Happy to share our recent story on the Type VII secretion system. Here were present new insights into the regulation of secretion mediated by the central pore. Thanks to all authors involved in the work. 🙂

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

Intrinsic flexibility of Type VII secretion central pore is required for substrate translocation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.31.742005v1

Interested in joining our group in Oxford? We are looking for a PDRA with single particle Cryo-EM experience to help us figure out how sphingolipids are transported to the cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria. The deadline is 31st July. Informal enquires are welcome. Please share!

How can we harness the vast functional diversity of microbes on our planet? Join us at EMBL Heidelberg from 8–10 December 2026 to hear about ongoing efforts to decode gene function and organisation in human gut microbes, and to present your own research. www.embl.org/about/info/c...

Out after a lot of hard work from many people. When we first found arabinanase enzymes in mycobacteria we started looking into their roles in cell remodelling & pathogenesis. Did not expect to find that some species had weaponised them to kill competitors! Myco are endlessly surprising. #glycotime

Patrick Moynihan@pmoyniha.bsky.social · last mo.

New paper in collaboration with @proftracypalmer.bsky.social, @lislowe.bsky.social and many more. We show that mycobacteria produce Type VII secreted anti-bacterial protein toxins. Excited to explore this new area of mycobacterial biology. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New paper in collaboration with @proftracypalmer.bsky.social, @lislowe.bsky.social and many more. We show that mycobacteria produce Type VII secreted anti-bacterial protein toxins. Excited to explore this new area of mycobacterial biology. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Happy to have this collaborative work with Zach Armstrong now out in Angewandte chemie doi.org/10.1002/anie... . We use a linked assay, coupled with fluorescent probes, to analyse mucin active carbohydrate sulfatase kinetics, cellular location, and inhibition.

Fluorogenic Coupled Assays Reveal Catalytic Properties, Inhibition Constants and Cellular Location of Mucin‐Active Carbohydrate Sulfatases

We report plate-based coupled assays to rapidly and quantitatively determine the activity and selectivity of mucin-active carbohydrate sulfatases. This fluorogenic assay further enables inhibitor ide...

doi.org

I'm excited that this collaborative work with Alan @acartmell47.bsky.social is finally out. We have developed some powerful tools to study carbohydrate sulfatases (a tricky class of enzyme!) and shown how they can be used with enzymes from host-associated bacteria.

Alan Cartmell@acartmell47.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Happy to have this collaborative work with Zach Armstrong now out in Angewandte chemie doi.org/10.1002/anie... . We use a linked assay, coupled with fluorescent probes, to analyse mucin active carbohydrate sulfatase kinetics, cellular location, and inhibition.

Funny how absence can tell its own story. Seeing the university display the Pride flag right opposite my window was heartwarming every June. It's been two years now without it. Sign of the times I guess.. 🏳️‍🌈

First paper for PhD student in the Bolam / Lowe labs Natalia Łoś on a the characterisation of a new CBM family that binds (beta) mannan! #glycotime @natalia-los.bsky.social 🥳🥳 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Unusual molecular architecture of a human gut microbiota β-mannanase reveals a new CBM family - Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences

β-mannans are plant structural and storage polysaccharides prevalent in the human diet. Their degradation in the gastrointestinal tract is mediated by the human gut microbiota (HGM) through expression...

link.springer.com

Time for @kateduncan.bsky.social to talk about chemistry and why microbes use it via some interactive questions

We start of the ‘2026 Celebration of Microbiology’ event @newcastleuni.bsky.social @medicalsciencesncl.bsky.social organised by PhD and Postdoc reps from @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social @cbcb-newcastle.bsky.social Chloe, Natalia, Rachel and Jean-Lou

Our study on Bacteroides iron piracy is now out in @pnas.org. We show how surface-exposed lipoproteins bind xenosiderophores with different iron-chelating chemistries and propose a mechanism for xenosiderophore import across the outer membrane. Lots of structures (mostly X-ray this time)!

Structural basis of iron piracy by human gut Bacteroides | PNAS

Iron is an essential element that can be growth-limiting in microbial communities, particularly those present within host organisms. To acquire iro...

doi.org

We have a PhD studentship open! (UK only sadly) but if you are or know a student keen to work on some *really* weird mycobacterial enzymes then get in touch! #glycotime Advert below www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Uncovering a new class of toxins in pathogenic mycobacteria at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Uncovering a new class of toxins in pathogenic mycobacteria at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com

findaphd.com

Doing the periodic cleaning of used plasmid miniprep columns and realized in honor of Earth Day it may be worth reminding you molecular biologists: Plasmid miniprep columns can be cleaned and reused essentially indefinitely! Just add 1 M HCl, soak overnight and wash 3x w/ water. Save $ and plastic

Don't be shy to take on a little two-week side project. These five months will be the most precious three years of your academic journey.

