I'm not active on social media much anymore. But, as the perpetual pre-teen nerd from 90s that I am deep inside, I keep the lab website up to date: krokenlab.com. We have new papers out and recently awarded student grants!

Mark your calendars! #mmpc2026 The 2026 Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference will be take place September 25-27, 2026 at the University of Minnesota! We are excited to welcome keynote speaker Dr. Andy Camilli. Give us a follow and watch for important information here ➡️ mmpc2026.umn.edu

The registration deadline for MMPC 2025 has been extended to Friday September 5! www.mmpconference2025.com/registration

MMPC 2025 - Registration

Please click here to visit Loyola's secure site for conference registration! Please note, rooms at the Q Center will be reserved separately from registration. Visit the "Accommodations" tab for inform...

mmpconference2025.com

Please submit your abstracts by the end of the day! www.mmpconference2025.com/submit-an-ab...

Did you miss the opportunity to submit an abstract to MMPC? We have extended the deadline to August 25! Please consider sharing your latest and greatest research! www.mmpconference2025.com/submit-an-ab...

Reminder: the deadline for poster abstracts is this Friday, August 15!

Chris Corcoran was the first student to ask me to be on a PhD thesis committee, so I've been privileged to watch this super cool story unfold over the last couple years! I got to play a small part in helping Chris do some live microscopy of ArcI expression and localization in response to glyoxal.

A glyoxal-specific aldehyde signaling axis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa that influences quorum sensing and infection - Nature Communications

In this study, the authors assess the global response to the toxic aldehyde glyoxal (GO) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting that GO controls quorum sensing during infection through a mechanism invo...

nature.com

Reminder: MMPC's abstract deadline to be considered for an oral presentation is July 15!

I have accidentally become a marine biologist! (sort of...) Jeremy Esin from Karen Visick’s lab (@microklv.bsky.social) approached me to develop an imaging-based biofilm dispersal assay of Vibrio fischeri. It provides luminescence for Hawaiian bobtail squid. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Calcium signaling controls early stage biofilm formation and dispersal in Vibrio fischeri | Journal of Bacteriology

Biofilm formation and dispersal are critical steps in both symbiotic and pathogenic colonization. Relative to biofilm formation, the process of dispersal in the model symbiont Vibrio fischeri, and oth...

journals.asm.org

MMPC was the first conference I attended as a new graduate student. Hard to believe I'm serving as a co-chair for it this year! Hoping Jon Allen and the rest of our micro faculty here at Loyola can put on a great event for all of you... and that future MMPC chairs are among the attendees! 😊

Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference@mmpconference.bsky.social · last yr.

Registration for MMPC 2025 opens today! We can’t wait to see you in St. Charles, IL, for the first MMPC hosted by Loyola University Chicago! www.mmpconference2025.com/registration

Consider a specific example such as merging the National Eye Institute into a larger brain institute. Are eyes part of the brain? Absolutely. Are there different concerns and difficult pools of grantees for eyes compared to other parts of the brain? Most definitely What are benefits and costs? 1/n

vermivorax@vermivorax.bsky.social · last yr.

What is a good way to explain the impact of the consolidation to laypeople?

The 2025 Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference, hosted by Loyola University Chicago, will be held October 3-5. We have a website where you can find additional information and begin making your plans! www.mmpconference2025.com

First Kroken lab posters! Hope you got a chance to visit Rachel and Adam! #2023MMPC

Lots of firsts for me at #MMPC2023 ! Speaker ribbon 😊

I'm still figuring out where my online science community is, and for the time being, will try to crosspost in a few places and see what sticks. Twitter/X: krokenlab Blue Sky: akroken.bsky.social Mastodon: akroken@mstdn.science