Cress Lab
@cresslab.bsky.social
The Cress Lab | Innovative Genomics Institute @ UC Berkeley | Microbiome Editing | Microbiome Delivery Technologies | Phage and MGE Functional Genomics | Hiring!
https://www.cresslab.bio/
https://www.cresslab.bio/
Pinned
Cress Lab
@cresslab.bsky.social
· Feb 26
CRISPRi-ART enables functional genomics of diverse bacteriophages using RNA-binding dCas13d - Nature Microbiology
Leveraging RNA-targeting dCas13d enables selective interference with phage protein translation and facilitates measurement of phage gene fitness at a transcriptome-wide scale.
doi.org
Dive into our lab’s first peer-reviewed publication—co-led with our friends @benadler.bsky.social and Muntathar Al-Shimary from the @doudna lab! If you’ve already read the preprint, don’t miss the new updates: doi.org/10.1038/s415... @naturemicrobiol.bsky.social
Reposted by Cress Lab
Big week: welcomed a new baby boy Harris Lopatkin, AND our PlasAnn paper is finally out: academic.oup.com/nar/article/... (obviously the first more important than the second 🥰). Currently on leave but if anyone has the need to annotate large plasmids, go check it out!
PlasAnn: a curated plasmid-specific database and annotation pipeline for standardized gene and function analysis
Abstract. Conjugative plasmids are key drivers of bacterial adaptation, enabling the horizontal transfer of accessory genes within and across diverse micro
academic.oup.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Big week: welcomed a new baby boy Harris Lopatkin, AND our PlasAnn paper is finally out: academic.oup.com/nar/article/... (obviously the first more important than the second 🥰). Currently on leave but if anyone has the need to annotate large plasmids, go check it out!
Reposted by Cress Lab
🚨 Hiring Alert! 🚨My lab at Institut Pasteur is recruiting several Postdocs! We have exciting open projects in: 🦠 Synthetic Biology and🛡️ Bacterial Immunity. Come do great science with us in the middle of Paris! 🇫🇷🥐 research.pasteur.fr/en/job/postd...
Postdoctoral position - Synthetic Biology / Bacterial Immunity - Research
The Bikard lab at Institut Pasteur in Paris is seeking to hire postdoctoral researchers. We are investigating bacteria / bacteriophages interactions, and the genetic innovation that happens at this in...
research.pasteur.fr
January 28, 2026 at 11:19 AM
🚨 Hiring Alert! 🚨My lab at Institut Pasteur is recruiting several Postdocs! We have exciting open projects in: 🦠 Synthetic Biology and🛡️ Bacterial Immunity. Come do great science with us in the middle of Paris! 🇫🇷🥐 research.pasteur.fr/en/job/postd...
Reposted by Cress Lab
Check out our latest preprint from @jnvmartinson.bsky.social and @leosong.bsky.social! 🌟🦠
We found that conjugative plasmids can actively eliminate recipient bacteria that resist plasmid acquisition. 🧵
We found that conjugative plasmids can actively eliminate recipient bacteria that resist plasmid acquisition. 🧵
February 12, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Check out our latest preprint from @jnvmartinson.bsky.social and @leosong.bsky.social! 🌟🦠
We found that conjugative plasmids can actively eliminate recipient bacteria that resist plasmid acquisition. 🧵
We found that conjugative plasmids can actively eliminate recipient bacteria that resist plasmid acquisition. 🧵
Reposted by Cress Lab
Plasmids weaponize conjugation to eliminate non-permissive recipients https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.10.705089v1
February 11, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Plasmids weaponize conjugation to eliminate non-permissive recipients https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.10.705089v1
Reposted by Cress Lab
We're honored and grateful to have a project accepted by @nsfexfab.bsky.social BioFoundry, spearheaded by our amazing postdoctoral researcher Dr. Madeline Hayes @chucksbiscuit.bsky.social (co-advised by @cresslab.bsky.social and Dr. Michelle O'Malley from UCSB)! 🦠🔍🤩
February 9, 2026 at 9:43 PM
We're honored and grateful to have a project accepted by @nsfexfab.bsky.social BioFoundry, spearheaded by our amazing postdoctoral researcher Dr. Madeline Hayes @chucksbiscuit.bsky.social (co-advised by @cresslab.bsky.social and Dr. Michelle O'Malley from UCSB)! 🦠🔍🤩
Reposted by Cress Lab
Our new paper in @natcomms.nature.com is now online-early!
We describe independent evolution of bacterial genomes of only ~50–52 kb — the smallest known outside cellular organelles — revealing striking convergence toward minimal gene sets.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
We describe independent evolution of bacterial genomes of only ~50–52 kb — the smallest known outside cellular organelles — revealing striking convergence toward minimal gene sets.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
February 11, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Our new paper in @natcomms.nature.com is now online-early!
