Publications
Topic feedGut Bacteria Enzyme Found to Break Down Heat-Processed Food Compounds, Producing Novel Biogenic Amines
Researchers have discovered that an enzyme in common gut bacteria can degrade N-epsilon-carboxymethyllysine (CML), a compound formed during thermal food processing, producing previously unknown biogenic amines. The enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase SpeC from enterobacteria, acts on CML and related modified lysine derivatives through a low-level 'underground' catalytic activity. This finding suggests a previously unrecognized communication axis between thermally processed dietary compounds and gut microbial physiology, with potential implications for host health.
Full-Length Gene Sequencing Reveals Two Distinct Bacterial Communities in Black-Legged Ticks Expanding Into Canada
Researchers used Oxford Nanopore full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the microbiome of Ixodes scapularis black-legged ticks collected in Nova Scotia, Canada, distinguishing between tick-adapted bacteria and environmentally acquired bacteria. The study comes as I. scapularis — the primary vector of Lyme disease — is rapidly expanding northward into Canada due to climate change. The findings suggest that environmentally derived bacteria in tick microbiomes are not mere contamination, which has implications for how tick microbiome data is collected and interpreted across surveillance studies.
Study Identifies Metabolic Link Between Cell Envelope Stress and Biofilm Formation in Bacteria
Researchers have discovered that the metabolite acetyl-CoA directly inhibits enzymes that degrade the bacterial signaling molecule c-di-GMP, connecting cell envelope biosynthesis stress to biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study found that sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics targeting early peptidoglycan biosynthesis — but not other antibiotic classes — elevate c-di-GMP levels by reducing phosphodiesterase activity, with acetyl-CoA competing for the enzyme active site. Because the relevant enzyme domain is broadly conserved across bacterial species, this checkpoint mechanism may be widespread and could have implications for understanding antibiotic-induced biofilm responses.
Study Identifies How Coral Bacteria Export Carbon from DMSP, Completing a Key Metabolic Cycle
Researchers have shown that Endozoicomonas bacteria in coral holobionts degrade the sulfur compound DMSP and export the resulting acetate, making it available to other coral symbionts. The study used gas chromatography, stable isotope labeling, and transcriptomics to trace carbon flow from DMSP through bacterial metabolism to acetate excretion. The findings fill a gap in understanding coral symbiont nutrient sharing, while also revealing that elevated temperatures reduce this bacterial activity.
Study Finds Last Bacterial Common Ancestor Had a More Complex Flagellum Than Previously Thought
A new preprint study concludes that the last bacterial common ancestor (LBCA) possessed a flagellum encoded by approximately 52 genes — far more than the 24 previously inferred to be universally conserved. Researchers used large-scale computational searches, gene-tree clustering, and genomic neighborhood analysis to identify 28 additional ancestral flagellar gene families. The findings challenge the long-held view that the ancestral bacterial flagellum was genetically simple, suggesting instead that many modern bacteria have undergone lineage-specific gene loss.
Study Reveals How Fungal Cells Transport mRNA to Power Distant Mitochondria
Researchers have shown that endosomal transport of mRNAs encoding mitochondrial proteins is essential for local energy production at the growing tips of infectious fungal hyphae in Ustilago maydis. The study focused on Atp3, a subunit of the electron transport chain, and found that the mRNA transporter Rrm4 is required for efficient mitochondrial protein import, especially at growth poles. The findings suggest a fundamental mechanism of subcellular mitochondrial regulation with potential implications for fungal pathogenicity and neurological disease.
Study Finds Temperature During Spore Development Determines Aspergillus fumigatus Reproductive Pathway
Researchers have found that the temperature at which Aspergillus fumigatus forms its spores during a narrow developmental window determines whether those spores are primed for asexual, parasexual, or sexual reproduction. The fungus, responsible for approximately two million human deaths annually, produces spores differently at 37°C versus 50°C, with higher temperatures unexpectedly activating the master regulator of sexual development rather than asexual development. This finding has implications for understanding antifungal resistance evolution in agricultural compost environments, where the pathogen thrives across a wide temperature gradient.
Researchers Develop Low-Cost Millifluidic Device to Study Microbial Populations in Structured Environments
Scientists have created a novel agar-based millifluidic device that combines the spatial structure of agar plates with the environmental control of microfluidics. The device uses an agar sheet sealing indented channels through which growth media continuously flows, enabling bacterial colonies to propagate for 60 hours — significantly longer than the roughly 40-hour limit observed on standard agar plates. This advance could open new avenues for studying microbial ecology and evolution under precisely controlled, non-uniform spatial conditions.
New Benchmark 'ProMiSE' Reveals Gaps in AI Protein Structure Models' Ability to Capture Dynamic Conformational States
Researchers have introduced ProMiSE, the first systematic benchmark for evaluating how well protein structure prediction models capture functionally relevant conformational dynamics. While tools like AlphaFold3 have largely solved static structure prediction, ProMiSE tests whether models can represent proteins transitioning between multiple biological states. The findings expose a significant gap: current models poorly sample intrinsic multi-states and often ignore biological context in induced conformational changes.
Researchers Develop AI-Guided Workflow to Improve Precision of Bacterial Directed Evolution System
Scientists have enhanced DGRec, a programmable mutagenesis system in E. coli, by combining a sequence recoding method with a machine learning model to better control targeted hypermutation. The work addresses two key limitations of the original system: inefficiencies caused by RNA secondary structure and unpredictable mutational biases across sequence positions. The advance could give researchers finer control over directed evolution experiments used to engineer proteins and other biological molecules.
Scientists Identify Key Genetic Variants Linked to Cassava's Rapid Post-Harvest Spoilage
Researchers have identified four genetic variants on three chromosomes that together explain over 35% of the variation in post-harvest physiological deterioration (PPD) in cassava. The genome-wide association study drew on five years of phenotyping data across 42 trials and 26,000 high-quality genetic markers from Brazilian germplasm collections. The findings could accelerate breeding programs aimed at developing longer-shelf-life cassava varieties, a critical goal for food security in regions where the crop is a dietary staple.
Neutrophil Receptor Mrgpra2 Identified as Key Driver of Itch and Skin Changes in Atopic Dermatitis Mouse Model
Researchers have identified the neutrophil receptor Mrgpra2 as a significant contributor to chronic itch and skin pathology in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Genetic deletion of Mrgpra2 in mice substantially reduced scratching behavior, skin barrier dysfunction, epidermal thickening, and expression of the inflammatory cytokine TSLP. The finding opens a potential new therapeutic target for the millions of people suffering from moderate-to-severe eczema, for whom chronic itch remains difficult to manage.