Vikram Alva
@vikramalva.bsky.social
Departmental Group Leader - Protein Bioinformatics @ Max Planck Institute for Biology - Tübingen @mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Protein evolution // MPI Bioinformatics Toolkit // prokaryotic cell-surface proteins // prokaryotic histones
Protein evolution // MPI Bioinformatics Toolkit // prokaryotic cell-surface proteins // prokaryotic histones
Pinned
Vikram Alva
@vikramalva.bsky.social
· May 12
Excited to share our new preprint on HLp—a bacterial histone from Leptospira perolatii that forms stable tetramers and wraps ~60 bp of DNA: "DNA Wrapping by a Tetrameric Bacterial Histone" www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
@mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Thank you, Daniela, @danielabarilla.bsky.social, for a wonderful commentary! 🤗🤗 More spotlight on the Asgards and their chromatin! ❤️ #archaea #chromatin
Let’s wrap things up: my commentary on the Asgard hypernucleosomes.
Congratulations to all the authors of the paper 🍾!
kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
Cryo-EM reveals open and closed Asgard chromatin assemblies: Molecular Cell www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Congratulations to all the authors of the paper 🍾!
kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
Cryo-EM reveals open and closed Asgard chromatin assemblies: Molecular Cell www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Cryo-EM reveals open and closed Asgard chromatin assemblies
Ranawat et al. show the cryo-EM structures of Asgard archaeal chromatin assemblies,
revealing that the histone HHoB assembles into both compact closed and extended open
hypernucleosomes. The closed co...
www.cell.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Thank you, Daniela, @danielabarilla.bsky.social, for a wonderful commentary! 🤗🤗 More spotlight on the Asgards and their chromatin! ❤️ #archaea #chromatin
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Also see the associated primer video on S-layers made by the @mrclmb.bsky.social Visual Aids department Konstantinos Alexandrou and Shraddha Nayak!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgSf...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgSf...
Introduction to microbial surface layers (S-layers)
YouTube video by MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
www.youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Also see the associated primer video on S-layers made by the @mrclmb.bsky.social Visual Aids department Konstantinos Alexandrou and Shraddha Nayak!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgSf...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgSf...
Pleased to share our review on S-layers with @bupbuse.bsky.social, Andriko von Kügelgen, and @tbharat-lab.bsky.social, where we explore recent advances and argue that deeper insight into S-layers is key to deciphering microbial interactions and community organization. @mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Assembly, architecture and functional roles of microbial surface layers
Review article published in @natrevmicro.nature.com with @bupbuse.bsky.social, Andriko von Kügelgen and @vikramalva.bsky.social.
S-layers are everywhere!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Review article published in @natrevmicro.nature.com with @bupbuse.bsky.social, Andriko von Kügelgen and @vikramalva.bsky.social.
S-layers are everywhere!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Assembly, architecture and functional roles of microbial surface layers - Nature Reviews Microbiology
Surface layers (S-layers) are ubiquitous protein assemblies that coat prokaryotic cells, with their functional roles increasingly coming into focus. In this Review, Isbilir and colleagues discuss rece...
www.nature.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Pleased to share our review on S-layers with @bupbuse.bsky.social, Andriko von Kügelgen, and @tbharat-lab.bsky.social, where we explore recent advances and argue that deeper insight into S-layers is key to deciphering microbial interactions and community organization. @mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social
Reposted by Vikram Alva
We have wondered what a complex archaeal cell might look like ever since 2014. It’s been a long road (and the journey is far from over), but it’s a good time to pause for breath and look. These Asgard archaeal cells are a surprise! And that is the joy of being a cell biologist.
November 7, 2025 at 11:02 AM
We have wondered what a complex archaeal cell might look like ever since 2014. It’s been a long road (and the journey is far from over), but it’s a good time to pause for breath and look. These Asgard archaeal cells are a surprise! And that is the joy of being a cell biologist.
Reposted by Vikram Alva
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 AM
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
What a gem from @dudinlab.bsky.social @gautamdey.bsky.social @centriolelab.bsky.social in Cell! Expansion microscopy atlas of >200 eukaryotes comparing cytoskeletal architectures revealing structures not seen before. Stunning visualisation! Exactly the kind of transformative cell biology we need.
October 31, 2025 at 5:45 PM
What a gem from @dudinlab.bsky.social @gautamdey.bsky.social @centriolelab.bsky.social in Cell! Expansion microscopy atlas of >200 eukaryotes comparing cytoskeletal architectures revealing structures not seen before. Stunning visualisation! Exactly the kind of transformative cell biology we need.
Reposted by Vikram Alva
🚨Our collaboration with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @gautamdey.bsky.social is out today in @cp-cell.bsky.social
We show that #Expansion #Microscopy is a broad-spectrum modality for Euks, enabling 3D phenotypic maps rooted to phylogeny.
