Jennifer Tsang
@jtsangwrites.bsky.social
Freelance science writer, microbiologist at heart.
Blogging at The Microbial Menagerie microbialmenagerie.com
Content marketing for life science companies
https://linktr.ee/jennifertsangwrites
Blogging at The Microbial Menagerie microbialmenagerie.com
Content marketing for life science companies
https://linktr.ee/jennifertsangwrites
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
3. If you haven't got a #flu shot yet, now's the time. You may have heard that there's likely a mismatch this year — the #H3N2 virus mutated after the vaccine strains were picked. More on that in a bit. But that's not a reason to skip getting a shot this year. www.statnews.com/2025/11/20/f...
Is a bad flu season on the way? Experts see reason to be anxious
There are early indications that this flu season could be a bad one.
www.statnews.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:58 PM
3. If you haven't got a #flu shot yet, now's the time. You may have heard that there's likely a mismatch this year — the #H3N2 virus mutated after the vaccine strains were picked. More on that in a bit. But that's not a reason to skip getting a shot this year. www.statnews.com/2025/11/20/f...
This is wild... and I feel like I've seen another similar story about people using AI to create fake pitches, sources, and quotes.😬 thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 21, 2025 at 5:16 PM
This is wild... and I feel like I've seen another similar story about people using AI to create fake pitches, sources, and quotes.😬 thelocal.to/investigatin...
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
Angry person yelling at chill person who is responding by being calm, which makes the angry person even more mad? Problematic rage gap.
Prisoners keep escaping because you put the bars too far apart? Problematic cage gap.
November 19, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Angry person yelling at chill person who is responding by being calm, which makes the angry person even more mad? Problematic rage gap.
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
The sweater you’re knitting is supposed to be 10 stitches to an inch, but you’re only getting 7? Problematic gauge gap.
Angry person yelling at chill person who is responding by being calm, which makes the angry person even more mad? Problematic rage gap.
Prisoners keep escaping because you put the bars too far apart? Problematic cage gap.
November 19, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The sweater you’re knitting is supposed to be 10 stitches to an inch, but you’re only getting 7? Problematic gauge gap.
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
Bacteria have to adapt rapidly to changes in environment. Can they ‘remember’ those conditions? Another one for my “to read” pile! cc @microberamon.bsky.social @victoriachu.bsky.social @nickyuen.bsky.social @fratorelli.bsky.social #UTISky #MicroSky
#Review
Bacteria can “remember” past environments through genetic & biochemical imprints helping them adapt and thrive! 🦠🧠
#MicroSky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Bacteria can “remember” past environments through genetic & biochemical imprints helping them adapt and thrive! 🦠🧠
#MicroSky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Exploring the concept of bacterial memory - Nature Microbiology
This Perspective discusses the concept, mechanisms and evidence for memory in bacteria at individual and community levels.
www.nature.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Bacteria have to adapt rapidly to changes in environment. Can they ‘remember’ those conditions? Another one for my “to read” pile! cc @microberamon.bsky.social @victoriachu.bsky.social @nickyuen.bsky.social @fratorelli.bsky.social #UTISky #MicroSky
Best part of being a freelancer? I'm in charge of everything!!!
Worst part of being a freelancer. I'm in charge of IT. 👎
Worst part of being a freelancer. I'm in charge of IT. 👎
November 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Best part of being a freelancer? I'm in charge of everything!!!
Worst part of being a freelancer. I'm in charge of IT. 👎
Worst part of being a freelancer. I'm in charge of IT. 👎
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
The deadline for this call has been extended to Nov 18 - consider submitting some great host-centered microbial ecology entries too!
Final Call for the ISME Photo Competition! The winning photos and videos of microscopies and microbial ecologists at work will be used to promote the ISME Society and our publications.
💡 Deadline: 11 November!
For more information: isme-microbes.org/call-for-mic...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes
💡 Deadline: 11 November!
For more information: isme-microbes.org/call-for-mic...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes
November 12, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The deadline for this call has been extended to Nov 18 - consider submitting some great host-centered microbial ecology entries too!
