Miriam Herbert
@miherbert.bsky.social
👩🏻🔬 Passionate about immunology, infection biology and the intersection of both. | Postdoc In vivo cell biology of infection/Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin | Tuberculosis, zebrafish, eosinophils #IDSky #ImmunoSky
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Important paper by Björn
Corleis. For decades a central tenet of #tuberculosis immunology has that IFNγ-driven iNOS expression in macrophages is the primary mechanism of bacterial control. Turns out this is really only in mice and maybe cattle. It’s not true in most species including humans an NHP.
Corleis. For decades a central tenet of #tuberculosis immunology has that IFNγ-driven iNOS expression in macrophages is the primary mechanism of bacterial control. Turns out this is really only in mice and maybe cattle. It’s not true in most species including humans an NHP.
Species-specific iNOS expression distinguishes epithelial and myeloid IFNγ responses in tuberculosis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.11.697682v1
January 16, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Important paper by Björn
Corleis. For decades a central tenet of #tuberculosis immunology has that IFNγ-driven iNOS expression in macrophages is the primary mechanism of bacterial control. Turns out this is really only in mice and maybe cattle. It’s not true in most species including humans an NHP.
Corleis. For decades a central tenet of #tuberculosis immunology has that IFNγ-driven iNOS expression in macrophages is the primary mechanism of bacterial control. Turns out this is really only in mice and maybe cattle. It’s not true in most species including humans an NHP.
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
We need to talk about salaries in science www.nature.com/articles/d41...
We need to talk about salaries in science
Academia too often has a ‘passion first, money second’ culture. Overcoming this mindset is crucial for building a happy career.
www.nature.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:01 PM
We need to talk about salaries in science www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
📣 Open call for life science #interns
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
October 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
📣 Open call for life science #interns
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
And it's finally PhDone! 🥳 Yesterday, I defended my PhD thesis "Eosinophils play a dual role in the immune defense against mycobacteria". #PhDsky #ImmunoSky #IDSky #zebrafish
October 22, 2025 at 4:40 PM
And it's finally PhDone! 🥳 Yesterday, I defended my PhD thesis "Eosinophils play a dual role in the immune defense against mycobacteria". #PhDsky #ImmunoSky #IDSky #zebrafish
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
October 18, 2025 at 5:17 PM
What an interesting finding! Bio image analysis is so powerful 💥
15 years in the making, we confirmed that mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cell - have an unusual localization in patients who experience psychosis (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorders). You’ll never guess what kind of patient cells we used to make this discovery… 🧵
October 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
What an interesting finding! Bio image analysis is so powerful 💥
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Want to image the adult zebrafish brain? Here's a nifty design that I made with the help of a talented master's student, Corey Steinhauser.
Supporting files here!
morgridge.org/research/lab...
Supporting files here!
morgridge.org/research/lab...
September 26, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Want to image the adult zebrafish brain? Here's a nifty design that I made with the help of a talented master's student, Corey Steinhauser.
Supporting files here!
morgridge.org/research/lab...
Supporting files here!
morgridge.org/research/lab...
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Comparable data is hard to find, but when we looked at 2022/23 & 2023/24 data we see that deaths are still higher for COVID than influenza *BUT* looking at % hides the fact that COVID-19 is more contagious and in 23/24 there were almost 3x as many COVID hospitalizations than influenza. 4/n
September 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Comparable data is hard to find, but when we looked at 2022/23 & 2023/24 data we see that deaths are still higher for COVID than influenza *BUT* looking at % hides the fact that COVID-19 is more contagious and in 23/24 there were almost 3x as many COVID hospitalizations than influenza. 4/n
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
📃 New paper alert!
The Zychlinsky Lab and @raunser-lab.bsky.social identified the first protein that converts chromatin into an immune effector: Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps. Now published in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The Zychlinsky Lab and @raunser-lab.bsky.social identified the first protein that converts chromatin into an immune effector: Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps. Now published in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps - Nature
Myeloperoxidase, a highly expressed neutrophil protein, disassembles nucleosomes, facilitating neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, and binds stably to NETs extracellularly.
www.nature.com
September 19, 2025 at 7:16 AM
📃 New paper alert!
