Anna Olina

New #AMR pre-print
Combining antibiotics with genotoxins can efficiently suppress bacterial in high throughput experimental models.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Fun collaboration with Nassos Typas lab led by @mulkern.bsky.social

Loss of Fsr quorum sensing promotes biofilm formation and worsens outcomes in enterococcal infective endocarditis - Nature Communications Infective endocarditis (IE) is an understudied biofilm-associated infection. Here, analyses of preclinical and clinical data reveal that the Fsr quorum sensing (QS) system of Enterococcus faecalis is ...

What if quorum sensing doesn’t promote biofilms - but restrains it? 🤔

New work from @harisantypas.bsky.social shows that the Fsr QS system in Enterococcus faecalis acts as a brake on biofilm formation and pathogenesis during infective endocarditis (IE).

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

Diversity and distribution of bacterial DNA polymerases Abstract. DNA polymerases are key players in DNA replication, repair, and maintenance. However, the overall abundance, diversity, and distribution of bacte

Check out largest scale analysis of bacterial DNA polymerases! Diversity and distribution of bacterial DNA polymerases url: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Two cartoon images of children with plasmids for faces about to fight. Commentators are saying "Plasmid-borne CRISPR-Cas systems provide significant defensive benefits" and "Yes, but toxin-antitoxin systems on competitor plasmids constrain the offensive CRISPR-Cas benefit"

Out now in @plosbiology.org : our big joint effort on the role of #CRISPR in plasmid competition. Read on for a really fun (I’m biased ok) analysis of how a defence system has new selective pressures when it’s mobile
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... 1/6

Nucleotide signals coordinate activation and inhibition of bacterial immunity - Nature Biochemical and structural studies show that the bacterial dGTPase CloA is activated by virally produced dTTP and inhibited by 5′-triphosphothymidyl-3′5′-thymidine produced by its regulatory partner CloB, and thereby balances antiviral defence and immune-mediated toxicity.

Nature research paper: Nucleotide signals coordinate activation and inhibition of bacterial immunity

go.nature.com/4kMuzHu

#microsky #phagesky #phage #MGE

Prophages found in conjugative megaplasmids from gut Bacillota

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Structure and mechanism of antiphage retron Eco2 - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology This study shows how the bacterial retron Eco2 defends against viruses. Phage nucleases trigger activation of Eco2, which cuts RNAs, shuts down protein production and stops phage replication.

#microsky #phagesky #phage defence

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

Last year, we proposed a model of plasmid evolution via fusion and fragmentation (via mge mediated recombination) generating mosaics, by studying historical isolates. Excited to see a MASSIVE paper from @jrpenades.bsky.social , @epcrocha.bsky.social expanding on this
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Bacterial defense systems and host ecology drive the evolution of intra-species lineages Staphylococcus aureus lineages vary widely in the frequency of gene exchange and the diversity of genome content. Gorzynski and Harling-Lee et al. show that both host ecology and the horizontal acquis...

Great work by Jamie Gorzynski and Josh-Harling-Lee from the group providing insights into the evolutionary origins of bacterial lineages. A collaboration with @jrpenades.bsky.social @wfigueroac3.bsky.social. #Staph Cell Reports www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Yet another awesome single-phage paper from Ido Golding's lab #phagesky

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

1/5
Happy by a recent biorxiv pre-print about DARNA (PD-T7-3) anti-phage defense system. This system is activated by binding to ssDNA, presented by phage SSB, to cleave tRNA in the anti-codon loop.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

How to thank your lab mates: eight ways to show gratitude at the end of year Alongside secret Santas and seasonal parties, many laboratories develop traditions to show appreciation to colleagues — from sweets and mulled wine to quizzes and ice-skating trips.

From sweets and mulled wine to quizzes and ice skating trips, many laboratories develop traditions to show appreciation to colleagues

go.nature.com/4it9ZuK

The host range of generalist and specialist phages in capsule-diverse Klebsiella hosts is driven by the evolvability of receptor-binding proteins Capsule diversity limits phage host range by affecting RBP interactions in capsulated bacteria. This study shows that generalist phages evolve host range through RBP mutations and recombination, while...

The host range of generalist and specialist phages in capsule-diverse Klebsiella hosts is driven by the evolvability of receptor-binding proteins

@plosbiology.org from @pilardomingoc.bsky.social

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

@alekseiagapov.bsky.social presenting our data at #MicroEvo25! Always good to see a few new phage defences discovered😉

Long-read metagenomics reveals phage dynamics in the human gut microbiome - Nature Complex prophage integration dynamics, including low-level induction, cross-family host range and transposase-mediated mobilization, challenge existing paradigms and deepen our understanding of phage–...

Long read Metagenomics, #phage and #prophage in the gut by Ami Bhatt's group. Beautiful data showing changes in phages over two years

#phagesky

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

WE ARE RECRUITING PHD STUDENTS!!!

