Coinfecting #viruses obstruct each other's cell invasion https://phys.org/news/2024-08-coinfecting-viruses-obstruct-cell-invasion.html Paper: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)00675-4

When there were more #phages attached to the surface of the cell, relatively fewer of them were able to enter... the first stage of infection, #phage entry, is an important step that was previously underappreciated... the coinfecting phages were impeding each other's entry by perturbing the #electrophysiology of the cell.

Passionate about phages? Apply by July 31 to join Jens Hör’s research group as a doctoral researcher! In #HIRI’s Hör lab, you will study how bacteria defend themselves against #RNA #phage infection and decipher the molecular mechanisms of this defense. More at: https://www.helmholtz-hiri.de/en/jobs-talents/working-at-hiri/

Filamentous Phage Shields https://schaechter.asmblog.org/schaechter/2024/03/filamentous-phage-shields.html @STCmicrobeblog

Phage liquid crystalline droplets form occlusive sheaths that encapsulate and protect infectious rod-shaped #bacteria (2020) https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1917726117

"in #biofilms and due to the presence of #ExtracellularMatrix #polymers, Pf4 #phage particles form highly ordered yet dynamic #LiquidCrystals (tactoids) that surround the cells. Quite interestingly, these #tactoids confer on the cells an increased tolerance to #antibiotics."

Just came across this helpful figure on the milestones of #phage research and #phagetherapy from a recent @PLOSBiology Essay, which is a highly recommended (and easy to read) deep dive into the topic
#LoveVirology

https://plos.io/3opYH2J

#Phages are key drivers of #MicrobialEvolution, but many #phage genes are poorly understood. @denish_piya @AdamArkinLab @vivek_mutalik &co use arrayed genome-wide #CRISPRi to map gene the essentiality landscape in the iconic coliphages λ & P1. #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/3uLtzgU

Interactions between #bacteriophage & mammalian hosts can facilitate diverse symbioses; @marion_bichet @JeremyJBarr &co show that mammalian cells internalize #phage, using them as a resource to enhance cellular growth & proliferation #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/49bc4Gu

A virus found far down in the Mariana Trench:

"Identification and genomic analysis of temperate Halomonas bacteriophage vB_HmeY_H4907 from the surface sediment of the Mariana Trench at a depth of 8,900 m", Su et al. 2023 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37728551/

No corner of this planet without viruses – unsurprisingly.

Organisms use a range of defense systems against #parasites. Using a #bacteria-#phage model system, @drbridgetwatson @edzewestra &co ask what drives the transient evolution of different systems; implications for #HostEcology & #pathogenicity #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/3LoFSoM

Something I've been wondering - does anyone have conference &/ meeting recommendation for early career researchers in microbiology/phage genomics?

It's time to think posters again. #microbiology #bioinformatics #phage

Check out episode #2 of Mark Martin’s “Matters Microbial” podcast on microbe tv featuring examples of shock-and-awe microbiology for grabbing students’ attention and an interview with me :)
#USFCMS #microbiology #micro #virology #phage #virus
https://youtu.be/GOWEANUgzpw

My good friend and colleague Mark Martin just started a new #microbiology #podcast. If you’re microbe-curious, check it out, you’ll get hooked! First episode features an interview with Vincent Racaniello - and although that’s a tough act to follow, tune in to next week’s podcast where I was lucky enough to be a guest. #science #micro #virology #phage
https://www.microbe.tv/mm/mm-001/

A phabulous plush phage gift from my friend Mark Martin #phage #bacteriophage #science #microbiology Check out those adorable phangs!

ASM is now taking session proposals for the 2024 Microbe meeting in Atlanta, Georgia

#ASM #Microbiology #MicrobialEvolution #MicrobialEcology #Phage #Phages #Bacteria

https://asm.org/Events/ASM-Microbe/Session-Proposals?_zs=eKArl&_zl=bePd2

More #phage curiosities - two closely related phages likely have their #integrase at a particular location (based on clustering, alignment of related, better studied phages and hmm screening) - but they're split into a couple of pieces.

Are there examples of split/mulit-part integrase still functioning in nature? Or are we looking at #sequencing (illumina shorts) error? Hmm.

Going through rotated and re-annotated phage genomes. It looks like the hypervariable region we're interested in is remarkably well conserved, and drags around some interesting accessory genes during shuffling.

I can't wait for the wet lab test.
#microbiology #phage

Happy to say I defended my dissertation "Methods and complexity in phage-bacteria ecology and evolution"!

Much thanks to all those who supported me throughout my PhD.

I'm glad to be sticking around the Turner Lab for another year as a post-doc to continue my work on multispecies phage-bacteria communities