Stephen Floor

Stephen Floor

@snf.bsky.social

Dad, partner, scientist, music lover. I am passionate about developing RNA technologies to impact human health.

2.3K followers375 following436 posts

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

It’s an inversion of liberty to deny citizenship to people who have overcome so much, it’s a betrayal of the American experiment

Sarah Betancourt@sweetadelinevt.bsky.social

“She showed up as scheduled, and when she arrived, officers were asking everyone what country they were from, and if they said a certain country, they were told to step out of line and that their oath ceremonies were canceled.” www.wgbh.org/news/local/2... @gbhnews.bsky.social

wgbh.orgImmigrants kept from Faneuil Hall citizenship ceremony as feds crackdown nationwideTrump administration is pausing naturalizations for immigrants from 19 countries.

Stephen Floor reposted

Eugene Valkov
@eugenevalkov.bsky.social

Delighted to present our second paper of the year. This one explores the molecular mechanism of TTP, a key post-transcriptional regulator of AU-rich mRNAs. Work led and coordinated by @filippekovic.bsky.social, in collaboration with Perry Blackshear. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comMultivalent interactions with CCR4–NOT and PABPC1 determine mRNA repression efficiency by tristetraprolin - Nature CommunicationsDeadenylation leads to mRNA decay, with PABPC1 protecting the poly(A) tail, while tristetraprolin and CCR4–NOT promote deadenylation. Here, the authors describe how these three proteins interact to re...
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

Another example of spurious effects when you try to interpret RNA biology from DNA introduced into cells without confirming exactly what RNA processing is happening. Important and common confounder - great paper!

DjuranovicLab at Brown University RNA Center@djuranoviclab.bsky.social

Our collaboration with Tony Mustoe's lab us out today. MPRA libraries and possible cryptic splicing in MPRA reporters, or reporters in general. The additional novelty here is that such events are controlled or influenced by AU-rich sequences. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comU-rich elements drive pervasive cryptic splicing in 3’ UTR massively parallel reporter assays - Nature CommunicationsMassively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs) are powerful technologies for measuring the impact of non-coding sequences on gene expression. Here, the authors demonstrate that MPRA reporters often underg...

Stephen Floor reposted

Mike Feigin 🥯
@mikefeigin.bsky.social

“With these considerations, we expect to fund through the 4th percentile.” There it is, in black and white, the destruction of cancer research in the US.

Edwin Antony@professorantony.bsky.social

Funding policy for 2025 from NCI. Was just released: 4 percentile…maybe! www.cancer.gov/grants-train...

cancer.govFunding Policy - Research GrantsNCI funding policy for research project grant (RPG) awards reflects the funding goals of the institute, NIH, and HHS.
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

this is an example of the so-called meritocracy that’s threatened by introspection on who gets into college and why

NYTimes: affirmative action for mediocre editors angry at MeToo@originalist.bsky.social

"Nearly half of white students admitted to Harvard between 2009 and 2014 were legacy students or Dean’s Interest List—a list of applicants whose relatives have donated to Harvard, the existence of which only became public knowledge in 2018" 75% of them would not have been admitted otherwise

qz.comA new statistic reveals the startling privilege of white kids admitted to HarvardHarvard University is a notoriously tough school to get into, with an acceptance rate of just 4.5% in the most recent admissions cycle for the class of 2023. But it’s significantly easier to land a sp...
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

great review on the myriad ways that genetic variation in mRNA untranslated regions can cause disease!

Nicky Whiffin@nickywhiffin.bsky.social

Ever craved a review that details the diverse mechanisms through which UTR variants have been show to cause rare disease??? Or maybe just curious? Well this review, written by the amazing Dr @nechamawieder.bsky.social , is for you 🤓🧬🩺

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

This July 4 I celebrate my country born by separation from a tyrannical king, with the principles that all people are created equal and that the government represents the will of the People, not a monarch. The unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Let freedom ring!

Zohran Kwame Mamdani@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social

America is beautiful, contradictory, unfinished. I am proud of our country even as we constantly strive to make it better, to protect and deepen our democracy, to fulfill its promise for each and every person who calls it home. Happy Independence Day. No Kings in America.

