Beautiful perspective on our early-life C. difficile work from Ashley Gilliland and @brucevallance.bsky.social in @science.org! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Not such a benign colonizer

Clostridioides difficile modulates inflammation and stem cell functions in the infant gut

science.org

Joe Zackular@joeyzacks.bsky.social · 3w ago

Excited to share new work from my lab showing that early-life colonization with C. difficile remodels the developing infant gut, published today in @science.org! This study was co-led by two truly amazing scientists: @haidermanzer.bsky.social and Alexa Semon. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Essential & timely analysis via @techpolicypress.bsky.social on the massive public response to the White House's proposed OMB rule that would politicize grants, science, and federally funded research, including comment analysis dashboard. www.techpolicy.press/the-public-r...

The Public Rejects OMB's Federal Financial Assistance Rule

Tens of thousands of scientists, clinicians, and ordinary citizens warned OMB about putting political appointees in charge of which research gets funded.

techpolicy.press

If I was invited to speak at a leading medical association meeting and the editor-in-chief of their journal wrote this about me, I'd skip my own talk and call the cops. Wouldn't you?

Carl T. Bergstrom@carlbergstrom.com · 4mo ago

"911, what's your emergency?" "Hello, Police? Yeah, our highest award recipient is at our meeting handing out copies of an article that we published. And uh....we....well....shit, nevermind." (gift link)

Russell Vought, Director of the OMB, has issued a set of proposed changes that would dramatically alter federal grant funding. However, we can each take action to prevent these from taking effect. Here's how, a 🧵 🧪 1/n www.science.org/content/arti...

White House seeks to tighten political oversight of grantmaking

Sweeping proposed rule, now open for comments, would also restrict foreign collaborations and remove federal funding for open-access fees

science.org

Christina Koch is moon-bound. 🚀🌕 The three-time NC State grad and her fellow Artemis II crew members blasted off from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening. She will see parts of the solar system no human has ever seen before. Read more: http://ncst.at/uzpN50YC2pl

Only TWO WEEKS left to register for @keystoneSymposia.bsky.social Beyond #Antibiotics: Emerging Strategies Combating #BacterialInfection, in Breckenridge! Check out the lineup of speakers - it is going to be an amazing meeting! Join us in May! keysym.us/KSBeyondAntibiotics26 #KSBeyondAntibiotics26

Beyond Antibiotics: Emerging Strategies for Combating Bacterial Infection | Keystone Symposia

Join us at the Keystone Symposia on Beyond Antibiotics: Emerging Strategies for Combating Bacterial Infection, May 2026, in Breckenridge, with field leaders!

keysym.us

Very provocative new paper in @natmicrobiol.nature.com As global temps rise, drought is becoming more frequent and prolonged across many regions Paper shows climate-driven drying of soils can fuel antimicrobial resistance at its ecological source, independent of clinical antibiotic use 🧵 (1 of 6)

We are looking for a talented research specialist to join our team at NCSU CVM in the Theriot lab! Please take a look and apply if your are interested. jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/228...

C. difficile is a terrible condition. Seems like it shouldn't have to be this hard to try to treat a child with a bad case of it. www.statnews.com/2026/03/23/c...

Her son needed a fecal transplant for a fearsome C. diff infection. Getting one required a tortuous journey

Her son needed a fecal transplant for a fearsome C. diff infection. Getting one required a tortuous journey.

statnews.com

New preprint from the Theriot lab and collaborators, which looks at how strain-dependent bile acid transformations by commensal Clostridia attenuate C. difficile virulence and disease without decreasing colonization! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

⏰ 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

#NatMicroPicks C. diff vaccine! 🦠💉 A protective mucosal vaccine formulation that provides sterilizing immunity to clear C. difficile from the host. #MicroSky www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Mucosal vaccination clears Clostridioides difficile colonization - Nature

Mucosal administration of a multivalent, adjuvanted vaccine against Clostridioides difficile promoted bacterial clearance and protected against morbidity, mortality, tissue damage and recurrence ...

nature.com

news.cvm.ncsu.edu/how-a-better...

How a Better Bile Acid Could Keep C. diff at Bay

news.cvm.ncsu.edu

Some nice press from a recent international collaboration with researchers from Leiden University. news.cvm.ncsu.edu/a-mouse-mode...

A Mouse Model of C. diff at NC State is Helping Scientists Around the World Develop Better Antibiotics

news.cvm.ncsu.edu

Nearly 1,000 people have registered so far! Don't miss out!

2025 ISB Virtual Microbiome Symposium - Institute for Systems Biology (ISB)

The gut’s microbial ecosystem produces diverse metabolites that actively shape neural, immune, and endocrine function. Join leading researchers on December 12 as they share new discoveries into these ...

isbscience.org

Sean Gibbons 🦠💩@gibbological.bsky.social · 10mo ago

You still have time to register for our @isbscience.org Virtual Microbiome Symposium (Dec. 12th), with 6 speakers discussing how microbial metabolites impact the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. It's free! Recordings of the talks will be available afterwards. isbscience.org/events/2025-...

