🚨 New in @natmicrobiol.nature.com! We reveal how the antibiotic target PBP1b fortifies the E.coli division site against osmotic rupture. Proud this was completed in our independent labs @dmf-unil.bsky.social, with @avettiger.bsky.social. Congratulations to all authors! 🦠❄️🔬 #teamtomo bit.ly/3SCbOg1 👇

The penicillin-binding protein PBP1b fortifies the Escherichia coli division site against osmotic rupture - Nature Microbiology

A specific isoform of PBP1b functions independently of the activator protein, LpoB, to drive generation of a wedge-like peptidoglycan structure that strengthens the division site in Escherichia coli.

doi.org

Really hyped to share our pre-print on mtDNA replication-fission ! @nanigrotjahn.bsky.social (doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...) 🧵with details below ⤵️

ATAD3A structurally links mtDNA replication and mitochondrial fission

Mitochondrial function depends on the maintenance of its genome, and disruptions in copy number and distribution are hallmarks of mitochondrial disorders. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication is spat...

doi.org

Microscopy nerd alert: two scopes in California can now do phase contrast cryoEM - potentially fixing the tech's very low signal/noise ratio. The phase filter they used is a laser. Which is also the brightest thing in the solar system (outside of the inside of the sun). cen.acs.org/analytical-c...

15 years, flawless mirrors, and the brightest laser in the world: How physicists brought phase contrast to cryo-EM

Phase contrast enables structures of smaller proteins, could drive in-cell proteomics

cen.acs.org

CapK is a bacterial DNA damage-activated kinase that phosphorylates transcriptional repressor CapS to control adjacently-encoded anti-phage immune pathway genes in response to a universal stress signal, DNA damage @kevincorbett.bsky.social and colleagues link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A DNA damage-activated kinase phosphorylates a transcriptional repressor to control bacterial immune pathway expression - The EMBO Journal

Bacteria encode numerous stress-response pathways that protect their hosts against both internal and external threats. A key question is how these pathways are regulated, especially anti-phage immune ...

link.springer.com

Happy #MicroscopyMonday! This live image captures a larval sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis) that refracts light like a gemstone. The vibrant, true-color image highlights the organism’s birefringence. Imaged by @shribak.bsky.social) and @karenecheverri.bsky.social from the MBL’s Bell Center.

it's summer, and time to go to the pool. our post next monday will be about bacteria that swim the backstroke. stay tuned... #MicroSky

The T6SS is a widespread nanoweapon deployed by #bacteria, but why is it deployed heterogeneously? @cascaleslab.bsky.social &co show that #Ecoli adopt distinct #T6SS attacker "ON" & defender "OFF" roles to optimize survival, a key strategy in microbial warfare @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3S5dL45

Bacteria don't need signaling cascades to rewire gene silencing. They use DNA 🧬 twist. ➕Overwind → H-NS forms a filament. ➖Underwind → H-NS bridges and silences. 📣Topology is the switch. See our preprint for more details: doi.org/10.64898/202...

bioRxiv Biophysics@biorxiv-biophys.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A DNA-binding protein senses DNA superhelicity to switch between bridging and nucleoprotein filament formation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.23.727375v1

Submission open for the 11th YBM Meeting (deadline - 20th May)! Abstract submission link: t.co/8pCwjpO2Ml

My second postdoc paper in @tunglejic.bsky.social lab and two of my favorite things in the lab combined: ParB and killing bacteria. Thanks to everyone who helped make this project possible!

Tung Le@tunglejic.bsky.social · 3mo ago

@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social Who knew ParB-CTPase fold can kill!!! A protein fold best known for segregating chromosomes…can be transformed into a potent antibacterial toxin in some plant and animal pathogens. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Our most recent paper "Divergent Rickettsia species exhibit distinct mechanisms of actin-based motility" is now out in @jcb.org! Check it out here: rupress.org/jcb/article/...

Happy to share the finalized version of my paper on phage lysis in bacteria with unique envelopes! 🎉 Bacteriophages target membrane-anchored glycopolymers to promote host cell lysis and progeny release www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Bacterial rRNAs are highly modified, but their functions are often mysterious. Zac Park says that methylation of 16S rRNA by MraW(RsmH) enhances translation of structured mRNAs. Thus, mRNA structure and rRNA modifications likely co-evolved to fine-tune protein dosage. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Delighted to share our latest work on gene transfer agents (GTAs). We found a lysis control hub which allows GTAs to escape their bacterial host cells and transfer DNA 🧬 between bacteria. Thanks to @tunglejic.bsky.social, all co-authors, and our amazing collaborators! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A bacterial CARD–NLR-like immune system controls the release of gene transfer agents - Nature Microbiology

An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote ...

nature.com

New preprint from the Vecchiarelli Lab! 🧵 Congratulations to first author Dr. Claire Dudley! @claire-dudley.bsky.social Claire uncovered a critical player in the organization for the photosynthetic cytoplasm of cyanobacteria - polyphosphate! #polyP www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Excited to share our latest work with Guanming Zhang and @stemartiniani.bsky.social in @natcomms.nature.com, where we uncover universal long-range structure in three distinct noisy particle systems spanning soft matter and machine learning. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Emergent universal long-range structure in random-organizing systems - Nature Communications

