#microsky New preprint from the lab! Widespread immune systems protect bacteria against conjugative plasmids www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... Kudos to the extremely talented lead author Ludovic Poiré! Key contributions by @francoisrousset.bsky.social and also help from C. Lesterlin/TacC lab. 🧵⬇️

Widespread immune systems protect bacteria against conjugative plasmids

Conjugative plasmids are a class of mobile genetic elements capable of efficient transfer between bacterial cells. Although they can introduce beneficial traits such as antibiotic resistance to recipi...

biorxiv.org

NLRP10 is activated at lipid droplets. Check out our new paper just published at EMBOReports! link.springer.com/article/10.1...

How do human cells defend against viruses? @sgfern.bsky.social discovers that human immune proteins named ISGs target ancient features of replication shared between animal and bacterial viruses – opening analysis of human immunity to the power of bacterial genetics www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Our paper on a microbiology practical course for bachelor students focusing on T6SS dynamics, microbiology and fluorescence microscopy techniques is out @microbiologysociety.org, check it out! @basler-lab.bsky.social 👇 www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

Type VI secretion system-mediated bacterial antagonism in the classroom

The study of bacterial antagonism, and specifically type VI secretion system (T6SS)-mediated antagonism, has gained momentum over the last decade in research laboratories across the world. The T6SS is...

microbiologyresearch.org

Interested in autoinflammatory diseases? Read our review on Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUS) in @natrevrheum.nature.com with @alessandracarbone.bsky.social, Guilaine Boursier & Sinisa Savic. How to decode VUS through genetic, in silico, functional approaches and clinic! rdcu.be/fkOJM

The Trojan Horse is real, and it’s microscopic! 🐴🦠 Our paper is out today in @cellcellpress.bsky.social! We discovered that deltaviruses physically hide INSIDE helper viruses to sneak into new cells. And to prove it, we had to image them from every angle. 🧵👇 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Deltaviruses spread through a viral Trojan Horse

Hepatitis D-like satellite viruses, known as deltaviruses, have been recently discovered in a wide range of animals. These viruses are thought to expr…

sciencedirect.com

Université Grenoble Alpes has opened a full professorship in microbiology. The selected candidate will develop their research program on quantitative approaches in microbiology in the Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique. For more information 👉🏻 liphy.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/sites/defaul...

Ground-breaking studies reveal the mechanism of "natural CRISPRa" 🤩 Looking forward to seeing all the technological applications !

Sternberg Lab@sternberglab.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Out now! In collaboration with Leifu Chang, we uncover the molecular and structural underpinnings of CRISPR-Cas12f-like RNA-guided transcription systems! Links to the published articles: tinyurl.com/55kpavet tinyurl.com/sk6djwx3 Previous thread for the preprint: bsky.app/profile/did:...

🎉 We are thrilled to share our latest study revealing a new mechanism by which Legionella pneumophila evades antibiotic killing via reversible genetic variation mediated by integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs). 📖 Here for the full story: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

PAPER ALERT! I am excited to share that our study describing the molecular mechanism of caspase-4 activation has just been published in Immunity. www.cell.com/immunity/ful... I would like to thank all the co-authors for their valuable contributions. Well done guys! Link for short summary below👇

Caspase-4 binds to LPS membranes with positive curvature for non-canonical inflammasome activation

The cytosolic LPS sensor caspase-4 controls antibacterial immunity by inducing pyroptosis and cytokine secretion. Began et al. show how remodeling of LPS membranes by interferon-induced GTPase GBP1 pr...

cell.com

IRF2 regulates both GSDMD expression and NK cells antibacterial functions. Check the latest paper from the lab @ciri-lyon.bsky.social published in @emboreports.org. IRF2 as a key immune regulator against our favorite bug, #Francisella tularensis! #inflammasome link.springer.com/article/10.1...

