🚨Join us at the University of Geneva! We're seeking an outstanding junior researcher to apply for an ERC or SNSF Starting Grant with our institutional support in host–pathogen interactions, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, or mycology. www.unige.ch/medecine/mim... Please share!

☀️🔥 New RNA-modification newsletter, heat-wave edition: wobble mods, QueC evolution, tRNA thiolation, host signals rewiring virulence translation, bacterial mRNA fate, and a bonus chapter on ribosome heterogeneity, hibernation & dormancy. 🦠 Stay cool, modify your RNAs.

☀️🔥🏜️ RNA Modifications Newsletter - June-July 2026

Issue #12

rnamodifupdates.substack.com

NTU's School of Biological Sciences is hiring faculty, Assistant Professor to Full Professor. The environment is collaborative and the start-up funding is genuinely generous. Four research areas. Campus visits 28 Sep to 2 Oct 2026. Apply here www.ntu.edu.sg/sbs/about-us...

We've been learning a lot about how Enterococcus faecalis interacts with neutrophils lately. In our latest preprint, @harisantypas.bsky.social describes how lactic acid from E. faecalis dampens neutrophil metabolism leading to NETosis and phagoytosis suppression. #microsky

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

Enterococcus faecalis biofilm rewires neutrophil metabolism to suppress antimicrobial functions https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.18.733107v1

Such a fantastic week at #KSBeyondAntibiotics26! Amazing science, timely conversations about AMR & bacterial infections, and AWESOME people. Thanks to my co-organizers and everyone who joined us in beautiful Breckenridge! @dariavantyne.bsky.social @maribyndloss.bsky.social @kimingeneva.bsky.social

👍

A nice story by Ami Bhatt's lab. A transposable element insertion upstream of a folate transporter formed a strong promoter, increasing transcription and improving relative fitness under folate limitation. We have recently reported that folate biosynthesis www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Transposable elements are driving rapid adaptation of Enterococcus faecium - Nature

Over three decades, rapid expansion of the transposable element ISL3 has reshaped Enterococcus faecium, which helps to explain this pathogen’s growing clinical threat.

nature.com

Here is it! Super new science from us on horizontal gene transfer & bact defense systems! Liyana OW YONG discovered the first-of-its-kind defense factor AbjA that triggers 'abortive conjugation' as a defense mechanism, by targeting the T4SS! How neat?! #MicroSky 1/7 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Shu-Sin Chng@figlegend.bsky.social · last yr.

Extremely proud of newly minted PhD Dr Nur Liyana bte Ayub Ow Yong for her work in our lab! Some new science coming soon so stay tuned! 🎉🎉

Important study by Chris Connor and Ben Howden (both not on here?) @unimelb.edu.au 'Global dissemination of optrA-mediated linezolid resistance in enterococci', major roles of mobile genetic elements in the dissemination of this important resistance determinant academic.oup.com/jac/article/...

Global dissemination of optrA-mediated linezolid resistance in enterococci

AbstractObjectives. Acquired resistance to last-line linezolid has emerged in Enterococcus spp. and can be conferred by the optrA gene. Here, we study the

academic.oup.com

Study 2: Culture-enriched metagenomic sequencing reveals within-patient diversity and transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...

Culture-enriched metagenomic sequencing reveals within-patient diversity and transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium

Colonization of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) often precedes bloodstream infection and serves as a reservoir for onward patient transmission in h...

medrxiv.org

Vancomycin tolerance and dispersion of dual species biofilms of Clostridioides difficile and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.09.710618v1

Frederick's @frederickreinhart.bsky.social paper on E. faecalis egress from host cells following intracellular replication is now up at #PLOS Pathogens. 😎 Check it out! dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

Gelatinase regulates the egress of intracellular replicating populations during Enterococcus faecalis infection

Author summary Pathogenic bacteria are traditionally classified as either “intracellular” or “extracellular”, but growing evidence suggests that many extracellular bacteria also adopt transient intrac...

