Stephen Royle

I'm into chord changes and cell biology.

Professor at University of Warwick. Director of The Company of Biologists. Affiliate of bioRxiv. Author of "The Digital Cell". Views are my own and do not represent any organisation I am associated with.

#CellBiology #MembraneTrafficking #CellDivision #Microscopy #ImageAnalysis #Science #ScienceMastodon #Academia #AcademicMastodon and #Music #Running #Cycling

Lab Website: https://roylelab.org
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8927-6967
GitHub: https://github.com/quantixed
Data Analysis: https://quantixed.org

Public Key

npub1kynvgdllfzgw72g6a67zdav7zt5jshr697cwtcnwmvnazslgrc0q68mmll

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

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Publishing to

relay.primal.net

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1kynvgdllfzgw72g6a67zdav7zt5jshr697cwtcnwmvnazslgrc0q68mmll

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Published at

2026-08-02T11:10:09Z

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Event JSON

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Last Notes

2026-07-30 09:00:49 UTC

Cooler today #running from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay and back on the Cinder Trail. On Tuesday I went back along the coast via Cleveland Way but it was not as good for running, so today was out and back. Cinder Trail is a former railway line. Over 200m elevation gain over this route. Beautiful views.
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/117/008/108/425/622/675/original/1daa46e01df45c9d.png

2026-06-19 18:29:51 UTC

The Wi-Fi signal at this restaurant table is fantastic.
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/778/191/285/038/941/original/e5de6baaef9a28e7.jpeg

2026-06-16 10:15:36 UTC

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ha! Obviously coercing these citations is bad but the fact that GS indexes things beyond traditional publications e.g. patents or even BA theses, is a strength of the platform. Mostly…

2026-06-16 05:28:17 UTC

RE: https://biologists.social/@steveroyle/116679169030242246
For anyone interested, this hack involves uploading self-referencing content to OSF. I pointed this out to OSF and they said that while it's against the spirit of their platform it doesn't break their T&Cs so they will take no further action.
So, if you too want an impressive/ridiculous but meaningless GS page, this is a consequence-free way to do it.
#note1dw5…4nzc

2026-06-12 07:55:31 UTC

#FridayMusicQuiz
Three groups of groups. What do each group of groups have in common which differentiates them from the other two groups of groups?
A. The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Smiths
B. The Pixies, The Eagles, The Bee Gees
C. The Bangles, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Melvins

2026-06-02 06:47:08 UTC

This google scholar page is literally unbelievable. 5.4 M citations, H-index of 1867. Looks to be entirely/mostly driven by self-citation to machine generated content. Impressive hack!
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=fm3iBmgAAAAJ
#Metrics #AcademicChatter

2026-05-22 20:21:34 UTC

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wow that's an impressive distance tally... and it's still only May!

2026-05-09 11:29:25 UTC

Fun idea from the Motors and Filaments meeting. Chat to attendees and figure out who you can write in each box.
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/544/383/314/170/259/original/7a3781043bbf86db.jpeg

2026-04-11 21:01:50 UTC

Artemis II photos. Some wonderful shots here.
HT @npub1qs2…740s
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/albums/72177720307234654/

2026-03-13 06:36:56 UTC

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thank you for this thread! At some point in the past, I was told that this was the way to give a talk but being the rebel that I am, I don't follow the advice. I will likely have to teach a class on scientific presentations next year, and I would love to use this example (if you don't mind).

2026-03-02 15:13:15 UTC

First two months of 2026 in #PeerReview
I've reviewed:
4 papers
3 grant applications
I've submitted:
1 paper
1 grant application
so I've “requested” ~6 reviews from the system.
So I'm in credit at the Bank of Peer Review so far.
#LifeOfPI

2026-02-23 11:27:20 UTC

Rewatching the Star Wars films. It seems Palpatine has no problem finding Jedis to turn to the dark side: Dooku, Annekin, Maul(?) I feel that the Jedi organisation lacks sufficient workplace training about the risks of the dark side.
A one-day workshop with a six-monthly online refresher course (with a PDF certificate they can download) should do it!
#StarWars #Academia

2026-02-07 07:18:38 UTC

RE: https://sfba.social/@historyofpunkrock/116027969166627483
This is sad news. Obviously Fred Smith played on one of the greatest rock records of all time, but he also contributed bass and production on Tom Verlaine's early solo albums as well as other projects. A great bass player, he locked in so well with Billy Ficca's drumming. I read that he was mocked on the NY proto-punk scene for switching from Blondie to Television (replacing Richard Hell), especially as Blondie became successful while Television were slow burning. The correct choice IMO.
#note17sf…s79j

2026-02-03 07:39:37 UTC

If you're interested in divesting yourself of US-based tech and reducing your digital footprint, there's plenty of guides to help (like these two).
https://disconnect.blog/getting-off-us-tech-a-guide/
https://www.optoutproject.net/tags/cleanse/

2025-12-30 10:34:59 UTC

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incredible achievement! Congratulations!!

