Tim Read
@timothyread.bsky.social
Professor, Emory University Schools of Medicine, Atlanta.
Microbiology, genomics, genetics, bioinformatics.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XF5C7cgAAAAJ&hl=en
Microbiology, genomics, genetics, bioinformatics.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XF5C7cgAAAAJ&hl=en
Reposted by Tim Read
The @asm.org statement in response to the changes in the childhood immunization schedule:
asm.org/press-releas...
asm.org/press-releas...
January 6, 2026 at 3:59 PM
The @asm.org statement in response to the changes in the childhood immunization schedule:
asm.org/press-releas...
asm.org/press-releas...
Reposted by Tim Read
bad news for fans of children www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/h...
Kennedy Scales Back the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Children
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:40 PM
bad news for fans of children www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/h...
Reposted by Tim Read
The planned hepatitis B birth-dose trial in Guinea-Bissau raises serious ethical concerns. Withholding a proven, life-saving vaccine from newborns to answer speculative questions is an absence of equipoise with real downstream harms for trust in vaccines.
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
How Unethical Research Seeds Medical Mistrust
The absence of equipoise can turn research into harm
bktitanji.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:18 PM
The planned hepatitis B birth-dose trial in Guinea-Bissau raises serious ethical concerns. Withholding a proven, life-saving vaccine from newborns to answer speculative questions is an absence of equipoise with real downstream harms for trust in vaccines.
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
Reposted by Tim Read
Our new Microbial Primer describes the mechanistic action and therapeutic potential of R-pyocins produced by P. aeruginosa. www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Microbial Primer: The R-pyocins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
R-pyocins are phage tail-like protein complexes produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa that deliver a single, lethal hit by depolarizing the target cell membrane. Unlike phages, R-pyocins lack capsids and...
www.microbiologyresearch.org
December 10, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Our new Microbial Primer describes the mechanistic action and therapeutic potential of R-pyocins produced by P. aeruginosa. www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Reposted by Tim Read
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
Reposted by Tim Read
"There were car gods there: a powerful, serious-faced contingent, with blood on their black gloves and on their chrome teeth: recipients of human sacrifice on a scale undreamed-of since the Aztecs."
Ending road deaths will be one of the greatest public health wins.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...
Ending road deaths will be one of the greatest public health wins.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...
Opinion | The Data on Self-Driving Cars Is Clear. We Have to Change Course.
www.nytimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:05 PM
"There were car gods there: a powerful, serious-faced contingent, with blood on their black gloves and on their chrome teeth: recipients of human sacrifice on a scale undreamed-of since the Aztecs."
Ending road deaths will be one of the greatest public health wins.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...
Ending road deaths will be one of the greatest public health wins.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...
Reposted by Tim Read
I can't stay quiet about what RFK jr is doing to the CDC and FDA:
stevensalzberg.substack.com/p/dont-trust...
stevensalzberg.substack.com/p/dont-trust...
Don't trust the CDC while RFK Jr. is in charge
The HHS secretary, a notorious anti-vaxxer, is now posting his crank views on CDC's website
stevensalzberg.substack.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I can't stay quiet about what RFK jr is doing to the CDC and FDA:
stevensalzberg.substack.com/p/dont-trust...
stevensalzberg.substack.com/p/dont-trust...
Reposted by Tim Read
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
Reposted by Tim Read
What is the best strategy to win any contest?
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 20, 2025 at 10:12 PM
What is the best strategy to win any contest?
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Tim Read
My reviewing style has changed over time. Rather than litigate every little thing, and pushing my own ideas, I focus only on 2 things:
(1) Are the claims interesting/important?
(2) Does the evidence support the claims?
Most of my reviews these days are short and focused.
(1) Are the claims interesting/important?
(2) Does the evidence support the claims?
Most of my reviews these days are short and focused.
November 8, 2025 at 11:22 AM
My reviewing style has changed over time. Rather than litigate every little thing, and pushing my own ideas, I focus only on 2 things:
(1) Are the claims interesting/important?
(2) Does the evidence support the claims?
Most of my reviews these days are short and focused.
(1) Are the claims interesting/important?
(2) Does the evidence support the claims?
Most of my reviews these days are short and focused.
Reposted by Tim Read
My former mentor, colleague, and friend Hamilton Smith passed away this week. He was a giant in science, a Nobel Laureate, but also one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He will be missed by many. www.jcvi.org/media-center...
