What happens when Klebsiella's capsule locus is swapped? Unexpectedly little in terms of cell growth. Yet, it does change the bacterium's environment and interactions with it: evolution by seamless plug-and-play capsule swap. Led by @julielebris.bsky.social @olayarendueles.bsky.social

Our latest manuscript explores capsule exchangeability & phenotypic portability We didn’t directly address its role in #virulence ⏩️ that was already elegantly shown here—worth a look 👀👇🏻 doi.org/10.1371/jour... 🎯 Their results supports our plug-and-play model! Bonus: we kept 🐭 alive #microsky

So happy to see this finally published in @plosbiology.org! This is the first chapter of @julielebris.bsky.social PhD thesis demonstrating how capsules are exchanged by plug-and-play dynamics w/ @epcrocha.bsky.social #microsky @klebclub.bsky.social Link below- Check out her 🧵 for more details!

How do multi-gene systems evolve across genetic backgrounds without disruptive epistasis? @julielebris.bsky.social @olayarendueles.bsky.social &co show the #Klebsiella capsule locus is a plug&play module that swaps with low fitness cost while preserving #virulence @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4s64Ko0

🦠 How does #Salmonella find #iron in the gut? @ferrytin.bsky.social & colleagues show acidic pH pushes it to switch from using endogeneous to exogeneous #siderophores—revealing a flexible, pH-driven iron uptake strategy. 👉 buff.ly/90EZoqQ

🦠 Beyond classic probiotics: @schmitzstreitslab.bsky.social lab reveals diverse #Bacteroidota gut strains that block #biofilms of major pathogens. Many also disrupt quorum sensing & show bile salt hydrolase activity—expanding the #microbiome toolbox against infection. 👉 buff.ly/sjPk8ZD

New preprint out on bioRxiv! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... Can conjugative plasmids be used to control plasmid and pathogen spread? Follow me down the rabbit hole that led to this story 🧵

🧬 Dive into the small proteome of Methanosarcina mazei (across 5 conditions)! A key resource by @schmitzstreitslab.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de for uncovering #smallproteins functions, motifs and proteoforms in #archaea. 👉 buff.ly/HJOi3E0

🦠 @laurentterradot.bsky.social lab reviews #Brucella’s #T4SS—a key virulence factor—covering its structure, function, and growing effector arsenal. It also explores how effectors enter host cells, opening new paths to understand and target infection. 🔬 👉 buff.ly/KW4kVN4

My team at @cbitoulouse.bsky.social is recruiting a postdoc #bioinformatics with solid experience in metagenomic analyses. Interest in evolution, ecology & MGEs is important. The offer stands until the perfect candidate is found, and it could be you 🫵 🔁 🙏 #microSky #phagesky #UTIsky @cnrs.fr

@archaellum.bsky.social lab reveals how #cdiAMP and 4 RCK proteins shape osmotic stress responses in H. volcanii 🧬🦠. In highly halophilic #archaea, c-di-AMP coordinates ion balance and cell volume—mirroring bacterial strategies for environmental stress adaptation. 👉 buff.ly/ApWkCtg

Review –by J. Yuan @mpimicrobiomarburg.bsky.social, HG. Koch & B. Berghoff— highlights bacterial small membrane proteins (SMPs) 🧫: from regulating membrane targets and insertion pathways to toxin roles. SMPs also offer potential as tools and templates for new antibiotics.💊 👉 buff.ly/9UzCwF2

As 2026 begins, the EAM, @Vdlorenzo.bsky.social, Paul B. Rainey and many others remind us the urgency of renewing support to Society Journals and, taking action to reward quality research and curb predatory publishing. 👉 buff.ly/V36xgMO 👉 buff.ly/T8QE90G

🦠Insight into the resilient world of prokaryotes! Koch lab – @sfb1381.bsky.social – reveals that E.coli use small membrane proteins (YohP & YncL) to condense their DNA & slow down metabolism, helping them survive to stresses. 🧬 buff.ly/dMzcQsP

Everything you need to explain AMR to family and friends-12: @pablolaborda.bsky.social @crisherencias.bsky.social @pharmageddon.bsky.social @ecdc.europa.eu @eberllab.bsky.social @klebclub.bsky.social ‪ @olayarendueles.bsky.social‬ the ESKAPE Rogues www.imili-eah.com/prod-api/pro...

