Charlie Gilbert

What do you think about it Olivier, impressed??

Unlocking Bacterial Cellulose Functionalisation: Comparative Genetic and Co-Culture Strategies in Komagataeibacter https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.12.699149v1

A genetic platform for a biocementation bacterium https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.05.692644v1

Very happy to share our recent work @cultivarium.bsky.social on genetic tools for Ideonella sakaiensis, a (Betaproteo-)bacterium that degrades PET plastic.

We identified a plasmid vector for the strain and generated a large RB-TnSeq library, screening for genes impacting plastic degradation.

The dimorphic, yeast-like, extremophilic genus Aureobasidium is revised, and show to include ca 40 species, of which nine are newly described here. Species cause opportunistic diseases in humans, but several have also shown to be well-established plant pathogens.

My dept in London at Imperial (Bioengineering) is recruiting a group leader at Professor level 🧑‍🎓 Please RT. It's a great place with world-class expertise in all sorts of biomedical & biological engineering topics like synthetic biology. It's also not in the USA. www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...

Linking bacterial androgen production and prostate cancer - Nature Microbiology Commensal bacteria, including those isolated from urinary tract and prostate tissues, encode enzymes to convert androstenedione to epitestosterone, expanding our knowledge of microbial steroid metabol...

Quick Read!

Read the News and Views piece describing the physiological importance of an extended bacterial androgen production pathway

#MicroSky 🦠

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

We're gearing up to tackle new kingdoms of life, thanks to generous support from @wellcometrust.bsky.social. Get in touch!

Read more on our blog: cultivarium.substack.com/p/fungi-and-...

A beginner’s guide to scientific roadmapping Wonderful maps and how to read them

"There are bottlenecks choking progress in virtually every scientific field, and you can identify these with a good roadmap." - @adammarblestone.bsky.social

Out now on our new Substack, Essential Technology: convergentresearch.substack.com/p/scientific...

The insertion of the inverted repeat of an insertion sequence (IS) element from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus changes the host range and stability of pGK12, a shuttle vector for lactic acid bacteria | ... This study highlights the significant impact of insertion sequence (IS) elements on plasmid replication in lactobacilli. The spontaneous integration of an IS element from the Laticaseibacillus rhamnos...

The insertion of the inverted repeat of an insertion sequence (IS) element from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus changes the host range and stability of pGK12, a shuttle vector for lactic acid bacteria | Applied and Environmental Microbiology journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Opinion | Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. (Gift Article) A journey through the front lines of global poverty shows that when the world’s richest men slash aid for the world’s poorest children, the result is sickness, starvation and death.

Elon Musk says that no one has died because he slashed humanitarian aid. I went to South Sudan to check if that's true. It's not. Meet Peter, Achol and Evan, ages 10, 8 and 5. The reckless actions of the world's richest men are killing the world's poorest kids www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Illustration of a group of women.

This #WomensHistoryMonth, ASM celebrates the achievements and contributions of women scientists to the field of microbiology. Explore our curated resources: asm.social/2jz

Fungal Fairy Rings: the science behind the magic An article published in the journal IMA Fungus sheds light on fungal fairy rings, exploring the history, ecology, and impacts of these formations.

This review of fungal fairy rings explores their history, ecology, and engineering impact on ecosystems.

@pensoft.net blog post: blog.pensoft.net/2025/03/06/f...

Review article: doi.org/10.3897/imaf...

a cartoon drawing of a man in a white superhero costume Alt: a cartoon drawing of a man in a white superhero costume

Made a feed for phage papers/discussions/friends!
Please feel free to pin this feed to your bluesky profile and if you wish to add to the feed, simply add the #phage hashtag (NOT case sensitive) and the feed will aggregate the posts. See you there! Please repost🙏🏽

So THAT'S what my washing machine plays when it's finished a cycle!

ASM encourages our members to advocate for their research and for the microbial sciences. On Friday, March 7, there will be a rally to #standupforscience2025 in Washington, D.C. and more than 30 other locations nationwide. For information and updates, visit: standupforscience2025.org?trk=feed-det...

