Johan Van Weyenbergh

#naturecommunications | Roger Paredes Today we publish in #NatureCommunications evidence that dolutegravir, unlike darunavir, helps restore the gut microbiome in people presenting late with HIV In our multicentre, open‑label RCT (96 week...

www.linkedin.com/posts/roger-...

With Eugene Koonin, we propose a concept of “the selfish ribosome”, under which evolution of life is viewed as a ribosomal takeover, where the ribosome evolved to consume most of the cell’s resources, while other cellular componentry ensures the propagation of the ribosome. arxiv.org/abs/2602.23268

Suspended small business research programs derail development of gene therapies, hip implants, and more Congressional impasse has halted billions in research funding for innovative technologies

🧪 Suspended small business #research programs derail development of gene therapies, hip implants, and more
#Science #funding www.science.org/content/arti...

‘Truly spectacular’ drug for sleeping sickness simplifies treatment, raising hopes for eradication European regulators greenlight new one-dose compound that could help African countries get rid of an ancient burden

🧪 ‘Truly spectacular’ drug for sleeping sickness simplifies treatment, raising hopes for eradication | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

That's right. Worse than Pointless
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/o...

ISLC-PAIS Conference 2026 in Amsterdam The ISLC-PAIS Conference brings together reseachers, clinicians and patient leaders working together to improve outcomes for people with Long COVID and other PAIS.

For those wanting the very best in Long C-19 Science‼️

💥 Registration opens very soon 💥

islc-pais.org

Cover of The Lancet, 28 February 2026 issue. The quote: “The destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 year might take generations to repair, and there is little hope for US health and science while he remains at the helm.”

On the cover of The Lancet:
Editorial — “Robert F Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure”

Read the latest issue: spkl.io/63327Aa31W

STING–NF-κB signaling builds an influenza spillover barrier Influenza pandemics are often traced back to the spillover of avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) to humans. However, barriers against IAV transmission remain elusive. We demonstrated human stimulator of...

🧪 STING–NF-κB signaling builds an #influenza spillover barrier | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Surprising partner preference found in matings between Neanderthals and modern humans Male Neanderthals tended to pair up with female modern humans, but whether intercourse was consensual is unclear

🧪 Surprising partner preference found in matings between #Neanderthals and modern humans
#genomics #admixture #evolution
www.science.org/content/arti...

Treating fetuses with stem cells proves safe in milestone spina bifida trial The study is now scaling up to do more in utero procedures and evaluate effects on disability as children grow

🧪 Treating fetuses with #stemcells proves safe in milestone spina bifida trial | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Fostering Responsible Research Assessment: DORA Launches New Introductory Course | DORA DORA is delighted to announce the launch of its Introduction to Responsible Research Assessment (RRA) Course. This online, self-paced course provides an approachable, entry-level curriculum for anyone at any career stage and in a variety of roles to learn about RRA. While the course is free for individuals to take, it requires registration, and provides the option of issuing a certificate for each of its four lessons and one for its full completion.

EMBO was part of the group that developed DORA's new introductory course on #ResponsibleResearchAssessment. 🧪 We’re pleased to see its launch, more info here: https://sfdora.org/2026/02/23/new-introductory-course/

Updates to the ‘bible’ for mental-health conditions will miss the mark — is it time to ditch the DSM? Instead of trying to refine diagnoses, we should focus on how best to give people the care that they need.

🧪 Updates to the ‘bible’ for #mental-health conditions will miss the mark — is it time to ditch the #DSM? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Don’t deprioritize curiosity-driven research Around the world, governments are demanding that research funding follow broader political priorities. They should be careful what they wish for.

🧪 Don’t deprioritize curiosity-driven #research
#funding
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The picture of New York City Hall was manipulated to show it lights up to honor the International Long COVID Awareness day on March 15th. Mayor Mamdani, please make our wish come true!

NYC should light up in teal for International Long COVID Awareness Day on March 15! We wrote to Mayor Mamdani. @mayor.nyc.gov @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
masktogetheramerica.org/blog/nyc-sho...
Join Us to support #LongCOVIDAwareness! #MaskTogetherAmerica

Monocyte-derived IL-10 drives sex differences in pain duration Peripheral monocytes and IL-10 are associated with shorter pain duration in males in both mice and humans.

