Penicillin was not, in fact, the first antibiotic.
Tim Overton
@overtonlab.bsky.social
Professor of Microbial Biotechnology. Interested in using bugs to do interesting things and also how to kill them. https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/persons/tim-overton ORCID: 0000-0003-3050-2549
New paper! Glen (who graduated this week!) worked on toothpaste formulation in collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive. In this paper we explore how different formulations, including different biopolymers, alter the properties of toothpastes. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Effect of formulation on the rheological and tribological properties of toothpastes
An improved understanding of the impact of formulation of toothpaste tribology would be highly beneficial for tuning formulations to individual consum…
sciencedirect.com
A visitor to the garden last night - has been coming to the pond to drink!
I'm very happy to share that as of 1st August I will be a Professor of Microbial Biotechnology! Huge thanks to past and present members of my group, my fantastic collaborators, and my colleagues at the UoB School of Chemical Engineering for all their help and support over the years.
PhD alert! We are advertising an exciting PhD opportunity as part of the BBSRC-funded BARRIΣR project, investigating how molecules get into bacteria with the aim of improving solvent tolerance. Please share with any (home) students you think might be interested! www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Improving the solvent tolerance of E. coli by understanding the rules of accumulation at University of Birmingham on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Improving the solvent tolerance of E. coli by understanding the rules of accumulation at University of Birmingham, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
Livestream of peregrine falcons nesting at the top of Old Joe @unibirmingham.bsky.social launches www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2026/wa...
Livestream of peregrine falcons nesting at top of Old Joe - University of Birmingham
A livestream will show the nesting pair of peregrine falcons who have made their home at the University of Birmingham campus.
birmingham.ac.uk
New paper! We have written a (hopefully) simple primer on microbial energy metabolism - how do bacteria harvest energy from their environment, and how does this impact their behaviour? www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Microbial Primer: Bacterial energy metabolism
All cells need energy to perform their functions. This primer introduces energy metabolism in bacteria, with a focus on key pathways and examples from model organisms, while acknowledging that bacteri...
microbiologyresearch.org
Today's office - Symphony Hall for a bit of Strauss (Til, Tod and Heldenleben)
New PhD opportunity! A project looking at how we can use information about accumulation of varied molecules in bacteria to improve solvent tolerance and industrial processes. This project is aligned to our new exciting sLoLa project on antimicrobial accumulation www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Improving the solvent tolerance of E. coli by understanding the rules of accumulation at University of Birmingham on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Improving the solvent tolerance of E. coli by understanding the rules of accumulation at University of Birmingham, listed on FindAPhD.com
findaphd.com
New paper! Collaborative work on using ultrasound to release antibiotics from nanoparticles to permit killing of biofilms - out now in JACS Au - pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Ultrasound-Responsive Nanoparticles Enable Hydrophobic Antibiotic Release and Deep Penetration for Biofilm Treatment
Localized delivery of antibiotics is a promising strategy that leads to transformative treatment pathways of bacterial biofilms and increases the effectiveness of their administration in contrast to traditional delivery methods requiring high antibiotic doses. Hydrophobic antibiotics have poor activity against bacterial biofilms due to their limited penetration and are particularly challenging to deliver. Nanoparticles are ideal drug delivery agents to achieve spatially controlled delivery, but commonly their designs are either soft or porous, which limits temporally triggered release, with the result that most of the antibiotic does not reach deeply into the biofilm. In this study, we present designs of nonporous silica nanoparticles that encapsulate a lipophilic antibiotic, rifampicin, with noncovalent interactions and enable controlled release triggered by Low-Frequency Ultrasound (LFUS). Staphylococcus aureus biofilms treated with the nonporous, core@shell, rifampicin-encapsulated nanoparticles, RIF⊂PhSiO2@SiO2, combined with LFUS, achieved 90% biofilm eradication, compared to 20% without ultrasound; treatment with free rifampicin and LFUS resulted only in a 10% reduction. Nanoparticle penetration into biofilm layers was visualized using fluorescent nanoparticles prepared with coencapsulation of the Nile red fluorophore, RIF+NR⊂PhSiO2@SiO2. Confocal fluorescence imaging of the biofilms demonstrated penetration of the nanoparticles throughout all the layers of the biofilm upon LFUS application, in sharp contrast to their presence in only the top few biofilm layers without LFUS. Scanning Electron Microscopy of the biofilms confirmed the presence of nanoparticles and the dual role of LFUS in promoting penetration and facilitating drug release by disrupting molecular interactions within the nanoparticle. This work introduces a design paradigm for nonporous nanoparticle agents combined with ultrasound, enabling both temporal and spatial control of drug release in bacterial biofilms. This will open transformative therapeutic approaches for effective localized delivery of drugs that have previously been challenging to deliver.