IRF2 deficiency disrupts pyroptosis, NK cell interferon-γ production and resistance to Francisella - EMBO Reports

IRF2 plays an indirect role in inflammasome activation by regulating Caspase-4 and Gasdermin D (GSDMD) levels. However, the in vivo relevance of this regulatory circuit is unknown. We generate IRF2KO ...

link.springer.com

Rhinoviruses cause common cold & asthma attacks but are also often benign. Using nasal organoids, we learned how the community of cells in the lining the nasal passages coordinates to respond to rhinovirus and which responses lead to excess mucus & inflammation. www.cell.com/cell-press-b...

Rhinovirus triggers distinct host responses through differential engagement of epithelial innate immune signaling

Rhinoviruses are the most frequent cause of common colds and also a major cause of respiratory distress in high-risk groups. Using single-cell sequencing of rhinovirus-infected nasal epithelial organo...

cell.com

LLOMe has long been used to study lysosomal damage, yet how it works has remained a mystery. Using cryo-electron tomography, we show it forms amyloid structures inside lysosomes that mechanically rupture membranes – revealing a new paradigm for lysosomal failure. 🔗 doi.org/10.64898/202... #CryoET

📢 Recruitment of an Associate Professor (Maître de conférences) in Bacteriology at CIRI and ENS de Lyon. Research at @ciri-lyon.bsky.social @francoisrousset.bsky.social @labxc.bsky.social Anti-phage Immunity, Horizontal gene/ MGE transfer 📚 Teaching at ENS de Lyon within the Department of Biology.

I'm humbled to receive the Paoletti Prize awarded by @cnrsbiologie.bsky.social 😌 and very grateful to present and past mentors !

CNRS Biologie@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social · 7mo ago

@francoisrousset.bsky.social, chercheur en microbiologie au @ciri-lyon.bsky.social est lauréat du Prix Paoletti 2025. 👋 @cnrs-rhoneauvergne.bsky.social buff.ly/o9MCTni

"Don’t mourn his loss—be grateful that you knew him". Bacteriologist at Pasteur then at INEM, Alain Charbit spent most of his career working on Intracellular bacteria and notably Francisella tularensis to decipher the role of its metabolism in virulence. He was a colleague and a friend.

🌟 New preprint alert! 🌟 We’re excited to share the latest work from @francoisleulier.bsky.social lab, now on bioRxiv!

bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Symbiosis through lysis: prophage activation underlies Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotic function https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.15.694388v1

An ERC Consolidator Grant for Lucie ETIENNE @lucievirevolte.bsky.social, Researcher PI at the CIRI (@cnrs-rhoneauvergne.bsky.social, @ensdelyon.bsky.social, @insermaura.bsky.social, UCBL, @hospicescivilslyon.bsky.social , UJM-Saint Etienne)! CONGRATULATIONS!!🎉👏 www.insb.cnrs.fr/fr/personne/...

Join our online BoltzGen presentation and Q&A on Wed. Dec. 17th at noon ET! A few new results, many new insights, and lots of good discussion, I am sure! Paper: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Presentation sign up + Zoom: luma.com/b24bd37m

BoltzGen Zoom presentation + Q&A · Zoom · Luma

Join us on Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 17th for details on our new model BoltzGen and discussions on the future of biomolecular design 🧬 There will be a 35 minute…

luma.com

Here is the latest paper of the lab @ciri-lyon.bsky.social on the pyrin #inflammasome, the MEFV gene variants and the associated autoinflammatory diseases, Familial Mediteranean fever (FMF) and PAAND.

Rockefeller University Press@rupress.org · 8mo ago

In @jem.org, Bronnec, @cinflammasome.bsky.social et al. developed SpeckSeq to evaluate the pathogenicity of 228 MEFV variants. SpeckSeq leads to a revised classification of MEFV variants, new diagnoses, & novel insights on pyrin structure–function relationship. rupress.org/jem/article/...

International Call: recruitment of an Early-Career Team Leader in Virology at CIRI! For further information: ciri.ens-lyon.fr/nous-rejoind...

