RJ Mackenzie
@rjmsci.bsky.social
Freelance science journalist. Neuroscience graduate. 2024 ABSW Awards Finalist. 2024 FRONTIERS Fellow. Views my own. Commission me: summerislescience@gmail.com
Pinned
RJ Mackenzie
@rjmsci.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Hello Bluesky, I'm Ruairi - a science reporter and communicator usually based in Glasgow, but temporarily living in Bilbao as part of a fellowship organised by the FRONTIERS program. Glad to be part of the Great Science Twitter Migration of 2024!
Modern cancer therapies assail tumors from as many different angles as possible. New research exploits these cells' warped metabolism. A relatively simple dietary change could help out. My latest in @livescience.com www.livescience.com/health/cance...
Diet change could make brain cancer easier to treat, early study hints
A new lab study exploited a unique aspect of metabolism in glioblastoma to boost the effectiveness of chemoradiation, turning the cancer's properties against itself.
www.livescience.com
September 16, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Modern cancer therapies assail tumors from as many different angles as possible. New research exploits these cells' warped metabolism. A relatively simple dietary change could help out. My latest in @livescience.com www.livescience.com/health/cance...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
In 1987, the editor of @science.org, Dan Koshland, wrote: "99.9999 percent of reports are accurate and truthful."
www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
In 2025, editor Holden Thorp writes: "Sluggishness and defensiveness enabled an executive order on research integrity." www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
In 2025, editor Holden Thorp writes: "Sluggishness and defensiveness enabled an executive order on research integrity." www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org
June 24, 2025 at 1:49 PM
In 1987, the editor of @science.org, Dan Koshland, wrote: "99.9999 percent of reports are accurate and truthful."
www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
In 2025, editor Holden Thorp writes: "Sluggishness and defensiveness enabled an executive order on research integrity." www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
In 2025, editor Holden Thorp writes: "Sluggishness and defensiveness enabled an executive order on research integrity." www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Researchers have discovered a signal that tells the brain it's time to forget being afraid - and I wrote about it for @nature.com here: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
‘Fear extinction’ signal in mouse brain offers clues about how to treat PTSD
Mechanism involving neurons that stimulate fear, and ones that suppress it, could help to explain conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
www.nature.com
April 30, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Researchers have discovered a signal that tells the brain it's time to forget being afraid - and I wrote about it for @nature.com here: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
Genuinely astonished at this decision. It makes no sense at all. My love and unwavering support go out to every trans person in the UK facing uncertainty, fear and exclusion as a result of this. As far as I can tell we just deliberately created an anomaly in law to satisfy transphobes. But it won't.
The UK Supreme Court has unanimously decided that the definition of sex under the Equality Act 2010 refers solely to biological sex, and does not include people with a Gender Recognition Certificate.
April 16, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Genuinely astonished at this decision. It makes no sense at all. My love and unwavering support go out to every trans person in the UK facing uncertainty, fear and exclusion as a result of this. As far as I can tell we just deliberately created an anomaly in law to satisfy transphobes. But it won't.
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
Harvard’s Decision to Resist Trump Is ‘of Momentous Significance’
“This should be the turning point in the president’s rampage against American institutions.”
#GiftLink
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...
“This should be the turning point in the president’s rampage against American institutions.”
#GiftLink
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...
Harvard’s Decision to Resist Trump Is ‘of Momentous Significance’ (Gift Article)
But a fight with the nation’s oldest, richest and most elite university is a battle that President Trump and his powerful aide, Stephen Miller, want to have.
www.nytimes.com
April 15, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Harvard’s Decision to Resist Trump Is ‘of Momentous Significance’
“This should be the turning point in the president’s rampage against American institutions.”
#GiftLink
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...
“This should be the turning point in the president’s rampage against American institutions.”
#GiftLink
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...
More microglia writing from me over at @thetransmitter.bsky.social. This time with videos! www.thetransmitter.org/microglia/vi...
April 10, 2025 at 3:01 PM
More microglia writing from me over at @thetransmitter.bsky.social. This time with videos! www.thetransmitter.org/microglia/vi...
I wrote about the glioblastoma research that won Frank Winkler and @michellemonje.bsky.social the #BrainPrize2025. I hadn't realised before writing this what huge barriers we face towards curing brain cancer. Here's hoping this kind of ambitious work can help: www.the-scientist.com/to-fuel-thei...
