Xantha Karp
@xanthakarp.bsky.social
C. elegans geneticist, how diapause affects development, microRNA, equity in STEM, professor at Central Michigan University, she/her/hers.
https://karplab.org
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6602-5583
https://karplab.org
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6602-5583
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Read this inspiring perspectives coauthored by the Worm Resource directors and worm Nobel Laureates! 4 Nobel Prizes and how they were enabled by major NIH-supported research resources (the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, WormBase, and WormAtlas) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 25, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Read this inspiring perspectives coauthored by the Worm Resource directors and worm Nobel Laureates! 4 Nobel Prizes and how they were enabled by major NIH-supported research resources (the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, WormBase, and WormAtlas) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Congratulations to Karp lab student Vusani Ntuli who won the Best Poster Award at the Central Michigan University Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium yesterday! I’m so proud of him and of the other 5 Karp lab presenters.
November 22, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Congratulations to Karp lab student Vusani Ntuli who won the Best Poster Award at the Central Michigan University Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium yesterday! I’m so proud of him and of the other 5 Karp lab presenters.
Reposted by Xantha Karp
SAVE THE DATE! Stoked to organize the 2026 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting with @rashmi-priya.bsky.social, @lowelab.bsky.social, and Shelbi Russell. Come learn about Biomedicine, Biomechanics, and the Biosphere, August 24-28, 2026. Registration dates, etc., coming soon! Please RT
November 19, 2025 at 8:23 PM
SAVE THE DATE! Stoked to organize the 2026 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting with @rashmi-priya.bsky.social, @lowelab.bsky.social, and Shelbi Russell. Come learn about Biomedicine, Biomechanics, and the Biosphere, August 24-28, 2026. Registration dates, etc., coming soon! Please RT
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Happy International Day of LGBTQIA+ People In STEM!
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
November 18, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Happy International Day of LGBTQIA+ People In STEM!
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
Reposted by Xantha Karp
New preprint!
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
High-efficiency targeted integration of extrachromosomal arrays in C. elegans using PhiC31 integrase
Extrachromosomal arrays are unique chromosome-like structures created from DNA injected into the C. elegans germline. Arrays are easy to create and allow for high expression of multiple transgenes. Th...
www.biorxiv.org
November 13, 2025 at 2:59 AM
New preprint!
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
C. elegans enthusiasts- save the date for two consecutive C. elegans meetings, taking place in Bordeaux, 29 June–3 July 2026.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
European C. elegans and CeNEURO Meeting 2026 - Sciencesconf.org
2026 European C. elegans and CeNEURO meeting
ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:08 PM
C. elegans enthusiasts- save the date for two consecutive C. elegans meetings, taking place in Bordeaux, 29 June–3 July 2026.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Make males live more than 400% longer and prevent sexual disfunction late in life?! We're down with it. Our latest preprint: Disruption of the insulin signaling pathway in C. elegans dramatically increases male longevity and enhances reproductive health late in life. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 6, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Make males live more than 400% longer and prevent sexual disfunction late in life?! We're down with it. Our latest preprint: Disruption of the insulin signaling pathway in C. elegans dramatically increases male longevity and enhances reproductive health late in life. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Well reported story on the PBS News Hour about science cuts and the ongoing and potential brain drain.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: 'The science world is ending'
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
www.youtube.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Well reported story on the PBS News Hour about science cuts and the ongoing and potential brain drain.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Nektarios Tavernarakis on why curiosity-driven research, not focusing on application, is fundamental to problem solving and requires government support in @emboreports.org doi.org/10.1038/s443...
For the love of frontier research, or why Elon’s rockets keep blowing up | EMBO reports
EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.
doi.org
October 29, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Nektarios Tavernarakis on why curiosity-driven research, not focusing on application, is fundamental to problem solving and requires government support in @emboreports.org doi.org/10.1038/s443...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Cool! Thanks @embojournal.org for this great News and Views on our recent work characterizing how a conserved protein complex times C. elegans molting! www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social
Old cogs, new clocks: a conserved protein complex controls developmental and circadian timing | The EMBO Journal
EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.
www.embopress.org
October 25, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Cool! Thanks @embojournal.org for this great News and Views on our recent work characterizing how a conserved protein complex times C. elegans molting! www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social
Reposted by Xantha Karp
For what it’s worth, The Wyoming Worm lab has funding for 5 years along with exciting projects with solid foundations. We are is still looking for capable, dedicated, and fun-to-work-with lab members at all career stages. [email protected]
scholar.google.com/citations?us...
scholar.google.com/citations?us...
