Hybrid conferences rock! I'm attending @meehubs.bsky.social from my office, as I couldn't free up enough time to travel. Such a cool model - live talks in seven geographically disparate hubs, all networked and available online.

On August 1, 1931, Harriet Creighton and Barbara McClintock published the first experimental proof that genes are physically located on chromosomes—a discovery that transformed genetics. 1/3🧵

Excited to share this paper led by @aaroncurtismicro.bsky.social @medmycology.bsky.social! Coinfection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa & Aspergillus fumigatus in an ex vivo lung model leads to competition and changes in both pathogen & host proteomes #MicroSky www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

Delighted to see the last chapter of my PhD thesis in print with @microbiologysociety.org Here we used the EVPL model to examine coinfection between A. fumigatus and P. aerugionsa. Many thanks to @medmycology.bsky.social and @friendlymicrobe.bsky.social for all of your support tinyurl.com/42z84wcn

Aspergillus fumigatus coinfection facilitates Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronicity within an ex-vivo pig lung model

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus represent the dominant bacterial and fungal pathogens in the lungs of adults with cystic fibrosis. Understanding how these species interact with each o...

tinyurl.com

A novel stress response pathway mediates #biofilm architecture in Pseudomonas aeruginosa - delighted to see this super work out, led by Ainelen Piazza & Jake Malone @johninnescentre.bsky.social journals.plos.org/plospathogen... #MicroSky

A novel stress response pathway mediates biofilm architecture in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Author summary Biofilm formation by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents a major clinical challenge, with biofilms typically associated with chronic infection, increased antibi...

journals.plos.org

I enjoyed this paper: in a dental #biofilm model, Candida albicans enhances Strep. mutans growth & extracellular matrix production. This is partly because Candida binds & concentrates glucan-producing enzymes secreted by Strep, which remain active. #MicroSky journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Symbiotic Relationship between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans Synergizes Virulence of Plaque Biofilms In Vivo | Infection and Immunity

ABSTRACT Streptococcus mutans is often cited as the main bacterial pathogen in dental caries, particularly in early-childhood caries (ECC). S. mutans may not act alone; Candida albicans cells are freq...

journals.asm.org

Earlier this year UKRI launched a funding call to invest £40M in ONE AI lab. www.ukri.org/opportunity/... For some unknown reason they decided to fund TWO AI labs at the cost of £60M. An extra £20M. Just found. That's the equivalent of 7 more years of Jodrell Bank. www.ukri.org/news/ukri-la...

UKRI launches two AI research labs to stay ahead in global race

Two new labs will back British researchers to develop next generation artificial intelligence (AI) systems, helping secure the UK’s position as a global leader.

ukri.org

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last wk.

I'm absolutely devastated for colleagues at Jodrell Bank who found out this morning that funding for the UK's e-MERLIN radio telescope array will be terminated. This is a short-sighted move, to save a tiny fraction of the overall UK science budget. #SaveJodrellBank 🔭🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Interesting opportunity in #SciArt #SciComm. n.b. for US-based applicants only.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation@xercessociety.bsky.social · 2w ago

Join Xerces and make art that supports conservation! 🐝✍🏽 Job Title: Science Illustration Intern 🌎Location: Remote 💲Compensation: $24/hr, 20hrs/week 📅Duration: Sep-Dec 2026 ❗Apply by: July 31, 2026 Learn more and apply at xerces.org/jobs

Investing in Microbiology Society membership is investing in your future. Attend Society events at reduced rates, including our Annual Conference. Full, Full Concessionary and student members receive the best reductions. Become a member – join today: https://microbiologysociety.org/membership.html

🚨New Pre-print Really excited to see this manuscript out. While short, this was a lot of work with troubleshooting and optimisation at all stages and will, hopefully, be the start out groups major focus. Microbial evolution studies..(1/7) #MicroSky #UTISky www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

In vitro evolution of uropathogenic Escherichia coli to fosfomycin resistance in a 3D cultured human bladder microtissue model

In vitro studies of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using laboratory growth media produce important, fundamental information. However, their inability to more closely replicate the in vivo environment ...

biorxiv.org

#MicroSky - funding for projects that focus on microbial genomics and AMR.

TARGetAMR@target-amr.bsky.social · 3w ago

💡 Got an innovative idea to tackle antimicrobial resistance? 🧬 The #TARGetAMR Flexible Funding Initiative supports small-scale, transdisciplinary projects, new collaborations and pilot research 🚨 2 weeks left to apply! 📅 Apply by 5pm on 31 July 2026 🔗 www.targetamr.org.uk/flexible-fun...

Cyanobacteria form suspended #biofilm in response to attack by predatory bacteria - really cool study! Comment: www.the-microbiologist.com/news/bacteri... & original article: academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc... #MicroSky

Bacteria form ‘herds’ to survive predators, offering fresh insight into Earth’s carbon cycle

Researchers have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective 'herds' when attacked by predators - a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is stored in t...

the-microbiologist.com

🧪🐍 New paper accepted! We screened 14 snake venoms for antimicrobial activity and identified candidate venom proteins with activity against E. coli, including phospholipases and neurotoxins. A cool example of looking for new antimicrobials in unexpected places. doi.org/10.1099/acmi... #MicroSky

Screening the antimicrobial properties of snake venoms: an iterative fractionation approach

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increasingly poses a significant global health challenge. New antimicrobials are desperately needed, driving the need to explore novel sources of natural products. Snake...

doi.org

Just registered for @bsacandjac.bsky.social Antibiotic Resistance & Mechanisms workshop this November - super line-up of sessions on tolerance/persistence, metagenomics, machine learning, modelling, biofilm, outreach and publishing bsac.org.uk/arm2026/ #MicroSky

Antibiotic Resistance and Mechanisms (ARM) Workshop for Researchers 2026 - BSAC

[...]Read More... from Antibiotic Resistance and Mechanisms (ARM) Workshop for Researchers 2026

bsac.org.uk

Proof that it is Just Too Hot: the S. aureus frozen stocks I streaked onto agar at lunchtime and left on the lab bench had visible pinprick colonies 3 hours later.

