Out today: We discovered new viral proteins that target immune signaling molecules, solely based on their AlphaFold-predicted shapes

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

Congrats Nitzan Tal and coauthors! Thank you Kranzusch lab for the fun collaboration!

Linking below previous thread on our findings

New preprint: Cyclic tri-adenylate signalling by a Panoptes anti-phage guard system with a CARF-TM effector. Great work led by Sabine Grüschow
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is funded by the National Science Foundation to create "points of entry" for students interested in research. Students apply from across the country to spend 10 weeks in Bozeman, Montana this summer (May 26, 2026 - August 1, 2026). Admitted students are paired with a faculty mentor, who serves as an advisor for a student's summer project. Each student receives a stipend ($7000 for 10 wks). Travel compensation, room, and board are also provided. Our program leverages MSU’s unique microbiology expertise, focusing specifically on microbes living with little or no oxygen (like those in the hot springs of nearby Yellowstone). Low oxygen microbes are essential to human and ecosystem health. They influence (or control) such processes as the breakdown of food in the GI tract, removal of toxins from our bodies and the environment, and production of greenhouse gases. They are also models for understanding the origins of life on this planet, and the potential for life on other planets. A key goal of our program is to recruit students from schools with limited research infrastructure. Being in Montana, a state with a vibrant Native American community, we are particularly interested in applications from students at tribal colleges. However, ANYONE with an interest in microbiology - or biology/science in general - can and should apply. If willing and able, please share/tweet/spread the word far and wide. Applications are due February 14, 2026. Full details can be found through our website http://www.montana.edu/mbi/reu/

Friends, please help spread the word about our microbiology REU program at Montana State University.
www.montana.edu/mbi/reu/

Each student receives a stipend ($7000 for 10 wks). Travel compensation, room, and board are also provided.

Details in the attached pic--Feb 14 deadline
🧫🧪🦠#microsky

"What we’re … seeing is the toll of the uncertainty."

My latest story for @science.org—part of a package that explores how the U.S. scientific community has changed under Trump—includes new numbers on graduate enrollment and faculty hiring.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Hello world! I am excited to announce my lab is open at the University of Utah in the Department of Biochemistry. We are looking for scientists at all levels interested in studying host-virus interactions in both bacteria and animals. Come join us in beautiful Utah! (photo is 10 steps from lab)

How do the ancestors of CRISPR-Cas unwind DNA and how can this lead to better genome editing? With our collaboration between @doudna-lab.bsky.social x @jacobsenucla.bsky.social x Zev Bryant's lab x @savagecatsonly.bsky.social we've uncovered the secrets behind TnpB's dynamics!

Stepwise DNA unwinding gates TnpB genome-editing activity TnpB is a compact RNA-guided endonuclease and evolutionary ancestor of CRISPR-Cas12 that offers a promising platform for genome engineering. However, the genome-editing activity of TnpBs remains limit...

New preprint 👉Doudna x Bryant x Jacobsen x Savage collaboration!
Work led by @zehanzhou.bsky.social, I. Saffarian-Deemyad, @honglue.bsky.social, T. Weiss
We dissect how stepwise DNA unwinding gates TnpB genome editing, revealing how unwound DNA states enhance cleavage
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Notice of Request for Information; Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking...

OSTP has issued a request for information, please share with them your ideas for how to improve government functions related to science funding and policy

www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Divergent viral phosphodiesterases for immune signaling evasion Oligonucleotides play fundamental roles in immune system activation across the tree of life. Viral proteins, 2H phosphodiesterases (PDEs), evade immunity by degrading these signals. Doherty and Nombur...

Divergent viral phosphodiesterases for immune signaling evasion

Structure-based searches reveal exceptional diversity among viral 2H phosphodiesterases across the virome that evade immunity by degrading oligonucleotides
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

Viral enzymes degrade to evade Across all domains of life, immune systems rely on nucleotide-based signaling molecules to activate defense responses. In a recent Cell Host & Microbe study, Doherty, Nomburg, and colleagues identify ...

Viral enzymes degrade to evade

Preview of work identifying & characterizing diverse families of viral two-histidine phosphodiesterase enzymes that degrade nucleotide-based signaling molecules, each with distinct substrate specificities.
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

Round 1 of the 2025 Organic Reaction Championship ends today at midnight!

