And two more pre-prints from the lab, focusing on MreB polymerization cycle and dynamics! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

A genetic screen unveils the polymerization cycle of the bacterial actin-like MreB

MreB, a bacterial actin homologue that organizes cell wall synthesis in most rod-shaped bacteria, assembles into membrane-associated filaments through mechanisms that have remained elusive despite dec...

biorxiv.org

It’s finally official!! 🤩 Starting in October, I’ll be joining the @cnrs.fr as a permanent researcher, working at the @pasteur.fr in the BCCM unit. Thanks to everyone who supported me and I can’t wait to get started on this next chapter!

New preprint! We show that the bacterial predator B. bacteriovorus deploys a unipolar Tad nanomachine for irreversible attachment to prey and invasion. @coralietesseur.bsky.social used CRISPRi+microfluidics to overcome barriers associated with essential systems in an obligate predatory lifestyle 🦠

A polarity-controlled Tad nanomachine enables prey invasion in a bacterial predator

Type IV pili are dynamic surface appendages assembled by envelope-spanning nanomachines that mediate diverse bacterial interactions, yet how these systems are adapted to predatory lifestyles remains p...

biorxiv.org

Meet AbpX, a biomatrix protein from the hyperthermophile Pyrodictium abyssi. It forms Ca²⁺-triggered fibrils via donor strand complementation. Using cryo-EM + X-ray, we built a full lattice model and place AbpX in a new TasA superfamily clade. A very nice collaborative project! tinyurl.com/mryzcz4n

This one deserves it🤩! We used cryo‑EM to identify a new “sporesilk” in Bacillus thuringiensis. The fiber, called A‑ENA, forms an incredibly stable covalent network that increases virulence by keeping the toxic payload and spores in a biofilm-like structure. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Auto-crosslinking sporesilk fibers promote endospore and Cry toxin clustering - Nature Communications

Authors reveal that protein nanofibrils govern assembly of bacterial spores and extrasporal toxins into insecticidal aggregates. Spores and parasporal bodies are incased in a “sporesilk” matrix that d...

nature.com

Out Now! Local peptidoglycan composition defines division site selection in Streptococcus pneumoniae #MicroSky

Local peptidoglycan composition defines division site selection in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 07 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02322-6Sequential peptidoglycan carboxylase activity of DacA and DacB generates a local peptidoglycan signature that recruits MapZ and establishes the division site at the Streptococcus pneumoniae cell equator.

go.nature.com

🧬 EMBO Workshop – The complexity of mycobacterial infections: from research to real-world impact 📅 14–18 Sept 2026, Paris Tuberculosis & non-tuberculous mycobacteria at the heart of discussions: evolution, host–pathogen interactions, drug resistance. 🔗 meetings.embo.org/event/26-myc...

We are looking for outstanding scientists to develop ambitious research programs in molecular and cellular biology, with special interest in multidisciplinary projects and computational biology.More info: www.i2bc.paris-saclay.fr #MolecularBiology #CellBiology #ComputationalBiology #TeamLeaders#I2BC

Our recent work is now available in bioRXIV!

Kumaran Ramamurthi@ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 5mo ago

@felixrl.bsky.social reported that PcdA mediates orthogonal cell division in #Staphylococcus aureus: www.nature.com/articles/s41.... But what’s the point? Well, forming staphylococcal abscess communities to evade host immune responses requires this mode of division: www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Great science, nice environment and a very exciting project!! Highly recommended! 👇

Géraldine Laloux@lalouxlab.bsky.social · 5mo ago

#MicroSky Please RT @erc.europa.eu-funded postdoc position in my lab to identify the molecular basis of prey-predator interactions using our favorite micro-vampire Bdellovibrio exovorus as a model. Let's find what the bite is made of! 🧛 Flexible start date. Info: euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/415877

