Chris Adami
@chrisadami.bsky.social
Professor at Michigan State University. Trying to understand how the universe works, including people and animals. And plants and microbes. So, pretty much everything. (he/him)
Fairly simple: I knew after high school that it was going to "science/math". In high school, chemistry (inorganic) was easy but boring. Biology (plants and cell division, basically) was boring. Math was a tool, not science. That left physics. So I went to Bonn University to study physics.
November 23, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Fairly simple: I knew after high school that it was going to "science/math". In high school, chemistry (inorganic) was easy but boring. Biology (plants and cell division, basically) was boring. Math was a tool, not science. That left physics. So I went to Bonn University to study physics.
We should all share the name of the folder we use for those. Mine is called “Nuts”.
It’s a pandemic. I have a special folder for them.
I’m getting more and more of these too. It’s depressing.
November 21, 2025 at 4:28 AM
We should all share the name of the folder we use for those. Mine is called “Nuts”.
Reposted by Chris Adami
Mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius was born #OTD in 1790. 🧪 🔭
He is best known for devising a surface that not even the New York Times could find a way to both-sides.
He is best known for devising a surface that not even the New York Times could find a way to both-sides.
a bunch of ants are crawling around a circular object that looks like an infinity sign
Alt: A bunch of ants are crawling around a Mobius strip, which is a one sides object produced by twisting one end of a flat strip by 180 degrees and then gluing it to the other end.
media.tenor.com
November 17, 2024 at 8:37 PM
Mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius was born #OTD in 1790. 🧪 🔭
He is best known for devising a surface that not even the New York Times could find a way to both-sides.
He is best known for devising a surface that not even the New York Times could find a way to both-sides.
Interesting article in which the authors show that the vast majority of beneficial mutations (as determined by deep mutational scanning) do not fix because the environment changes so fast that those mutations lose their benefit before fixation. (1/2) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Adaptive tracking with antagonistic pleiotropy results in seemingly neutral molecular evolution - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Population genetics simulations and analysis of experimental datasets in yeast, Drosophila and E. coli show that beneficial mutations are abundant but transient, as they become deleterious after envir...
www.nature.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Interesting article in which the authors show that the vast majority of beneficial mutations (as determined by deep mutational scanning) do not fix because the environment changes so fast that those mutations lose their benefit before fixation. (1/2) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I'd also like the Supreme Court to hear a complaint. You just go and ask them, right? That's how it goes?
November 10, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I'd also like the Supreme Court to hear a complaint. You just go and ask them, right? That's how it goes?
Got to review my first fully AI-generated paper today. Fortunately as a pre-peer-review, so I could spare some other reviewers the indignity of writing a reply to a chatbot.
November 6, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Got to review my first fully AI-generated paper today. Fortunately as a pre-peer-review, so I could spare some other reviewers the indignity of writing a reply to a chatbot.
That's not an insignificant point. This was precisely the reaction of my family living abroad: "Good to see that you are still fighting for your democracy". With "you" meaning all of us protesters.
Yes. Showed the rest of the world that we are still fighting for our democracy.
October 20, 2025 at 4:26 PM
That's not an insignificant point. This was precisely the reaction of my family living abroad: "Good to see that you are still fighting for your democracy". With "you" meaning all of us protesters.
Reposted by Chris Adami
For those of you in the area: I will be part of the MSU Choir at this Saturday's performance at the Wharton Center of Jocelyn Hagen's "The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci", which is a beautiful piece that marries orchestra, voice, and audiovisual effects. www.whartoncenter.com/events/detai...
The Planets | Wharton Center for Performing Arts
www.whartoncenter.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:41 PM
For those of you in the area: I will be part of the MSU Choir at this Saturday's performance at the Wharton Center of Jocelyn Hagen's "The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci", which is a beautiful piece that marries orchestra, voice, and audiovisual effects. www.whartoncenter.com/events/detai...
1982-1986 Teaching Assistant
1986-1991 Research Assistant
1992-1995 Postdoc
1995-today Faculty
That's it. Never had another job.
1986-1991 Research Assistant
1992-1995 Postdoc
1995-today Faculty
That's it. Never had another job.
Some jobs I’ve had:
1990: Telemarketer for Olan Mills
1991: McDonald’s
1992: Denny’s
1993: Olive Garden
1994: Super Crown Books
1995: Navy
1998: Denny’s again
1999: Sprint phone mall kiosk
2002: Guitar Center
2007: Hard Rock Hotel
2009: Veterans Affairs
2017: Podcaster
How about you?
1990: Telemarketer for Olan Mills
1991: McDonald’s
1992: Denny’s
1993: Olive Garden
1994: Super Crown Books
1995: Navy
1998: Denny’s again
1999: Sprint phone mall kiosk
2002: Guitar Center
2007: Hard Rock Hotel
2009: Veterans Affairs
2017: Podcaster
How about you?
September 22, 2025 at 8:53 PM
1982-1986 Teaching Assistant
1986-1991 Research Assistant
1992-1995 Postdoc
1995-today Faculty
That's it. Never had another job.
1986-1991 Research Assistant
1992-1995 Postdoc
1995-today Faculty
That's it. Never had another job.
Can confirm.
Why is this horrible for Universities?
Just about everyone who isn't a citizen or green card holder already who's hired for a tenure track faculty position is hired through an H1B and then, after 3-5 years, applies for a green card.
