Theobald Smith Society

Beyond the E. coli Paradigm: Why Pseudomonas Persistence Follows Its Own Rules For decades, the study of bacterial persistence has relied heavily on Escherichia coli as the primary model organism. Microbiologists have largely operated under the assumption that the mechanisms gov...

Does E. coli truly represent all bacterial persistence? Princeton’s Leon and Brynildsen's research in reveals that Pseudomonas aeruginosa follows different rules.
go.njmicrobe.org/dOdEyv #Microbiology #AntibioticResistance #PseudomonasAeruginosa #Research #EColi

Tuning Into the Gut: Molecular Insights Into Vibrio cholerae’s CqsR Sensor | Theobald Smith Society - NJ Branch of ASM New research from the Neiditch lab at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School on the Vibrio cholerae CqsR receptor reveals how this pathogen monitors host-derived ethanolamine (and other related autoinducer...

New research from the Neiditch lab at Rutgers NJMS on the Vibrio cholerae CqsR receptor reveals how this pathogen monitors host-derived ethanolamine to successfully navigate and colonize the human gut.
go.njmicrobe.org/m6qAAa #VibrioCholerae #QuorumSensing #CacheDomain #StructuralBiology

Deciphering the active site: Why motif conservation in Pah1 matters for yeast lipid homeostasis The enzyme Pah1 is a central figure in the lipid metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, acting as a Mg2+-dependent phosphatidate (PA) phosphatase that converts PA into diacylglycerol. This catalytic ...

Using sequence alignment and AlphaFold modeling, the Carman lab at Rutgers identified four conserved motifs in yeast Pah1 essential for catalytic activity and lipid balance. go.njmicrobe.org/lmCbZg #Microbiology #YeastResearch #LipidMetabolism #Pah1 #AlphaFold #Lipin #MajeedSyndrome #Rhabdomyolysis

Lighting the Path to Neofunctionalization: Tuning Yeast Evolution with OptoRep The pursuit of rapid, targeted protein evolution has been significantly advanced by systems like OrthoRep, which allows for high-rate in vivo hypermutation of specific genes in Saccharomyces cerevisia...

Princeton's OptoRep, a system combining OrthoRep's hypermutation with optogenetic precision. Blue light controls essential metabolism, fine-tuning selection pressure, enabling de novo neofunctionalization. go.njmicrobe.org/9M8ssQ #Microbiology #MetabolicEngineering #Optogenetics #ContinuousEvolution

Decoding Omicron's Dynamics: Nirmatrelvir Efficacy in K18-hACE2 Mice The persistent evolution of SARS-CoV-2, driven by the intrinsic infidelity of its RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, continues to pose challenges for global health management. The emergence of antigenicall...

CDI finds SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants in K18-hACE2 mice are rapidly infected and have early immune activation compared to the 2020 virus. The study confirms Nirmatrelvir maintains potent and broad efficacy against these emerging strains.
go.njmicrobe.org/DtX4VH
#COVID19 #Virology #Antivirals

Missed the Theobald Smith Society Fall 2025 Symposium? The *Proceedings* are now online—talks from Shaun Brinsmade, Nadine Alvarez, Jason Yang & more are available on YouTube. See what you missed: go.njmicrobe.org/vEa0fz

#Microbiology #NJ #ASM

Richard Bartha, 1934–2025 We are sad to report that Richard Bartha, past president of Theobald Smith Society (1990-1991), passed away on August 11, 2025, at his home in Port Townsend, Washington.   He was ninety years old.  Ba...

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Richard Bartha, a remarkable figure in environmental microbiology. As a past president of Theobald Smith Society, his contributions to the field of bioremediation have been immense. His legacy will continue to inspire. wix.to/hukzB8y

Tiny but mighty: Rutgers study shows the 34-aa protein YoaI links phosphate, Mg²⁺, and osmotic stress pathways in E. coli. Small proteins = key cross-talk mediators in bacterial stress signaling. go.njmicrobe.org/1HDIM2 #Microbiology #SmallProteins #StressSignaling #Rutgers

Advancing Enterovirus Antiviral Discovery: A New Assay and Potent 2C Inhibitor Show Promise Against Paralysis Enteroviruses, including EV-D68, EV-A71, and Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), are a significant global health threat, causing a spectrum of diseases from mild respiratory illness to severe neurological compl...

