Thank you very much @tatsuyanobori.bsky.social for an inspiring talk at the Botanical Garden, Zurich last Friday. There is still so much to learn about plant immune responses at the single cell level! @thesainsburylab.bsky.social

#IPMB #FridayForum

How gut bacteria could inspire novel colon cancer therapy through glycochemistry - Quadram Institute Quadram Institute scientists have drawn inspiration from gut bacteria to suggest a novel way of limiting colon cancer progression

Scientists in @jugelab.bsky.social have drawn inspiration from gut bacteria to suggest a novel way of limiting colon cancer progression 🦠

A social media card with a photo of fermented food and the text "Research Scientist (Data Science) to investigate how novel fermented plant-based foods influence the human gut microbiome, Salary: £37.500 to £43,350, Contract length: 2 years, Apply by 17 May 2026"

In the FlavourFerm consortium, partners are developing novel fermented plant-based foods. This research position will investigate how these foods influence the human gut microbiome and offer potential benefits to host health.

💷 £37,500 to £43,350
🗓️ Apply by 17 May 2026
➡️ buff.ly/voLxh7X

Training during your PhD: what my first year of my PhD studies taught me. As part of our regular blog series, PhD student Marine Folgoas reflects on the first year of her PhD and the important role training has played in developing her skills as a researcher.

Learning and development is at the heart of every #PhD journey, and in a new blog PhD researcher Marine has reflected on the important role training has played in establishing her research skills for her future career.

buff.ly/ajPhU9U

#genomics #training

Martina and Stefan with collaborators in Nepal in a lab, wearing lab coat

A photo of colourful boats on water, with mountains in the distance in Nepal

Martin and Stefan with Nepalese colleagues on a hike, with snowy mountains in the distance

🆕 Blog! Research Scientist Dr Martina Vidmar and PhD Student Stefan Harper reflect on a recent trip to Nepal collaborating with local researchers to share DNA sequencing expertise and learn more about the microbiomes of fermented foods 🦠

➡️ buff.ly/asO7iBP

A bacterial CARD–NLR-like immune system controls the release of gene transfer agents - Nature Microbiology An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote ...

Delighted to share our latest work on gene transfer agents (GTAs). We found a lysis control hub which allows GTAs to escape their bacterial host cells and transfer DNA 🧬 between bacteria. Thanks to @tunglejic.bsky.social, all co-authors, and our amazing collaborators!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Using X-ray Crystallography and 1,n-ADEQUATE NMR to Revise the Structures of Highly Substituted Aromatic Natural Products: The Absolute Configuration of Formicamycin Congeners Formicamycins and their biosynthetic precursors, the fasamycins, form part of the phenylnaphthacenoid family of polyketide natural products. A recent atroposelective total synthesis of formicamycin H brought into question our original stereochemical assignment of the axially chiral linkage between C-6 and C-7. To address this, we obtained an X-ray crystal structure for formicamycin H that unambiguously confirmed our original assignment as the Sa atropisomer. X-ray structures for multiple additional fasamycins and formicamycins confirmed that this is common to all congeners. However, these studies identified a compounded error made by us whereby several structures previously reported as para-methoxy were found to have ortho-methoxy groups on the hanging E-ring. To address this for congeners that did not crystallize or gave nondiffracting crystals, we turned to the surprisingly underutilized 1,n-ADEQUATE NMR experiment. In total, we generated X-ray structures for 15 phenylnaphthacenoid metabolites and by combining these results report the corrected structures for three formicamycins, six fasamycins, and three biosynthetic lactone intermediates, noting that several revised fasamycin structures now match previously reported naphthacemycins. Our results highlight the utility of 1,n-ADEQUATE experiments for regiochemical determination in polysubstituted aromatic molecules. Moreover, our investigations uncovered a potential deracemization step during biosynthesis of the formicamycin framework.

New paper with @barriewilks.bsky.social. There are many reports on fasamycins and formicamycins (aka accramycins, naphthacemycins, streptovertimycins). Here, we unambiguously solve their structures and stereochemistry. A great effort, led by Dr Edward Hems

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Image – Caulobacter crescentus bacterial host cells producing GTA particles. Left: fluorescence microscopy showing C. crescentus bacterial cells producing GTA particles (cells have been engineered to glow green when producing GTAs). Right: cryo-electron microscopy tomogram showing a ‘cross-section’ through a single C. crescentus cell producing GTA particles (magenta and yellow). Bacterial envelope layers are shown in blue, cyan, and green. A nutrient storage granule is visible (grey). Ribosomes (protein factories) are shown in orange.

NEWS - Ancient viruses serving as gene delivery couriers to help bacteria resist antibiotics

Research has shed important new light on the enemies-turned-allies that allow bacteria to exchange genes, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance.

www.jic.ac.uk/news/ancient...

A social card with a photo of the Quadram Institute with pink blossom in the foreground. There is the text "Chair of the QIB Board of Trustees, an established scientific leader, with proven experience and capabilities to serve as Chair of our Board of Trustees. Apply by 11 May 2026"

🆕 We are seeking an established scientific leader, with proven experience and capabilities to serve as Chair of the QIB Board of Trustees.

🗓️ Apply by 11 May 2026
➡️ buff.ly/rlL2jAU

Its our favourite day at @microbiologysociety.org #microbio26 #genetics & #genomics. In the poster session at A039 we have our @eh-hayles.bsky.social presenting her hot off the preprint work on the dynamics of Shiga toxin subtype #stx2a in #STEC across England, 2016-2024.

