Kevin England

Unraveling the prevalence and multifaceted roles of accessory peptide deformylases in bacterial adaptation and resistance Abstract. Peptide deformylases (PDFs) are enzymes that are essential for bacterial viability and attractive targets for antibiotic development. Yet, despit

Unraveling the prevalence and multifaceted roles of accessory peptide deformylases in bacterial adaptation and resistance url: academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...

The molecular basis of the synergistic toxicity of nickel and copper, common environmental co-contaminants | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Many environments are contaminated by metals. These metals are toxic to the microorganisms that inhabit these environments and carry out important ecosystem services. While much is known about bacteri...

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

We have a new paper out, led by my PhD student Linda! Ni and Cu are common co-occurring contaminants. They are also synergistic in their toxicity. We examined the mechanisms of this synergism, finding that sulfur assimilation and Fe-S cluster biogenesis are targets.

Not all RelE toxins are created equally. RelE1, E2 cut 16S rRNA, RelE3 degrades mRNA in a ribosome-dependent manner. #MicroSky #Ribosome 🧪 #RNASky ⬇️

The phenotypic landscape of the mycobacterial cell https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.14.688347v1

Bacteria export alarmone synthetases that produce (p)ppApp and (p)ppGpp | mBio Alarmone synthetases are intracellular enzymes that promote bacterial survival by responding to environmental stress. Although extracellular alarmone production has been reported in Streptomyces, the ...

Bacteria export alarmone synthetases that produce (p)ppApp and (p)ppGpp 🦠🤯

From Boyuan Wang and John Whitney

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@sacrozhangt.bsky.social and I wrote a commentary on Jordi van Gestel and Carol Gross's latest paper, check it out!

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

Sadly, the Editors at PNAS rejected our initial introduction, which was a David Attenborough style voice over of the microbial Serengeti (included below)

Conflicts between the DNA replication and repair machineries promote cell death in Gram-positive bacteria Cellular proliferation relies on the successful coordination and completion of genome replication and segregation. To help achieve this, many bacteria utilize regulatory pathways that ensure DNA repli...

New paper alert! DNA replication and repair conflicts lead to cell death in gram positive bacteria, possible new targets for novel antimicrobials.
@microbiologysociety.org @winterhalterlab.bsky.social www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

Canonical transcription termination mechanisms explain a minority of operons in cyanobacteria https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.10.687660v1

A unique inhibitor conformation selectively targets the DNA polymerase PolC of Gram-positive priority pathogens - Nature Communications In this work, Urem et al. characterize the mode of action as well as mechanism of reduced susceptibility related to a class of antimicrobials that is in development for the treatment of infections wit...

🚨 Publication alert! We are stoked to report the structural basis for activity of a novel class of antimicrobials targeting Gram positive priority pathogens in @natcomms.nature.com. There is something for everyone on this paper, and I will highlight a few things below 👇 1/9 doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Student submitted GRFP despite 'official' transcript reqs! What worked for her: "Open your official transcript in duck duck go. Then hit “print to pdf”. This saves it without putting “copy” on it and removes the “protected status”. I think other browsers could be used, but chrome messes it up."

A sulfur-containing nucleoside antibiotic from Photorhabdus | mBio Introducing novel antibiotics is essential to counter the spread of drug-resistant pathogens. Here, we report the discovery of 4′-thiothymidine (4′sT), a nucleoside antibiotic from the nematode symbiont Photorhabdus asymbiotica, identified through activation of a silent biosynthetic gene cluster. 4′sT features an unusual 4′-thiosugar moiety. We identified its biosynthetic gene cluster, including a radical SAM enzyme presumably involved in sulfur incorporation. 4′sT exhibits strain-selective activity that is governed by differences in thymidine metabolism rather than variations in the molecular target. These findings expand our knowledge of antibiotics with unusual selective activity.

A sulfur-containing nucleoside antibiotic from Photorhabdus | mBio journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

A top-down photo of a wet concrete sidewalk where the outline of a rodent shapes a small hole in the ground, with text: Chicago’s beloved ‘rat hole’ was actually made by a squirrel, scientists reopen the case of “splatatouille”

There’s a 98.67% chance that Chicago’s most famous rat was actually a squirrel, according to a new study.⁠

Learn more: https://scim.ag/3WDE6Fv

Oxidative stress sensing by the translation elongation machinery promotes production of detoxifying selenoproteins Selenocysteine, incorporated into polypeptides at recoded termination codons, plays an essential role in redox biology. Using GPX1 and GPX4, selenoenzymes that mitigate oxidative stress, as reporters,...

