Rebecca Bloomer
@rhbloomer.bsky.social
epi/geneticist | plant geek | mama | she/her
I call Ōtautahi home, now.
I call Ōtautahi home, now.
Honestly living and working in Lincoln this is... not inaccurate 😅
How I imagine it must be like to work in a small university town
November 28, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Honestly living and working in Lincoln this is... not inaccurate 😅
One mild sunburn, four excellent sampling buddies, a few scratches to shins and 800-odd hops later.... home time. Perfectly timed for sampling at a comfy height though!
Thanks Motueka, always a pleasure 🫶🌿🍻
Thanks Motueka, always a pleasure 🫶🌿🍻
November 20, 2025 at 11:04 PM
One mild sunburn, four excellent sampling buddies, a few scratches to shins and 800-odd hops later.... home time. Perfectly timed for sampling at a comfy height though!
Thanks Motueka, always a pleasure 🫶🌿🍻
Thanks Motueka, always a pleasure 🫶🌿🍻
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
This new paper documents a tenfold increase in research papers using community-collected iNaturalist data over just five years: tr.ee/89Ot3I
According to the study, here are four key ways that iNaturalist data directly powers science 🧵⤵️
According to the study, here are four key ways that iNaturalist data directly powers science 🧵⤵️
July 28, 2025 at 4:37 PM
This new paper documents a tenfold increase in research papers using community-collected iNaturalist data over just five years: tr.ee/89Ot3I
According to the study, here are four key ways that iNaturalist data directly powers science 🧵⤵️
According to the study, here are four key ways that iNaturalist data directly powers science 🧵⤵️
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
In case anyone is wondering if Watson was really THAT bad, @lpachter.bsky.social compiled a list of quotes that are absolutely not for the faint of heart.
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
November 7, 2025 at 10:18 PM
In case anyone is wondering if Watson was really THAT bad, @lpachter.bsky.social compiled a list of quotes that are absolutely not for the faint of heart.
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
November 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
Everything a girl could ask for
October 11, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Everything a girl could ask for
Today in "model organisms, they're just like real organisms": watched birds nicking inflorences off this wee dude out my office window today. For their nests, maybe?
October 8, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Today in "model organisms, they're just like real organisms": watched birds nicking inflorences off this wee dude out my office window today. For their nests, maybe?
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
More cuts to the Marsden Fund of @royalsocietynz.bsky.social. This takes it down to $10/capita in real terms when it was over $16 for most of this century. Australia's equivalent, the ARC, is NZ$42/capita, as is the US NSF (despite ongoing attempts to gut the latter).
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Fewer Marsden Fund grants after government cuts
A major research fund has been forced to slash its grant allocation by more than $20 million next year.
www.rnz.co.nz
September 7, 2025 at 11:28 PM
More cuts to the Marsden Fund of @royalsocietynz.bsky.social. This takes it down to $10/capita in real terms when it was over $16 for most of this century. Australia's equivalent, the ARC, is NZ$42/capita, as is the US NSF (despite ongoing attempts to gut the latter).
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
Context: this knocks back Marsden funding levels next year a whole two decades to (inflation adjusted) the same level funding as the 2005 Budget.
More cuts to the Marsden Fund. This time $20 million from the annual budget cut starting next year. This is on top of previous cuts by this government. They are trying to skip the 'priming the pump' step of public research as a driver of the economy. How well that is going to work?
#NZPOL
#NZPOL
Fewer Marsden Fund grants after government cuts
A major research fund has been forced to slash its grant allocation by more than $20 million next year.
www.rnz.co.nz
September 6, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Context: this knocks back Marsden funding levels next year a whole two decades to (inflation adjusted) the same level funding as the 2005 Budget.
If anything can improve on a day of statistically significant results, its adding a Port Hills sunset, an exercise playlist of xennial punk bangers and the world's best doggo for company.
September 4, 2025 at 6:54 AM
If anything can improve on a day of statistically significant results, its adding a Port Hills sunset, an exercise playlist of xennial punk bangers and the world's best doggo for company.
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
Did you catch news that the Universities Advisory Group (UAG) reports were released, but the government binned or balked on many of the key recommendations?
The whole process went from shelved to buried yesterday morning.
www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/09/03/u...
The whole process went from shelved to buried yesterday morning.
www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/09/03/u...
University sector changes announced - Expert Reaction
The Government will be changing aspects to New Zealand's higher education system, informed by a recently released report by the University Advisory Group.
Changes include a new strategy for all of New...
www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz
September 3, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Did you catch news that the Universities Advisory Group (UAG) reports were released, but the government binned or balked on many of the key recommendations?
The whole process went from shelved to buried yesterday morning.
www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/09/03/u...
The whole process went from shelved to buried yesterday morning.
www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/09/03/u...
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
even the lysenko comparison is at this point an insult to lysenko
wtf is this nonsense? He thinks he can understand kid’s “mitochondrial challenges” just by looking at them?
This is an insane person.
This is an insane person.
