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Reposted by Christian Loyo

Wiep Klaas Smits (ExpBac/CMAT) @smitslab.bsky.social · 29d

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

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

Nature Ecology & Evolution @natecoevo.nature.com · Aug 27

Combination of large-scale phylogenomic analysis, mouse lethality experiments and bacterial growth assays shows sheds light on how a pandemic clone of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was able to spread worldwide

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

Wave succession in the pandemic clone of Vibrio parahaemolyticus driven by gene loss - Nature Ecology & Evolution

A combination of large-scale phylogenomic analysis, mouse lethality experiments and bacterial growth assays shows that gene loss in the putrescine utilization pathway has enhanced biofilm formation an...

www.nature.com

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · May 16

When I started my postdoc a little over a month ago, I expressed worry to my PI about the loss of funding opportunities from the federal government to which she countered saying that "maybe the private fellowships will invest more deeply." Seems that won't be the case.

Chiara Masnovo @chiaramasnovophd.bsky.social · May 16

Having a hard time processing this. HHMI is pausing all competitions. Very demoralizing for early career scientists like me @hhmi.org

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 18

I will miss working with B. subtilis, but I adore observing Helicobacter pylori squiggle under the microscope and see their distinct helical shape. I could just sit here all day and watch them!

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 16

Also if anyone knows any good tattoo artists in Seattle, let me know because I've been sitting a few more science tattoo ideas 👀

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 16

Love seeing science tattoos and showing off my own 😁 my first was a DNA helix, because it’s my favorite molecule, and second was a microscope/sun, an homage to my first microscope that used sunlight as a light source and helped fuel my curiosity for biology.

Tattoos of a DNA helix and a Sun/Microscope on an arm

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · Apr 4

This article does a great job describing the lives of young American scientists:

“You roll up your sleeves, try to make or discover something useful and then let the scientific community try to punch holes in your work to make sure that it’s sound”

Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · Apr 4

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...

Really important piece to share widely. Too many Americans don’t know how severe a threat this Administration poses to our scientific infrastructure, global leadership, and health security

Opinion | The Uncertain Fate of the Young American Scientist (Gift Article)

Young researchers are choosing between staying in science and staying in the United States.

www.nytimes.com

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 3

It turns out that Nip binds specifically to the TIR domain of SpbK, which likely prevents TIR domain interactions. Interestingly, we found that Nip binding to SpbK did not prevent SpbK from binding to YonE! Thus, Nip prevents effector function rather than preventing recognition of phage infection.

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 3

Finally, after discovering that an SPbeta-like phage, Phi3T (which has an identical copy of yonE) was able to evade SpbK anti-phage defense, we found a counter-defense gene in Phi3T that is responble for immune evasion. We called the protein Nip for NADase inhibitor from Phi3T.

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 3

Next, we determined that YonE, the SPbeta portal protein, activates SpbK via a direct interaction. Using CoIP experiments and AlphaFold modeling, we suspect the SpbK N-terminal region is reponsible for interacting with YonE and facilitates TIR domain interactions that lead to NAD depletion.

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 3

We first wondered how SpbK caused abortive infection during infection by SPbeta. SpbK has a TIR domain, which is known to degrade NAD in other systems, and thus we determined that this NAD depletion occurs here as well and that the NAD depletion was dependent on a functional TIR domain.

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Apr 3

Excited to share that my first first author paper from grad school is up now at PLOS Genetics @plos.org! dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

A phage-encoded counter-defense inhibits an NAD-degrading anti-phage defense system

Author summary Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages or phages) are widespread and abundant across the planet. Bacteria have a variety of immune systems, often found on mobile genetic elements, to combat ...

dx.plos.org

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

Krystal Tsosie @kstsosie.bsky.social · Mar 28

By age 24, I patented a cancer device, interned at top medical centers, was accepted to a university known for Nobel Laureates.

Yet, being Navajo, I felt the disconnect of being a scientist vs an object of study.

I am not a product of DEI. I persevered despite science ictnews.org/news/databac...

