How do archaeal cells coordinate DNA replication? NEB and Colorado State University scientists tracked DNA polymerase activity in living archaeal cells using genetics, biochemistry, and RADAR-seq to learn more: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkag395

Archaeal family B DNA polymerase facilitates lagging strand DNA replication in the Thermococcales

Abstract. Replicative DNA synthesis is distributed among several DNA polymerases (DNAPs) in both Bacteria and Eukarya. The division of synthesis permits sp

doi.org

In a Molecular Cell paper, NEB scientists describe the identification of a deaminase that converts 5mC to T, enabling direct sequencing of the human methylome and genome. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2026.03.027

Cheap and easy method for nanopore sequencing phage DNA directly from plaques. Proud of lab members Brenna and Patrick for doing this work *with absolutely no help from me* !! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Out now in Nature Biotechnology! Alejandro González-Delgado and a fantastic team of collaborators worked across nine labs to get retron recombineering up-and-running in fifteen bacterial species. Molecular parts on addgene: www.addgene.org/browse/artic... Happy editing!

Nature Biotechnology@natbiotech.nature.com · 4mo ago

Genome editing of phylogenetically distinct bacteria using cross-species retron-mediated recombineering - @seth-shipman.bsky.social @gladstoneinst.bsky.social go.nature.com/4tZluOU

Happy to share our new work on how phages escape bacterial immunity. We show that a phage homing endonuclease drives segmental amplification of anti-defense genes, pointing to a versatile and rapid mode of adaptation. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #PhageSky #MicroSky

Phage homing endonuclease amplifies anti-defense genes to evade bacterial immunity - Nature Communications

Phages employ diverse counter-defense strategies to overcome bacterial immune systems. Here, the authors reveal that the phage homing nuclease SegB facilitates immune evasion by promoting the segmenta...

nature.com

Open postdoc position in my lab on HGT and interbacterial competition. We seek candidates with a PhD in microbiology (or related fields)+ strong 1st-author publications. Curious, highly motivated, and dedicated team players ready to contribute fully are encouraged to apply. Details: tiny.cc/cz01101

Open Positions

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tiny.cc

Excited to share the first preprint from the lab! We show that ApeA defends against RNA phage infection by cleaving the phage genome: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

After >10 years of our lab studying bacterial cGAS-like enzymes, @hobbslabutah.bsky.social finally reconstitutes viral sensing in vitro and discovers how these ancient receptors sense phage protease enzymes to detect virion assembly and activate antiviral immunity www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

On this fabulous day celebrating André Citroën's birthday 🥖🚗, I’m happy to share my main paper from my postdoc in @jrpenades.bsky.social Lab. If you want to hear about how plasmid evolution is driven by mobile genetic elements, please come and read this preprint! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Looking for a breakthrough in #bacteriophage engineering? NEB and Yale University researchers used HC-GGA to engineer a fully synthetic P. aeruginosa phage, paving the way for faster, simpler and safer therapeutic development: https://nebiolabs.com/3O1DacT

Check out our latest preprint from @jnvmartinson.bsky.social and @leosong.bsky.social! 🌟🦠 We found that conjugative plasmids can actively eliminate recipient bacteria that resist plasmid acquisition. 🧵

bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Plasmids weaponize conjugation to eliminate non-permissive recipients https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.10.705089v1

Published version of our work on diversity-generating retroelements! We reconstituted a phage DGR in E. coli and deployed high-throughput methods to identify factors influencing the activity of this system. #microsky journals.plos.org/plosgenetics...

High-throughput analyses of a reconstituted diversity-generating retroelement identify intrinsic and extrinsic determinants of diversification

Author summary Our study focuses on Diversity-Generating Retroelements (DGRs), a biological “evolution engine” that microbes and viruses use to rapidly develop new functions within specific genes. DGR...

journals.plos.org

Are you interested in studying RNA phages? We are looking for a PhD student and a postdoc to join the lab! For more information and how to apply, see below 👇 Please RT!

