New post-doctoral research position in my phage-host interactions (Phi) laboratory in @otagomicroimmuno.bsky.social at @universityofotago.bsky.social New Zealand. The project is focused on defences against jumbo phages. Please share and if interested apply using the link in the comments.
Delighted to see over 17 million new protein structure predictions from novel proteins in AllTheBacteria are now integrated into the AlphaFold Database at @ebi.embl.org !
Huge work from @gbouras13.bsky.social @oschwengers.bsky.social and friends to generate these.
www.ebi.ac.uk/about/news/u...
Pleased to announce that I've joined the editorial board of the Biochemical Journal portlandpress.com/biochemj as an associate editor. I'd love to receive manuscripts focussed on CRISPR, anti-viral defence, archaean biochemistry and nucleic acid processing enzymes.
@biochemsoc.bsky.social
This is figure 4, which shows proteomic differences between LC and CC groups in the 2020β2021 cohort.
A study in Nature Immunology shows that Long COVID is characterized by persistent activation of chronic inflammatory pathways and T cell exhaustion. The findings suggest new therapeutic targets and potential biomarkers of disease. go.nature.com/4oU0kib #immunosky #medsky π§ͺ
π’ We have multiple open PhD positions to study bacterial immune systems using cutting-edge cryo-EM, microbiology, and biochemistry in our group! Join us and uncover how bacterial defenses eliminate predators and engineer next-gen biotech tools.
π₯ Apply by Jan 8, 2026
Details: phd.pages.ista.ac.at
We are thrilled to announce the first official release (v0.1.8) of #π―π²π±π±π²πΏ, the successor to one of our flagship tool, #π―π²π±ππΌπΌπΉπ! Based on ideas we conceived of long ago (!), this was achieved thanks to the dedication of Brent Pedersen.
1/n
Two fully-funded PhD openings in my research group at the University of York.
If youβre excited about viromes, phage biology, Nanopore sequencing, soils and the odd bit of alpine or agricultural field sampling, weβd love to hear from you!
π±π¦ ποΈ
tiny.cc/c4pv001
tiny.cc/e4pv001
#NewResearch
Streptococcus thermophilus phages circumvent host CRISPR defences via AcrIIIA2, which complexes with enolase, a highly abundant glycolysis enzyme, to block phage RNA binding
#MicroSky #CRISPR π¦
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Today in @nature.com , we highlight how a cousin of CRISPR-Cas10, mCpol, establishes an evolutionary trap in anti-phage immune systems.
Check out @erinedoherty.bsky.social and my work from @doudna-lab.bsky.social lab here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Nice write up by Kalani Gast and Rodolphe Barrangou previewing our latest paper 𧫠βοΈ π§¬ out now in @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social
Applied research is digging for gold, basic research is figuring out where to dig. Marsden used to fund it all. Each grant is rigorously assessed in 2 rounds by a panel of local & international experts. It is risky research, with potentially high rewards.
Can CRISPR-Cas systems target any phage? Yes, no, it depends? What does it depend on? The second paper from my PhD came out today in a special issue of Phil Trans B on the ecology and evolution of bacterial immune systems
doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
Stoked to finally have a preprint out for Phold, our tool that uses protein structural information to enhance phage genome annotation #phagesky 1/n
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In a multi-CRISPR-Cas system host, @peterfineran.bsky.social & I found that type I priming promotes spacer 𧬠uptake & maintenance by a type III system & that multiple systems minimize phage escape β¬οΈ @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social @otagomicroimmuno.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Still open for applications! We are looking for prospective new faculty doing exciting research in virology or any vector borne diseases
Conference flyer, all info is on link too
Please share! π¦
Workshop on Phage Therapy in Liverpool on 25th November organised by Stineke van Houte, @jojofoth.bsky.social, @brockhurstlab.bsky.social, & Edze Westra.
Limited FREE tickets & more info here: sites.exeter.ac.uk/vanhoutelab/...
#MicroSky
π£ New preprint alert!
Happy to share the first results from our effort to reannotate Pseudomonas #phage proteins of unknown function, using structural bioinformatics.
π doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Next up from our lab - a ring nuclease with a novel fold which cleaves all cOA species involved in Type III CRISPR defence. It's also found in plasmid and phage genomes, where it presumably functions as an anti-CRISPR.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Great to see this comprehensive work on phage DNA arabinosylation & defense finally out! π§¬π«βοΈ A major collaborative effort & stellar PhD work by Marina Mahler, whom I had the pleasure of co-supervising at Otago π©π»βπ¬ @peterfineran.bsky.social @universityofotago.bsky.social @cellpress.bsky.social #mm
