Allan Konopka
@hamatsa50.bsky.social
Recovering academic / microbial ecologist / nascent philosopher
Fluent in both academic & national lab-speak
❤️ to Think Like a Microbe
https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkmicrobe
Fluent in both academic & national lab-speak
❤️ to Think Like a Microbe
https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkmicrobe
Reposted by Allan Konopka
Any #archaea #archaeasky lab out there interested in having their Natrialba species sequenced on ONT r10 up to about 3Kx read depth for free? I'll send back annotated assembly, methylation data and raw signal files. I need at least one more species for a paper. Feel free to DM!
🧫🦠🧪
🧫🦠🧪
November 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Any #archaea #archaeasky lab out there interested in having their Natrialba species sequenced on ONT r10 up to about 3Kx read depth for free? I'll send back annotated assembly, methylation data and raw signal files. I need at least one more species for a paper. Feel free to DM!
🧫🦠🧪
🧫🦠🧪
@uncultured.carinilab.com -- FYI, they look specifically at C fluxes in desert, arid, and grass and/or shrub and/or scrubland streams, AKA the West.
River metabolism in the contiguous United States: A West of extremes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #jcampubs
River metabolism in the contiguous United States: A West of extremes
River metabolism is among the most uncertain fluxes in the global carbon cycle. We present estimates for gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) for more than 175,000 rivers ac...
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:26 PM
@uncultured.carinilab.com -- FYI, they look specifically at C fluxes in desert, arid, and grass and/or shrub and/or scrubland streams, AKA the West.
I just came onto this 2019 paper, prepping for my next Think Like a Microbe post -- it is a very interesting and thoughtful counterpoint to Monod's "the cell is indeed a machine"
🧪🧫 #philsci
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🧪🧫 #philsci
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Is the cell really a machine?
It has become customary to conceptualize the living cell as an intricate piece of machinery, different to a man-made machine only in terms of its supe…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I just came onto this 2019 paper, prepping for my next Think Like a Microbe post -- it is a very interesting and thoughtful counterpoint to Monod's "the cell is indeed a machine"
🧪🧫 #philsci
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🧪🧫 #philsci
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Creativity in Science
When innovating in microbial ecology, Think Like a Microbe™ …
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 5:37 PM
@jcsmoot.bsky.social
FAMEs!! This should have been a Findlay lab study
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
FAMEs!! This should have been a Findlay lab study
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Civet Robusta and natural Robusta coffee are different on key fatty acid methyl esters and total fat - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Civet Robusta and natural Robusta coffee are different on key fatty acid methyl esters and total fat
www.nature.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
@jcsmoot.bsky.social
FAMEs!! This should have been a Findlay lab study
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
FAMEs!! This should have been a Findlay lab study
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Allan Konopka
Heeeeey #Microbial #Ecology folk! My department has a job opening for a tenure track Microbial Ecologist! Feel free to DM me with questions. Come join our awesome supportive whip-smart & kind crew in the Biology Department of @umassboston.bsky.social! employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...
October 7, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Heeeeey #Microbial #Ecology folk! My department has a job opening for a tenure track Microbial Ecologist! Feel free to DM me with questions. Come join our awesome supportive whip-smart & kind crew in the Biology Department of @umassboston.bsky.social! employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us...
@elisabethbik.bsky.social
Does the rapid rise of AI in images complicate sleuthing?
I am stunned how seamlessly I can remove objects in my art photographs
www.chemistryworld.com/news/fake-mi...
Does the rapid rise of AI in images complicate sleuthing?
I am stunned how seamlessly I can remove objects in my art photographs
www.chemistryworld.com/news/fake-mi...
Fake microscopy images generated by AI are indistinguishable from the real thing
Materials scientists warn that raw data and replication studies are needed to tackle the looming threat of near-undetectable AI fraud
www.chemistryworld.com
October 4, 2025 at 1:40 PM
@elisabethbik.bsky.social
Does the rapid rise of AI in images complicate sleuthing?
I am stunned how seamlessly I can remove objects in my art photographs
www.chemistryworld.com/news/fake-mi...
Does the rapid rise of AI in images complicate sleuthing?