SAVE THE DATE! The next instalment of the long-running Bacterial and Archaeal Cell Division Conference will take place at www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels..., Italy from the 20th to 23rd of April 2027. Organisers: me, @s-lab.bsky.social, @awehenkel.bsky.social. More info soon. #MicroSky

Preprint out! That was a really enjoyable collaboration! We report the structure and higher-order assembly of AbpX, a biofilm component in Archaea. And as a bonus, this protein gave me one of the most beautiful crystals I’ve ever had! 🤩💎

@vinceconticello.bsky.social · 7mo ago

New manuscript alert. Turns out that calcium ion coordination may be a more common mechanism than we initially expected to trigger polymerization of extracellular filaments. @mikesleutel.bsky.social @vikramalva.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

AlphaFold predictions are valuable hypotheses and accelerate but do not replace experimental structure determination - Nature Methods

An analysis of AlphaFold protein structure predictions shows that while in many cases the predictions are highly accurate, there are also many instances where the predicted structures or parts of pred...

nature.com

Apply now to attend the next EMBO Bacterial Networks meeting #EMBOBacNet 🗓️13-18 September 2026 📍Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain 📝Program and registration info: meetings.embo.org/event/26-bac... 👩‍🔬Organised with co-chair @s-lab.bsky.social and ECR @coralietesseur.bsky.social #MicroSky

S-layer, a (re)blooming field and a fascinating world for both microbiologists and structural biologists. A very complete and up-to-date review of S-layer functions, structure, and biogenesis. Congrats to all the authors!

Tanmay Bharat@tbharat-lab.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Assembly, architecture and functional roles of microbial surface layers Review article published in @natrevmicro.nature.com with @bupbuse.bsky.social, Andriko von Kügelgen and @vikramalva.bsky.social. S-layers are everywhere! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🦠🔬🤖🧑‍💻 #mAIcrobe is out! With @pinholab.bsky.social's lab, we launched an open-source framework for high-throughput bacterial image analysis. By rockstars A. Brito & B. Saraiva et al, making #DeepLearning for phenotyping accessible! Easy to use, plus model training 📜 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The line-up I would dream of 🤩

Fusion Conferences@fusionconf.bsky.social · 10mo ago

We’re excited to announce the incredible speaker line-up for the Prokaryotic Cell Biology Conference! Join the leading researchers as they explore the latest advances in Nanoimaging, Cell Growth and Cellular Structures. Join our speakers & register today! ➡️https://bit.ly/47rtkbw #ProkaryoticCellBio

Cryo-Flow : when science freezes and flows ❄️ After turning her thesis on tuberculosis into a rap, Yaëlle Wormser aka Lady Pipette, doctoral student at the Institut Pasteur, is back with a new track — Cryo-Flow — a song that turns Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) into rhythm & rhyme. @pasteur.fr

Cryo-Flow : when science freezes and flows ❄️

YouTube video by Institut Pasteur EDUCATION

youtube.com

CRISPRi on #Bdellovibrio to study essential genes 🤗🤩 #MicroSky

Géraldine Laloux@lalouxlab.bsky.social · 11mo ago

🚨New paper out! #MicroSky Studying obligate predators like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is tricky—essential genes for predation are also essential for survival. We expanded its genetic toolbox: 🧬promoters to fine-tune expression 🧬IPTG-inducible system 🧬CRISPRi for rapid knockdown bit.ly/46GUn2c 1/4

A new chapter begins! Happy to be back at the @pasteur.fr , a place that feels like home. Excited for the journey ahead and all the science to come!

🎓 Applications for Institut Pasteur's PhD programs open Sept 1-Oct 20, 2025 for October 2026 entry. Apply to up to 4 projects across 6 programs: PPU, PPU-IMAGINE @institutimagine.bsky.social, PPU-@ox.ac.uk, PPU-EID @upcite.bsky.social & more 🧬 Register now ✍️ www.pasteur.fr/en/education...

