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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Aug 13

Intracellular pathogens like #Chlamydia can hide from host defenses in a #vacuole. This study shows that CpoS maintains the stability of Chlamydia’s parasitophorous vacuole; early vacuole destabilization clears infection, suggesting a potential therapeutic target @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3Ur0YqJ

Novel reporters for inclusion damage revealed instability of CpoS-deficient inclusions. Top left: Schematic showing the principle of detecting inclusion damage using the split-GFP approach. Right: Fluorescence microscopic detection of inclusion damage during infection with CTL2-cpoS::cat. HeLa cells were transfected with a plasmid driving GFP1–10 expression, infected with the indicated strains (5 IFU/cell), and then fixed, stained (DNA (Hoechst) staining), and imaged at 26 hpi (scale = 20 µm). Bottom left: FIB-SEM analysis validating inclusion damage at the ultrastructural level. GFP1–10-expressing HeLa cells were infected with the indicated strain and fixed at 24 hpi. A cell containing green-fluorescent bacteria was identified by fluorescence microscopy and subjected to FIB-SEM analysis (scale = 1 µm, green arrows highlight bacteria in the host cell cytosol).

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Jun 25

Ran my first 10k in beautiful Heidelberg 🙂‍↔️

And got to see some babies on the way!

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Jun 24

Just a few minutes for this really great conference to start! Amazing talks, superb program and beautiful city

Happy as always to represent @plosbiology.org at #EESMicrobiology

Feel free to approach and have a chat!

Typas Lab @typaslab.bsky.social · Jun 23

Excited for New Approaches and Concepts in Microbiology 2025 with sessions on Bacterial systems biology, Bacterial cell biology & protein machines, Microbiomes, Environment & evolution, Pathogenesis & phage, Antibiotic discovery, mechanisms, and resistance. #EESMicrobiology

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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

Nadia El Mjiyad @nadelmjiyad.bsky.social · Apr 29

📅 I am organizing a session on #ERC funding opportunities at the EMBO | EMBL Symposium-Infection: pathogens, hosts, and microbiomes. 26-28 May 2025. If you are around, feel free to stop by. @erc.europa.eu @embl.org

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · May 23

Excited to join next week to this @embl.org symposium #EESInfection!

The program looks great and I am happy to say that @plosbiology.org will be giving 2 poster prizes!

As always, reach out if you are going to be there too!

EMBL Events @events.embl.org · Apr 7

🦠🔬Don't miss the chance to meet experts working on different pathogens at the "Infection: pathogens, hosts, and microbiomes" symposium!

Register until 14 April #EESInfection to join us in #Heidelberg 👉 https://s.embl.org/ees25-04-bl

🗓️ 26 – 28 May 2025
📍 EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · May 11

Another exciting conference! I am attending this week the #GRC of #Neuroimmunity in Lucca representing @plosbiology.org

Really cool talks and people in a beautiful place!

Looking forward to it!

www.grc.org/neuroimmune-...

2025 Neuroimmune Communication in Health and Disease Conference GRC

The 2025 Gordon Research Conference on Neuroimmune Communication in Health and Disease will be held in Lucca (Barga), Lucca Italy. Apply today to reserve your spot.

www.grc.org

Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Apr 8

Great talk from @audeber.bsky.social about defense system diversity.

And then also from @pdeweirdt.bsky.social from the lab of one of our Editorial Board Members Michael Laub.

So much to still discover!

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Apr 6

So excited to participate on this @embo.org workshop representing @plosbiology.org! There'll be amazing talks & posters! Feel free to come to me! I'm always happy to chat ;)

I'll also take the opportunity for a site visit @institutpasteur.bsky.social Mon & Fri, so reach-out if you are there!

Aude Bernheim @audeber.bsky.social · Dec 9

Registration now open for the EMBO Workshop: Immune System of Bacteria !!!!

www.sisb2025.conferences-pasteur.org/home

Joins us in Institut Pasteur, Paris, April 8-10th.

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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

FEMS Journals @femsjournals.bsky.social · Mar 27

Happening TODAY! It is not too late to register for the #FEMSMicrobiolEcol Webinar.

