I had a great time at the 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 conference in Ghent! I presented my work in a presentation followed by a thought-provoking poster session. Thank you everyone! 🦠🍬🎤 #Mucins26 #glycotime #microsky
Maryse Berkhout
@maryseberkhout.bsky.social
Microbes & glycans 🤩 | Gut Microbial Ecology | Wageningen University, NL | https://scholar.google.nl/citations?user=PhNYBVUAAAAJ&hl=nl&oi=ao
All my mucins & microbes PhD thesis chapters are now published! 🦠🍬👩🔬🍼 2: doi.org/10.1093/glyc... 3: dx.doi.org/10.20517/mrr... 4: doi.org/10.1093/glyc... 5: doi.org/10.1038/s415... 6: doi.org/10.1007/s002... 7: doi.org/10.1111/1462... 8: doi.org/10.1093/fems... 9: doi.org/10.1093/fems... #microsky
How microbial glycosyl hydrolase activity in the gut mucosa initiates microbial cross-feeding
Abstract. The intestinal epithelium is protected from direct contact with gut microbes by a mucus layer. This mucus layer consists of secreted mucin glycop
doi.org
Mucin Type Drives Composition and Mucin Glycan Degradation of an In Vitro Synthetic Microbial Community #EnvironMicrbiol by @maryseberkhout.bsky.social et al from Clara Belzer, Caroline Plugge @mib-wur.bsky.social enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Mucin Type Drives Composition and Mucin Glycan Degradation of an In Vitro Synthetic Microbial Community
The human gut outer mucus layer hosts specific microbes. Using a synthetic mucin glycan-degrading microbial community to mimic this mucosal microbiome, we show that mucin type affects microbial commu...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Do microbes reinvent their metabolism when shifting ecosystems? 🌊🦠 Marine and gut Akkermansiaceae share conserved glycan uptake. Ecological transitions may reflect substrate specialization on an inherited framework. @mpimarinemicrobio.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu #microsky
Conserved glycan-utilization strategies shape Akkermansiaceae success across aquatic and gut ecosystems
Abstract. Elucidating interaction mechanisms and substrate specialization is central to understanding bacterial adaptation across ecological niches. Specia
doi.org
Does mucin type affect a human gut microbial community? The short answer: Yes!💡 The long answer: 📖 doi.org/10.1111/1462... I am happy to share that the final chapter of my PhD thesis has been published in Environmental Microbiology.🦠 #microsky #microbiomesky #glycotime #mucin #mucus #akkermansia
Mucin Type Drives Composition and Mucin Glycan Degradation of an In Vitro Synthetic Microbial Community
The human gut outer mucus layer hosts specific microbes. Using a synthetic mucin glycan-degrading microbial community to mimic this mucosal microbiome, we show that mucin type affects microbial commu...
doi.org
Out Now! Cayman enables large-scale analysis of gut microbiome carbohydrate-active enzyme repertoires #MicroSky
Cayman enables large-scale analysis of gut microbiome carbohydrate-active enzyme repertoires
Nature Microbiology, Published online: 24 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02318-2Cayman enables computational analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) in microbial community data. It revealed novel mucus-foraging gut microorganisms and differences in gut microbial CAZyme repertoires associated with lifestyle and disease.
go.nature.com
Are you the less lucky of the co-first or co-last authors? @shougroup.bsky.social makes the case for changes to the way that equal contribution information is sent to indexing sites such as #PubMed. 🧪 #AcademicSky #publishing
We need to correct the wide-spread omission of equal contribution in article indexing
Equal contribution designations (co-first and co-last authorship) is on the rise, yet this information is routinely lost, creating inequity in recognition and crediting. This Perspective calls for…
plos.io
Had two great days at the KNVM/NVMM Spring Meeting! 🌷 I had the honour to present our work on a synthetic community of the infant gut, expanding on our previous effort led by Nancy Ioannou (doi.org/10.1093/isme...) 🦠 Looking back on two days of lovely talks and conversations! 👩🔬 #microsky
#NatMicroPicks Live biotherapeutics for bacterial vaginosis 🚺🦠 A short course of vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus biotherapeutics after antibiotics safely achieved sustained colonization in many women recovering from bacterial vaginosis. #MicroSky www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
VIBRANT: A phase 1 randomized trial of multi-strain vaginal L. crispatus live biotherapeutic products in people with bacterial vaginosis
In this phase 1 randomized trial of women with bacterial vaginosis in South Africa and the United States, Potloane et al. show that a multi-strain vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus live biotherapeutic administered for just 3–7 days following antibiotics can achieve vaginal colonization lasting up to 12 weeks.
cell.com
#microsky #microbiomesky #microbiome From Chris Stewart’s lab with a sialic acid twist www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Clostridia from preterm infants metabolize human milk oligosaccharides to suppress pathobionts and modulate intestinal function in organoids - Nature Microbiology
Clostridium perfringens lacking perfringolysin O toxin isolated from preterm infants metabolizes human milk oligosaccharide disialyllacto-N-tetraose to produce metabolites that promote the growth of c...
nature.com
#microsky #glycotime #sialic acid www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Sialic acid-responsive Parabacteroides is linked to gut barrier integrity in older adults
Aging is frequently accompanied by inflammaging—a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state that contributes to functional decline and disease risk. Disruption of the intestinal barrier is increasingly...
tandfonline.com
Simon van Vliet@simonvanvliet.bsky.social · 6mo agoWrapping up a productive week: very glad to have contributed to this review on how spatial structure shapes microbial ecology and evolution, led by @marcelbaecker.bsky.social, @bedutilh.bsky.social, @bramvandijk.bsky.social and many others. doi.org/10.1093/fems...
Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! ❤️👩🔬🦠 #February11 #womeninscience #microsky
#NatMicroPicks Baby-to-baby strain transmission shapes the developing gut microbiome - out now in Nature! 👶🦠👶 #microsky #microbiome @nature.com @cibiocm.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Baby-to-baby strain transmission shapes the developing gut microbiome - Nature
A metagenomic survey of babies attending the first year of nursery detected extensive baby-to-baby microbial strain transmission, pointing to social interactions in infancy as crucial drivers of infan...
nature.com
Another piece of the microbe-mucin interactions puzzle 🧩: Enzyme extracts of our favourite mucin glycan degraders cleave different bonds that occur in mucins. 🍬 Expression of glycoside hydrolases also differs per species. ✂️ To each their own! 😋 #glycotime #microsky #mucin doi.org/10.1093/glyc...
Efficient mucin O-glycan degradation by specific mucin degrading intestinal bacteria: towards understanding enzyme-glycan interactions
Abstract. Intestinal mucin glycan-degrading bacteria are important for mucus turnover, stimulating mucus production, and producing beneficial metabolites.
academic.oup.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Keystone concept revisited: insights into microbial community dynamics and control - Nature Reviews Microbiology
In this Perspective, Garza et al. revisit the keystone concept and discuss its relevance for microbial keystone taxa and functions. For this, they explore the different mechanisms behind keystoneness,...
nature.com
#microsky #glycotime #glycotimesky #sialic acid This is fun: www.jbc.org/article/S002...
Unique bifunctional α-sialidase/β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase from Bifidobacterium bifidum acting on the Sda antigen
Sda antigens [GalNAcβ1-4(Neu5Acα2-3)Galβ1-O-R] are present at the non-reducing termini of O-glycans of colonic mucins of human. Previously, we reported characterization of two glycoside hydrolase fami...
jbc.org
#ResearchBriefing Inhibitory interactions between industrial and agricultural chemicals and gut bacteria make a case for considering antibacterial activity in chemical safety assessment. #MicroSky #MicrobiomeSky 🦠🧪💻 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Common chemical pollutants inhibit human gut bacteria - Nature Microbiology
We uncover hundreds of inhibitory interactions between industrial and agricultural chemicals and gut bacteria. Systematic genetic analyses reveal bacterial survival mechanisms against pollutants and t...
nature.com
#microsky 😳 www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
A commensal bacterium secretes effector proteins to establish population heterogeneity in the gut
Zagieboylo and colleagues demonstrate that the human commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron secretes two self-targeting proteins that induce heterogeneity within its own population. Differential expre...
cell.com
Akkermansia muciniphila has potential as a next-generation #probiotic, but can it claim a niche and persist in a pre-existing, complex microbial community (in vitro)? 🦠🔍 #microsky #microbiomesky #glycotime link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Probiotic Engraftment of Akkermansia muciniphila in an In Vitro Synthetic Microbial Community - Microbial Ecology
Akkermansia muciniphila is a specialist mucin glycan-degrader that is common in the human gut. A. muciniphila is associated with host health and therefore proposed as a next-generation probiotic. Howe...
link.springer.com
Akkermansia muciniphila has potential as a next-generation #probiotic, but can it claim a niche and persist in a pre-existing, complex microbial community (in vitro)? 🦠🔍 #microsky #microbiomesky #glycotime link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Probiotic Engraftment of Akkermansia muciniphila in an In Vitro Synthetic Microbial Community - Microbial Ecology
Akkermansia muciniphila is a specialist mucin glycan-degrader that is common in the human gut. A. muciniphila is associated with host health and therefore proposed as a next-generation probiotic. Howe...
link.springer.com
#MicroSky: ONE HEALTH: Gut bacteria can influence fertility! Ding et al found certain E. coli strains that protect against drug-induced reproductive damage in worms and mice. These “probiotic helpers” could lead to new ways to support male fertility. Read MBT doi.org/10.1111/1751...
#microsky #mevosky @spp2389.bsky.social A PhD position is available in my lab to work on: Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria. Please RT Deadline: 12.11.25 More infos 👇 shorturl.at/rAKAT
OUT NOW - Long-read metagenomics method for strain tracking after FMT #microsky www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Long-read metagenomics for strain tracking after faecal microbiota transplant - Nature Microbiology
A long-read metagenomics method empowers faecal microbiota transplantation studies by precisely tracking bacteria from donors to recipients, distinguishing co-existing strains and revealing genomic ch...
nature.com
Elin Thomas, UK textile artist who uses embroidery/crochet to create unique work resembling petri dishes and bacteria spores #womensart
👩🎓 I am a doctor now! #PhDone @w-u-r.bsky.social @mib-wur.bsky.social ❤️ Thank you everyone for making the big day - and the entire PhD journey - such a memorable one 🦠 Looking forward to what's next #microsky 📸 Picture by en.phddefencephoto.com
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The role of Akkermansia muciniphila sulfatases in colonic mucin utilisation
Akkermansia muciniphila, an obligate mucin degrader, is a major member of the human colonic microbiota and has been associated positive health outcomes. Mucins are complex glycoproteins that contain h...
biorxiv.org