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Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Michael Brockhurst @brockhurstlab.bsky.social · 2d

New preprint!

Ever wondered why only a fraction of genomes encode CRISPR immunity? 🧬 🦠

Turns out CRISPR is rarely beneficial against virulent phages, being most beneficial against those for which resistance mutations are rare!

An epic effort by Rosanna Wright

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

Resistance mutation supply modulates the benefit of CRISPR immunity against virulent phages

Only a fraction of bacterial genomes encode CRISPR-Cas systems but the selective causes of this variation are unexplained. How naturally virulent bacteriophages (phages) select for CRISPR immunity has...

www.biorxiv.org

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · 6d

My boss is so nice, I got two tiny grants and she says it's "a lot of money" 😊
She's such an encouraging person

I should just make a thread; I can link it when we have vacancies 😆😆

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · 12d

My favourite mentor once told me to celebrate after writing/submitting a grant. Don't wait for the results! 😃
I appreciate it more now because I now LIKE applying for grants! Crazy

Today I took it one step further, went bouldering (1st time) to "enjoy the journey not the destination" 😄😆 🎉

Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · 20d

Phage bacteria folks, protocol question:
For prophage assays, e.g. lysis time, burst size, do you start with lysogens or naive bacteria?
I started with a lysogen (++ mitomycin C) for measuring lysis time/burst... Should I start with phages adsorbed to naive host? Thanks!
#microsky #phagesky #Mevosky

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · 28d

We'll do this 😀

Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · 28d

Thanks! That's always a good thing to keep in mind 😊
I'm slowly getting there!

Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology @mpimicrobiomarburg.bsky.social · Sep 2

We're hiring a DFG-funded PhD student (TVöD E13, 65%) at Max Planck Institute, Marburg to study quorum sensing in Klebsiella & host–pathogen interplay. 3 yrs, start flexible. Apply by Sep 30, 2025 (rolling). Send 1 PDF to [email protected]

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Sep 3

Going home full of inspiration and ideas after the September Science Academy by @mpimicrobiomarburg.bsky.social

First event of its kind for me, and it was SO. Much. Fun. Diverse talks, engaging discussions, and an especially helpful grant writing workshop! If they organise it again, do apply!! 😊

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 31

The @mpimicrobiomarburg.bsky.social September Science Academy organisers are so sweet! A DETAILED welcome package was waiting for us at the hotel! Even with the faces of who will join us for dinner! My heart is melting, this booklet helped me relax and be excited for tomorrow!!
😊👩‍🔬💜🥹

Max Planck tote bag and September Science Academy welcome package

A folder with two A4 sheets. One sheet says who will be joining for dinner and has names, faces and descriptions of those joining

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 31

#womeninstem

Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 31

Who's coming to the September Science Academy? I'm on my way, see you there 😊😊
#microsky
👩‍🔬

Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology @mpimicrobiomarburg.bsky.social · Jul 1

✨ Deadline extended! There’s still time to apply: September Science Academy - international summer school for women in the molecular life sciences. Deadline: July 14, 📍 Marburg, Germany
www.mpi-marburg.mpg.de/1489492/Sept...
#WomenInSTEM #SummerSchool

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 31

Who's coming to the September Science Academy? I'm on my way, see you there 😊😊
#microsky
👩‍🔬

Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology @mpimicrobiomarburg.bsky.social · Jul 1

✨ Deadline extended! There’s still time to apply: September Science Academy - international summer school for women in the molecular life sciences. Deadline: July 14, 📍 Marburg, Germany
www.mpi-marburg.mpg.de/1489492/Sept...
#WomenInSTEM #SummerSchool

September Science Academy

The September Science Academy for microbial and molecular biosciences is a fully funded international summer school for women in science and scientists of underrepresented genders in an advanced stage of their PhD or an early postdoctoral stage. Hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, the program invites early-career scientists from all over the world to explore cutting-edge research, connect with the institute’s scientific community, and discover new career opportunities.

www.mpi-marburg.mpg.de

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 25

Yes

Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Christian Kost @kostchristian.bsky.social · Aug 22

Are you a theoretical biologist that is intererested in the ecology and evolution of metabolic interactions among microorganisms?

Do you like to cooperate with experimentalists?

Do you have a PhD and experience in modelling and statistics?