Remembering Hamilton O. Smith
Hamilton O. Smith
August 31, 1931 – October 25, 2025
It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Hamilton O. Smith, M.D., a...
www.jcvi.org
October 29, 2025 at 11:26 PM
My former mentor, colleague, and friend Hamilton Smith passed away this week. He was a giant in science, a Nobel Laureate, but also one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He will be missed by many. www.jcvi.org/media-center...
Reposted by Tim Read
1/10 Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Antiviral reverse transcriptases reveal the evolutionary origin of telomerase
Defense-associated reverse transcriptases (DRTs) employ diverse and distinctive mechanisms of cDNA synthesis to protect bacteria against viral infection. However, much of DRT family diversity remains ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
1/10 Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Tim Read
Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled
The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency
@heatmap.news
The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency
@heatmap.news
Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says
It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.
heatmap.news
October 10, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
Reposted by Tim Read
Seems I'm not good at Bactopia v4 progress updates!
Since my last update:
- Nextflow v25+ compatible
- Converted to nf-test
- nf-bactopia plugin released
If you are interesting in testing (very much appreciated!), I now have a dev build available here: github.com/bactopia/bac...
Since my last update:
- Nextflow v25+ compatible
- Converted to nf-test
- nf-bactopia plugin released
If you are interesting in testing (very much appreciated!), I now have a dev build available here: github.com/bactopia/bac...
Bactopia v4 - Overview & Help Wanted · Issue #628 · bactopia/bactopia
Bactopia v4 Yo! Well, it is about that time! I am planning to release version 4 of Bactopia in the near future. With this version, Bactopia will introduce new and exciting things, but at the same t...
github.com
October 6, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Seems I'm not good at Bactopia v4 progress updates!
Since my last update:
- Nextflow v25+ compatible
- Converted to nf-test
- nf-bactopia plugin released
If you are interesting in testing (very much appreciated!), I now have a dev build available here: github.com/bactopia/bac...
Since my last update:
- Nextflow v25+ compatible
- Converted to nf-test
- nf-bactopia plugin released
If you are interesting in testing (very much appreciated!), I now have a dev build available here: github.com/bactopia/bac...
Reposted by Tim Read
This was a powerful speech by Pope Leo which built on Pope Francis’ teaching legacy.
He criticised those who “have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming”.
It was a privilege to be in the room. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
He criticised those who “have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming”.
It was a privilege to be in the room. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Pope Leo hits out at critics of global warming
In his first major statement on climate change, the pontiff criticises those who minimise climate change.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 1, 2025 at 7:32 PM
This was a powerful speech by Pope Leo which built on Pope Francis’ teaching legacy.
He criticised those who “have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming”.
It was a privilege to be in the room. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
He criticised those who “have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming”.
It was a privilege to be in the room. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Tim Read
It’s #MythBustingMonday.
Today’s myth: “Multiple vaccines at once will overload a child’s immune system.”
This idea is popular with anti-vaccine groups and also POTUS. But immunology, decades of research, and real-world data all say the same thing: it’s false. 🧵
Today’s myth: “Multiple vaccines at once will overload a child’s immune system.”
This idea is popular with anti-vaccine groups and also POTUS. But immunology, decades of research, and real-world data all say the same thing: it’s false. 🧵
September 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
It’s #MythBustingMonday.
Today’s myth: “Multiple vaccines at once will overload a child’s immune system.”
This idea is popular with anti-vaccine groups and also POTUS. But immunology, decades of research, and real-world data all say the same thing: it’s false. 🧵
Today’s myth: “Multiple vaccines at once will overload a child’s immune system.”
This idea is popular with anti-vaccine groups and also POTUS. But immunology, decades of research, and real-world data all say the same thing: it’s false. 🧵
Reposted by Tim Read
Phenomenal. In my 10 year update of A Brief History, I make the point that in the first edition, not one disease had been successfully treated using gene therapy. Today that number is at least 7.
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Phenomenal. In my 10 year update of A Brief History, I make the point that in the first edition, not one disease had been successfully treated using gene therapy. Today that number is at least 7.
Good luck with your new adventure!
After nearly 27 years, this is my last week at St George’s Hospital Medical School/St George’s, University of London/City St George’s University of London. I’ve met and worked with many amazing colleagues, particularly during my time as Director of Cross Cutting Research Themes and ..
September 20, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Good luck with your new adventure!
Reposted by Tim Read
I had to triplecheck this because I didn't believe it...