October 22, 2025 at 1:28 PM
For what it’s worth, The Wyoming Worm lab has funding for 5 years along with exciting projects with solid foundations. We are is still looking for capable, dedicated, and fun-to-work-with lab members at all career stages. [email protected]
scholar.google.com/citations?us...
scholar.google.com/citations?us...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
And the next one: dx.doi.org/10.1038/s44318-025-00585-z . Super-fun collaboration with @partchlab.bsky.social & @gotworms.bsky.social to find similarities between developmental and circadian clocks – supported by @fmiscience.bsky.social Facilities and, financially, @snsf.ch and @erc.europa.eu . 1/n
October 20, 2025 at 1:25 PM
And the next one: dx.doi.org/10.1038/s44318-025-00585-z . Super-fun collaboration with @partchlab.bsky.social & @gotworms.bsky.social to find similarities between developmental and circadian clocks – supported by @fmiscience.bsky.social Facilities and, financially, @snsf.ch and @erc.europa.eu . 1/n
Reposted by Xantha Karp
This is a powerful account from a PhD student whose fellowship was terminated by NIH because it was part of a "diversity" program without any other considerations or understanding of what the program or the students were actually doing.
undark.org/2025/10/09/o...
1/2
undark.org/2025/10/09/o...
1/2
NIH Student Grant Cancellation Will Weaken Scientific Innovation
The termination of federal F31 diversity fellowships puts many graduate students in a bind — and U.S. science at risk.
undark.org
October 13, 2025 at 2:41 PM
This is a powerful account from a PhD student whose fellowship was terminated by NIH because it was part of a "diversity" program without any other considerations or understanding of what the program or the students were actually doing.
undark.org/2025/10/09/o...
1/2
undark.org/2025/10/09/o...
1/2
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Watch Lucas' amazing artistic/musical rendition of C. elegans larval development and our work on developmental timing and molting here youtu.be/-hGHYRvw87w and read on his inspiration and challenges below
October 13, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Watch Lucas' amazing artistic/musical rendition of C. elegans larval development and our work on developmental timing and molting here youtu.be/-hGHYRvw87w and read on his inspiration and challenges below
Reposted by Xantha Karp
An excellent piece by Joachim Frank, 2017 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, about how we must resist the Trump Administration's crackdown on universities.
www.usnews.com/opinion/arti...
www.usnews.com/opinion/arti...
www.usnews.com
October 12, 2025 at 3:47 PM
An excellent piece by Joachim Frank, 2017 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, about how we must resist the Trump Administration's crackdown on universities.
www.usnews.com/opinion/arti...
www.usnews.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
C. elegans is a little animal with sexually dimorphic tails. Fitch lab does wonderful work on the evolution and transcriptional regulation of tail tip morphogenesis in nematodes.
New in #GENETICS: Using Chip-seq and mutant analysis, Fernandez et al. show the transcriptional control of the male tail tip morphogenesis during development by the master regulator of a male-specific morphogenesis gene DMD-3. buff.ly/EGahYv2
October 10, 2025 at 5:34 PM
C. elegans is a little animal with sexually dimorphic tails. Fitch lab does wonderful work on the evolution and transcriptional regulation of tail tip morphogenesis in nematodes.
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Paper alert! doi.org/10.1038/s443... - "A scheduler for rhythmic gene expression". We show how 9 txn factors suffice for rhythmic gene expression of thousands of genes with any phase or amplitude in #Celegans larvae (and also look at the tissues where oscillations happen) 1/n
October 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Paper alert! doi.org/10.1038/s443... - "A scheduler for rhythmic gene expression". We show how 9 txn factors suffice for rhythmic gene expression of thousands of genes with any phase or amplitude in #Celegans larvae (and also look at the tissues where oscillations happen) 1/n
Reposted by Xantha Karp
I'm doing another print run of these "Biology is Bigger than Binaries" shirts!
Back, quite literally, by popular demand. Bullying works, sure, but so does a bunch of nice cutie patooties politely asking!
Order 'em now, I'll mail 'em in early November.
SquidFacts.net
Back, quite literally, by popular demand. Bullying works, sure, but so does a bunch of nice cutie patooties politely asking!