This session will not only push the boundaries of ecological understanding but also underscore the critical role of microbes in addressing environmental challenges.🌍

buff.ly/3X6aCR9

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Mar 27

Reviewer fatigue is there. Check out this editorial :)

If you have ideas that you think we should consider feel free to comment. I am already aware that a solution may be to pay reviewers, it will be interesting to see the outcome from CoB, and how affordable that is (specially for non-profits)

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Mar 26

The term "reviewer fatigue” has become familiar in scientific publishing. In this Editorial, @droutledge.bsky.social & @npariente.bsky.social discuss how we can make the peer review system more sustainable & ways that PLOS Biology is already helping to ease the burden on reviewers🧪
▶️ plos.io/41YKIRa

On improving the sustainability of peer review

The term “reviewer fatigue” has become only too familiar in scientific publishing. This editorial discusses how we can ease the burden on reviewers to make the peer review system more sustainable, whi...

plos.io

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Mar 24

What is up Bluesky!
I'm an Associate Editor working at #PLOSBiology with everything related with #Microbiology and #Immunology
Looking forward to all #science posts!
Also, if you wanna book a meet-the-editor zoom meeting with me and talk about your work, just click scheduler.zoom.us/melissa-vazq...!

Zoom Scheduler

Zoom external booking management

scheduler.zoom.us

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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

Dor Salomon @drdorsalomon.bsky.social · Mar 17

Our new story on #T6SS WHIX effectors and bacterial warfare is out in @plosbiology.org. It has a lot more data than the original bioRxiv preprint, so take a look even if you’ve read that. 🦠
What did we find? A thread... 1/9

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

A new class of type VI secretion system effectors can carry two toxic domains and are recognized through the WHIX motif for export

The secretion mechanisms of many type VI secretion system (T6SS) effectors in Gram-negative bacteria remain unclear. This study identifies a new class of T6SS effectors, which can harbor either one or...

journals.plos.org

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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Mar 6

Let's talk about this Nature piece in more detail.

I've rarely read something so anti-scientific anywhere short of the National Review.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Three AI-powered steps to faster, smarter peer review

Tired of spending countless hours on peer reviews? An AI-assisted workflow could help.

www.nature.com

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Mar 3

Super fun to be part of this. Thank you @sparrerlab.bsky.social for inviting me to talk a bit about AI in scientific publishing!

GfV - Gesellschaft für Virologie @gesvirologie.bsky.social · Mar 3

Ahead of the GfV's 34th Annual Meeting, the #jGfV ACHIEVE working group organised their annual workshop at the @leibnizliv.bsky.social aiming to train and support the next generation of virologists.

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Feb 26

Really happy to attend the "Molecular Determinants of Zoonotic Virus Infections and Beyond" meeting in Freiburg representing @plosbiology.org

I will also have a meet the editor session this Friday, so come over!

As always, feel free to reach out in person, by e-mail or dm

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Feb 21

In this uncertain and weird times, I am so happy and proud to be part of @plos.org and @plosbiology.org.

"PLOS will not compromise on issues of scientific rigor & editorial integrity... we seek diversity because more expert voices make for better science"

PLOS @plos.org · Feb 21

PLOS remains committed to the principles of #OpenScience: integrity, transparency, inclusivity, and collaboration.

Recent policy changes in the U.S. raise concerns about the impact on the global research community and scientific integrity. Read the statement: plos.io/3D4O8cH

PLOS statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity - The Official PLOS Blog

Since its founding over twenty five years ago PLOS has been dedicated to advancing open science, ensuring that knowledge is accessible to…

plos.io

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Feb 19

Important then, and even more important now...

Also, I have to say that I am quite proud of this team, PLOS and the values we support

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Feb 19

In 2025, we continue to advocate for policy based on scientific evidence. This 2020 Editorial, “We need leaders that believe in scientific evidence”, resonates today as loudly as ever: plos.io/34lyl59. PLOS Biology also continues to push for DEI and a diverse scientific community:
plos.io/3rzxczU 🧪

We need leaders that believe in scientific evidence

In a world beset by attempts to undermine scientific evidence and evidence-based policy, we emphasize their important role in helping humanity rise to the challenges of our time.

plos.io

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Feb 8

biology is so beautiful!

