Jan Michiels lab

Jan Michiels lab

@michielslab.bsky.social

Part of the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology and the KU Leuven Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, we study bacterial survival under stress conditions.

90 Followers 25 Following 31 Posts Joined Nov 2024
2 months ago
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Reprogramming the EnvZ-OmpR two-component system confers ethanol tolerance in Escherichia coli by stabilizing the outer membrane and altering ferric homeostasis Author summary Ethanol is a versatile chemical with many applications, but producing it in high quantities remains a challenge. This is because Escherichia coli, a candidate ethanol production strain,...

Happy to share our latest work published in PLoS Genetics! dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

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4 months ago
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At #Microbes25, @jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social‬ showed how to silence phage genes with ASO tech — antisense RNA guided by a cell-penetrating protein.
A clever new way to study (essential) phage genes. 🧬✨

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4 months ago
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At #Microbes25, Abram Aertsen showed how to program bacteria with a sense of timing — they can grow, produce, then self-lyse. ⏱️🧫
By breaking symmetry, he can even control which cells keep growing. Microbes with coordination — and attitude. ⚙️💡

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4 months ago
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@mpi-ce.bsky.social at #Microbes25: discovering plant biosynthetic genes (like those for strictosidine) and expressing them in new hosts 🌿🧬
Bringing plant chemistry to synthetic biology!

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4 months ago
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At #Microbes25, Huimin Zhao showed how AI + robotics + biology can supercharge biomanufacturing.
From photobiocatalysis and directed evolution to AI-driven design loops, his team is evolving enzymes with new-to-nature reactivity — and getting top results after just 3 cycles! 💥

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4 months ago
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At #Microbes25, @tilmweber.bsky.social‬ showcased an impressive integrated approach to discovering and producing novel antibiotics.
From sequencing new microorganisms to developing powerful tools like antiSMASH, his team mines genomic data for BGCs — then brings these hidden molecules to life!

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4 months ago
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At #Microbes25, @mcmasteruniversity.bsky.social presented a high-throughput screening platform that packages and stabilizes bacteriophage biobanks and integrates detection biochemistry.
The result? Rapid, one-pot susceptibility profiling for bacterial isolates — delivering results in 30 minutes. ⚡

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4 months ago
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@colinhillucc.bsky.social kicked off #microbes25
His talk shed light on the overlooked faecal virome — the vast community of viruses that co-exist with our gut bacteria. Rather than constant conflict, Colin described a more elegant relationship: bacteria and phages don’t just fight… they dance. 💃🦠

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5 months ago
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Professor Tilmann Weber joins #Microbes25!
He’ll share how cutting-edge molecular approaches are uncovering new natural products with big potential in medicine and biotechnology.
📅 Final registration deadline: 23 Oct 2025
🔗 vibbio.tech/Microbes25

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5 months ago
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At #Microbes25, we’re honored to host Professor Jörg Vogel, a leading voice in RNA biology and infection research.

📅 Early Bird Deadline: 25 September 2025
🔗 Full program & registration: vibbio.tech/Microbes25

Who are you most looking forward to hearing from at #Microbes25?

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6 months ago
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α-Ketoglutaric acid as a promising platform chemical for sustainable bio-based industries The chemical industry is gradually shifting from fossil-derived resources to more sustainable bio-based processes. Natural bio-molecules such as succinic, lactic, and itaconic acid are promising platf...

Proud to share our comprehensive literature review on application potential, chemical synthesis and microbial production of α-ketoglutaric acid @chemsocrev.rsc.org

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

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6 months ago
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Do you know what microbes can do for you? At #Microbes25, Sarah O'Connor will dive into the potential of microbes as a factory of natural products derived from plants and insects. Abstract submissions are due September 4, 2025: lnkd.in/e4EGJcVR
#MicrobialBiotech #microbes #VIBConf

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10 months ago
In silico identification of gene targets to enhance C12 fatty acid production in Escherichia coli

Proud to share our latest work on constraint-based modeling in combination with Optknock to identify gene that improve C12 fatty acid production in E. coli

rdcu.be/eljsg

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10 months ago
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PhD in molecular microbiology Jan Michiels is looking for a dynamic and highly motivated PhD student to develop a project aimed at unraveling mutational robustness and evolvability in bacteria.

We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD student to join our team! Info here www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...

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10 months ago
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Slapende bacteriën: een wake-up call voor dokters! Ziekmakende bacteriën worden niet alleen resistent tegen antibiotica, ze kunnen behandelingen ook overleven door in een soort slaapstand te gaan. Artsen best...

