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James Mason

@profjamesmason.bsky.social

110 followers 130 following 18 posts

Associate Dean Impact & Innovation Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London Antimicrobials (mostly peptides), nucleic acid delivery, microbial metabolomics

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James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Nov 15

Final published version of Miruna and Chris' (and my) first study using machine learning to identify behaviour of #antimicrobialpeptides that only emerges when used in combinations. Is this a key property that keeps AMPs effective throughout evolutionary history? pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Emergent conformational and aggregation properties of synergistic antimicrobial peptide combinations

Synergy between antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may be the key to their evolutionary success and could be exploited to develop more potent antibacterial agents. One of the factors thought to be essentia...

pubs.rsc.org

Reposted by James Mason

King's Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine @kingslsm.bsky.social · 9d

What if ICU doctors could diagnose infections in hours, not days?

A new test, developed from a PhD project at King's, now makes this possible.🔬

🔗 www.kcl.ac.uk/metagenomics...

Metagenomics testing: From PhD project to the ICU

A new diagnostic test that can detect a broad range of microorganisms in a single sample and give same-day results has been shown to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with…

www.kcl.ac.uk

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Reposted by James Mason

Andy Edwards @bugsinblood.bsky.social · 11d

Now published! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Very nice collaboration with Hoogenboom ( @ucl.ac.uk ) and Bonev ( @uniofnottingham.bsky.social ) labs.

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James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · 12d

Exciting to see what impact will come from this in how all cause lung injuries are treated in the future.

King's Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine @kingslsm.bsky.social · 12d

A widely available and affordable drug has been shown to be effective in treating seriously ill COVID-19 patients, according to a new international study led by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) in collaboration with King’s.

Read more: www.kcl.ac.uk/news/low-cos...

James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · 16d

King’s are doing the drug testing so some of my colleagues from the 4th floor might be there but I know quite a few people who couldn’t get tickets. Will be amazing to have Twickenham full for this.

James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · 16d

It is a hot ticket! No joy in the ballot ☹️

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Reposted by James Mason

Professor Lesley Hoyles @bugsinyourguts.bsky.social · 28d

If you are UK-based and working on any aspect of microbiomes (human, plant, insect, soil, animal, ...), please do sign up to Microbiome-Net for details of networking, funding and training opportunities.

forms.office.com/pages/respon...

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Reposted by James Mason

ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · Aug 7

Please share my 1 min video on the importance of maintaining NIH funding of infectious diseases and drug discovery research vs rising antibiotic resistance

Drastic budget cuts harm our health and imperil the next generation of scientists

More @UCSanDiego “Behind Every Breakthrough” bit.ly/3FlXQs3

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Reposted by James Mason

ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · Jul 24

Impressive paper in 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦

Describes a new sensory modality: "𝙉𝙀𝙐𝙍𝙊𝘽𝙄𝙊𝙏𝙄𝘾 𝙎𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀"

Links bacterial flagellin to appetite control

Gut-Brain Circuit: flagellin activates TLR5 on PYY+ neuropod cells that synapse onto vagal neurons → feeding suppressed independent of microbiota, immunity, or metabolism

A gut sense for a microbial pattern regulates feeding - Nature

A study reveals a gut–brain sensory pathway through which the microbial component flagellin activates neuropod cells in the colon to signal the brain and reduce feeding in mice.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by James Mason

ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · Jul 21

If high quality treatment is provided to everyone with bacterial infections + innovative new antibiotics funded ...

By 2050:

Health costs ⬇️ $97 billion
The economy ⬆️ $960 billion
Generated health benefits 🟰 $680 billion to countries

Return on Investment 🟰 28 to 1

www.cgdev.org/publication/...

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Charlie Hind @hindcharlie.bsky.social · Jul 21

It is time to improve diagnostics of Urinary Tract Infections! We developed a new technology that can work out which antibiotic would be best suited to treat UTIs in 40 hours that it currently takes.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Rapid impedance-based Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (iFAST) of Enterobacterales in urinary tract infections

Evidence-based antibiotic prescribing for urinary tract infections (UTIs) would increase treatment success and improve antibiotic stewardship. Current…

www.sciencedirect.com

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James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Jul 16

This will have the opposite outcome to that intended as prices will rise as they are coupled to what people can borrow. All that happens, for those that do buy, is the proportion of take home covering repayments increases. This causes a structural problem that feeds into so many other areas.

James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Jun 17

Very nice Victor!

Reposted by James Mason

Jordana Bell @jordanatbell.bsky.social · Jun 8

Excited to see this trial published & related BBC feature
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I was very peripherally involved, but it could be huge for antimicrobial resistance

Amazing work ‪Blair Merrick & Simon Goldenberg @gstt-nhs.bsky.social @kingslsm.bsky.social @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social

Doctors use poo pills to flush out dangerous superbugs

Can a dose of good bacteria clear superbugs from their hiding place in the bowels?

