.....
13% support for cutting research funding to universities. 24% among Republicans. Polling on this continues to be catastrophic for the Rs, suggests Dems should be learning far harder into standing up for science and our universities. 1/
13% support for cutting research funding to universities. 24% among Republicans. Polling on this continues to be catastrophic for the Rs, suggests Dems should be learning far harder into standing up for science and our universities. 1/
August 19, 2025 at 3:04 PM
2 bits of data from new Economist/YouGov poll.....
13% support for cutting research funding to universities. 24% among Republicans. Polling on this continues to be catastrophic for the Rs, suggests Dems should be learning far harder into standing up for science and our universities. 1/
13% support for cutting research funding to universities. 24% among Republicans. Polling on this continues to be catastrophic for the Rs, suggests Dems should be learning far harder into standing up for science and our universities. 1/
Reposted by Robin Friedman
RNA N-glycosylation enables immune evasion and homeostatic efferocytosis by chemically caging acp3U. Excited to report this work lead by Vinnie @vinnieviruses.bsky.social and in collaboration with @vijayrathinam.bsky.social in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 6, 2025 at 3:36 PM
RNA N-glycosylation enables immune evasion and homeostatic efferocytosis by chemically caging acp3U. Excited to report this work lead by Vinnie @vinnieviruses.bsky.social and in collaboration with @vijayrathinam.bsky.social in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Robin Friedman
🚨 Our parent-of-origin study is out in Nature! 🧬
Maternal and paternal alleles can have distinct — even opposite — effects on human traits, revealing a hidden layer of genetic architecture that standard GWAS miss.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Highlights below!
Maternal and paternal alleles can have distinct — even opposite — effects on human traits, revealing a hidden layer of genetic architecture that standard GWAS miss.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Highlights below!
August 6, 2025 at 6:27 PM
🚨 Our parent-of-origin study is out in Nature! 🧬
Maternal and paternal alleles can have distinct — even opposite — effects on human traits, revealing a hidden layer of genetic architecture that standard GWAS miss.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Highlights below!
Maternal and paternal alleles can have distinct — even opposite — effects on human traits, revealing a hidden layer of genetic architecture that standard GWAS miss.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Highlights below!
Reposted by Robin Friedman
I wrote a short piece on how becoming an IgA Nephropathy patient has changed my perspective on biomedical research, developing an appreciation for the challenges in data interpretability & availability and the importance of patient engagement www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Leveraging data as a patient–scientist: frustrations and opportunities - Nature Reviews Nephrology
The transition from data scientist to patient–scientist has given me new perspectives into clinical research and strengthened my commitment to open science. Although limitations on data availability h...
www.nature.com
June 23, 2025 at 6:19 AM
I wrote a short piece on how becoming an IgA Nephropathy patient has changed my perspective on biomedical research, developing an appreciation for the challenges in data interpretability & availability and the importance of patient engagement www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Which FDA-approved vaccines had randomized, placebo-controlled trials?
ALL OF THEM.
Polio?
Measles, mumps, rubella?
Haemophilus influenzae B?
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis?
Meningococcus?
Varicella?
Pneumococcus?
Rotavirus?
RSV?
Hepatitis B?
Influenza?
HPV?
COVID-19?
Shingles?
YEP.
A thread🧵
1/
ALL OF THEM.
Polio?
Measles, mumps, rubella?
Haemophilus influenzae B?
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis?
Meningococcus?
Varicella?
Pneumococcus?
Rotavirus?
RSV?
Hepatitis B?
Influenza?
HPV?
COVID-19?
Shingles?
YEP.
A thread🧵
1/
May 5, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Which FDA-approved vaccines had randomized, placebo-controlled trials?
ALL OF THEM.
Polio?
Measles, mumps, rubella?
Haemophilus influenzae B?
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis?
Meningococcus?
Varicella?
Pneumococcus?
Rotavirus?
RSV?
Hepatitis B?
Influenza?
HPV?
COVID-19?
Shingles?
YEP.
A thread🧵
1/
ALL OF THEM.
Polio?
Measles, mumps, rubella?
Haemophilus influenzae B?
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis?
Meningococcus?
Varicella?
Pneumococcus?
Rotavirus?
RSV?
Hepatitis B?
Influenza?
HPV?
COVID-19?
Shingles?
YEP.
A thread🧵
1/
After reading several pieces about the rise of China biotech, I think one of the narratives seems to be incorrect. The assumption that a faster regulatory path to first-in-human clinical trials compared to the west doesn't seem borne out by the data.
May 3, 2025 at 1:11 PM
After reading several pieces about the rise of China biotech, I think one of the narratives seems to be incorrect. The assumption that a faster regulatory path to first-in-human clinical trials compared to the west doesn't seem borne out by the data.
Nice list of thoughtful starting places for thinking about the implications of China's rising drug discovery capabilities.
There are now a trio of great pieces covering the rapid rise of Chinese biotech:
- atelfo.github.io/2024/12/20/w...