Order 'em now, I'll mail 'em in early November.
SquidFacts.net
October 10, 2025 at 12:02 AM
I'm doing another print run of these "Biology is Bigger than Binaries" shirts!
Back, quite literally, by popular demand. Bullying works, sure, but so does a bunch of nice cutie patooties politely asking!
Order 'em now, I'll mail 'em in early November.
SquidFacts.net
Back, quite literally, by popular demand. Bullying works, sure, but so does a bunch of nice cutie patooties politely asking!
Order 'em now, I'll mail 'em in early November.
SquidFacts.net
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Very excited to share our very exciting story on how misinherited chromatin affects individual cells to cause a behavior defect in C. elegans (a thread👇) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
October 7, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Very excited to share our very exciting story on how misinherited chromatin affects individual cells to cause a behavior defect in C. elegans (a thread👇) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.
Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...
1/14
Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...
1/14
jeremymberg.github.io
October 6, 2025 at 11:28 PM
I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.
Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...
1/14
Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...
1/14
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Hi fellow C. elegans scientists, I've made a few videos that may be of use for new trainees working in worm labs. Hoping to add more in the future, but figured I'd share this resource as is in case it's helpful :)
www.youtube.com/@Workingwith...
www.youtube.com/@Workingwith...
Working with C. elegans
This channel provides clear demonstrations of core C. elegans lab skills, including: recognizing life stages and common phenotypes, picking and manipulating worms, and maintaining healthy cultures. De...
www.youtube.com
October 1, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Hi fellow C. elegans scientists, I've made a few videos that may be of use for new trainees working in worm labs. Hoping to add more in the future, but figured I'd share this resource as is in case it's helpful :)
www.youtube.com/@Workingwith...
www.youtube.com/@Workingwith...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
IMO this hasn't gotten enough attention: a recent memo at NIH announces that peer review will be devalued in determining which grants get funded, granting more power to political appointees to make decisions based on the admin's whims over scientific merit
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Changes at NIH Give Political Appointees Greater Power To Fund or Block Research - KFF Health News
The National Institutes of Health’s long-held standard of peer review for grantmaking has been subverted by President Donald Trump and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who gave unprecedented power to po...
kffhealthnews.org
October 5, 2025 at 1:33 PM
IMO this hasn't gotten enough attention: a recent memo at NIH announces that peer review will be devalued in determining which grants get funded, granting more power to political appointees to make decisions based on the admin's whims over scientific merit
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Worm peeps: nominate a newly minted PhD for the Sydney Brenner Thesis Award! #celegans
📢 Deadline extended! Apply by Oct 3 for the 2025 Sydney Brenner Thesis Award—honoring outstanding theses in nematode biology (defended Oct 1, 2024–Sept 30, 2025).
Send in your nomination today! 🔗:
Send in your nomination today! 🔗:
2025 Brenner Award Nomination
This nomination form is for the 2025 Brenner Award Nomination. Due: September 30th, 2025. Please do not include any information besides what is asked as a formal nominee form and recommendation…
buff.ly
September 30, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Worm peeps: nominate a newly minted PhD for the Sydney Brenner Thesis Award! #celegans
Reposted by Xantha Karp
I wrote something on developmental biology and disability and put it up on the node last night:
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
Developmental Biology and Disability - the Node
Hopeful monsters. Morphospace. Mutation. Natural variation. Mutagenesis screens. Polymorphism. Deformity. Phenotype. Disease. Adaptation. Anomaly.
thenode.biologists.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:38 AM
I wrote something on developmental biology and disability and put it up on the node last night:
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
Reposted by Xantha Karp
It's online! In this series of perspectives @dev-journal.bsky.social, yours truly talks about the exciting open questions and many things to do in the field of dev bio and neuroscience #DevBio🧪 #PIsOfTomorrow journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
Pathway to Independence: a forecast for the future of developmental biology
ABSTRACT. In 2022, Development launched its Pathway to Independence (PI) programme, aimed at supporting postdocs as they transition to their first independent position. In 2025, we welcome our third c...
journals.biologists.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:00 AM
It's online! In this series of perspectives @dev-journal.bsky.social, yours truly talks about the exciting open questions and many things to do in the field of dev bio and neuroscience #DevBio🧪 #PIsOfTomorrow journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...