Our colleague Lieze Agten contributed a piece on bacteria taking a nap to EOS. Full text (in Dutch): www.eoswetenschap.eu/gezondheid/s...

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11 months ago
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🩸 From RNA-limited samples like blood & tissues to the identification relative abundance of RNA modifications in a short time - The EpiPlex assay, presented at #RNGS25 by Gudrun Stengel of Alida biosciences, makes use of proximity barcoding and engineered binders to specifically detect RNA mods. 🧬

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11 months ago
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Our conference stress melted away after an evening filled with a choco-lot of fun at the #RNGS25 social activity at the Chocolate Nation. 🍫

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11 months ago
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"Plants don't have specialized immune cells, but individual plant cells can flexibly turn into immune hotspots" - 🌱

@tatsuyanobori.bsky.social presented at #RNGS25 on combining single cell multiome data & spatial transcriptomics to study the genetic regulation of plant-microbe interactions.🧬🦠

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11 months ago
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Nanopore sequencing enables detection of DNA methylation profiles! 🧬

Mathilde Geysens showcased a powerful approach to identify episignatures of developmental disorders, offering deeper insights into methylation patterns and paving the way for future diagnostics. #RNGS25

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11 months ago
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Interesting poster by Genewiz showing all the complex multiomics info that can be gathered from a single patient sample. 🧬 Additionally, they explored the single cell transcriptome on FFPE tumor tissues and show that better insights in human health can even be obtained from minimal samples. #RNGS25

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11 months ago
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At #RNGS25, Kirsten Bos took us on a time travel journey by looking into the ancient DNA of infectious diseases. 🦠 Her talk highlights the importance of genomics to trace the evolution and spread of syphilis, revealing crucial insights to improve our understanding of contemporary diseases.

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11 months ago
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Nice overview of the Illumina technology roadmap by Jason Betley at #RNGS25. In his talk, he provided a great perspective on the different Illumina platforms and more specifically on their various innovative and easy-to-use sequencing assays. 🧬

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11 months ago
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"Biology is dynamic like a river, you cannot step into the same water twice."

Great talk on unlocking high dimensional biology using evolved next-generation sequencing by Molly He of @elembio.bsky.social this morning at #RNGS25.

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11 months ago
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Fun & adventurous talk on microbial dark matter at #RNGS25. 🌋 @jimmysaw.bsky.social presented on harnessing long-read sequencing to enable reconstruction of geothermal bacterial genomes. 🧬 His groundbreaking work brings us one step closer to uncovering biological functions in early life on Earth.

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11 months ago
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I am very excited to be reporting on the groundbreaking talks at #RNGS25, together with
@vanshikabidhan.bsky.social
& @saraalidadiani.bsky.social.

Follow me on X (@LabMichiels), LinkedIn (Lieze Agten) and here on bluesky to keep track of this revolutionizing conference! @vibtrainconf.bsky.social

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11 months ago
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Widespread antibiotic heterotolerance in bacteria remains undetected by resistance assays Despite global efforts, antimicrobial resistance persists. Mechanisms like heterotolerance further undermine antibiotic effectiveness. Testing >1,000 …

New work in collaboration with Paul Cos (UAntwerp)

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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1 year ago
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We are searching for a postdoc in Marine Phytoplankton Metabolism and Carbon Storage! You'll get the chance to work in Belgium to combine high-throughput metabolomics and enzymes to study how microbes naturally sequester atmospheric carbon in organic marine molecules!

t.co/orCCyZhzeh

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1 year ago
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🚨The final deadline to register for #RNGS25 is this Wednesday, March 5th!🚨

Make sure to register - You don’t want to miss Prof. Bernard Thienpont (@bernthie.bsky.social)'s fascinating talk on improving patient care by using cell-free DNA methylome analysis.🧬

www.vibconferences.be/events/revol...

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1 year ago
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🚨Don’t miss #RNGS25!🚨

🧬Prof. Jimmy Saw, who contributed to the discovery of the fascinating Asgard archaea, will explore how long-read sequencing unlocks microbial dark matter in geothermal habitats.🦠

📆Early bird registration deadline is February 5!
www.vibconferences.be/events/revol...

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1 year ago
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Composition and liquid-to-solid maturation of protein aggregates contribute to bacterial dormancy development and recovery Nature Communications - Recalcitrant infections are often caused by dormant bacteria, including persisters and viable but nonculturable cells. Here, the authors explore how composition and...

Proud to present our latest model of aggregation-induced dormancy, published in #NatureComms @liselotdewachter.bsky.social

rdcu.be/d7EcI

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