Cool study on the evolutionary origin of a funky E. coli peptide transporter! #microsky

Clinically-relevant altered antibiotic responses and mechanisms of β-lactam sensitization of MRSA in cystic fibrosis artificial sputum www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03...

(1/7) How does T. brucei achieve a 140-fold stoichiometric excess of VSG mRNA over upstream ESAGs from a single polycistronic unit?
Our latest research in @natmicrobiol.nature.com reveals a mechanism of spatially regulated RNA decay to fine-tune expression of virulence genes

Clostridia from preterm infants metabolize human milk oligosaccharides to suppress pathobionts and modulate intestinal function in organoids Nature Microbiology, Published online: 16 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02297-4Clostridium perfringens lacking perfringolysin O toxin isolated from preterm infants metabolizes human milk oligosaccharide disialyllacto-N-tetraose to produce metabolites that promote the growth of commensal bifidobacteria, inhibit pathogens and suppress inflammation in an organoid model.

Out Now! Clostridia from preterm infants metabolize human milk oligosaccharides to suppress pathobionts and modulate intestinal function in organoids #MicroSky

Staph-tastic day at UCC 😁@uccmicrobiology.bsky.social @apcmicrobiomeirel.bsky.social

Elegant work from Lizzie!! And very important for anyone interested in Staph biofilms

Skin androgens regulate Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity via quorum sensing Nature Microbiology, Published online: 27 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02261-2Testosterone produced by skin cells enhances Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity by activating quorum sensing, and a stereoisomer of testosterone that blocks this interaction inhibits bacterial cytotoxicity towards human cells.

Out Now! Skin androgens regulate Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity via quorum sensing #MicroSky

Collagen binding adhesin restricts Staphylococcus aureus skin infection - Nature Communications Staphylococcus aureus is able to evade host immune responses by expressing surface adhesins, like collagen binding adhesin (Cna). Here, the authors report the role of Cna during S. aureus skin infecti...

Cool new study suggesting that some Staphs use collagen binding to evade immunity on the skin, with a substantial trade-off in terms of bacterial load and disease severity. Congrats to the authors! #microsky

Bacterial metabolic remodeling by convergent evolution unlocks nutrient availability after a host switch Staphylococcus aureus has undergone metabolic remodeling to adapt to the dairy niche.

Cool new paper from Amy Pickering in Edinburgh comparing phenotypes in Staph between host species, highlighting a key role for proteolysis and peptide utilisation in bovine mastitis. Great work!

Non-canonical stringent response signaling mediates antimicrobial fatty acid sensitivity in Staphylococcus aureus - PubMed <span><i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections, and persistent skin colonization is a significant risk factor for infection. Antimicrobial fatty acids (AFAs), produced...

Non-canonical stringent response signaling mediates antimicrobial fatty acid sensitivity in Staphylococcus aureus t.co/tuVo4Frbzk

Absolutely love this story! Turns out Staph aureus strains in the wild have developed some cool tricks to survive and thrive in the presence of other common bugs. Metal transport seems to be key! Great work from Sam 👏🏼👏🏼

Happy to lend you some essential educational material!!

Awesome story from Sam!

Congratulations to MD-PhD student, Amanda Velez and all co-authors on our new PNAS paper describing how the innate immune protein calprotectin incapacitates autolysins, inducing tolerance to B-lactam antibiotics. A fun collaboration with Thomas Kehl-Fie. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Lipolysis of host triacylglyceride-rich lipoproteins creates a toxic microenvironment for Staphylococcus aureus www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01...

ArgT functions as an arginine transporter in Staphylococcus aureus | Journal of Bacteriology Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of both community and hospital-acquired infection worldwide. In addition, S. aureus is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, which make the treatment of bacteremia, infective endocarditis, and other invasive diseases more challenging. It is essential to obtain a basic understanding of how S. aureus survives in a variety of host niches, including those niches where S. aureus is dependent upon amino acid catabolism. We hypothesize that arginine acquisition is critical for S. aureus pathogenesis; therefore, identifying these transporters is essential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Just got round to reading this great new(ish) study by Paul Fey and colleagues in Nebraska, identifying a major Arg transporter in S. aureus. Elegant work! #microsky

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Systematic identification of bacterial factors driving Staphylococcus aureus intracellular lifestyle in non-professional phagocytes - Nature Communications The pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can invade and replicate within human cells. Here, Rodrigues Lopes et al. use an image-based screening approach to identify S. aureus factors important for invasion,...

