Adam Pickrum
@apickrum.bsky.social
Postdoc at St. Jude with the Torres lab. Staphylococcal infection biology. Continuously pondering why bacteria win all the time.
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Viral AlphaFold Database (VAD) is live in Science Advances
~27,000 predicted viral protein monomers & homodimers
Conserved folds across bacteria, archaea & eukaryotic viruses
New toxin–antitoxin system KreTA uncovered
Vast “functional darkness” remains uncharted
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
~27,000 predicted viral protein monomers & homodimers
Conserved folds across bacteria, archaea & eukaryotic viruses
New toxin–antitoxin system KreTA uncovered
Vast “functional darkness” remains uncharted
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The Viral AlphaFold Database of monomers and homodimers reveals conserved protein folds in viruses of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes
VAD is a Viral AlphaFold Database of protein monomers and homodimers from viruses infecting hosts across the tree of life.
www.science.org
October 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Viral AlphaFold Database (VAD) is live in Science Advances
~27,000 predicted viral protein monomers & homodimers
Conserved folds across bacteria, archaea & eukaryotic viruses
New toxin–antitoxin system KreTA uncovered
Vast “functional darkness” remains uncharted
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
~27,000 predicted viral protein monomers & homodimers
Conserved folds across bacteria, archaea & eukaryotic viruses
New toxin–antitoxin system KreTA uncovered
Vast “functional darkness” remains uncharted
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
We're hiring! Check out our ad and please re-post or forward to interested #Microbiology parties: apply.interfolio.com/174783
Apply - Interfolio
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apply.interfolio.com
October 7, 2025 at 4:10 PM
We're hiring! Check out our ad and please re-post or forward to interested #Microbiology parties: apply.interfolio.com/174783
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
UChicago Microbiology is searching for tenured or tenure-track faculty working in host-pathogens interactions, viral and bacterial pathogenesis, and emerging infectious diseases. Come join our vibrant Department! microbiology.uchicago.edu
Apply here apply.interfolio.com/174404
Apply here apply.interfolio.com/174404
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
October 5, 2025 at 12:03 PM
UChicago Microbiology is searching for tenured or tenure-track faculty working in host-pathogens interactions, viral and bacterial pathogenesis, and emerging infectious diseases. Come join our vibrant Department! microbiology.uchicago.edu
Apply here apply.interfolio.com/174404
Apply here apply.interfolio.com/174404
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Job alert ‼️ UChicago Micro is hiring! Open to tenured/tenure track faculty at all levels in any area of microbiology. Come join our amazing and growing department. apply.interfolio.com/174404
October 4, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Job alert ‼️ UChicago Micro is hiring! Open to tenured/tenure track faculty at all levels in any area of microbiology. Come join our amazing and growing department. apply.interfolio.com/174404
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Thrilled to share my work from the @jkagan1.bsky.social lab!
TLDR: O-acetylation and wall teichoic acid compete for space on S. aureus peptidoglycan. This competition regulates DNA release, and thus immune receptor activation, during infection!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#microsky #immunosky
TLDR: O-acetylation and wall teichoic acid compete for space on S. aureus peptidoglycan. This competition regulates DNA release, and thus immune receptor activation, during infection!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#microsky #immunosky
Wall teichoic acid is required for DNA-triggered innate immune receptor activation by Staphylococcus aureus
Receptors that stimulate inflammation are commonly activated by ligands that are buried within microbial cells. The mechanisms that facilitate immunostimulatory ligand release from microbes during inf...
www.biorxiv.org
September 26, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Thrilled to share my work from the @jkagan1.bsky.social lab!
TLDR: O-acetylation and wall teichoic acid compete for space on S. aureus peptidoglycan. This competition regulates DNA release, and thus immune receptor activation, during infection!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#microsky #immunosky
TLDR: O-acetylation and wall teichoic acid compete for space on S. aureus peptidoglycan. This competition regulates DNA release, and thus immune receptor activation, during infection!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#microsky #immunosky
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Dual transposon sequencing profiles the genetic interaction landscape in bacteria | Science https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adt7685?af=R
Dual transposon sequencing profiles the genetic interaction landscape in bacteria
Gene redundancy complicates systematic characterization of gene function as single-gene deletions may not produce discernible phenotypes. We report dual transposon sequencing (dual Tn-seq), a platform for assaying the fitness of a comprehensive double ...
www.science.org
September 25, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Dual transposon sequencing profiles the genetic interaction landscape in bacteria | Science https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adt7685?af=R
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Our Department of Microbiology & Immunology at UCSF is running a faculty search this year for a new Assistant Professor! Please see the ad below for details. Searching for a great colleague, mentor, and scientist!
aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF05807
aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF05807
Microbiology and Immunology – Faculty Position (Ladder Rank) – Assistant Professor
University of California, San Francisco is hiring. Apply now!
aprecruit.ucsf.edu
September 25, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Our Department of Microbiology & Immunology at UCSF is running a faculty search this year for a new Assistant Professor! Please see the ad below for details. Searching for a great colleague, mentor, and scientist!
aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF05807
aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF05807
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Last month I attended the #GRS and #GRC on Staphylococcal Diseases. The conference was an excellent opportunity to meet new colleagues, learn with and about the vibrant #Staphylococcal community, and get ideas on #Zinc #ZNG1 research, coming soon
September 23, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Last month I attended the #GRS and #GRC on Staphylococcal Diseases. The conference was an excellent opportunity to meet new colleagues, learn with and about the vibrant #Staphylococcal community, and get ideas on #Zinc #ZNG1 research, coming soon
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
🚨 Microbiologists! We are recruiting Assistant / Associate Professors in 3 collaborative areas of our U. Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...