2025-12-29 15:43:25 UTC

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Ouch! But you're nearly there!

2025-12-23 12:28:35 UTC

I'm struggling to compose a toot to say how isolated it is on campus today without sounding like a total desperado. Seems it’s just the stem cell botherers, a cleaner and me. Strange post-apocalypse vibes.
#LifeWorkBalance

2025-12-16 06:33:16 UTC

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10,000 km is insane! My goal is "only" 3,650 km total. Really hope you get there! @npub18ud…4lv5 @npub1kwd…v6mv

2025-12-14 10:14:15 UTC

Only 117 km to go to reach my running goal total for this year. Beautiful sunrise and “dawnbow” on this morning’s long run.
#running #runnersofmastodon #silentsunday
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/115/717/390/062/190/876/original/04a22f94d242c087.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/115/717/390/395/747/163/original/e828ceccb5b30424.jpeg

2025-11-27 07:56:17 UTC

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Dirty Rotten LP by DRI.
I bought it on vinyl primarily because it was cheap as it was missing the original sleeve. I'd heard Thrash Zone and was into grindcore but this album was my path to punk.
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/115/620/588/658/709/435/original/950ebfcef4cb4940.jpeg

2025-09-21 11:13:31 UTC

Week 10 of marathon training. I was supposed to do this session last week but couldn’t fit it in. 20 km easy 10 km MP 2 km tempo 4 km easy. Fatigue crept in this week, so I was pleased to get this one done. Week 11 looks tough(er)…
#running #runnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/115/241/989/297/014/751/original/190ae29b90447abc.png

2025-09-07 05:34:00 UTC

I suspect the number of my followers who are interested in the boom of Scott Burns-produced Death Metal LPs in the 80s/90s to be small... however, I was amused that the very knowledgeable author of this article also writes for British kids TV (The Furchester Hotel, Horrible Histories...)
https://social.lol/@thetonearm/115160779055224027

2025-08-21 06:22:21 UTC

This poll made me laugh. Isn’t it amazing that not a single person (out of 1,386) clicked yes. Even in error.
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/115/065/312/876/984/863/original/276a1bb759bff418.png

2025-07-30 14:23:59 UTC

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it's not really though. Your Uni needs some promotion criteria and it needs to be tied somehow to scientific output, which is fine. Promotions do increase salary, also fine. It's tenuous whether IF is definitely used at your Uni to decide this, but even if so, there are many factors that go into a promotion decision. So IMHO it's a long way from 10,000 yuan x 1.5 x IF bonuses per paper.

2025-07-30 13:15:00 UTC

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4* is “world-leading", 3* is "internationally excellent but short of the highest standards”. How it's determined is by the panel that the papers are submitted to.
The official line is that the panel read each and every paper (even though to do this is not possible due to diversity of topics and time available). The reality is that it’s informed by metrics and is an appraisal of the title and abstract. A cynical person might give you a different answer about how it is done.

2025-06-23 11:37:27 UTC

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so the issue is the LLMs blindness to subtext or their desire to please? I wonder how obvious the subtext can be before it doesn’t answer the question sycophantically but instead questions the other information…

2025-06-21 11:02:22 UTC

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good suggestions from Steve. From memory: Day Ravies (dream pop), Brown Spirits (psyche). Also in my collection, Silverchair (grunge), The Vines (ditto), The Living End (pop punk), Wolfmother (heavy rock). I have a soft spot for Eskimo Joe. Mental As Anything would go with your Men At Work!

2025-06-13 11:15:10 UTC

A lab member sent this photo of an ongoing situation around the back of the Medical School.
So many questions…
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/114/675/764/844/754/872/original/8365d33180ff5efc.jpeg

2025-03-06 16:52:06 UTC

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that's a new word for me. I clicked the hashtag and found two posts from @npub13ja…egu7 one year apart with some nice pictures.

2025-02-08 19:13:46 UTC

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I was surprised to learn that previous administrations (including Obama’s) had tried to cut indirects and were thwarted. So there is reason to be optimistic. OTOH, the current administration is… different, so maybe not.

