Pathogenic Mechanisms Research Group

Deadline is approaching (Feb 9) to apply for a PI position at Institut Pasteur. Come join us and contribute to an amazing scientific environment!!!

Congratulayions Nicky. Nice work

The glucose uptake inhibitor SgrS is induced by D-serine yet does not contribute to growth arrest in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli Bacterial pathogens sense and respond to host-derived metabolites to regulate virulence and establish successful infections. d-Serine, an amino acid abundant in some extraintestinal environments but s...

Delighted to share the hard work of undergraduate student Ella Rellis and first publication from my group since relocating to TCD. Here we identify a new stress response regulator induced by D-serine. 🦠🔬🧫 @microbiologysociety.org #publishforthecommunity www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

🚨4-year fully funded PhD in the lab of @magicmicrobe.bsky.social (& collaborating with me!): How does iron availability shape the ability of pathogens to invade the gut microbiome?
Apply by Jan 26th
Advert: research.reading.ac.uk/foodbiosyste...
How to apply: research.reading.ac.uk/foodbiosyste...

Diet modulates Vibrio cholerae colonization and competitive outcomes with the gut microbiota Liu et al. show that dietary protein sources differentially restrict colonization of the pathogen Vibrio cholerae. Specific diets downregulate V. cholerae type VI secretion system (T6SS) expression, l...

#ScienceMonday 🧪 🦠 I've heard of picky eaters, but there's no reason to get your Type 6 Secretion System out over a meal,... but Vibrio will! Diet modulates Vibrio cholerae colonization and competitive outcomes with the gut microbiota: Cell Host & Microbe www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

As 2025 wraps up, we’re looking back at some of the most intriguing microbes that made their scientific debut this year. This blog highlights standout bacterial species that caught our eye. Read the full #FEMSmicroBlog: buff.ly/2wz7k16

#NewMicrobes

Infographic on the chemistry of popcorn. The most significant aroma compounds are 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (roasty, popcorn-like aroma), (E,E)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, fried aroma) and 2-furfurylthiol (roasted coffee-like aroma). Pyrazines, pyridines and phenols also contribute. Butter-flavoured compounds, including diacetyl, can be added, and can cause respiratory problems for workers in manufacturing facilities. Popcorn pops due to the escape of pressurised water vapour. Molten starch bursts through the shell and rapidly cools, giving popcorn its fluffy appearance

Did you know the sound of popcorn popping isn't caused by the cracking of the corn kernel? For #NationalPopcornDay, here's a portion of popcorn science 🍿 www.compoundchem.com/2017/01/19/p...

#ChemSky 🧪

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 url: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Application deadline for this postdoc position in my group closing next week 🦠 thank you all who have shared so far!

The human gut microbiome in enteric infections: from association to translation Enteric infections remain a leading global cause of morbidity, mortality and economic loss, increasingly compounded by the rise of antimicrobial resistance. The gut microbiome — spanning bacteria, ...

Nice review from @alexmsalmeida.bsky.social et al on gut microbiome & enteric infection susceptibility/severity, including focus on some recurring susceptibility associations: decrease of α-diversity+butyrate producers & Proteobacteria/Enterobacteriaceae blooms.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

A happy memory from teaching microbiology students. I used to have an exercise where students would plate a dilution series of mixed E. coli expressing different pigments, pick one colony color out, and restreak to purity. A student made a labeling mistake, and turned it into this awesome meme.

🔬 Postdoc position – Infection Biology & Cryo-ET (Zurich) 🇨🇭
We are looking for a motivated Postdoc to join our interdisciplinary team.
📩 Interested? Check out the job advert:
www.imm.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:cb17...

👉 More info on the lab: www.weiss-laboratory.com
Please share with interested colleagues!

Why trauma-informed education could be a university’s smartest investment Responding to struggling students with empathy and flexibility can benefit the whole campus. Here’s how to create a culture of compassion

Responding to struggling students with empathy and flexibility can benefit the whole campus. Here’s how to create a culture of compassion: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/why-traumainformed-education-could-be-universitys-smartest-investment #HigherEd #AcademicSky #EduSky

Nature Microbiology turns 10! 🎂

As a special treat, we take you back to the editorial team that started it all and then fast forward to take a peek into the future of microbiology through some brilliant microbiologists.