I am stunned how seamlessly I can remove objects in my art photographs
www.chemistryworld.com/news/fake-mi...
From 0.09% to 0.18%
Tabloid journalism at NYT
Tabloid journalism at NYT
Long Covid Risk for Children Doubles After a Second Infection, Study Finds
The new research provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences.
Oh dear, this is not good from the NYT.
www.nytimes.com/2025...
1/6
The new research provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences.
Oh dear, this is not good from the NYT.
www.nytimes.com/2025...
1/6
Long Covid Risk for Children Doubles After a Second Infection, Study Finds
The new research provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences.
www.nytimes.com
October 3, 2025 at 12:13 AM
From 0.09% to 0.18%
Tabloid journalism at NYT
Tabloid journalism at NYT
Reposted by Allan Konopka
UMass Amherst Microbiology is hiring a tenure-track virologist. Come work with me! 🦠🧪
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...
Details - Assistant Professor - Virology | Human Resources | UMass Amherst
careers.umass.edu
October 2, 2025 at 2:51 PM
UMass Amherst Microbiology is hiring a tenure-track virologist. Come work with me! 🦠🧪
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...
@markowenmartin.bsky.social
Dude, this is so up your alley
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Dude, this is so up your alley
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Positive Microbiology in the Movies
How ‘Positive Microbiology’ is portrayed in commercial movies and its potential as a tool for education and engaging general audiences to counteract germaphobia. Image done with freepik.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 26, 2025 at 2:17 PM
@markowenmartin.bsky.social
Dude, this is so up your alley
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Dude, this is so up your alley
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@nkalamb.bsky.social
@derekcrim.bsky.social
ICYMI …
At Alabama, HC Kalen DeBoer deliberately started practice 90 minutes late ... "We actually had it originally scheduled earlier, moved it back just to get a little more heat. It's good for us. We even conditioned at the end, did some extra work”
@derekcrim.bsky.social
ICYMI …
At Alabama, HC Kalen DeBoer deliberately started practice 90 minutes late ... "We actually had it originally scheduled earlier, moved it back just to get a little more heat. It's good for us. We even conditioned at the end, did some extra work”
August 18, 2025 at 4:21 PM
@nkalamb.bsky.social
@derekcrim.bsky.social
ICYMI …
At Alabama, HC Kalen DeBoer deliberately started practice 90 minutes late ... "We actually had it originally scheduled earlier, moved it back just to get a little more heat. It's good for us. We even conditioned at the end, did some extra work”
@derekcrim.bsky.social
ICYMI …
At Alabama, HC Kalen DeBoer deliberately started practice 90 minutes late ... "We actually had it originally scheduled earlier, moved it back just to get a little more heat. It's good for us. We even conditioned at the end, did some extra work”
"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past" -- Oceania's Party in Orwell's 1984
🧪 #philsci
grist.org/language/tru...
🧪 #philsci
grist.org/language/tru...
Why the federal government is making climate data disappear
Under Trump, climate denial has given way to something even more dangerous: climate erasure.
grist.org
July 19, 2025 at 4:17 PM
"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past" -- Oceania's Party in Orwell's 1984
🧪 #philsci
grist.org/language/tru...
🧪 #philsci
grist.org/language/tru...
Reposted by Allan Konopka
#Archaea #GRC folks, be sure to catch work by @oceancait.bsky.social representing our group this week in Switzerland.
She'll talk about new Asgard archaea enrichments form the Oregon coast. Talk on Sunday, Poster during the week.
She'll talk about new Asgard archaea enrichments form the Oregon coast. Talk on Sunday, Poster during the week.
July 18, 2025 at 7:53 PM
#Archaea #GRC folks, be sure to catch work by @oceancait.bsky.social representing our group this week in Switzerland.
She'll talk about new Asgard archaea enrichments form the Oregon coast. Talk on Sunday, Poster during the week.
She'll talk about new Asgard archaea enrichments form the Oregon coast. Talk on Sunday, Poster during the week.
Reposted by Allan Konopka
Latest #substack post is live. This was a piece I wrote several years ago for Rob Dunn's Invisible Worlds project.
