Delighted to say that we have been funded by BBSRC to do some exciting science on how bacteria prevent accumulation of antibiotics - www.ukri.org/news/powerin...

Some old buildings in Gloucestershire from the weekend

New PhDs in my lab starting 2026! Funded projects as part of the MIBTP centre (funded by BBSRC) now open for applications: warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa... Are you interested in biofilms? We have a couple of projects - looking at the links between energy metabolism and biofilms - and electricity!

Job opportunity in my lab! We're looking for a post-doc to come join us for an exciting project exploring the evolution of #AMR and #hypervirulence in #klebsiella. Please share!! @unibirmingham.bsky.social Details: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOV067/r...

New preprint! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... GFP is a useful protein to optimise production of proteins in the cytoplasm, but does not work well in the periplasm. We tested if two newer variants of GFP (sfGPF and cfSGFP2) can be used to improve periplasmic protein production.

Had a great time in London this week, including a visit to the always excellent Japan House for their exhibition of pictograms

New paper! A fun collaboration with Aneika Leney's group (@leneyms.bsky.social), looking for cyanobacteria in lake water using novel mass spectrometry approaches (and comparing with flow cytometry) pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

A surprise sighting yesterday in Birmingham - two Scarlet Tiger moths on a car tyre!

Exciting new PhD project! Are you interested in the microbiology of the mouth, and how we could develop new oral care products to reduce harmful bacteria while helping beneficial ones? Fully funded by EPSRC (UK students only) and working with Colgate. www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/co...

Back at work now but Scotland last week was pretty good

Chiffchaff singing outside my office window reminds me that spring is very much here.

Concert today in symphony hall - Stravinsky!

Feb. 2, 1925: Dogs save the city of Nome, Alaska. A team of huskies races into the dipththeria-stricken city dragging a sled that carries enough antitoxin to halt the epidemic. The last leg of the heroic relay is directed by musher Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog, Balto. 1/10

Tomorrow - playing with solihullsymphony.org.uk in Dorridge, an Opera Gala with Puccini / Wagner / Verdi et al.

It's been a terrible week. A terrible, terrible week. The worst people on earth are full of energy and vigour, the best are defined by anxiety and self-doubt. Here are three simple rules to surviving the next four years, because by God we'll need them iandunt.substack.com/p/a-little-b...

I'm trying to listen to some new music this year, and starting alphabetically on spotify. This week's discovery - Hendrik Andriessen, father of Louis Andriessen

I find it comforting that I'm partly made up of bacteria and fungi and other little critters. My microbiota make me want to be gentle with myself, even when I'm having a bad day. How cool is it to be a planet that has the capacity to think about and even love its inhabitants?

Concert tomorrow with the Solihull Symphony Orchestra - marking Bruckner 200 with a performance of his 4th Symphony. Quite a bit for the 📯 to do! solihullsymphony.org.uk/our-next-con...

I have three PhD studentships available currently through the MIBTP DTP warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa... on different aspects of the respiratory microbiome, interaction with mucin with @lucyicm.bsky.social, the resistome with Dr Michelle Buckner and pathobionts with @bacterioskeptic.bsky.social

New lab motto

MIBTP PhD applications are now open! There are three associated with my lab.1) infant gut microbes and human milk oligosaccharides with @halllab.bsky.social 2) respiratory microbiome nutrition with Mike Cox 3) mucus-producing organoids with Amanda Rossiter! 🧪✨ warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...

New PhD projects as part of the BBSRC-funded MIBTP scheme! Fully funded and open to home and overseas students! Are you interested in bioprocesses, antimicrobial resistance, virulence, or biofilms?

Incredible graphic - the myriad of ways that bacteria defend themselves against antibiotics. 14 resistance mechanisms, summarised by Idan Yelin & Roy Kishony in Cell www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

New paper! What happens when you apply vibration to bacteria? We asked this question for E. coli and revealed that attachment decreases. This response requires live cells and involves membrane potential. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

New paper! Deactivating efflux pumps results in major changes to bacterial physiology. We demonstrate that knockout of the major efflux pump AcrB results in changes to membrane potential. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...