Kesha Josts
@kjosts.bsky.social
NUAcT Fellow and Royal Society URF, Newcastle University Interested in iron uptake pathways and membrane protein biochemistry/biophysics
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 agoIntrinsic flexibility of Type VII secretion central pore is required for substrate translocation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.31.742005v1
Pleasure to host @gchojnowski.bsky.social here in Newcastle for a seminar and a cryo EM modelling building. Thanks Greg, we all learned a lot!
Huge congratulations to @rhyswg.bsky.social and colleagues for this behemoth of a paper shedding light onto the mechanism of pyocins and their impact on cell function.
L-type pyocins inhibit the BAM complex to kill without cell entry - Nature Communications
L-type pyocins are a class of bacteriocin-like proteins with antibacterial activity. Here, the authors show that these proteins kill the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa by inhibiting the BAM complex a...
nature.com
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...
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
Now online. Great collaboration with the Tidow lab @seegerlab and the @embl SAXS beamline. Capturing transient states of heterodimeric ABC transporter TM287/288 by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering: Biophysical Journal www.cell.com/biophysj/ful...
Capturing transient states of heterodimeric ABC transporter TM287/288 by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering
Structures of the heterodimeric ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter TM287/288 have previously been determined in several states indicating large conformational changes during its reaction cycle. Ho...
cell.com
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
Please share - full funded (UK students only) PhD studentship in the Duncan lab ‘intergrated ‘omics for accelerated antibtioic dicovery from abyssal actinomycetes’. Co-supervisors @thecopperdoctor.bsky.social, Marcel Jaspars, @zmaw.bsky.social- deadline 20th May www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
**PhD opportunity** Join me, @henrikstrahl.bsky.social, and Alistair Brown at @newcastleuni.bsky.social to uncover how Mycobacterium tuberculosis survives antibiotics, one molecule at a time! 🔬🦠 #PhD #microbiology #biophysics #microscopy 📅 Deadline 20 May 2026 (UK home only) RT = 🙏
Resolving the mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibiotic tolerance through single-molecule microscopy at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Resolving the mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibiotic tolerance through single-molecule microscopy at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
Want to research the basis of how drug resistant bacteria interact with human immune cells? Fully funded 4-year PhD position available (UK home students). Come and join our amazing interdisciplinary team at the intersection of microbiology, immunity, metabolism and the clinic! Please spread the word
Hiding in plain sight: How a multi-drug resistant pathogen evades detection and killing by human neutrophils at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Hiding in plain sight: How a multi-drug resistant pathogen evades detection and killing by human neutrophils at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
🧫 #AMR #PhD open @newcastleuni.bsky.social! How does #Cdifficile protein "armour" help it resist antimicrobials? Join me and @henrikstrahl.bsky.social to find out using: 🔬 #Structuralbiology, #microbiology #microscopy #genetics 📅 Deadline 20 May 2026 #PhD #PhDLife Pls share! (UK home only)
C. difficile S-layer’s role in antimicrobial resistance at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - C. difficile S-layer’s role in antimicrobial resistance at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
Want to work on iron uptake in fungi? Together with Prof Jan Quinn, we have a 4-year funded PhD studentship (UK only) to join us here in Newcastle. Get in touch if you are interested. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Molecular mechanisms of siderophore-mediated iron uptake in Fungi at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Molecular mechanisms of siderophore-mediated iron uptake in Fungi at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
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 agoWe'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...