Rutgers Pharmacy Wang Lab advances enterovirus antivirals: New assay enables high-throughput screening of 2C inhibitors. Lead compound Jun6504 blocks EV-D68 paralysis in mice & protects motor neurons. go.njmicrobe.org/zWS04P #Enteroviruses #AntiviralDiscovery #DrugDiscovery

Babesia microti and Borrelia burgdorferi Co-infection in Mice Tick-borne co-infections are an escalating concern in endemic regions worldwide, notably in the United States, where the protozoan Babesia microti and the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi are frequently...

New mouse study of Babesia microti + Borrelia burgdorferi co-infection:
Both persist 16 weeks
Borrelia tempers Babesia, while Babesia boosts Borrelia early
Babesia disrupts the BBB → possible CNS impact go.njmicrobe.org/f3L6bI #LymeDisease #Babesiosis #Coinfection

Sorry it took so long to get this out @daneparkerlab.com

Staphylococcus aureus Research: Humanized Lung Models Unveil Host-Pathogen Dynamics Staphylococcus aureus remains a formidable human pathogen, being a leading cause of bacterial-induced death, with significant concerns regarding antibiotic resistance and the current lack of an effective vaccine. A major hurdle in combating S. aureus is that it is a human-adapted pathogen, expressing virulence factors specific to human cellular receptors. This specificity limits the utility of traditional mouse models, which often fail to accurately replicate human-specific host responses to inf

Wang (Columbia) & Parker (Rutgers): New humanized mouse with autologous lung implants captures S. aureus infection dynamics: loss of human immune cells & cytokine surge. Bacterial stress-response essential for persistence go.njmicrobe.org/4NgYMT #Staph #Aureus #HostPathogen #MedicalMicrobiology

Why don’t students learn what we think we teach? 🤔

Robert Duke, Ph.D. explores how learning reshapes the brain at the 2025 #ASMCUE plenary.

📅 Nov. 21–23 | San Antonio

👉 Register by Sept. 16 for early-bird savings!

Navigating the Evolving SARS-CoV-2 Threat: Insights into Recent Omicron Subvariants and Co-Infections The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic may be behind us, but the virus continues its relentless evolution, posing ongoing challenges to public health. Research at the Center for Discovery & Innovation, led by Nadine...

New research by Alvarez and Perlin @CDI show Omicron isn’t done evolving: New subvariants evade antibodies & damage lung epithelium. Co-infections with RSV or flu worsen pathology. go.njmicrobe.org/YMVi36 #SARSCoV2 #Virology #Coinfection #Omicron

Antibody repertoire associated with clinically diverse presentations of pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection results in clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic/mild infection to severe pulmonary COVID-19, to Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), charac...

Rutgers and Stanford researchers studied 139 children and found that antibody profiles against SARS-CoV-2 and autoantigens varied with disease severity.

Autoantibodies were common and may signal risk for long COVID and immune dysfunction.

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

Rutgers, "The COVID pandemic began with a myth – that children are spared its ill effects" So why is the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health perpetuating this myth?

Rutgers, "The COVID pandemic began with a myth - that children are spared its effects"

So why is the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health perpetuating this myth?
open.substack.com/pub/counterd...

It's nearing the end of the summer and our undergrads have been presenting on their research at their respective summer research symposia. Terrific work by Jonah Simone at the Rutgers Health BMIHAI Symposium and Gianna Elie at the NJMS URSE Symposium!

Triclosan's Unintended Role: Priming Staphylococcus aureus for Virulence The persistent battle against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a leading cause of infectious disease-related illness and death worldwide, is continually complicated by its remarkable adaptability an...

New study from Boyd et al. @Rutgers w/ colleagues @NYU-SOM: triclosan—common in soaps & toothpaste—activates the SaeRS system in S. aureus, boosting virulence factor expression at levels found in humans. go.njmicrobe.org/0OhAOW #Microbiology #Virulence #Triclosan #PublicHealth

SHINE-TB: Point of Care Tuberculosis Diagnostics including in Resource-Limited Settings Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), continues to be a formidable global health threat, particularly in under-resourced areas where accurate and accessible diagnosis remains ...

Princeton, Rutgers PHRI, et al. introduce SHINE-TB: a CRISPR-based TB test that works in one pot, needs minimal equipment, and shows 100% sensitivity & specificity in early clinical samples. Portable, accurate, field-ready. go.njmicrobe.org/lkxwJo #Tuberculosis #Diagnostics #CRISPRDx #GlobalHealth

Unraveling FKS1 and FKS2 Regulation in Candida glabrata For clinicians battling the persistent threat of fungal infections, Candida glabrata stands out as a formidable adversary, particularly due to its increasing resistance to frontline antifungal drugs l...