Many spores from the Firmicutes group are decorated with hair-like structures. Since the 60s, they remained a mystery. @remaut-lab.bsky.social named these fibres ENdospore Appendages (ENAs). Using Cryo-ID, we report the identity, structure and function of F-ENA. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Cryo-EM identifies F-ENA of Bacillus thuringiensis as a widespread family of endospore appendages across Firmicutes - Nature Communications

B. thuringiensis spores contain uncharacterized protein filaments that extend from the surface of the exosporium. Here, the authors show that these filaments feature conserved β-barrel neck domains an...

nature.com

Thrilled to see our work published in @embojournal.org #asgard #archaea #cytoskeleton #tubulin #FtsZ We sincerely appreciate the constructive peer review and the reviewers’ thoughtful, supportive feedback, which greatly strengthened our work.

The EMBO Journal@embojournal.org · last yr.

Insights into the origins of the #tubulin / #FtsZ superfamily: @syncellbiolab.bsky.social, Pananghat Gayathri et al show that two #Asgard archaeal paralogs OdinFtsZ1 and OdinFtsZ2 form distinct filamental structures, and employ different modes of membrane tethering www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Excited to share our newly book chapter on using #miniTurbo proximity labeling in #bacteria We wrote it as a hands-on guide for anyone looking to get started with this approach. Congrats to @coralietesseur.bsky.social and Ophélie Remy 👏 @lalouxlab.bsky.social link.springer.com/protocol/10....

Identification of In Vivo Protein Networks Using miniTurbo Proximity Labeling in Bacteria

Protein–protein interactions play a crucial role in many bacterial cell processes. miniTurbo-based proximity labeling has emerged as a powerful tool for the identification of in vivo protein net...

link.springer.com

Happy to see the final version out! Cryo-EM structure of the PS2 S-layer in Corynebacterium 🔬! We show it provides mechanical support to the cell wall and assembles at the poles in coordination with PG. It can also be used for covalent surface display. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... #microsky

Cryo-EM structure and polar assembly of the PS2 S-layer of Corynebacterium glutamicum | PNAS

The polar-growing Corynebacteriales have a complex cell envelope architecture characterized by the presence of a specialized outer membrane compose...

pnas.org

Our review on contact-dependent #predation is now out ! We define predation processes and describe how predators kill and eat their prey 😈 Repost appreciated ❤️

Géraldine Laloux@lalouxlab.bsky.social · last yr.

#MicroSky Summer read! Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator & prey 🧛 How do they do it? Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Bacterial cell wall & periplasm paradigm shift - important read #MicroSky www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Peptidoglycan–outer membrane attachment generates periplasmic pressure to prevent lysis in Gram-negative bacteria - Nature Microbiology

Outer membrane attachment to peptidoglycan enables periplasmic pressure to build up and counter cytoplasmic turgor pressure, preventing lysis during osmotic challenges in Escherichia coli.

nature.com

Michael Deghelt @michaeldeghelt.bsky.social · last yr.

#microsky We challenge the long-standing view that peptidoglycan alone protects cells from bursting. Our study shows that the periplasm — enclosed by OM–PG connections — acts as a pressure buffer essential for osmoprotection in Gram-negative bacteria. 📄 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#MicroSky Summer read! Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator & prey 🧛 How do they do it? Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Strategies and mechanisms of contact-dependent predation in bacteria

Predatory bacteria kill other bacteria to acquire nutrients. Among diverse strategies to kill and feed on prey, contact-dependent predation stands out…

sciencedirect.com

New review from our lab! Compartmentalization during bacterial spore formation. Focusing on latest discoveries in Bacillus subtilis #subtiwiki www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Folddisco finds similar (dis)continuous 3D motifs in large protein structure databases. Its efficient index enables fast uncharacterized active site annotation, protein conformational state analysis and PPI interface comparison. 1/9🧶🧬 📄 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🌐 search.foldseek.com/folddisco