Amy LaFountain
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amymlafountain.bsky.social
Amy LaFountain
@amymlafountain.bsky.social
Assistant Research Professor at UConn EEB using #mimulus to understand how novel traits originate.
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Hello BlueSky 👋🏼 I'm new to this community so here's a quick intro--I'm an Asst. Research Prof in the Yuan lab at UConn. I use the anthocyanin leaf stripe phenotype of Mimulus verbenaceus (pictured) to study the genetics, development, and evolution of novel phenotypes. Also love running & dogs.
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Another website worth checking is the jobrxiv.org which is great for PIs (preprint principles, free to post) and is becoming increasingly popular
Science Jobs - Find science and research jobs
The international job board for scientists, by scientists. Find science jobs in academia or industry: MSc, PhD, Postdoc, Scientist, Faculty and more!
jobrxiv.org
March 2, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
There’s a google doc trying to keep track of funding/grad school admission/hiring freezes & status please share 🧪 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Graduate Reductions Across Biomedical Sciences (2025)
docs.google.com
February 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
State AGs are looking for federal workers who have just been illegally fired to stand as litigants in a new lawsuit trying to freeze further action by DOGE.

DM me if that’s you and you’re interested and you’re live in one of the following states: NM, AZ, CA, CT, MD, MI, MN, NV, OR, WA, RI, or VT.
February 17, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
ATTENTION (PLEASE SHARE)

If anyone has or knows of any positions that might be appropriate for the NIH staff members who were terminated, please post the information in this thread.

There are lots of talented and accomplished people who may be looking for new opportunities.
a poster that says if life gives you lemon make lemonade on it
ALT: a poster that says if life gives you lemon make lemonade on it
media.tenor.com
February 15, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
No job ad yet, but I'll be hiring a postdoc at Purdue in population genetics/quantitative genetics/genomics in plants. DM if you have relevant experience and are potentially interested.
February 15, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
In case folks are interested in contacting their congresspeople about the NIH indirect cuts with some estimates of what they would mean for institutions in their state, here are some estimates based on published F&A rates and funding ... let me know if you want a particular state
February 8, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
The program that changed my life ❤️
Applications for MEME are open! It's a research- and mobility-oriented Evolutionary Biology Master's Programme, where students have the opportunity to visit 4(+2) different universities in two years. Please spread the word! www.evobio.eu #EvoBio
February 6, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Please Repost! We are offering a three-year fully funded doctoral researcher position to study how floral meristem patterning in woodland strawberry, and how it implicates the diversification in floral ground plans in Angiosperm flowers. jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsini-...
February 1, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
I’ve spoke to a lot of academics about the NSF funding chaos, but I want to hear from industry scientists too. Is this impacting your work either directly or indirectly?

If so, reach out. DM, email (k_vasquez@acs.org) or Signal (kvasquez.12)
January 30, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Erythranthe eastwoodiae, our rare Eastwood's Monkeyflower, blooming in Escalante Canyon. Named for our most famous Colorado botanist Alice Eastwood. These #nativeplants hang off a sandstone wall where an impermeable layer causes water to seep out of the face.

#FallBackFlowers #FallBack to July 30 🌿
January 30, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
I made this video about action steps you can take to speak up for the NIH 🧪 The comments are nottttt passing the vibe check rn but at least the trolls are driving views:

youtube.com/shorts/sLLh4...
Gotta save science!
YouTube video by Science IRL
youtube.com
January 24, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
I just reached out to my senators about the NIH situation. If you need to find out how much impact NIH has in your state in terms of dollars in and their economic impact here's a link: www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
NIH In Your State - United For Medical Research
Select a state on the map to see the impact of NIH funding across America.
www.unitedformedicalresearch.org
January 22, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain

Something I'm looking forward to in 2025: the Mimulus meeting in Athens, Georgia! Please spread word to your fellow Mimulophiles!
January 21, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Your daily dose of botanical drawings by Mary Vaux Walcott.

Alpine Monkey Flower (Mimulus caespitosus) (1904)

In museum: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., United States of America.

Dimensions: height 26cm, width 17cm.

#woman #artist #plants #walcott #botany

January 19, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Graduating college seniors - looking for a year long research experience? Apply for the RAMP program @uconn.bsky.social @uconnramp.bsky.social in genomics. Please RT
January 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
If you know anyone who might be interested in working as a technician before a PhD, I'm looking for someone to work with me to generate some amazing data to understand the genetics of behavior, sex differences, and reproduction in an evolutionary context. Bonus? Amazing and supportive department!
January 9, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Please consider helping to get my #MimulusPropaganda on the cover of #FASEB meeting! 🤗 #plantsciences #microscopy 🧪🔬🌾🌸🌱
January 9, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Wishing everyone good health, happiness, and peace in 2025!
January 1, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Really proud of this one. Nothing speaks more true to my sentiments on the value of open source and accessible hardware. Hoping it can be a guide for fellow researchers. Look out for my next collab with @sarraceniamason.bsky.social, hopefully this coming year!

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Toward an open‐source 3D‐printable laboratory
Low‐cost, repairable lab equipment is rare within the biological sciences. By lowering the costs of entry using 3D printing and open‐source hardware, our goal is to empower both amateur and profession...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
December 20, 2024 at 12:28 AM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Come explore the @universityofga.bsky.social Herbarium with us! I had the best day with Herbarium Director @tmariewms.bsky.social & her amazing team of plant people learning about this incredible collection 🥹🌱🌸

youtube.com/shorts/FRuS3...

#botany #science #plants
Explore the UGA Herbarium!
YouTube video by Science IRL
youtube.com
December 19, 2024 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
Please forward: 2-year post-doc position in the lab Evo-Eco-Paleo (Lille, France) to work on plant self-incompatibility & evolution - email me if interested!
December 11, 2024 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
I have funding available in my lab at NC State for a graduate student interested in plant evolutionary genetics, especially in weeds. Please email me by Dec 20 for full consideration. Details and contact info on the lab website: avanwallendael.github.io/#joining-the-lab
Genetic diversity in locally adapted, weedy, and invasive plants
avanwallendael.github.io
December 10, 2024 at 6:32 PM
We've traditionally used N. benthamiana for transient color assays in our lab. We recently tried the same assay in N. tabacum and the results are ✨stunning✨! This plant was injected with an anthocyanin-activating R2R3-MYB on the left, and empty plasmid on the right.
December 10, 2024 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by Amy LaFountain
The first chapter of my dissertation with @carriewessi.bsky.social is now available as a preprint!! Give it a read if you are interested in learning more about the evolutionary history of an EXTREMELY cool floral type called personate flowers!!
The unique morphological basis and parallel evolutionary history of personate flowers in Penstemon https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.02.626427v1
December 6, 2024 at 12:50 PM
Another fantastic video from @science-irl.bsky.social, this time highlighting the beautiful work by @yangong.bsky.social in developing a stable transformation protocol for Columbine!
New Science IRL ep is out! I got a sneak peek at the Kramer Lab's new columbine transformation protocol with @yangong.bsky.social 🌸🧬 Thank you @elenakramer.bsky.social for letting me come play in the lab again 🥹

#plantscience #scicomm
youtu.be/6-NrYNdCTzM?...
I finally changed this plant's genes
YouTube video by Science IRL
youtu.be
December 3, 2024 at 10:10 PM