Faculty Professor Associate - Full-Time | Vaughn Cooper
We are recruiting Faculty microbiologists in three (3) different, complementary, and collaborative areas at the University of Pittsburgh associated with the School of Medicine.
1) Fundamental researc...
www.linkedin.com
September 23, 2025 at 10:31 PM
🚨 Microbiologists! We are recruiting Assistant / Associate Professors in 3 collaborative areas of our U. Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Delighted to announce that The International Meeting on the Biology of Vibrios will be back next year!
Vibrio2026 will be held in Berlin in September 13-16. See you there Vibriologists!
event.fourwaves.com/vibrio2026/p...
Vibrio2026 will be held in Berlin in September 13-16. See you there Vibriologists!
event.fourwaves.com/vibrio2026/p...
Vibrio2026: The International Meeting on the Biology of Vibrios
Fourwaves - Vibrio2026: The International Meeting on the Biology of Vibrios
event.fourwaves.com
September 18, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Delighted to announce that The International Meeting on the Biology of Vibrios will be back next year!
Vibrio2026 will be held in Berlin in September 13-16. See you there Vibriologists!
event.fourwaves.com/vibrio2026/p...
Vibrio2026 will be held in Berlin in September 13-16. See you there Vibriologists!
event.fourwaves.com/vibrio2026/p...
Wrapped up another great #cshlhost25 meeting! Such a special place to share the awesome science going on around the world.
September 12, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Wrapped up another great #cshlhost25 meeting! Such a special place to share the awesome science going on around the world.
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Interview with yours truly on what to do to protect yourself against the flesh-eating pathogen Vibrio vulnificus for the Associated Press
apnews.com/article/vibr...
apnews.com/article/vibr...
How to protect yourself from Vibrio vulnificus, the bacteria found in some coastal waters
States are warning beachgoers about a summertime surge in infections from a frightening, flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters.
apnews.com
August 23, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Interview with yours truly on what to do to protect yourself against the flesh-eating pathogen Vibrio vulnificus for the Associated Press
apnews.com/article/vibr...
apnews.com/article/vibr...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Come be my colleague!
I've been very happy at UTSW Micro. Why?
Its a supportive environment full of excellent people. There's strong ambition, reflexive empathy, and excellent resources.
I've been very happy at UTSW Micro. Why?
Its a supportive environment full of excellent people. There's strong ambition, reflexive empathy, and excellent resources.
Faculty search announcement 2025: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Microbiology at UT Southwestern. We seek candidates working in microbial pathogenesis (some preference may be given to bacterial pathogens). Come join our community! (1/5) www.utsouthwestern.edu/departments/...
August 18, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Come be my colleague!
I've been very happy at UTSW Micro. Why?
Its a supportive environment full of excellent people. There's strong ambition, reflexive empathy, and excellent resources.
I've been very happy at UTSW Micro. Why?
Its a supportive environment full of excellent people. There's strong ambition, reflexive empathy, and excellent resources.
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Happy to share Iván’s first-author pub from the lab! www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Staphylococcus aureus exploits lipoic acid salvage to combat host oxidative stress
Acosta et al. find that ADP-ribosylation of the lipoic acid carrier protein GcvH-L
promotes Staphylococcus aureus resistance to oxidative burst and facilitates infection.
ADP-ribosylation leads to a s...
www.cell.com
August 1, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Happy to share Iván’s first-author pub from the lab! www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
"Among all bacterial species, S. aureus ranks second only to E. coli in the number of scientific publications."
It was a pleasure to contribute to this review, with @pinholab.bsky.social and Friedrich Götz
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
It was a pleasure to contribute to this review, with @pinholab.bsky.social and Friedrich Götz
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Staphylococcus aureus: a model for bacterial cell biology and pathogenesis | Journal of Bacteriology
When talking about Staphylococcus aureus, one usually has in mind the diseases that can be caused by this bacterium, ranging
from mild skin and soft tissue infections, such as abscesses and furuncles,...
journals.asm.org
July 28, 2025 at 10:48 AM
"Among all bacterial species, S. aureus ranks second only to E. coli in the number of scientific publications."
It was a pleasure to contribute to this review, with @pinholab.bsky.social and Friedrich Götz
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
It was a pleasure to contribute to this review, with @pinholab.bsky.social and Friedrich Götz
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Excited to share this collaborative study with @ritatamayo.bsky.social showing that E. faecalis influences C. diff morphology through the phase variable CmrRST system! This work was co-led by the amazing team of @ashleyweiss.bsky.social and Jilarie Santos-Santiago!