‘DataBack’: The fight for genomic data sovereignty

Arizona scientist wants more transparency and equity from researchers in the handling of Indigenous DNA

ictnews.org

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

José R Penadés @jrpenades.bsky.social · Mar 27

If you are interested in phage satellites, we hope you'll enjoy this. Fun collaboration with the Rocha, Seed, Bikard, and Chen labs! rdcu.be/efkvG

Genetics, ecology and evolution of phage satellites

Nature Reviews Microbiology - In this Review, Penadés et al. explore the genetics, potential origins and life cycle of phage satellites, and they discuss the impact of these elements on the...

rdcu.be

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · Feb 20

An antisense RNA regulates production of DnaA and affects sporulation in Bacillus subtilis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.18.638791v1

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · Feb 2

@asm.org this better not be anticipatory obedience. I have 5 lab members planning on going to ASM microbe this year. I will absolutely pivot to another meeting if ASM gives in to anti-DEI efforts.

Shawna Reed @profpathogen.bsky.social · Feb 2

@vscooper.micropopbio.org and @mostlymicrobes.bsky.social while downloading scientist spotlights for teaching from the site; ASM has also scrubbed the entire IDEAA page including resources on LGBTQ+ scientists at asm.org/IDEAA/resources/pride-month

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

Cecilia Noecker @cecilianoecker.bsky.social · Feb 2

ASM website screenshots from the wayback machine in December '24 (web.archive.org/web/20241211...) vs today. Pretty disappointing!! 🧪

Screenshot from an archived web page, reads: "
Guiding Principles

Our guiding principles provide unwavering guidance for equity and inclusion efforts and serve to communicate core values:

Diversity Is an Asset—A diverse ASM enhances the microbial sciences, increases innovation, strengthens the community and sustains the profession.
Diverse Leadership—ASM empowers individuals with diverse perspectives in decision-making processes.
Transparency—ASM ensures equitable access and accountability through transparent procedures and communication.
Community Building—ASM attracts, supports and develops the community, ensuring that all are empowered and engaged in the work of the organization.
"

Screenshot from current ASM IDEAA web page, reads: "Under Review

The page you have tried to access is currently under review as we evaluate the new Executive Orders."

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · Jan 29

Identification of insertion sites for the integrative and conjugative element Tn916 in the Bacillus subtilis chromosome https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.28.635231v1

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

Saria McKeithen-Mead, PhD @sciria.bsky.social · Jan 26

I'm excited to share that my third first-author publication from grad school has been published in JBAC:
doi.org/10.1128/jb.0...

Activation and modulation of the host response to DNA damage by an integrative and conjugative element | Journal of Bacteriology

Bacterial genomes typically contain mobile genetic elements, including bacteriophages (viruses) and integrative and conjugative elements, that affect host physiology. ICEs can excise from the chromoso...

journals.asm.org

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · Jan 9

DefensePredictor: A Machine Learning Model to Discover Novel Prokaryotic Immune Systems https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.08.631726v1

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Dec 23

Excited to share that my graduate work is up on bioRxiv! I found that some SPβ-like phages of B. subtilis have a counter-defense system that inhibits NADase activity from the SpbK anti-phage defense during phage infection and activation of SpbK.

bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · Dec 23

A phage-encoded counter-defense inhibits an NAD-degrading anti-phage defense system https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.23.630042v1

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Dec 22

Finally #PhDone! So grateful for my research mentors and all the amazing people I met at MIT that helped me be a better scientist.

Image of myself and my PhD Advisor in front of a sign saying “Congratulations Dr. Loyo”

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Dec 2

Thesis submitted to my committee! 🎉🥳 I’m still in disbelief that my thesis defense is only two weeks away

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Reposted by Christian Loyo

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

Bacillus on the Blue place, starting small, but hopefully extending to keep the conversation active
[it was also gorwing slow on Twitter]
go.bsky.app/BfusVyD

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Christian Loyo @christianloyo.bsky.social · Nov 11

Currently, I’m finishing a manuscript on my current project (keep an eye out for it!) and writing my thesis. I’m defending my thesis next month and starting my postdoc early next year at the Fred Hutch where I’m planning on studying the role of mobile elements in H. pylori. Happy to connect here! 😁

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