Ashley Alexander

New paper showing that bacteria with more genes for cooperation can live in a broader range of habitats and that genes for cooperation are more more likely to be in the accessory genome www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... @lauriebelch.bsky.social

In case you missed it: our review titled "Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities" is out! 🚨

Let me hit you with some highlights on why spatial structure matters. (and why you should care!)

Sharing is appreciated 🙏 🧵👇

doi.org/10.1093/fems...

Loss of Fsr quorum sensing promotes biofilm formation and worsens outcomes in enterococcal infective endocarditis - Nature Communications Infective endocarditis (IE) is an understudied biofilm-associated infection. Here, analyses of preclinical and clinical data reveal that the Fsr quorum sensing (QS) system of Enterococcus faecalis is ...

What if quorum sensing doesn’t promote biofilms - but restrains it? 🤔

New work from @harisantypas.bsky.social shows that the Fsr QS system in Enterococcus faecalis acts as a brake on biofilm formation and pathogenesis during infective endocarditis (IE).

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

The Burmeister Lab: Studying Microbial Evolution and Extinction ​Our research integrates evolutionary biology and microbiology, using bacteria and phage as study systems to address fundamental questions in both fields. ​ ​We study microbial evolution, a...

Alita Burmeister (@aburmeister.bsky.social) is looking to hire a postdoc (or potentially a PhD student) for projects on phage resistance and evolution. The position description is posted to the Eco-Evo Jobs wiki and also available on her lab's website (arburmeister.weebly.com).

🚨 New pre-print! 🚨 In the largest study of its kind to-date, we investigate the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms driving within-patient evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Read here:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... , and follow along with this thread, discussing our findings (1/21)

Our new study combines experiments with bioinformatics to examine amino acid metabolism in Pseudomonas strains co-isolated from pond and soil communities
by Simon Maréchal, Beni Heiniger, @swagatika.bsky.social, Shaohua Gu, Christian Ahrens
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

#MicroSky has anyone had trouble growing A. fumigatus on Saboraud dextrose agar at 37°C with ampicillin or chloramphenicol added?

Of 227 clinical trial proposals to the PRMRP program, only 5 were funded. Of 753 technology or therapeutic development proposals, only 14 were funded. Success rates of roughly 2%

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) has long supported translational research benefiting military service members. cdmrp.health.mil/prmrp/default

Like all US science funding, CDMRP has also dwindled. Insane funding rate of only 2% for the PRMRP program in 2025:

normally pretty optimistic that science funding will even out over reasonable time frames

But I honestly can’t see US science recovering from $ cuts (and everything else) until at least 2035

There’s about to be at least one lost generation and I feel like I’m watching a car crash in slow motion

Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities Spatial structure naturally emerges in microbial communities, shaping growth, interactions, and evolution, and revealing how microscale processes scale up

Most microbes don't live in shaking flasks; spatial structure shapes how microbes interact and evolve at every scale, as we discuss in our recent review @jeroenmeijer.bsky.social @simonvanvliet.bsky.social @bedutilh.bsky.social @bramvandijk.bsky.social and others
academic.oup.com/femsre/artic... 🧵👇

I am seeking a postdoc to join my group at UCLA -- ideally the candidate would have some experience in either population genetics or microbes/microbiome (computational background needed). We have a range of projects and are happy to tailer to your interests. Please dm/email me if interested.

No one can deny that ICE under this Administration is being overly aggressive, violating people's rights, and endangering the lives of U.S. citizens and law abiding immigrants. We cannot move forward without commonsense reforms.

Job opportunities...

Newly launched Quantitative Biology Initiative in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park seeks applications for three collaborative postdoctoral fellowships. Best consideration date 3/14.

Full Details:
umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMCP/j...

Ten Black Scientists That Science Teachers Should Know About Help your students see the possibilities of careers in STEM fields by providing them with diverse role models.

STEM Black History Fact 10/28

Vivien Thomas developed the surgical techniques that made lifesaving pediatric heart surgery possible for “blue baby syndrome.” He did not have an education past high school but received an honorary doctorate from Hopkins for his efforts.
🔗

Gastropod Food Podcast · Updated Biweekly · Food with a side of science and history. Every other week, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley serve up a brand new episode exploring the hidden history and su...

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g...

Perfect mix of science, history, and culture centered around the very non-controversial take that food is good!

NEW: Registration is now FREE for graduate students and postdocs for the 14th Annual Yosemite Symbiosis workshop. THANKS to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation! Space is limited. Learn more and REGISTER here: snri.ucmerced.edu/form/symbios...