Roli Roberts @roliroberts.bsky.social · Feb 7

This stunning pic of sensory neurons in a #Drosophila larva received a near-unanimous vote from the @plosbiology.org team for the featured image of our Jan 2025 issue. It was made by Pankajam Thyagarajan in Melissa Rolls' lab. The neurons are magenta and the overlying epidermal cells are green.

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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Feb 7

Iron-sulfur proteins require specialized assembly pathways. @s-besteiro.bsky.social &co show that the plastid-derived protein HCF101 functions in the cytosolic Fe-S assembly pathway in #Toxoplasma and is crucial for #parasite viability 🧪 @plosbiology.org plos.io/3EFKKoQ

Top: Immunofluorescence assay of cKD-TgHCF101 treated for 7 days in the presence of ATc, cyst wall is labeled with DBL, parasites are outlined with anti-IMC3 antibody and DNA is stained with DAPI. Bottom: Schematic representation of the putative organization of the CIA pathway in T. gondii. This scheme places TgHCF101 as an Fe-S transfer protein from the CTC to client protein ABCE1. Plant nomenclature was used for the purpose of the figure, but names for human homologs are mentioned between brackets when appropriate.

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Feb 3

quite a nice study from the @maierlab.bsky.social

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Feb 3

#Neisseria gonorrhoeae evades immunity by altering its surface structures. @maierlab.bsky.social &co show that this process also modulates bacterial interactions, driving microcolony diversification, aggregation, colony morphology & #antibiotic tolerance 🧪 @plosbiology.org plos.io/4aN1zdO

Pilin variants segregated in mixed microcolonies. wt*red (Ng170) were mixed at a 1:1 ratio with (in rows 1-5) wtpilE24 green (Ng309), wtpilE17 green (Ng308), wtpilE32 green (Ng310), ΔpilEgreen (Ng081), wt*green (Ng105). Scale bar: 10 μm.

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Jan 28

In a see of horrible, and sometimes disheartening news, here is a picture of my ninja cat enjoying the sun

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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · Jan 23

500 classrooms have signed up for Skype a Scientist 2025!

@skypeascientist.bsky.social matches scientists with classrooms, scout troops, libraries, & other groups for Q&A sessions. It's FREE!

We have an advertising budget of $0. So tell an educator in your life that we exist

SkypeAScientist.com

a hot pink flip phone with a DNA strand on the screen next to courier font text that says "Text a teacher: You can get matched with a scientist for a virtual Q&A in your classroom for free with skype a scientist"

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Jan 16

🥳🥳

Institut Pasteur | 130 years of biomedical research @pasteur.fr · Jan 16

The Institut Pasteur has decided to leave X (formerly Twitter) to join BlueSky! 🦋
The Institut Pasteur made this decision due to several serious issues observed on the X platform since its acquisition. Join us here to continue advocating for science. www.pasteur.fr/en/home/pres...

Institut Pasteur decides to leave X

The Institut Pasteur, a research organization which for more than 130 years has been committed to tackling infectious diseases, sharing knowledge and defending science, has decided to leave X because ...

www.pasteur.fr

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Reposted by Mel Vazquez Hernandez

Roli Roberts @roliroberts.bsky.social · Jan 3

If you're just getting back on Bluesky, welcome to 2025! Here's a 🧵 on the editors' highlights of the stuff that we published in @plosbiology.org last year, compiled in this v nice editorial by @droutledge.bsky.social ...

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Dec 20

As we reach the end of 2024, this Editorial celebrates an amazing year of science for #PLOSBiology and the life sciences more broadly: plos.io/3BqPSwc 🧪

And from the Staff Editors at PLOS Biology, we thank everyone who continues to support the journal - and happy holidays!🎄

The PLOS Biology Staff Editors getting Christmas-y at the editorial retreat, standing in front of a giant lit up baubel!

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Mel Vazquez Hernandez @melvazquezh.bsky.social · Dec 22

This has also been my first year as editor and being part of this amazing team was one of the best things in 2024.

I would like to thank the whole team and the Academic Editors for their help and patience, the authors for their trust, and the reviewers for their hard work.

Happy holidays everyone!

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Dec 20

As we reach the end of 2024, this Editorial celebrates an amazing year of science for #PLOSBiology and the life sciences more broadly: plos.io/3BqPSwc 🧪

And from the Staff Editors at PLOS Biology, we thank everyone who continues to support the journal - and happy holidays!🎄

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