John Spear
@spearmicrobe.bsky.social
Professor, Colorado School of Mines: Environmental Microbiology; Geobiology; Life in Extremes; Environmental Policy; Climate Change. ORCiD: 0000-0002-4664-7438
https://people.mines.edu/jspear/
https://people.mines.edu/jspear/
Winogradsky column algae + afternoon ☀️ = a bunch of oxygen 🫧 🫧 🫧 🫧
November 24, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Winogradsky column algae + afternoon ☀️ = a bunch of oxygen 🫧 🫧 🫧 🫧
The Aurora Borealis over Castle Rock, Golden, CO—outstanding!
November 12, 2025 at 5:03 AM
The Aurora Borealis over Castle Rock, Golden, CO—outstanding!
Every now again walking to class @coschoolofmines.bsky.social you have to make sure you look up and take in the view!
November 11, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Every now again walking to class @coschoolofmines.bsky.social you have to make sure you look up and take in the view!
Filamentously tethered, afternoon fresh, photrophically generated, oxygen bubbles on top of a new @mblscience.bsky.social Microbial Diversity Course produced Winogradsky column!
October 1, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Filamentously tethered, afternoon fresh, photrophically generated, oxygen bubbles on top of a new @mblscience.bsky.social Microbial Diversity Course produced Winogradsky column!
Today’s first day @coschoolofmines.bsky.social ain’t yesterday’s. A small, niche engineering school discovered.
August 25, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Today’s first day @coschoolofmines.bsky.social ain’t yesterday’s. A small, niche engineering school discovered.
How to Winogradsky from 2025 Microbial Diversity @mblscience.bsky.social
August 6, 2025 at 6:57 PM
How to Winogradsky from 2025 Microbial Diversity @mblscience.bsky.social
Monitor image of a stromatolite’s top from Yellowstone National Park; microbially complex; builders and tenants present. Thx @mblscience.bsky.social for a nice tool in the toolbox!
August 1, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Monitor image of a stromatolite’s top from Yellowstone National Park; microbially complex; builders and tenants present. Thx @mblscience.bsky.social for a nice tool in the toolbox!
Science is Art.
Art is Science.
Not a bad afternoon with scanning electron microscopy @mblscience.bsky.social with Microbial Diversity!
Art is Science.
Not a bad afternoon with scanning electron microscopy @mblscience.bsky.social with Microbial Diversity!
July 31, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Science is Art.
Art is Science.
Not a bad afternoon with scanning electron microscopy @mblscience.bsky.social with Microbial Diversity!
Art is Science.
Not a bad afternoon with scanning electron microscopy @mblscience.bsky.social with Microbial Diversity!
Never ceases to amaze how one can pull an entire lab out of 2 closets; conduct and teach science to 20 Amazing! students at the Microbial Diversity Course and have great science produced @mblscience.bsky.social
…stay tuned for publications….
…stay tuned for publications….
July 24, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Never ceases to amaze how one can pull an entire lab out of 2 closets; conduct and teach science to 20 Amazing! students at the Microbial Diversity Course and have great science produced @mblscience.bsky.social
…stay tuned for publications….
…stay tuned for publications….
A media extravaganza at Microbial Diversity ‘25 @mblscience.bsky.social difficult to pull off anywhere—Thank you Juan Parales et al.!
July 7, 2025 at 9:24 PM
A media extravaganza at Microbial Diversity ‘25 @mblscience.bsky.social difficult to pull off anywhere—Thank you Juan Parales et al.!
At @mblscience.bsky.social preparing for Microbial Diversity ‘25; takes a lot of preparation for both aerobic and anaerobic cultivation of amazing microbiota from diverse environments.
(and yes, this is what this course has ‘diversity’ in the title…)
(and yes, this is what this course has ‘diversity’ in the title…)
July 6, 2025 at 12:02 AM
At @mblscience.bsky.social preparing for Microbial Diversity ‘25; takes a lot of preparation for both aerobic and anaerobic cultivation of amazing microbiota from diverse environments.
(and yes, this is what this course has ‘diversity’ in the title…)
(and yes, this is what this course has ‘diversity’ in the title…)
Congratulations to the new Dr. Carmen Villarruel!
Ph.D. work on wildland-urban interface wildfire and the mobilization of metals—an important story of our climate-changing (there, I wrote it) times.
Ph.D. work on wildland-urban interface wildfire and the mobilization of metals—an important story of our climate-changing (there, I wrote it) times.
April 3, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Congratulations to the new Dr. Carmen Villarruel!
Ph.D. work on wildland-urban interface wildfire and the mobilization of metals—an important story of our climate-changing (there, I wrote it) times.
Ph.D. work on wildland-urban interface wildfire and the mobilization of metals—an important story of our climate-changing (there, I wrote it) times.
