Research Technician (Osterman Group – Metabolism-driven immunity)

EMBL Hamburg / CSSB The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is Europe’s flagship life sciences organization, with more than 110 independent research groups across Heidelberg, Hamburg, Grenobl...

embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com

Synthetically designed anti-defense proteins overcome barriers to bacterial transformation and phage infection - Nature Communications

Bacterial defense systems act as barriers to phage infection and plasmid transformation. Here, Garb et al. designed synthetic proteins that disable bacterial defense systems, enabling phages to infect...

nature.com

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

pnas.org

Multiplexed CRISPR base editing enables pulse-activated irreversible biocontainment of engineered bacteria

Abstract. The environmental and therapeutic application of genetically engineered microorganisms necessitates the development of robust, irreversible bioco

academic.oup.com

PhiSpyWeb – Browser-based Prophage Prediction

Browser-based prophage prediction using PhiSpy, Pyodide, and WebAssembly

linsalrob.github.io

Plasmids promote antimicrobial resistance through insertion sequence-mediated gene inactivation - Nature Microbiology

Inactivation of chromosomal genes through plasmid-encoded IS elements is an extended mechanism of antimicrobial resistance evolution in bacteria.

nature.com

biorxiv.org

Loss of Fsr quorum sensing promotes biofilm formation and worsens outcomes in enterococcal infective endocarditis - Nature Communications

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an understudied biofilm-associated infection. Here, analyses of preclinical and clinical data reveal that the Fsr quorum sensing (QS) system of Enterococcus faecalis is ...

nature.com

Diversity and distribution of bacterial DNA polymerases

Abstract. DNA polymerases are key players in DNA replication, repair, and maintenance. However, the overall abundance, diversity, and distribution of bacte

academic.oup.com

Nucleotide signals coordinate activation and inhibition of bacterial immunity - Nature

Biochemical and structural studies show that the bacterial dGTPase CloA is activated by virally produced dTTP and inhibited by 5′-triphosphothymidyl-3′5′-thymidine produced by its regulatory partner CloB, and thereby balances antiviral defence and immune-mediated toxicity.

go.nature.com

biorxiv.org

Structure and mechanism of antiphage retron Eco2 - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology

This study shows how the bacterial retron Eco2 defends against viruses. Phage nucleases trigger activation of Eco2, which cuts RNAs, shuts down protein production and stops phage replication.

nature.com

Bacterial defense systems and host ecology drive the evolution of intra-species lineages

Staphylococcus aureus lineages vary widely in the frequency of gene exchange and the diversity of genome content. Gorzynski and Harling-Lee et al. show that both host ecology and the horizontal acquis...

cell.com

How to thank your lab mates: eight ways to show gratitude at the end of year

Alongside secret Santas and seasonal parties, many laboratories develop traditions to show appreciation to colleagues — from sweets and mulled wine to quizzes and ice-skating trips.

go.nature.com

The host range of generalist and specialist phages in capsule-diverse Klebsiella hosts is driven by the evolvability of receptor-binding proteins

Capsule diversity limits phage host range by affecting RBP interactions in capsulated bacteria. This study shows that generalist phages evolve host range through RBP mutations and recombination, while...

journals.plos.org

Long-read metagenomics reveals phage dynamics in the human gut microbiome - Nature

Complex prophage integration dynamics, including low-level induction, cross-family host range and transposase-mediated mobilization, challenge existing paradigms and deepen our understanding of phage–...

nature.com

The SMC Hinge is a Selective Gate for Obstacle Bypass - Nature Communications

SMC complexes are ring-shaped motors that fold DNA by extruding loops, but how they navigate large DNA obstacles is unclear. Here, Liu et al., show that SMC complexes bypass obstacles by threading obs...

doi.org

Bacteriophage density influences the rate of resistance evolution - PubMed

The antagonistic relationship between bacteria and bacteriophages (phages) drives genetic changes that result in phage resistance. Phage resistance mutations arise in natural microbial communities and during the treatment of diseases with phages (phage therapy), making it important to understand the …

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intracellular competition shapes plasmid population dynamics

From populations of multicellular organisms to selfish genetic elements, conflicts between levels of biological organization are central to evolution. Plasmids are extrachromosomal, self-replicating g...

science.org

KlebPhaCol

klebphacol.org