This is literally "No more foreign professors can be hired"
Just about everyone who isn't a citizen or green card holder already who's hired for a tenure track faculty position is hired through an H1B and then, after 3-5 years, applies for a green card.
This is literally "No more foreign professors can be hired"
Those on an H1B cannot return to the US from tomorrow (Sunday) unless paying $100K. This is an out-of-the blue presidential action. We’ll see software engineers stranded abroad.
One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less… for work, for conferences etc.
One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less… for work, for conferences etc.
September 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Can confirm.
Reposted by Chris Adami
Immigrants, particularly on H1Bs, are the lifeblood of American innovation. If you wanted to hurt US competitiveness in the next century, I can think of few more effective ways than a move like this
Even when found illegal, the mere intent will have irreparably harmed our future
Even when found illegal, the mere intent will have irreparably harmed our future
September 20, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Immigrants, particularly on H1Bs, are the lifeblood of American innovation. If you wanted to hurt US competitiveness in the next century, I can think of few more effective ways than a move like this
Even when found illegal, the mere intent will have irreparably harmed our future
Even when found illegal, the mere intent will have irreparably harmed our future
Reposted by Chris Adami
Of all the stupid things that this regime has done, this is right up near the top. Postdoctoral researchers come to the US on H-1B visas. This will further destroy the US science enterprise. Stupid stupid stupid.
Trump administration to add $100,000 fee for H-1B visas
The Trump administration is targeting a visa widely used by tech companies and other employers to hire foreign workers.
www.cbsnews.com
September 19, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Of all the stupid things that this regime has done, this is right up near the top. Postdoctoral researchers come to the US on H-1B visas. This will further destroy the US science enterprise. Stupid stupid stupid.
This is really interesting! Mutations that affect a protein's foldability do not seem to impact org fitness if the protein is not important for function. But there *are* effects from mutations on those proteins (just not related to foldability). What are they due to??
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Collateral fitness effects of mutation are not commonly caused by protein misfolding
Mutations in coding sequences are often assumed to harm cells by destabilizing proteins and creating toxic misfolded species. Here we directly test how fitness scales with predicted folding stability....
www.biorxiv.org
September 19, 2025 at 6:33 PM
This is really interesting! Mutations that affect a protein's foldability do not seem to impact org fitness if the protein is not important for function. But there *are* effects from mutations on those proteins (just not related to foldability). What are they due to??
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
My “I got the Covid vaccine” sticker from 2020 (which tells me which side is up on my laptop) got a bit ragged, so I replaced it.
September 17, 2025 at 4:14 AM
My “I got the Covid vaccine” sticker from 2020 (which tells me which side is up on my laptop) got a bit ragged, so I replaced it.
Hey, local news!
September 15, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Hey, local news!
Reposted by Chris Adami
With Jeff Barrick's return to #MSU, the #LTEE was restarted today after a short pause (frozen) for the move.
Today was daily transfer 12,301. With ~6.6 generations per day, they are now at ~82,007 generations.
100,000 generations is fast approaching! Are you ready, #Spartans?
@msumgi.bsky.social
Today was daily transfer 12,301. With ~6.6 generations per day, they are now at ~82,007 generations.
100,000 generations is fast approaching! Are you ready, #Spartans?
@msumgi.bsky.social
September 10, 2025 at 8:54 PM
With Jeff Barrick's return to #MSU, the #LTEE was restarted today after a short pause (frozen) for the move.
Today was daily transfer 12,301. With ~6.6 generations per day, they are now at ~82,007 generations.
100,000 generations is fast approaching! Are you ready, #Spartans?
@msumgi.bsky.social
Today was daily transfer 12,301. With ~6.6 generations per day, they are now at ~82,007 generations.
100,000 generations is fast approaching! Are you ready, #Spartans?
@msumgi.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/s.... When David was President of Caltech he and I often ran on adjacent treadmills at the Gym, and we got to talking. He was very interested in the brain and consciousness, and we ended up friends. All around great guy.
David Baltimore, Nobel-Winning Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87
www.nytimes.com
September 10, 2025 at 8:47 AM
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/s.... When David was President of Caltech he and I often ran on adjacent treadmills at the Gym, and we got to talking. He was very interested in the brain and consciousness, and we ended up friends. All around great guy.
Reposted by Chris Adami
I'm sorry, but genetic engineering is getting out of hand.
September 1, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I'm sorry, but genetic engineering is getting out of hand.
I’m told this is where you begin when on Bluesky (birthday present to myself)
August 29, 2025 at 2:30 AM
I’m told this is where you begin when on Bluesky (birthday present to myself)
Upgrade my baby grand piano...
You get $10K to spend at any brick-and-mortar store (not online). Where are you going?
August 25, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Upgrade my baby grand piano...
I’ve seen this tool in action: it is awesome.
Excited to share new #program, STEPS, which can simulate #dynamics of the E. coli Long-Term Evolution Experiment (#LTEE) or other microbes in serial transfer regime.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
STEPS To It
Announcing a new program, called STEPS, to simulate the dynamics of evolving microbial populations.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com
August 12, 2025 at 6:08 PM
I’ve seen this tool in action: it is awesome.
Reposted by Chris Adami
Look who's here now
bioRxiv & medRxiv post weekly informational content on Bluesky, LinkedIn and Instagram! Follow us to learn more about how preprints can help you in your career, meet enthusiastic community members, and discover features you may have not heard of before.
🔗 All accounts > connect.biorxiv.org/now
🔗 All accounts > connect.biorxiv.org/now
August 6, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Look who's here now