#ProtistsOnSky #SciComm #SciSky
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
We show that #Expansion #Microscopy is a broad-spectrum modality for Euks, enabling 3D phenotypic maps rooted to phylogeny.
#ProtistsOnSky #SciComm #SciSky
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
October 31, 2025 at 2:42 PM
🚨Our collaboration with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @gautamdey.bsky.social is out today in @cp-cell.bsky.social
We show that #Expansion #Microscopy is a broad-spectrum modality for Euks, enabling 3D phenotypic maps rooted to phylogeny.
#ProtistsOnSky #SciComm #SciSky
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
We show that #Expansion #Microscopy is a broad-spectrum modality for Euks, enabling 3D phenotypic maps rooted to phylogeny.
#ProtistsOnSky #SciComm #SciSky
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Fruit flies are more than pests! Humans share 60% of their genome with them. @luisapallares.bsky.social busts myths about how these tiny creatures can tell us about human diseases. Watch Luisa's full video here: www.fml.tuebingen.mpg.de/71433/videos #BiologyMyths #Drosophila #Genomics
October 22, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Fruit flies are more than pests! Humans share 60% of their genome with them. @luisapallares.bsky.social busts myths about how these tiny creatures can tell us about human diseases. Watch Luisa's full video here: www.fml.tuebingen.mpg.de/71433/videos #BiologyMyths #Drosophila #Genomics
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Glad to share our paper out today @NatureEcoEvo: “Serial innovations by Asgard archaea shaped the DNA replication machinery of the early eukaryotic ancestor”. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #microsky #archaeasky
Serial innovations by Asgard archaea shaped the DNA replication machinery of the early eukaryotic ancestor - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Phylogenetic and biochemical analyses show a diversity of components of the DNA replication machinery in different Asgard archaea that contributed to the eukaryotic DNA replication machinery.
www.nature.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Glad to share our paper out today @NatureEcoEvo: “Serial innovations by Asgard archaea shaped the DNA replication machinery of the early eukaryotic ancestor”. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #microsky #archaeasky
Our Pyrodictium cannulae paper is out in its final form! Cannulae assemble into calcium-stabilized tubular filaments stable at 100 °C—a unique archaeal cell–cell connection. Led brilliantly by @mikesleutel.bsky.social & @vinceconticello.bsky.social.
www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64120-8
www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64120-8
October 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Our Pyrodictium cannulae paper is out in its final form! Cannulae assemble into calcium-stabilized tubular filaments stable at 100 °C—a unique archaeal cell–cell connection. Led brilliantly by @mikesleutel.bsky.social & @vinceconticello.bsky.social.
www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64120-8
www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64120-8
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Look at this nice cover: beautiful archaella, image made by @sshamphavi.bsky.social !
Thanks also to Marta Rodeiguez for keeping the EM im shape in @ottlab.bsky.social lab!
At @biologyunifreiburg.bsky.social at @uni-freiburg.de @sfb1381.bsky.social @cibss.bsky.social
Thanks also to Marta Rodeiguez for keeping the EM im shape in @ottlab.bsky.social lab!
At @biologyunifreiburg.bsky.social at @uni-freiburg.de @sfb1381.bsky.social @cibss.bsky.social
Some keen Observations in Our October issue!
🦠 Cancer microbiome
🌊 Marine microbes in warming oceans
🌐 broad-range phages
🧬 genetically minimised Salmonella
🔧 Viral infection mechanisms
🧪 Oxaloacetate antiviral defence
and more, here: www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...
🦠 Cancer microbiome
🌊 Marine microbes in warming oceans
🌐 broad-range phages
🧬 genetically minimised Salmonella
🔧 Viral infection mechanisms
🧪 Oxaloacetate antiviral defence
and more, here: www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/v...
October 2, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Look at this nice cover: beautiful archaella, image made by @sshamphavi.bsky.social !
Thanks also to Marta Rodeiguez for keeping the EM im shape in @ottlab.bsky.social lab!
At @biologyunifreiburg.bsky.social at @uni-freiburg.de @sfb1381.bsky.social @cibss.bsky.social
Thanks also to Marta Rodeiguez for keeping the EM im shape in @ottlab.bsky.social lab!