We describe independent evolution of bacterial genomes of only ~50–52 kb — the smallest known outside cellular organelles — revealing striking convergence toward minimal gene sets.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
We describe independent evolution of bacterial genomes of only ~50–52 kb — the smallest known outside cellular organelles — revealing striking convergence toward minimal gene sets.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
Reposted by Cress Lab
I’m thrilled to share our work on phage triggers of the bacterial immune system in its final form @natmicrobiol.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A phage protein screen identifies triggers of the bacterial innate immune system - Nature Microbiology
A library of 400 phage protein-coding genes is used to find a trove of antiphage systems, revealing systems that target tail fibre and major capsid proteins.
www.nature.com
January 18, 2026 at 10:45 PM
I’m thrilled to share our work on phage triggers of the bacterial immune system in its final form @natmicrobiol.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Cress Lab
Also a big thanks to @cresslab.bsky.social and @therubinlab.bsky.social who came up with the idea to start this meeting and were instrumental in making it happen! And congratulations to @therubinlab.bsky.social and @paulwilmes.bsky.social for their elections as vice-chairs for the next one!
January 19, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Also a big thanks to @cresslab.bsky.social and @therubinlab.bsky.social who came up with the idea to start this meeting and were instrumental in making it happen! And congratulations to @therubinlab.bsky.social and @paulwilmes.bsky.social for their elections as vice-chairs for the next one!
Reposted by Cress Lab
It was a true privilege to co-chair the inaugural GRC meeting on Microbiome Editing together with @jenniferdoudna.bsky.social . The positive energy and quality of the Science presented were truly inspiring. I look forward to the next one chaired by KC Huang and @omalleylab.bsky.social !!!
January 19, 2026 at 1:53 PM
It was a true privilege to co-chair the inaugural GRC meeting on Microbiome Editing together with @jenniferdoudna.bsky.social . The positive energy and quality of the Science presented were truly inspiring. I look forward to the next one chaired by KC Huang and @omalleylab.bsky.social !!!
Reposted by Cress Lab
Out Now! A phage protein screen identifies triggers of the bacterial innate immune system #MicroSky
A phage protein screen identifies triggers of the bacterial innate immune system
Nature Microbiology, Published online: 16 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-025-02239-6A library of 400 phage protein-coding genes is used to find a trove of antiphage systems, revealing systems that target tail fibre and major capsid proteins.
go.nature.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Out Now! A phage protein screen identifies triggers of the bacterial innate immune system #MicroSky
Reposted by Cress Lab
We're excited to help launch the inaugural Gordon research conference on #microbiome editing, coming up in January in Pomona, CA! Learn more and register here: https://ow.ly/a6Am50X9XkE
October 27, 2025 at 3:05 PM
We're excited to help launch the inaugural Gordon research conference on #microbiome editing, coming up in January in Pomona, CA! Learn more and register here: https://ow.ly/a6Am50X9XkE
Reposted by Cress Lab
This is shaping up to be one of the top conferences on microbiome editing!!
We're excited to help launch the inaugural Gordon research conference on #microbiome editing, coming up in January in Pomona, CA! Learn more and register here: https://ow.ly/a6Am50X9XkE
January 13, 2026 at 11:45 PM
This is shaping up to be one of the top conferences on microbiome editing!!
Reposted by Cress Lab
Such a privilege to share the Phage Foundry (phagefoundry.org) team’s work at the inaugural GRC meeting on Microbiome Editing 🎉🎊.
January 13, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Such a privilege to share the Phage Foundry (phagefoundry.org) team’s work at the inaugural GRC meeting on Microbiome Editing 🎉🎊.
Reposted by Cress Lab
On my way to two *awesome* back-to-back conferences:
First, GRC on Microbiome Editing in Pomona, CA
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
Then, Keystone Conference on Human Microbiomes in Banff (co-organizing)
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
First, GRC on Microbiome Editing in Pomona, CA
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
Then, Keystone Conference on Human Microbiomes in Banff (co-organizing)
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
2026 Microbiome Editing Conference GRC
The 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Microbiome Editing will be held in Pomona, California. Apply today to reserve your spot.
www.grc.org
January 11, 2026 at 7:26 PM
On my way to two *awesome* back-to-back conferences:
First, GRC on Microbiome Editing in Pomona, CA
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
Then, Keystone Conference on Human Microbiomes in Banff (co-organizing)
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
First, GRC on Microbiome Editing in Pomona, CA
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
Then, Keystone Conference on Human Microbiomes in Banff (co-organizing)
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
Reposted by Cress Lab
I get ~100 emails a day, but such an email is rare:
"Dr. Moon,
On behalf of Chairs Jennifer Doudna and David Bikard..."