August 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
even the lysenko comparison is at this point an insult to lysenko
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
So if genome annotations contain errors and we take those genome annotations to annotate other genomes and then train AI on all the thousands of messy genome annotations than what's even real
August 26, 2025 at 10:55 PM
So if genome annotations contain errors and we take those genome annotations to annotate other genomes and then train AI on all the thousands of messy genome annotations than what's even real
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
A tiny silly fun thing in the midst of all the chaos... We're on the hunt for a mate for Ned, a 1 in 40,000 left-spiralling snail. www.nzgeo.com/stories/lets...
Let's find a mate for Ned
One in 40,000 snails have the spiral on the left side of the shell, and they can only mate with other lefties. Can you help Ned find true love?
www.nzgeo.com
August 24, 2025 at 12:44 AM
A tiny silly fun thing in the midst of all the chaos... We're on the hunt for a mate for Ned, a 1 in 40,000 left-spiralling snail. www.nzgeo.com/stories/lets...
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
Plz share! (I am a co-author from NAASC) “An unwelcoming climate & culture at scientific conferences is an obstacle to retaining scientists w/marginalized identities. Here we describe..a professional plant science societies..collaboration to make conferences more inclusive.”
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Making conferences in the plant sciences more inclusive through community recommendations
The ROOT & SHOOT project in the plant sciences has produced guidelines to help scientific societies organize conferences that are more inclusive and offer more supportive environments to all attendees...
doi.org
August 20, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Plz share! (I am a co-author from NAASC) “An unwelcoming climate & culture at scientific conferences is an obstacle to retaining scientists w/marginalized identities. Here we describe..a professional plant science societies..collaboration to make conferences more inclusive.”
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
After a decade of photographing & writing, I finally have an advance copy of my book. It'll be launched 10 October in Wellington and should hit the shops 9 October. Many thanks to talented designer Duncan Munro & the wonderful people at Auckland University Press. #pukapuka #bloomscolling #bloomsky
August 21, 2025 at 2:35 AM
After a decade of photographing & writing, I finally have an advance copy of my book. It'll be launched 10 October in Wellington and should hit the shops 9 October. Many thanks to talented designer Duncan Munro & the wonderful people at Auckland University Press. #pukapuka #bloomscolling #bloomsky
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/... Majority of Government’s $231m spend on Advanced Technology Institute funded through planned research funding cuts
Majority of Govt's $231m tech institute funded through research funding cuts
'It will be a cornerstone of our plan to grow a high-tech, high-value economy.'
www.nzherald.co.nz
August 5, 2025 at 6:38 PM
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/... Majority of Government’s $231m spend on Advanced Technology Institute funded through planned research funding cuts
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
We are now discussing whether the re-emergence of lead sentences starting with "Plants, as sessile organisms..." is due to LLMs trained on the literature or what.
Our editors are here for meetings peripheral to #PlantBio2025. DM if you are interested in collaborating on #SciComm, #ImageIntegrity analysis, scientific #editing, or just saying hi!
#PlantBio2025 Community: We hope your journey is going well! We look forward to welcoming you in #Milwaukee!🌿
#PlantScience
#PlantScience
July 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM
We are now discussing whether the re-emergence of lead sentences starting with "Plants, as sessile organisms..." is due to LLMs trained on the literature or what.
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
Frankenmoa and the fantasy of undoing extinction www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607...
The Press
www.thepress.co.nz
July 11, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Frankenmoa and the fantasy of undoing extinction www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607...
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
Okay but hear me out: brown emus
July 8, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Okay but hear me out: brown emus
can sir peter instead spend a colossal amount of money conserving the near-extinct things we still have please and thank you
July 8, 2025 at 7:32 PM
can sir peter instead spend a colossal amount of money conserving the near-extinct things we still have please and thank you
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
🧵 Thread on #SessilePlants:
Plant Scientists: "As sessile organisms, plants [𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 "𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨" 𝘢𝘯𝘥/𝘰𝘳 "𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴"].
David Attenborough: "👇"
Plant Scientists: "As sessile organisms, plants [𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 "𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨" 𝘢𝘯𝘥/𝘰𝘳 "𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴"].
David Attenborough: "👇"
March 14, 2025 at 11:36 AM
🧵 Thread on #SessilePlants:
Plant Scientists: "As sessile organisms, plants [𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 "𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨" 𝘢𝘯𝘥/𝘰𝘳 "𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴"].
David Attenborough: "👇"
Plant Scientists: "As sessile organisms, plants [𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 "𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨" 𝘢𝘯𝘥/𝘰𝘳 "𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴"].
David Attenborough: "👇"
Reposted by Rebecca Bloomer
Long-term flowering-time data on Japanese mountain cherry (recorded since the 9th century!) shows a shift in full-flowering date beginning in the late 19th century.
Fascinating new @newphyt.bsky.social paper by @jgpausas.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Fascinating new @newphyt.bsky.social paper by @jgpausas.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
June 16, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Long-term flowering-time data on Japanese mountain cherry (recorded since the 9th century!) shows a shift in full-flowering date beginning in the late 19th century.
Fascinating new @newphyt.bsky.social paper by @jgpausas.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Fascinating new @newphyt.bsky.social paper by @jgpausas.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...