Noise is usually associated with disorder, but it can also generate large-scale order. Here, the authors show that three distinct systems, spanning soft matter and stochastic optimization, self-organi...

nature.com

I am pleased to share my lab’s latest publication - Acinetobacter species lack canonical DNA repair pathway activation mechanisms, and we discovered a conserved transcriptional activator that fills this role: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

A WYL transcriptional regulator activates the DNA damage response pathway in Acinetobacter species

Abstract. The ability to sense DNA damage and activate DNA damage response pathways is critical for repairing DNA damage in all domains of life. The most w

academic.oup.com

Our work on understanding how Staphylococcus aureus mode of cell division contributes to pathogenesis is now available in bioRxiv

bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Orthogonal cell division organizes surface virulence factors to drive staphylococcal abscess community formation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.12.711374v1

Submission open for the tenth YBM Meeting (deadline - 26th March)! Abstract submission link: forms.gle/SBeQeAp9MR2U...

It’s finally out! Together with @embopress.org and @reviewcommons.org, we conducted a structured side-by-side comparison of human peer review and our AI scientific review (see thread 👇👇👇🔥).

Come do a PhD with me and @trevor-lithgow.bsky.social at @monashuniversity.bsky.social ! We’re at the leading edge of pathogen biology using cutting edge Cryo-EM and AI-driven genetic screens to uncover the mysteries of outer membrane biology. Reach out to me for a chat! macsys.org/phd-scholars...

PhD Scholarship at Monash University - MACSYS

Do cutting-edge research at the intersection of cryo‑EM, genome-wide profiling, and AI-driven modelling. Work with world‑class cryo-EM/cryo-ET imaging and AI tools to discover how the dangerous bacter...

macsys.org

Exciting line up of talks for CauloCon 2026 - includes keynotes from @brunlabcaulo.bsky.social @lamasonlab.bsky.social and @thanbichlerlab.bsky.social! Hear work from Isaac Payne and Trung Nguyen, 2 students in my lab, on Weds and Thurs. 🤩

Caulocon@caulocon.bsky.social · 6mo ago

With CauloCon coming up in a few weeks, we are excited to share with you the schedule for the upcoming meeting! There will be 3 keynotes and 26 short talks over three days. You can see more information at caulocon.com

The science writing over at @asimovpress.bsky.social is fantastic! From the origin of the lab vortex, to the history of Xenopus, their content is creative, beautiful, and thoughtfully researched. Consider assigning some of their pieces in science courses. www.asimov.press/p/vortex?utm...

Making the Vortex Mixer

The forgotten story of an invention found in every biology lab.

asimov.press

1/ With @maxencevincent.bsky.social, we ask: when single bacterial cells behave differently under stress, is it really just “noise”? Read more @cp-cellreports.bsky.social : Unveiling hidden variables in stressed bacteria (doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...)

Hey alpha aficionados - it's almost time for CauloCon 2026! This free, virtual meeting will feature talks from @brunlabcaulo.bsky.social @thanbichlerlab.bsky.social and @lamasonlab.bsky.social with opps for trainee talks. Register using the link below. 👇

Marie Delaby@mariedelaby.bsky.social · 6mo ago

CauloCon 2026 is coming! 🔬✨ March 3–5 (fully virtual + free). Keynotes by Yves Brun, Becky Lamason & Martin Thanbichler. Great chance for grad students & postdocs to present their work (work-in-progress welcome!). Submit an abstract by Sun Feb 8. Register + submit: www.caulocon.com

#Addendum to 1970 paper, “CYTOPLASMIC FILAMENTS OF AMOEBA PROTEUS: I. The Role of Filaments in Consistency Changes and Movement,” includes eight video sequences originally recorded on 16-mm films. No technology was available at the time to include this data. 🎞️ rupress.org/jcb/article/... #Actin

Submission open for the eighth YB Meeting (deadline - 21st January)! Abstract submission link: forms.gle/SBeQeAp9MR2U...

Registration is open for the 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Stress Response to be held on July 19-24 2026!! Submit your abstract by February 15th to be considered for a short talk. Apply now before it fills up!! Hope to see you there!! www.grc.org/microbial-st...

Excited to see our new work published! We have established the evolutionary and ecological context of our favorite model Caulobacter and made some unexpected findings. Who would have thought that close relatives lack dimorphism? And have potential for phototrophy? www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Widespread potential for phototrophy and convergent reduction of lifecycle complexity in the dimorphic order Caulobacterales - Nature Communications

This study maps out the diversity and evolution of the bacterial order Caulobacterales, including the model organism C. crescentus, which reveals widespread phototrophy and illuminates the evolution o...

nature.com

indeed, 𝘙𝘶𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘻𝘢𝘦 looke like fusilli, which are notably better at holding on salsa di pomodoro than spaghetti... and as pasta addicts, we fell instantly in love with the shape of this newly described alphaproteo from the Rhizobiales 🤭 #MicroSky

FEMS@femsmicro.org · 8mo ago

As 2025 wraps up, we’re looking back at some of the most intriguing microbes that made their scientific debut this year. This blog highlights standout bacterial species that caught our eye. Read the full #FEMSmicroBlog: buff.ly/2wz7k16 #NewMicrobes