Aaron Straight
@astraight.bsky.social
Card carrying Cell Biologist. Prof. at Stanford Biochemistry. Lover of neglected and emerging model systems. straightlab.stanford.edu
@currentbiology.bsky.social has always been one of my favorite journals but I think they have now outdone themselves www.cell.com/current-biol.... And picked up by the @nytimes.com as well! www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/s...
Periodic excretion patterns of seabirds in flight
Uesaka and Sato report on the excretion patterns of seabirds in the open ocean determined
using a rear-facing video logger.
www.cell.com
August 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
@currentbiology.bsky.social has always been one of my favorite journals but I think they have now outdone themselves www.cell.com/current-biol.... And picked up by the @nytimes.com as well! www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/s...
New preprint from Kelsey Fryer in the lab using ChAR-seq to identify RNAs that are bound to human centromeres. Lots of surprises! #centromere #RNA www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
June 20, 2025 at 12:40 AM
New preprint from Kelsey Fryer in the lab using ChAR-seq to identify RNAs that are bound to human centromeres. Lots of surprises! #centromere #RNA www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Had the privilege of hooding 5 new PhD grads @stanfordbiosci.bsky.social this weekend including my student Kelsey Fryer! Good day for science.
June 17, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Had the privilege of hooding 5 new PhD grads @stanfordbiosci.bsky.social this weekend including my student Kelsey Fryer! Good day for science.
Reposted by Aaron Straight
“You can get a other job, but you cannot get another soul”.
"We are speaking on behalf of hundreds of NIH staff who are standing up together to say: WE DISSENT.
I am so scared about doing this but I am trying to be brave for my kids because it's only gonna get harder to speak up."
Thank you to Dr. Jenna Norton and NIH scientists for your courage!
I am so scared about doing this but I am trying to be brave for my kids because it's only gonna get harder to speak up."
Thank you to Dr. Jenna Norton and NIH scientists for your courage!
June 10, 2025 at 3:17 AM
“You can get a other job, but you cannot get another soul”.
Our most recent Synthetic Biology for Sustainability symposium was a great success. Lots of excellent ideas and creative approaches to sustainability. And a wonderful group of scientists too! Check here for more info on our Syn Bio efforts (sb.stanford.edu)
May 12, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Our most recent Synthetic Biology for Sustainability symposium was a great success. Lots of excellent ideas and creative approaches to sustainability. And a wonderful group of scientists too! Check here for more info on our Syn Bio efforts (sb.stanford.edu)
Reposted by Aaron Straight
Are you a postdoc/grad student preparing to launch a faculty search? Do you have a track record of excellence in research, leadership, mentorship & community engagement? Apply to the 2025 Next Generation Faculty Symposium: www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com! Pls repost! (1/3)
Stanford.Berkeley.UCSF Next Generation Faculty Symposium
www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com
May 12, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Are you a postdoc/grad student preparing to launch a faculty search? Do you have a track record of excellence in research, leadership, mentorship & community engagement? Apply to the 2025 Next Generation Faculty Symposium: www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com! Pls repost! (1/3)
Reposted by Aaron Straight
Our paper on the role of “mitotic” kinesin Eg5 in neuron development has been published in Development (see journals.biologists.com/dev/article-...). A great work by Wen Lu and colleagues!
‘Mitotic’ kinesin-5 is a dynamic brake for axonal growth in Drosophila
Summary: Kinesin-5 modulates microtubule sliding in neurons, acting as a brake to ensure precise axon pathfinding during Drosophila neuronal development.
journals.biologists.com
May 8, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Our paper on the role of “mitotic” kinesin Eg5 in neuron development has been published in Development (see journals.biologists.com/dev/article-...). A great work by Wen Lu and colleagues!
This is an amazing opportunity for post-docs, students, faculty search committees and anyone interested in exciting science! Check out the www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com and apply today.
April 23, 2025 at 12:40 AM
This is an amazing opportunity for post-docs, students, faculty search committees and anyone interested in exciting science! Check out the www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com and apply today.
Reposted by Aaron Straight
We're disappointed to see Ben Barres's powerful book "The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist" among the ~400 titles removed from the Naval Academy Library. Needless to say, we're proud to have published his book and will keep it — and his memory — alive.
The Coming Out of a Transgender Scientist
"I know that I am making the right decision because whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief."
thereader.mitpress.mit.edu
April 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
We're disappointed to see Ben Barres's powerful book "The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist" among the ~400 titles removed from the Naval Academy Library. Needless to say, we're proud to have published his book and will keep it — and his memory — alive.