New insights into #Hpylori’s virulence machinery 🕵️🧪 Josenhans lab & coll. unravel new interactions between CagT4SS surface proteins and outer membrane proteins HopQ & HopZ—key for host interaction and #proinflammatory signaling. 🦠 @lmumuenchen.bsky.social 👉 buff.ly/toApn0c

🦠 Small changes, big defense! Jordan Vacheron & coll. show specific SNPs in #Pseudomonas protegens CHA0 (algC & ykcC) remodel LPS to block #phage ΦGP100—while growth, competitiveness & root colonization stay intact, in lab conditions. 🧬 @unil.bsky.social 👉 buff.ly/MFOH2er

What can an “orphan” #Cas4 do? 🧫 In #archaea M. mazei, Solo-Cas4 cleaves dsDNA in a metal-dependent manner and is upregulated in stationary phase—hinting at roles in stress or DNA metabolism. Biochemical characterization by Schmitz lab @uni-kiel.de 👉 buff.ly/kpz0yZ1

#C.albicans invades tissues as hyphae but spreads as yeast, How? @jlspragu.bsky.social & coll. show yeast can reach the bloodstream by hitchhiking with invasive hyphae or by switching forms. 🧫 More clues for understanding systemic infections ! 👉 buff.ly/0vklJeb

🔍 From rods to stars, bacteria craft their shapes using bPBPs & GTases. Garcia-del Portillo lab’s global analysis reveals unexpected diversity & flexibility in these morphogenetic complexes. 🦠 @cnb-csic.bsky.social 👉 Read more : buff.ly/D0pMhMr

De-DUFing the DUFs 🧩 @franznarberhaus.bsky.social lab uncovers how small DUF1127 proteins regulate #phosphate uptake by binding the sensor kinase PhoR. Their conserved role from Agrobacterium to E. coli highlights how even small DUFs can shape bacterial physiology 🦠 buff.ly/jJd9Eho

New insights from #CRISPR-Cas systems! 🧬 @cyanolab.bsky.social reveals that in the #cyanobacteria Synechocystis, RNase J works with RNase E to mature CRISPR3 RNAs—key for RNA-based immune defense. RNase J can also team up with PNPase in a degradosome-like complex. buff.ly/CrxiQPy

New tools unlock #Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus’s predatory secrets 🦠. By combining inducible gene expression with #CRISPRi-mediated depletion for precise control of essential genes, @lalouxlab.bsky.social uncovered new insights into its unique lifecycle and cell division. buff.ly/FcDzAY4

Entretien pour Brut sur la vie Miroir, l'ingénierie génétique et l'éthique de ces recherches: www.brut.media/fr/videos/sc...

A new subgroup of #CRISPR-associated transposons, V-K_V2, has been discovered in Nostocales #cyanobacteria by @cyanolab.bsky.social & colleagues 🧬. Its unique features suggest genetic mobility and V2 tracrRNAs are now included in the updated CRISPRtracrRNA tool. buff.ly/gioIfEB

Some #Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains naturally lack the major virulence system T3SS. 🦠 @inaattree.bsky.social & @cbuch.bsky.social labs reveal that avirulent isolates still produce valuable metabolites (e.g. rhamnolipids, elastase, pyoverdine)—making them promising for #biotech use. buff.ly/JST7ZR1

Phages are promising against antibiotic-resistant bacteria—but resistance can emerge. 🦠 New work from @baerboletta.bsky.social lab shows E. coli can resist phages in the lab, but in the gut that resistance comes at a cost: context is crucial for #PhageTherapy success. buff.ly/NLOjnE2

Cyril Anjou, 2e candidat au prix de thèse nous a présenté ses travaux sur les rôles physiologiques des systèmes thioredoxine de Clostridioides difficile, impliqués dans les étapes du cycle de vie de la bactérie, ainsi que sur l’intérêt thérapeutique potentiel de la modulation de leur expression.🦠

🦠 Mycobacteria aren't just tough, they're interior designers! 🦠 Check out our latest #preprint 🚨, led by our PhD student @camimille.bsky.social , where we show that #Mycobacterium tuberculosis builds secret cytoplasmic membranes to adapt its metabolism and sneak past immunity 🤫 Thread coming soon!

New tool alert! 🚀 MCAAT uses de Bruijn graphs to detect #CRISPR arrays in #metagenomes, capturing data lost in assemblies. A step forward in uncovering the hidden diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems. By Talibli & Voß buff.ly/QMX9yIe

Archaea thrive in harsh niches that challenge DNA integrity. 🧬 In H. volcanii, Sailer et al. revealed Cas1 & Hel308a as new Microhomology-Mediated End Joining (MMEJ) players, expanding the toolkit for archaeal genomes repair. buff.ly/lnyY7JF

How do bacteria choose what type of defences to use against phages? We explored that question in the last paper I worked on as a postdoc at the Uni of Exeter @uniofexeteresi.bsky.social with Stineke van Houte, Stefano Pagliara and Edze Westra (not on Bluesky) doi.org/10.1098/rstb...

