Malcolm White
@mfwhite2.bsky.social
Molecular microbiologist at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. My scientific interests include: CRISPR, antiviral defence, cyclic nucleotide signalling, archaea, nucleases.
And last but not least, a MiniReview about phage therapy co-authored by many of us @pghphageprogram.bsky.social was published today in mBio journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Approaching the post-antibiotic era: phage therapy current practices and future horizons | mBio
Phages are the naturally occurring viruses of bacteria (see Table 1 for key definitions). They have co-evolved with their bacterial prey across billions of years, resulting in highly specific phage-ho...
journals.asm.org
I wouldn't disagree with any of this, from Sarah Wilson www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...
Your worst fears about cultural collapse might be true – here’s what you can do about it
Writer Sarah Wilson argues we’re hurtling toward the same end as ancient Rome and the Mayan civilisation – but there’s plenty to fight for
theguardian.com
Nature research paper: Diverse bacterial pattern recognition receptors sense the core phage proteome go.nature.com/45fpXCZ
Diverse bacterial pattern recognition receptors sense the core phage proteome - Nature
Systematic analysis of prokaryotic STAND NTPases — relatives of animal and plant immune receptors — uncovers diverse antiviral sensors that detect most of the core structural and replicative proteins of bacteriophages.
go.nature.com
Phage hijacks host phosphorothioate DNA modification machinery to circumvent bacterial Ssp defences | Nature Microbiology
Phage hijacks host phosphorothioate DNA modification machinery to circumvent bacterial Ssp defences - Nature Microbiology
The phage-encoded protein PptA enables its DNA to masquerade as the host and evade cleavage, providing a potential foundation for engineering therapeutic phages that could bypass this widespread defence system.
nature.com
Reading an obviously AI-generated non-sequitur aloud in such a public setting—apparently without realizing what was happening in real time—represents a brave new frontier in the annals of embarrassing revelations of AI use.
Canadian legislator reads out apparent LLM response in floor speech
Here’s a more natural, flowing version of that section..."
arstechnica.com
Some bacteria use the CRISPR/Cas systems as transcriptional repressors of other anti-phage systems, such that when CRISPR interfered with, gene expression of repressed anti-phage systems goes up www.nature.com/articles/s41...
CRISPR–Cas regulates expression of embedded anti-phage defence systems - Nature
CRISPR–Cas systems transcriptionally tune diverse innate defences using CRISPR RNA-like guides to balance antiviral protection with fitness, and hyperactivate these defences when compromised, establis...
nature.com
Happy to share the first preprint out of the Nomburg lab! Many aspects of cellular immunity are shared across the tree of life. Here, we show that some of these conserved aspects of cellular immunity are mirrored by conserved effectors of immune antagonism. Thread below! 1/15
bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 2w agoConserved folds enable immune antagonism across the tree of life https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.21.739742v1
Totally normal, nothing to worry about 🫣https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/22/openai-says-its-models-went-rogue-and-hacked-startup-in-unprecedented-incident?CMP=share_btn_url
OpenAI says its models went rogue and hacked startup in ‘unprecedented incident’
Firm behind ChatGPT reveals autonomous agent powered by its tech chose to attack Hugging Face database by itself
theguardian.com
1/4 Every good defence needs a backup! 🛡️⚔ Out now in @natrevmicro.nature.com our Comment on "𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴"! 🎉 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Immune safeguarding as a conserved principle of antiviral defence - Nature Reviews Microbiology
All organisms defend against viral infections through active immunity mechanisms that clear the virus or population-level mechanisms that cause regulated cell death. Recent research increasingly shows...
nature.com
A family of lanthipeptides with anti-phage function Discovery of 2,000+ lanthipeptide biosynthetic gene clusters with anti-phage potential. Lanthivirins inhibit phage replication by targeting phage proteins & interfering with phage DNA replication. www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
A family of lanthipeptides with anti-phage function
Shomar, Guillaume, et al. report the genomics-driven discovery of a family of more than 2,000 lanthipeptide biosynthetic gene clusters with anti-phage potential. They experimentally demonstrate anti-p...
cell.com
Thrilled to share our collab led by Grace Hibshman with the Shipman lab! Type IX retron-Kva2 structure reveals phage detection via an HTH fold, not a primary sequence. We computationally designed triggers that program bacteria cell death, pointing toward designer antimicrobials.