Will the Diels–Alder Reaction maintain its legacy dominance?
Can the Grignard Reaction overcome its temperament?

Vote for your favorite reaction!

#ACSOrganic #amplifyorganic

zurl.co/DTEvX

Twin! Look at us in the same issue of CH&M 🥳 Congrats!!

Viral enzymes degrade to evade Across all domains of life, immune systems rely on nucleotide-based signaling molecules to activate defense responses. In a recent Cell Host & Microbe study, Doherty, Nomburg, and colleagues identify ...

A very nice Preview of our work in
@cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social
this morning from Chrishan Fernando & Nicole D. Marino! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

✨New preprint!

🧵1/4 Excited to share our work on AI-guided design of minimal RNA-guided nucleases. Amazing work by @petrskopintsev.bsky.social @isabelesain.bsky.social @evandeturk.bsky.social et al!
Multi-lab collaboration @banfieldlab.bsky.social @jhdcate.bsky.social @jacobsenucla.bsky.social🧬

🔗👇

NIH shut out hundreds of young scientists from funding to start their own labs Special Report: The NIH has shut out hundreds of young scientists from funding to start their own labs.

Excellent story from @aniloza.bsky.social and colleague at STAT on the MOSAIC program.

www.statnews.com/2025/12/08/t...

1/4

Excited to welcome you here!

The specificity and structure of DNA cross-linking by the gut bacterial genotoxin colibactin Accumulating evidence has connected the chemically unstable, DNA-damaging gut bacterial natural product colibactin to colorectal cancer, including the identification of mutational signatures that are ...

This is a neat paper. Especially liked the use of fluoro nucleotides.

The specificity and structure of DNA cross-linking by the gut bacterial genotoxin colibactin | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Systematic discovery of TIR-based immune signaling systems in bacteria Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains are important for immune signaling across humans, plants and bacteria. These domains were recently found to produce immune signaling molecules in plant immuni...

I’m happy to share our new preprint! We uncovered the full diversity of bacterial TIR-based antiviral immune signaling, massively expanded the known diversity of Thoeris systems, and revealed conservation of TIR-derived immune signals across the tree of life.

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

Tomorrow (Thursday) at the Systems Virology Journal Club, Noor Youssef will present her work with Debbie Marks on developing an AI model that predicts how viruses evolve to evade the immune response.

Paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40345199/

ADAR1 editing is necessary for only a small subset of cytosolic dsRNAs to evade MDA5-mediated autoimmunity @natgenet.nature.com @stanforduniversity.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

📢 We have multiple open PhD positions to study bacterial immune systems using cutting-edge cryo-EM, microbiology, and biochemistry in our group! Join us and uncover how bacterial defenses eliminate predators and engineer next-gen biotech tools.

🔥 Apply by Jan 8, 2026

Details: phd.pages.ista.ac.at

Super cool work by @erinedoherty.bsky.social and @jnoms.bsky.social ! 💪🏼
Viruses hack bacterial immunity by breaking down the nucleotide signals that trigger defence 🦠🧬

New Method Uncovers How Viruses Evade Immune Responses — and How We Might Fight Back Explore how viruses evade immune responses by developing enzymes that disrupt molecular alarm signals in host cells.

1/2 New from co-first authors @erinedoherty.bsky.social and @jnoms.bsky.social of the @doudna-lab.bsky.social — Bacteria fight off viruses using tiny molecular “alarm signals” made of nucleotides. To survive, viruses must find ways to shut these signals down.

So happy to see this work out! Was such a pleasure to co-lead this effort with Erin. Do you like viral immune evasion, and using protein structure to study immune antagonists? Give it a read!

Check out the summary from our bioRxiv here:

bsky.app/profile/erin...

Divergent viral phosphodiesterases for immune signaling evasion Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and other short oligonucleotides play fundamental roles in immune system activation in organisms ranging from bacteria to …

Work I co-led with @jnoms.bsky.social is now online at
@cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social ! We revealed a previously unrealized diversity of viral immune-evasion proteins that selectively destroy different cyclic nucleotide signals used in bacterial immunity.

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

Such a privilege to see my summer mentee present her work at #ABRCMS2025!

So grateful for the collective action that reversed this decision - the PPFP will continue!

This whole thread.