dx.plos.org

Kimberly Kline 🏔@kimingeneva.bsky.social · 8mo ago

There's more! @frederickreinhart.bsky.social now shows Fsr quorum sensing turns on during intracellular replication, driving GelE-dependent host cell lysis/egress, a model for how intracellular “factories” become new extracellular inocula, primed for reinfection. 5/n www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Adaptation of Enterococcus faecalis to intestinal mucus revealed by a human colonic organoid model #mSystems from Alexandre Persat with @kimingeneva.bsky.social journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Adaptation of Enterococcus faecalis to intestinal mucus revealed by a human colonic organoid model | mSystems

Gut microbiota interactions with mucus during early intestinal colonization are critical for establishing stable communities and influencing host health. Using human colonic organoids combined with Tn-seq and live imaging, this study reveals how Enterococcus faecalis adapts to the mucosal surface by forming microcolonies and reprogramming its metabolism. This integrative approach provides a powerful platform to study other microbiota members in the native-like environment of the large intestine and evaluate potential therapeutic interventions.

journals.asm.org

⏰ Last chance to save $250! Register for Beyond Antibiotics by 11:59pm MST on March 5. Join @joeyzacks.bsky.social, @kimingeneva.bsky.social, @dariavantyne.bsky.social & @maribyndloss.bsky.social to spark new collaborations. 🎥 youtu.be/8Ppjx-MnvxA keysym.us/KSBeyondAnti... #KSBeyondAntibiotics26

KSQA: Drs. Joseph P. Zackular & Mariana X. Byndloss (Beyond Antibiotics)

YouTube video by KeystoneSymposia

youtu.be

What if quorum sensing doesn’t promote biofilms - but restrains it? 🤔 New work from @harisantypas.bsky.social shows that the Fsr QS system in Enterococcus faecalis acts as a brake on biofilm formation and pathogenesis during infective endocarditis (IE). www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Loss of Fsr quorum sensing promotes biofilm formation and worsens outcomes in enterococcal infective endocarditis - Nature Communications

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an understudied biofilm-associated infection. Here, analyses of preclinical and clinical data reveal that the Fsr quorum sensing (QS) system of Enterococcus faecalis is ...

nature.com

🧵 After years out of the field, I and my lab are again working on bacterial type IV pili. We have just posted our first preprints, and I'm excited to share what we have discovered. This shows Neisseria gonorrheae bacteria infecting a human epithelical cell. Here, you can see the pili in red. 1/

The American Academy of Microbiology proudly announces the election of 63 fellows to the Class of 2026. Over the past 50 years, the Academy has elected +2,700 distinguished scientists. This year, the new fellows hail from 14 countries. Read press release: asm.social/2OC

New in JB: Weiss, Tamayo et al. describe a very cool microbial interaction wherein Enterococcus faecalis, an opportunist found in the inflamed gut, impacts phase-variation noted by chaining & rough colony morphology of C. diff. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriology

Abstract deadline Mon for 6th Clinical & Scientific Advances in UTI, the premier biennial gathering of our international community. Privileged to be co-organising this year. See you in Nashville! utiga.org/2026-6th-csa... #UTI #UTISky #IDSky #MicroSky @globaluti.bsky.social utiga.org/2026-6th-csa...

Scientist's way of saying 'I ❤️ you' "I found this paper/preprint that made me think of your project." "I checked the mice/cells/plates already." "I just sent you the edits you requested." "I have a slide/diagram that will work for that." "I had that problem with [lab equipment], I have a fix."

🎉 New paper out! Taking a closer look at Enterococcus thailandicus, a species long considered of low clinical relevance. doi.org/10.1016/j.nm...

