UBC Microbiology and Immunology

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Congratulations to Professor Emerita Pauline Johnson for being awarded the @cdnimmunol.bsky.social's 2026 Gillian E. Wu Mentorship Award! The award recognizes a CSI member who has made outstanding contributions to the mentoring of scientists at all levels. Learn more: bit.ly/3MTdq2s

"I was genuinely surprised and honoured. Competitions like this create space to think across disciplines and push beyond conventional scientific boundaries. Engaging with other submissions through the QSpace Forums was enjoyable."
@ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social
qspace.fqxi.org/competitions/winners/17

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Calling all MBIM alumni! We'd love to learn what you're up to, invite you to participate in mentoring and networking opportunities, and feature you on our website and social media!

To help us keep in touch, please complete this survey: lnkd.in/gqTscH_H

Laboratory courses provide a valuable forum for transforming learning into hands-on experience. They also present unique challenges for students with disabilities.

Our teaching instructors are working to enhance accessibility in the lab. Read more: mbim.ubc.ca/news/enhanci...

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Join today at 12:30 in LSC 3!
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Research led by François Jean reveals compounds with broad-spectrum antiviral activity that protect mice from influenza A. The findings could launch new drugs to treat not only flu but a larger family of viruses that work via the same mechanism.
Read more: bit.ly/4qm2esT

Glowing bacterial sensors detect gut illness in mice before symptoms emerge UBC researchers have engineered gut bacteria that dim their fluorescent glow in the presence of illness.

UBC researchers have engineered gut bacteria that dim their fluorescent glow in the presence of illness.

Their findings, published in Cell, could improve gut diagnostics by using bacteria that already live there.

Read more: bit.ly/4kfzQaf
@science.ubc.ca @news.ubc.ca

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Dr. Jeff Dong has joined @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social as a new Assistant Professor! 👋

Dr. Dong’s research is aimed at uncovering the physiological role of oxidized phosphatidylcholines, molecules he first encountered during his PhD at UBC: https://bit.ly/3Np9J4r

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"With further studies in humans, we hope to understand whether there are situations in which, for specific patients, these procedures may put them at risk of disease exacerbation," said Dr. Carolina Tropini. @ctropini.bsky.social @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social

bit.ly/4aRZnDU

Research paves the way for safer colonoscopy bowel prep for people with compromised gut health New preclinical research suggests bowel preparation for colonoscopies may temporarily alter gut balance, with unappreciated effects in at-risk patients.

A new UBC study could help guide strategies to make colonoscopies safer for people with inflammatory bowel disease, who undergo the procedure more frequently than the general population.
@ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social

science.ubc.ca/news/2026-01...

Congratulations to the 2025-26 recipients of the Zymeworks Inc. – MSL – MBIM Fellowships in Advanced Protein Therapeutics: Marie Johns from the Jefferies lab and Abishek Wadhwa from the Harder lab! Learn more about their research projects: mbim.ubc.ca/node/1400

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Join us tomorrow at 12:30 in LSC 3!
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Genetically Encoded Sensors for Monitoring Intracellular Redox Health of the Pathogenic Fungus Cryptococcus neoformans Redox sensing and regulation are critical to both the survival and virulence strategies used by the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans to evade host immunity and establish infection. However, the precise genetic and biochemical mechanisms driving these redox regulation systems in the context of fungal virulence are unclear. To address this limitation, we designed genetically encoded redox sensors optimized for expression in C. neoformans and linked these sensors to cryptococcal redox proteins for real-time monitoring of intracellular redox status. Using these sensors, we established several fluorescence-based techniques for monitoring dose-responsive changes in the intracellular oxidation status of C. neoformans under stress. Specifically, we demonstrated sensor responsiveness to nontoxic doses of peroxide stress and during different stages of cell growth, and we verified sensor responsiveness in a mutant with known sensitivity to oxidative stress. This approach provides a framework for developing and deploying biosensors in pathogenic fungi and in basidiomycetes─a group of microorganisms with relatively few sophisticated genetic tools for molecular and synthetic biology. Overall, our sensors enable real-time insights into the key redox mechanisms driving growth and survival of a globally important pathogen and pave the way for tool development in other fungi.

Very cool new paper on a genetically encoded redox sensor in Cryptococcus neoformans: pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

These kind of approaches can enable so many cool experiments with real time monitoring!

Great work, @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social

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The blob is back in the Northern Pacific Ocean: What does that mean for B.C.? Climate scientists say the marine heat wave could be altering the jet stream leading to a wetter than normal winter. Find out more.

Drs. Chris Harley and Steven Hallam (@zoology.ubc.ca @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social ) commented on the effects of marine heat waves or 'blobs' via @vancouversun.bsky.social

Researchers Discover New Bacterium That Turns Food Waste Into Energy Discover how a previously unknown bacterium in the <i>Natronincolaceae</i> family plays a crucial role in producing renewable natural gas.

UBC researchers identified a bacterium that's a key player converting food waste into renewable natural gas. "Converting waste to methane is a cooperative process involving multiple interacting microbes," says Dr. Steven Hallam. @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social

www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/n...

Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent with global warming, but could they in turn exacerbate climate change? In a new study, Steven Hallam's team reports that spurts of intense ocean warming can impact microbial community structure and carbon cycling: mbim.ubc.ca/news/marine-...

Canada Foundation for Innovation has funded UBC Science researchers Michelle Kunimoto, Monika Fischer, Mohammad Arif Ashraf, Phillip Domeier, Tao Huan, Corinna Schindler and Corey Stephenson.  
@chem.ubc.ca @ubcbotany.bsky.social @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social
bit.ly/4n1b51s

Join us today at 12:30 in LSC 3!
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Join us tomorrow at 12:30 in LSC 3!
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