Catherine S.
@cadamoo.bsky.social
MolTox PhD. Some science easily distracted by knitting, doodles, bird watching, books and heavy metal (that is, whenever my two tots allow it)
Reposted by Catherine S.
Did you know that the cells of old animals contain much less mRNA than the cells of young ones? Let me share with you some results from an ongoing project in the lab, where we are finding that a progressive depletion of total mRNA abundance is a crucial part of aging 1/22
September 5, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Did you know that the cells of old animals contain much less mRNA than the cells of young ones? Let me share with you some results from an ongoing project in the lab, where we are finding that a progressive depletion of total mRNA abundance is a crucial part of aging 1/22
I wish more people saw how The Dungeon Crawler Carl books are really a poignant, modern retelling of Dante’s Divine Comedy 🎭 📚💙
September 8, 2026 at 1:47 PM
I wish more people saw how The Dungeon Crawler Carl books are really a poignant, modern retelling of Dante’s Divine Comedy 🎭 📚💙
Reposted by Catherine S.
Autumn is arriving and trees are preparing for the cold. This is not a simple response of trees to changing weather, but a complex series of physiologic events in trees that begins in early spring. Have a look at Our Trees.
Trees End Their Season
A complex series of events prepare trees for cold
substack.com
September 7, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Autumn is arriving and trees are preparing for the cold. This is not a simple response of trees to changing weather, but a complex series of physiologic events in trees that begins in early spring. Have a look at Our Trees.
Reposted by Catherine S.
Earlier in the summer I suggested I’d do a thread on this gnarly paper. Better late than never. (Yes, it's more WTF biology.) 🧵 /1
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Subnuclear genome compartmentalization controls bivalent chromatin activity - Nature
Knowledge of the spatial location of a gene is necessary to understand its epigenomic regulation.
www.nature.com
August 30, 2026 at 9:06 AM
Earlier in the summer I suggested I’d do a thread on this gnarly paper. Better late than never. (Yes, it's more WTF biology.) 🧵 /1
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Catherine S.
97% reduction in the Giant Australian Cuttlefish population following last summer’s fatal algal bloom is devastating. Cephalopod populations *can* rebound relatively quickly, and I hope in this case they do, but I’m worried nonetheless.
August 23, 2026 at 10:20 PM
97% reduction in the Giant Australian Cuttlefish population following last summer’s fatal algal bloom is devastating. Cephalopod populations *can* rebound relatively quickly, and I hope in this case they do, but I’m worried nonetheless.
Reposted by Catherine S.
René Magritte - "Evening Falls" (1964)
August 12, 2026 at 7:59 PM
René Magritte - "Evening Falls" (1964)
Reposted by Catherine S.
NEW: The EPA spent hundreds of millions on lead remediation in Omaha, home of the nation’s largest residential Superfund site.
New soil tests by @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social and ProPublica show that years later, many yards still have harmful levels of lead.
New soil tests by @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social and ProPublica show that years later, many yards still have harmful levels of lead.
The EPA Heralds Its Omaha Cleanup as a Success. But We Found Many Yards Still Have Toxic Levels of Lead.
The agency spent hundreds of millions on lead remediation in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the nation’s largest residential Superfund site. New soil tests by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica show th...
www.propublica.org
August 4, 2026 at 12:04 PM
NEW: The EPA spent hundreds of millions on lead remediation in Omaha, home of the nation’s largest residential Superfund site.
New soil tests by @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social and ProPublica show that years later, many yards still have harmful levels of lead.
New soil tests by @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social and ProPublica show that years later, many yards still have harmful levels of lead.
Reposted by Catherine S.
Not sure if everyone appreciates the difference. Rooftop solar hardwires into your main panel via a dedicated breaker, so it requires a permit, an installer, an electrician, and a utility agreement. Balcony solar just plugs into a wall outlet, sharing an existing circuit with no permits or rewiring.
A new deal on balcony solar just dropped in the US
Plug-in panels can lower your bills. To boost the American market for the tech, nonprofit Bright Saver is selling kits with no markup, starting at around…
www.canarymedia.com
August 4, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Not sure if everyone appreciates the difference. Rooftop solar hardwires into your main panel via a dedicated breaker, so it requires a permit, an installer, an electrician, and a utility agreement. Balcony solar just plugs into a wall outlet, sharing an existing circuit with no permits or rewiring.