All of the world's discovered reserves of fossil fuels = the same energy as just 5 days of sunlight hitting the Earth🤯
Solar power is basically unlimited🤷♂️
All of the world's discovered reserves of fossil fuels = the same energy as just 5 days of sunlight hitting the Earth🤯
Solar power is basically unlimited🤷♂️
September 17, 2025 at 3:12 PM
I had to triplecheck this because I didn't believe it...
All of the world's discovered reserves of fossil fuels = the same energy as just 5 days of sunlight hitting the Earth🤯
Solar power is basically unlimited🤷♂️
All of the world's discovered reserves of fossil fuels = the same energy as just 5 days of sunlight hitting the Earth🤯
Solar power is basically unlimited🤷♂️
Reposted by Tim Read
Proud of the work in this new preprint from my postdoctoral research.
We used experimental evolution of mutualistically cross-feeding yeast to test how generalized interactions alter benefit evolution and opportunities for coevolution.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1....
We used experimental evolution of mutualistically cross-feeding yeast to test how generalized interactions alter benefit evolution and opportunities for coevolution.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1....
Partner fidelity and coevolution: Useful but not required for rapidly increased mutualistic benefits
Evolutionary theory predicts that specialization between mutualistic partners is beneficial, limiting conflict and increasing the opportunity to evolve cooperative benefits through sustained reciproca...
www.biorxiv.org
September 10, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Proud of the work in this new preprint from my postdoctoral research.
We used experimental evolution of mutualistically cross-feeding yeast to test how generalized interactions alter benefit evolution and opportunities for coevolution.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1....
We used experimental evolution of mutualistically cross-feeding yeast to test how generalized interactions alter benefit evolution and opportunities for coevolution.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1....
Delighted to see the first version of our new ELife paper. A collaboration with Levi Morran, we show how an intact antibiotic resistance gene (mecA) changes the course of S. aureus evolution on a new host. Kudos to Michelle Su and Kim Hoang for making this happen.
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
Host and antibiotic jointly select for greater virulence in Staphylococcus aureus
elifesciences.org
September 10, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Delighted to see the first version of our new ELife paper. A collaboration with Levi Morran, we show how an intact antibiotic resistance gene (mecA) changes the course of S. aureus evolution on a new host. Kudos to Michelle Su and Kim Hoang for making this happen.
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
Reposted by Tim Read
“Well I don’t like that study because it doesn't give me the result I want’
September 8, 2025 at 2:32 PM
“Well I don’t like that study because it doesn't give me the result I want’
Reposted by Tim Read
During the day yesterday in California, >75%of all electricity was produced by renewable #energy, including solar.
After the sun went down, half of all electricity STILL came from renewables, including wind batteries, hydro, geothermal, etc.
After the sun went down, half of all electricity STILL came from renewables, including wind batteries, hydro, geothermal, etc.
September 6, 2025 at 10:26 PM
During the day yesterday in California, >75%of all electricity was produced by renewable #energy, including solar.
After the sun went down, half of all electricity STILL came from renewables, including wind batteries, hydro, geothermal, etc.
After the sun went down, half of all electricity STILL came from renewables, including wind batteries, hydro, geothermal, etc.
Reposted by Tim Read
A BLAST update adding support for compressed files and csv output with headers is a Good Friday night surprise!
blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/doc/blast-ne...
blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/doc/blast-ne...
2025 BLAST NEWS — BlastNews 0.1.1 documentation
blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
September 6, 2025 at 4:53 AM
A BLAST update adding support for compressed files and csv output with headers is a Good Friday night surprise!
blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/doc/blast-ne...
blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/doc/blast-ne...
Reposted by Tim Read
In under 24h following the newly identified outbreak of #Ebola in the DRC, the virus has been isolated, sequenced and the virus sequence data made publicly available.
virological.org/t/the-16th-e...
virological.org/t/the-16th-e...
The 16th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Bulape Health Zone, Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A new spillover event from an unknown reservoir host
Background The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing concurrent outbreaks including mpox, cholera and malaria (1-4). The Ministry of Public Health, DRC has declared the 16th Ebola...
virological.org
September 5, 2025 at 12:09 AM
In under 24h following the newly identified outbreak of #Ebola in the DRC, the virus has been isolated, sequenced and the virus sequence data made publicly available.
virological.org/t/the-16th-e...
virological.org/t/the-16th-e...