Retired Prof in Molecular Plant Pathology: enjoys life voraciously: enjoys beer: enjoys family & 2 dogs even more than beer(!) L'pool FC through thick & thin
Joined August 2012
- Tweets 89,567
- Following 10,781
- Followers 14,758
- Likes 21,571
11,852 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
Apr 30
When I appeared on hit BBC podcast #Uncanny on my time in Alanbrooke Hall QUB that was weird enough. But now a band has many an album based on it all & Room 6:11
You can listen to the album from the link below
tinyurl.com/3zv8j574
Come on @danny_robins time for the movie🎥
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GaryFoster retweeted
UK universities need to be more ambitious and not just rely on cutting jobs as a way to balance the books, former education secretary David Blunkett has said
timeshighereducation.com/new…
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Jun 14
We're about to hit the wild & remotest islands of Scotland on cruise. As I do for interesting trips I’ve compiled a scrapbook of things about where we might visit, maps, deck plans, quickest route to the bar etc. with some blank pages to keep a diary of each day’s shenanigans
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GaryFoster retweeted
Jun 11
Why is the universities crisis being ignored?
Essential piece by @gsoh31 for @ArguablyMag on “the grim dribbling away of one of Britain’s great triumphs and economic advantages” – and why so few politicians seem to care. arguably.uk/p/the-quiet-coll…
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University of Nottingham student and alumni data accessed in hack by cybercriminal group
itv.com/news/central/2026-06…
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A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a member of staff at the University of Surrey was shot with a crossbow. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4p…
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GaryFoster retweeted
Jun 2
Between 1985--2023, MIT's faculty grew 9%. Administrative staff grew 189%. 📈 Why? In new @PNASNews paper, we use dynamical system model to show administrative bloat can emerge without empire-building--just from well-intentioned problem-solving gone awry pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.25…
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An equal and habitable world is possible’: academics set out sweeping vision for planetary survival
Global report provides an alternative to climate breakdown, political extremism and economic tensions theguardian.com/environment/…
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You know you’ve made it in academia when several hundred undergrads sing your name in a song at their leaving Ball (Wonderwall)
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Third of people say uni degree not worth it, as student loan inquiry begins bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2e2…
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University of Manchester to investigate sexual harassment of female medical students
About 20 students report anonymous late-night phone calls from men who ‘intimidated, demeaned and belittled’ them theguardian.com/education/20…
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May 31
Essentially found my life bio in alcoholic miniatures
Buckfast - aka Lurgan Champagne
Potato vodka- Ireland
Liverpool vodka- mighty reds
Sweet potato rum
&
Sweet potato gin - I’ve worked in sweet potato viruses in my job
Challenge anyone else to manage this 🤪
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GaryFoster retweeted
May 28
🚨 The University of Nottingham is cutting 600 jobs. This includes 1 in 3 #geography lecturers:
"I feel betrayed. I was told I would have certain modules and certain professors, and now I don't even know if the modules I've chosen for next year will run"
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp…
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GaryFoster retweeted
AI ‘could make a PhD researcher as productive as a lab’, says Nobelist Demis Hassabis.
Artificial intelligence systems will allow a single PhD student's output to match that of a whole laboratory, says chemistry laureate.
researchprofessionalnews.com…
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GaryFoster retweeted
I just published this short article about making omega-3 PUFAs in transgenic plants, with the aim of putting a spotlight on some unanswered questions. I also flag the issue of transgene silencing in plant biotech as a problem that hasn't gone away!
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…
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May 24
UK universities warn of cuts for impoverished students if dire funding issues continue
Nearly a third of vice-chancellors would cut hardship support if necessary over next three years, according to poll theguardian.com/education/20…
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GaryFoster retweeted
May 24
Oppenheimer when Freeman Dyson asked him which university in England he should try to get a job at in case he decided to go back: "Bristol has the best experimental physics. Birmingham has the best theoretical physics. Cambridge and Oxford have some splendid architecture."
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May 24
Before the horrible portacabin things appeared. Those beautiful gardens designed by me. Ruined by others.
🙃
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May 23
Not a bad days discovery. Now time to wack them on the barby. 🎣
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May 15
BBSRC caps fellowship bids mid-call after surge in applications researchprofessionalnews.com…
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