I'm Sure I Forgot Something

A University of Texas at Austin-led team has reconstructed the most detailed map to date of the molecular machines that carried out the functions of life in an ancient ancestor that gave rise to all complex life on Earth, including us, shedding new light on genetic causes of human diseases. This representation of protein networks, known as the protein interactome and published in Cell Genomics, is like a treasure map the researchers have used to dig up hundreds of genes that weren't previously known to be associated with human diseases. Using animal models and human patient data, they have already confirmed for the first time that three of these genes are connected to rare disorders. The work could potentially lead to new targets for treating a host of other diseases.

A University of Texas at Austin-led team has reconstructed the most detailed map to date of the molecular machines that carried out the functions of life in an ancient ancestor that gave rise to all complex life on Earth, including us, shedding new light on genetic causes of human diseases. This representation of protein networks, known as the protein interactome and published in Cell Genomics, is like a treasure map the researchers have used to dig up hundreds of genes that weren't previously known to be associated with human diseases. Using animal models and human patient data, they have already confirmed for the first time that three of these genes are connected to rare disorders. The work could potentially lead to new targets for treating a host of other diseases.

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

On Sunday, May 31—the day before Pride Month—a Twitter user posted a photo from Vivian Jenna Wilson's new Savage X Fenty Pride campaign alongside a sweeping claim: that were it not for Vivian, Musk would have never purchased Twitter, never gotten involved in politics, and Kamala Harris would be president. The notion that Musk's Twitter acquisition was connected to his daughter's transition has been the subject of speculation for years, bolstered by leaked text messages from the Delaware court filings that linked his purchase directly to the suspension of a transphobic account, and by his own biographer's reporting that his “anti-woke sentiments” were "partly triggered" by Wilson's transition. But Musk had never confirmed it in his own words. This time, he replied with a single word: "True"—seemingly confirming what the court filings, the Isaacson biography, and Musk's own public statements had long suggested: that the $44 billion purchase of Twitter was driven, at least in significant part, by his reaction to his daughter's transition and the platform's treatment of anti-trans content. "We should never forget that if not for Vivian, Elon Musk never would have gotten involved, never would have purchased Twitter, Kamala Harris would be President and the Left-wing would have total instrumental control over the construction of Skynet," read the post by Twitter user Syd Steyerhart, in response to Vivian's photo and news about her campaign for Rihanna's lingerie brand. "True," Musk responded. Then, today, he doubled down, writing that Vivian "was murdered by the woke mind virus, now it will die."

The exchange is striking, but it is not a revelation so much as a confirmation. Evidence that Musk’s purchase of Twitter was substantially influenced by transgender people has been accumulating for years. In March 2022, Twitter suspended the Babylon Bee, a right-wing satire account, for posting a headline naming U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine—a transgender woman—its “Man of the Year.” Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon confirmed that Musk called him directly to verify the suspension and “even mused on that call that he might need to buy Twitter.”

[...] Musk has since used the platform he purchased to wage a sustained campaign against transgender people.