biorxiv.org
Fully funded four-year PhD position available in my lab! Combining structural and synthetic biology to understand iron transport. Deadline 27th of Feb, get in touch for more details! www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Forged by Iron: Synthetic protein binders to decode bacterial iron transport mechanisms at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Forged by Iron: Synthetic protein binders to decode bacterial iron transport mechanisms at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
And, last but not least, although this one doesn't involve my lab, I can't help but promote a metalloproject. 😅 At Newcastle, @kjosts.bsky.social has a project about iron transport in a known bacterial pathogen. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Lots of PhD opportunities for UK + international students involving my lab. Topics relate to metals & microbiology. First up: TonB-dependent receptors in commensal Neisseria in my lab at Durham, with @kjosts.bsky.social and @mattbashton.bsky.social. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Nutrient uptake in commensal bacteria: exploring uncharacterised TonB-dependent transporters. at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Nutrient uptake in commensal bacteria: exploring uncharacterised TonB-dependent transporters. at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
Lots of exciting developments to understand the structure of membrane protein in its native environment
Newcastle University Structural Biology Facility@nusbf.bsky.social · 9mo agoKeynote lecture from @stemuench.bsky.social giving us a historical perspective of EM and the exciting challenges left to explore
If you are interested in researching how drug resistant bacteria evade killing by our immune system, them this PhD project is for you. Come join the our team at Newcastle, in collaboration with University of Liverpool, and lead research at the interface of microbiology, immunology and metabolomics.
MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Hiding in plain sight: How multi-drug resistant pathogens evade detection and killing by human neutrophils at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Hiding in plain sight: How multi-drug resistant pathogens evade detection and killing by human neutrophils at Newcastle University, listed on Fin...
findaphd.com
Our paper on the Bacteroidota BAM complex is out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com! With @madejmar.bsky.social We found that BAM in Bacteroides and Porphyromonas gingivalis has a distinct architecture from BAM in Proteobacteria. doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Structure of a distinct β-barrel assembly machinery complex in the Bacteroidota - Nature Microbiology
Structural and functional characterization of the β-barrel assembly machinery complex in Bacteroidota reveals a distinct, seven-component complex with a large extracellular domain that may enable β-barrel–surface lipoprotein complex assembly.
doi.org
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria blocks many antibiotics. Our latest work reveals that L-type pyocins bypass this barrier by inactivating the BAM complex, killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa without entering the cell, providing a new blueprint for beating antibiotic resistance.
A Protein Antibiotic Inhibits the BAM Complex to Kill Without Cell Entry
Many antibiotics are ineffective against Gram-negative pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa because they cannot penetrate the bacterial outer membrane. Here, we show that protein antibiotics calle...
biorxiv.org
Fantastic team effort. Project led by PDRA Curtis Cottam, with support from recently recruited PDRA Kieran Bowran and collaborators @kjosts.bsky.social and @rhystwhite.bsky.social . Many thanks to the MRC @ukri.org, @acmedsci.bsky.social and @royalsociety.org for funding our research.
Swinging lever mechanism of myosin shown by time-resolved cryoEM www.nature.com/articles/s41... so glad to finally be able to share this with the community! @astburycentre.bsky.social @astbury-bsl.bsky.social @stemuench.bsky.social @snmcmillan.bsky.social @davidklebl.bsky.social
Swinging lever mechanism of myosin directly shown by time-resolved cryo-EM - Nature
A study using time-resolved cryogenic electron microscopy reveals the swinging lever mechanism of myosin, providing information on the molecular basis behind the production of force and movement by my...
nature.com
Two ERC-funded postdoc positions available in the team - one here and second to follow - please repost! jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...
Research Associate Genetic and functional analysis of Gram positive secretion systems and substrates
Research Associate Genetic and functional analysis of Gram positive secretion systems and substrates
jobs.ncl.ac.uk
New preprint 🚨: with @madejmar.bsky.social we found that the Bacteroidetes beta-barrel assembly machinery is quite different to E. coli. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #cryo-EM
First post of the year to mark my return from maternity leave :) Excited to share the first open PhD position in my group. Deadline end of February. Please spread the word. www.findaphd.com/phds/projectdetails.aspx?PJID=181239
PhD studentship: Structural and functional characterisation of mycobacterial outer membrane proteins at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - PhD studentship: Structural and functional characterisation of mycobacterial outer membrane proteins at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
