Emmanuele Severi

👏👏👏🎉

Delighted to see our work on the impact of drought on the oak microbiome featured on the cover of @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social
Link to the article below this post 👇🏻

What a superb story from @jamesemcdonald.bsky.social and team in @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social👏

144 Quercus petraea trees subjected to drought, nutrient stress m, and biotic treatments (bacterial pathogens and beetle larvae) to simulate acute oak decline➡️ microbial communities over 2 years🌳

#microsky #glycotime #glycotimesky

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

Sialic acid-responsive Parabacteroides is linked to gut barrier integrity in older adults Aging is frequently accompanied by inflammaging—a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state that contributes to functional decline and disease risk. Disruption of the intestinal barrier is increasingly...

#microsky #glycotime #sialic acid

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Animal-associated jumbo phages as widespread and active modulators of gut microbiome ecology and metabolism A widely distributed but overlooked large-sized phage clade is active in human gut and thus could potentially affect human health.

#microsky #phagesky

Jumbo #phage from the gut - “Jug”

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

#microsky #phagesky

Structures of PhiC31’s integrase with/without its RDF 👏

Surely @factor50.bsky.social knows about/will like it ;-)

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

Uncovering bacterial pseudaminylation with pan-specific antibody tools - Nature Chemical Biology Pseudaminic acids (Pse) are a family of carbohydrates found within bacterial lipopolysaccharides, capsular polysaccharides and glycoproteins. Now, monoclonal antibodies have been developed that recogn...

#microsky #glycotimesky #glycotime

👏👏👏 Pseudaminic acid-targeting antibodies!!

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

BackToBack #PhageSky in @nature.com

A pore-forming antiphage defence is activated by oligomeric phage proteins
-from Maxwell & Norris
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Bacterial immune activation via supramolecular assembly with phage triggers
-from Laub & Ghanbarpour
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#microsky #phagesky #phage #microbiomesky

Molecular adhesins from gut #phages

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

#microsky #synbiosky

A set of compatible, copy number-controllable plasmids for E. coli:

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

#phage #phagesky #microsky

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

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

Open letter from Ian Chapman to research and innovation community UKRI Chief Executive outlines changes to UKRI investment approach, addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC.

Some numbers:UKRI gets £38.6 billions from the 2025 Spending Review
3 buckets:
- 14.5 b curiosity-dr research
- 8.3 b govern. priorities
- 7.4 b companies’growth

Out of 14.5 b in bucket 1, only 3.3 b go into applicant-led grants.

www.ukri.org/news/open-le...

This is a really cool study on one of my favourite obligate symbiotic systems: Aphid + Buchnera by @jerrymaeda.bsky.social, @nancy-moran.bsky.social, & co.

A secreted #endosymbiont protein (SyeA, formally Yba3) essential for colonizing host cells

doi.org/10.1101/2025...

#SymbioSky

Chemical inhibition of a bacterial immune system Bacteriophages are promising alternatives to antibiotics for treating bacterial infections. However, bacteria possess immune systems that neutralize bacteriophages. Zang et al. discover small molecule...

#microsky #phagesky #phage defence

www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

#microsky #phagesky

Mighty Morphin Power Pyocin

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

🧬 Metabolic arms race continues!
We discovered a new NAD⁺-depleting bacterial immune system aRES and phage enzymes that overcome it.
Our preprint is out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

GlycoRNA complexed with heparan sulfate regulates VEGF-A signalling - Nature Heparan sulfate proteoglycans facilitate the assembly of clusters of glycoRNAs and cell surface RNA-binding proteins, which negatively modulate VEGF-A signalling and angiogenesis.

New #glycotime discovery from @raflynn5.bsky.social’s lab @bostonchildrens.bsky.social @harvard.edu, cell surface glycoRNA-RBP complexes organized by heparan sulfate PG nanoclusters that modulate VEGF signaling

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

Jobs View the current job vacancies at the Microbiology Society.

We are looking for new editors for Microbiology, the flagship journal of @microbiologysociety.org

Deadline for applications is 16 Feb 2026

microbiologysociety.org/who-we-are/j...

Microbe-derived aromatic polyketides toward MRSA infection: current advances and perspectives Covering: 2005 to July 2025Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), emerging as one of the most common multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains, has posed a serious threat to global heal...

Microbe-derived aromatic polyketides toward MRSA infection: current advances and perspectives

This review classifies all natural aromatic polyketides (discovered 2005-25) with anti-MRSA activity (MIC<10 µg/mL) and summarises SARs, bioactivities and mechanisms.

pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

#microsky

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

Bacteria break through one-micrometer-square passages by flagellar wrapping - Nature Communications Yoshioka et al. show that bacteria wrap their flagella to squeeze through near cell-width confinements, which allows symbiotic microbes to navigate constricted gut regions within insect hosts.

#NatMicroPicks

A bacterial symbiont wraps its flagllar filaments around its cell body to propel itself through narrow gut passages in its stinkbug host and hook flexibility is key for this 🪲🦠

by Yoshitomo Kikuchi & co @natcomms.nature.com

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

Happy to say this has now been published in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social 🫁🦠 #Phages #Viromics

www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Harnessing photoenzymatic reactions for unnatural biosynthesis in microorganisms - Nature Catalysis Light-driven enzymatic catalysis has enabled important abiological transformations in vitro. Now a cellular ene-reductase photoenzyme is integrated with a de novo-designed olefin biosynthetic pathway ...

#microsky #synbiosky

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

Phages and quorum sensing: findings to consider in phage therapy - European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Purpose This review aims to provide an overview of current knowledge on the involvement of QS in phage infection. The role of QS in bacterial defence against phages is emphasized, without overlooking ...

🎉🎉Great news! Our new review has been published. “Phages and quorum sensing: findings to consider in phage therapy” 🔬#MicroTM #SomosChuac

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

#microsky #phagesky

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

Nutrient uptake in commensal bacteria: exploring uncharacterised TonB-dependent transporters. at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Nutrient uptake in commensal bacteria: exploring uncharacterised TonB-dependent transporters. at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com

Lots of PhD opportunities for UK + international students involving my lab. Topics relate to metals & microbiology.

First up: TonB-dependent receptors in commensal Neisseria in my lab at Durham, with @kjosts.bsky.social and @mattbashton.bsky.social.

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Ah! The last author gave a talk about LT only 3 days ago at VoM-UK. He argues that LT is what “makes” a species, allowing cells to amend drift/divergence back to the original sequence within a population. I can’t summarise a 45 min talk in a post though! But that’s the Q indeed.

Bacteriophages mobilize bacterial defense systems via lateral transduction Bacteriophages and PICIs spread bacterial defenses via lateral transduction, shaping microbial immunity and pathogen evolution.

#microsky #phagesky #phage defence

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