To Fuel Their Growth, Cancer Cells Hijack Neurons
The Brain Prize 2025 went to neuro-oncologists Michelle Monje and Frank Winkler for pioneering the field of cancer neuroscience.
www.the-scientist.com
April 10, 2025 at 2:51 PM
I wrote about the glioblastoma research that won Frank Winkler and @michellemonje.bsky.social the #BrainPrize2025. I hadn't realised before writing this what huge barriers we face towards curing brain cancer. Here's hoping this kind of ambitious work can help: www.the-scientist.com/to-fuel-thei...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
Public service announcement. They are not Dire Wolves. They have 20 single letter changes in their entire genomes. I’ve done shits with more mutations.
Every time journalists write up a Colossus press release, They are making people stupider. Client journalism by a ridiculous company.
Every time journalists write up a Colossus press release, They are making people stupider. Client journalism by a ridiculous company.
April 7, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Public service announcement. They are not Dire Wolves. They have 20 single letter changes in their entire genomes. I’ve done shits with more mutations.
Every time journalists write up a Colossus press release, They are making people stupider. Client journalism by a ridiculous company.
Every time journalists write up a Colossus press release, They are making people stupider. Client journalism by a ridiculous company.
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
#bioGUNE_News | @rjmsci.bsky.social's first article during his stay via @frontiersmedia.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu program is out!
Published in #DrugDiscovNews, it explores how resurrected ancient enzyme could transform gene editing - work from #SynBioLab!
www.drugdiscoverynews.com/resurrected-...
Published in #DrugDiscovNews, it explores how resurrected ancient enzyme could transform gene editing - work from #SynBioLab!
www.drugdiscoverynews.com/resurrected-...
Resurrected ancient enzyme could transform gene editing
An enzyme reconstructed from a three-billion-year-old bacterium widens gene editing capabilities to even more regions of the genome.
www.drugdiscoverynews.com
March 14, 2025 at 7:49 AM
#bioGUNE_News | @rjmsci.bsky.social's first article during his stay via @frontiersmedia.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu program is out!
Published in #DrugDiscovNews, it explores how resurrected ancient enzyme could transform gene editing - work from #SynBioLab!
www.drugdiscoverynews.com/resurrected-...
Published in #DrugDiscovNews, it explores how resurrected ancient enzyme could transform gene editing - work from #SynBioLab!
www.drugdiscoverynews.com/resurrected-...
Here's the first story from my recent ERC FRONTIERS fellowship. It's expanding the scope of gene-editing tools like CRISPR to help treat genetic diseases currently beyond these tools' scope. As one researcher put it, the goal is "reaching the unreachable": www.drugdiscoverynews.com/resurrected-...
Resurrected ancient enzyme could transform gene editing
An enzyme reconstructed from a three-billion-year-old bacterium widens gene editing capabilities to even more regions of the genome.
www.drugdiscoverynews.com
March 13, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Here's the first story from my recent ERC FRONTIERS fellowship. It's expanding the scope of gene-editing tools like CRISPR to help treat genetic diseases currently beyond these tools' scope. As one researcher put it, the goal is "reaching the unreachable": www.drugdiscoverynews.com/resurrected-...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
Your reminder that legislation to curb the rights of trans people to use restrooms or do anything else means everyone's behaviour, clothing etc will be opened up to intrusive and unwanted scrutiny and potential challenge in our daily lives. This is not a 'them' issue. Trans rights are human rights.
“They came in here in the girls’ restroom because I’m a girl and they didn’t think I was a girl, so they tried to take me away”
“It’s already enough being Black and facing discrimination…Now I have to worry about being harassed just for needing to pee?”
Transphobia doesn’t just hurt trans people!
“It’s already enough being Black and facing discrimination…Now I have to worry about being harassed just for needing to pee?”
Transphobia doesn’t just hurt trans people!
Cops burst into women's restroom to remove butch lesbian, accusing her of being a man - LGBTQ Nation
“The only men in the women’s restroom were the cops.”
www.lgbtqnation.com
March 10, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Your reminder that legislation to curb the rights of trans people to use restrooms or do anything else means everyone's behaviour, clothing etc will be opened up to intrusive and unwanted scrutiny and potential challenge in our daily lives. This is not a 'them' issue. Trans rights are human rights.
It's rare disease day! Rare diseases were the focus of my recent fellowship. It's an area I feel so excited about; we are taking huge steps in our understanding of these diseases, and this is bringing therapies to patients who, until recently, had to fight just to have their conditions recognized.
February 28, 2025 at 3:05 PM
It's rare disease day! Rare diseases were the focus of my recent fellowship. It's an area I feel so excited about; we are taking huge steps in our understanding of these diseases, and this is bringing therapies to patients who, until recently, had to fight just to have their conditions recognized.