Then this position might be for you👇:

shorturl.at/iiiOv

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 25

Very cool! Did you also see MGE transfer a lot? So curious! 😃

Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Martina Dal Bello @martinadalbello.bsky.social · Aug 25

Check out our new paper led by brilliant @jhuisman.bsky.social about how microbial communities cope with stress due to increasing salinity in their environment. We have all your favorites: isolate phenotyping, pairwise competitions, community propagations, and theory. #microsky #mevosky #ecosky

Jana Huisman @jhuisman.bsky.social · Aug 25

Have you ever wondered what increasing environmental stress will do to microbial communities?

In our new preprint, @martinadalbello.bsky.social, Jeff Gore and I studied the impact of salinity on microbial community composition and function. 🧵 (1/5)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Microbial communities demonstrate robustness in stressful environments due to predictable composition shifts

Environmental stress reduces species growth rates, but its impact on the function of microbial communities is less clear. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that increasing salinity stress shifts com...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Jana Huisman @jhuisman.bsky.social · Aug 25

Have you ever wondered what increasing environmental stress will do to microbial communities?

In our new preprint, @martinadalbello.bsky.social, Jeff Gore and I studied the impact of salinity on microbial community composition and function. 🧵 (1/5)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Microbial communities demonstrate robustness in stressful environments due to predictable composition shifts

Environmental stress reduces species growth rates, but its impact on the function of microbial communities is less clear. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that increasing salinity stress shifts com...

www.biorxiv.org

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 25

The help I'd like:

I already wrote rough objectives and got feedback from two scientists. When addressing comments, the imposter messaging kicks in and says my grant's not worth it.

What do you do #mevosky and #phagesky ?

I had overcome the extreme self doubt to a nice reviewer 2...

Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 25

Please help me 😭

While fearing the big postdoc grant application (and procrastinating), I've been productive:

I started new weekly troubleshooting meetings for PhD students
I applied for a different smaller grant
I edited a manuscript I'd been fearing but feared less than the grant...
Help please🥺

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Aug 25

Please help me 😭

While fearing the big postdoc grant application (and procrastinating), I've been productive:

I started new weekly troubleshooting meetings for PhD students
I applied for a different smaller grant
I edited a manuscript I'd been fearing but feared less than the grant...
Help please🥺

1

Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Anne Chevallereau @annechevallereau.bsky.social · Aug 19

#phagesky

I am looking for phages infecting Streptococcus pneumoniae to test a phenotype - does anyone have some and willing to share ?

Repost appreciated :)

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Reposted by Lavisha Parab

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · Aug 19

Hey everybody! @drjuliawester.bsky.social and I have a new paper!

We surveyed over 800 scientists, science communicators, and science educators who use social media.

Conclusion: Scientists no longer find Twitter useful or pleasant, and many have switched to Bluesky! 🧪🌎🦑

doi.org/10.1093/icb/...

Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky

Synopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For

doi.org

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Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Christian Kost @kostchristian.bsky.social · Aug 8

I am excited to announce that the position of a senior postdoc (3 +3 years) in the field of theoretical biology is available in my group.

The position provides the opportunity to closely interact with experimentalists and develop own research projects.

Please RT.

Details 👇:
shorturl.at/iiiOv

116 FB 5 Research Assistant (m/f/d) field of Theoretical Ecology and Evolution or Computational Biology: Uni Osnabrück

shorturl.at

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Jul 30

You can always prepare an independent grant application 😊 😛
More money that way!! 😀

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Jul 30

The point is, she praises me even when I haven't done anything so special! Just so encouraging 🥰🥰

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Lavisha Parab @lavishaparab.bsky.social · Jul 30

My boss is always praising me in public and uplifting me when alone, it's so cute 🥰 🥰
She's a proper hype-woman, and we need more in academia 😊😊

Just saying, if there's vacancies in the future, be sure to apply 😉

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Reposted by Lavisha Parab

Vivek Mutalik @vivekmutalik.bsky.social · Jul 17

😮 #phage #phagesky

annadragos.bsky.social @annadragos.bsky.social · Jul 17

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

Prophages block cell surface receptors to preserve their viral progeny - Nature

Zip promotes the accumulation of free phages in bacterial lysogen communities, safeguarding phage progeny.

www.nature.com

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