Really fun collaboration with Roman Melnyk from The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute and Peter Dosa from University of Minnesota, making synthetic bile acids to be gut-restricted prevents C. difficile infection in a preclinical mouse model

Nature Microbiology@natmicrobiol.nature.com · 10mo ago

#NewResearch A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated C. difficile infection in mice. #MicroSky 🦠💊 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#NewResearch A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated C. difficile infection in mice. #MicroSky 🦠💊 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Structure-guided design of a synthetic bile acid that inhibits Clostridioides difficile TcdB toxin - Nature Microbiology

A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.

nature.com

Really nice work driven by postdocs Dr. Gancz in my lab and Dr. Zhang in Baker @erinbakerims.bsky.social lab at UNC, looking at novel lipids and how they might play a role in restoring colonization resistance against C. difficile in patients with rCDI post FMT. www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...

Leids ‘superantibioticum’ houdt met lage dosis gevaarlijke darmbacterie in bedwang www.universiteitleiden.nl/nieuws/2025/...

Leids ‘superantibioticum’ houdt met lage dosis gevaarlijke darmbacterie in bedwang

Het in Leiden ontwikkelde antibioticum EVG7 slaagt erin om met een minimale dosis de gevaarlijke darmbacterie C. difficile te bestrijden. Bovendien komt de bacterie minder gemakkelijk terug, wat bij b...

universiteitleiden.nl

New paper alert! In this work, published in @natcomms.nature.com we show that a new antibiotic is effective against (r)CDI. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Experimental glycopeptide antibiotic EVG7 prevents recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection by sparing members of the Lachnospiraceae family - Nature Communications

Treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) with vancomycin is associated with high relapse rates. In this study, the experimental glycopeptide antibiotic EVG7 was found to effectively treat CDI without relapse in a murine model of recurrent CDI.

nature.com

Really nice collaboration with the Martin and Smits labs at Leiden University Netherlands, designing and testing novel antimicrobials that target C. difficile but spare members of the microbiota, including Lachnospiraceae. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Experimental glycopeptide antibiotic EVG7 prevents recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection by sparing members of the Lachnospiraceae family - Nature Communications

Treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) with vancomycin is associated with high relapse rates. In this study, the experimental glycopeptide antibiotic EVG7 was found to effectively treat CDI without relapse in a murine model of recurrent CDI.

nature.com

Cool Postdoc opportunity alert! UNC SPIRE (Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research & Education)-it provides scholars with both high quality research training & the opportunity to develop research based teaching skills that will inspire students across the sciences 1/n spire.unc.edu/program-info/

"We became inconvenient".

NIH whistleblower details clash over childhood vaccines with Trump administration: "We became inconvenient"

A former NIH official says she was removed after clashes over vaccines, accusing RFK Jr. and his deputies of posing "a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety."

cbsnews.com

If you believe that keeping your head down and being quiet will spare you from this fate, you are mistaken. This will be all of us.

Jeremy Berg@jeremymberg.bsky.social · last yr.

New York Times story with profiles of researchers whose grants were terminated. [Gift Link] www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/o...

Faculty search announcement 2025: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Microbiology at UT Southwestern. We seek candidates working in microbial pathogenesis (some preference may be given to bacterial pathogens). Come join our community! (1/5) www.utsouthwestern.edu/departments/...

The best of both worlds with awesome speakers that will focus on how the microbiome affects ecosystems at a mechanistic level. Can’t wait for this meeting.

Keystone Symposia@keystonesymposia.bsky.social · last yr.

Two conferences, one reg! Sign up for Microbiome Metabolism & Metabolites + get Human Microbiome FREE. Joint keynotes: Emily P. Balskus & Mohamed S. Abou Donia. keysym.us/KSMicroMetab26 @pieterdorrestein.bsky.social @mfgrp.bsky.social @inesthiele.bsky.social #KSMicroMetab26 #KSMicrobiome26

A federal agency - which controls an enormous amount of money - is breaking the law to hide its decisions from you and avoid accountability. Hey OMB, see you in court.

I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I am running to be the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina.

Thank you Senator Tillis! NC folks drop him an email or make a call and thank him

Maureen Barr@barrlab.bsky.social · last yr.

From @aaas.org check-in with Sudip Parikh: a letter by 14 Republican senators urge the Office of Management and Budget to release NIH funding. If this includes your state (AL, ME, WV, SC, KY, KS, AR, PA, NC, IN, AK), Sudip recommends contacting & thanking them for being American science leaders.

We’ve known for months now that Vought was illegally impounding funds with the goals of rescissions. Better late than never for GOP Senators to politely ask that he stop breaking the law.

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · last yr.

Wait, sometimes there are surprises. Apparently some Republicans have now grasped the immense damage to their communities caused by massive cuts to NIH funding. We told them this beforehand, yet they still thoroughly enjoyed seeing the massive cuts…until it affected them directly.