Still thinking about the wonderfully unsolicited dating advice I got from my almost-retired high school English teacher. She’d say “if you’re waiting for prince charming to ride up on his noble steed, be prepared to pick up a lot of horse shit”. I miss you, Mrs. Fraser
July 31, 2026 at 2:13 AM
Still thinking about the wonderfully unsolicited dating advice I got from my almost-retired high school English teacher. She’d say “if you’re waiting for prince charming to ride up on his noble steed, be prepared to pick up a lot of horse shit”. I miss you, Mrs. Fraser
Reposted by Catherine S.
Great piece here by @brendonstuff.bsky.social on the need for widespread use of bird-safe glass to prevent window collisions theconversation.com/bird-safe-gl...
Bird-safe glass must become the norm to prevent collisions with buildings
In Canada, tens of millions of birds are killed annually by crashing into glass on buildings.
theconversation.com
July 29, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Great piece here by @brendonstuff.bsky.social on the need for widespread use of bird-safe glass to prevent window collisions theconversation.com/bird-safe-gl...
Reposted by Catherine S.
Increasing nutrient diversity is expected to promote microbial diversity. A study in Nature Ecology & Evolution shows that more complex environments can enhance resource uptake, intensify competition and lead to microbial biodiversity loss, challenging a central ecological assumption. 🌎🧪
Increased nutrient diversity can induce loss of microbial diversity through enhanced resource uptake - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Increasing nutrient diversity is expected to promote microbial diversity. This study shows that more complex environments can enhance resource uptake, intensify competition and lead to microbial biodiversity loss, challenging a central ecological assumption.
go.nature.com
July 27, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Increasing nutrient diversity is expected to promote microbial diversity. A study in Nature Ecology & Evolution shows that more complex environments can enhance resource uptake, intensify competition and lead to microbial biodiversity loss, challenging a central ecological assumption. 🌎🧪
Reposted by Catherine S.
Pretty cool and dramatic NASA animation showing the long-range transport of 2026 Canadian wildfire smoke.
July 22, 2026 at 3:36 AM
Pretty cool and dramatic NASA animation showing the long-range transport of 2026 Canadian wildfire smoke.
Reposted by Catherine S.
Reposted by Catherine S.
that time of day where i wonder why i feel like shit and remember i've had two coffees and not a drop of water, follow along for more wellness tips
June 17, 2026 at 5:47 PM
that time of day where i wonder why i feel like shit and remember i've had two coffees and not a drop of water, follow along for more wellness tips
Reposted by Catherine S.
How's this for a feedback loop?
Ice sheets build up lowering sea level → reduced water load leads to increased mid ocean ridge volcanism after a 10-20 kyr lag → volcanism releases iron → iron causes plankton blooms → atmospheric CO₂ goes down → ice sheets build up
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ice sheets build up lowering sea level → reduced water load leads to increased mid ocean ridge volcanism after a 10-20 kyr lag → volcanism releases iron → iron causes plankton blooms → atmospheric CO₂ goes down → ice sheets build up
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ocean iron fertilization from enhanced mid-ocean-ridge volcanism due to ice-age sea-level falls - Nature Geoscience
Increased hydrothermal iron inputs from mid-ocean ridges, triggered by ice-age sea-level falls, supported higher surface primary productivity during the last two glacial terminations, according to pro...
www.nature.com
June 17, 2026 at 4:13 AM
How's this for a feedback loop?
Ice sheets build up lowering sea level → reduced water load leads to increased mid ocean ridge volcanism after a 10-20 kyr lag → volcanism releases iron → iron causes plankton blooms → atmospheric CO₂ goes down → ice sheets build up
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ice sheets build up lowering sea level → reduced water load leads to increased mid ocean ridge volcanism after a 10-20 kyr lag → volcanism releases iron → iron causes plankton blooms → atmospheric CO₂ goes down → ice sheets build up
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Catherine S.
