Ellinor Alseth
@ellinoralseth.bsky.social
Eco-evo with microbes. I happen to like fjords, I think they give a lovely baroque feel to a continent. The University of Tromsø. Opinions my own. She/her
Pinned
Ellinor Alseth
@ellinoralseth.bsky.social
· Apr 10
Mystique, a broad host range Acinetobacter phage, reveals the impact of culturing conditions on phage isolation and infectivity
Author summary Bacterial infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii are a major global health concern due to high antibiotic resistance, earning it a critical priority pathogen ranking by the WHO. P...
journals.plos.org
Mystique is here! When I started my position at @cmdi.bsky.social there were no readily available phage against my A. baumannii focal strain. The solution? Finding my own phage ofc. Mystique is a broad host range Acinetobacter phage, and I'm thrilled to see this work out today #PhageSky 🧪🦠
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Sweeping views across Liverpool for the Phage Workshop ahead of #MicroEvo25 tomorrow
November 25, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Sweeping views across Liverpool for the Phage Workshop ahead of #MicroEvo25 tomorrow
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
High-throughput DNA extraction from soil: experiences? best kits? best tools? If you had a decent chunk of money to throw at it, what system would you set up to make it fast and high quality? 🌾 🧪 🔬 🦠
November 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
High-throughput DNA extraction from soil: experiences? best kits? best tools? If you had a decent chunk of money to throw at it, what system would you set up to make it fast and high quality? 🌾 🧪 🔬 🦠
Officially on my way to Liverpool for the @microbiologysociety.org event on "Understanding and predicting microbial evolutionary dynamics"!
(do we have a hashtag yet?) 🦠
(do we have a hashtag yet?) 🦠
November 24, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Officially on my way to Liverpool for the @microbiologysociety.org event on "Understanding and predicting microbial evolutionary dynamics"!
(do we have a hashtag yet?) 🦠
(do we have a hashtag yet?) 🦠
After a week of extreme ups and downs (one publication and one brutal rejection), it's nice to go outside and enjoy the last day of sun up here in the Arctic 🐻❄️
November 22, 2025 at 3:53 PM
After a week of extreme ups and downs (one publication and one brutal rejection), it's nice to go outside and enjoy the last day of sun up here in the Arctic 🐻❄️
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
What is the best strategy to win any contest?
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 20, 2025 at 10:12 PM
What is the best strategy to win any contest?
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Eliminate your opponents of course.
Recently, my friend @fernpizza.bsky.social showed how plasmids compete intracellularly (check out his paper published in Science today!). With @baym.lol, we now know they can fight.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
🚨Preprint alert - this is a big one! We transfer the revolutionary power of TnSeq to bacteriophages.
Our HIDEN-SEQ links the "dark matter" genes of your favorite phage to any selectable phenotype, guiding the path from fun observations to molecular mechanisms.
A thread 1/8
Our HIDEN-SEQ links the "dark matter" genes of your favorite phage to any selectable phenotype, guiding the path from fun observations to molecular mechanisms.
A thread 1/8
November 20, 2025 at 8:40 PM
🚨Preprint alert - this is a big one! We transfer the revolutionary power of TnSeq to bacteriophages.
Our HIDEN-SEQ links the "dark matter" genes of your favorite phage to any selectable phenotype, guiding the path from fun observations to molecular mechanisms.
A thread 1/8
Our HIDEN-SEQ links the "dark matter" genes of your favorite phage to any selectable phenotype, guiding the path from fun observations to molecular mechanisms.
A thread 1/8
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Hot off the press! Our latest paper led by @fernpizza.bsky.social, understanding how plasmids evolve inside cells. These small, self-replicating DNA circles live inside bacteria and carry antibiotic resistance genes, but also compete with one another to replicate. 1/
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Intracellular competition shapes plasmid population dynamics
From populations of multicellular organisms to selfish genetic elements, conflicts between levels of biological organization are central to evolution. Plasmids are extrachromosomal, self-replicating g...
www.science.org
November 20, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Hot off the press! Our latest paper led by @fernpizza.bsky.social, understanding how plasmids evolve inside cells. These small, self-replicating DNA circles live inside bacteria and carry antibiotic resistance genes, but also compete with one another to replicate. 1/
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
🚀New preprint from our lab!
I am very excited to finally share what has been the main focus of my PhD for the past almost 3 years! It is about viral dark matter and a powerful tool we built to shed light on it. 🧬💡
Continue reading (🧵)
I am very excited to finally share what has been the main focus of my PhD for the past almost 3 years! It is about viral dark matter and a powerful tool we built to shed light on it. 🧬💡
Continue reading (🧵)
November 20, 2025 at 6:52 PM
🚀New preprint from our lab!