You can worry about the world, but sometimes best to focus on what is right in front of you.
March 26, 2025 at 12:35 AM
You can worry about the world, but sometimes best to focus on what is right in front of you.
Presidential Address to a joint session of Congress; not sure if my liver can take these next 4 years.
Insanity, is the dominant paradigm in America.
Insanity, is the dominant paradigm in America.
March 5, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Presidential Address to a joint session of Congress; not sure if my liver can take these next 4 years.
Insanity, is the dominant paradigm in America.
Insanity, is the dominant paradigm in America.
Nothing like being a scientist, spending 100’s of hours finding $$$ for impactful research—to then have the whole rug pulled out.
Political appointee review of grants, shutdown of funding, ensure that research fits administration priority, etc.—is the death of society.
Continue to pay attention.
Political appointee review of grants, shutdown of funding, ensure that research fits administration priority, etc.—is the death of society.
Continue to pay attention.
January 28, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Nothing like being a scientist, spending 100’s of hours finding $$$ for impactful research—to then have the whole rug pulled out.
Political appointee review of grants, shutdown of funding, ensure that research fits administration priority, etc.—is the death of society.
Continue to pay attention.
Political appointee review of grants, shutdown of funding, ensure that research fits administration priority, etc.—is the death of society.
Continue to pay attention.
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,551,320.
Dunno, perhaps a new lucky number? Would be better if # sign was $ sign for science work!
Dunno, perhaps a new lucky number? Would be better if # sign was $ sign for science work!
September 25, 2024 at 4:16 PM
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,551,320.
Dunno, perhaps a new lucky number? Would be better if # sign was $ sign for science work!
Dunno, perhaps a new lucky number? Would be better if # sign was $ sign for science work!
Historic time in America; debate Bingo will keep it interesting.
September 11, 2024 at 1:05 AM
Historic time in America; debate Bingo will keep it interesting.
Sometimes the best science experiments are on a 2-week old loaf of bread left on the counter.
June 12, 2024 at 10:07 PM
Sometimes the best science experiments are on a 2-week old loaf of bread left on the counter.
Fabulous day working with @minesqbe @coschoolofmines Edgar Mine field session today!
DNA/RNA extractions on all kinds of sites; GeoBio, microbial influenced corrosion of steel; plastic degradation. Trying to maintain a low suck factor!
DNA/RNA extractions on all kinds of sites; GeoBio, microbial influenced corrosion of steel; plastic degradation. Trying to maintain a low suck factor!
May 14, 2024 at 11:08 PM
Fabulous day working with @minesqbe @coschoolofmines Edgar Mine field session today!
DNA/RNA extractions on all kinds of sites; GeoBio, microbial influenced corrosion of steel; plastic degradation. Trying to maintain a low suck factor!
DNA/RNA extractions on all kinds of sites; GeoBio, microbial influenced corrosion of steel; plastic degradation. Trying to maintain a low suck factor!
To all graduates out there everywhere—know that from the faculty/stage perspective—we are all proud to be part of the endeavor of life.
May 10, 2024 at 11:57 PM
To all graduates out there everywhere—know that from the faculty/stage perspective—we are all proud to be part of the endeavor of life.
Late April quiz:
Meteor or tortilla chip?
Meteor or tortilla chip?
April 27, 2024 at 12:14 AM
Late April quiz:
Meteor or tortilla chip?
Meteor or tortilla chip?
A down crane to take an up-jib and trolly crane down.
Wonders of engineering!
Wonders of engineering!
April 16, 2024 at 12:43 AM
A down crane to take an up-jib and trolly crane down.
Wonders of engineering!
Wonders of engineering!
Classic Front Range upslope greatly aided by post shoveling Double Dale’s; more incoming with Old Chub support tomorrow!
March 15, 2024 at 2:55 AM
Classic Front Range upslope greatly aided by post shoveling Double Dale’s; more incoming with Old Chub support tomorrow!
Congratulations to all current and former members of the Geo- Environmental- Microbiology Laboratory @coschoolofmines - 200 publications served in 14 years.
Remarkable achievement!
Remarkable achievement!
November 11, 2023 at 2:36 PM
Congratulations to all current and former members of the Geo- Environmental- Microbiology Laboratory @coschoolofmines - 200 publications served in 14 years.
Remarkable achievement!
Remarkable achievement!
Want to Go Deep learning about microbes from all 3 domains of life in what will be 6.5 weeks of low-suck factor time? Consider applying to Microbial Diversity at the MBL for summer 2024.
November 9, 2023 at 9:19 PM
Want to Go Deep learning about microbes from all 3 domains of life in what will be 6.5 weeks of low-suck factor time? Consider applying to Microbial Diversity at the MBL for summer 2024.