A new #ScienceImmunology study suggests that IL-10-producing monocytes help resolve pain faster in male mice and humans when compared with females, which could inform therapeutics for sex-specific pain conditions. https://scim.ag/40j6HSk

Genomic characterization of Sabiá virus in Brazil, 2019–2020: Implications for diagnostics, virus evolution, and receptor binding Author summary Sabiá virus (SABV), also known as Brazilian mammarenavirus, causes severe hemorrhagic fever, with mortality rates among New World arenaviruses averaging around 30%. Over the past 40 yea...

🧪 Two patients suspected of having severe yellow fever were admitted with acute hemorrhagic syndrome and neurological alterations; both cases were fatal. Sabiá virus #SABV, a New World #arenavirus, was identified as causative pathogen @plos.org dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

NIH research grant funding rates plummeted in 2025 Agency acknowledges young investigators are losing out as result of multiyear funding policy imposed by White House

🧪 #NIH research grant #funding rates plummeted in 2025 | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Flemish police ask poet to write message for victims for campaign purposes Flemish police ask poet to write message for victim support campaign

To mark the European Day for Victims, Flemish poet Didalmi penned a short verse directing people to victim website.

Yup, a book for the realities we are living through

@anneapplebaum.bsky.social

Occasionally reminded that Georgia added a “post tenure review” process bc they were so certain that professors became deadweight once they had job security, and all the outcomes have proven JUST THE OPPOSITE! People work harder and in more complex ways when they feel secure in their employment.

Au Groenland, un membre de l’équipage d’un sous-marin américain évacué par l’armée danoise au large de Nuuk ; Donald Trump annonce l’envoi d’un navire-hôpital Copenhague a réagi en assurant que l’île artique n’avait pas besoin d’une initiative sanitaire. « La population groenlandaise reçoit les soins de santé dont elle a besoin », a répondu le ministre de la défense danois, Troels Lund Poulsen.

Au Groenland, un membre de l’équipage d’un sous-marin américain évacué par l’armée danoise au large de Nuuk ; Donald Trump annonce l’envoi d’un navire-hôpital

"It's more of a comment than a question"

‘Don’t go to the US – not with Trump in charge’: the UK tourist with a valid visa detained by ICE for six weeks Karen Newton was in America on the trip of a lifetime when she was shackled, transported and held for weeks on end. With tourism to the US under increasing strain, she says, ‘If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone’When Karen Newton left...

A retired British primary school administrator with a British passport and a valid visa was shackled, chained and detained for six weeks by #ICE.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/21/karen-newton-valid-visa-detained-ice

Tracing 2500 years of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B diversity through ancient DNA First ancient HHV-6 genomes reveal 2500 years of phylogenetic continuity and provide insights into the endogenization of HHV-6A.

🧪 Tracing 2500 years of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B diversity through ancient DNA
#evolution #herpesviruses #genomics
Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Unorthodox ‘universal vaccine’ offers broad protection in mice Immune-stimulating cocktail could shield against diverse bacterial and viral infections

🧪 Unorthodox ‘universal #vaccine’ offers broad protection in mice | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Giant viruses hijack their hosts’ protein factories Researchers identify a complex that hands mimivirus control of protein synthesis in infected amoebae

🧪 Giant #viruses hijack their hosts’ protein factories | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Insights: Frosio and Ostuni @unisr.bsky.social discuss new study by Gorin et al. (rupress.org/jem/article/...) which reveals an unexpected mechanism by which IFN-γ sustains trained immune states through prolonged signaling driven by cytokine retention at the cell surface. rupress.org/jem/article/...

New Nanotech Brain Implants Self-Implant Without Surgery MIT researchers have created subcellular ‘circulatronic’ brain implants that can be administered via injection and self-implant to target a variety of ailments directly.

🧪 #brain #nanotech
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Viruses aren’t all bad: In the ocean, some help fuel the food web – a new study shows how Marine viruses attack cells, but the material that spills out helps fuels marine life around the world.

Viruses aren’t all bad: In the ocean, some help fuel the food web

@negilbert.bsky.social @joshuasweitz.bsky.social @tn-marine-micro.bsky.social

FDA agrees to review Moderna mRNA flu vaccine in dramatic reversal After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the company’s mRNA flu shot

FDA backtracks and agrees to review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine after all. @clairehcameron.bsky.social explains on @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/fda-...