A call for healing and unity | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Executive orders signed since 20 January 2025 aim to end programs intended to diversify the scientific workforce via equitable and inclusive practices and processes; cut federal funding for research a...

A call for healing and unity | Applied and Environmental Microbiology journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Oh this sounds fun!

mSphere of Influence: The maternal gut–mammary axis and its role in shaping neonatal health | mSphere In high school, I worked on a dairy farm, milking cows and caring for calves to save money for college. It was there that I first observed the critical link between milk quality and neonatal health. In dairy cows, maternal immunity, in the form of immunoglobulins, is fully transferred through colostrum—the mother’s first milk—during the first 24 to 48 hours of life (1). I witnessed how low immunoglobulin levels in colostrum compromised a calf’s ability to fight infectious diseases. These experiences sparked my curiosity about breast milk immunity and inspired me to pursue a career exploring the intersection of maternal health and infectious disease.

mSphere of Influence: The maternal gut–mammary axis and its role in shaping neonatal health | mSphere journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Deployment of a Vibrio cholerae ordered transposon mutant library in a quorum-competent genetic background | mBio Vibrio cholerae is a human pathogen and the causative agent of the acute diarrheal disease cholera. While cholera is a global threat, the disease is endemic in developing countries, where it is estima...

Deployment of a Vibrio cholerae ordered transposon mutant library in a quorum-competent genetic background | mBio journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Our PhD student Adrian Gadar López and the Black Yeast Natural Products team made fungal PKS Heterologous Expression easy! Check out the preprint.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
#wemakemolecules #blackyeast #NNF_BRIGHT

Nine species of AM fungal spores. So pretty!

Teaching the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi lab next week at @universityofkansas.bsky.social! I’ve prepped spores from ten different species to showcase the diversity in color, shape, and size. Fungal diversity is truly beautiful!
🍄🧪🦠🌏

Huge thanks to @invam.bsky.social for donating the materials!

Tiny Mollisia cup fungi viewed under magnification

Tiny Lachnum cup fungi growing on wood, viewed under magnification. The cups of this genera have distinctive tiny hairs growing on the underside, and the cups themselves grow from stalks.

A tiny cup fungus, likely of the genus Neottiella, viewed under magnification, surrounded by small mosses that is is parasitising.

A hazel spring cup fungus clump of multiple brown fruiting bodies. Each cup's edges are not smooth, but jagged as if torn like paper

Missing the fungal forays of Autumn? Winter and Spring offer a myriad of wonderful fungal species in their prime!

Frequently overlooked are the ascomycetes, commonly called cup fungi as they form cup-like fruiting bodies named apothecia. Here are some of our favourite species to look out for ✨🍄🧵

We had an inspiring talk by @delafuentelab.bsky.social on antibiotic discovery using AI, as part of the Microbiology Journal Club. Feel free to email me if you want to be included in the mailing list and get exposure to amazing science.

Slime Mould and Philosophy Cambridge Core - Philosophy: General Interest - Slime Mould and Philosophy

Although I was not given funding to publish this OA, if anyone (or any one that you know) would like a pdf of the book, shoot me a message. I'd be more than happy to send it your way. www.cambridge.org/core/element...

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Bind Research, the UK’s first not-for-profit Focused Research Organisation, with long-term support from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Research Ventures Catalyst Programme, industry, and charities.

Dr Evelien Adriaenssens

Dr Dipali Singh

Dr Lizbeth Sayavedra

Dr Dimitra Lamprinaki

🧵📣On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re shining a light on some of the amazing female scientists carrying out research at the intersection of food, microbes and health here at the Quadram Institute⤵️

#InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience #WomenInScience

Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs National Science Foundation staff heard the plans at a meeting Tuesday.

🧪⚛️ Holy cow. Threats to layoff 25-50% of NSF (!!!). This would be a complete disaster. Anyone who thinks cutting the workforce at a $9B/yr agency by this much will lead to greater efficiency is just out of their mind. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Nice! All part of the fun!