Robert J. Gifford
@robjgifford.bsky.social
I carry out research into the evolution of viruses and their impact on host species. Open science.
Pinned
Bats and Viruses: Rumour, Intrigue, Deception, and Spectacle
Bats as Hyperreal Reservoirs of Viral Disease
robertjgifford.substack.com
"The hyperreal bat: more vivid, more coherent, and more narratively satisfying than any bat in nature."
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
The translational potential of bat immune traits is wildly overstated.
These aren’t modular switches we can port into humans;
They’re parts of tightly integrated systems that don’t travel.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
These aren’t modular switches we can port into humans;
They’re parts of tightly integrated systems that don’t travel.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
December 8, 2025 at 3:50 AM
The translational potential of bat immune traits is wildly overstated.
These aren’t modular switches we can port into humans;
They’re parts of tightly integrated systems that don’t travel.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
These aren’t modular switches we can port into humans;
They’re parts of tightly integrated systems that don’t travel.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Gardening in the Viral Genome Wilderness:
Why virus genomics needs structure, not pipelines.
gluetools.substack.com/p/the-sequen...
Why virus genomics needs structure, not pipelines.
gluetools.substack.com/p/the-sequen...
Gardening in the Viral Genome Wilderness
Why virus genomics needs structure, not pipelines.
gluetools.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Gardening in the Viral Genome Wilderness:
Why virus genomics needs structure, not pipelines.
gluetools.substack.com/p/the-sequen...
Why virus genomics needs structure, not pipelines.
gluetools.substack.com/p/the-sequen...
Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
December 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
This article by Linda Geddes reproduces every structural flaw I described in my recent Substack essay.
Every narrative device, every logical inconsistency, and every evidentiary shortcut that sustains the ‘bat specialness’ story.
www.gavi.org/vaccineswork...
Every narrative device, every logical inconsistency, and every evidentiary shortcut that sustains the ‘bat specialness’ story.
www.gavi.org/vaccineswork...
The bat paradox: what nature’s night flyers could teach us about pandemics – and ourselves
Bats carry many deadly viruses, yet rarely fall ill themselves. Rather than fearing them, scientists say we should study and protect them, to safeguard our own health.
www.gavi.org
December 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
This article by Linda Geddes reproduces every structural flaw I described in my recent Substack essay.
Every narrative device, every logical inconsistency, and every evidentiary shortcut that sustains the ‘bat specialness’ story.
www.gavi.org/vaccineswork...
Every narrative device, every logical inconsistency, and every evidentiary shortcut that sustains the ‘bat specialness’ story.
www.gavi.org/vaccineswork...
Most viral workflows are fragile pipelines.
GLUE turns them into structured, shareable projects: curated sequences, alignments, features, phylogenies, metadata & scripts all in one reproducible environment.
gluetools.substack.com/p/glue-a-fle...
GLUE turns them into structured, shareable projects: curated sequences, alignments, features, phylogenies, metadata & scripts all in one reproducible environment.
gluetools.substack.com/p/glue-a-fle...
GLUE: A Flexible Software System for Virus Genomics
A General Solution to the Repeated Problems of Virus Genomics
gluetools.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Most viral workflows are fragile pipelines.
GLUE turns them into structured, shareable projects: curated sequences, alignments, features, phylogenies, metadata & scripts all in one reproducible environment.
gluetools.substack.com/p/glue-a-fle...
GLUE turns them into structured, shareable projects: curated sequences, alignments, features, phylogenies, metadata & scripts all in one reproducible environment.
gluetools.substack.com/p/glue-a-fle...
Welcome to the GLUE Blog
Technical support for virus genomics workflows
gluetools.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:06 AM
"The hyperreal bat: more vivid, more coherent, and more narratively satisfying than any bat in nature."
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Bats and Viruses: Rumour, Intrigue, Deception, and Spectacle
Bats as Hyperreal Reservoirs of Viral Disease
robertjgifford.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
"The hyperreal bat: more vivid, more coherent, and more narratively satisfying than any bat in nature."
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Grounded and thought-provoking reflections on LLMs.
I am genuinely impressed by large language models - they can absorb disparate components of text into some consolidated view, they can produce extremely good language and - with the right model - translate pretty well between languages and they are an excellent text based UI for humans to use. But..
November 9, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Grounded and thought-provoking reflections on LLMs.
