When a giant phage is watching over the audience, you know you are at the right meeting. I had a great time presenting our work on phage-encoded small RNAs at #VOM2026. @isvm-society.bsky.social
Sahar Melamed
@saharmelamed.bsky.social
Head of Microbiology track & Principal Investigator at the Hebrew University| regulatory small RNAs | RIL-seq | microbiologist | host-pathogen interactions | phages&therapy | antibiotic resistance
🚨Preprint! Happy to share the research from my PhD “Genome delivery of a contractile tailed phage and its superinfection exclusion mechanism”. We use cryoEM to study the genome ejection of the phage T4, revealing how the tape measure protein regulates the process. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Most scientific papers are written for other scientists. We were happy to write for JoLSP, a postdoc initiative, a lay summary of our research on how a tiny viral RNA hijacks bacterial replication machinery. www.journaloflifesciences.org/archives/157... #RNA #phages @hebrewuniversity.bsky.social
🚨Happy to share our new mini-review on phage-encoded small RNAs and their potential for phage therapy and antibacterial strategies, written with Aviezer Silverman! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... #RNA #phage @journals.sagepub.com @hebrewuniversity.bsky.social @phagedirectory.bsky.social
Bacteriophage-Encoded Small RNAs: Emerging Tools for Phage Therapy and Antibacterial Intervention - Aviezer Silverman, Sahar Melamed, 2026
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect bacteria and play a central role in shaping microbial communities and bacterial evolution. Beyond t...
journals.sagepub.com
tRNA gene arrays: emerging roles in bacterial persistence and adaptive evolution
tRNA gene arrays: emerging roles in bacterial persistence and adaptive evolution
Bacterial tRNA genes often form arrays that are thought to enhance translational efficiency. Recent work shows that tRNA gene arrays also regulate persistence in Burkholderia, correlating with phylogenetic relationships. These findings implicate tRNA gene arrays in niche-specific adaptive evolution, extending bacterial persistence beyond survival under lethal stresses.
dlvr.it
I never expected horses 🐎 in my RNA research, but here we are 😁 In our new perspective, Simon Dove and I discuss how RIL-seq maps transcriptome-wide sRNA networks in vivo and how iRIL-seq expands the RNA–RNA interaction toolbox. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @hebrewuniversity.bsky.social
mGem: Horses for courses in mapping bacterial small RNA interaction networks | mBio
Small RNAs (sRNAs) are bacterial RNA species that are anywhere between 50 and 500 nucleotides in length. Many sRNAs employ a short sequence (as few as 6 nucleotides), known as the seed sequence, to ba...
journals.asm.org
Proud to see our work featured in this Spotlight in @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social by @mvelascogomariz.bsky.social and @jenshoer.bsky.social! They highlight how phage infection involves surprisingly rich posttranscriptional regulatory networks and sRNA-based regulation. Thank you for the spotlight!
Jens Hör@jenshoer.bsky.social · 5mo agoLike bacteria, phages use sRNAs to regulate gene expression! Out today in @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social, @mvelascogomariz.bsky.social and I highlight a recent RIL-seq study from the @saharmelamed.bsky.social lab that looked into posttranscriptional regulation of lambda! tinyurl.com/lambda-RIL-seq
Last week we started the day with a lab hike and breakfast in the beautiful mountains around our faculty. Team bonding before getting back to science! #RNA @hebrewuniversity.bsky.social
Warm wishes for the new year from the Melamed lab! I am happy to work with such a great team. Wishing you curiosity, progress, and shared success.
Phage-encoded small RNA hijacks host replication machinery to support the phage lytic cycle: Molecular Cell www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Phage-encoded small RNA hijacks host replication machinery to support the phage lytic cycle
Using RIL-seq, Silverman et al. map the RNA interactome of E. coli during phage lambda infection and uncover a conserved phage-encoded sRNA that activates host replication machinery. Their findings re...
cell.com
Phage-encoded small RNA hijacks host replication machinery to support the phage lytic cycle
Phage-encoded small RNA hijacks host replication machinery to support the phage lytic cycle
Using RIL-seq, Silverman et al. map the RNA interactome of E. coli during phage lambda infection and uncover a conserved phage-encoded sRNA that activates host replication machinery. Their findings reveal a previously unrecognized RNA-level regulatory layer in phage-host interactions and highlight the role of post-transcriptional control in promoting phage infection.
dlvr.it
Do viruses use RNA to rewire bacteria? Yes! In our paper in @cp-molcell.bsky.social RIL-seq reveals interkingdom RNA interactions during λ infection. Phages don’t just encode proteins, they use small RNAs to hijack bacterial replication and fine-tune infection. #RNA #Phage doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
Phage-encoded small RNA hijacks host replication machinery to support the phage lytic cycle
Using RIL-seq, Silverman et al. map the RNA interactome of E. coli during phage lambda infection and uncover a conserved phage-encoded sRNA that activates host replication machinery. Their findings re...
cell.com
Happy Hanukah and happy holiday season from the Melamed lab!