#MicroSky 🦠

www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...

Microbiologists are leading innovations against AMR. Are you one of them? Apply to take part in our cross-disciplinary Knocking Out AMR: Business Networking event in Belfast on 13 April 2026. Find out more: microb.io/KOAMRBusines... #KnockingOutAMR #AMR #Microbiology

Don’t downplay problems of bullying and harassment in academia The United Kingdom, like all countries, must prioritize a supportive research culture as an essential ingredient in research excellence.

What do you do if your country has a serious problem with bullying and harassment in academic research?

go.nature.com/4rA0hdS

The Vienna BioCenter Summer School 2026 call is open for talented undergrads, it's great for those interested in graduate study in the life sciences. Check out the groups from Institute of Molecular Biotechnology offering positions this time around!
https://training.vbc.ac.at/summer-school/

NUI Awards 2025 ✨

We were delighted to honour and recognise over 175 scholars yesterday from across the NUI federation, awarding more than €850,000 in grants, scholarships and prizes recognising excellence at every stage of academic life.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern in global food systems – and aquaculture is an important part of that conversation.

A social card with an image of the gut and brain and the text "Research Scientist to undertake research projects on understanding the microbiome-gut-brain axis and its role in ageing. Salary: £37,500 to £45,350, Contract length: 4.5 years, Apply by 28 November 2025."

The role will use animal models, multiomics, immunoassays, imaging, & functional analyses to identify beneficial microbial agents which, in FMT studies, have been shown to delay or protect against age-related decline in the brain🧠

💷 £37,500 to £45,350
🗓️ Apply by 28 November 2025
➡️ buff.ly/hFGpGvP

The next CIIMAR Neptune Seminar will feature Sandra Pereira (FCUP/CIIMAR).

📅 November 26
📷 11:30
📍Boca da Baleia, CIIMAR

More details here: www.ciimar.up.pt/events/neptu...

#CIIMARevents #CIIMARseminars #CIIMARresearch

Apply now to attend the next EMBO Bacterial Networks meeting #EMBOBacNet

🗓️13-18 September 2026
📍Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain

📝Program and registration info: meetings.embo.org/event/26-bac...

👩‍🔬Organised with co-chair @s-lab.bsky.social and ECR @coralietesseur.bsky.social

#MicroSky

Diving through the purple sulfur bacteria layer of Fayetteville Green Lake with our ROV last month. This is the most intense density of PSB that I've seen in many years!

Intracellular Salmonella require T3SS effectors to cause infection. A study by the Hardt lab @ethz.ch ETH Zürich gives new insights into which bacterial factors are critical for infection in vivo, and provides new tools for researchers to further explore. More: biol.ethz.ch/en/news-and-...

Early career group leaders We appoint researchers from across biology and biomedicine to set up their first groups at the Crick.

The @crick.ac.uk is recruiting Early Career Group Leaders

- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology

Deadline 27 Nov

www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

Multi-layered ecological interactions determine growth of clinical antibiotic-resistant strains within human microbiomes Nature Communications - The role of ecological factors in modulating the spread of antibiotic-resistance bacteria in the gut remains unclear. Here, the authors use anaerobic microcosms to study the...

🚨 Excited to share our new paper is out! 🎉
We show how interactions within gut microbiomes allow certain antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains to persist even without antibiotics, helping explain how resistance is maintained in the human gut.

Now published in @natcomms.nature.com rdcu.be/eOf63

Working in the field of Microbial Sensing, Signaling, and Regulation? Apply for the upcoming STIM GRC soon to be considered for a short talk! See you in sunny Ventura www.grc.org/sensory-tran...

Congratulations Michel 🎉

Congratulations to our very own University of Galway zoologist, founder of the Venom Lab and creator of The Bug Doctor series, Dr Michel M. Dugon who has been named Galway Science Person of the Year!

Journal of Medical Microbiology Editor for the Disease, Diagnosis and Diagnostics: Call for Expressions of Interest 10 November 2025

We are recruiting for an Editor to join JMM! We’re looking for Editors with some previous editorial experience to support our Disease, Diagnosis and Diagnostics section. Apply by 30 November 2025: microb.io/4oykaAo