Lactic acid lover? Check out @ronni.bsky.social 's new work in @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social showing how Enterococcus faecalis-derived LA suppresses macrophage activation, in turn promoting bacterial persistence and polymicrobial wound infection in vivo. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Enterococcus faecalis-derived lactic acid suppresses macrophage activation to facilitate persistent and polymicrobial wound infections

Macrophage activation is essential for innate immunity and antimicrobial defense. We show that Enterococcus faecalis suppresses macrophage activation …

sciencedirect.com

Strep/Enterococcal colleagues! Streptococcal Biology GRC/GRS are open for applications. Acceptances are underway and the meeting is on track to fill up. If you’re aiming for a short talk (lots of slots), registering early matters for full consideration. Share widely! www.grc.org/streptococca...

Enterococcus fans: Check out our latest on E. faecalis EET, advancing our understanding of both the fundamental physiology of this bug and new mechanisms of its virulence. This is the product of a thrilling collaboration with friends in Singapore @gthibault.bsky.social led by @aarontan.bsky.social.

Guillaume Thibault@gthibault.bsky.social · 7mo ago

We’ve discovered how the superbug E. faecalis prevents chronic wounds from healing. It’s not a toxin. It’s metabolism. The bacteria use extracellular electron transport (EET) to electrochemically generate ROS, effectively "freezing" skin cells in place. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb5297

⏰ Deadline Jan 7 (11:59 pm MST) to submit a short talk abstract or apply for a scholarship for the Keystone Symposium Beyond Antibiotics. Hear from @joeyzacks.bsky.social, @maribyndloss.bsky.social: youtu.be/8Ppjx-MnvxA keysym.us/KSBeyondAnti... @kimingeneva.bsky.social & @dariavantyne.bsky.social

KSQA: Drs. Joseph P. Zackular & Mariana X. Byndloss (Beyond Antibiotics)

YouTube video by KeystoneSymposia

youtu.be

'In 2021, 11,021 deaths and 353,634 DALYs were attributable to VREfm worldwide, (...) 2,991 deaths and 82,025 DALYs attributable to VREfs. (...) VREfm burden is projected to continue rising across all indicators by 2050, while VREfs shows a sustained decline.' www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Global burden, inequalities and projections of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis, 1990–2050: a systematic global analysis

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) and Enterococcus faecalis (VREfs) are major antimicrobial resistance threats. Previous assessments r…

sciencedirect.com

🧵Enterococcus faecalis is not just an extracellular organism. 🧵 A growing body of work shows it can survive + REPLICATE inside host cells, and that intracellular life may seed persistence, dissemination, and reinfection. 1/n #MMBR @asm.org journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Enterococcus faecalis: an overlooked cell invader | Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews

SUMMARYEnterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are human pathobionts that exhibit a dual lifestyle as commensal and pathogenic bacteria. The pathogenic lifestyle is associated with specific conditions involving host susceptibility and intestinal ...

journals.asm.org

🤩 Long ago in 2021, Irina Afonina saw E. faecalis prophage tail fibers co-purify with membrane vesicles, but we didn't know their fxn: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC.... In this new preprint, Mike Gilmore and colleagues show us what the tail fibers (aka efagins) actually do! Super cool work. 🤩

The composition and function of Enterococcus faecalis membrane vesicles

Membrane vesicles (MVs) contribute to various biological processes in bacteria, including virulence factor delivery, antimicrobial resistance, host immune evasion and cross-species communication. MVs are frequently released from the surface of both ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Efagins evolved independently to target the enterococcal cell wall https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.13.693970v1

Thrilled to share that neutrophils produce extra long fibrillar components named proteoglycofili or PGF. PGF are released by living neutrophils and do not contain DNA. They might look like NETs but are not NETs… www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Proteoglycofili are glycosaminoglycan-containing fibrillar components released by neutrophils to neutralize bacteria

Alternative to the formation of NETs, André et al. describe here that viable neutrophils may release a fibrillar component named proteoglycofili or PGF upon stimulation. PGF formation is associated wi...

cell.com

New preprint from our lab www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...! Andrea Dos Santos and Clément Vulin combine experiments and models showing how adding glucose can strengthen negative interactions between microbial species. This can be used in tandem with antibiotic treatment to inhibit pathogens!