The Zychlinsky Lab and @raunser-lab.bsky.social identified the first protein that converts chromatin into an immune effector: Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps. Now published in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The Zychlinsky Lab and @raunser-lab.bsky.social identified the first protein that converts chromatin into an immune effector: Myeloperoxidase transforms chromatin into neutrophil extracellular traps. Now published in @nature.com:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
I love every field's hyperspecific variant of this. (Molecular biology's is moving very small amounts of clear liquids from one tiny container to another.)
Today I got to make dots and rectangles because the previous rectangles were in the wrong spot and now they are less wrong.
Soon, someone will go check the location of the dots in real life and then I will again rearrange my dots and rectangles so they are less wrong.
They will always be wrong.
Soon, someone will go check the location of the dots in real life and then I will again rearrange my dots and rectangles so they are less wrong.
They will always be wrong.
September 10, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I love every field's hyperspecific variant of this. (Molecular biology's is moving very small amounts of clear liquids from one tiny container to another.)
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Springboard for an international scientific career! 🧬🧪🔭⚛️🧠🌱 Call for #MaxPlanckResearchGroups launched; applications are possible until October 14, 2025 www.mpg.de/max-planck-r... #ScienceCareer
September 9, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Springboard for an international scientific career! 🧬🧪🔭⚛️🧠🌱 Call for #MaxPlanckResearchGroups launched; applications are possible until October 14, 2025 www.mpg.de/max-planck-r... #ScienceCareer
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
'Posts about research on Bluesky receive substantially more attention than similar posts on X, formerly called Twitter, according to the first large-scale analysis of science content on Bluesky. The results suggest that Bluesky users engage with posts more than do users of X.'
Research posts on Bluesky are more original — and get better engagement
Bluesky posts about science garner more likes and reposts than similar ones on X.
www.nature.com
August 30, 2025 at 1:53 AM
'Posts about research on Bluesky receive substantially more attention than similar posts on X, formerly called Twitter, according to the first large-scale analysis of science content on Bluesky. The results suggest that Bluesky users engage with posts more than do users of X.'
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
and protection from TB back in the 90s! Given the wide use of Daraprim we would love to find someone on #IDsky with retrospective data to search of improvement of treatment outcome and prevention of TB diagnosis
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7742423/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7742423/
Dapsone/pyrimethamine may prevent mycobacterial disease in immunosuppressed patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus - PubMed
Dapsone exhibits activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in vitro. We retrospectively examined the incidence of mycobacterial diseases within a randomized pro...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
August 13, 2025 at 8:19 AM
and protection from TB back in the 90s! Given the wide use of Daraprim we would love to find someone on #IDsky with retrospective data to search of improvement of treatment outcome and prevention of TB diagnosis
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7742423/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7742423/
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Anyone have a good method (clearing, etc) to get rid of autofluorescence across all channels in a squishy, mucus-y sample like an oyster, in order to do FISH/HCR on the bacteria that live in the mucus of the oyster?
🧪🦑🐙🔬
🧪🦑🐙🔬
August 9, 2025 at 4:43 AM
Anyone have a good method (clearing, etc) to get rid of autofluorescence across all channels in a squishy, mucus-y sample like an oyster, in order to do FISH/HCR on the bacteria that live in the mucus of the oyster?
🧪🦑🐙🔬
🧪🦑🐙🔬
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Director at Max Planck - a unique position! The Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships is open now and can be submitted by the 31st of October 2025. ➡️ mpg.de/directors - Please share the Open Call among potential candidates.
August 1, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Director at Max Planck - a unique position! The Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships is open now and can be submitted by the 31st of October 2025. ➡️ mpg.de/directors - Please share the Open Call among potential candidates.
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
New Danish cohort study with over 1 million kids confirms safety of aluminum in childhood vax. They looked at 50 different conditions, including autoimmune, allergic & neurodevelopmental (eg autism).
This should end further debate on this topic (but probably won't).
Annals Intern Med 15 July 2025
This should end further debate on this topic (but probably won't).