Stephen Floor reposted

Carl Zimmer
@carlzimmer.com

A federal judge on Monday declared the Trump administration’s move to cut hundreds of grants issued by the National Institutes of Health illegal, accusing the government of discrimination against minorities and L.G.B.T.Q. individuals. nyti.ms/4jSIjOG

nyti.msTrump’s Cuts to N.I.H. Grants Are Illegal, Federal Judge RulesThe judge accused the Trump administration of discriminating against minorities and L.G.B.T.Q. people and ordered the government to restore much of the funding.

Stephen Floor reposted

jamelle
@jamellebouie.net

the story today is of a profoundly low energy military parade being met with millions of americans in nationwide protests denouncing the dictatorial pretensions of the president

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

Traveling for a soccer tournament and there’s a rally of maybe 500 people here in South Lake Tahoe today, too. Solidarity. No kings, no tyrants 🇺🇸

Dave Levitan@davelevitan.bsky.social

Dude's wanted a military parade for himself for years and he finally makes it happen and turnout is worse than at a medium sized city's farmers market on a rainy day while like 2% of the entire country went out to protest his bullshit

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

fully agree - the real question is: will Trump let the DOGEs out?

Terry McGlynn@hormiga.bsky.social

In full sincerity, now is the moment to emphasize that undoing the changes implemented by DOGE is good for America, and increasing investment into NASA, NSF, NIH and other agencies will keep Elon from profiting off taxpayers.

Stephen Floor reposted

Jeff Leek
@jtleek.bsky.social

These are not just grants. This is thousands of people who devoted their lives and careers - taking pay cuts, working long hours, living with uncertainty - all for the chance to try to make people's lives a bit better for you and your loved ones. This breaks my heart.

Joshua Tucker@jatucker.bsky.social

Cutting NIH or NSF funding sounds abstract. Seeing what research is actually being cut makes it real. Kudos to @nytimes.com for this piece: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

nytimes.comHere Are the Nearly 2,500 Medical Research Grants Canceled or Delayed by TrumpSome cuts have been starkly visible, but the country’s medical grant-making machinery has also radically transformed outside the public eye.
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

if the US wants to be competitive on the world stage, investing in education, science, and technology is the way. one doesn’t simply discriminate your way to the top

Stand Up for Science!@standupforscience.net

McCarthyism 2.0: Now with added racism. Trump wants to purge Chinese students from U.S. universities under the guise of “national security.” This isn’t defense — it’s discrimination, plain and simple. We stand up for international students. www.politico.com/news/2025/05...

politico.comBehind Trump’s long campaign to target Chinese student visasThe president's action comes amid a fragile trade truce on the line.
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

prelim phase 1/2 trial results of the Moderna H5N1 vaccine program included no (none) dose-limiting toxicity and 97.8% (NINETY SEVEN POINT EIGHT PERCENT) of participants reaching protective antibody levels. defunding this program makes America sicker endpts.com/trump-axes-m...

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦@helenbranswell.bsky.social

BREAKING: In a serious blow to US pandemic flu preparedness, HHS has cancelled a contract with Moderna to test and license prototype vaccines for #H5N1 #birdflu and other potential pandemic viruses. In a pandemic, mRNA is the fastest way to vaccine doses. www.statnews.com/2025/05/28/m...

statnews.comHHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemicsHHS has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract for vaccines for flu strains that could trigger future pandemics.

Stephen Floor reposted

Ariel Wittenberg
@arielwittenberg.bsky.social

Thinking of this @propublica.org reporting today about stillbirths of unvaccinated parents during the Delta wave, before CDC had explicitly recommended COVID vaccines for pregnant people and the damage the virus did to the placentas. www.propublica.org/article/covi...

propublica.org“God, No, Not Another Case.” COVID-Related Stillbirths Didn’t Have to Happen.A lack of testing data and government guidance led many to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, unwittingly increasing their chances of a stillbirth.
This post is unavailable.
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

today’s anti-vaccination, pro-disease decision by RFK in the Orwellian name of “making America healthy again” will lead to more moms dying and more unhealthy babies why anyone would choose to not protect moms and babies as best we can is beyond my comprehension

Emily R Smith, ScD, MPH@dremilyrsmith.bsky.social

🤰 Among pregnant women, those who get COVID are more likely to die or end up in the ICU. And their babies are more likely to be born too soon or too small. (BMJ Global Health Paper here: gh.bmj.com/content/8/1/...)

gh.bmj.comAdverse maternal, fetal, and newborn outcomes among pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection: an individual participant data meta-analysisIntroduction Despite a growing body of research on the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, there is continued controversy given heterogeneity in the quality and design of published studies...

