It’s that annual time where I schedule “work” in the departmental conference room. #MarchMadness
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Chris Robinson
600 posts
Chris Robinson
@TheRobinsonLab
Associate Professor at IU School of Medicine. I'm a husband/father first, a virologist second...and probably an entertainer third.
เข้าร่วม Mayıs 2016
524 กำลังติดตาม532 ผู้ติดตาม
Chris Robinson รีทวีตแล้ว
@PeterDiamandis the entire academic funding model is basically a creative writing competition where the prize is permission to do your actual job
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Chris Robinson รีทวีตแล้ว
Harvard scientists just shattered one of biology’s oldest rules.
We were taught:
Viruses can’t make their own proteins. They hijack yours. That’s why they’re “not alive.”
Except giant DNA viruses just crossed that line.
Researchers found they carry a full eukaryotic-style translation complex (vIF4F). Translation machinery.
Inside a virus. They can keep making proteins even under stress that shuts down normal viral replication.
If a virus brings its own protein-making tools…
Is it still just a parasite?
For decades we’ve drawn a clean boundary:
Cell = alive
Virus = not alive
Nature doesn’t care about our categories.
Maybe viruses aren’t just evolutionary side notes.
Maybe they helped build complex life.
Paper in Cell 👇
cell.com/cell/fulltext/…
Harvard news: cellbio.hms.harvard.edu/recent-researc…
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Chris Robinson รีทวีตแล้ว
The P&T Chair saw his shadow, so if your up for tenure this year that’s six more years as an assistant professor.
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Congratulations to Yu-chi on passing her Qualifying Exam! I’m excited to watch her continue to grow and develop into an excellent scientist. 🍾
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CFB playoff teams with first round byes are 0-6. Let’s hope IU changes that. Let’s go Hoosiers!
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Chris Robinson รีทวีตแล้ว
Two grants submitted and now I’m going to enjoy the last few beach days of 2025.
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Great job by @RachelPTat for her fantastic presentation at the Midwest Virology Symposium! She was voted as one of the best flash talks!
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Proud of Yu-chi, Rachel, and Lori for representing the Robinson Lab today at the Midwest Virology Symposium!
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Congrats to Lori for successfully passing her qualifying exam this past week!
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A year later and we finally finished the book with my youngest son. Scientist Dad Win!
Chris Robinson@TheRobinsonLab
I’ve been reading, “The Good, the Bad, and the Slimy: The Secret life of Microbes” with my 5 year old son (his choice). After reading about the bubonic plague and the dysentery Napoleon’s troops went through, my son said, “I don’t think this book is for me”.
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Chris Robinson รีทวีตแล้ว
Chris Robinson รีทวีตแล้ว
As a mentor it’s awesome to watch @RachelPTat help inspire the next generation of scientists!
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It’s always fun when I fix something in the lab. Even though I sit behind a desk all day, it feels good to remind my trainees that I still got it. 😂
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