At @biologyunifreiburg.bsky.social at @uni-freiburg.de @sfb1381.bsky.social @cibss.bsky.social
Reposted by Vikram Alva
So happy to see my first first-author paper published! 🎈
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
Characterization of the transposable element landscape shaping the Ectocarpus genome | Genome Biology
rdcu.be
October 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
So happy to see my first first-author paper published! 🎈
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
A short thread on how Ectocarpus and its TE secrets have kept me busy lately:
rdcu.be/eITQH
Reposted by Vikram Alva
EXCITING NEWS!! We're searching for a new professor colleague at the Biozentrum🇨🇭. Ideal candidates are exploring novel biological questions with structure, biophysics, or high-resolution imaging. 🧪 🧶🧬 🔬
The call closes Nov 3. Please get in touch if you would like more information. Come join us! 👩🔬🤓
The call closes Nov 3. Please get in touch if you would like more information. Come join us! 👩🔬🤓
September 30, 2025 at 9:52 AM
EXCITING NEWS!! We're searching for a new professor colleague at the Biozentrum🇨🇭. Ideal candidates are exploring novel biological questions with structure, biophysics, or high-resolution imaging. 🧪 🧶🧬 🔬
The call closes Nov 3. Please get in touch if you would like more information. Come join us! 👩🔬🤓
The call closes Nov 3. Please get in touch if you would like more information. Come join us! 👩🔬🤓
Reposted by Vikram Alva
New Insights Into Bacterial Motility and DNA Transfer:
a small press on our discovery of ComFB signaling family by @claussenarne.bsky.social @hhu.de
www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
@cmfi.bsky.social @mibinet.bsky.social @sfb1381.bsky.social
a small press on our discovery of ComFB signaling family by @claussenarne.bsky.social @hhu.de
www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
@cmfi.bsky.social @mibinet.bsky.social @sfb1381.bsky.social
September 29, 2025 at 11:20 AM
New Insights Into Bacterial Motility and DNA Transfer:
a small press on our discovery of ComFB signaling family by @claussenarne.bsky.social @hhu.de
www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
@cmfi.bsky.social @mibinet.bsky.social @sfb1381.bsky.social
a small press on our discovery of ComFB signaling family by @claussenarne.bsky.social @hhu.de
www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
@cmfi.bsky.social @mibinet.bsky.social @sfb1381.bsky.social
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Registration deadline for @embo.org workshop EvoChromo extended until September 30.
meetings.embo.org/event/24-evo...
meetings.embo.org/event/24-evo...
September 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Registration deadline for @embo.org workshop EvoChromo extended until September 30.
meetings.embo.org/event/24-evo...
meetings.embo.org/event/24-evo...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Busting myths with @jweir.bsky.social. Did you know you don't inherit exactly 1/4 of your DNA from each grandparent? Or that fertility issues can affect young people, too? Find out more: www.fml.tuebingen.mpg.de/71433/videos #BiologyMyths
September 24, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Busting myths with @jweir.bsky.social. Did you know you don't inherit exactly 1/4 of your DNA from each grandparent? Or that fertility issues can affect young people, too? Find out more: www.fml.tuebingen.mpg.de/71433/videos #BiologyMyths
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Super glad to contribute to this study on chromatin evolution in brown algae! Special thanks to Jeromine Vigneau, @borglab.bsky.social and Susana Coelho for making this happen.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Rewiring of chromatin regulation underlies the evolution of brown algal multicellularity
Chromatin structure plays a central role in regulating transcription, genome stability, and epigenetic inheritance in eukaryotes. Much of our understanding of chromatin architecture and histone post-t...
www.biorxiv.org
September 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Super glad to contribute to this study on chromatin evolution in brown algae! Special thanks to Jeromine Vigneau, @borglab.bsky.social and Susana Coelho for making this happen.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
We discovered a new family of c-di-NMP receptors, widespread in bacteria & regulating🦠motility @pnas.org
A great collab. w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @vikramalva.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@hhu.de @cmfi.bsky.social
@sfb1381.bsky.social
@mibinet.bsky.social
A great collab. w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @vikramalva.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@hhu.de @cmfi.bsky.social
@sfb1381.bsky.social
@mibinet.bsky.social
September 19, 2025 at 2:32 PM
We discovered a new family of c-di-NMP receptors, widespread in bacteria & regulating🦠motility @pnas.org
A great collab. w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @vikramalva.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@hhu.de @cmfi.bsky.social
@sfb1381.bsky.social
@mibinet.bsky.social
A great collab. w/ @mygalperin.bsky.social @vikramalva.bsky.social @thethormannden.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@hhu.de @cmfi.bsky.social
@sfb1381.bsky.social
@mibinet.bsky.social
Reposted by Vikram Alva
And here is the published version of the work from @selimlab.bsky.social, @mygalperin.bsky.social, Dubnau labs and @thethormannden.bsky.social labs
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins | PNAS
Cyclic dimeric-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a ubiquitous bacterial second messenger that regulates
a variety of cellular processes, including motility, biofil...
www.pnas.org
September 19, 2025 at 11:04 AM
And here is the published version of the work from @selimlab.bsky.social, @mygalperin.bsky.social, Dubnau labs and @thethormannden.bsky.social labs
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Who would have thought I would ever publish an article about a bacterium?