pubs.acs.org
Startling that this is being broadcast in the absence of any public communications by @ukri.org The academic community has a right to expect to be told first hand what is happening with response mode funding and what the immediate future looks like www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
MRC instructs grant review boards to slash funding rates - Research Professional News
Boards asked to recommend just three applications for funding, as BBSRC also suspends calls
researchprofessionalnews.com
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[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreibpkdjyy7n42ektwrasgu6fjhqo6tuwhh3jfctdmowmmjbzv5rr4u)
Delighted to say that we have been funded by BBSRC to do some exciting science on how bacteria prevent accumulation of antibiotics - www.ukri.org/news/powerin...
Powering team science to unlock life’s secrets
Four world-class teams awarded major BBSRC sLoLa grants to push the frontiers of discovery in microbiology, photosynthesis, gene regulation and quantum biology.
ukri.org
New PhDs in my lab starting 2026! Funded projects as part of the MIBTP centre (funded by BBSRC) now open for applications: warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa... Are you interested in biofilms? We have a couple of projects - looking at the links between energy metabolism and biofilms - and electricity!
Dr Tim Overton
Dr Tim Overton
warwick.ac.uk
Job opportunity in my lab! We're looking for a post-doc to come join us for an exciting project exploring the evolution of #AMR and #hypervirulence in #klebsiella. Please share!! @unibirmingham.bsky.social Details: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOV067/r...
Research Fellow at University of Birmingham
Apply now for the Research Fellow role on jobs.ac.uk - the leading job board for higher education jobs. View details.
jobs.ac.uk
New preprint! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... GFP is a useful protein to optimise production of proteins in the cytoplasm, but does not work well in the periplasm. We tested if two newer variants of GFP (sfGPF and cfSGFP2) can be used to improve periplasmic protein production.
| bioRxiv
bioRxiv - the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and educational institution
biorxiv.org
Had a great time in London this week, including a visit to the always excellent Japan House for their exhibition of pictograms
New paper! A fun collaboration with Aneika Leney's group (@leneyms.bsky.social), looking for cyanobacteria in lake water using novel mass spectrometry approaches (and comparing with flow cytometry) pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
pubs.acs.org
A surprise sighting yesterday in Birmingham - two Scarlet Tiger moths on a car tyre!
Exciting new PhD project! Are you interested in the microbiology of the mouth, and how we could develop new oral care products to reduce harmful bacteria while helping beneficial ones? Fully funded by EPSRC (UK students only) and working with Colgate. www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/co...
birmingham.ac.uk
Back at work now but Scotland last week was pretty good
Chiffchaff singing outside my office window reminds me that spring is very much here.
Feb. 2, 1925: Dogs save the city of Nome, Alaska. A team of huskies races into the dipththeria-stricken city dragging a sled that carries enough antitoxin to halt the epidemic. The last leg of the heroic relay is directed by musher Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog, Balto. 1/10
Tomorrow - playing with solihullsymphony.org.uk in Dorridge, an Opera Gala with Puccini / Wagner / Verdi et al.
Home - Solihull Symphony Orchestra
Solihull Symphony Orchestra is a lively and enthusiastic group of non-professional musicians who enjoy taking on the challenge of a diverse and varied repertoire. Our members span an age range from un...
solihullsymphony.org.uk
It's been a terrible week. A terrible, terrible week. The worst people on earth are full of energy and vigour, the best are defined by anxiety and self-doubt. Here are three simple rules to surviving the next four years, because by God we'll need them iandunt.substack.com/p/a-little-b...
A little bit of hope after a terrible week
A survival guide to the next four years.
iandunt.substack.com
I'm trying to listen to some new music this year, and starting alphabetically on spotify. This week's discovery - Hendrik Andriessen, father of Louis Andriessen
I find it comforting that I'm partly made up of bacteria and fungi and other little critters. My microbiota make me want to be gentle with myself, even when I'm having a bad day. How cool is it to be a planet that has the capacity to think about and even love its inhabitants?