1/10 🚨Preprint! One RING to rule them all (phages)👑💍⚔️ Bacteria build giant DNA-scaffolded RNase rings (larger than the ribosome!) to shut down viral infection🧬🧵👇 biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Missing link between prokaryotic immune systems Phylogenetic analysis of YprA (widespread helicases) reveals distinct class of defense systems-ARMADA-that connect DISARM & Druantia. ARMADA protects against diverse phages, synergizing w/Druantia III www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
YprA-family helicases provide the missing link between diverse prokaryotic immune systems
YprA-family helicases represent a key hub in the prokaryotic defense network. Through phylogenetic analysis of YprA, Bell and colleagues identify a distinct class of defense systems, called ARMADA. AR...
cell.com
This is just a grumpy post from an old geezer - feel free to ignore. Pre-internet we had to do our own photography and post 3 copies of our papers to journals. The internet speeded everything up. 😀
Stunning pre-print from @artemisaev.bsky.social @dbikard.bsky.social and the Wang lab answering long-standing questions about OLD phage defense and extending the concept of "protein complex disassembly" controlling activation of bacterial immunity: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Wonderful to hear Carl Stetter reminisce on the discovery of Archaea at MBoA2026
Travelling to the #EMBO Molecular Biology of Archaea meeting in Cambridge. The first meeting was in St Andrews in 2008 and involved kilts. Looking forward to catching up with a lot of friends and colleagues
We’re happy to introduce phageFACTor (Functional Annotation and Curation Tool) 👩💻Developed by Tanaïs Moreau, our most recent PhD candidate, and building on Phold, we were able to improve annotation of prophage genes by as much as 50% 🧬 You should check it out github.com/TMs-code/pha...
Congrats Aude!!
Institut Pasteur | 130 years of biomedical research@pasteur.fr · last mo.Congratulations to Aude Bernheim (@audeber.bsky.social), elected EMBO Member 2026 🎉 Her work on bacterial immunity is reshaping how we understand immune systems across all life forms — from bacteria to humans. @embo.org
Out Now! END nucleases are antiphage defence systems targeting multiple phages with modified genomes #MicroSky
END nucleases are antiphage defence systems targeting multiple phages with modified genomes
Nature Microbiology, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02407-2The END nuclease targets eight phage families with at least ten different known DNA modifications, but not unmodified DNA. Its specificity is dictated by the C-terminal iEndoIII domain. To combat END, modified phages encode direct-binding inhibitors.
go.nature.com
We braved the unseasonal heat (23C) to play our annual lab golf competition yesterday- putting on the Himalayas (iykyk). Congrats to Stephen who retained the trophy and Sabine for two holes-in-one!
Abi is over-diagnosed
Erin Huiting@erinhuiting.bsky.social · last mo.From my time with @jbdsf.bsky.social: Our latest CBASS story is now published! ‘CBASS’ is the ancestral origin of anti-viral cGAS immunity and encoded in diverse bacteria. For the first time, we show that CBASS enables cell survival (vs cell death) to protect bacteria from phage infection. More ⬇️
The DdmDE defense system eradicates plasmids by target-centered bidirectional ssDNA loop extrusion and site-specific cleavage
The DdmDE defense system eradicates plasmids by target-centered bidirectional ssDNA loop extrusion and site-specific cleavage
Yang et al. reveal a dynamic DdmDE-mediated plasmid clearance pathway. Transient DNA bubbles permit promiscuous DdmE binding, while target specificity arises from slower dissociation at matched sites. DdmE then recruits a DdmD dimer to drive target-centered, bidirectional dsDNA unwinding. Free DdmD subsequently coats extruded ssDNA to enable site-specific endonucleolytic cleavage.
dlvr.it
Ready to start coding? Practical Python for Beginners begins 5 Oct 2026 and will help biochemists develop core Python skills for analysing and visualising complex biochemical data. https://ow.ly/FwKT50ZbyAM
