Petra Korlević
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petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
Petra Korlević
@petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
1.6K followers 300 following 3.3K posts
Geneticist working on malaria mosquitoes, I also doodle bugs 🦟

Staff Scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, opinions are my own

🇭🇷 expat in 🇬🇧
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petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
Petra Korlević @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social · Jan 14
Hello #PortfolioDay, I'm Petra, a staff scientist working on malaria mosquitoes, but I also try to make science more approachable and whimsical with my #SciArt doodles 🦟
a collage of 32 invertebrate drawings on a black background with the list of their scientific names in the middle. DToLtober 2024 1 | Thyatira batis 2 | Sphecodes monilicornis 3 | Halyzia sedecimguttata 4 | Bugulina stolonifera 5 | Meta bourneti 6 | Scaeva pyrastri 7 | Ocypus olens 8 | Vespa crabro 9 | Nematostella vectensis 10 | Papilio machaon 11 | Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale 12 | Alitta virens 13 | Allacma fusca 14 | Andrena fulva 15 | Anoplius nigerrimus 16 | Aporia crataegi 17 | Patella pellucida 18 | Bombylius discolor 19 | Chrysoperla carnea 20 | Diadumene lineata 21 | Calliphora vomitoria 22 | Apoderus coryli 23 | Gibbula magus 24 | Mimas tiliae 25 | Lineus longissimus 26 | Parasteatoda lunata 27 | Melolontha melolontha 28 | Marthasterias glacialis 29 | Emmelina monodactyla 30 | Gymnosoma rotundatum 31 | Laothoe populi extra | Nephrotoma flavescens a large widescreen comic in yellow, light green, dark green, of scientists talking about their projects at the Vector Kolymbari Meeting 2024. Panels are split into days and Session numbers. drawing of a beefly and mosquito standing in front christmas trees decorated with yellow lights’, both are standing by an AB blood bag with mugs, the beefly is worried, the mosquito has a christmas hat and spices in a mug full of red liquid. hand holding an A4 sticker sheet with various famous memes redrawn with mosquitoes as the main characters. Anthony Adams Rubbing Hands Together Captain Picard Facepalm Shia LaBeouf's Intense Motivational Speech / Just Do It Buzz And Woody This is Fine Take all my money Hide the Pain Harold I am cringe But I am free Math Lady Clown at computer Computer stare Spiderman pointing at Spiderman Treat. Yo. Self. Pepe Silvia Homer comfy cinnamon roll Spiderman computer desk Disaster girl Kermit sipping tea Drunk Kitty Peter and Miles crouching
petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
I have unlocked him...... but at what cost........ (my sanity)
photo of my steam deck of a character from the binding of isaac game, but it is a skeleton with a giant bone and two huge bulging eyes, a dead cat's head by their side, standing in a wooden room.
November 28, 2025 at 9:30 PM
petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
me when i get that black friday sale VPN and now have add-less youtube videos... IN ALBANIA
a black and white cat with a pink nose is laying on a bed
Alt: gig of a black and grey cat with a very pink nose and a shit eating smirk face illuminated dramatically by a lamp
media.tenor.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
my section was all about uterine tissues creating happy little "benign" tumors that make your life hell but since they are not cancerous it takes forever to diagnose and find a treatment that works for YOU!