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by James Mason

King's College London @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social · May 31

We are pleased to announce a new clinical research fellowship at King’s to advance the nation’s metabolic health in honour of British broadcaster, author, and science journalist Dr Michael Mosley.

@kingslsm.bsky.social | @kclalumni.bsky.social

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Reposted by James Mason

King's College London @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social · May 22

A new report has found that people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) feel like ‘second class citizens’.

Launched today at the House of Commons, the report sets out the stark reality people with COPD face in securing diagnosis & accessing care.

www.kcl.ac.uk/news/people-...

People with COPD feel like 'second class citizens', finds new report

A report from King’s College London sets out the stark reality people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face in securing diagnosis and accessing care.

www.kcl.ac.uk

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Reposted by James Mason

King's College London @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social · Apr 24

Two thirds of adults were able to eat peanuts without an allergic reaction after taking part in ‘groundbreaking research’ at @kingslsm.bsky.social and @gstt-nhs.bsky.social.

The study used daily doses of peanuts to desensitise patients with life-long allergy.

www.kcl.ac.uk/news/daily-d...

Daily doses of peanuts tackle allergic reactions in adults

The first clinical trial to test whether adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised has shown great success with two thirds of the cohort consuming the equivalent of four peanuts without reacting.

www.kcl.ac.uk

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James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Apr 18

Some important ground work for studying metabolism of the vaginal microbiota
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Metabolism of Lactobacillus and Gardnerella vaginalis in vaginal defined media

Lactobacilli and Gardnerella vaginalis are key bacteria within the vaginal microbiota, significantly impacting its chemical environment. Accurately reproducing vaginal bacteria metabolism in vitro is ...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by James Mason

Andy Edwards @bugsinblood.bsky.social · Apr 17

Polymyxin B lethality requires energy-dependent outer membrane disruption
New preprint in collaboration with colleagues @ucl.ac.uk and @uniofnottingham.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Polymyxin B lethality requires energy-dependent outer membrane disruption

www.biorxiv.org

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James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Mar 26

We are recruiting again - 20 AI+ Academic Fellowships www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/role/ki...

King's AI+ Academic Fellowships (leading to an open-ended academic post)

King’s is making a major strategic investment into driving AI activity across our nine academic Faculties. Our ambition is to accelerate growth in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven research...

www.kcl.ac.uk

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James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Mar 19

Arguably the impact agenda driven by REF (which determines QR funding) is one of the more important levers for driving the benefits to the economy and the NHS that government desires.

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · Mar 19

UK research council leaders are bracing for cuts to quality-related (QR) research funding of up to £100 million a year ahead of next week’s Spring Statement – a move likely to lead to a fresh round of redundancies at UK universities, reports @jgro-the.bsky.social
#AcademicSky #EduSky

Job fears grow as Research England models £100 million QR cut

Loss of almost 8 per cent of mainstream quality-related funding feared amid concerns that Spring Statement will deepen sector funding crisis

www.timeshighereducation.com

James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Mar 2

Applications are open now for the King's Prize Fellowship. These provide salary and up to £30k consumables for up to 24 months. @kingslsm.bsky.social is one of the best places in the world to start your independent biomedical or health-related research career. www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/108525-...

www.kcl.ac.uk

James Mason @profjamesmason.bsky.social · Feb 25

Substantial academic recruitment @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social in AI (up to 7 positions) and in physical sciences of life and/or engineering biology (up to 4 positions)
www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/interdi...

Academic opportunities in interdisciplinary sciences

We are delighted to announce exciting new opportunities to join our dynamic and interdisciplinary scientific community, as part of a major expansion of science across King’s.

www.kcl.ac.uk

Reposted by James Mason

Nature Reviews Microbiology @natrevmicro.nature.com · Feb 20

New online! The role of bacterial metabolism in antimicrobial resistance

The role of bacterial metabolism in antimicrobial resistance

Nature Reviews Microbiology, Published online: 20 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01155-0In this Review, Ahmad et al. examine how antibiotics influence bacterial metabolism and how metabolism, in turn, affects drug efficacy and the emergence and…

www.nature.com

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Reposted by James Mason

ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · Feb 13

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝗠𝗥

Staphylococcus aureus evolves antibiotic resistance rapidly in diabetic mice, as hyperglycemia aids the expansion and takeover of resistant mutants

VISA strains have a large fitness defect in control mice but not in diabetic mice

➡️ www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Diabetes potentiates the emergence and expansion of antibiotic resistance

Diabetic infections are a reservoir for the emergence and proliferation of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.

www.science.org

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Reposted by James Mason

Craig MacLean @craigmaclean.bsky.social · Feb 5

Two new positions for group leaders working on #AMR at the Ineos Oxford Institute.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Job Details

my.corehr.com

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