The Institute for Environmental Genomics at U Oklahoma (www.ou.edu/ieg) has 3 Research Scientists & 4-6 Postdoc openings (see details linked below).

Contact ieg@ou.edu w/ questions.

We’re looking for a postdoc to join the Hendrickson lab!
The project will involve dissecting the molecular mechanisms of a fascinating mobile element in our honeybee biocontrol phages. Sound like something you would be interested in? Get in touch! Details:
jobs.canterbury.ac.nz/jobdetails/a...

Whole-tissue imaging reveals intrastrain diversity shapes the spatial organization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine infection model | mSphere Intrastrain genetic and phenotypic diversity within Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations is common in chronic pulmonary infections. While this intrastrain heterogeneity is a hallmark of chronic infectio...

P. aeruginosa intrastrain diversity drastically changes its spatial organization in lung infections. OSA-deficient variants, common in CF/COPD, surprisingly led to larger bacterial aggregates in vivo. #Microbiology #CFResearch journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Looking for a paid summer research experience? Apply to MSU’s Extreme Biofilms REU and work on cutting-edge biofilm science in extreme environments. No prior research experience needed.

#MicroSky
#PhageSky

Whole-tissue imaging reveals intrastrain diversity shapes the spatial organization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine infection model | mSphere Intrastrain genetic and phenotypic diversity within Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations is common in chronic pulmonary infections. While this intrastrain heterogeneity is a hallmark of chronic infection, its consequences for the spatial organization of P. aeruginosa within the airways remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the loss of O-specific antigen in a subpopulation of P. aeruginosa significantly alters the spatial architecture of P. aeruginosa, without changing the total population size or composition. Using a combination of tissue clearing and hybridization chain reaction RNA-FISH in a murine lung infection model, we mapped the localization of genetically distinct P. aeruginosa variants in mixed populations in vivo. These findings reveal that genetic diversification within a strain can reshape the infection landscape at the micron scale, highlighting the overlooked role of intrastrain dynamics in shaping the microbiogeography of infections and influencing host-pathogen interactions.

Recent work from the lab showing how presence of O-antigen deficient Pseudomonas variants change aggregate assembly and microbiogeography of infection

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

bob ross says that beauty is everywhere while painting a picture ALT: bob ross says that beauty is everywhere while painting a picture

Quite the Pa-latte you have there!

Are you a long-time fan of Archaea, an extremophile-phile, or are you simply curious?

Either way, we have good news.
We’re delighted to announce the 2026 EMBO Workshop on Archaea, 6–10 July.

Sign up: meetings.embo.org/event/26-arc...

We look forward to seeing you in Cambridge, UK.

Please repost!

Update to BacFighT6, with presets for easy exploration of complex behaviors:
sites.google.com/view/bacfight6

Try "battle royale" preset where prey (blue) produce capsule, attackers (red) move towards prey and feed on it, defenders (orange) retaliate!

Took a while to eliminate the reds!

Separation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa type IV pilus-dependent twitching motility and surface-sensing responses | mBio The ability of bacteria to sense and respond to contact with surfaces is important for triggering changes in secondary messenger levels and gene expression, leading to the formation of biofilms and in...

New paper! Specific PilA and PilY1 sequences make PilU dispensable for T4P-dependent twitching motility in P. aeruginosa. However, most suppressors still had high cAMP levels from loss of PilU, showing that motility and surface sensing responses can be uncoupled.🧐 ⏩ journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Metabolic interplay drives population cycles in a cross-feeding microbial community - Nature Communications Here the authors leverage a crossfeeding, engineered microbial community to demonstrate that strain abundance cycles are robust across environmental conditions. They pair this with a nonlinear dynamic model to elucidate population cycles.

Metabolic interplay drives population cycles in a cross-feeding microbial community

@natcomms.nature.com from @oventurelli2.bsky.social

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

The damage done Nature Medicine - When clinical trials are suddenly halted by US funding cuts, there are repercussions for investigators and patients, and they do not stop at borders.

rdcu.be/eI26z

The damage done - Nature Medicine When clinical trials are suddenly halted by US funding cuts, there are repercussions for investigators and patients, and they do not stop at borders.

The Damage Done by @marianneguenot.bsky.social

Now out in Nature Medicine, featuring analysis from #GrantWitness and #SCIMaP and impacts on grants, clinical trials, patients, discovery, collaboration, and careers.

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

The science was cutting edge, and the company was unparalleled- thank you everyone for such a welcoming and thrilling #GRCMicroPop! Looking forward to cyberstalking all your google scholar profiles ❤️