The next International Conference on Gram-Positive Bacteria will take place between 29 June – 2 July 2027 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

#subtiwiki

The Bourgeois Lab is recruiting a postdoc to work on our DoD-funded human genetics project aimed at understanding Lyme disease outcomes.

wpi.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/WPI_External...

A graph from the from page of the NIH Reporter website showing the number of extramural awards award by month for fiscal years 2022-2026. The curve for fiscal year 2026 lies below the other curves.

My NIH update

Let me start by saying again how glad I am that NIH is now posting these curves on the Reporter front page.

It is satisfying that leading by example from outside has led to this change and (I hope) reflects a commitment for NIH_leadership™ to hold itself accountable for this.

1/6

NIH Fellowship awards for FY2025 by race The NIH Data Book page reporting Research Project Grants (RPG) and Fellowship awards by race has been updated for FY2025. Completely unsurprisingly, despite the impression that may have been convey…

NIH Fellowship awards for FY2025 by race drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2026/03/19/n...

White House stalls release of approved US science budgets The US Congress rejected sweeping cuts to science agencies. But the NIH, the NSF and NASA have had their spending slowed.

Congress rejected massive cuts to US science budgets for 2026, but much of the money still isn’t flowing to researchers.

The culprit? The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is quietly slow-walking the release of funds. 🧵👇

BREAKING: The Department of Education has ended its directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide.

This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.

The CspC:CspA heterodimer transduces germinant and co-germinant signals during Clostridioides difficile spore germination Unlike other bacteria, C. difficile must detect both a germinant signal and a co-germinant signal to trigger spore germination, but how these cues are sensed is unknown. This study finds that the CspC...

The CspC:CspA heterodimer transduces germinant and co-germinant signals during Clostridioides difficile spore germination dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

This Friday, February 13th, we'll have our first ☕️ Coffee Hours ☕️ event of the year at 12-1 PM (EST)! Check your emails for the Zoom link. If you're not yet signed up for our newsletter, you can do so at prideinmicrobiology.github.io! 🏳️‍🌈

#PrideInSTEM #Microbiology #PrideinMicrobiology

Do you:
1) Live near/in Buffalo?
2) Like to organize stuff?
3) Hate what the government is doing to science?

If you answered yes, help me organize the Stand Up for Science rally on March 7th! I need reps from UB, Buff State, Canisius, D’Youville to spread the word. I need general support. DM me!

Postdoc, Postgrad, and Research Intern Vacancies Browse Postoc and Research Intern vacancies at UW–Madison.

Postdoc position available in my lab! Project will focus on how the microbiome-derived metabolite butyrate shapes C. difficile fitness and pathogenesis & will build on our previous/ongoing work in this space. Apply here:
hr.wisc.edu/postdoc-and-...

Very cool analysis of sporulation genes in the Paenibacillaceae from the @heatherfeaga.bsky.social group! 🤩

rince & JB Editor's Choice: Lin, Prince & Feaga identified sporulation genes via analyzing almost 1500 genomes. They show that that an unusual membrane-localized variant of Spo0B is found throughout Paenibacillaceae.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriology

We are hiring postdocs :)

Model for Clostridioides difficile germination. Top: Model of the C. difficile proteins required for germination during sporulation. From left to right: interdomain processing of the CspBA fusion protein by the protease YabG occurs in the spore coat layer; heterodimerization of CspC and CspA and homodimerization of CspB; and loading of key germination proteins into the cortex region of the mature spore. Bottom right: Model of a C. difficile spore undergoing germination. Sensing of germinant and co-germinant signals (either directly or indirectly) by the CspC:CspA heterodimer (1) leads to the heterodimer adopting an active conformation (2). Bottom left: CspC:CspA heterodimer space-filling model. Residues at the center of the CspC:CspA heterodimer binding interface (I.) play important roles in transducing germinant and co-germinant signals, while residues at the periphery of the binding interface (II.) help stabilize the complex. Signal transduction by the CspC:CspA heterodimer initiates the activation of CspB (either directly or indirectly) (3). Active CspB then proteolytically activates the cortex-lytic enzyme SleC (4), which will go on to degrade the spore cortex (5), allowing for rehydration of the spore core and resumption of metabolic activity.

Unlike other #bacteria, C. difficile must detect both germinant & co-germinant signals to trigger #spore #germination. This study finds that the CspC:CspA complex is a key signaling node that integrates environmental cues to regulate #Cdifficile spore germination @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4rtCKdZ

My department at Washington State University is recruiting an Assistant or Associate Professor in vector-borne disease 🕷️🦟🦠

Full job description is linked below.

Come join us on the Palouse!

📢 🏳️🌈🦠
We are expanding our matching program for 2SLGBTQIA+ microbiologists! Whether you need a mentor, a collaborator, or community support, we can help you.

🔗 Mentorship & Geo-matching:
tinyurl.com/5cdyppys

🔗 Research Interest Groups:
tinyurl.com/4p88bm4k

#Microbiology #QueerInSTEM

You may have voted for him. You may have supported what he said Operation Metro Surge was going to be.

But it’s okay to say you changed your mind. It’s okay to say he’s gone too far.

Can’t do good science in an unfree country. Defund ICE.

Alex Pretti wasn't a terrorist. He was a VA nurse. YouTube video by Senator Elizabeth Warren

Donald Trump and Kristi Noem think you will believe them over your own eyes. No.

Alex Pretti wasn't a terrorist. He was a VA nurse.

When agents pushed a woman to the ground, he tried to help her up. His last words were “Are you okay?”

Enough.

Kristi Noem should resign.

Like many of you, I have seen this video, and I'm demanding answers.

My team has reached out to ICE repeatedly and have yet to get clear answers.

[1/2]

The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.

CNN: DHS officials have come to FEMA staff and told them to limit the use of the word ice…they are worried that by posting something like, watch out for the ice, that it's going to become a meme….

Once it became clear that an ICE agent could commit murder in broad daylight with no consequences except the VPOTUS defending him with no heed to the facts and instead vilifying and prosecuting the victim, we opened the door to roving death squads.

But there is no statute of limitations for murder.

Unreal. Are witnesses being detained by ICE now? Where are the witnesses??

Cuban Detainee in El Paso ICE Facility Died by Homicide, Autopsy Shows

ABOLISH 👏🏼 DEFUND 👏🏼 IMPEACH 👏🏼 WTF is happening

Cuban Detainee in El Paso ICE Facility Died by Homicide, Autopsy Shows www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/u...

🚨HOLY CRAP. An ICE whistleblower just revealed a secret memo authorizing ICE officers to break into homes without a judicial warrant, which DHS's own legal training materials say is unconstitutional!

ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.

Gulf Research Program Science Policy Fellowships The Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship helps scientists hone their skills by putting them to practice for the benefit of Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems. Fellows gain first-hand e...

Are you a graduate student or postdoc who wants to apply your science to policy?

The Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship provides experience for one year on the staff of federal, state, local, NGO in the Gulf region and impt networking.
www.nationalacademies.org/programs/GUL...

A single DNA methylation site regulates cell fate during Clostridioides difficile sporulation DNA methylation is a widespread phenomenon in bacteria that can regulate gene expression, although the mechanisms underlying this epigenetic regulation are often poorly understood. In Clostridioides d...

A single DNA methylation site regulates cell fate during Clostridioides difficile sporulation www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Congratulations Ruth!!! Such exciting news!! 🥳🥳