- centuryofbio.com/p/commoditiz...
- www.asimov.press/p/china-trials
- atelfo.github.io/2024/12/20/w...
- centuryofbio.com/p/commoditiz...
- www.asimov.press/p/china-trials
April 25, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Nice list of thoughtful starting places for thinking about the implications of China's rising drug discovery capabilities.
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Tissue-resident memory T cells have high levels of mRNA of proinflammatory cytokines but produce the proteins only upon stimulation. 🧪⑂
The integrated stress response inhibits mRNA translation in these cells, having these cells poised for rapid responses in 🐭 and 🧓. 1/2
The integrated stress response inhibits mRNA translation in these cells, having these cells poised for rapid responses in 🐭 and 🧓. 1/2
April 24, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Tissue-resident memory T cells have high levels of mRNA of proinflammatory cytokines but produce the proteins only upon stimulation. 🧪⑂
The integrated stress response inhibits mRNA translation in these cells, having these cells poised for rapid responses in 🐭 and 🧓. 1/2
The integrated stress response inhibits mRNA translation in these cells, having these cells poised for rapid responses in 🐭 and 🧓. 1/2
Reposted by Robin Friedman
genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Quite an indictment of some of the current single cell "virtual cell" foundation models. Even for the relatively mundane applications, cell labeling, batch correction etc, they are poor compared to much simpler & cheaper methods.
Quite an indictment of some of the current single cell "virtual cell" foundation models. Even for the relatively mundane applications, cell labeling, batch correction etc, they are poor compared to much simpler & cheaper methods.
Zero-shot evaluation reveals limitations of single-cell foundation models - Genome Biology
Foundation models such as scGPT and Geneformer have not been rigorously evaluated in a setting where they are used without any further training (i.e., zero-shot). Understanding the performance of mode...
genomebiology.biomedcentral.com
April 20, 2025 at 4:14 PM
genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Quite an indictment of some of the current single cell "virtual cell" foundation models. Even for the relatively mundane applications, cell labeling, batch correction etc, they are poor compared to much simpler & cheaper methods.
Quite an indictment of some of the current single cell "virtual cell" foundation models. Even for the relatively mundane applications, cell labeling, batch correction etc, they are poor compared to much simpler & cheaper methods.
Reposted by Robin Friedman
This was such an interesting post! It's awesome how much bio and biotech blogging are happening now and this is one of my newest favourites.
What happened to pathology AI companies?
4k words, 19 minutes reading time
www.owlposting.com
April 5, 2025 at 7:07 AM
This was such an interesting post! It's awesome how much bio and biotech blogging are happening now and this is one of my newest favourites.
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Finally read this by @sashagusevposts.bsky.social - very interesting piece. There's some fascinating bit of sociology of science to be done on when things get counted as replication crises versus when they're seen as healthy methodological progress.
theinfinitesimal.substack.com/p/how-popula...
theinfinitesimal.substack.com/p/how-popula...
How population stratification led to a decade of sensationally false genetic findings
Stratification makes environments look like genes
theinfinitesimal.substack.com
April 2, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Finally read this by @sashagusevposts.bsky.social - very interesting piece. There's some fascinating bit of sociology of science to be done on when things get counted as replication crises versus when they're seen as healthy methodological progress.
theinfinitesimal.substack.com/p/how-popula...
theinfinitesimal.substack.com/p/how-popula...
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Mindblowing new study by @raflynn5.bsky.social @bostonchildrens.bsky.social, cell surface RNA-binding proteins form nanoclusters with #glycoRNA and mediate cell-penetrating peptide entry into cells 👏
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
RNA-binding proteins and glycoRNAs form domains on the cell surface for cell-penetrating peptide entry
Mammalian cells present RNA-binding proteins on the cell surface that form clustered
domains containing glycoRNAs.
www.cell.com
February 27, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Mindblowing new study by @raflynn5.bsky.social @bostonchildrens.bsky.social, cell surface RNA-binding proteins form nanoclusters with #glycoRNA and mediate cell-penetrating peptide entry into cells 👏
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
Reposted by Robin Friedman
More below regarding layoffs at FDA h/t @alecgaffney.bsky.social. The layoffs are being run in a disorganized way by the new Secretary of Health & Human Services—Kennedy #medsky #biosky
February 16, 2025 at 2:51 AM
More below regarding layoffs at FDA h/t @alecgaffney.bsky.social. The layoffs are being run in a disorganized way by the new Secretary of Health & Human Services—Kennedy #medsky #biosky
Reposted by Robin Friedman
It’s been a tough few weeks. My 10yo daughter was diagnosed with a very rare, aggressive cancer called interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS). I’m reaching out to identify clinicians/patients who have encountered pediatric IDCS or other (non-LCH) dendritic or histiocytic sarcomas cases.
