Natalie Thiex
banner
thiex.bsky.social
Natalie Thiex
@thiex.bsky.social
Uncovering macrophage cell biology using whole-genome screens and microscopy. My lab studies regulation of phosphoinositides and the actin cytoskeleton in the context of macropinocytosis, as well as lipid droplet formation and metabolism.
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
Stimulating immune cells in vitro is a common experimental lab model. We profiled 150K blood immune cells treated with 11 different stimuli to compare the effects. The data are freely available for researchers. See the preprint for our findings and to access the data 🧪 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
July 3, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
say it again:

4 million people work in higher ed, the largest employer in 10 states, second largest employer in 10 more, and in 60 of the 100 biggest cities

ROI for NIH and NSF for local economies is conservatively 4x, often close to 10x

demolishing higher education is economic sabotage
There is a false dichotomy drawn between "the ivory tower" and "the real world," and I'm here to report that in a post-industrial society, your real-world economy absolutely hinges on the university.

University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
May 18, 2025 at 1:45 PM
May 3, 2025 at 7:41 PM
I have a guest lecture coming up in an Honors Colloquium for undergrads on Cancer and Society. Previously I focused on the history and mechanics for funding cancer research with a look at how public funds are appropriated, flow, and prioritized, compared to private $. What new articles should I use?
March 3, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
This new Atlantic piece on the timeline of the NIH shutdown reads like the script to a new Soderbergh film. It is so, so dark and perfectly captures the evil and intentional chaos behind everything we've experienced over the last month www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
Inside the Collapse at the NIH
Administration officials pressured the NIH to avoid clear advice from the agency’s own lawyers to restart grant funding now.
www.theatlantic.com
February 27, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
So much happening in the segmentation space for bioimage analysis. These two papers that were published online today really stood out to me as noteworthy (a thread).
February 12, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
(Sorry I took a brief timeout for uncontrollable weeping)

In other NIH news, I have heard from multiple sources that NIH plans to fire most, if not all, probationary employees this afternoon. The numbers I am hearing are >5000.

Lots of folks extramural staff, intramural scientists, etc.
a man with glasses and a mustache is making a sad face
ALT: a man with glasses and a mustache is making a sad face
media.tenor.com
February 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
Whenever you hear someone sneer about scientific research that seems useless to them — “they’re studying the spit of lizards?!” — remind them that’s exactly how we got Ozempic.

globalnews.ca/news/9793403...
How a Canadian scientist and a venomous lizard helped pave the way for Ozempic - National | Globalnews.ca
In 1984, Dr. Daniel Drucker, an endocrinologist from the University of Toronto, discovered a hormone that helped pave the way for popular diabetes drugs such as Ozempic.
globalnews.ca
February 9, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
The average Fox News viewer has no idea that Musk is tearing down a system that allowed this country to rule the world for the past 75 years. And when their standard of living slips dramatically in the next five years they still won’t understand because their TV will blame it on some poor scapegoat.
February 9, 2025 at 6:30 AM
🚨 Summer Internship and Postbaccalaureate positions are now posted and open for application! 🚨

Please share with your network, especially students and recent grads with unconventional backgrounds and journeys.

The last day to apply is Jan. 7, 2025.
alleninstitute.org/careers/inte...
Internship & Postbaccalaureate Programs
Students and early-career professionals in lab research, biology, neuroscience, immunology, and others should apply for our internships and fellowships.
alleninstitute.org
December 16, 2024 at 11:45 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
Let's share some other classic, the beautiful Cells in culture film directed by Michael Abercrombie one of the father of quantitative cell imaging (University College London, 1955) is available here identity.wellcomecollection.org/works/z6h7jzv4
December 2, 2024 at 7:46 AM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
I've been on here for 15 months, and the change over the last three weeks is truly stunning. Literally many thousands of new scientists on #SciSky. Community building is totally different here than the slow accretion method over years on Twitter. Here are a few thoughts from what I see. 1/n
November 24, 2024 at 6:02 PM
go.bsky.app/JDAwbAJ Trying again with the actual link this time. Please tag yourself or others who study macropinocytosis, phagocytosis or efferocytosis, and I’ll add you to the pack!
November 24, 2024 at 3:59 AM
Where are all the big drinkers🍺 and big eaters? I've created a starter pack to track down the #macropinocytosis, #phagocytosis, and #efferocytosis researchers on Bluesky. Who else is here? Please let me know and I'll add you/them! 🧪
November 23, 2024 at 7:28 PM
I’d rather spend more time thinking about our screens, FP probes, and microscopy than Westerns. 😅 For those who grew up transferring on the Mini-protean system, have you switched your lab to another system and been happy with that choice? What are people mostly using these days?
November 23, 2024 at 4:09 PM
I now have a student with color blindness in the lab and he keeps us in check. Things I’ve learned from him: red on black = no, pink and gray = no, blue and purple = no.
Another point: It's super boring to see a red green (blue) image. Microscopy images are grids of numbers and you are free to code this signal with ANY LUTs you want! Some suggestions for this late #FluorescenceFriday, early #MicroscopyMonday.
Image from @dgaboriau.bsky.social, LUT names on alt. 1/3
November 23, 2024 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Natalie Thiex
🔬 Are you eager to dive into the world of light microscopy & learn from top-notch microscopists about its essential techniques for life science applications? If that sounds exciting, don’t miss out on this free, in-depth iBiology series! 👉 www.ibiology.org/online-biolo...
November 16, 2024 at 5:19 PM
Trying this out for #fluorescencefriday. 🧪 AktPH through an isosurface mesh of the plasma membrane. From this lattice lightsheet collaboration with @minesbioimaging.bsky.social: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 23, 2024 at 3:55 AM
New paper out of the Thiex Lab! The moral of the story is think twice before you use dextran to study macropinocytosis! 😅 www.molbiolcell.org/doi/full/10....
November 22, 2024 at 3:16 AM