Low concentrations of tetrasodium EDTA kill P. aeruginosa biofilm in some, but not all, chronic infection models. New paper proposed & designed by @tosinorababa.bsky.social, who led a team of PhD students to get this research done www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour... #MicroSky

Low concentrations of tetrasodium EDTA cause significant killing of biofilm-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa in high-validity models of chronic wound and cystic fibrosis lung infections – but not in ...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen notorious for its antimicrobial resistance and is currently classified as a high-priority pathogen for which new drugs are needed. Tetrasodium EDTA (tEDTA) is one ...

microbiologyresearch.org

Pyocyanin produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa promotes antibiotic resistance & tolerance in enterococci: this is a beautifully-crafted paper journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... #MicroSky

Pyocyanin produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa creates legacy effects that promote antibiotic resistance evolution in enterococci | Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

Bacterial infections may consist of different species that together form a polymicrobial community, as is the case in urinary tract infections (UTIs) (1–3). The response to antibiotic treatment of suc...

journals.asm.org

New #microsky#AMR Perspective paper with @penamiller.bsky.social rdcu.be/fqBJo ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE (IE MIC) AND TOLERANCE ARE NOT BACTERIAL TRAITS! Please read on if you want an explanation for this provocative claim.

Beyond resistance and tolerance: rethinking evolutionary responses to antibiotics from the perspective of individual bacterial cells

Nature Communications - Beyond resistance and tolerance: rethinking evolutionary responses to antibiotics from the perspective of individual bacterial cells

rdcu.be

Why does planning an essay feel like you're doing all the work before doing the work, Grammarly? Because learning the subject, figuring out what you want to say, and planning out of the structure of how to say it *IS* the vast majority of the work of writing. Any writer knows this. You do too.

How an engineer with Marfan syndrome worked with surgeons to develop custom-fitted supports for patients with an enlarged aorta - a fascinating interview with Tal Golesworthy, who was the first person to receive the device he co-designed: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Outlook - The engineer who invented a fix for his own heart condition - BBC Sounds

Tal Golesworthy was the first patent to get an experimental implant that he created

bbc.co.uk

Does media matter? RNAseq of S. aureus growing in LB broth vs. synthetic wound fluid shows differential expression of genes involved in efflux, virulence & ion transport. Work led by @tosinorababa.bsky.social: his first manuscript from independent funding! #MicroSky www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Does media matter? Growth environment influence antimicrobial tolerance and expression of virulence and transmembrane ion transport-associated genes in MRSA

Clinically relevant pathogens are often tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using standard laboratory media that poorly reflect the in vivo environments in which they cause infections, leading to ...

biorxiv.org

Giving this a bump, I still can’t find any published info.

Freya Harrison@friendlymicrobe.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Hey #MicroSky, can anyone tell me offhand whether Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC13883 has rough or smooth LPS please? My searches are failing. Thank you :)

Hey #MicroSky, can anyone tell me offhand whether Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC13883 has rough or smooth LPS please? My searches are failing. Thank you :)

London Met is outsourcing teaching to a private company: www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/outs...

The outsourcing of my job mirrors what is happening in the UK sector

Universities are using a short-term cash crunch to make long-term structural changes, including greater reliance on private providers, says Glyn Robbins

timeshighereducation.com

Some beautiful model results visualised in this thread! #MicroSky

Davide Ciccarese@davideciccarese.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Just for fun, I built a small spatially explicit model to explore a cubic cross-section of cells growing in a biofilm, based on the three main interaction types (from a 10 yr. old review). Have a look, feedback is very welcome! github.com/davideciccar...

‘Your brain isn’t fully formed until you’re 25’: A neuroscientist demolishes the greatest mind myth www.sciencefocus.com... Dr Dean Burnett tackles a stubborn, and increasingly harmful, brain myth. For Science Focus Magazine. #Brains #Teens #Development #Autonomy

‘Your brain isn’t fully formed until you’re 25’: A neuroscientist demolishes the greatest mind myth | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Whether you are young or old, your brain is always changing.

sciencefocus.com

We are seeking Editors to join Access Microbiology! We are looking to appoint Editors to help ensure high-quality research and foster engagement within the microbiology community. Learn more and submit your application here: https://microb.io/Vacancies

Jobs

View the current job vacancies at the Microbiology Society.

microb.io

Excellent opportunity here: a 5 year senior research fellowship in Life Sciences (broadly defined) at All Souls College Oxford. Many opportunities to work with the diverse & inclusive community here in @biology.ox.ac.uk here in the brand new Life & Mind Buiilding www.asc.ox.ac.uk/post-doctora...

Wonderful talk by @c-cornbill.bsky.social , PhD student with @friendlymicrobe.bsky.social and I on her work on the effect of media on P. aeruginosa evolution to meropenem at the #MNGPopUp. This work leads beautifully into her work using the ex vivo pig lung model!

I found this neat tool that lets you generate text and images just from your ideas. It's really good!