As a long-time reader of @theopennotebook.bsky.social, I was happy to contribute to this article and be on the "other side" of the interview. Thank you @skylerdware.bsky.social for the opportunity. Lovely to hear how others are diversifying their work.
Many freelance journalists lean on writing-adjacent work, even outside journalism, to support their passion for reporting and writing, writes @bwfund.bsky.social early-career fellow @skylerdware.bsky.social in this story w/ @hannahseo.com, @kkdfv.bsky.social, @jtsangwrites.bsky.social, and others. 🧪
Diversifying Your Freelance Work for Stability and Joy - The Open Notebook
It’s difficult to make a living on freelance journalism alone. To support themselves and avoid burnout, some freelance science writers expand their portfolio to include work outside of written news re...
www.theopennotebook.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:24 PM
As a long-time reader of @theopennotebook.bsky.social, I was happy to contribute to this article and be on the "other side" of the interview. Thank you @skylerdware.bsky.social for the opportunity. Lovely to hear how others are diversifying their work.
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
Amazing journal cover for the new Trends In Microbiology special issue on geographic diversity in microbiology
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
November 12, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Amazing journal cover for the new Trends In Microbiology special issue on geographic diversity in microbiology
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Sometimes it freaks me out that using the washing machine is like using a giant centrifuge in my house. Is it just me?
November 11, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Sometimes it freaks me out that using the washing machine is like using a giant centrifuge in my house. Is it just me?
November. The time of year where...
1) Writing happens at 5AM b/c you can't sleep
2) You work in the dark b/c sunset is at 4PM
3) You don't know whether to listen to Halloween or Xmas music
4) Everyone comes to you w projects to finish by EOY
5) No one has projects for you b/c they're at conferences
1) Writing happens at 5AM b/c you can't sleep
2) You work in the dark b/c sunset is at 4PM
3) You don't know whether to listen to Halloween or Xmas music
4) Everyone comes to you w projects to finish by EOY
5) No one has projects for you b/c they're at conferences
November 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
November. The time of year where...
1) Writing happens at 5AM b/c you can't sleep
2) You work in the dark b/c sunset is at 4PM
3) You don't know whether to listen to Halloween or Xmas music
4) Everyone comes to you w projects to finish by EOY
5) No one has projects for you b/c they're at conferences
1) Writing happens at 5AM b/c you can't sleep
2) You work in the dark b/c sunset is at 4PM
3) You don't know whether to listen to Halloween or Xmas music
4) Everyone comes to you w projects to finish by EOY
5) No one has projects for you b/c they're at conferences
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
So happy to share this! Bacteriocins were first discovered over 100 years ago, but what do they actually do? We look at >1000 bacteriocin plasmids and find links to virulence and antimicrobial resistance, and frequent bacteriocin sharing in Enterobacteriaceae.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Bacterial warfare is associated with virulence and antimicrobial resistance - Nature Communications
Bacteria employ a range of competition systems that deliver toxins to inhibit competing strains. This study shows that these systems are particularly important for the ecology of virulent and antibiot...
www.nature.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:32 AM
So happy to share this! Bacteriocins were first discovered over 100 years ago, but what do they actually do? We look at >1000 bacteriocin plasmids and find links to virulence and antimicrobial resistance, and frequent bacteriocin sharing in Enterobacteriaceae.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
M. smegmatis uses new types of biofilm to enclose a liquid core and expand outwards in a weird new way.
October 30, 2025 at 8:30 PM
M. smegmatis uses new types of biofilm to enclose a liquid core and expand outwards in a weird new way.
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
Swashing: a propulsion-independent form of bacterial surface migration journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... #jcampubs
November 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
Early Microbial Evolution
"The origin of life on Earth remains one of the greatest and most pervasive mysteries in science. We know the story in broad strokes: Around 4 billion years ago, simple chemical compounds gave rise to living cells, which later formed..."
🦠
asm.org/articles/202...