Reposted by Robert J. Gifford
Complete ape genomes! 🦍🦧 Our closest relatives get the deluxe sequencing treatment, resolving the most complex & often most interesting parts of the genome.
Happy to make a tiny contribution alongside @panpan100.bsky.social to awesome teamwork & fantastic resource.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Happy to make a tiny contribution alongside @panpan100.bsky.social to awesome teamwork & fantastic resource.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
May 8, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Complete ape genomes! 🦍🦧 Our closest relatives get the deluxe sequencing treatment, resolving the most complex & often most interesting parts of the genome.
Happy to make a tiny contribution alongside @panpan100.bsky.social to awesome teamwork & fantastic resource.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Happy to make a tiny contribution alongside @panpan100.bsky.social to awesome teamwork & fantastic resource.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Macduff, Scotland
April 6, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Macduff, Scotland
Reposted by Robert J. Gifford
The Ghost in the Culture Flask:
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
March 31, 2025 at 10:47 AM
The Ghost in the Culture Flask:
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
The Ghost in the Culture Flask:
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
March 31, 2025 at 10:47 AM
The Ghost in the Culture Flask:
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
Did Cold War virologists accidentally alter the evolution of a ubiquitous virus?
shorturl.at/HSke3
Discover GLUE: a versatile framework for virus genomics and beyond.
Explore adaptable tools, resources, and projects developed in our lab using GLUE:
github.com/giffordlabcv...
#Genomics #Bioinformatics #OpenScience
Explore adaptable tools, resources, and projects developed in our lab using GLUE:
github.com/giffordlabcv...
#Genomics #Bioinformatics #OpenScience
January 16, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Discover GLUE: a versatile framework for virus genomics and beyond.
Explore adaptable tools, resources, and projects developed in our lab using GLUE:
github.com/giffordlabcv...
#Genomics #Bioinformatics #OpenScience
Explore adaptable tools, resources, and projects developed in our lab using GLUE:
github.com/giffordlabcv...
#Genomics #Bioinformatics #OpenScience
I've been comparing annual publication trends across different viruses
The vast difference in the number of publications for SARS-CoV-2 compared to other viruses like Ebola, Dengue, and Influenza A is striking.
The vast difference in the number of publications for SARS-CoV-2 compared to other viruses like Ebola, Dengue, and Influenza A is striking.
January 13, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I've been comparing annual publication trends across different viruses
The vast difference in the number of publications for SARS-CoV-2 compared to other viruses like Ebola, Dengue, and Influenza A is striking.
The vast difference in the number of publications for SARS-CoV-2 compared to other viruses like Ebola, Dengue, and Influenza A is striking.
Personally, I have a lot of sympathy for Jens Kuhn. He's dealing with a fundamental and increasingly pressing issue in virology, one that might otherwise be neglected without the intense dedication of someone so earnestly committed to the cause.
“Somebody needs to take away whatever drugs the committee is on,” wrote Kristian Andersen"
"Kuhn, the autocrat, mainly rolled his eyes. He hated some of the names, too. “Salt in my wounds,” he called syllabic stews like Lentivirus humimdef1"*
#Virology 😆
www.statnews.com/2025/01/09/v...
"Kuhn, the autocrat, mainly rolled his eyes. He hated some of the names, too. “Salt in my wounds,” he called syllabic stews like Lentivirus humimdef1"*
#Virology 😆
www.statnews.com/2025/01/09/v...
Want to start a fight among virus experts? Ask about HIV’s new name
HIV is now "Lentivirus humimdef1" by another name. Virus researchers are not happy.
www.statnews.com
January 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Personally, I have a lot of sympathy for Jens Kuhn. He's dealing with a fundamental and increasingly pressing issue in virology, one that might otherwise be neglected without the intense dedication of someone so earnestly committed to the cause.
Introducing HMPV-GLUE: a comprehensive, open-source resource for human metapneumovirus (HMPV) research.
With the recent rise in HMPV cases in China, this tool offers timely support for the scientific community.
github.com/giffordlabcv...
With the recent rise in HMPV cases in China, this tool offers timely support for the scientific community.
github.com/giffordlabcv...
January 9, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Introducing HMPV-GLUE: a comprehensive, open-source resource for human metapneumovirus (HMPV) research.
With the recent rise in HMPV cases in China, this tool offers timely support for the scientific community.
github.com/giffordlabcv...
With the recent rise in HMPV cases in China, this tool offers timely support for the scientific community.
github.com/giffordlabcv...