2025-01-26 11:52:40 UTC

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I liked the look of Zulip and had heard good things but the instructions for deployment were tricky for the service I am on. @npub1yl3…q722

2025-01-25 20:24:40 UTC

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they will actually enforce what they’ve been saying they’ll do: which is delete everything older than 90 days old. Previously, on the free tier you couldn’t access stuff older than 90 days but if you paid, you would gain access. Policy will be to delete and so it's gone even if you upgrade.
Yeah the per-person billing was a killer for us. Glad to hear Mattermost is OK. I'm just getting going with it.

2025-01-25 17:50:11 UTC

The new Slack data deletion policy (effective Jan 28th) was the final straw. I had workarounds to backup our lab Slack stuff, and we could have carried on, but I figured enough was enough. We've spun up a self-hosted Mattermost instance and have managed to import all our stuff from Slack (going back to 2017) into it. Anyway, a few tweaks to iron out, but wanted to mention in case anyone else is wondering what to do about Slack.

2025-01-23 19:40:09 UTC

University of Leeds is the first Russell group uni to quit X.
https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-universities-2025-1-university-of-leeds-first-russell-group-institution-to-quit-x/

2025-01-10 10:26:15 UTC

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I think masters are owned by record companies. Especially for a landmark record like this, they're in a vault, because of how lucrative they can be if the buyer could put it into production. I believe they pursue the bootleggers (or if it's genuine, the thieves) pretty hard.

2025-01-10 10:00:54 UTC

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I doubt it. I think bootlegs crop up on auction sites and they're not the master; often they're a digital copy to tape. @npub1s5c…8mlm

2024-12-20 09:24:19 UTC

My 2024 #running highlights:
1. HM PB 1:29:37
2. 5 km PB 19:33
3. 10 km PB 40:33
4. Completed an Ultra (66.8 km)
5. Seeing unusual wildlife and amazing views
The thing I’m still chasing is 3500 km total for the year. Sidelined with illness this week but back running today. Quite a few kms to go 🥵 and not much time left! Will update if I make it!
#runnersofmastodon
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/113/684/424/570/857/572/original/dbda816759359fff.jpeg

2024-12-14 07:30:03 UTC

This article cites academia as accounting for 9% of carbon emissions. There needs to be a change in mindset to reduce the carbon footprint of academic research. Air travel is something many academics could cut back on. Can we do this online? Do we need to fly the candidate over? Is attending this conference really necessary? Could you tie together a few visits having flown somewhere? Culture change is needed.
https://www.biologists.com/stories/sustainable-labs-introducing-sustainability-in-academia/

2024-12-02 17:07:22 UTC

I was pointed towards this website written by Michael Coleman.
The most recent post I found to be the least interesting, but the older posts contain some very insightful advice to scientists at all career stages (even senior scientists!).
It tackles issues around research such as motivation, imposter syndrome and more.
https://www.sciencewithoutanguish.com/

2024-11-09 12:05:14 UTC

Today’s run took me over the 3000 km mark for 2024 (3011 km total) 🎉
To mark the occasion I ran 12 km to Warwick racecourse. Then ran a 19:34 parkrun (my first at Warwick). #running #RunnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/113/452/902/270/987/298/original/d3be731f378d95fd.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/113/452/902/639/619/724/original/37683d5002e7c4d7.png

2024-10-27 12:58:29 UTC

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thank you! That’s a great pace. My first few were similar. With a bit of work you can improve it for sure.

2024-10-27 12:35:09 UTC

Running a sub-90 min half marathon has eluded me until today. Amazing feeling crossing the line. Made the pain worthwhile #running #runnersofmastodon
https://cdn.masto.host/biologistssocial/media_attachments/files/113/379/410/265/249/557/original/1c022786215d4368.jpeg

2024-08-23 20:35:54 UTC

Nice article in Quanta magazine on Jane Richardson and her now ubiquitous ribbon diagrams in structural biology.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-colorful-ribbon-diagrams-became-the-face-of-proteins-20240823/

2023-06-27 09:24:36 UTC

#Introduction (just moved to new instance)
I am a cell biologist running a research group (@npub10qc…7kh2) focused on membrane traffic and cell division in human cells. My lab is in [@Warwick_CMCB](https://mstdn.science/@Warwick_CMCB ) at #WarwickUni. My posts are mainly about #science and #CellBiology but also #music, #running and #cycling.
My previous handle was clathrin. For my data analysis alter-ego, follow @npub1ckj…amlm.
#Microscopy #ImageAnalysis #MembraneTraffic #Mitosis #OpenScience #RStats