"The origin of life on Earth remains one of the greatest and most pervasive mysteries in science. We know the story in broad strokes: Around 4 billion years ago, simple chemical compounds gave rise to living cells, which later formed..."
🦠
asm.org/articles/202...
Early Microbial Evolution | ASM.org
How did life begin, and why does it matter? Scientists are tracing early microbial life—from LUCA to multicellularity—to unlock insights for biotech, climate science and even space exploration.
asm.org
November 3, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Early Microbial Evolution
"The origin of life on Earth remains one of the greatest and most pervasive mysteries in science. We know the story in broad strokes: Around 4 billion years ago, simple chemical compounds gave rise to living cells, which later formed..."
🦠
asm.org/articles/202...
"The origin of life on Earth remains one of the greatest and most pervasive mysteries in science. We know the story in broad strokes: Around 4 billion years ago, simple chemical compounds gave rise to living cells, which later formed..."
🦠
asm.org/articles/202...
Just read about a flu test using taste as a 24/7 infection detector. This test could enable rapid, low-cost detection even before symptoms appear. Read more on #TheMicrobialMenagerie: microbialmenagerie.com/taste-based-flu-detection
#FluSeason #Influenza #MicrkSky #IDSky #MedSky #Microbiology
#FluSeason #Influenza #MicrkSky #IDSky #MedSky #Microbiology
Imagine tasting your flu infection before the symptoms hit
Influenza causes an estimated 500,000 deaths each year and tests that detect the virus are key to treating, and preventing the spread of, influenza. Towards this end, scientists from University of …
microbialmenagerie.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Just read about a flu test using taste as a 24/7 infection detector. This test could enable rapid, low-cost detection even before symptoms appear. Read more on #TheMicrobialMenagerie: microbialmenagerie.com/taste-based-flu-detection
#FluSeason #Influenza #MicrkSky #IDSky #MedSky #Microbiology
#FluSeason #Influenza #MicrkSky #IDSky #MedSky #Microbiology
Too much cooking today. Couldn't sleep bc of the time change so I made spinach oat pancakes. Big batch of pumpkin bolognese for dinner. Then made yogurt pouches for the preschooler and now working on a new batch of yogurt.
November 3, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Too much cooking today. Couldn't sleep bc of the time change so I made spinach oat pancakes. Big batch of pumpkin bolognese for dinner. Then made yogurt pouches for the preschooler and now working on a new batch of yogurt.
Say hello to zombie ants, slime molds, and vampire bacteria.
A few years ago, I was really into adding some fall vibes into my #microbiology blog. So here's a throwback to this round up of seven spooky microbiology stories for #Halloween.
#microsky
microbialmenagerie.com/seven-spooky...
A few years ago, I was really into adding some fall vibes into my #microbiology blog. So here's a throwback to this round up of seven spooky microbiology stories for #Halloween.
#microsky
microbialmenagerie.com/seven-spooky...
Seven Spooky Microbiology Stories for Halloween
Spooky season is here! While we associate Halloween with ghost stories, haunted houses, zombies, and trick-or-treating, the microbial world contains many eerie, microscopic (and macroscopic) tales.…
microbialmenagerie.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Say hello to zombie ants, slime molds, and vampire bacteria.
A few years ago, I was really into adding some fall vibes into my #microbiology blog. So here's a throwback to this round up of seven spooky microbiology stories for #Halloween.
#microsky
microbialmenagerie.com/seven-spooky...
A few years ago, I was really into adding some fall vibes into my #microbiology blog. So here's a throwback to this round up of seven spooky microbiology stories for #Halloween.
#microsky
microbialmenagerie.com/seven-spooky...