Here, I describe the vast metabolic versatility of microbes, through the lens of Sergei Winogradsky & Rhodopseudomonas palustris 🦠💥
gibbological.substack.com/p/jack-of-al...
Here, I describe the vast metabolic versatility of microbes, through the lens of Sergei Winogradsky & Rhodopseudomonas palustris 🦠💥
gibbological.substack.com/p/jack-of-al...
Jack of all Trades
Ode to Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Sergei Winogradsky
gibbological.substack.com
July 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Latest #substack post is live. This was a piece I wrote several years ago for Rob Dunn's Invisible Worlds project.
Here, I describe the vast metabolic versatility of microbes, through the lens of Sergei Winogradsky & Rhodopseudomonas palustris 🦠💥
gibbological.substack.com/p/jack-of-al...
Here, I describe the vast metabolic versatility of microbes, through the lens of Sergei Winogradsky & Rhodopseudomonas palustris 🦠💥
gibbological.substack.com/p/jack-of-al...
I just came across this 🧪🧫 paper over weekend
Very exciting insights -- I particularly liked this figure: type of illuminating exposition I see on @infobeautiful.bsky.social
Defining ultra-slow-growing extremophilic microorganisms as aeonophiles
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Very exciting insights -- I particularly liked this figure: type of illuminating exposition I see on @infobeautiful.bsky.social
Defining ultra-slow-growing extremophilic microorganisms as aeonophiles
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
July 14, 2025 at 1:13 AM
I just came across this 🧪🧫 paper over weekend
Very exciting insights -- I particularly liked this figure: type of illuminating exposition I see on @infobeautiful.bsky.social
Defining ultra-slow-growing extremophilic microorganisms as aeonophiles
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Very exciting insights -- I particularly liked this figure: type of illuminating exposition I see on @infobeautiful.bsky.social
Defining ultra-slow-growing extremophilic microorganisms as aeonophiles
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
After too long a hiatus ... another Think Like a Microbe
🧪🧫 #philsci
open.substack.com/pub/thinkmic...
🧪🧫 #philsci
open.substack.com/pub/thinkmic...
Microbial Interactions
What underlies a tangled network?
open.substack.com
July 7, 2025 at 8:14 PM
After too long a hiatus ... another Think Like a Microbe
🧪🧫 #philsci
open.substack.com/pub/thinkmic...
🧪🧫 #philsci
open.substack.com/pub/thinkmic...
Fe is the element w/ lowest ratio between cellular content and aqueous solubility
Competition can be fierce
Competition can be fierce
Siderophores produced by marine microorganisms link.springer.com/article/10.1... #jcampubs
Siderophores produced by marine microorganisms - Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Siderophores are iron-chelating, low-molecular-weight compounds secreted by microorganisms in iron-deficient environments that enhance iron uptake. When compared to the siderophores produced by terres...
link.springer.com
June 16, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Fe is the element w/ lowest ratio between cellular content and aqueous solubility
Competition can be fierce
Competition can be fierce
June 6, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Nice commentary by a College Education AI dissenter
hedgehogreview.com/web-features...
hedgehogreview.com/web-features...
ChatGPT Is a Gimmick
AI offers a tempting illusion to students—and evidently to some teachers.
hedgehogreview.com
May 23, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Nice commentary by a College Education AI dissenter
hedgehogreview.com/web-features...
hedgehogreview.com/web-features...
Hey @markowenmartin.bsky.social -- ICYMI
Thought of you .... has a series of lovely colony photos
🧪🧫
www.quantamagazine.org/how-a-biofil...
Thought of you .... has a series of lovely colony photos
🧪🧫
www.quantamagazine.org/how-a-biofil...
How a Biofilm’s Strange Shape Emerges From Cellular Geometry | Quanta Magazine
Micro decisions can have macro consequences. A soft matter physicist reveals how interactions within simple cellular collectives can lead to emergent physical traits.
www.quantamagazine.org
May 15, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Hey @markowenmartin.bsky.social -- ICYMI
Thought of you .... has a series of lovely colony photos
🧪🧫
www.quantamagazine.org/how-a-biofil...
Thought of you .... has a series of lovely colony photos
🧪🧫
www.quantamagazine.org/how-a-biofil...