How many skin cells do we shed every day? A short thread reflecting on what an arse it can be to find out basic facts about the human body.
Source 1: Imperial College London press release.
Answer: 5 billion a day
Source 1: Imperial College London press release.
Answer: 5 billion a day
February 26, 2025 at 12:27 PM
How many skin cells do we shed every day? A short thread reflecting on what an arse it can be to find out basic facts about the human body.
Source 1: Imperial College London press release.
Answer: 5 billion a day
Source 1: Imperial College London press release.
Answer: 5 billion a day
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
RFK Jr. thinks that a clinical trial should be done for the entire childhood vaccine schedule. Here’s why that will never happen.
1. You can’t do a randomized trial of something that we already know is safe and effective. There would have to be a placebo group that didn’t get vaxxed. Unethical.
1. You can’t do a randomized trial of something that we already know is safe and effective. There would have to be a placebo group that didn’t get vaxxed. Unethical.
February 19, 2025 at 2:45 AM
RFK Jr. thinks that a clinical trial should be done for the entire childhood vaccine schedule. Here’s why that will never happen.
1. You can’t do a randomized trial of something that we already know is safe and effective. There would have to be a placebo group that didn’t get vaxxed. Unethical.
1. You can’t do a randomized trial of something that we already know is safe and effective. There would have to be a placebo group that didn’t get vaxxed. Unethical.
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
The Trump administration's cuts in science funding will likely lead to an exodus of scientific expertise, the research community warns. "That beacon of research that the US was for several decades — it’s just not going to be there.” www.statnews.com/2025/02/12/t...
Trump policies spark fears of brain drain, threatening to undermine U.S. dominance in biomedicine
A torrent of Trump administration policies is alarming scientists who fear the current climate is weakening researchers’ resolve to stick with careers in academic science.
www.statnews.com
February 12, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The Trump administration's cuts in science funding will likely lead to an exodus of scientific expertise, the research community warns. "That beacon of research that the US was for several decades — it’s just not going to be there.” www.statnews.com/2025/02/12/t...
A third round of the #FRONTIERS fellowship is focusing on early-career science journalists. If you are starting out, there is no better way to understand science than by rolling up your sleeves and going into the lab - this lets you do just that. Apply apply! frontiers.media/frontiers-la...
FRONTIERS launches dedicated call for early-career science journalists - FRONTIERS
FRONTIERS announces a new call for applications for its Science Journalism in Residency Programme, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). This third call is exclusively aimed at early-career j...
frontiers.media
February 11, 2025 at 4:49 PM
A third round of the #FRONTIERS fellowship is focusing on early-career science journalists. If you are starting out, there is no better way to understand science than by rolling up your sleeves and going into the lab - this lets you do just that. Apply apply! frontiers.media/frontiers-la...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
Very proud of these journalism orgs (several of which I'm in!) noting that taking down public data sets impacts everyone. Not just us journalists, but people who NEED the data on weather, diseases, water quality. We all NEED to know this stuff! casw.org/news/journal...
Journalism organizations call for restoration of public data - CASW
casw.org
February 11, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Very proud of these journalism orgs (several of which I'm in!) noting that taking down public data sets impacts everyone. Not just us journalists, but people who NEED the data on weather, diseases, water quality. We all NEED to know this stuff! casw.org/news/journal...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
"Science journalism can decode complex research, but journalists need scientists' help understanding technical topics. Working together is key to accurate reporting"
🎙️ @rjmsci.bsky.social
Ruairi Mackenzie wraps up his #FRONTIERSResidency at @cicbiogune.bsky.social
🔗 bit.ly/ruairiinterv...
🎙️ @rjmsci.bsky.social
Ruairi Mackenzie wraps up his #FRONTIERSResidency at @cicbiogune.bsky.social
🔗 bit.ly/ruairiinterv...
February 11, 2025 at 4:34 PM
"Science journalism can decode complex research, but journalists need scientists' help understanding technical topics. Working together is key to accurate reporting"
🎙️ @rjmsci.bsky.social
Ruairi Mackenzie wraps up his #FRONTIERSResidency at @cicbiogune.bsky.social
🔗 bit.ly/ruairiinterv...
🎙️ @rjmsci.bsky.social
Ruairi Mackenzie wraps up his #FRONTIERSResidency at @cicbiogune.bsky.social
🔗 bit.ly/ruairiinterv...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
Mind-boggling wreckage. Among the lifesaving programs now disrupted by Elon’s attack on @USAID: phase 1 trials for a possible HIV vaccine.
