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Microbes in Health and Disease

@mhd-newcastle.bsky.social

190 followers 390 following 31 posts

Research Theme at Newcastle University Investigating microbial interactions in human hosts https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/research-themes/microbes-in-health-and-disease/

www.ncl.ac.uk

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 16d

Now we are on Bluesky, over the next couple of days we would like to introduce some of the MHD groups on Bluesky who you can follow for more research updates. Or check out our handy MHD starter pack 😀
go.bsky.app/SoVnvW3

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Alessandra Dantas @alesdantas.bsky.social · 11h

Prof Quinn telling us about her novel findings on bacterial type-VI secretion mediated killing of fungi. @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social @nclfungalgroup.bsky.social #Candida2025

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 1d

⭐️

Dr Katherine Duncan @kateduncan.bsky.social · 1d

Very exciting to have Prof Mark Blaskovich @medicalsciencesncl.bsky.social (hosted by @henrikstrahl.bsky.social) all the way from the University of Queensland, Australia to give a seminar on collaborative approaches to combat antimicrobial resistance #drugdiscovery #AMR #antibiotics

Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 2d

And Rachel Darnell, @rachel-darnell19.bsky.social
I am working in Prof Henrik Strahl's lab in the @cbcb-newcastle.bsky.social . I am working on how a conserved universal stress response protein functions to mitigate membrane stress using the model organism Bacillus subtilis.

Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 2d

Next up for RA reps , starting with Jean-Lou Reyre @jlreyre.bsky.social

After defending my PhD in France, I joined Elisabeth Lowe's lab at Newcastle University in January 2024 for a post-doctoral fellowship focused on the characterisation of novel arabinan degrading enzymes from mycobacteria.

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 2d

Hi, I’m Natalia Łoś from Dr Dave Bolam’s lab. I’m currently going into the third year of my PhD working on dietary fibre degradation by the members of the human gut microbiota 😊

Follow Natalia here : @natalia-los.bsky.social

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 2d

I’m Chloe, I am part of the Connolly lab and I study how the role of two-component systems differs between types of E.coli”

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 2d

In MHD we are lucky enough to have an amazing group PhD Students and Research Associates. We’ve recently got some new representatives and would like give them the opportunity to introduce themselves here.

First up our two representatives for the PhD student community:

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Tracy Palmer @proftracypalmer.bsky.social · 3d

Check it out! A proper team effort from past and present group members and a great collaboration with @sergemostowylab.bsky.social

bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 3d

The Staphylococcus aureus LXG-domain toxins EsxX and SAR0287 do not promote virulence in a zebrafish larval infection model https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.04.680436v1

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 5d

Sounds like an amazing opportunity, enjoy ☺️

Leela Ghimire @leela-bg.bsky.social · 5d

Big thank you to Dr. @cecile-exertier.bsky.social and Dr. Francesca Troilo for SPR training at ITACA-SB CNR in the beautiful Rome. 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹

Grateful for the opportunity to learn a lot in a couple of days & connect with fellow students!

#ITACA.SB #CNR

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NclFungalGroup @nclfungalgroup.bsky.social · 6d

Lovely if bittersweet celebration of all Robert Hirts great work at the university. You’ll be missed but at least you now have a decent football shirt to wear! @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social #dreamtheme

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Augustinas Silale @augustsilale.bsky.social · 6d

Berks and @smlea.bsky.social labs also found yet a different BAM architecture in Flavobacterium johnsoniae, another member of Bacteroidota.

doi.org/10.1038/s415...

A new paradigm for outer membrane protein biogenesis in the Bacteroidota - Nature

Structural and biochemical studies of the β-barrel-assembly machinery from Flavobacterium johnsoniae reveal a subunit composition and assembly that are distinct from those of the canonical Escherichia coli complex.

doi.org

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Augustinas Silale @augustsilale.bsky.social · 6d

We think this much larger BAM enables biogenesis of outer membrane β-barrel and surface-exposed lipoprotein complexes, which are a hallmark of the Bacteroidota.