Helmholtz Institute Würzburg@helmholtz-hiri.bsky.social · 10mo ago

📢 The #HIRI is looking for a #postdoc & a #PhD student to join the research group of @jenshoer.bsky.social. His lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of #phages with #RNA genomes during infection, host takeover & anti-phage defense. 🧫🦠 More info: www.helmholtz-hiri.de/en/jobs-tale...

One week left to apply!!

Luuk Loeff@lloeff.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Hiring! 🧬🔬 Ever wondered how bacteria fight off viruses? We’re looking for a PhD student to dive into the molecular basis of newly discovered microbial immune systems, an area of biology where much remains to be uncovered. RT/share to help us find our next team member! www.lumc.nl/en/about-lum...

A recent cool preprint by John Whitney's lab on a new family of antibacterial proteins secreted by Gram-positive bacteria that enter and kill a broad spectrum of bacteria. Cell entry is receptor-independent and relies on cleavage by a co-secreted protease and the PMF. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Proteolytically activated antibacterial toxins inhibit the growth of diverse Gram-positive bacteria

Many species of bacteria produce small-molecule antibiotics that enter and kill a wide range of competitor microbes. However, diffusible antibacterial proteins that share this broad-spectrum activity ...

biorxiv.org

This is insanely cool!!

Rhys Grinter@rhyswg.bsky.social · 11mo ago

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.

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

Diversity-generating retroelements are a fascinating class of targeted gene editing system. How DGRs function within cells remains incompletely understood. In this preprint (www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... ), we report identification of factors influencing DGR activity in E. coli. #MicroSky

Massively Parallel Screens Reveal Factors Influencing the Activity of a Diversity-Generating Retroelement Reconstituted in Escherichia coli

Certain phages and microbes use Diversity-Generating Retroelements (DGRs) for rapid, targeted adaptation. This process, called mutagenic retrohoming, uses a reverse transcriptase to specifically intro...

biorxiv.org

🚨👉 Please check our recent work on bacterial cell division. In situ Cryo-ET reveals the cellular function of the penicillin binding protein 1b supported by AFM, live-cell imaging, in silico AlphaFold proteome screen and TIRFM. Hope you enjoy the read! #teamtomo #cryo-ET ❄️🔬🐎 big thanks to the team!

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · last yr.

The aPBP-type cell wall synthase PBP1b plays a specialized role in fortifying the Escherichia coli division site against osmotic rupture https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.02.646830v1

🚨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

Expanding the genetic toolbox of the obligate predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus with inducible gene expression and CRISPR interference

Inducible gene expression and CRISPR interference-mediated depletion in the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus.

academic.oup.com

How do cells sort which RNAs to keep or destroy? New preprint from THJ, Brenneke and Plaschka labs shows that export and decay machineries (TREX2/PAXT) both recognise UAP56-bound RNAs. Whether they’re exported or degraded depends on where in the nucleus this happens. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Molecular basis of polyadenylated RNA fate determination in the nucleus

Eukaryotic genomes generate a plethora of polyadenylated (pA+) RNAs, that are packaged into ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs). To ensure faithful gene expression, functional pA+ RNPs, including prote...

biorxiv.org

PIWI clade Argonautes are essential for transposon silencing. Without them, animals are sterile due to massive transposon activity. But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing? PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer www.cell.com/molecular-ce...

First paper from my lab is now published! academic.oup.com/nar/article-... P2-lambda interference was first reported in the 1950's, but how a P2 lysogen restricts lambda replication has remained murky. We uncovered tRNA cleavage by P2-OLD as a key mechanism behind this interference.

We're looking for a technician at Institut Pasteur for experimental work on satellite-phage-bacteria interactions, working directly with @jmouradesousa.bsky.social and myself in the lab of @epcrocha.bsky.social ! ANR funded. Link to the job emploi.pasteur.fr/offre-de-emp... Thx for sharing!

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...