February 6, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Mind-boggling wreckage. Among the lifesaving programs now disrupted by Elon’s attack on @USAID: phase 1 trials for a possible HIV vaccine.
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
#RuairiTakeover
In my last day taking over this account, I wanted to share some snapshots from the last three months. I'll start with group leader Rosa Barrio holding up some food for the flies she studies. It's got yeast and polenta and sugar. I think you could sell it as a health shot.
In my last day taking over this account, I wanted to share some snapshots from the last three months. I'll start with group leader Rosa Barrio holding up some food for the flies she studies. It's got yeast and polenta and sugar. I think you could sell it as a health shot.
January 31, 2025 at 10:35 AM
#RuairiTakeover
In my last day taking over this account, I wanted to share some snapshots from the last three months. I'll start with group leader Rosa Barrio holding up some food for the flies she studies. It's got yeast and polenta and sugar. I think you could sell it as a health shot.
In my last day taking over this account, I wanted to share some snapshots from the last three months. I'll start with group leader Rosa Barrio holding up some food for the flies she studies. It's got yeast and polenta and sugar. I think you could sell it as a health shot.
Great to see another gene therapy for a #raredisease approved through the NHS. It really is the best example of how this healthcare system, with all its faults, can be incredible: www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/new...
World-first gene-editing treatment for blood disorders including sickle cell disease approved for use in the NHS
NICE has today approved a gene-editing treatment for use with NHS patients over the age of 12 with a severe form of sickle cell disease.
www.imperial.nhs.uk
January 31, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Great to see another gene therapy for a #raredisease approved through the NHS. It really is the best example of how this healthcare system, with all its faults, can be incredible: www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/new...
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
#RuairiTakeover
NMR requires powerful fields generated by superconducting magnets. These magnets are kept at ultralow temperatures by liquid nitrogen and helium. Platform manager Tammo showed me how he fills huge canisters full of liquid nitrogen - see below 👀
NMR requires powerful fields generated by superconducting magnets. These magnets are kept at ultralow temperatures by liquid nitrogen and helium. Platform manager Tammo showed me how he fills huge canisters full of liquid nitrogen - see below 👀
January 30, 2025 at 10:37 AM
#RuairiTakeover
NMR requires powerful fields generated by superconducting magnets. These magnets are kept at ultralow temperatures by liquid nitrogen and helium. Platform manager Tammo showed me how he fills huge canisters full of liquid nitrogen - see below 👀
NMR requires powerful fields generated by superconducting magnets. These magnets are kept at ultralow temperatures by liquid nitrogen and helium. Platform manager Tammo showed me how he fills huge canisters full of liquid nitrogen - see below 👀
Reposted by RJ Mackenzie
#bioGUNE_News | 🗞️ #CICbioGUNE @brtaeus.bsky.social hosted a two-day training to strengthen science communication!
👏 A huge thanks to @rjmsci.bsky.social @frontiersmedia.bsky.social for leading the sessions!
🔗 ow.ly/7pFy50UPPAX
👏 A huge thanks to @rjmsci.bsky.social @frontiersmedia.bsky.social for leading the sessions!
🔗 ow.ly/7pFy50UPPAX
January 29, 2025 at 8:31 PM
#bioGUNE_News | 🗞️ #CICbioGUNE @brtaeus.bsky.social hosted a two-day training to strengthen science communication!
👏 A huge thanks to @rjmsci.bsky.social @frontiersmedia.bsky.social for leading the sessions!
🔗 ow.ly/7pFy50UPPAX
👏 A huge thanks to @rjmsci.bsky.social @frontiersmedia.bsky.social for leading the sessions!
🔗 ow.ly/7pFy50UPPAX
Looking forward to this!
#RuairiTakeover Today, I'm leading a workshop here at @cicbiogune.bsky.social on science communication. We'll review how researchers can best tell their research stories, how to prep for an interview with the media, and how different outlets communicate to their audience. Pictures incoming soon!
January 29, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Looking forward to this!
My takeover of the @frontiersmedia.bsky.social account continues this week. Give it a follow to see pictures of me standing and talking and, I hope, not publicly embarrassing myself.
#RuairiTakeover Here's a bit more about @cicbiogune.bsky.social. It's a bioscience research facility that houses 19 research groups. Rare disease research is only a fraction of the science happening here, which includes everything from cancer research to nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
January 28, 2025 at 10:22 AM
My takeover of the @frontiersmedia.bsky.social account continues this week. Give it a follow to see pictures of me standing and talking and, I hope, not publicly embarrassing myself.