So excited to see the Nobel laureate again, chair a session & give a talk at #microbiome editing GRC! See you all!
@dbikard.bsky.social
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
"Dr. Moon,
On behalf of Chairs Jennifer Doudna and David Bikard..."
So excited to see the Nobel laureate again, chair a session & give a talk at #microbiome editing GRC! See you all!
@dbikard.bsky.social
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
January 9, 2026 at 8:28 PM
I get ~100 emails a day, but such an email is rare:
"Dr. Moon,
On behalf of Chairs Jennifer Doudna and David Bikard..."
So excited to see the Nobel laureate again, chair a session & give a talk at #microbiome editing GRC! See you all!
@dbikard.bsky.social
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
"Dr. Moon,
On behalf of Chairs Jennifer Doudna and David Bikard..."
So excited to see the Nobel laureate again, chair a session & give a talk at #microbiome editing GRC! See you all!
@dbikard.bsky.social
www.grc.org/microbiome-e...
Reposted by Cress Lab
Feeling grateful to end this year by contributing to a commentary on bioengineering the coral holobiont. This is my first manuscript as a professor and a dream come true to team up with leaders in coral probiotics, Raquel Peixoto and @reefgenomics.bsky.social. 🪸🧪🧬🦠
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
Bioengineering the coral holobiont: Evidence, hurdles, and pathways for rebuilding reefs
At the frontline of climate impacts, coral reef ecosystems now increasingly depend
on active intervention for their functional survival. Bioengineering the coral holobiont,
comprising the host, algal ...
www.cell.com
December 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Feeling grateful to end this year by contributing to a commentary on bioengineering the coral holobiont. This is my first manuscript as a professor and a dream come true to team up with leaders in coral probiotics, Raquel Peixoto and @reefgenomics.bsky.social. 🪸🧪🧬🦠
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
Reposted by Cress Lab
Stepwise DNA unwinding gates TnpB genome-editing activity https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.09.698545v1
January 10, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Stepwise DNA unwinding gates TnpB genome-editing activity https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.09.698545v1
Reposted by Cress Lab
I’m looking to host a postdoc in our lab to use proteomics to discover and characterize phage receptors.
Strong fit if you have experience in MS based proteomics and an interest in infection biology.
Call info: www.scilifelab.se/data-driven/...
#postdoc #proteomics #phage #infectionbiology
Strong fit if you have experience in MS based proteomics and an interest in infection biology.
Call info: www.scilifelab.se/data-driven/...
#postdoc #proteomics #phage #infectionbiology
DDLS Research School Postdoc call 2026
Call for Academic and Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowships in Data-Driven Life Science 2026 Generic Description of the DDLS Postdoc Program The SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Drive...
www.scilifelab.se
January 9, 2026 at 8:18 AM
I’m looking to host a postdoc in our lab to use proteomics to discover and characterize phage receptors.
Strong fit if you have experience in MS based proteomics and an interest in infection biology.
Call info: www.scilifelab.se/data-driven/...
#postdoc #proteomics #phage #infectionbiology
Strong fit if you have experience in MS based proteomics and an interest in infection biology.
Call info: www.scilifelab.se/data-driven/...
#postdoc #proteomics #phage #infectionbiology
Reposted by Cress Lab
Last call to secure your spot at Microbes in Wastewater Symposium!
Connect with experts across wastewater research, environmental microbiology, and public health. Plus, enjoy an exclusive dinner cruise on the beautiful Newport Beach Harbor!
Register now: www.wastewateramr.com
Connect with experts across wastewater research, environmental microbiology, and public health. Plus, enjoy an exclusive dinner cruise on the beautiful Newport Beach Harbor!
Register now: www.wastewateramr.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Last call to secure your spot at Microbes in Wastewater Symposium!
Connect with experts across wastewater research, environmental microbiology, and public health. Plus, enjoy an exclusive dinner cruise on the beautiful Newport Beach Harbor!
Register now: www.wastewateramr.com
Connect with experts across wastewater research, environmental microbiology, and public health. Plus, enjoy an exclusive dinner cruise on the beautiful Newport Beach Harbor!
Register now: www.wastewateramr.com
Reposted by Cress Lab
New preprint from my lab (with Arya Kaul, @fernpizza.bsky.social, and @brinda.eu), in which we explore new genes hitchhiking on the beneficial deletion that fused them together, and find them in the LTEE, M. Tb/bovis, and across the bacterial tree of life
Novel genes arise from genomic deletions across the bacterial tree of life https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.05.697752v1
January 6, 2026 at 4:12 PM
New preprint from my lab (with Arya Kaul, @fernpizza.bsky.social, and @brinda.eu), in which we explore new genes hitchhiking on the beneficial deletion that fused them together, and find them in the LTEE, M. Tb/bovis, and across the bacterial tree of life
Reposted by Cress Lab
If you are looking to integrate your latest genetic creation into the genome of your favourite bug, you might find our latest review now out in OUP Synthetic Biology useful. 🧬⚒️ Work led by Riesa Rohmat with input from Thea Irvine and Shivang Joshi. #genome #synbio doi.org/10.1093/synb...