Read here: tiny.cc/y0u1101

Really happy to have played a small part in this cool piece of work led by @guido-valverde.bsky.social and @msabrysarhan.bsky.social. We characterised S. pyogenes in a pre-Columbian Bolivian mummy (suggesting circulation before European contact) #VivaBolivianMummies
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Hand interacting with a digital interface displaying AI and data nodes, inviting microbiology community to join a new AI survey.

Got thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI) in microbiology—good, bad or undecided? We want to hear from you!

Find out more about our new survey: https://microb.io/41bzWqG

Take part in the survey: https://forms.office.com/e/hvKeBzFhke

#AI #artificialintelligence

New paper! 🐦🦠

Social Structure and Interactions Differentially Shape Aerotolerant and Anaerobic Gut Microbiomes in a Cooperative Breeding Species
doi.org/10.1111/mec....

A 🧵

A new study from our group, led by Iris Eisermann, of the septin interactome during appressorium development, revealing many new interactors and significantly widening the biological function of septins in fungal pathogenesis. 👇

@thesainsburylab.bsky.social

Fantastic to see the Microbe Zoo from the Centre for Microbial Interactions and @sawtrust.bsky.social as one of this year's #SummerScience exhibits at @royalsociety.org, presenting an interactive journey to explore the microscopic world! 🦠🌱🧫

buff.ly/Bb4pUc0

@norwichmicro.bsky.social

The Microbe Zoo will be going to the Royal Society summer science exhibition 2026!!! Fantastic achievement by @sawtrust.bsky.social and @norwichmicro.bsky.social

royalsociety.org/science-even...

A photo of media in petri dishes being prepared with a quadrangle shape containing the text "Laboratory Support Technician, to provide a high standard of technical support to academic and research staff. Salary: £24,250 to £26,500, Contract length: indefinite, apply by 31 March 2026."

⏰️ Closing soon! We’re looking for a Laboratory Support Technician to join our Science Operations team 🥼

💷 £24,250 to £26,500
🗓️ Apply by 31 March 2026
➡️ buff.ly/9Y2vNNP

Single-cell sequencing reveals unexpected genetic diversity among Bodo spp. flagellates and their bacterial endosymbionts Bodo is a cosmopolitan genus of free-living bacterivorous single-celled flagellates in the class Kinetoplastea. Genus Bodo is considered the closest free-living lineage to the parasitic lineages Trypa...

So nice to see this out in print, and thanks to @microbiologysociety.org for the smooth publish process! Single-cell sequencing reveals unexpected genetic diversity among Bodo spp. flagellates and their bacterial endosymbionts - www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

Our @nisbetalice.bsky.social and @gemma-langridge.bsky.social are in Cambodia 🇰🇭
Powering through the jetlag, they are sharing their research on typhoidal #salmonella 🧬🦠
in collaboration with #ukhsa and #fijinationaluniversity
#takeontyphoid #phnompenh

Professor Lindsay Hall elected Fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology - Quadram Institute Professor Lindsay Hall elected a fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology recognising excellence and contributions to microbiology

“It’s a great honour – and very much a team honour – to be elected a Fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology @femsmicro.org ”

💬 Professor Lindsay Hall @halllab.bsky.social

Promotional graphic for AMR Innovation Exchange, a free-for-members virtual webinar series on antimicrobial resistance.

🚨 Happening today! Last chance to register (closes 11am)

AMR Innovation Exchange webinar:
Strengthening Regulatory Systems to Address AMR: A Caribbean Perspective
🎤 Maryam Karga Hinds (Director of Barbados Drug Service)

🔗 https://microb.io/4bVSQXN

#KOAMR #KnockingOutAMR

TSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions, 20th – 31st July… Inviting Early Career Researchers to join international experts in discussing the latest approaches and discoveries in Plant-Microbe Interactions …

LAST WEEK to apply for the TSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions! ☀️🌱🧬

Discuss the latest approaches & discoveries in plant health with international and local speakers.

⏰ APPLY online by 30 March '26

⬇️

Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase-encoding microorganisms in volcanic astrobiological analogues: an enzyme system to investigate the evolution of life Volcanic ecosystems reveal how ancient CO-oxidizing microbes evolved CODH genes, enabling energy generation and adaptive versatility across diverse extreme

Excited to see our work now live!
In this study on the role of CODH-utilising microbes in volcanic astrobiological analogues.
Huge thanks to Marcela Hernández and all collaborators!

Happy to hear thoughts!

#Astrobiology #Geomicrobiology #Extremophiles #Volcanology

academic.oup.com/femsec/artic...

Matthew Gilmour in the Quadram Institute atrium

"I’m honoured and energised to take on this role and to help our team and our science deliver even greater benefits for the health and wealth of the nation.”

💬 Dr Matthew Gilmour

Read more ➡️ buff.ly/Ra5OEeL

On my way to #Fungal26! I'll be speaking at #MagnaFest presenting work on regulation of Pmk1, a key component of fungal pathogenesis.

If you wanna chat I'll be at poster 652A from 7pm on the 18th. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

@thesainsburylab.bsky.social
@genetics-gsa.bsky.social

Our new #MOSAiC paper led by Oliver Mueller just out @commsearth.nature.com

Arctic sea-ice ridges are biomass hotspots harboring diverse microbial communities

@ueaenv.bsky.social @norwichmicro.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1038/s432...

A small bird perches on a thin branch amid lush green leaves. Credit: Claire Lok Sze Tsui.

Prof David Richardson from @biouea.bsky.social has been the senior researcher on a study that has uncovered a hidden link between gut health and the immune system – all thanks to a tiny island bird.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4cIV4vs

#ResearchMatters #NewStudy #GutHealth

We are looking for new Champions! If you’re interested in promoting the Society and microbiology in your local area, find out more about the role and how to apply: https://microb.io/4beeFBf

#MicrobioChamp