Enterococcus faecalis modulates phase variation in Clostridioides difficile https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.24.666506v1
July 26, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Excited to share this collaborative study with @ritatamayo.bsky.social showing that E. faecalis influences C. diff morphology through the phase variable CmrRST system! This work was co-led by the amazing team of @ashleyweiss.bsky.social and Jilarie Santos-Santiago!
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Infection and Immunity is now welcoming nominations for highly promising scientists at the assistant professor level (or equivalent) to submit research to the next New Voices in Microbiology Collection!
Please nominate by the August 18 deadline using the below link:
app.asm.org/account/logi...
Please nominate by the August 18 deadline using the below link:
app.asm.org/account/logi...
July 22, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Infection and Immunity is now welcoming nominations for highly promising scientists at the assistant professor level (or equivalent) to submit research to the next New Voices in Microbiology Collection!
Please nominate by the August 18 deadline using the below link:
app.asm.org/account/logi...
Please nominate by the August 18 deadline using the below link:
app.asm.org/account/logi...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
"I can’t predict the next hiring cycle or the next election. But I can keep doing the science I love while I still have a bench." #ScienceWorkingLife scim.ag/4lXUwDa
July 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
"I can’t predict the next hiring cycle or the next election. But I can keep doing the science I love while I still have a bench." #ScienceWorkingLife scim.ag/4lXUwDa
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Methylglyoxal: antibacterial effector
Methylglyoxal produced by infected macrophages upon transition to aerobic glycolysis acts as an innate immune antimicrobial effector that bacteria must detoxify for virulence and to prevent mutations
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Methylglyoxal produced by infected macrophages upon transition to aerobic glycolysis acts as an innate immune antimicrobial effector that bacteria must detoxify for virulence and to prevent mutations
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Methylglyoxal is an antibacterial effector produced by macrophages during infection
Infected macrophages that transition to aerobic glycolysis produce the reactive aldehyde
methylglyoxal. In this study, Anaya-Sanchez et al. use both host and bacterial genetics
to show that methylglyo...
www.cell.com
July 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Methylglyoxal: antibacterial effector
Methylglyoxal produced by infected macrophages upon transition to aerobic glycolysis acts as an innate immune antimicrobial effector that bacteria must detoxify for virulence and to prevent mutations
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Methylglyoxal produced by infected macrophages upon transition to aerobic glycolysis acts as an innate immune antimicrobial effector that bacteria must detoxify for virulence and to prevent mutations
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Excited to post our first S. aureus preprint on biorxiv! Big congrats to co-first authors, postdocs @anjali20anil.bsky.social and Rezia Braza, and really enjoyed the collaboration with @torreslab.bsky.social !
Staphylococcus aureus exhibits spatiotemporal heterogeneity in Sae activity during kidney abscess development https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.08.663646v1
July 10, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Excited to post our first S. aureus preprint on biorxiv! Big congrats to co-first authors, postdocs @anjali20anil.bsky.social and Rezia Braza, and really enjoyed the collaboration with @torreslab.bsky.social !
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Excited to share with you my postdoctoral work published today in Nature Microbiology!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We have known for a while that stress can impact the outcome of infectious diseases; however, we reveal in our paper that it is not always detrimental.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We have known for a while that stress can impact the outcome of infectious diseases; however, we reveal in our paper that it is not always detrimental.
Environmental stress drives clearance of a persistent enteric virus in mice - Nature Microbiology
Cage change of mice with persistent murine astrovirus infection triggers stress responses marked by corticosterone fluctuation, which is followed by CD8 T cell activation and induction of epithelial a...
www.nature.com
June 25, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Excited to share with you my postdoctoral work published today in Nature Microbiology!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We have known for a while that stress can impact the outcome of infectious diseases; however, we reveal in our paper that it is not always detrimental.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We have known for a while that stress can impact the outcome of infectious diseases; however, we reveal in our paper that it is not always detrimental.
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Alert! The abstract deadline for the Microbial Pathogenesis & Host Response meeting has been extended to July 7 meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.asp...
Microbial Pathogenesis & Host Response
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meetings & Courses -- a private, non-profit institution with research programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, bioinformatics.
meetings.cshl.edu
June 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Alert! The abstract deadline for the Microbial Pathogenesis & Host Response meeting has been extended to July 7 meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.asp...
Reposted by Adam Pickrum
Infants hospitalized with severe #COVID19 have different immune responses than adults or older children
@dnehar.bsky.social @jacksonlab.bsky.social
@dnehar.bsky.social @jacksonlab.bsky.social
Infant immune systems respond differently to severe COVID-19
Infants show unique immune responses to COVID-19, differing from adults and children. New study may guide better treatments for severe infant infections.
bit.ly
June 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Infants hospitalized with severe #COVID19 have different immune responses than adults or older children
@dnehar.bsky.social @jacksonlab.bsky.social
@dnehar.bsky.social @jacksonlab.bsky.social