Colliding ribosomes are potent signals of cellular stress. But do cells use ‘programmed’ ribosome collisions to regulate gene expression? I’m excited to present a new story from my lab led by Frederick Rehfeld(@fred-rehfeld.bsky.social) which revealed that the answer is YES! Read on to find out how👇

Technician III - Department of Microbiology Position Summary This position will be in the lab of Dr. Joseph E. Peters in the Department of Microbiology. Research in the Peters’ lab broadly involves deciphering mechanisms in genome stability and...

The Peters lab is looking for a new team member! The role transposons play in evolution, basic mechanisms regulating transposition, and applying transposons as tools for genome modification with a special focus on guide RNA-directed transposition. cornell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/CornellCaree...

I am very happy to share that I have started this week as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee. It has been a beautiful journey from IAAS to Ohio State to Cornell, and now to LMU-CVM.

A dirty and worn sponge on a sink.

Has anyone already done the work-kitchen sponge microbiome project?

Cross-species phenotypic profiling uncovers functional determinants of bacterial cold shock adaptation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.22.676666v1

ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins | PNAS Cyclic dimeric-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a ubiquitous bacterial second messenger that regulates a variety of cellular processes, including motility, biofil...

And here is the published version of the work from @selimlab.bsky.social, @mygalperin.bsky.social, Dubnau labs and @thethormannden.bsky.social labs
(superb collaboration)

ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins

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

Spx inhibits expression of the SwrA*DegU master flagellar activator in Bacillus subtilis. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.12.675978v1

ggplot2 4.0.0 A new major version of ggplot2 has been released on CRAN. Find out what is new here.

I am beyond excited to announce that ggplot2 4.0.0 has just landed on CRAN.

It's not every day we have a new major #ggplot2 release but it is a fitting 18 year birthday present for the package.

Get an overview of the release in this blog post and be on the lookout for more in-depth posts #rstats

New in JB: There are many ways to regulate transcription. Jayasinghe and Babitzke review the role of RNA polymerase pausing in the control of gene expression in several microbes.
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@asm.org #JBacteriology

Proximity-specific ribosome profiling using light induced BirA. 😎 #Ribosome #RNASky

Check out the first preprint from our lab describing a direct molecular cross-talk between (p)ppGpp and c-di-GMP nucleotide messengers! Great work from first-author Corentin Jaboulay who was a postdoc in our lab, and great collaborations! @mmsb-lyon.bsky.social @cnrsbiologie.bsky.social

The RecBCD complex interacts directly with the DNA sliding clamp in Escherichia coli https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.20.671105v1

Remodeling of RNA-binding proteome and RNA-mediated regulation as a new layer of control of sporulation | mSystems Understanding how bacteria survive extreme conditions is key to tackling challenges in health, food safety, and industry. This study reveals a previously unexplored layer of control in Bacillus subtil...

Thrilled to share my first last-author paper, just out in #mSystems! A work about #RBPs, #RNA and #sporulation in #subtilis.
Special thanks to my brilliant student T. Kaboré who's signing hist first PhD paper and to the whole team @galinier-lab.bsky.social
👉 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Dinucleoside Polyphosphates in Cellular Signaling: Function and Evolution Across Life Although discovered more than 50 years ago, the cellular functions of Ap4A and related dinucleotides remain largely enigmatic. To address this knowledge gap, we organized a conference showcasing rece....

From bacterial virulence to human disease, researchers gathered in Marburg exploring how Ap₄A and other dinucleoside polyphosphates are rewriting the rules of cellular signaling across life. 🚀 Huge thanks to all speakers, participants, and organizers. 🙌 @synmikro.bsky.social @unimarburg.bsky.social

we are SO back

#Phages

Bacterial two-hybrid systems evolved: innovations for protein-protein interaction research | Journal of Bacteriology Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are fundamental to nearly all biological processes, governing cellular signaling, enzymatic activity, structural integrity, and regulatory mechanisms. Efforts to manipulate these interactions have driven advances in therapeutics and biotechnology (1). Given that over 80% of proteins function within complexes rather than in isolation (2, 3), mapping and understanding PPIs is critical for elucidating cellular function and disease pathology.

Bacterial two-hybrid systems evolved: innovations for protein-protein interaction research | Journal of Bacteriology https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/jb.00129-25?af=R

(p)ppGpp imposes graded transcriptional changes to impair motility and promote antibiotic tolerance in biofilms - npj Biofilms and Microbiomes npj Biofilms and Microbiomes - (p)ppGpp imposes graded transcriptional changes to impair motility and promote antibiotic tolerance in biofilms

The wonderful dynamics of (p)ppGpp, big thank you to everyone involved with this story

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

Very excited about our work from @jordanthesier.bsky.social and @popomicro.bsky.social et al. We find that Tn7 family elements common in bacteria (that include all of the guide RNA-directed transposons, CAST) are also found across archaea including many in the exciting Asgard group! #MicroSky #TESky