February 8, 2025 at 9:21 PM
It’s been a tough few weeks. My 10yo daughter was diagnosed with a very rare, aggressive cancer called interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS). I’m reaching out to identify clinicians/patients who have encountered pediatric IDCS or other (non-LCH) dendritic or histiocytic sarcomas cases.
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Blown away
Using OpenAI’s Deep Research is like collaborating with a PhD student
(It told me it would get right on it then ghosted me)
Using OpenAI’s Deep Research is like collaborating with a PhD student
(It told me it would get right on it then ghosted me)
February 4, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Blown away
Using OpenAI’s Deep Research is like collaborating with a PhD student
(It told me it would get right on it then ghosted me)
Using OpenAI’s Deep Research is like collaborating with a PhD student
(It told me it would get right on it then ghosted me)
Reposted by Robin Friedman
I started working on genetic therapies for Mendelian disease in 2000 - and in the subsequent 25 years have never seen a disease where the molecular aetiology has undergone as giant an "OH WOW" moment as this.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Long somatic DNA-repeat expansion drives neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease
Single-cell measurement of the Huntington’s disease-causing CAG repeat reveals that
somatic expansion of this repeat drives pathological changes in neurons, providing
insights into disease progression...
www.cell.com
January 16, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I started working on genetic therapies for Mendelian disease in 2000 - and in the subsequent 25 years have never seen a disease where the molecular aetiology has undergone as giant an "OH WOW" moment as this.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Super excited to announce our latest flagship model Borzoi: major props to Johannes & David Kelley et al for advancing it. It's been a long journey from our prior Enformer model into this one. A few innovations: i) longer DNA context, ii) adaptation to predict RNA-seq abundance and splice isoforms,
Predicting RNA-seq coverage from DNA sequence as a unifying model of gene regulation - Nature Genetics
Borzoi adapts the Enformer sequence-to-expression model to directly predict RNA-seq coverage, enabling the in-silico analysis of variant effects across multiple layers of gene regulation.
www.nature.com
January 9, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Super excited to announce our latest flagship model Borzoi: major props to Johannes & David Kelley et al for advancing it. It's been a long journey from our prior Enformer model into this one. A few innovations: i) longer DNA context, ii) adaptation to predict RNA-seq abundance and splice isoforms,
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Excited to share our review article "Finding functional microproteins", published in @TrendsGenetics. It was fun writing it together with Alex and @FeiyueYang1 in the lab. #microprotein authors.elsevier.com/a/1kNCscQbJB...
January 2, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Excited to share our review article "Finding functional microproteins", published in @TrendsGenetics. It was fun writing it together with Alex and @FeiyueYang1 in the lab. #microprotein authors.elsevier.com/a/1kNCscQbJB...
Reposted by Robin Friedman
This pair of papers demonstrating strong and systemic immune responses to skin commensals applied topically to unbroken skin, including induction of B cells for vaccination.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions - Nature
Nature - Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions
www.nature.com
December 26, 2024 at 5:14 PM
This pair of papers demonstrating strong and systemic immune responses to skin commensals applied topically to unbroken skin, including induction of B cells for vaccination.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Insightful for anyone interested in LLMs
December 26, 2024 at 9:26 AM
Insightful for anyone interested in LLMs
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Many academics point to bioRxiv as “the one thing improving science publishing”.
If so, the one thing you all can do is persuade colleagues to submit and make this a norm. 1/2
If so, the one thing you all can do is persuade colleagues to submit and make this a norm. 1/2
December 21, 2024 at 2:01 PM
Many academics point to bioRxiv as “the one thing improving science publishing”.
If so, the one thing you all can do is persuade colleagues to submit and make this a norm. 1/2
If so, the one thing you all can do is persuade colleagues to submit and make this a norm. 1/2
Reposted by Robin Friedman
Ideal test is antibody CDRH3s which often conformationally rigidify during affinity maturation. MSAs only report inter-species evolution, not intra-species maturation, so existing methods fail. Pics from doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.03065 & doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2020.00182
December 11, 2024 at 7:52 AM
Ideal test is antibody CDRH3s which often conformationally rigidify during affinity maturation. MSAs only report inter-species evolution, not intra-species maturation, so existing methods fail. Pics from doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.03065 & doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2020.00182
Reposted by Robin Friedman
One of the biggest mysteries in Alzheimer's disease that is yet to be solved is the pathogenic mechanism of ApoE4 variant (and the protective mechanism of ApoE2).
A new study reports that LDL receptor binding affinity in brain cells linearly increase from E2 to E3 to E4 1/
A new study reports that LDL receptor binding affinity in brain cells linearly increase from E2 to E3 to E4 1/
November 30, 2024 at 1:09 PM
One of the biggest mysteries in Alzheimer's disease that is yet to be solved is the pathogenic mechanism of ApoE4 variant (and the protective mechanism of ApoE2).
A new study reports that LDL receptor binding affinity in brain cells linearly increase from E2 to E3 to E4 1/
A new study reports that LDL receptor binding affinity in brain cells linearly increase from E2 to E3 to E4 1/