How does a bacterial small RNA evolve new functions? Our new study reveals the stepwise evolutionary journey of UhpU, a 3′UTR-derived sRNA in E. coli and relatives. It evolved from a metabolically-focused regulator to one with expanded targets and biogenesis manner. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Phages are full of genes of unknown function that are likely adaptive in specific conditions. New preprint: Phage TnSeq identifies essential genes rapidly and knocks all non-essentials. We would like to send a pool of phiKZ mutants to anyone wanting it! Reach out tinyurl.com/bdcfrejh
KlebPhaCol paper is now out! Go check it out and see all that we offer. And when ready, visit our website for more: www.klebphacol.org
KlebPhaCol
klebphacol.org
Nucleic Acids Research@narjournal.bsky.social · 9mo ago⭐ NAR Breakthrough! ⭐ A community-driven collection uniting 52 phages, 74 Klebsiella isolates, and extensive genomic + phenotypic data — all freely available at klebphacol.org. 🧬 Learn more: doi.org/10.1093/nar/... @fnobrega.bsky.social @danielarothschild.bsky.social #antimicrobialresistance
🚨Preprint alert - this is a big one! We transfer the revolutionary power of TnSeq to bacteriophages. Our HIDEN-SEQ links the "dark matter" genes of your favorite phage to any selectable phenotype, guiding the path from fun observations to molecular mechanisms. A thread 1/8
Cool work by @microberna.bsky.social & Kai Papenfort, presenting the first RNA-RNA map in C. crescentus using RIL-seq, revealing an RNA sponge that controls the transition from nutrient abundance to starvation; new insights into RNA networks and stress responses! #RNA www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An RNA sponge directs the transition from feast to famine in Caulobacter crescentus - Nature Communications
In bacteria, many small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) associate with the RNA chaperone Hfq to modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Here, the authors identify global Hfq-mediated RNA-R...
nature.com
🔬 To celebrate World Phage Week, this month's issue of the Phage Collection Blog, written by Hana, explores the history of phage therapy. Thanks to @danielarothschild.bsky.social for providing the cover image, showcasing phage ROTH78. #WorldPhageWeek www.phage-collection.org/blog/history...
History of Phage Therapy — ThePhageCollectionProject
Phage therapy is not a recent discovery; it dates back to the early 20th century, with two scientists making impactful discoveries within two years of each other. But research priorities shifted towar...
phage-collection.org
CDC reports that the 'nightmare bacteria' with the NDM gene infections rose ~ 70% from 2019–2023 & is resistant to almost all antibiotics. At GARDP, Shionogi’s approved antibiotic cefiderocol & Bugworks’ BWC0977, now in clinical development, show activity against it. 🔗Read: bit.ly/4pFG05H
‘Nightmare bacteria’ cases are increasing in the U.S.
It’s likely that many people are unrecognized carriers of the drug-resistant bacteria, which could lead to community spread, CDC scientists said.
bit.ly
PhD students! Curious about RNA biology, phages & interbacterial interactions? Come spend 3–4 months in my lab through the Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship (ILS 12K/month). Collaborate and experience science & culture together! azrielifoundation.org/azrieli-fell...
Call for Applications for the Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship - The Azrieli Foundation
The Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship offers outstanding international PhD candidates the opportunity to conduct short-term research in Israel, fostering academic collaboration and strengt...
azrielifoundation.org
Wonderful department retreat yesterday! Proud of Hila Robard’s excellent talk about Pseudomonas aeruginosa small RNAs and their physiological impacts! Big thanks for the organizers Gideon Mamou and Yiska Weisblum!
The Melamed and Altuvia labs are on their way to the Meeting on Regulating with RNA in Bacteria and Archaea in #Strasbourg !!! Excited meet old friends and make new ones #RNA
A new cool method developed by the Balaban lab, Microcolony-seq. A new way to track bacterial phenotypic inheritance, revealing hidden subpopulations in infections. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Uncovering phenotypic inheritance from single cells with Microcolony-seq
Microcolony-seq systematically uncovers inherited phenotypic diversity directly from infected human samples, revealing that bacteria can retain long-term genetic and nongenetic memory from the host en...
cell.com
tRNA modification profiling reveals epitranscriptome regulatory networks in Pseudomonas aeruginosa 🦠👏High-throughput tRNA epitranscriptome profiling using mass spec on P. aeruginosa transposon insertion library and links with metabolic networks #microsky #rnasky doi.org/10.1093/nar/...
tRNA modification profiling reveals epitranscriptome regulatory networks in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Abstract. Transfer RNA (tRNA) modifications have emerged as critical post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression affecting diverse biological and di
doi.org
New online! Microbial metal physiology: ions to ecosystems
Microbial metal physiology: ions to ecosystems
Nature Reviews Microbiology, Published online: 25 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01213-7Metal ions are required for all cells, and their homeostasis relies on ancient mechanisms that facilitate their import, distribution and storage. In this Review, Helmann discusses the key chemical concepts underlying microbial metal physiology and highlights several exemplary microbial systems.
nature.com
I enjoyed attending the annual Israel Society for Microbiology (ISM) meeting. This year held special significance in honoring the memory of two esteemed faculty members, Prof. Herve Bercovier and Prof. Hanna Engelberg-Kulka, who sadly passed away over the past year.
This is wild! Engineering E. coli bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (Tylenol) www.nature.com/articles/s41... www.nature.com/articles/s41...
