Daniela Barillà

(bacterial) chromosome segregationists take note 👇

membrane-anchoring of the 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘊 region to ensure proper daughter chromosome segregation after replication initiation – proposed decades ago but never substantiated... 👉now shown for 𝘚. 𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘴 by mariana pinho's lab

Connecting replication to chromosome segregation in Staphylococcus #microsky

Reposting! We’re going to do some amazing science and have a lot of fun doing it!

Nucleoid-binding protein RicO anchors replication origins to the membrane to ensure correct chromosome segregation in Staphylococcus aureus https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.06.710092v1

Phage protease enzymes activate CBASS antiphage immunity https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.04.709575v1

CBASS is a cyclic nucleotide-based antiviral system in bacteria that is related to cGAS-STING signaling in animals. One of the big questions is how CBASS is activated during phage infection? We made some progress on this during my final year in the Kranzusch lab.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Pls re-post: My department @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social are recruiting for several new faculty positions (links below). Broad search in molecular biology/biochemistry, across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Interested in understanding life at the molecular level, this job might be for you!
1/n

UKRI opportunities update from Professor Sir Ian Chapman YouTube video by UK Research and Innovation

New video just dropped from Ian Chapman @ukri.org youtu.be/Z1OcZl224qo

Asgard #archaea: have we found our microbial ancestors?
New review (also for newcomers to the field!) by Christa Schleper and Thiago Rodrigues-Oliveira
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Great to hear "A life without worms" broadcast last week on BBC Radio4 with Alan Davies and Sandra Salazar D’eca from go-grow.org.uk/our-story/

What would happen if #earthworms disappeared? You can find out here www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Out today: We discovered new viral proteins that target immune signaling molecules, solely based on their AlphaFold-predicted shapes

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Congrats Nitzan Tal and coauthors! Thank you Kranzusch lab for the fun collaboration!

Linking below previous thread on our findings

Diversity, ecology, cell biology and evolution of the Asgard archaea - Nature Reviews Microbiology The Asgard archaea have become a cornerstone of archaeal research, particularly for studies aiming to unravel the origin and early evolution of eukaryotes. This Review outlines the current state of th...

Just over ten years after the discovery of the first Asgard archaeal genomes, we revisit the rapid expansion of this remarkable archaeal lineage. From diverse genomes and metabolisms to eukaryotic signature proteins and the first cultured representatives.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Finally out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com: Prediction of eukaryotic cellular complexity in Asgard archaea using structural modelling. Great work by @stephkoe.bsky.social @kassipan.bsky.social @jvhooff.bsky.social

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

Description Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities ment...

Please RT:📢We are hiring a Post-Doc in Structural Biology to join our multidisciplinary team.

Project: study molecular mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer using cryo-EM and integrative structural biology.

Apply: shorturl.at/ecrVL

#StructuralBiology #CryoEM #Postdoc

Stunning new structural analysis and mechanism for Tmn anti-phage defense by @fnobrega.bsky.social

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

A new video from UKRI on the budget. Kudos to Ian for addressing the community.

More terminology to sit alongside the buckets 💐:

Legs 🦵
Jam jars 🫙

And a reprise of "applicant led"

I am more confused and I still have questions🧵

youtu.be/osnqHbOywVY

In our latest work, we characterise the Tmn defence system. We reveal plasmolysis as a new way to block phage infection, dramatically reducing secondary infections.

A membrane-bound nuclease directly cleaves phage DNA during genome injection - Nature A widespread bacterial defence system called SNIPE is shown to localize to the cell membrane, where it identifies and cleaves the DNA of infecting phage as it is injected into the bacterial cell.

Nature research paper: A membrane-bound nuclease directly cleaves phage DNA during genome injection

go.nature.com/3P2jKFh

The key role of cheaters in the persistence of cooperation - BMC Biology Background Evolution of cooperation is a major, extensively studied problem in evolutionary biology. Cooperation is beneficial for a population as a whole but costly for the bearers of social traits s...

I tell my students cheating is bad but what about when it comes to evolution?

Read this article from Sansar Babajanyan, Yuri Wolf, Eugene Koonin & Nash Rochman in #BMCBiology to find out 🔍

The key role of cheaters in the persistence of cooperation
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#AcademicSky 🧪

🔔Seminar Opportunity🔔

We're looking for (self)recommendations for a Postdoc who is working in the area of AMR (any area, any discipline) to give an online seminar in May.

Reply, DM or email me, there will more opportunities in the future as well so will be good to have a list.

#MicroSky #AMR

Neanderthals, modern humans, and the rules of attraction. Here's my story on a tantalizing study on mating preferences as far back as 250,000 years ago. Gift link: nyti.ms/4bcNzvy

This election was a choice between hope and hate, and the people of Gorton and Denton chose hope 💚

🎉 Huge congratulations to the Honourable Member for Gorton and Denton! And to everyone who helped make this happen 👏

I can't wait to see you on Monday, Hannah, and give you the biggest, proudest hug

🧵 UKRI has changed their budgets from considering by disciplines (as bounded by Research Council remits) to by buckets. The inability to see the magnitude of change to disciplinary funding over the spending review period is creating uncertainty.

We are saddened to hear of the death of former Officer of the Microbiology Society, Jeff Cole, who will be missed by so many across our community. We will post a full tribute shortly.

‘Disproportionate’ REF portability rules still dividing opinion - Research Professional News While some are happy with the long-form exception, others fear a “significant backlash”

For the next REF, the rules are changing. Researchers can't 'port' their outputs to a new employer - with an exception for long-form outputs.

While some are happy with the rules, others warn of a 'backlash' amid widespread redundancies.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

PhD Scholarship at Monash University - MACSYS Do cutting-edge research at the intersection of cryo‑EM, genome-wide profiling, and AI-driven modelling. Work with world‑class cryo-EM/cryo-ET imaging and AI tools to discover how the dangerous bacter...

Come do a PhD with me and @trevor-lithgow.bsky.social at @monashuniversity.bsky.social ! We’re at the leading edge of pathogen biology using cutting edge Cryo-EM and AI-driven genetic screens to uncover the mysteries of outer membrane biology. Reach out to me for a chat!

macsys.org/phd-scholars...

British dual nationals risk imminent refusal of travel to UK, Home Office affirms Government ignores pleas for a grace period before new rules come into force on Wednesday

Total shit show.

Luckily I've both my passports with me on my current trip!

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I also decided to give it a go to write this up in a way that's accessible without a strict scientific background: davvi36.wordpress.com/2026/02/20/p...

Identification of a distinct family of polyphosphate kinases relevant to energy homeostasis in Crenarchaeota
#microbiology #archaea #MicroSky
doi.org/10.1016/j.jb...

Horizontal gene transfer and gene loss drove the divergent evolution of host dependency in Micrarchaeota
#microbiology #evolution #archaea #MicroSky #ArchaeaSky
doi.org/10.1093/nsr/...