An improved mechanistic understanding of microbial interactions can guide targeted interventions or inform the rational design of microbial communities to optimize them for applications such as pathog...

Zagieboylo and colleagues demonstrate that the human commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron secretes two self-targeting proteins that induce heterogeneity within its own population. Differential expre...

Abstract. Over the past two decades, metagenomics has greatly expanded our understanding of microbial phylogenetic and metabolic diversity. However, most m

Screening of 1,076 compounds reveals 168 chemical pollutants with inhibitory effects on gut bacteria and genetic screens indicate commonality between pollutant and antibiotic resistance.

Abstract. The human nasal microbiome can serve as a reservoir for pathogens. In particular, the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can be a membe

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...

A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.

Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) pose significant global concerns, particularly with the limited availability of new antibiotics. Therefore, alternative treatment approaches are needed. In this study, the potential cro …

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...

Salary Range: $140,000 – $180,000 a year The University of Chicago’s Department of Ecology & Evolution in the Biological Sciences Division and the Climate Systems Engineering Initiative (CSEi) are sea...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen notorious for its antimicrobial resistance and is currently classified as a high-priority pathogen for which new drugs are needed. Tetrasodium EDTA (tEDTA) is one of the new antimicrobial compounds that have been shown to have good antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy against P. aeruginosa. Due to the diversity and highly drug-tolerant nature of P. aeruginosa biofilms in different infection environments, it is important to carry out pre-clinical testing of new antibiofilm agents against this pathogen in media and models that accurately mimic diverse infection environments. In this study, we used different high validity media and biofilm models that mimic chronic wounds, endotracheal tubes, and cystic fibrosis lung infections to assess the efficacy of tEDTA against P. aeruginosa biofilms. We report that different infection environments influence the susceptibility of both planktonic and biofilm forms of P. aeruginosa to tEDTA. The highest tolerance to tEDTA was observed in the media and biofilm model that mimics the endotracheal tube environment. In conclusion, we show that although different infection environments influence the efficacy of tEDTA against P. aeruginosa biofilms, it has good potential for use as an alternative antimicrobial in treating P. aeruginosa-associated biofilm infections. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a common commensal bacterium but also an opportunistic pathogen, frequently implicated in bacteraemia and sepsis in preterm neonates and immunocompromised patients. Desp...

Colistin is one of the last treatment options against human infections caused by multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Colistin resistant K. pne…