I am honored and humbled to be elected as a AAAS fellow (www.aaas.org/news/aaas-we...) with such great colleagues here at Stanford (news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...) and abroad. It really drives home the amazing nature of our scientific community. Special thanks to @dutcherlab.bsky.social's support
AAAS Welcomes 471 Scientists and Engineers as Honorary Fellows | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals, announces the 2024 class of AAAS Fello...
www.aaas.org
March 27, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I am honored and humbled to be elected as a AAAS fellow (www.aaas.org/news/aaas-we...) with such great colleagues here at Stanford (news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...) and abroad. It really drives home the amazing nature of our scientific community. Special thanks to @dutcherlab.bsky.social's support
Reposted by Aaron Straight
We are seeking to hire a lab tech, this is an HHMI funded position, please share the job posting:
hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
Lab Administration Research Technician- Bertozzi Lab
Primary Work Address: Beckman Center, Stanford, CA, 94305-5323 Current HHMI Employees, click here to apply via your Workday account. We are currently looking for a highly motivated Lab Administration ...
hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
March 27, 2025 at 1:51 AM
We are seeking to hire a lab tech, this is an HHMI funded position, please share the job posting:
hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
Reposted by Aaron Straight
me, as a senior PI: US science as we know it may be ending? Review these cool manuscripts? Serve on these grant review panels? Yes! All in! Going down in a blaze of glory!
undergrad PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
grad PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
post-doc PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
me, as a PI: what's this? new things? i'd love to!
grad PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
post-doc PI: i'm always so busy... don't agree to do too many things!
me, as a PI: what's this? new things? i'd love to!
March 18, 2025 at 2:52 PM
me, as a senior PI: US science as we know it may be ending? Review these cool manuscripts? Serve on these grant review panels? Yes! All in! Going down in a blaze of glory!
Reposted by Aaron Straight
I am proud to share my first preprint working with @naltemose.bsky.social, where we redesign DiMeLo-seq from the ground up. Thankful for the help and input of collaborators in @astraight.bsky.social and Aaron streets’ lab at Berkeley. More to come soon!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
DiMeLo-cito: a one-tube protocol for mapping protein-DNA interactions reveals CTCF bookmarking in mitosis
Genome regulation relies on complex and dynamic interactions between DNA and proteins. Recently, powerful methods have emerged that leverage third-generation sequencing to map protein-DNA interactions...
www.biorxiv.org
March 14, 2025 at 9:04 PM
I am proud to share my first preprint working with @naltemose.bsky.social, where we redesign DiMeLo-seq from the ground up. Thankful for the help and input of collaborators in @astraight.bsky.social and Aaron streets’ lab at Berkeley. More to come soon!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Wonderful visit to @hutchbasicsci.bsky.social today and thanks to @yarimura.bsky.social for hosting and dinner with the always entertaining @suebiggins.bsky.social and @harmitmalik.bsky.social. A day discussing science with amazing people is unbeatable.
March 12, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Wonderful visit to @hutchbasicsci.bsky.social today and thanks to @yarimura.bsky.social for hosting and dinner with the always entertaining @suebiggins.bsky.social and @harmitmalik.bsky.social. A day discussing science with amazing people is unbeatable.
Reposted by Aaron Straight
Wanted to share this story about my colleague Bryant Lin. We’re working together on bringing art and science together but his story runs much deeper. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/u...
When This Stanford Professor Got Cancer, He Decided to Teach a Class About It
Dr. Bryant Lin, who teaches medicine at Stanford University, was given a terminal diagnosis. He wanted his students to understand the humanity at the core of medicine.
www.nytimes.com
February 27, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Wanted to share this story about my colleague Bryant Lin. We’re working together on bringing art and science together but his story runs much deeper. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/u...
This is what they mean when they say person skilled in the art. You've got to streak a lot of colonies to get to this level. Not surprised its from Bonnie Brewer 👑 #yeast #toothpick
Microbiologists, check out this genius trick for orienting flat toothpicks that comes from the legendary Beth Jones by way of Bonny Brewer. Video taken by my lab manager, Emily.
February 25, 2025 at 10:25 PM
This is what they mean when they say person skilled in the art. You've got to streak a lot of colonies to get to this level. Not surprised its from Bonnie Brewer 👑 #yeast #toothpick
Reposted by Aaron Straight
People keep asking us: “Why are early-career scientists organizing Stand Up for Science?”
Because early-career scientists—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—are getting hit the hardest.
Our futures—and the future of science itself—are on the line.