Jane Yolen was an absolutely lovely human and also an almost absurdly talented writer. It's wonderful when both things are wrapped up in the same person. I considered her a friend and a colleague, and I will miss her. Condolences to the each of the many of us who knew her. Her memory is a blessing.
My mother, the inimitable Jane Yolen passed away this morning after a blessingly short fight with Alzheimer’s. She did not suffer, and went peacefully into the ether which, I am certain for her, will be filled with words of the most exquisite beauty and meaning.
June 11, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Jane Yolen was an absolutely lovely human and also an almost absurdly talented writer. It's wonderful when both things are wrapped up in the same person. I considered her a friend and a colleague, and I will miss her. Condolences to the each of the many of us who knew her. Her memory is a blessing.
Reposted by Catherine S.
I said this in an another post: "DEI" is mentioned 43 times in the first 50 pages of the OMB document, as justification for these changes.
The would rather break a scientific, technological and economic engine of this country rather than share it, rendering all of us the poorer for it
The would rather break a scientific, technological and economic engine of this country rather than share it, rendering all of us the poorer for it
White House proposes new rules giving political appointees final approval of research grants
These proposed Office of Management and Budget regulations would render the federal research grant review process opaque
www.scientificamerican.com/article/whit...
These proposed Office of Management and Budget regulations would render the federal research grant review process opaque
www.scientificamerican.com/article/whit...
White House proposes new rules giving political appointees final say on research grants
These proposed Office of Management and Budget regulations would render the federal research grant review process opaque
www.scientificamerican.com
May 29, 2026 at 4:58 PM
I said this in an another post: "DEI" is mentioned 43 times in the first 50 pages of the OMB document, as justification for these changes.
The would rather break a scientific, technological and economic engine of this country rather than share it, rendering all of us the poorer for it
The would rather break a scientific, technological and economic engine of this country rather than share it, rendering all of us the poorer for it
Reposted by Catherine S.
Oh deer
Beware of Drunk Deer, French Police Say, Announcing Season of Inebriation
www.nytimes.com
May 15, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Oh deer
Reposted by Catherine S.
How does the fungal pathogen #Cryptococcus neoformans adapt to the high #CarbonDioxide levels found in the human body? This study shows that CO₂ tolerance depends on coordinated metabolic, oxidative & membrane remodeling, partly via TOR–Ypk1 signaling @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3RmnKSc
May 6, 2026 at 4:30 PM
How does the fungal pathogen #Cryptococcus neoformans adapt to the high #CarbonDioxide levels found in the human body? This study shows that CO₂ tolerance depends on coordinated metabolic, oxidative & membrane remodeling, partly via TOR–Ypk1 signaling @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3RmnKSc
Reposted by Catherine S.
Can we use bird puke to reconstruct past ice sheets? Yes!
#Paleoclimate #IceSheets #geology
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#Paleoclimate #IceSheets #geology
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Novel rock luminescence dating of snow petrel stomach-oil deposits from East Antarctica
The discovery of long-term accumulations of snow petrel stomach-oil deposits in Antarctica have provided an excellent opportunity to reconstruct chang…
www.sciencedirect.com
May 5, 2026 at 7:21 AM
Can we use bird puke to reconstruct past ice sheets? Yes!
#Paleoclimate #IceSheets #geology
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#Paleoclimate #IceSheets #geology
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Catherine S.
Illinois maintained a nearly 97% vaccination rate against the measles among school-aged children, according to new data from public health officials.
Illinois touts high vaccination rates among school kids despite federal efforts to limit them
www.wbez.org
May 4, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Illinois maintained a nearly 97% vaccination rate against the measles among school-aged children, according to new data from public health officials.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is precisely the series I needed to start enjoy reading again. Picked up the 4th book in the series today after starting the 1st book less than a month ago 📚💙
April 12, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Dungeon Crawler Carl is precisely the series I needed to start enjoy reading again. Picked up the 4th book in the series today after starting the 1st book less than a month ago 📚💙
Reposted by Catherine S.
NSF Update (Awards through 2/27/26)
Directorates to follow
1/10
Directorates to follow
1/10
March 1, 2026 at 2:48 PM
NSF Update (Awards through 2/27/26)
Directorates to follow
1/10
Directorates to follow
1/10