#SciArt #endometriosis #fibroids #adenomyosis
cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - FIBROIDS- non-cancerous abnormal growths of muscle tissue extremely common, 2/3, ~50% asymptomatic unclear origin, estrogen? progesterone? at higher risk: African Caribbean, family history, early periods, obesity heavy bleeds, anemia, back pain infertility constipation, frequent urination Dr. Platypus fact: one of the biggest fibroid was 28kg in a 53 year old Singaporean patient! the middle drawing is of an uterus absolutely covered in pink blobs representing the different type of fibroids: pedunculate (outside), pedunculate (inside), subserosal, submucosal, utnramural cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - ENDOMETRIOSIS- endometrial-like tissue growing outside of the uterus unclear origin (cells escaping fallopian tube at menstruation, immune dysfunction, local estrogen production, circulation, surgery, genetics) Dr. Platypus fact: endometriotic lesions were even found in the brain, which caused neurological and psychiatric symptoms! ~8 years to get diagnosed 1/10 people bleeding outside and inside infertility pelvic PAIN! during intercourse, bowel movement, urination, or for no good reason nausea the middle drawing is of an uterus, guts, kidneys ovaries and bladder covered in pink endometriotic lesions, none of the organs are happy about it, one ovary has a massive pink chocolate cyst on it (a cyst full of endometrial tissue and blood) cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - ADENOMYOSIS- endometrial tissue frowing inside the muscles of the uterus 1/10 people, and they might not even have symptoms (one figure sayinh you telling me WHAT??) unclear origin... shocking i know... estrogen?? other hormones? most likely in: +30 years, abdominal surgery, given birth heavy abnormal bleeding, anemia, pain bloating, fullness infertility Dr. Platypus fact:you can have endometriosis, adenomyosis, and firboids ALL AT ONCE!... and they all have similar symptoms the middle drawing is of an uterus absolutely covered in pink blobs representing the endometrial tissue growing within the muscle: focal (adenomyoma), diffuse, enlarged uterus cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - MANAGING- there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, care ranges from less to more invasive first you need to diagnose the problem: ultrasound, blood markers, Magnetic Resonanse Imaging (MRI), surgery etc. PAIN CONTROL: painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, heating pads or hot water bottles, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) HORMONAL MEDICATION: IUS, mini pill, implants (progestogen only), combined pill, patches (progestogen + estrogen), hypothalamus pills injections (GnRH agonists and antagonists) SURGERY (diagnostic, to alleviate symptoms, and curative) laparoscopy, transvaginal hysteroscopy, abdominal (all biopsied) diseased tissue removal by laser or surgical hysterectomy: curative for adenomyosis and fibroids, but harder to access if <45 Dr. Platypus fact: platypuses don't have a uterus*(long oviduct, sometimes called the "uterus") so don't need to worry about any of this
November 27, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
doedryadart.bsky.social
Thank you!
Here is my shop, with many prints and some original paintings.
lostthicket.etsy.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
martynwarren.bsky.social
Bugs bugs bugs.

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Mart...
www.etsy.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
emilylorange.bsky.social
a meme showing two men, one (RGB) in vibrant blue, magenta and yellow about to be stabbed, and the other (CYMK) in the same colors desaturated, about to stab him
November 28, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
photosteve.bsky.social
Its neighbor nearby managed to stay nice and dry 😴
A different American Barn Owl standing nice and dry in its roost under tree cover.
November 28, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
arrianna-planey.bsky.social
This touches on a few of the biggest sources of low morale for me:

- flood of AI slop lands in my inbox as peer review requests
- my critical reviews of said AI slop are then ignored by editors at Journals that won't give my work consideration
- all while I'm expected to ⬆️ research output
jessicacalarco.com Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 10h
It's easy to see shoddy research as a bad actor problem. But if AI slop like this can make it through editors and peer reviewers, it means there are systemic problems at work. And I'd argue that at least part of the problem is the overwork culture in academia-- pressure to do more while caring less.
erikangner.com Erik Angner @erikangner.com · 1d
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 28, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
science.org
The domestic cat may be a far more recent arrival to Europe than previously thought, a new Science study. finds. The results offer new insight into one of humanity’s most enigmatic animal companions and identify North Africa as the cradle of the modern housecat.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/44kov1S
A shorthair domestic cat gazes upward.
November 27, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
debjitduttaart.bsky.social
What a great headline
November 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
beetlemoses.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
aubryjoi.bsky.social
🛍️💪

[ #cuteart #shopsmall ]
An illustration of a small, crying tabby cat holding a shopping bag. Next to it are large hand-drawn words that say “shopping small makes a big difference.” The cat has a heart over its head, and there are many other doodles around everything on a sage green background.
November 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
introduce yourself with five animals you have seen in the wild:

crna udovica (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) 🕷️
krijesnica (Lampyris noctiluca) ✨
poskok (Vipera ammodytes) 🐍
čančara (Testudo hermanni) 🐢
ćuk (Otus scops) 🦉
whistberry.bsky.social Helen Whistberry @whistberry.bsky.social · 12h
Introduce yourself with five animals you have seen in the wild:

Alligators (LOTS)
Coyote
River otters
Snapping turtle
White-tailed deer
whetstone.bsky.social 🪾whetstone 🍂 @whetstone.bsky.social · 13h
Introduce yourself with five animals you have seen in the wild:

Octopus
Marmot
Tanuki
Owl
Orca
November 28, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
introvertebrates.bsky.social
we got Christmas T-rexes! and molecular biology t-shirts! and a flamingo!

we don't have an active sail as both of us are swamped with our actual genomics jobs before the holidays, but we are going to have a stall at two local science campus Christmas Markets!

www.etsy.com/shop/theintr...
screenshot of the etsy page for theintrovertebrates (logo is a little mosquito in a labcoat on an orange background) Cambridge, England 5.0 stars (9), 314 sales, 1 year on etsy items reviews about shop policies all 44 crochet patterns 1 t-shirts 18 crochet planters 14 christmas decorations 2 stickers 3 request custom order contact shop owner 314 sales 49 admirers all items a crochet owl planter a crochet flamingo pattern child with a dark blue tshirt with a cartoony ammonite guy with a dark green tshirt with a sad t-rex ceratops skull green tshirt cream and green CMYK molecular biology themed tshirts ammonite sticker tapping the sign NO ONE HOME!
November 28, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
dragonsofwales.bsky.social
Jeff Bezos will be fine if we ignore him for one day.
This Black Friday, support a small creator.
Artists: drop your shop links below, whether you’re running a sale or not, and please repost everyone else’s.

No NSFW. No AI.

Here’s mine:
dragonsofwales.etsy.com
The banner from my Etsy shop, with illustrations of dinosaurs and dragons, and text which reads “25% off, 24 Nov - 3 Dec” and a “No AI” icon.
November 28, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
neurograce.bsky.social
It's also just distracting because usually the image has some weirdness to it, and it doesn't tend to add explanatory value. So if you're just adding them for ambience or to represent a generic concept, just use a regular picture.
astrokatie.com Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 12h
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
markwitton.bsky.social
An inspiring article for National Illustration Day: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign....

Most #paleoart is probably "illustration" rather than "art" (if, indeed, these are distinct categories) and is an excellent example of how images augment written/verbal communication and democratise #scicomm.
Informative, beautiful and deeply human: it’s time to cheer the underrated art of illustration | Oliver Jeffers
We do judge books by their covers. Illustrations spark young imaginations, solve problems, present information - and shape our world, says the children’s author on National Illustration Day
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
redscharlach.bsky.social
I feel you, ancient Mongolian ceramic hedgehog. I feel you.
A small cartoon version of the ceramic Mongolian hedgehog shown in the quoted post. Behind him is the word AHHH in very large lettering. The caption under him says "just keep screaming".
November 26, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
coreybrickley.bsky.social
people keep asking "why doesn't he just cross over to the other side?" so i have used technology to extend the image
On a long tree branch, a monkey wearing a tuxedo, tophat and monocle is proudly saying "I am billionaire monkey. I own this side of the tree." Next to him is a monkey wearing a cop uniform and aviators pointing a gun, who says "I am cop monkey. I will shoot worker monkey if he tries to cross." At the end of the branch is a monkey who is sawing the branch and saying "Wow technology is amazing."
November 28, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
leier-coyol.bsky.social
My Black Friday sale is now going!
From friday to monday all my stock will be at 15% discount!