January 6, 2026 at 10:58 AM
If you are looking to integrate your latest genetic creation into the genome of your favourite bug, you might find our latest review now out in OUP Synthetic Biology useful. 🧬⚒️ Work led by Riesa Rohmat with input from Thea Irvine and Shivang Joshi. #genome #synbio doi.org/10.1093/synb...
Reposted by Cress Lab
🧫 🧪 We’re so excited to share our new preprint, where we tackle the wealth of structural and functional diversity across antiviral STAND NTPases in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Diverse bacterial pattern recognition receptors sense the conserved phage proteome
Recognition of foreign molecules inside cells is critical for immunity in all domains of life. Proteins of the STAND NTPase superfamily, including eukaryotic nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain ...
www.biorxiv.org
January 6, 2026 at 1:19 AM
🧫 🧪 We’re so excited to share our new preprint, where we tackle the wealth of structural and functional diversity across antiviral STAND NTPases in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Cress Lab
During my postdoc in @therubinlab.bsky.social, @leosong.bsky.social and I aimed to make CRISPR-associated transposons more efficient for editing bacteria.
Couldn’t have done it w/o a CAST of characters at IGI and beyond @innovativegenomics.bsky.social, @cresslab.bsky.social, @doudna-lab.bsky.social
Couldn’t have done it w/o a CAST of characters at IGI and beyond @innovativegenomics.bsky.social, @cresslab.bsky.social, @doudna-lab.bsky.social
Happy New Year from the Rubin Lab! 🎇
We're excited to start 2026 off with a fresh publication at @science.org Advances. Here, we identified a cast (😉) of host factors affecting VchCAST using genome-wide screens and validated their improvement or inhibition of CAST activity. (1/2)
We're excited to start 2026 off with a fresh publication at @science.org Advances. Here, we identified a cast (😉) of host factors affecting VchCAST using genome-wide screens and validated their improvement or inhibition of CAST activity. (1/2)
Identification of proteins influencing CRISPR-associated transposases for enhanced genome editing
Whole-genome screening reveals strategies to boost CRISPR-associated transposase genome editing efficiency.
www.science.org
January 5, 2026 at 9:39 PM
During my postdoc in @therubinlab.bsky.social, @leosong.bsky.social and I aimed to make CRISPR-associated transposons more efficient for editing bacteria.
Couldn’t have done it w/o a CAST of characters at IGI and beyond @innovativegenomics.bsky.social, @cresslab.bsky.social, @doudna-lab.bsky.social
Couldn’t have done it w/o a CAST of characters at IGI and beyond @innovativegenomics.bsky.social, @cresslab.bsky.social, @doudna-lab.bsky.social
Reposted by Cress Lab
New in Science Magazine Science Advances from the Doudna Lab, Rubin Lab and Cress Lab —Identification of proteins influencing #CRISPR-associated #transposases for enhanced #GenomeEditing. Read here: https://ow.ly/U0s450XS82n
January 5, 2026 at 7:23 PM
New in Science Magazine Science Advances from the Doudna Lab, Rubin Lab and Cress Lab —Identification of proteins influencing #CRISPR-associated #transposases for enhanced #GenomeEditing. Read here: https://ow.ly/U0s450XS82n
Reposted by Cress Lab
Happy New Year from the Rubin Lab! 🎇
We're excited to start 2026 off with a fresh publication at @science.org Advances. Here, we identified a cast (😉) of host factors affecting VchCAST using genome-wide screens and validated their improvement or inhibition of CAST activity. (1/2)
We're excited to start 2026 off with a fresh publication at @science.org Advances. Here, we identified a cast (😉) of host factors affecting VchCAST using genome-wide screens and validated their improvement or inhibition of CAST activity. (1/2)
Identification of proteins influencing CRISPR-associated transposases for enhanced genome editing
Whole-genome screening reveals strategies to boost CRISPR-associated transposase genome editing efficiency.
www.science.org
January 5, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Happy New Year from the Rubin Lab! 🎇
We're excited to start 2026 off with a fresh publication at @science.org Advances. Here, we identified a cast (😉) of host factors affecting VchCAST using genome-wide screens and validated their improvement or inhibition of CAST activity. (1/2)
We're excited to start 2026 off with a fresh publication at @science.org Advances. Here, we identified a cast (😉) of host factors affecting VchCAST using genome-wide screens and validated their improvement or inhibition of CAST activity. (1/2)