New bioRxiv preprint out! We explore how environmental and host-associated temperatures shape virulence-associated traits during biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa. Excited to keep exploring the questions that emerged from this PhD project. 🦠🌡️

bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 2w ago

Temperature-dependent reprogramming of virulence traits during Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.16.751985v1

lab 2.0 in Chicago in search of a postdoc! Pursue virus-host interactions, post-translational modifications, and RNA splicing. Excellent in oral and written communication, lab and project management, and an ability to supervise and mentor trainees. sfbkrlab.org www.careers.luc.edu/postings/35620

Writing this piece brought back eight years of joyful and transformative memories since leaving India. Those years were shaped not only by microbiology, but by visas, new cultures, and constant adaptation. The people and places along the way influenced my trajectory as much as the science.

Trends in Microbiology@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Scientific mobility in microbiology – 16

Transient RNA structures play a key role in the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses! Great to see this collaboration with Mathis Funk, Mathilde Richard, Stephen Cusack, and others in @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Polymerase trapping as the mechanism of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus genesis

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) derive from H5 and H7 low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs). Although insertion of a furin-cleavable multibasic cleavage site (MBCS) in the...

science.org

🚨New Influenza Tool🚨 Interested in IAV mutations? Looking for markers of mammalian adaptation? Frustrated by converting between IAV numbering systems? The #Flu-MutationExplorer, a new tool from @cvrbioinfo.bsky.social and @royalvetcollege.bsky.social, is here to help: flu-gdb.cvr.gla.ac.uk (1/n)

Really enjoyed giving a talk at the GRC meeting on the Biology of Acute Respiratory Infection. Excellent talks and meaningful discussions all around. Until next time! 🧫🦠🫁🧬

Decoding influenza virus: From polymerase mechanisms to translational therapeutics www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Now live! Nearly all human genes contain multiple transcript isoforms - and the genes that predominantly control infection, ISGs, are no different. Using PacBio with analysis help from Yan Guo, Himadri noticed a never-before-seen transcript isoform of ISG15 that potently restricts flu 1/4

Ever wondered how fever helps fight flu? Our research shows that fever-like temperature tip the scales in the battle between the influenza virus and the immune system by enhancing antiviral responses and altering viral RNA dynamics. Check out the full article here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Febrile temperature activates the innate immune response by promoting aberrant influenza A virus RNA synthesis

Fever promotes aberrant influenza A virus RNA synthesis and innate immune activation.

science.org

Congratulations to @karishmabisht.bsky.social with her paper on the effect of fever on influenza replication and innate immune activation! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Febrile temperature activates the innate immune response by promoting aberrant influenza A virus RNA synthesis

Fever promotes aberrant influenza A virus RNA synthesis and innate immune activation.

science.org

A wonderfully engaging essay on my favorite model bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa - a genuinely compelling and highly recommended read from quorum‑sensing legend Prof. E. P. Greenberg. #biofilms #sociomicrobiology journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, my model for research on quorum sensing, biofilms, and opportunistic infections | Journal of Bacteriology

With encouragement from the Journal of Bacteriology Editor in Chief, George O’Toole, I have written this short essay in a style different than Journal of Bacteriology articles on model organisms. It i...

journals.asm.org

Now out in Science Advances: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Excited to share our latest preprint in which we integrate mathematical modeling with experimental approaches to investigate how ⬆️ temperature influences aberrant RNA synthesis and innate immunity in flu infection 🦠

AJ te Velthuis@ajtevelthuis.bsky.social · last yr.

Flu infection => temperature⬆️ => NP levels⬇️ => aberrant RNAs⬆️ => interferon⬆️. Elegant modeling and experimental work by @karishmabisht.bsky.social and @danielweilandt.bsky.social! Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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

Influenza A virus rapidly adapts particle shape to environmental pressures - Nature Microbiology

Quantitative flow virometry assay to measure the shape of viral particles under various conditions reveals that influenza virus infections dynamically tune shape distribution of progeny particles depe...

nature.com

Our new paper is out: "Mapping the complete influenza A virus infection cycle through single vRNP imaging". Combining newly-developed single-molecule imaging approaches with in situ viral transcriptomics, we identify numerous non-canonical infection pathways. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Mapping the complete influenza A virus infection cycle through single vRNP imaging

Cell-to-cell heterogeneity is a common feature of viral infection that can generate enormous complexity, complicating understanding of infection progression and interpretation of differences between v...

biorxiv.org

Excited to share this new preprint showing that non-canonical influenza virus transcripts are produced in a sequence/RNA structure-dependent manner on aberrant RNAs: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A two-step mechanism for RIG-I activation by influenza virus mini viral RNAs

Influenza A virus (IAV) non-canonical replication products can be bound by various host pathogen sensors, including retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). However, it is not clear why non-canonical I...

biorxiv.org

Get ready for ASV 2025! The 2025 American Society for Virology meeting will be hosted by McGill University and held at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada from July 14 - 17, 2025. Abstract submission, travel award apps, and registration are now open! asv.org/asv2025/regi...

Register 2025 | American Society for Virology

The 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology! Dates: July 14 – 17, 2025 (Monday – Thursday) Palais des congrès de Montréal Host: McGill University *TEACHER TRAVEL GRANTS: Applications…

asv.org