🧵 ⬇️
Because early-career scientists—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—are getting hit the hardest.
Our futures—and the future of science itself—are on the line.
🧵 ⬇️
“There’s going to be a missing age class of researchers that will reverberate for years.” scim.ag/3ERRLDo
U.S. early-career researchers struggling amid chaos
Uncertain funding, government firings, and distressed universities hit vulnerable groups especially hard
scim.ag
February 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
People keep asking us: “Why are early-career scientists organizing Stand Up for Science?”
Because early-career scientists—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—are getting hit the hardest.
Our futures—and the future of science itself—are on the line.
🧵 ⬇️
Because early-career scientists—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—are getting hit the hardest.
Our futures—and the future of science itself—are on the line.
🧵 ⬇️
Reposted by Aaron Straight
Ok scientists & those who love science 🧪: here is another exhortation. Call Congress TODAY about the freeze on NIH Council Meetings and Study Sections. Emphasize that this means NO new grants are being funded & labs will soon start to shut down and fire employees. Phone numbers are at:
5calls.org
5calls.org
5 Calls
Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.
5calls.org
February 21, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Ok scientists & those who love science 🧪: here is another exhortation. Call Congress TODAY about the freeze on NIH Council Meetings and Study Sections. Emphasize that this means NO new grants are being funded & labs will soon start to shut down and fire employees. Phone numbers are at:
5calls.org
5calls.org
Reposted by Aaron Straight
Honored be named a #SloanFellow! Grateful to my amazing team @stanford-chemh.bsky.social —this wouldn’t be possible without them.
🎉Congrats to the 126 early-career scientists who have been awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship this year! These exceptional scholars are drawn from 51 institutions across the US and Canada, and represent the next generation of groundbreaking researchers. sloan.org/fellowships/...
February 18, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Honored be named a #SloanFellow! Grateful to my amazing team @stanford-chemh.bsky.social —this wouldn’t be possible without them.
Way to go Brian and @arcinstitute.org!!
We trained a genomic language model on all observed evolution, which we are calling Evo 2.
The model achieves an unprecedented breadth in capabilities, enabling prediction and design tasks from molecular to genome scale and across all three domains of life.
The model achieves an unprecedented breadth in capabilities, enabling prediction and design tasks from molecular to genome scale and across all three domains of life.
February 20, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Way to go Brian and @arcinstitute.org!!
Reposted by Aaron Straight
Very important to get this word out!
I just covered this for @thetransmitter.bsky.social — will keep following! www.thetransmitter.org/funding/fede...
Federal Register hold makes ‘end run’ around court pause on NIH funding freeze
NIH-related updates to the Federal Register, which are required for the scheduling of study sections and advisory councils, are on hold indefinitely, according to an email reviewed by <i>The Transmitt...
www.thetransmitter.org
February 19, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Very important to get this word out!
Reposted by Aaron Straight
"This feels like the early days of the pandemic, except there's less I can do about it", a colleague told me yesterday. Yep.
One thing you *can* do is outreach. My sense is that the majority of the country doesn't yet understand the scale or the stakes of what is happening.
We have to tell them:
One thing you *can* do is outreach. My sense is that the majority of the country doesn't yet understand the scale or the stakes of what is happening.
We have to tell them:
Join us! Science Homecoming helps scientists reconnect with communities by writing about the importance of science funding in their hometown newspapers. We’ve mapped every small newspaper in the U.S. and provide resources to get you started. Help science get back home 🧪🔬🧬 🏠
sciencehomecoming.com
sciencehomecoming.com
Science Homecoming
sciencehomecoming.com
February 18, 2025 at 10:38 PM
"This feels like the early days of the pandemic, except there's less I can do about it", a colleague told me yesterday. Yep.
One thing you *can* do is outreach. My sense is that the majority of the country doesn't yet understand the scale or the stakes of what is happening.
We have to tell them:
One thing you *can* do is outreach. My sense is that the majority of the country doesn't yet understand the scale or the stakes of what is happening.
We have to tell them:
Read this and understand how important science is and can continue to be in the US if we fight for it. Thanks @gsherloc.bsky.social
On January 6th, 1995, my (now ex) wife and I boarded a flight from Heathrow to JFK on a one way ticket. We had two suitcases and about $900 in cash - this was everything we owned and we were moving to the US. We thought it was maybe for 2-3 years. I had visited the US once, for a conference, and
February 15, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Read this and understand how important science is and can continue to be in the US if we fight for it. Thanks @gsherloc.bsky.social
Reposted by Aaron Straight
(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.
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
(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.
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.