I am very excited to finally share what has been the main focus of my PhD for the past almost 3 years! It is about viral dark matter and a powerful tool we built to shed light on it. 🧬💡
Continue reading (🧵)
I am very excited to finally share what has been the main focus of my PhD for the past almost 3 years! It is about viral dark matter and a powerful tool we built to shed light on it. 🧬💡
Continue reading (🧵)
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
The ecological roles of bacterial #immune systems are poorly understood. Rafael Custodio @ellinoralseth.bsky.social @brockhurstlab.bsky.social @brownlab.bsky.social & Edze Westra explore how mobile genetic elements and bacterial defenses shape #microbiome structure and function 🧪
Bacterial immune systems as causes and consequences of microbiome structure
Bacterial immune systems have evolved in response to diverse molecular "parasites", yet their ecological roles remain poorly understood. This Essay explores how interactions between mobile genetic…
plos.io
November 20, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The ecological roles of bacterial #immune systems are poorly understood. Rafael Custodio @ellinoralseth.bsky.social @brockhurstlab.bsky.social @brownlab.bsky.social & Edze Westra explore how mobile genetic elements and bacterial defenses shape #microbiome structure and function 🧪
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Congratulations to my student Josh Hensley and our amazing collaborators at UCSD David Pride lab! In press today, we developed a technique to evolve phages to broaden bacterial host range to tackle bacteria that evade antibiotics. #phagesky #phage #microsky #virussky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Experimental phage evolution results in expanded host ranges against antibiotic resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates - Nature Communications
Ghatbale et al. adapted a co-evolutionary technique to develop Klebsiella pneumoniae phages to be highly active longitudinally against K. pneumoniae clinical isolates, including drug resistant isolate...
www.nature.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Congratulations to my student Josh Hensley and our amazing collaborators at UCSD David Pride lab! In press today, we developed a technique to evolve phages to broaden bacterial host range to tackle bacteria that evade antibiotics. #phagesky #phage #microsky #virussky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Very happy to see this piece out in @plosbiology.org, on the bacterial immune systems and microbial communities. It was a great team effort with Rafael Custodio, @brockhurstlab.bsky.social , @brownlab.bsky.social, and Edze Westra! 🦠🧫 #phagesky #mevosky
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Bacterial immune systems as causes and consequences of microbiome structure
Bacterial immune systems have evolved in response to diverse molecular "parasites", yet their ecological roles remain poorly understood. This Essay explores how interactions between mobile genetic ele...
journals.plos.org
November 19, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Very happy to see this piece out in @plosbiology.org, on the bacterial immune systems and microbial communities. It was a great team effort with Rafael Custodio, @brockhurstlab.bsky.social , @brownlab.bsky.social, and Edze Westra! 🦠🧫 #phagesky #mevosky
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
PhD studentship opportunity! Join us at St Andrews to study the factors controlling plasmid transmission in the gut. Competition-funded as part of the EASTBIO DTP, co-supervised with Dr Jaclyn Pearson. Please share & pass on to anyone interested! 🦠🧫 Deadline 15th December👇
www.findaphd.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:41 AM
PhD studentship opportunity! Join us at St Andrews to study the factors controlling plasmid transmission in the gut. Competition-funded as part of the EASTBIO DTP, co-supervised with Dr Jaclyn Pearson. Please share & pass on to anyone interested! 🦠🧫 Deadline 15th December👇
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
🚨#PhD studentship opportunity! Plasmids provide bacteria with antimicrobial resistance, but do they have more fundamental effects on behaviour? 🧫🦠💫🧟♂️
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Resistant zombies: how drug-resistance plasmids manipulate the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at University of Liverpool on Fin...
PhD Project - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Resistant zombies: how drug-resistance plasmids manipulate the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at University of Li...
www.findaphd.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:38 AM
🚨#PhD studentship opportunity! Plasmids provide bacteria with antimicrobial resistance, but do they have more fundamental effects on behaviour? 🧫🦠💫🧟♂️
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
@sacrozhangt.bsky.social and I wrote a commentary on Jordi van Gestel and Carol Gross's latest paper, check it out!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Sadly, the Editors at PNAS rejected our initial introduction, which was a David Attenborough style voice over of the microbial Serengeti (included below)
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Sadly, the Editors at PNAS rejected our initial introduction, which was a David Attenborough style voice over of the microbial Serengeti (included below)
November 13, 2025 at 2:54 PM
@sacrozhangt.bsky.social and I wrote a commentary on Jordi van Gestel and Carol Gross's latest paper, check it out!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Sadly, the Editors at PNAS rejected our initial introduction, which was a David Attenborough style voice over of the microbial Serengeti (included below)
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Sadly, the Editors at PNAS rejected our initial introduction, which was a David Attenborough style voice over of the microbial Serengeti (included below)
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Thank you everyone who has donated so far! This will be closing at the end of the month so still time to enter for a chance to name a phage!