Our latest work from @brozlab.bsky.social and led by @alexandraboegli.bsky.social is out now in @embojournal.org. Check out our findings on how the intestinal #inflammasome NLRP6 senses lysosomal damage to trigger pyroptotic cell death.

The NLRP6 inflammasome is activated by sterile or pathogen-induced endolysosomal damage | The EMBO Journal

imageimageThe innate immune sensor NLRP6 is known to control host defense against bacteria and viruses in the gastrointestinal tract by a poorly-understood mechanism. This study shows that NLRP6 forms...

embopress.org

So excited that this study is now online! It's been a pleasure to work with BioAge Labs and our collaborators on this story. We characterise a new class of #NLRP3 inhibitors with translational potential for so many inflammatory diseases.

Journal of Experimental Medicine@jem.org · 11mo ago

#NLRP3 is a target for antiinflammatory therapies & can be inhibited by the tool compound MCC950. Wilhelmsen, @colllab.bsky.social et al characterize new small-molecule inhibitors, BAL-0028 & BAL-0598, that have a distinct mechanism of action & binding site. rupress.org/jem/article/... #Inflammasome

Paper(s) alert from our RESOLUTE project – In a compilation of four papers in @molsystbiol.org we show how we were deciphering cellular logistics and present a comprehensive systematic blueprint of chemical transport pathways with #SoluteCarrier transporters

We are excited to have our new paper out: Tethering of the pathogen sensor caspase-4 to the endomembrane damage sensor galectin-8 poises the host to rapidly detect pathogens that breach the endolysosomal network. www.cell.com/cell-reports... #innate_immunity #inflammasome #celldeath #immunoSky 1/2

Endolysosomal damage surveillance enables rapid inflammasome sensing of pathogens

Shivcharan et al. report that endosomal damage sensing by the danger receptor galectin-8 licenses noncanonical inflammasome activation and pyroptosis during intracellular bacterial infections in human...

cell.com

#LocationLocationLocation! #NewVirusSensingModality! Lahaye, @manellab.bsky.social &co show @cp-cell.bsky.social that nuclear cGAS senses viruses by recognizing centromeric DNA amplification caused by viral effectors that degrade centromere proteins! www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

Centromeric DNA amplification triggered by viral proteins activates nuclear cGAS

Herpesvirus proteins disrupt centromeres, triggering centromeric DNA amplification and local nuclear activation of the nucleic acid sensor cGAS. This reveals an immune surveillance mechanism in the nu...

cell.com

Review: Spaan, Boisson, and @sethlucianmasters.bsky.social review the known primary disorders of the polyubiquitination pathways in humans that lead to #autoinflammation and/or #immunodeficiency rupress.org/jem/article/...

🔥 Open postdoc position in human inflammation-driven control of infection! 🔥 Join me at the University of Geneva, Switzerland this summer as I’m moving my Wellcome-funded research activity to the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine! (1/5) Please share!

Another link between RHO GTPases and inflammasomes. RAC2 GoF variants activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, Congrats to the Boyer group @lauboye.bsky.social! bsky.app/profile/jem....

Journal of Experimental Medicine@jem.org · last yr.

The Boyer group @lauboye.bsky.social show NLRP3 #inflammasome activation in circulating myeloid cells by human RAC2 gain-of-function variants that are linked to rare immune disorders. rupress.org/jem/article/... 📘 In Genes & Immunity collection: rupress.org/jem/collecti... #HKS2025

Many phages encode "sponge" proteins that catch immune signaling molecules to block bacterial immunity. Two preprints report a defense system plugged the other way around: the signaling molecule constitutively inhibits the effector, so that sponges trigger effector activity 🤯 what a wild mechanism!

Ashley Sullivan@aesully98.bsky.social · last yr.

Excited to share that my work from the @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social lab is now on bioRxiv! With @benmorehouse.bsky.social, we discovered that the Panoptes defense system—named after the all-seeing watchman of Hera—uses decoy nucleotides to detect phage anti-defense proteins.