Wonderful to have @pmoyniha.bsky.social from Western University, Canada (hosted by @lislowe.bsky.social) giving a @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social seminar @medicalsciencesncl.bsky.social @newcastleuni.bsky.social #mycobacterium #tb #cellwalls

Unbelievably proud of the work that everyone has put into this paper. Really grateful for such fab colleagues! Mycobacteria continue to be (subjectively) the most interesting bacteria 🤭

Patrick Moynihan@pmoyniha.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We've been we've been working on this for quite a while now (hopefully published soon). Grateful to @proftracypalmer.bsky.social for concinving me & @lislowe.bsky.social that mycobacteria produce inter-bacterial toxins. Team science, led by @sambenedict5.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Very cool to see Type VII toxins involved in competition. Even more exciting avenues for the T7SS field!

Patrick Moynihan@pmoyniha.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We've been we've been working on this for quite a while now (hopefully published soon). Grateful to @proftracypalmer.bsky.social for concinving me & @lislowe.bsky.social that mycobacteria produce inter-bacterial toxins. Team science, led by @sambenedict5.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

And a big shout out to Kieran Bowran whose bioinformatics analysis suggests there are multiple toxins out there

Patrick Moynihan@pmoyniha.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We've been we've been working on this for quite a while now (hopefully published soon). Grateful to @proftracypalmer.bsky.social for concinving me & @lislowe.bsky.social that mycobacteria produce inter-bacterial toxins. Team science, led by @sambenedict5.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

We've been we've been working on this for quite a while now (hopefully published soon). Grateful to @proftracypalmer.bsky.social for concinving me & @lislowe.bsky.social that mycobacteria produce inter-bacterial toxins. Team science, led by @sambenedict5.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

We’ve been sciencing! M abscessus makes a arabinanase toxin to chop up the cell wall of competitor mycobacteria! #glycotime 🦠 thanks to @wellcometrust.bsky.social for the funding that makes this collaborative work possible! Also Sam’s structures are 😍 and Jean-Lou did some lovely biochem

Patrick Moynihan@pmoyniha.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We've been we've been working on this for quite a while now (hopefully published soon). Grateful to @proftracypalmer.bsky.social for concinving me & @lislowe.bsky.social that mycobacteria produce inter-bacterial toxins. Team science, led by @sambenedict5.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

How can we tap into the enormous functional diversity of microbes on this planet? Join us at EMBL Heidelberg (8–10 Dec 2026) to learn about ongoing efforts to decode gene function and organisation in human gut microbes, and present your science.

Plasmids are available now! "A universal protein ladder for standardisation of diverse FRET assays" www.addgene.org/browse/artic...

Ali Twelvetrees @dozenoaks.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Happy to share with the world and see what else it can be used for! (@addgene.bsky.social codes incoming) A huge team effort to put make this a fully realised tool for FRET. Led by super postdoc Evelyn Smith, supported by @katiegelder.bsky.social, @danbose.bsky.social and @timcraggs.bsky.social 5/

PhD position available in our lab at NMBU in 🇳🇴 with focus on proteomics, enzyme discovery, applied enzymology and a touch of microbiology🐟🧪🧬💻🦠 Deadline for applying: April 04, 2026. RTs highly appreciated. For details, see the link below 👇 www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

PhD scholarship within biotechnology (296538) | Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Job title: PhD scholarship within biotechnology (296538), Employer: Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2026

jobbnorge.no

A gift of an article from the inimitable Colin Kleanthous as he says a moving farewell to his laboratory. A brave, unrepentant and scientifically brilliant journey is described - please have a read, friends. www.jbc.org/article/S002...

Bacteriocin biophysics: From protein-protein interaction models to navigators of the bacterial cell envelope

Bacteriocins are toxins deployed by bacteria to kill their competitors. Here, I reflect on my laboratory’s work on protein bacteriocins and their immunity proteins from Gram-negative bacteria. We unco...

jbc.org

#Microbiology The anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline targets the mycobacterial ATP synthase, but how that leads to bacterial death is unclear Here the authors clarify how bedaquiline works @jnblab.bsky.social @morwan.me #TBSky #antibiotics #AMR http://dlvr.it/TQjZ0W

I know what they're getting at with the "could put jobs at risk" but can we focus on the immediate impact? Each suspended round at MRC and BBSRC means about 80 fewer postdoc jobs and the retrospective cuts at MRC add another 30 or so

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Next, @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social writes that researchers have warned that changes to applicant-led funding opportunities at the MRC and the BBSRC are hitting morale and could put jobs at risk. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

With much love RIP Catherine O'Hara.

Hudson Freeze #glycotime www.theguardian.com/us-news/vide...

I am completely baffled by the total lack of any action or any evidence of speaking out from our scientific ‘leaders’. We’re in a void of information and the consequences are potentially catastrophic- especially as it looks like BBSRC are following suit.

Stefan Marciniak@profmarciniak.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Has the MRC research funding ‘pause’ been covered by any major news network? It feels like it should be a major news story