Exciting new work using high-throughput microscopy to identify important virulence factors in S. aureus! Some awesome insights here

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

The Histidine Kinase VraS Interacts with Vancomycin and Penicillins Through its Membrane‐Anchored N‐terminal Domain The signals triggering activation of VraTSR, a key regulator of the cell wall stress response in Staphylococcus aureus, remain unknown. Combining crosslinking assays with vancomycin- and ampicillin-d....

Sensor kinase interacts directly with two distinct classes of cell wall targeting antibiotics to detect cell envelope stress. Great work

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Metabolic control of porin permeability influences antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli - Nature Microbiology The permeability of bacterial porins is dynamically regulated by periplasmic proton and potassium concentrations, altering antibiotic resistance.

#microsky

New on the regulation of porins function in E. coli.

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

EASTBIO How do transporters promote the fitness of Staphylococcus aureus in different host-species ? at University of Edinburgh on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - EASTBIO How do transporters promote the fitness of Staphylococcus aureus in different host-species ? at University of Edinburgh, listed on FindAPhD.com

PhD position on bacterial (Staph aureus) transporters and host-adaptation in my group @roslininstitute.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

There's just over 2 weeks left to apply for a fully funded PhD studentship with us working on C. difficile vancomycin resistance. Two more studentships - linked in the thread below - close in early January

Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered | PNAS Dihydrodichlorofluorescein derivatives have been employed as reporters of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in innumerable studies. Their...

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Competitive fitness of Staphylococcus aureus against nasal commensals depends on biotin biosynthesis and acquisition Abstract. The human nasal microbiome can serve as a reservoir for pathogens. In particular, the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can be a membe

#ISMEJournal paper from Simon Heilbronner

Competitive fitness of Staphylococcus aureus against nasal commensals depends on biotin biosynthesis and acquisition

academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...

Both the UCC and Bristol based lab members getting together in person at the Irish Division @microbiologysociety.org meeting.

New tricks for OppA! Very exciting work

High-resolution Staphylococcus profiling reveals intra-species diversity in a single skin niche The skin microbiome is dominated by a few key genera, among which Staphylococcus is one of the most well characterized. Recent studies have examined the roles of various Staphylococcus species such as...

www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

#microsky #microbiome from the @gavinhthomas.bsky.social lab in York in collab with Hull

Fermentative growth decreases the iron demand of Staphylococcus aureus Iron (Fe) is an essential nutrient for S. aureus survivability and pathogenesis, but excess Fe can catalyze the formation of toxic oxygen radicals, em…

Very happy to share some more good news. Our collaboration with Jeffrey Boyd's lab is now published at J Inorganic Biochemistry! Here, Jeff found that iron limitation reprograms S. aureus metabolism towards fermentation. We're grateful to be part of this study.

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

Defined roles for the Staphylococcus aureus POT transporter DtpT in di/tripeptide uptake and glutathione utilisation inside human macrophages Author summary The environments where bacterial pathogens thrive are often rich in proteins and their degradation products, including oligopeptides, which can be taken up by the bacterium and used as ...

Our work deciphering the substrate preferences of a di-/tripeptide transporter from S. aureus is now available as a proof at @plos.org Pathogens! Big thanks to the reviewers and to all the brilliant co-authors, particularly Callum who helped get those last few crucial experiments across the line

Cheers Emm!! Very glad to finally see this out in the world

Nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage promotes depressive behaviour in mice via sex hormone degradation - Nature Microbiology Nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus is linked with depression in a human cohort and shown in a mouse model to cause decreased serotonin and dopamine in the brain.

#NewResearch

Nasal colonisation by S. aureus is linked with depression in a human cohort and shown in a mouse model to cause decreased serotonin and dopamine in the brain

#MicroSky #Depression

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