Activation of the envelope stress-responsive two-component system AmgRS compensates for depletion of the essential lipoprotein signal peptidase LspA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacterial lipoproteins play crucial roles in cell envelope biogenesis, signaling, transport, and virulence, making the enzymes responsible for their m…

Activation of the envelope stress-responsive two-component system AmgRS compensates for depletion of the essential lipoprotein signal peptidase LspA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

#microsky

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I am so glad that I could participate to a race after 2 years of dealing with injuries. Best food forward NTU campus run with the @scelse.bsky.social IDMxS team. 7 km in 42'42", not exceptional but it feels so good to be a finisher again. With Stefan Wuertz we were the old guard in action.

Insights into the molecular determinants of host specificity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infecting phages: a structural and functional analysis of tail fibre proteins - BMC Biology Background Bacteriophages and bacteria frequently occupy the same ecological niches, driving complex and dynamic host–virus interactions. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, phages from the Migulavirinae subfa...

When we think about host-pathogen interactions we often forget about the fact, bacteria can be the hosts too! This study looks into the molecular basis of host specificity in Litunavirus and Luzseptimavirus phages
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#BMCBiology #MicroSky #ViroSky🦠 🧪

Amazing findings in geometry-based immune activation! Two bacterial defence systems detect phage-encoded ring oligomers, assemble high-order molecular complexes, and trigger abortive infection.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New in JB: Bange, Dornes, et al. review the molecular basis for flagellar patterns and numbers across bacterial species.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

Bacteriocin biophysics: From protein-protein interaction models to navigators of the bacterial cell envelope Bacteriocins are toxins deployed by bacteria to kill their competitors. Here, I reflect on my laboratory’s work on protein bacteriocins and their immunity proteins from Gram-negative bacteria. We unco...

A gift of an article from the inimitable Colin Kleanthous as he says a moving farewell to his laboratory. A brave, unrepentant and scientifically brilliant journey is described - please have a read, friends.

www.jbc.org/article/S002...

I’ve joined the editorial team at the journal Science, handling papers in infectious diseases, microbiology, host-microbe interactions, and related topics. I’ll be delighted to hear from you (by email) about exciting research studies. 🦠 #microsky #immunosky #virosky www.science.org/content/page...

β-Hairpin Antimicrobial Peptides: Class Diversity and Sequence Analysis Interest in antimicrobial peptides has increased dramatically over the last few decades as researchers continue to explore their potential as alternatives to small molecules, as well as their applicat...

Our lab has a new review on beta-hairpin antimicrobial peptide diversity out in @pubs.acs.org as part of the special issue celebrating Robert E. W. Hancock. Please have a look and share!

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

A Bacteroides synthetic biology toolkit to build an in vivo malabsorption biosensor
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

Fecal microbiota transplantation plus immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma: the phase 2 FMT-LUMINate trial - Nature Medicine In a phase 2 trial evaluating healthy donor fecal microbial transplantation plus either anti-PD-1 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer or anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 in patients with melanoma, en...

FMT before immune checkpoint inhibitors improves response in NSCLC and melanoma. E.citroniae, E.lavalensis, C.innocuum persist in non-responders: suppress ICI efficacy? FMT works by depleting harmful taxa. Next step: targeted MO depletion?
#microsky #microbiomesky 🧪🦠
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Peptidoglycan architecture dictates protein interactions, tissue tropism, and arthritis in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Author summary Many of the pathogenic mechanisms by which Borrelia burgdorferi causes disease involve cell envelope interactions with host components. To further elucidate the role of peptidoglycan in...

Peptidoglycan architecture dictates protein interactions, tissue tropism, and arthritis in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi

Exciting new research from @jutraslab.bsky.social

journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

#MicroSky

SCELSE welcomed a delegation from the Embassy of France in Singapore, reaffirming a shared One Health approach and the central role of partnerships in the France–Singapore relationship. The visit included lab tours and talks on lab-to-market translation. @fillouxlab.bsky.social @cwhitch.bsky.social

Iron oxidation model template pathway. Bolded reactions (rxn60857, rxn60858, rxn60859, rxn13689) represent those added to the ModelSEED biochemistry database by this template. Created with BioRender.com.

In #MRAJournal: a KBase tutorial narrative demonstrating construction of stoichiometric metabolic models of iron-oxidizing bacteria, enabling predictions of physiological dynamics, metabolic fluxes and the role of iron oxidation in environmental systems. asm.social/2MW

New paper out in @pnas.org, and it made the cover! 👁️

We represent plasmids as circles and mutations as dots, resembling an eye, because in this paper we literally 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ plasmids evolve.