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
Cool 🦠
William Schmidt
Gerard Wong Lab @UCLA
Nature Microbiology
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lays down Psl exopolysaccharide as it crawls
Other cells detect and follow these trails using type IV pili pulling against adhesins like CdrA triggering c-di-GMP & cAMP surges to shift into early biofilm mode
William Schmidt
Gerard Wong Lab @UCLA
Nature Microbiology
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lays down Psl exopolysaccharide as it crawls
Other cells detect and follow these trails using type IV pili pulling against adhesins like CdrA triggering c-di-GMP & cAMP surges to shift into early biofilm mode
Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses exopolysaccharide trails using type IV pili and adhesins during biofilm formation - Nature Microbiology
Opposing forces generated by exopolysaccharide trail binding versus type IV pilus retraction generate a high cyclic diGMP–high cyclic AMP state in Pseudomonas aeruginosa that promotes social motility.
www.nature.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Cool 🦠
William Schmidt
Gerard Wong Lab @UCLA
Nature Microbiology
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lays down Psl exopolysaccharide as it crawls
Other cells detect and follow these trails using type IV pili pulling against adhesins like CdrA triggering c-di-GMP & cAMP surges to shift into early biofilm mode
William Schmidt
Gerard Wong Lab @UCLA
Nature Microbiology
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lays down Psl exopolysaccharide as it crawls
Other cells detect and follow these trails using type IV pili pulling against adhesins like CdrA triggering c-di-GMP & cAMP surges to shift into early biofilm mode
Reposted by Jennifer Tsang
We selected the laziest mouse at each round to inoculate the next batch of germfree mice: over rounds of selection and passaging, behavior shifted without changes to the mouse genome: rdcu.be/eM3rO
🦠🧫
🦠🧫
Selection and transmission of the gut microbiome alone can shift mammalian behavior
Nature Communications - Here, the authors present evidence that the gut microbiome alone, without changes in the host genome, can shape how animals respond to selection, identifying a bacterium and...
rdcu.be
October 28, 2025 at 7:51 AM
We selected the laziest mouse at each round to inoculate the next batch of germfree mice: over rounds of selection and passaging, behavior shifted without changes to the mouse genome: rdcu.be/eM3rO
🦠🧫
🦠🧫
⬇️ One of my favorite conferences when I was a grad student
Pls ahre: Registration for the January 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Sensory Transduction In Microorganisms is now open:
www.grc.org/sensory-tran...
The meeting will be led by Ariane Briegel (member, BLAST Board of Directors) and Victor Sourjik.
www.grc.org/sensory-tran...
The meeting will be led by Ariane Briegel (member, BLAST Board of Directors) and Victor Sourjik.
2026 Sensory Transduction in Microorganisms Conference GRC
The 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Sensory Transduction in Microorganisms will be held in Ventura, California. Apply today to reserve your spot.
www.grc.org
October 28, 2025 at 3:44 PM
⬇️ One of my favorite conferences when I was a grad student
I'm late to the game, but what are everyone's thoughts on emoji reactions to work emails? I only started using them sparingly a few weeks ago when I saw someone emoji-ed an email thread I was in... and then more followed with emojis in the same thread.
October 27, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I'm late to the game, but what are everyone's thoughts on emoji reactions to work emails? I only started using them sparingly a few weeks ago when I saw someone emoji-ed an email thread I was in... and then more followed with emojis in the same thread.
Cool paper! Makes me think of my flagella research days...
JB Editor's Choice: Waller, Ribardo & Hendrixson show that flagellar length impacts function, with short flagella slowing swimming and reducing host colonization, indicating the important of regulating the lenght of the filament.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology
October 22, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Cool paper! Makes me think of my flagella research days...
I'm a bit slow on sharing this one, but a few weeks ago my story about non-invasive colon cancer screening went live on The Scientist. The options are improving but colonoscopies remain the gold standard for now.
www.the-scientist.com/could-non-in...
www.the-scientist.com/could-non-in...
Could Non-Invasive Colon Cancer Screening Replace Colonoscopies?
The accuracy of non-invasive blood and stool-based tests for colorectal cancer is improving, but experts say it’s too soon to drop colonoscopies altogether.
www.the-scientist.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I'm a bit slow on sharing this one, but a few weeks ago my story about non-invasive colon cancer screening went live on The Scientist. The options are improving but colonoscopies remain the gold standard for now.
www.the-scientist.com/could-non-in...
www.the-scientist.com/could-non-in...