Annals Intern Med 15 July 2025
July 15, 2025 at 3:49 PM
New Danish cohort study with over 1 million kids confirms safety of aluminum in childhood vax. They looked at 50 different conditions, including autoimmune, allergic & neurodevelopmental (eg autism).
This should end further debate on this topic (but probably won't).
Annals Intern Med 15 July 2025
This should end further debate on this topic (but probably won't).
Annals Intern Med 15 July 2025
It was a pleasure to connect with the broader eosinophil community again, this year in Montpellier! Met old and new friends and left with many new ideas. Thanks to all the organizers. 🤗 #IES2025
July 11, 2025 at 4:33 PM
It was a pleasure to connect with the broader eosinophil community again, this year in Montpellier! Met old and new friends and left with many new ideas. Thanks to all the organizers. 🤗 #IES2025
Real world example that humans are not mice - something we should always keep in mind when studying immunology in model systems. 😉
I'm excited to share our recent efforts to answer: Why are humans so susceptible to tick-borne pathogens that are tolerated in wildlife reservoirs?
It turns out that, no matter how hard we try, we cannot spur human cells to produce enough NO to kill Rickettsia.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
It turns out that, no matter how hard we try, we cannot spur human cells to produce enough NO to kill Rickettsia.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Differences between human and rodent nitric oxide production dictate susceptibility to tick-borne Rickettsia
Arthropod-borne pathogens cause serious human infections, yet they only cause limited disease in rodent reservoirs. Wild type mice resist infection by tick-borne Rickettsia parkeri, which causes spott...
www.biorxiv.org
July 4, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Real world example that humans are not mice - something we should always keep in mind when studying immunology in model systems. 😉
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Applications are now open! We are recruiting 20 Assistant Professors in a wide range of subject areas. We're looking for early-career researchers with strong scientific merits and future potential.
🔗 All positions: ki.se/en/about-ki/...
🔗 All positions: ki.se/en/about-ki/...
June 25, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Applications are now open! We are recruiting 20 Assistant Professors in a wide range of subject areas. We're looking for early-career researchers with strong scientific merits and future potential.
🔗 All positions: ki.se/en/about-ki/...
🔗 All positions: ki.se/en/about-ki/...
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
🎶 Straight from the Lab to the Mic: when a Pasteur scientist turns her thesis into a rap 🎶
#FeteDeLaMusique
#FeteDeLaMusique
June 21, 2025 at 3:24 PM
🎶 Straight from the Lab to the Mic: when a Pasteur scientist turns her thesis into a rap 🎶
#FeteDeLaMusique
#FeteDeLaMusique
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Students who started their PhD in 2020 and are about to graduate
June 21, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Students who started their PhD in 2020 and are about to graduate
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
We're excited to share our new preprint on bioRxiv! ✨
You can view it here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
See below for more information 👇
You can view it here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
See below for more information 👇
June 16, 2025 at 8:41 AM
We're excited to share our new preprint on bioRxiv! ✨
You can view it here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
See below for more information 👇
You can view it here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
See below for more information 👇
Reposted by Miriam Herbert
Join us in Tubingen as a Junior Research Group Leader if you do research on #ESKAPE pathogens and infections and are interested in the highly cooperative environment of @dzif.bsky.social and @cmfi.bsky.social ! Please send your application or forward to colleagues!
uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet...
uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet...
May 19, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Join us in Tubingen as a Junior Research Group Leader if you do research on #ESKAPE pathogens and infections and are interested in the highly cooperative environment of @dzif.bsky.social and @cmfi.bsky.social ! Please send your application or forward to colleagues!
uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet...
uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet...
Very cool study on how prior TB infections can be a risk factor for following infections! Check it out #IDSky #ImmunoSky #Microsky 🧫🧪
Why are prior and concurrent #TB such huge risk factors for M. abscessus infection? #zebrafish preprint lead by our research officer Denise Wee discovers tuberculous granulomas (yellow blob) act as a safe haven for opportunistic mycobacterial pathogens (magenta blobs).
May 9, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Very cool study on how prior TB infections can be a risk factor for following infections! Check it out #IDSky #ImmunoSky #Microsky 🧫🧪