This is open worldwide with all currency conversions accounted for. For GBP it is £2 an entry and all funds go directly to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust 💚
This is open worldwide with all currency conversions accounted for. For GBP it is £2 an entry and all funds go directly to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust 💚
Want to name a real virus? I have recently discovered 9 new phages which now need names! To enter, you simply need to donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust on my JustGiving page (£2 = 1 entry) and share your email with me on donation (see link info). Please share 💚 www.justgiving.com/page/meaghan-c-1
November 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Thank you everyone who has donated so far! This will be closing at the end of the month so still time to enter for a chance to name a phage!
This is open worldwide with all currency conversions accounted for. For GBP it is £2 an entry and all funds go directly to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust 💚
This is open worldwide with all currency conversions accounted for. For GBP it is £2 an entry and all funds go directly to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust 💚
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the @biology.ox.ac.uk department - thanks so much for hosting me @annadewar.bsky.social !
And thanks to everyone who chatted to me about plasmids, genomes, and more.
I even manage to find a phage in the natural history museum before leaving :)
And thanks to everyone who chatted to me about plasmids, genomes, and more.
I even manage to find a phage in the natural history museum before leaving :)
November 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the @biology.ox.ac.uk department - thanks so much for hosting me @annadewar.bsky.social !
And thanks to everyone who chatted to me about plasmids, genomes, and more.
I even manage to find a phage in the natural history museum before leaving :)
And thanks to everyone who chatted to me about plasmids, genomes, and more.
I even manage to find a phage in the natural history museum before leaving :)
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Bacteria can sense when a virus starts shredding their genome — by detecting methylated mononucleotides.
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Bacteria can sense when a virus starts shredding their genome — by detecting methylated mononucleotides.
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Hi everyone, a few years ago, we started a list of labs studying bacterial immunty for students, editors, conference organizers... (currently n=79).
Update time ! Send me a message to 1) add your lab or others 2) Correct info
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
#Phagesky #Microsky
Update time ! Send me a message to 1) add your lab or others 2) Correct info
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
#Phagesky #Microsky
Labs in bacterial immunity
docs.google.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Hi everyone, a few years ago, we started a list of labs studying bacterial immunty for students, editors, conference organizers... (currently n=79).
Update time ! Send me a message to 1) add your lab or others 2) Correct info
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
#Phagesky #Microsky
Update time ! Send me a message to 1) add your lab or others 2) Correct info
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
#Phagesky #Microsky
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
So happy to share this! Bacteriocins were first discovered over 100 years ago, but what do they actually do? We look at >1000 bacteriocin plasmids and find links to virulence and antimicrobial resistance, and frequent bacteriocin sharing in Enterobacteriaceae.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Bacterial warfare is associated with virulence and antimicrobial resistance - Nature Communications
Bacteria employ a range of competition systems that deliver toxins to inhibit competing strains. This study shows that these systems are particularly important for the ecology of virulent and antibiot...
www.nature.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:32 AM
So happy to share this! Bacteriocins were first discovered over 100 years ago, but what do they actually do? We look at >1000 bacteriocin plasmids and find links to virulence and antimicrobial resistance, and frequent bacteriocin sharing in Enterobacteriaceae.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
#microsky #mevosky @spp2389.bsky.social
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
October 28, 2025 at 8:43 AM
#microsky #mevosky @spp2389.bsky.social
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
parents, be sure to check your kids’ candy this halloween. I just found a novel phage defense system inside this snickers
October 4, 2023 at 7:32 PM
parents, be sure to check your kids’ candy this halloween. I just found a novel phage defense system inside this snickers
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
Two Senior Research Fellow jobs @biology.ox.ac.uk on fungal biology in plant and animal/human disease. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Job Details
my.corehr.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Two Senior Research Fellow jobs @biology.ox.ac.uk on fungal biology in plant and animal/human disease. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Reposted by Ellinor Alseth
@prczhaoyansong.bsky.social’s deep dive into the dark matter of compost communities is now out 🎉 Genomic islands hijack jumbo phages—whose capsids enable transfer of large tracts of DNA—shedding new light on the scale & scope of phage-mediated gene flow 😎
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Jumbo phage–mediated transduction of genomic islands | PNAS
Bacteria acquire new genes by horizontal gene transfer, typically mediated by mobile
genetic elements (MGEs). While plasmids, bacteriophages, and c...
www.pnas.org
October 28, 2025 at 6:36 PM
@prczhaoyansong.bsky.social’s deep dive into the dark matter of compost communities is now out 🎉 Genomic islands hijack jumbo phages—whose capsids enable transfer of large tracts of DNA—shedding new light on the scale & scope of phage-mediated gene flow 😎
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Good evening from the Arctic!
October 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Good evening from the Arctic!