‼️Check Paula’s 🧵 and the paper👇

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

JB Editor's Pick: Dohmen, Hoff et al. use bioinformatic approaches to identify members of the signal transduction system for Photoactive Yellow Protein. These studies provide direction for answering key questions in the field.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

Enterococcus faecalis-derived lactic acid suppresses macrophage activation to facilitate persistent and polymicrobial wound infections Macrophage activation is essential for innate immunity and antimicrobial defense. We show that Enterococcus faecalis suppresses macrophage activation …

Lactic acid lover? Check out @ronni.bsky.social 's new work in
@cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social showing how Enterococcus faecalis-derived LA suppresses macrophage activation, in turn promoting bacterial persistence and polymicrobial wound infection in vivo.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

SCELSE hosted CNRS@CREATE delegates to explore translating science into impact: from biofilms & microbiomes to human-centric, trustworthy AI. The visit included tours of sequencing, imaging and bioreactor facilities, with discussions on the DesCartes Hybrid AI programme. @fillouxlab.bsky.social

JB Editor's Choice: Tran and Burrows review the field of "phage steering", which can be used to drive bacteria bacteria towards reduced pathogenicity, increased antibiotic susceptibility, or immune clearance
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #Jbacteriology

Spatial-temporal genome analysis and its application for the prediction of functional systems in bacteria and archaea | mBio With many thousands of diverse bacterial and archaeal genomes made available by the fast advancing genomic and metagenomic sequencing, methods for in-depth analysis of genome organization and evolutio...

Spatial-temporal genome analysis and its application for the prediction of functional systems in bacteria and archaea
#microbiology #archaea #bacteria #MicroSky
@asm.org
doi.org/10.1128/mbio...

New in JB: Raghav, Prajapati & Jain explore the role of the various domains of the GTPase FlhF in polarity and patterning of flagella in P. aeruginosa.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

It is with emotion and sadness that we heard the passing away of Peer Bork on Jan 16. This was unexpected to us and a dramatic loss for our scientific community. Peer was an asset on the SCELSE Scientific Advisory Board over the past 15 years. Our thoughts go to his family, friends and colleagues.

Disease tolerance and infection pathogenesis age-related tradeoffs in mice - Nature Disease course and pathology an infection may cause can change owing to the structural and functional physiological changes that accumulate with age, but therapy can be tailored accordingly; disease tolerance genes show antagonistic pleiotropy.

Nature research paper: Disease tolerance and infection pathogenesis age-related tradeoffs in mice
go.nature.com/4pBODwV

Salmonella relies on siderophore exploitation at low pH Abstract. Salmonella enterica, a prominent enteric pathogen, employs sophisticated iron acquisition mechanisms to overcome host-imposed iron limitation, no

Salmonella relies on siderophore exploitation at low pH

#microLife by @ferrytin.bsky.social et al from Olivier Cunrath

academic.oup.com/microlife/ad...

Impact of changed c-di-AMP levels and hypoosmotic stress on the transcriptome of Haloferax volcanii and on RCK domain-containing proteins This study explores how the second messenger c-di-AMP controls osmotic balance in Haloferax volcanii. Using transcriptomics and RCK-protein knockouts, we s

Impact of changed c-di-AMP levels and hypoosmotic stress on the transcriptome of Haloferax volcanii and onRCK domain-containing proteins
#microbiology #archaea #MicroSky #ArchaeaSky
@femsmicro.org @femsjournals.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/fems...

HsbA represses stationary phase biofilm formation in Pseudomonas putida Pseudomonas putida biofilm growth is associated to nutrient-sufficient conditions and biofilm dispersal is induced by nutrient starvation, signaled by…

One of the big stories of my thesis is out!
We identified HsbA as a novel regulator of the starvation-induced biofilm dispersal response in P. putida that inhibits c-di-GMP synthesis by CfcR.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Segmented filamentous bacteria reprogramming of alveolar macrophages limits postinfluenza bacterial pneumonia SFB colonization phenotypically alters alveolar macrophages, maintaining their antibacterial functions in inflamed interferon-rich lungs.

#NatMicroPicks

gut microbes protect from pneumonia! 🦠🫁

SFB colonization reprograms alveolar macrophages to resist influenza‑induced depletion and enhances their antibacterial function protecting mice from secondary bacterial pneumonia

#MicroSky

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Bacteria sense the antibiotic rifampicin through a widespread dual-promoter based alarm system Abstract. Most antibiotics are natural compounds or their derivatives, and bacteria have evolved defensive mechanisms to resist them. Many of these mechani

Bacteria sense the antibiotic rifampicin through a widespread dual-promoter based alarm system

@narjournal.bsky.social from Libor Krasny

academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Enterococcus faecalis redox metabolism activates the unfolded protein response to impair wound healing E. faecalis EET generates ROS, which induces the UPR in keratinocytes, inhibiting in vitro migration.

We’ve discovered how the superbug E. faecalis prevents chronic wounds from healing.

It’s not a toxin. It’s metabolism.

The bacteria use extracellular electron transport (EET) to electrochemically generate ROS, effectively "freezing" skin cells in place.

doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb5297

A phage protein screen identifies triggers of the bacterial innate immune system Nature Microbiology, Published online: 16 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-025-02239-6A library of 400 phage protein-coding genes is used to find a trove of antiphage systems, revealing systems that target tail fibre and major capsid proteins.

Out Now! A phage protein screen identifies triggers of the bacterial innate immune system #MicroSky

Discover how SCELSE advanced biofilm & microbiome research in FY2024. From top-ranked publications to education, industry engagement, and real-world impact. Scan to read the SCELSE Year in Review flipbook now.
@fillouxlab.bsky.social @cwhitch.bsky.social @drlauranolan.bsky.social