Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 2d

We're now recruiting early career group leaders at the Crick to lead ambitious research programmes and explore bold scientific questions.

Hear our Director, Edith Heard, explain why the Crick is a unique place for curiosity-driven research.

Apply now ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

110 130

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Heran Darwin, PhD @heran.bsky.social · 4d

We're hiring! Check out our ad and please re-post or forward to interested #Microbiology parties: apply.interfolio.com/174783

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

27 17

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Shabaana Khader @khadershabaana.bsky.social · 6d

UChicago Microbiology is searching for tenured or tenure-track faculty working in host-pathogens interactions, viral and bacterial pathogenesis, and emerging infectious diseases. Come join our vibrant Department! microbiology.uchicago.edu
Apply here apply.interfolio.com/174404

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

2 69 61

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Molecular Microbiology @molmicrounihoh.bsky.social · 5d

Humans began travelling into space in 1961 with single orbits of the Earth. Now Bacillus subtilis!

👉

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#subtiwiki

Thank you @joergstuelke.bsky.social for the reading recommendation!

Effects of extreme acceleration, microgravity, and deceleration on Bacillus subtilis onboard a suborbital space flight - npj Microgravity

npj Microgravity - Effects of extreme acceleration, microgravity, and deceleration on Bacillus subtilis onboard a suborbital space flight

www.nature.com

3 6

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · Aug 19

(p)ppGpp-dependent activation of gene expression during nutrient limitation

#mBio from Jonathan Dworkin

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

(p)ppGpp-dependent activation of gene expression during nutrient limitation | mBio

Bacteria often experience nutrient limitation and, in response, attenuate energetically costly metabolic processes like protein synthesis. At the same time, however, they stimulate the expression of a subset of proteins that facilitate survival under ...

journals.asm.org

6 6

Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 13d

"Cascading failure" is my new favorite term

Acid Rain @bearysweet.bsky.social · 13d

Curiosity calls for science.

Making sense of spaghetti physics: "Why does the strand break like that?"

🍝

#science #physics #pasta #interesting

1 1 8

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Joe Sorg @thejoesorg.bsky.social · 29d

We're hiring! 5 tenure track assistant professors. 2 #microbiology, 2 #Evolution, 1 #biologicalclocks

jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/675062/f...

Five Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Positions in Microbiology, Evolution, and Biological Clocks - College Station, Texas job with Department of Biology - TAMU | 675062

Texas A&M University (TAMU) invites applications for five full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor positions

jobs.sciencecareers.org

1 43 28

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Harvard_MCB @harvardmcb.bsky.social · Sep 11

Rich Losick’s Farewell Publication Reexamines a Molecular Biology Milestone 🧪 🧬 #AcademicSky #higherEd
www.mcb.harvard.edu/department/n... @cryptogenomicon.bsky.social @craigphunter.bsky.social @rachellegaudet.bsky.social @harvardmagazine.bsky.social @naoshigeuchida.bsky.social

Rich Losick’s Farewell Publication Reexamines a Molecular Biology Milestone - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Richard Losick, Maria Moors Cabot Professor of Biology, Emeritus in Harvard’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, is about to publish what he describes as his “last paper”—though […]

www.mcb.harvard.edu

14 18

Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 29d

Wonderful collaboration with labs of Kandice Tanner and David Fitzgerald, both at NCI, that really allowed our lab to pursue this very different (to us) line of research that begins to translate years of our basic studies in bacterial cell biology into an applied technology

Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 29d

Domenico surprisingly found that 1) particle size and 2) mode of peptide antigen delivery (surface displayed or internalized peptide) affects cross-presentation efficiency and the robustness of antigen-specific T cell expansion.

1 1

Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 29d

Immunization with peptides can elicit antigen-specific T cell responses, but they're not widely used because they are poorly immunogenic and are rapidly cleared. Domenico D'Atri solves this by using our "SSHEL" platform (synthetic bacterial spores) .
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Immunization with peptide encapsulated within synthetic spores activates T cell responses and reduces tumor growth | mBio

Effective delivery of antigens to the immune system is essential for activating the adaptive immune system. Synthetic Spore Husk-Encased Lipids (SSHELs) are synthetic bacterial spore-like particles, w...

journals.asm.org

1 6 14

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Jason Stajich @hyphaltip.bsky.social · Sep 11

asm.org/press-releas...

ASM Launches New Food Microbiology Journal

ASM is launching ASM Food Microbiology, a new journal dedicated to advancing research on microbial safety, fermentation, spoilage and biotechnological innovations in food systems.

asm.org

2 2

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · Sep 11

Super cool Pseudomonas-Bacillus interaction paper in @natmicrobiol.nature.com from Yun Chen
with @gabrieleberg.bsky.social

Phenazines shape Gram+ abundance & influence Bacillus cell biology

Phenazines contribute to microbiome dynamics by targeting topoisomerase IV
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

1 14 33

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · Sep 11

Fundamental science producing life-saving treatment

www.the-scientist.com/triple-drug-...