So if you like bugs or other small critters now is your chance.
US shipping available, but be a little patient

Link to my Etsy shop in the reply of this post ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#SciArt #art #handmade
A picture of some of my stuff, there are a pair of embroidered napkins (one white with some ants around a cookie, and a black one with an orchid bee). There are also a pair of embroidered patches (one of a leaf bug and another one of a planaria with a firefly motiff). And a bunch moth, beetle and other creature polymer clay pins
November 28, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
technihilism.bsky.social
"because I fundamentally do not view toy company CEOs or media CEOs as people" is how he finished that sentence
November 28, 2025 at 3:39 AM
petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
my section was all about uterine tissues creating happy little "benign" tumors that make your life hell but since they are not cancerous it takes forever to diagnose and find a treatment that works for YOU!

#SciArt #endometriosis #fibroids #adenomyosis
cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - FIBROIDS- non-cancerous abnormal growths of muscle tissue extremely common, 2/3, ~50% asymptomatic unclear origin, estrogen? progesterone? at higher risk: African Caribbean, family history, early periods, obesity heavy bleeds, anemia, back pain infertility constipation, frequent urination Dr. Platypus fact: one of the biggest fibroid was 28kg in a 53 year old Singaporean patient! the middle drawing is of an uterus absolutely covered in pink blobs representing the different type of fibroids: pedunculate (outside), pedunculate (inside), subserosal, submucosal, utnramural cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - ENDOMETRIOSIS- endometrial-like tissue growing outside of the uterus unclear origin (cells escaping fallopian tube at menstruation, immune dysfunction, local estrogen production, circulation, surgery, genetics) Dr. Platypus fact: endometriotic lesions were even found in the brain, which caused neurological and psychiatric symptoms! ~8 years to get diagnosed 1/10 people bleeding outside and inside infertility pelvic PAIN! during intercourse, bowel movement, urination, or for no good reason nausea the middle drawing is of an uterus, guts, kidneys ovaries and bladder covered in pink endometriotic lesions, none of the organs are happy about it, one ovary has a massive pink chocolate cyst on it (a cyst full of endometrial tissue and blood) cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - ADENOMYOSIS- endometrial tissue frowing inside the muscles of the uterus 1/10 people, and they might not even have symptoms (one figure sayinh you telling me WHAT??) unclear origin... shocking i know... estrogen?? other hormones? most likely in: +30 years, abdominal surgery, given birth heavy abnormal bleeding, anemia, pain bloating, fullness infertility Dr. Platypus fact:you can have endometriosis, adenomyosis, and firboids ALL AT ONCE!... and they all have similar symptoms the middle drawing is of an uterus absolutely covered in pink blobs representing the endometrial tissue growing within the muscle: focal (adenomyoma), diffuse, enlarged uterus cartoony page from the zine I drew, the colors are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, light pink and dark pink. the text is When the uterus tissues go WILD! - MANAGING- there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, care ranges from less to more invasive first you need to diagnose the problem: ultrasound, blood markers, Magnetic Resonanse Imaging (MRI), surgery etc. PAIN CONTROL: painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, heating pads or hot water bottles, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) HORMONAL MEDICATION: IUS, mini pill, implants (progestogen only), combined pill, patches (progestogen + estrogen), hypothalamus pills injections (GnRH agonists and antagonists) SURGERY (diagnostic, to alleviate symptoms, and curative) laparoscopy, transvaginal hysteroscopy, abdominal (all biopsied) diseased tissue removal by laser or surgical hysterectomy: curative for adenomyosis and fibroids, but harder to access if <45 Dr. Platypus fact: platypuses don't have a uterus*(long oviduct, sometimes called the "uterus") so don't need to worry about any of this
November 27, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
petrathepostdoc.bsky.social
i just think they are neat

#birds #SciArt
drawing of a jackdaw with a silly eye, top is grey, bototm is black, and they have a speech bubble with two sunflower seeds and a question mark
November 20, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
heknitt.bsky.social
Frog and toag! 👯‍♂️🐸🐸

#whimsical #cottagecore #frogandtoad #christmasvibes #christmas
Knitted stuffed animal representing frog and toad. Same guys but sitting next to each other
November 27, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Petra Korlević
tanasimensis.bsky.social
Happy thanksgiving. Boat stuck.
Headline from Detroit free press about a grounded freighter on the Detroit river.
November 27, 2025 at 4:00 PM