We have three(!) funded PhD studentships advertising presently. If any of these are of interest, please reach out! Thread below with links to more information on each project.

#Drosophila #Evolution #Immunity #SelfishGene #Aphids

Thread with links below 🧵 1/4

@jpjhall.bsky.social starts the #MicroEvo25 strong! Looks like it's gonna be fun🧬🧫🧪

The SMC Hinge is a Selective Gate for Obstacle Bypass - Nature Communications SMC complexes are ring-shaped motors that fold DNA by extruding loops, but how they navigate large DNA obstacles is unclear. Here, Liu et al., show that SMC complexes bypass obstacles by threading obs...

The hinge bypass gate paper is finally out! doi.org/10.1038/s414...

We show how loop-extruding SMC complexes can maintain DNA entrapment while bypassing obstacles on DNA — including transcription machinery & potentially other SMCs.

A lucky convergence of 3 projects lead to the initial discovery!

Phage toxin variants are linked to protection specificity in a defensive symbiont https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.21.689672v1

Bacteriophage density influences the rate of resistance evolution - PubMed The antagonistic relationship between bacteria and bacteriophages (phages) drives genetic changes that result in phage resistance. Phage resistance mutations arise in natural microbial communities and during the treatment of diseases with phages (phage therapy), making it important to understand the …

Bacteriophage density influences the rate of resistance evolution.

DOI: 10.1101/2025.10.05.680490

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41256655/

Intracellular competition shapes plasmid population dynamics From populations of multicellular organisms to selfish genetic elements, conflicts between levels of biological organization are central to evolution. Plasmids are extrachromosomal, self-replicating g...

Hot off the press! Our latest paper led by @fernpizza.bsky.social, understanding how plasmids evolve inside cells. These small, self-replicating DNA circles live inside bacteria and carry antibiotic resistance genes, but also compete with one another to replicate. 1/
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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

🚨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

Bacterial immune systems as causes and consequences of microbiome structure Bacterial immune systems have evolved in response to diverse molecular "parasites", yet their ecological roles remain poorly understood. This Essay explores how interactions between mobile genetic…

The ecological roles of bacterial #immune systems are poorly understood. Rafael Custodio @ellinoralseth.bsky.social @brockhurstlab.bsky.social @brownlab.bsky.social & Edze Westra explore how mobile genetic elements and bacterial defenses shape #microbiome structure and function 🧪

⭐ NAR Breakthrough! ⭐
🔬 New study reveals how the Retron-Eco7 system helps bacteria sense and fight phage attacks, identifying a clever immune-sensing mechanism in the bacteria–phage arms race.
🧬 Read more: doi.org/10.1093/nar/...
#NARBreakthrough #Microbiology #PhageBiology #BacterialDefense

Harnessing droplet microfluidics and morphology-based deep learning for the label-free study of polymicrobial-phage interactions - PubMed Evaluating the impact of bacteriophages on bacterial communities is required to assess the future utility of phage therapy. Methods able to study bacterial polycultures in the presence of phages are useful to mimic evolutionary pressures found in natural environments and recapitulate complex ecologi …

Harnessing droplet microfluidics and morphology-based deep learning for the label-free study of polymicrobial-phage interactions.

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08925-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41225150/

Plasmid dependent phage eliminate pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance plasmids from the chicken gut microbiome Conjugative plasmids are a key reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in commensal and pathogenic bacteria within the gut microbiome. Plasmid-dependent phage (PDPs) are a promising therapeutic op...

New pre-print: Plasmid dependent phage effectively eliminate AMR bacteria and block plasmid transmission in the chicken gut microbiome

Fun collaboration with Tao He lab (JAAS) and @brockhurstlab.bsky.social lab (Manchester)
#phagesky#microsky

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

All the world’s a phage | PNAS A renewed interest in bacteriophages has emerged from the explosive discovery of the complex pan-immune bacterial defense system and a revival of t...

😍
#phage #phagesky

www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....

Jumbo phage–mediated transduction of genomic islands | PNAS Bacteria acquire new genes by horizontal gene transfer, typically mediated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). While plasmids, bacteriophages, and c...

@prczhaoyansong.bsky.social’s deep dive into the dark matter of compost communities is now out 🎉 Genomic islands hijack jumbo phages—whose capsids enable transfer of large tracts of DNA—shedding new light on the scale & scope of phage-mediated gene flow 😎

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

YprA family helicases provide the missing link between diverse prokaryotic immune systems Bacteria and archaea possess an enormous variety of antivirus immune systems that often share homologous proteins and domains, some of which contribute to diverse defense strategies. YprA family helic...

Three new kids on the block. ARMADA, BRIGADE, and TALON. Impressive how multiple labs all come together to contribute to discovery. Great collaboration with Simon, Chase, and Eugene. From the very talented Ryan Bell, together with Thomas Gaudin and our own Yi Wu.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...