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 6d

Beautiful work, congratulations to all authors 🤩

Augustinas Silale @augustsilale.bsky.social · 6d

Our paper on the Bacteroidota BAM complex is out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com! With @madejmar.bsky.social

We found that BAM in Bacteroides and Porphyromonas gingivalis has a distinct architecture from BAM in Proteobacteria.

doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Structure of a distinct β-barrel assembly machinery complex in the Bacteroidota - Nature Microbiology

Structural and functional characterization of the β-barrel assembly machinery complex in Bacteroidota reveals a distinct, seven-component complex with a large extracellular domain that may enable β-barrel–surface lipoprotein complex assembly.

doi.org

Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 9d

Dr Manuel Banzhaf

The Banzhaf group uses high-throughput methods to dissect the life style of bacterial pathogens and how to use this knowledge to optimize antimicrobial treatments.

Follow @banzhaflab.bsky.social for more updates

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 9d

Dr Emma Briggs @emmamariebriggs.bsky.social

Studies how trypanosomatid parasites regulate cell cycle arrest and proliferation in response to environmental cues—using CRISPR, microscopy and single-cell transcriptomics to uncover molecular switches and potential drug targets driving transitions

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 9d

Now for a final round of PI introductions :

Professor John Common investigates the skin microbiome as an ecosystem, studying how its interactions with the host barrier and immune system contribute to diseases such as atopic dermatitis, acne, and ichthyosis

www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-scie...

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Lis Lowe @lislowe.bsky.social · 9d

Spending some time collecting memories of Harry today 🥺 - this is when he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. If anyone in the #glycotime universe has pictures or memories of Harry Gilbert they want to share please send them my way 💚

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Jon Marles-Wright @jmarlesw.bsky.social · 9d

Interested in alpha-oxoamine synthases and their use in biotech? Here's a nice methods paper on the production and characterisation of an engineered T. maritima variant from colleagues in the @campopianogroup.bsky.social: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Characterisation and engineering of thermostable PLP-dependent alpha-oxoamine synthases (AOSs); versatile C-C bond forming biocatalysts

The toolbox of C-C bond forming biocatalysts is forever expanding as demand increases for new and sustainable routes to organic molecules. One class o…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Dr Katherine Duncan @kateduncan.bsky.social · 14d

There seems to quite a few new faces lately, so if I haven’t already added you, but you’d like added please let me know and for anyone interested in following more microbial natural products folks, then our starter pack is now 100 strong go.bsky.app/72NeGsT

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Ellie Boardman @ellieboardman.bsky.social · 12d

Nice to see our summer student Niamh who did a great job in the lab this year supported by a Vacation Studentship! @proftracypalmer.bsky.social

Microbiology Society @microbiologysociety.org · 22d

Meet the Vacation Studentship 2025 grant awardees 🤩! We loved receiving these photos! When you publish with us, we have the funds to continue supporting Early Career Microbiologists in developing their knowledge and skills.

A graphic with photos of Early Career Microbiologist during their lab-time during the Vacation Studentship, which is a grant provided by the Microbiology Society. In the photos people are smiling.

A lot of photos on the screen of individuals working in the lab.

Another page of photos on the screen of individuals working in the lab.

The last page is text explaining how publishing revenue supports the Society to give grants to Early Career Microbiologists.

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Chris Stewart @stewartlab.bsky.social · Jul 14

Introducing a new gut microbiology journal, aptly titled Gut Microbiology.

All Article Publishing Charges (APCs) are waived for 2 years!

Please send your exciting research our way.

www.sciencedirect.com/journal/gut-...

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 15d

Next up :

Dr Kate Duncan @kateduncan.bsky.social

The Duncan group study the chemical language of bacteria (& what influences it) for antibiotic discovery from our oceans.

Check out www.medicinesfromthesea.com for more info

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 15d

The Salgado group focuses on structural and functional characterisation of proteins involved in pathogenicity pathways in C. difficile. They are particularly interested in S-layer and sporulation proteins and their role in infection.

Follow @pssalgado.bsky.social

salgadolab.org

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 15d

The Bolam lab uses a range of biochemical, microbiological, genetic and structural techniques to study the molecular mechanisms utilised by our resident gut bacteria to recognise, acquire and degrade complex glycans from both dietary and host sources.

Follow @dave-bolam.bsky.social

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Microbes in Health and Disease @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social · 15d

Dr Chien-Yi Chang's lab studies how Gram-negative bacteria sense and respond to different environments using molecular and bioimaging approaches.

👉 @davychang.bsky.social

chienyichang.wixsite.com/changlab

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