How complex functions, with important physiological and evolutionary impacts get repeatedly and efficiently transferred across genomes? That’s what we explored using one of the fastest-evolving loci in Bacteria: the capsule locus. The paper: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Thread👇

Check out @julielebris.bsky.social’s thread on our latest manuscript describing phenotypic heterogeneity in capsule production in Klebsiella & Acinetobacter @klebclub.bsky.social This work started when I was still in @pasteur.fr & got finished in @cbitoulouse.bsky.social #microsky #phagesky

Delighted to share our recently published work! Ever wondered how Klebsiella (and others) deals with capsule production’s costs ? The paper: journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... Thread👇

#CRISPR is more than Cas9 ✂️ 🧬 @BeiselLab reveals a short tracrRNA from S. pyogenes is toxic in L. paracasei, even without Cas9, underscoring challenges of using CRISPR-Cas9 in non-native hosts. #microsky buff.ly/qWjkxdK

#phagesky I am looking for phages infecting Streptococcus pneumoniae to test a phenotype - does anyone have some and willing to share ? Repost appreciated :)

Looking forward to #ESEB2025 Day 1! In this meeting, the team has two talks: I’ll present coevolutionary dynamics between bacteria & their prophages in S43 Tuesday PM & @julielebris.bsky.social will speak on Thursday AM, S34, on phenotypic heterogeneity of capsule expression.

🔬 We’re past the midpoint of the year; perfect time to look back at what’s been discovered so far. From how Salmonella slows its escape from immune cells to the microbes thriving in oil reservoirs, these are the most-read #microLife papers of 2025 so far: buff.ly/TfhOvEc

Manuscript accepted just in time for #ESEB2025 @eseb2025.bsky.social @julielebris.bsky.social will present phenotypic heterogeneity in some #ESKAPE pathogens 🧫 ! S34.01 - Mechanisms of adaptation to changing conditions in microorganisms Those not going to Barcelona, stay tuned for details!

🌍 Health isn’t just about medicine. #WHO’s Health in All Policies (HiAP) shows every sector—transport, housing, economy—shapes our health. 🏙️ Since all human activity impacts the microbiosphere—life’s foundation—HiAP must go #microbial. 🧫 🔬 Read the editorial by K.Timmis & colleagues: buff.ly/pcOjL6h

#Actinomycetes are rich in #CRISPR-Cas systems—many with unique features—yet their roles remain largely unknown.🧬 Mitousis et al. review highlights the need to explore these systems to unlock better genetic tools & new #naturalproducts.🦠 ⚙️ @unituebingen.bsky.social buff.ly/84sehNp

Why do #phages make short #endolysin isoforms? 🧬🦠 Dunne team in @ethz.ch, using Staph φ2638A, reveals both full-length and short variants form heterodimers to boost lysis & phage release—explaining conserved internalTSSs in phage genomes! buff.ly/1I0H9ya

Respiratory syncytial #virus (RSV) causes serious lung infections in infants & older adults. Brüssow @KU_Leuven reviewed decades of #RSV research, from failed vaccines to F protein–based breakthroughs. 🦠✨A comprehensive look at key #milestones in RSV prevention. buff.ly/DQKw3Cw

The methylcitrate cycle (MCC) – a lesser-known cousin of the TCA cycle – plays a key role in pathogenic fungi & bacteria. 🦠✨ Absent in humans, Korn and colleagues @uni-jena.de‬ highlight its potential as a new #DrugTarget & #biotech tool. #Microsky buff.ly/TZNGfZS

In the #Archaea H. volcanii, Marchfelder lab deleted all 4 #proviruses (∆Halfvol1–4) and found: ⬆️ Swarming & chemotaxis ⬆️ H₂O₂ resistance ⬆️ Cell elongation ⬇️ CRISPR expression Turns out, these proviruses are active and likely cause chronic infection!🧬🦠 buff.ly/SSXPfdz

🦠 Bacteria and archaea fine-tune CRISPR immunity by silencing ‘extraneous’ CRISPR RNAs (ecrRNAs) that could sabotage defense. Weinberg’s lab @UniLeipzig & @BeiselLab reveal 3 strategies in type II-C systems that mitigate ecrRNAs and maintain precision. ✂️🧬 buff.ly/xcSOMpG

🦠 Dreaming of tracking real-time colony growth? SelinaRust, RandauLab built SMARTIS for you: a remote-controlled, smartphone-based time-lapse imaging system. 🔬📱 Early heterogeneity spotted within hours for cells with Type IV-A1 CRISPR-Cas activity! @unimarburg.bsky.social buff.ly/BBzh7cY

Don't miss the 4rth and last session of @klebclub.bsky.social focusing on #Klebsiella as part of complex microbial communities ! Our keynote speaker will be Kevin Foster, followed by some #phage talks from Mark Mimee and Sara Forsstrom! #microsky #phagesky Registration is free but necessary!

🦠 #Paeruginosa survival inside macrophages is a major challenge. Using mathematical modeling, Dimitriew & Schuster (@UniJena) unveiled how PA defends against the immune system and pinpointed potential new drug targets to combat #infections. 🔬♟️ buff.ly/G8l5Xgy