Candida glabrata acquires echinocandin resistance mostly in FKS2, not FKS1 (cell wall synthesis). Shor Lab @hackensackmeridian.bsky.social shows FKS2 dominates in host/stress conditions. Prime drug resistance target go.njmicrobe.org/ikZOlD #MedicalMycology #AntifungalResistance #CandidaGlabrata

A bar chart showing a timeline from inception of research to vaccine. For malaria, TB, dengue fever, Zika, mono, and HIV, no vaccine yet... For typhoid fever, a vaccine was made available in 19891 after 105 years. Meningitis, 1981 after 92 years. Whooping cough, 1948 after 42 years. Polio, 1955 after 47 years. Chicken pox, 1995 after 42 years. Measles, 1963 after 10 years. Hep B, 1981 after 16 years. Rotavirus, 2006 after 33 years. Ebola, 2019 after 43 years. Cervical cancer, 2005 after 25 years. Covid-19, 2020 after 10 *months.*

This chart shows how long it's taken to develop vaccines for several diseases. For many, we are still waiting. (Malaria: 145 years and counting. Yikes.)

But see that tiny slice for Covid? That's thanks to mRNA!

Proteomic analysis of Vpu–host protein interactions. After APEX2 proximity labeling, the biotinylated proteins were isolated and subjected to quantitative mass spectrometry. The GO (A) and KEGG (B) enrichment analyses were performed with 136 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Proteins were also enriched through co-immunoprecipitation–mass spectrometric (IP–MS), followed by GO (C) and KEGG (D) analysis. (E) The intersection analysis between APEX2-MS and IP-MS was performed and a total of 9 proteins were identified. The experiment was performed in triplicate and repeated 3 or 4 times.

RNA-binding motif protein 10 (RBM10) is a novel regulator of HIV-1 viral replication. The protein directly interacts with viral RNA and regulates both viral transcripts and host antiviral genes. Learn more in #mSystems: asm.social/2y8

YouTube video by American Society for Microbiology New Editor in Chief of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Dr. Humphries is currently Director of the Division of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Director of the Microbiology Laboratory at Vanderbilt University. She is an absolute powerhouse in the AST world, and as of this month, is the new Editor in Chief of JCM! www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkyU...

Yellow Fever 17D's Attenuation: A Blueprint for Next-Generation Live-Attenuated Vaccines The Yellow Fever (YF) 17D vaccine, developed in the 1930s, stands as a triumph in vaccinology, recognized as one of the most potent and durable vaccines known. Despite its widespread success, having b...

Princeton's Ploss Lab leads effort to show how key mutations in the Yellow Fever E and NS2A proteins drive attenuation—altering viral spread & boosting interferon responses. A roadmap for future live-attenuated vaccines. go.njmicrobe.org/ppRtE2 #Virology #Vaccinology #LiveAttenuatedVaccines

Apply to Publish in JVI's First-Ever Minireview Series Featuring Early-Career Virologists

🚨 Early-career virologists! 🚨Apply to be featured in #JVirology’s 2026 New Voices in Virology Minireview collection. 🧪✅ Open to: assistant professors, pre-tenured faculty, postdocs, equivalent stage.

📅 Apply for consideration by Sept. 5: asm.org/JVI-minireview

Missing Elio Schaechter already. A long and eventful life, loving friends and family, and remembered more important microbiology in his 90s than I will ever know. Such a #MicrobialHero, but more to the point, a fine and kind human being. May his memory be a blessing to all.

It’s World Honey Bee Day! 🐝

From antimicrobial properties in honey to bee glue, bees have long been a focal point of antimicrobial studies. 🍯

Saddened to learn of the passing of Moselio "Elio" Schaechter—Distinguished Professor at Tufts, SDSU and UCSD—humanist and visionary leader in the fields of microbiology and scientific communication—mentor, friend, and inspiration to me and so many others

Small Things Considered
Big Things Achieved

Clinical trials and research training stalled as billions in NIH funds sit idle Billions in NIH research funds remain unspent, stalling clinical trials, halting grants, and disrupting training for future scientists.

New report from AAMC about clinical trials, other grants, and training

www.aamc.org/about-us/mis...

Elio's Memoirs

Elio Schaechter, eminent microbiologist and great human, leaves us his memoirs that tell the story of an extraordinary life: www.eliosmemoirs.org. What a fantastic and impactful journey!