But here it is, but of course only because Litorilinea aerophilum actually has an archaellum!
Here is what we learned about its cell structure and other surface appendages:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
But here it is, but of course only because Litorilinea aerophilum actually has an archaellum!
Here is what we learned about its cell structure and other surface appendages:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Filamentous growth, cell envelope architecture, and surface appendages of a member of the Chloroflexota, Litorilinea aerophila
Litorilinea aerophila, a filamentous bacterium of the phylum Chloroflexota (class Caldilineae), exhibits unique morphological and cell envelope features that challenge traditional bacterial models. In...
www.biorxiv.org
August 20, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Who would have thought I would ever publish an article about a bacterium?
But here it is, but of course only because Litorilinea aerophilum actually has an archaellum!
Here is what we learned about its cell structure and other surface appendages:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
But here it is, but of course only because Litorilinea aerophilum actually has an archaellum!
Here is what we learned about its cell structure and other surface appendages:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
Archaea are often surrounded by bacteria. But is there ever active conflict between the two? Can archaea kill bacteria? If so, how do they do it?
Work by @romainstrock.bsky.social shows that some archaea can kill bacteria by secreting peptidoglycan hydrolases. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Work by @romainstrock.bsky.social shows that some archaea can kill bacteria by secreting peptidoglycan hydrolases. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Archaea produce peptidoglycan hydrolases that kill bacteria
Archaea regularly interact with bacteria but reports of archaea killing bacteria are very rare. This study shows that many archaea encode peptidoglycan hydrolases, which specifically target bacterial ...
journals.plos.org
August 14, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Archaea are often surrounded by bacteria. But is there ever active conflict between the two? Can archaea kill bacteria? If so, how do they do it?
Work by @romainstrock.bsky.social shows that some archaea can kill bacteria by secreting peptidoglycan hydrolases. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Work by @romainstrock.bsky.social shows that some archaea can kill bacteria by secreting peptidoglycan hydrolases. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
our paper is online! rdcu.be/exXBX . Who would have thought that some #giantviruses not only have #histones, but even histone variants that make weird #nucleosomes (pdb 9CVT). Fantastic work from Ale Villalta and Chelsea Toner, with Hugo Bisio @molbiolgv.bsky.social and Chantal Abergel
Melbournevirus encodes a shorter H2B-H2A doublet histone variant that forms structurally distinct nucleosome structures
Nature Communications - Melbournevirus encodes a conserved shorter H2B-H2A doublet variant. Here the authors report a cryo-EM structure of a nucleosome-like particle reconstituted with viral H4-H3...
rdcu.be
July 26, 2025 at 1:43 PM
our paper is online! rdcu.be/exXBX . Who would have thought that some #giantviruses not only have #histones, but even histone variants that make weird #nucleosomes (pdb 9CVT). Fantastic work from Ale Villalta and Chelsea Toner, with Hugo Bisio @molbiolgv.bsky.social and Chantal Abergel
Reposted by Vikram Alva
#MicroSky Summer read!
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Strategies and mechanisms of contact-dependent predation in bacteria
Predatory bacteria kill other bacteria to acquire nutrients. Among diverse strategies to kill and feed on prey, contact-dependent predation stands out…
www.sciencedirect.com
July 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
#MicroSky Summer read!
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Vikram Alva
And the story is published now!🍾
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Open access link: rdcu.be/exnOc
Many years in the making, great collaboration with @archaellum.bsky.social & @tunglejic.bsky.social
Thanks @ukri.org BBSRC & @leverhulme.ac.uk for funding, reviewers & editor!! 🙏
#microsky #archaeasky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Open access link: rdcu.be/exnOc
Many years in the making, great collaboration with @archaellum.bsky.social & @tunglejic.bsky.social
Thanks @ukri.org BBSRC & @leverhulme.ac.uk for funding, reviewers & editor!! 🙏
#microsky #archaeasky
July 22, 2025 at 9:06 PM
And the story is published now!🍾
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Open access link: rdcu.be/exnOc
Many years in the making, great collaboration with @archaellum.bsky.social & @tunglejic.bsky.social
Thanks @ukri.org BBSRC & @leverhulme.ac.uk for funding, reviewers & editor!! 🙏
#microsky #archaeasky
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Open access link: rdcu.be/exnOc
Many years in the making, great collaboration with @archaellum.bsky.social & @tunglejic.bsky.social
Thanks @ukri.org BBSRC & @leverhulme.ac.uk for funding, reviewers & editor!! 🙏
#microsky #archaeasky