An RNA structural switch controlling bacterial toxin translation Abstract. Type I toxin–antitoxin systems (T1TAs) rely on tight posttranscriptional control to prevent inadvertent toxin synthesis, yet the molecular mechan

New paper from the lab! Spearheaded by soon-to-be doctor Athina Eleftheraki. Fantastic collaboration with Anaïs Le Rhun lab at Uni Bordeaux! academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Excited to share the first preprint from the lab! We show that ApeA defends against RNA phage infection by cleaving the phage genome:

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

Highly recommend this! I would’ve applied myself if I didn’t need to stay in Germany

Flyer for CSHA Conference on Bacterial Infection & Host Defense

Deadline extended to March 27th for the CSHA conference on Bacterial Infection & Host Defense May 11-15, 2026! We have a fantastic list of speakers and opportunities for abstract talks. For full details, please visit the conference webpage: www.csh-asia.org?content/2975. Hope to see you in Suzhou!

Excited to host A/Prof Lars Barquist @lbarquist.bsky.social from @utoronto.ca and @helmholtz-hiri.bsky.social at Macquarie University for a fantastic workshop on RNAseq experimental design and analysis! Thanks to the FSE Multiomics Centre for sponsoring!

🧬 RNAMed is hiring!

Apply for one of 11 fully funded PhD positions in RNA medicine and work with leading RNA experts in an international, interdisciplinary environment.

📅 Deadline: 24 March 2026

More info & apply:
lnkd.in/eX7fQcJi

Check out the latest paper by @carmen-aguilar.bsky.social, which also involved our #HIRI group leader @emmanuel-saliba.bsky.social and his lab. It was recently published in @natmicrobiol.nature.com: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Congratulations to all authors! 👏🎉

Mrx6 binds the Lon protease Pim1 N-terminal domain to confer selective substrate specificity and regulate mtDNA copy number Abstract. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number regulation remains incompletely understood, despite its importance in cellular function. In Saccharomyces c

Our new paper is out 🎉 in @narjournal.bsky.social
A fascinating complex composed of Mrx6, Mam33, and Pim1 controls #mtDNA copy number by regulating Lon-dependent substrate turnover in #yeast.
Congrats to @simonrecyclable.bsky.social, all co-authors and collaborators!
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Intramacrophage RIL-seq uncovers an RNA antagonist of the Salmonella virulence-associated small RNA PinT Abstract. Salmonella virulence chiefly relies upon two major pathogenicity islands, SPI-1 and SPI-2, which enable host cell invasion and intracellular surv

RIL-seq boosts the study of sRNAs. Here comes its first application to intracellular bacteria. Plus, 10 years after its characterization, we now present an RNA sponge of Salmonella PinT.
Congrats to @kooshapour.bsky.social & great collaboration w/ @jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/nar/...

Looking for a new approach to studying or eliminating phages? Check out our study introducing anti-phage ASOs (antisense oligos) out in @Nature today. nature.com/articles/s4158…

Congrats to Ann-Sophie Rüttiger who successfully defended her PhD this week! 🎓
She focused on global RNA-binding proteins in Bacteroides—bacteria lacking Hfq, ProQ, CsrA, Khp—culminating in the discovery of a post-transcriptional network governed by RbpB (www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55383-8).

An RNA regulates iron homeostasis and host mucus colonization in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Symbiotic bacteria in the human intestinal microbiota provide many pivotal functions to human health and occupy distinct biogeographic niches within the gut. Yet the molecular basis underlying niche-s...

New preprint from the lab, in collaboration with Wenhan Zhu (U Vanderbilt): using dual RNA-seq during B. theta colonization of the host mucous layer, we identify IroR--an iron-response sRNA that tunes capsule expression and facilitates adaptation to iron limitation.
doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.08.672848

Convergent evolution of distinct D-ribulose utilisation pathways in attaching and effacing pathogens - Nature Communications Cottam et al. identify distinct pathways for D-ribulose utilisation in pathogenic Escherichia coli and Citrobacter rodentium, providing mechanistic details and suggesting convergent evolution towards ...

Absolutely delighted to share the labs latest work. We identify and characterise two pathways for D-ribulose utilisation in pathogenic EHEC and Citrobacter.

Ablation of polysaccharide breakdown in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron prevents cross-feeding and growth of Salmonella Typhimurium in the mouse gut Pathogens invading the intestine compete for nutrients with the resident microbiota. However, there is evidence that commensal members of the gut also provide nutritional resources to enteropathogens ...

Latest preprint from the lab: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
In this study lead by @lenaamend.bsky.social from the group, we explore carbon cross-feeding between a gut commensal and an enteropathogen. Can we counter infection by cutting sugar supply to pathogens?

Can Germany rein in its academic bullying problem? Researchers and administrators are exploring ways to restructure a rigid hierarchy that can breed power abuses.

Bullying is rife in academia. But in Germany, structural and legal systems enable and embolden a few bad eggs who choose to abuse their power.

Shining a light on these problems is painful for those affected, but is an important step on the long road to reform 🧪

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Thank you Alex!☺️

Intramacrophage RIL-seq uncovers an RNA antagonist of the Salmonella virulence-associated small RNA PinT Salmonella virulence chiefly relies upon two major pathogenicity islands, SPI-1 and SPI-2, which enable host cell invasion and intracellular survival, respectively. There has been increasing evidence ...

Some say, important sRNAs can be recognized by having their own “sponge” 🧽. Well, here comes InvS: a sponge of PinT (and vice versa). Congrats to @kooshapour.bsky.social and @ginlaca.bsky.social on their great work! doi.org/10.1101/2025...

A new RIL-seq experiment, now to study host-pathigen interactions! Congrats to the @westermannlab.bsky.social and colleagues!

Thanks! :)

30S-seq redefines the bacterial Ribosome Binding Site The translation initiation step is rate limiting for the efficiency of gene expression in all organisms. However, the mechanism of ribosome recruitment to mRNA start sites strikingly differs between e...

I am thrilled to share this new preprint from our lab!
We find (>800!) 30S binding sites in hundreds of 5'UTRs, but also new dynamic steps of translation initiation.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Congrats to all co-authors at the RNA control of gene expression lab, IBPC CNRS
(Thread, 1/6)

New preprint from @westermannlab.bsky.social about a pair of antagonistic #Salmonella sRNAs. Check it out 👇🏻

Transcriptomic profiling of individual bacteria by MATQ-seq - Nature Protocols Bacterial single-cell sequencing via MATQ-seq combines index sorting, random priming and rRNA depletion, and offers high cell retention and transcript capture rates, making it ideal for experiments wi...

If you want to do single-cell RNA-seq on your favourite bacterium, here‘s our detailed Nature Protocol for microbial MATQ-seq. It profiles up to 600 genes in a single bacterial cell!

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

Intramacrophage RIL-seq uncovers an RNA antagonist of the Salmonella virulence-associated small RNA PinT www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04....