Jeffry Thornsberry
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jthorns.bsky.social
Jeffry Thornsberry
@jthorns.bsky.social
92 followers 220 following 11 posts
Natural Sciences Dept Chair @ NW Missouri State - Maize Geneticist - Wabash and Mizzou grad
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jthorns.bsky.social
Saturday's session of the Maize Genetics meeting involved a lot of discussion of support for junior scientists in this time of turmoil and uncertainty. I think one important component went unsaid.
March 11, 2025 at 7:03 PM
jthorns.bsky.social
My postdoctoral advisor is a very deserving recipient of this award. Wish he could have been here in person.
hochholdingerf.bsky.social Frank Hochholdinger @hochholdingerf.bsky.social · Mar 8
Ed Buckler received the 2025 McClintock prize for his groundbreaking research contributions. The McClintock prize for plant genetics and genomics is the most prestigous award of the maize genetics community. #MGM2025

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McClint...
March 9, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
wbrianlane.bsky.social
Collins looks like exactly what they want people to look like: white, cisgendered, male, straight, Christian. He even wears a suit and tie. But he was Fauci's boss and followed the science.

They are coming for all of us.
altnih4science.bsky.social Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · Mar 1
Francis Collins, longtime NIH director with bipartisan bona fides*, retires as of yesterday.

He returned to NIH in 2023 to focus on research in his own lab, in the NIH in-house intramural research campus.

His letter seems to imply he wasn’t ready to leave. NIH is being torn down. 1/🧪 #academicsky
Statement by Francis Collins, MD. PhD March 1, 2025 Yesterday I notified NIH Acting Director Matt Memoli, MD of my retirement from the federal government. effective February 28, 2025. The National Institutes of Health is the world's foremost medical research institution. It has been rightfully called the "crown jewel" of the federal government for decades. It has been the greatest honor of my life to be part of this institution in various roles over the last four decades. In the 1980s, NIH supported my work at the University of Michigan through a peer-reviewed grant. That led to the identification of the gene for cystic fibrosis. Thirty years later that has led to an almost miraculous treatment that allows most kids with cystic fibrosis to look forward to an almost normal life span. I was recruited to NIH in 1993 to lead the Human Genome Project - an extraordinarily bold initiative to read out the three billion letters of the human DNA instruction book. Funded by the U.S. Congress, the project completed its work -- two years ahead of schedule, and $400 million under budget. The success of the project, and the commitment to share all of the data rapidly and freely, has revolutionized every aspect of human biomedical research and medical practice. Subsequently I was honored to be asked to serve as the Director of the National Institutes of Health. I had the chance to serve three Presidents - Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden. I also had the opportunity to work regularly with members of Congress in both parties. I loved those interactions and relationships. Throughout that time, investment relieving human suffering, and contributing substantially to the U.S. economy. That consistent support made possible bold new projects in regenerative medicine, brain science, precision health, cancer, and solutions for opioid addiction, to name just a few. When the worst pandemic in more than a century arose in 2020, it was my job as Director of NIH to pull together partnerships with the FDA, academia, and the private sector to produce what only America's unparalleled biomedical sector could have: COVID vaccines in just 11 months, a staggering medical achievement that saved over three million lives in the U.S.alone. After a stint in the White House as the President's Acting Science Advisor, where I had the chance to organize a major initiative to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States, i returned to the intramural research program of the National Human Genome Research Institute in 2023. There I have been overseeing a research laboratory of a dozen highly talented and visionary scientists who are providing new insights into the causes and possible means of prevention of type 2 diabetes, as well as seeking a gene therapy cure for one of the world's rarest diseases - progeria, a premature aging disorder. NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. It is the main piston of a biomedical discovery engine that is the envy of the globe. Yet it is not a household name. It should be. NIH supports everything from basic science to clinical trials, providing the foundation of many breakthroughs. When you hear about patients surviving stage 4 cancer because of immunotherapy, that was based on NIH research over many decades. When you hear about sickle cell disease being cured because of CRISPR gene editing, that was built on many years of research supported by NIH. It has also been the largest supporter of global health research in the world, winning us many friends and colleagues from across the globe. I have loved being employed by this extraordinary, life-giving institution for 32 years. I will continue to devote my life in other ways to seeking knowledge and enhancing health, to healing disease and reducing suffering, and to doing what I can to bring together our fractured communities around the shared values of love, truth, goodness, and faith. As I depart NIH, I want to express my gratitude and love for the men and women with whom I have worked side-by-side for so many years. They are individuals of extraordinary intellect and integrity, selfless and hard-working, generous and compassionate. They personify excellence in every way, and they deserve the utmost respect and support of all Americans.
March 1, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
carlosgonzsanz.bsky.social
Check out the latest article we wrote for Plantae's blog: “Classical botany in the shadow of molecular sciences” 🌱🌿. We discuss how botany remains essential in the era of molecular biology, bringing traditional plant science with cutting-edge discoveries. @plantaeofficial.bsky.social
February 3, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
standupforscience.bsky.social
Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!

Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!

#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
February 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM
jthorns.bsky.social
Things are bleak but we must continue to prepare the next generation of scientists or we truly will descend into the dark ages. Positions still out there at PUI like my own where you can have an impact jobs.chronicle.com/job/37788836...
jobs.chronicle.com/job/37785736...
#sciencejobs #plantscijobs
Assistant Professor of Biology - Plant Biologist (tenure track), Natural Sciences - Maryville, Missouri (US) job with Northwest Missouri State University | 37788836
Seeking a plant biologist with a background in plant diversity, taxonomy, and local flora to teach undergraduate coursework in introductory botany.
jobs.chronicle.com
February 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
neildegrassetyson.com
At the moment, mansion-sized Asteroid 2024-YR4 has a one-in-fifty chance of hitting Earth in the next eight years.

Now might be a bad time to reduce spending on Science. Just sayin’.
February 15, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
npr.org
After going quiet on bird flu, CDC scientists have published a report on its spread among veterinarians. The findings suggest a need for better surveillance.
After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people
After going quiet on bird flu, CDC scientists have published a report on its spread among veterinarians. The findings suggest a need for better surveillance.
www.npr.org
February 13, 2025 at 6:16 PM
jthorns.bsky.social
bsky.app/profile/jtho...
#PlantScienceJobs
jthorns.bsky.social Jeffry Thornsberry @jthorns.bsky.social · Feb 6
We're looking for a plant biologist with a background in plant diversity and ecology. If you know of someone with an interest in a career at a PUI with these skill sets, please pass this along.
www.schooljobs.com/careers/nwmi...
www.schooljobs.com
February 6, 2025 at 4:52 PM
jthorns.bsky.social
We're looking for a plant biologist with a background in plant diversity and ecology. If you know of someone with an interest in a career at a PUI with these skill sets, please pass this along.
www.schooljobs.com/careers/nwmi...
www.schooljobs.com
February 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
jthorns.bsky.social
Our department has reopened our search for a biologist to contribute to our physiology courses. The position is tenure track at either Assistant or Associate Professor rank. If you know someone interested in a career at a PUI, please forward them this link: jobs.chronicle.com/job/37785736...
Assistant or Associate Professor of Biology (Physiology), Natural Sciences - Maryville, Missouri (US) job with Northwest Missouri State University | 37785736
Animal or human physiologist to teach body systems-based Human Physiology courses to health care professionals.
jobs.chronicle.com
February 6, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
bradduplessis.bsky.social
This Ag Station in Afghanistan was the brain child of 1LT Ryan Babcock and USAID. Trained locals on better ag techniques, provided seed, fertilizer... I didn't speak Pashto but everywhere I went I heard the word "Babcock" in discussions. Locals did not let TB gain inroads here.
February 5, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
wa3zgt.bsky.social
Why Are Plants Green?

To Reduce the Noise in Photosynthesis.

www.quantamagazine.org/why-are-plan...

Plants ignore the most energy-rich part of sunlight because stability matters more than efficiency, according to a new model of photosynthesis.
Why Are Plants Green? To Reduce the Noise in Photosynthesis.
Plants ignore the most energy-rich part of sunlight because stability matters more than efficiency, according to a new model of photosynthesis.
www.quantamagazine.org
February 5, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
carlbergstrom.com
Sabotage. Criminal sabotage.

"[The NSF] is planning to lay off between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months, a top National Science Foundation official said Tuesday."

www.eenews.net/articles/sci...
Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs
National Science Foundation staff heard the plans at a meeting Tuesday.
www.eenews.net
February 4, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Reposted by Jeffry Thornsberry
needhibhalla.bsky.social
"Given the current political reality and the expansion of attacks on science, it is time for scientists to be more effective, forceful, and vociferous as their own political advocates." 🧪

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Scientists as political advocates
Science, both teaching and doing, is under attack. The recent US presidential election of a person and platform with anti-science bias exemplifies this. The study of climate processes and patterns and...
www.science.org
November 21, 2024 at 9:49 PM