Triple-Drug Combination for Cystic Fibrosis Wins Lasker Award

Jesús (Tito) González, Paul Negulescu, and Michael Welsh received the 2025 Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award for the development of a life-saving cystic fibrosis treatment.

www.the-scientist.com

12 33

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

joe-wade.bsky.social @joe-wade.bsky.social · Sep 11

Check out our new paper: a review of translational coupling, the phenomenon where translation of one prokaryotic gene can promote translation of the gene downstream. We cover the history, and delve into the mechanism, which is still not fully understood. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Translational coupling of neighboring genes in prokaryotes | Journal of Bacteriology

Prokaryotic genes are arranged in operons, with functionally related genes often located adjacent to one another (1). There are several ways in which the operonic organization of genes facilitates the...

journals.asm.org

14 24

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Wiep Klaas Smits (ExpBac/CMAT) @smitslab.bsky.social · Sep 9

The endoribonuclease Rae1 from Bacillus subtilis cleaves mRNA upstream of stalled ribosomes - academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

The endoribonuclease Rae1 from Bacillus subtilis cleaves mRNA upstream of stalled ribosomes

Abstract. The ribosome-associated endoribonuclease 1 (Rae1) cleaves messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in a translation-dependent manner. Here, we identify a new Rae1

academic.oup.com

2 8

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Wiep Klaas Smits (ExpBac/CMAT) @smitslab.bsky.social · Sep 9

Widespread purine bias in bacterial genes driven by runaway transcription - www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Widespread purine bias in bacterial genes driven by runaway transcription

Genes in many bacteria are rich in purine nucleotides and poor in pyrimidines. We show that this purine preference is critical for gene expression because it prevents premature transcription terminati...

www.biorxiv.org

2 4

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · Aug 28

Here we show that >90% of Paenibacillus encode a unique Spo0B with a transmembrane domain! TM domain helps it interact with its phosphorelay partners. Congrats to @isabellalin.bsky.social who left for grad school this week and her mentor @cassidyprints.bsky.social! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Conservation of sporulation genes and a transmembrane-containing Spo0B variant in Paenibacillus

Sporulation is a strategy employed by many bacteria to survive harsh environmental conditions. The genus Paenibacillus includes spore-forming species notorious for spoiling pasteurized dairy products ...

www.biorxiv.org

3 16 27

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Gozde Demirer @prof-gozde.bsky.social · Aug 26

Big news from the Demirer lab: first 4 research papers are preprinted! Check them out, feedback welcomed:

eCIS for plant protein delivery: tinyurl.com/mrx4d878
R2 for targeted insertion: tinyurl.com/5n73za6h
Transient expression: tinyurl.com/38p2ud6w
Chemotaxis assay: tinyurl.com/3nw9haes

More ⬇️

2 9 13

Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · Aug 28

Accepted! Stay tuned for the final version...

Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · Feb 28

Welp, science moves on, I guess...

Our preprint reports that therapeutic immunization with synthetic spore-like particles, "SSHELs", encapsulation peptide antigen elicited antigen-specific T cell expansion, reduced tumor growth, and increased survival.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Immunization with peptide encapsulated within synthetic spores activates T cell responses and reduces tumor growth

Peptide-based therapeutic immunizations represent safe approaches to elicit antigen-specific T cell responses, but their broad utility remains limited due to poor immunogenicity and short in vivo stab...

www.biorxiv.org

1 10

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Levental Lab @leventallab.bsky.social · Aug 27

Very cool #lipidtime story

Science Magazine @science.org · Aug 27

The endoplasmic reticulum donates lipids through a tunnel-like protein to help lysosomes expand.

Learn more in a new #SciencePerspective: https://scim.ag/45GWQrS

A protein tunnel helps stressed lysosomes swell

The endoplasmic reticulum donates lipids through a tunnel-like protein to help lysosomes expand

scim.ag

3 10

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

berkeleyMCB @berkeleymcb.bsky.social · Aug 20

We're Hiring! Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine in MCB. Learn more and apply online:
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05096

31 21

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Sonja-Verena Albers @archaellum.bsky.social · Aug 20

🚨 Imagine a bacterium that refuses to follow the textbook:
It grows as tangled filaments, divides unevenly, reshapes its own membranes… and even builds grappling hooks.
Meet Litorilinea aerophila — and here’s why it blew our minds.

5 70 170

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Adrià Sogues @adriasogues.bsky.social · Aug 17

Many spores from the Firmicutes group are decorated with hair-like structures. Since the 60s, they remained a mystery. @remaut-lab.bsky.social named these fibres ENdospore Appendages (ENAs). Using Cryo-ID, we report the identity, structure and function of F-ENA.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Cryo-EM identifies F-ENA of Bacillus thuringiensis as a widespread family of endospore appendages across Firmicutes - Nature Communications

B. thuringiensis spores contain uncharacterized protein filaments that extend from the surface of the exosporium. Here, the authors show that these filaments feature conserved β-barrel neck domains an...

www.nature.com

14 21

Reposted by Kumaran Ramamurthi

Matthew Lawrenz @lawrenzlab.bsky.social · Aug 17

My alma mater is hiring a microbiologist! Assistant/Associate Prof. 👇👇

Assistant/Associate Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics - McGovern Medical School in Texas, United States | Faculty & Physicians at UTHealth Houston

Apply for Assistant/Associate Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics - McGovern Medical School job with UTHealth Houston in Texas, United States. Faculty & Physicians at UTHealth Houston

careers.uth.tmc.edu

32 20