We cracked the mystery: Pteridines are the natural ligands of CutA, a widespread protein in nature Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections I started this project 8y ago. We showed that it's of PII signaling family, but it's role remained unknown coz we didn't know what it bind biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

🔥 Pfam 37.3 just dropped! 🚀 353 incredible new protein families + 7 new clans! 🧬✨ Revolutionise your research NOW via InterPro website: ebi.ac.uk/interpro/entry…, API & Pfam FTP!

Analysis of Essential Genes in Clostridioides difficile by CRISPRi and Tn-seq biorxiv.org/content/10.110… #biorxiv_micrbio

The world needs more scientists open.substack.com/pub/stevensalz…

This paper offers a solution to a long-standing problem: A general mechanism for initiating the bacterial general stress response | eLife Niels Bradhaw doi.org/10.7554/eLife.…

The DigH glycosyl hydrolase is conditionally required for daughter cell separation in Escherichia coli journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.11…

New paper in JB: Kuchma et al. from O'Toole's lab identify key components of flagellar-mediated surface sensing system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jb…

InterPro 105.0, one of our biggest updates so far! youtube.com/shorts/ct1-72K…

Today, NSF announced an add’l 500 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program awardees for the 2025-2026 cohort, bringing the total to approx 1,500. #NSFGRFP supports grad students as they pursue their dreams, build STEM skills, & become the next generation of innovators & leaders.

Happy to share that our paper on how a conveyor belt associated protein influences the rotation of its driver is out now in mBio

Major update to BacFighT6: sites.google.com/view/bacfight6/ Simulate the role of motility/chemotaxis, capsule production, activation by autoinducers, contact dependent killing, kin-exclusion, foraging and more. Long simulations, extensive data import/export and analysis. Interactive Q&A!

🧪 We're beta testing - and we want your thoughts! Try the redesigned PDBe entry pages & let us know: 🔸 What’s working? 🔸 What’s confusing? 🔸 What features do you miss? 💬 Feedback form: tinyurl.com/pdbe-beta-form #PDBeBeta #Bioinformatics #Biochemistry #Science #UserVoice

🚀 InterPro 106.0 is now live! ✨ Updated to Pfam 37.4 ✨ 683 new entries added ✨ Enhanced protein classification coverage Explore the latest annotations and discover new protein insights. Explore it now: interpro.ebi.ac.uk

🚀 HUGE NEWS: Pfam 37.4 is LIVE! 318 brand new protein families + 4 new clans! 🧬 Total collection now: 24,736 entries! 📈 Get exploring via InterPro website, API & Pfam FTP!

Lee Kroos et al. (17 authors) From the humblest of beginnings (i.e. a pile of dry cow dung) over 80 years ago, the Gram-negative bacterium Myxococcus xanthus has emerged as a premier model system for studying diverse fields of bacteriology journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.11…

Antonia Herrero (Universidad de Sevilla, Spain) Distinct cell division features in Anabaena, a multicellular cyanobacterium journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jb…

From Matthew Cobb.bsky.social Just learned that Frank Stahl (of the Meselson and Stahl DNA replication experiment ("the most beautiful experiment in biology") died at the beginning of April, to no fanfare. Here's a lovely video of them reminiscing: youtube.com/watch?v=7-tnuA…

Type IV pili in cyanobacteria journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jb…

Soluble peptidoglycan fragments do not initiate spore germination but stimulate germination triggered by amino acids and nucleosides journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jb…

JB editors' pick: Conjugative delivery of toxin genes ccdB and kil confers synergistic killing of bacterial recipients journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jb…