#ProtistsOnSky no 'swimming' by 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢, definitively no 'staying still'. just a relaxed walk towards the lunch...

We are hiring postdocs :)

Thank you Katya for this piece discussing our recent work on intracellular Acinetobacter thetech.com/2026/01/15/f...

Happy Halloween!!

Congratulations Evan, or I should say Dr. Pardue now!

Acinetobacter exhibits cyrcadian rhythms! These bugs can predict the light cycles and adjust the expression of genes accordingy. Amazing collaboration with Alejandra Mussi's team from Rosario, Argentina, my city!! rdcu.be/eIQzL

I said I will never work on phages, but having @micheleleroux.bsky.social next door made me change my mind. Here is Alexis's new paper showing how different phages deal with the capsular barrier to infect Acinetobacter! A great collaboration between our labs! journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

Happy to share the last pre-print from my lab. Just in time for Evan’s thesis defense www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #microsky

The Feldman lab in the Acinetobacter conference in Niagara Falls

@benmicrobesmtg.bsky.social the organizers if the beneficial microbes conferences uninvited a scientist from the conference just based on their nationality. This act of racism should not be tolerated. I am happy I am not attending this conference. Shame on the organizers!

Highlights how the AMR crisis is also a cancer research issue Redirecting just a tiny fraction of cancer research funding to AMR would be transformative

For those who have not seen Guy Cornelis in years, here you have the pic we took today. He looks the same, its quite remarkable!!

Today I gave a talk in Namur with a special guest: Guy Cornelis, the scientist that discovered T3SS and who was my postdoc advisor. He is retired now, came to my talk. I could not resist the temptation to take a selfie when I started my seminar! Academia has these great moments

Yes! @manonjanet.bsky.social preprint is out! We show using BALF transfer that intracelular Acinetobacter baumannii can seed an infection in a susceptible mouse, suggesting that intracellular bacteria may be reservoir for recurrent infections nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

Deadline for the travel awards is tomorrow! Check the conference website for more information events.faseb.org/event/biolog...

The Feldman lab preparing the traditional empanadas for the department TGIF tomorrow.

The Acinetobacter conference will be held in USA for the first time. The program is coming soon. events.faseb.org/event/biolog...

The latest discovery from the lab and great colleagues at McMaster and U Illinois, Chicago. Lariocidin, a new lasso peptide antibiotic that inhibits the ribosome. rdcu.be/efdha

so far I'm seeing a lot of universities respond to grant terminations with "oh I guess now we don't have that grant anymore" instead of "your assertion of a grant termination is executive overreach, see you in court" So, universities: respectfully, what the fuck?

In a science round table discussion yesterday, my NJ senator @kim.senate.gov suggested a strong argument for NIH and federal funding is global competitiveness. We US-based scientists should start weaving this into our narratives.

Travel awards for trainees and early-stage investigators to attend the 2025 Acinetobacter conference are available. Deadline for applications is April 30. Please rt. events.faseb.org/event/1b872d...

Time to register to the 2025 Acinetobacter Conference in Niagara falls! Spaces are filling fast! We will soon announce some travel grants for graduate students/postdocs! events.faseb.org/event/biolog...

👇🎯 The public isn't going to understand this, unless the presidents of R1 universities around the country <loudly> & <collectively> get out into the public square & start explaining this & calling out the existential threat to the entire 🇺🇸 university system. The silence is deafening right now.

can you explain this 3 year gap in your resume? yeah the paper was under review

Program is ready and registration is open! Acinetobacter aficionados join us in Niagara Falls for some days of great science. events.faseb.org/event/biolog...

For the sake of humanity, it's time to get out there and Stand Up For Science!! Spread the word!

Some good news: BV study section is being rescheduled for end of March beginning of April, process just started. Fingers crossed!

On March 7th we will Stand Up For Science! You can use the link to find the protest location in your city. standupforscience2025.org

The Pope is in critical condition due to a"polymicrobial infection” of the lungs. What is this? An infection caused by multiple “germs”, most likely bacteria given the severity of the condition. One of many examples on why microbiology research matters. www.livescience.com/health/virus...

The presidents of all universities should hold a press conference together at the National Press Club in Washington DC condemning the attacks on science and universities and outline the stakes for all Americans. 1/

The National Institutes of Health had to stop considering new grant applications, delaying funding for research into diseases ranging from heart disease and cancer to Alzheimer's and allergies.

Next time a fiend or family member needs a new treatment for cancer, autoimmune diseases, infections or mental health issues, remember the Trump administration stopped ALL research in USA

Nice reporting by Ben Mueller on the Federal Register block www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/s...

The Bacterial Virulence study section that was scheduled for today was cancelled…today! We just got the communication this morning. This is disheartening…

Incredible: Russ Vought’s daughter has cystic fibrosis and benefits from a “miracle drug” made possible by the National Institutes of Health—an agency Vought now aims to gut as part of the Project 2025 attack www.motherjones.com/politics/202... Scoop from @motherjones.com’s @metrauxjulia.bsky.social

Heterologous protein over-expression in E. coli is now woke because of 'inclusion bodies'

Super proud to see our startup Omniose involved in these very important studies with several world leaders in the Klebsiella field. This will guide our and other’s efforts to get a vaccine against Klebsiella!

Apologies for this long post I put together to explain to non-scientists the impact of NIH cuts: Last night, an “atomic bomb” was dropped on the biomedical science community. We were informed that effective immediately, indirect costs on NIH grants (both current and future) would be fixed at 15%.

this is a good time to note that the proposed candidate for NIH director has never run a lab, cared for patients, led a major research and healthcare institution, or been a principal investigator on an NIH grant

New pre print! We establish an ex vivo blood vessel model to investigate the effect of infection on vascular physiology in real time. We show Klebsiella inhibits vasodilation in a T6SS-dependent manner by targeting eNOs. Superb work by @safimicro.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Academic Skyers: I am compiling a list of policies and statements from various universities about how they are handling the "pause" in terms of stopping expenditures (or not). Please respond to this post with your institution and materials. THANK YOU!

I think some people hear “grants” and think that without them, scientists and government workers just have less stuff to play with at work. But grants fund salaries for students, academics, researchers, and people who work in all areas of public service. “Pausing” grants means people don’t eat.

Let’s stop treating "leaving academia" as negative. Scientists train for academia, industry, or what suits them. Industry isn’t an alternative; it’s a choice. In fields like engineering, most PhDs go to industry, and no one calls it "leaving academia." We should train scientists for diverse paths.

Interested in microbial #metabolism, #mucosalbiology and #UTI? Then check out the open postdoctoral position in the Mucosal Immunology Group at ETH Zurich! NB: All applications must go via the ETH job portal: www.jobs.ethz.ch/job/view/JOP... Closing date: 24th Feburary 🧪🧫🔬

Come and join our team at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital! We are seeking a Sr Scientist to advance our research on immune responses to infection/vaccination. This is a financially stable position offering a highly competitive salary and excellent benefits. talent.stjude.org/careers/jobs...

Interesting, new regulatory role of peptidoglycan

www.nature.com/articles/s41... New paper out!!