Schrader Lab

Hey alpha aficionados - it's almost time for CauloCon 2026! This free, virtual meeting will feature talks from @brunlabcaulo.bsky.social @thanbichlerlab.bsky.social and @lamasonlab.bsky.social with opps for trainee talks. Register using the link below. 👇

I am beyond excited to announce that the Bisson Lab has a new home!!! Starting January 2026, I will join the Biology Department at Indiana University Bloomington as Associate Professor with tenure.

I am actively recruiting scientists across all levels. More in our website: bissonlab.com/join

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Stress changes the material state of a bacterial biomolecular condensate and shifts its function from mRNA decay to storage - Nature Communications Bacterial ribonucleoprotein bodies are dynamic biomolecular condensates that play roles in RNA metabolism. Here, Ortiz-Rodríguez et al. show that, under stress, these condensates shift from a liquid s...

Now in print: @lortzrodz.bsky.social with @schraderlab.bsky.social found that the stress-induced transition of the material properties of bacterial ribonucleoprotein bodies repurposes them from sites of mRNA decay to reservoirs for mRNA storage.
@natcomms.nature.com

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

Thrilled to share our multidisiplinary work on how genome-wide DNA bridging by H-NS reshapes the stationary phase bacterial nucleoid and affects the transcriptional landscape. With Xindan Wang and @meyerroc.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Caulophiles take note 👇
#MicroSky

Pioneering approach to bacterial cell biology & national leadership - Lasker Foundation Lucy Shapiro

So proud to have trained with Lucy. She is an exceptional scientist, exceptional person, and exceptional mentor. Huge congrats and so well-deserved. laskerfoundation.org/winners/pion...

Scientist, advocate and entrepreneur Lucy Shapiro to receive Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award Lucy Shapiro entered biology “like a bolt of lightning.” A groundbreaking scientist, mentor, drug developer and advocate for science communication is recognized for a lifetime of achievements.

med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...

*** Only a few days left to apply ***

Postdoc position at the University of Marburg (Germany), funded within our ERC Advanced Grant "C-SWITCH"

Spatiotemporal regulation of cellular processes by CTP-switches in bacteria

Apply by 04 May: stellenangebote.uni-marburg.de/jobposting/2...

Formation of a membraneless compartment regulates bacterial virulence - Nature Communications The RNA-binding protein CsrA switches from upregulation to downregulation of virulence genes in bacteria through unclear mechanisms. Here, the authors show that the switch between promoting and repres...

Interesting study shows CsrA forms a dynamic, membraneless compartment with sRNAs, mRNAs & the degradosome in E. coli, flipping its role between activating and repressing virulence. A new layer of RNA-based regulation! #microbiology #RNA #CsrA

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

Registration is open, look forward to seeing you!
microbialrnameeting.com

Tissue-like multicellular development triggered by mechanical compression in archaea The advent of clonal multicellularity is a critical evolutionary milestone, seen often in eukaryotes, rarely in bacteria, and only once in archaea. We show that uniaxial compression induces clonal mul...

Striking new study from @archaeon-alex.bsky.social's lab just out in @science.org on multicellular development induced by compression in Archaea: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Spread the word to support science communication through illustrated storytelling. And if you want your own copy of this microbial adventure comic, 5 days remain at 20% off. www.lulu.com/shop/james-m...

Bacterial IF2’s N-terminal IDR drives cold-induced phase separation and promotes fitness during cold stress Translation initiation factor 2 (IF2) plays an essential role in bacterial cells by delivering the fMet-tRNAfMet to the ribosome pre-initiation complex. IF2 is known to have an N-terminal disordered r...

Our team found the N-terminal IDR of bacterial translation initiation factor 2 promotes condensation with RNA that is stimulated in the cold. We think these cold-stimulated IF2 condensates likely explain why the IDR's deletion in E. coli is unable to grow in the cold. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Cellular Function of a Biomolecular Condensate Is Determined by Its Ultrastructure Biomolecular condensates play key roles in the spatiotemporal regulation of cellular processes. Yet, the relationship between atomic features and condensate function remains poorly understood. We stud...

1/ 🚨We’re thrilled to share our latest study:

"Cellular Function of a Biomolecular Condensate Is Determined by Its Ultrastructure" 🌟

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

How do biomolecular condensates achieve their cellular roles? It comes down to their internal structure. 🧵⬇️

Before the fire

after the fire

One year ago today my lab was destroyed in a fire. Nobody was hurt and our key freezer samples survived. My colleague Tamara Hendrickson has graciously hosted all my trainees in her lab since. In January, the Schrader Lab will be officially reopening at Indiana University.

Thrilled to share Luis' manuscript showing how bacterial ribonucleoprotein bodies (BR-bodies) control RNA metabolism: stress changes the bacterial biomolecular condensate material state *and* shifts function from mRNA decay to storage. #LiveCell #SingleMolecule #Microscopy @schraderlab.bsky.social

Stress Changes the Bacterial Biomolecular Condensate Material State and Shifts Function from mRNA Decay to Storage Bacterial ribonucleoprotein bodies (BR-bodies) are dynamic biomolecular condensates that play a pivotal role in RNA metabolism. We investigated how BR-bodies significantly influence mRNA fate by trans...

We're very excited about the new preprint from @juliebiteenlab.bsky.social and our lab. We found that upon stress, BR-bodies material state becomes more solid/gel-like, changing their activity from mRNA decay to mRNA storage. Check it out here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Stress Changes the Bacterial Biomolecular Condensate Material State and Shifts Function from mRNA Decay to Storage https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.12.623272v1 Bacterial ribonucleoprotein bodies (BR-bodies) are dynamic biomolecular condensates that play a pivo

Stress Changes the Bacterial Biomolecular Condensate Material State and Shifts Function from mRNA Decay to Storage https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.12.623272v1

Microbial reaction rate estimation using proteins and proteomes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.13.607198v1 Microbes transform their environments using diverse enzymatic reactions. However, it remains challen

Microbial reaction rate estimation using proteins and proteomes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.13.607198v1

Formylation facilitates the reduction of oxidized initiator methionines https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.06.579201v1 Within a cell, protein-bound methionines can be oxidized by reactive oxygen species (ROS) or monooxy

Formylation facilitates the reduction of oxidized initiator methionines https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.06.579201v1

Halofilins as Emerging Bactofilin Families of Archaeal Cell Shape Plasticity Orchestrators bioRxiv - the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and educational institution

We have a new story out at BiorXiv! Amazing work led by
Zach Curtis (Bisson), Pedro Escudeiro (Alva) and John Mallon (Bisson). Great collaboration with @vikramalva.bsky.social (Max Planck) and Mecky Pohlschroder (UPenn).

t.co/qGvuQ7mwO1

Interesting read, and I suspect the surprising level of fitness observed from the synonymous substitution is probably related to EF-Tu being the most highly expressed cytoplasmic protein in E. coli (and also one of most abundant mRNAs). Reminds me of this story in infA 10.1016/j.cels.2016.11.004

Late consolidation of rRNA structure during co-transcriptional assembly in E. coli by time-resolved DMS footprinting https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.10.574868v1 The production of new ribosomes requires proper folding of the rRNA and the addition of more than 50

Late consolidation of rRNA structure during co-transcriptional assembly in E. coli by time-resolved DMS footprinting https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.10.574868v1

tRNA!