Stephen Floor reposted

Derek Lowe
@dereklowe.bsky.social

This is exactly it. I’ve said the same thing in nearly the same words myself. The memory of this man and his very name should be a curse for future generations.

Dani Rodrik@drodrik.bsky.social

Three things made the US a rich and powerful nation: the rule of law, its science & innovation system, and openness to foreign talent. Remarkable how Trump has taken a sledgehammer to all three. No enemy of this country could do more.

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

Eikon lays off ~15% of staff citing "external forces. For example, government funding cuts have constrained the budgets of academic institutions, necessitating that we pause development of our advanced instruments ... The market for these instruments has clearly evaporated."

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

more of this will be coming in the near term as budgets dry up, and in the long term as diminished academic research leads to fewer startups. ample evidence in our faces that DOGE and the Trump administration are derailing American science, innovation, and our economy

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

must read thread on the Makary & Prasad NEJM screed (and corresponding FDA policy position) that will increase illness and death by limiting access to effective vaccines. this is the first action I’ve seen since Prasad’s joining CBER and it’s a bad portent

Edward Nirenberg@enirenberg.bsky.social

Makary and Prasad have a sounding board piece written in NEJM about the future of COVID-19 vaccine regulation at the FDA. Some thoughts:

nejm.orgAn Evidence-Based Approach to Covid-19 Vaccination | NEJMThis article from the FDA compares broad U.S. recommendations on Covid vaccination with those from other countries and announces the adoption of an evidence-based approach to such recommendations.
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

fire season should be fun this year, and by fun I mean really dangerous for people

Daniel Swain@weatherwest.bsky.social

Welp. 2 California NWS offices--covering entire Sacramento/ San Joaquin Valley region & adjacent foothills/mountains--are no longer operating 24/7 due to extreme understaffing & expanding cuts to NOAA/NWS. This is a very big problem! #CAwx #CAfire #CAwater www.washingtonpost.c...

Stephen Floor reposted

Charles Jennings
@chasjennings.bsky.social

The GOP campaign against RNA medicines is a modern-day witch-hunt, driven by a combination of political pandering, scientific ignorance and vindictiveness toward medical research. The potential of RNA medicine is enormous, and if we don’t develop it here in the US, other countries will.

This post is unavailable.

Stephen Floor reposted

Trevor A. Branch
@trevorabranch.bsky.social

Racist and sexist roots in the cancellation of NSF grants under Trump: Grants with female PIs canceled 2x more than men Grants with Black PIs canceled 4x over White PIs Grants with Hispanic PIs canceled 2x over White PIs Grants with PIs with disabilities canceled 2x more than without

David Malakoff@davidmalakoff.bsky.social

Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3 www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgTrump officials take steps toward a radically different NSFEfforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress
Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

outrageous, harmful, contrary to the interest of the USA. boggles my mind on a daily basis that our Congress doesn’t stand up against this kind of regressive action

Michael Baym@baym.lol

Yesterday, the NIH R35 “Outstanding Investigator” grant to fund scientists in my lab studying antibiotic resistance was terminated for reasons not related to the content of the science, or any actions taken by me or members of my lab

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

bolded in a biotech SEQ 10-Q filing: "Changes in funding or disruptions at the FDA, the SEC and other government agencies, caused by reductions in staffing government shut downs could .. prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized .. could negatively impact our business"

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

if you like soccer at all (or if you just like amazing things) take some time out of your life and watch the full Barca vs Inter champions league semifinal from today (or at least highlights). both legs were amazing but this was one of the best soccer games I’ve ever seen. hats off to everyone

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

now that’s a funding cliff 📉💩

Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪@altnih4science.bsky.social

Check this chart. Purple line: NIH actual budget (as passed by Congress) after 2000. This is in real (inflation-adjusted) dollars. The Trump/Vought proposal for 2026 (yellow) is catastrophic, for US science and medical cures for Americans. That's a massive drop.

Stephen Floor
@snf.bsky.social

extreme whiplash from being so excited about science after the COVID vaccines saved millions of lives, likely including my own as an immunocompromised person and of my elderly family members, to the installation of anti-science, anti-vaccine, pro-dark-ages-suffering people in the FDA and government