Duerkop Lab
@duerkoplab.bsky.social
Phages and other mobile genetic elements of bacteria | Microbiome and pathobionts | Associate Professor CU-Anschutz | Microbiology Program Director CU-Anschutz | https://www.duerkoplab.org/
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
The hitchhiker’s guide to cross-species DNA delivery
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Spotlight by Kotaro Kiga and Rodrigo Ibarra-Chávez
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Spotlight by Kotaro Kiga and Rodrigo Ibarra-Chávez
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
The hitchhiker’s guide to cross-species DNA delivery
Microbial hitchhikers are rewriting the rules of horizontal gene transfer. He, Patkowski,
et al. reveal how phage satellites assemble chimeric infective particles that deliver
DNA across species bound...
www.cell.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:39 AM
The hitchhiker’s guide to cross-species DNA delivery
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Spotlight by Kotaro Kiga and Rodrigo Ibarra-Chávez
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social Spotlight by Kotaro Kiga and Rodrigo Ibarra-Chávez
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Delighted that our review on resistance to last-resort antibiotics in Enterococci has been published in FEMS Microbiology Reviews
academic.oup.com/femsre/advan... (accepted manuscript version)
TL;DR: the Enterococci are really good at evolving resistance to antibiotics in new and creative ways.
academic.oup.com/femsre/advan... (accepted manuscript version)
TL;DR: the Enterococci are really good at evolving resistance to antibiotics in new and creative ways.
Resistance to last-resort antibiotics in enterococci
Abstract. The genus Enterococcus comprises a diverse group of species, many of which are commensal members of the gut microbiota of humans and animals. The
academic.oup.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Delighted that our review on resistance to last-resort antibiotics in Enterococci has been published in FEMS Microbiology Reviews
academic.oup.com/femsre/advan... (accepted manuscript version)
TL;DR: the Enterococci are really good at evolving resistance to antibiotics in new and creative ways.
academic.oup.com/femsre/advan... (accepted manuscript version)
TL;DR: the Enterococci are really good at evolving resistance to antibiotics in new and creative ways.
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Excited to share some new work from the lab, led by @shelbyeandersen.bsky.social where we developed a method and computational pipeline to identify antiphage defenses across diverse bacterial phyla.
Serine recombinases are conserved genetic markers of antiphage defense systems https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.07.681051v1
October 20, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Excited to share some new work from the lab, led by @shelbyeandersen.bsky.social where we developed a method and computational pipeline to identify antiphage defenses across diverse bacterial phyla.
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Our latest work reveals that arbitrium phages cross-communicate across species! These tiny viruses “listen” to signals from others, coordinating lysis-lysogeny decisions across species.
Original idea from @albertomarina.bsky.social and, as usual, he was right.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Original idea from @albertomarina.bsky.social and, as usual, he was right.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Phages communicate across species to shape microbial ecosystems
Arbitrium is a communication system that helps bacteriophages decide between lysis and lysogeny via secreted peptides. In arbitrium, the AimP peptide binds its cognate AimR receptor to repress aimX ex...
www.biorxiv.org
October 14, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Our latest work reveals that arbitrium phages cross-communicate across species! These tiny viruses “listen” to signals from others, coordinating lysis-lysogeny decisions across species.
Original idea from @albertomarina.bsky.social and, as usual, he was right.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Original idea from @albertomarina.bsky.social and, as usual, he was right.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
I’m extremely honored to be included with this amazing group of scientists as a recipient of the 2025 BWF PDEP award!
BWF is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of its Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program (PDEP), which provides critical support to postdoctoral researchers pursuing careers in biomedical and medical research. www.bwfund.org/news/bwf-ann... #bwfpdep
BWF Announces 2025 Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program Recipients - Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Research Triangle Park, N.C. — The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of its Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program (PDEP), which provides critical support to…
www.bwfund.org
July 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
I’m extremely honored to be included with this amazing group of scientists as a recipient of the 2025 BWF PDEP award!
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
My latest in @plosbiology.org Look I get it, it seems really dark, but there are opportunities. My paper explores some ideas and tries to guide ways of thinking through the anticipated challenges. An emphasis on America’s “biohubs” and entrepreneurship
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
April 13, 2025 at 2:04 PM
My latest in @plosbiology.org Look I get it, it seems really dark, but there are opportunities. My paper explores some ideas and tries to guide ways of thinking through the anticipated challenges. An emphasis on America’s “biohubs” and entrepreneurship
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
How bad will it be? Catastrophic.
Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come.
But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget.
Speak up now before it is too late.
(inflation adjusted $-s below)
Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come.
But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget.
Speak up now before it is too late.
(inflation adjusted $-s below)
May 31, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
10/ And to reiterate a key point:
CONGRESS 👏 SETS 👏 BUDGET 👏 LEVELS
Today's update is called a **request** for a reason.
And Congress should reject it. History provides optimism:
CONGRESS 👏 SETS 👏 BUDGET 👏 LEVELS
Today's update is called a **request** for a reason.
And Congress should reject it. History provides optimism:
So: In 2017, Congress made this happen:
NIH: Proposed 22% cut --> 9% increase
NSF: Proposed 11% cut --> 4% increase
NOAA: Proposed 16% cut --> 4% increase
Obviously, 2025 is not 2017. A lot is diff now. But still:
💰 Congress, not WH, sets budgets.
📞 Public support & calls to Congress matter.
NIH: Proposed 22% cut --> 9% increase
NSF: Proposed 11% cut --> 4% increase
NOAA: Proposed 16% cut --> 4% increase
Obviously, 2025 is not 2017. A lot is diff now. But still:
💰 Congress, not WH, sets budgets.
📞 Public support & calls to Congress matter.
May 30, 2025 at 11:45 PM
10/ And to reiterate a key point:
CONGRESS 👏 SETS 👏 BUDGET 👏 LEVELS
Today's update is called a **request** for a reason.
And Congress should reject it. History provides optimism:
CONGRESS 👏 SETS 👏 BUDGET 👏 LEVELS
Today's update is called a **request** for a reason.
And Congress should reject it. History provides optimism:
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Great meeting coming up next May
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
Beyond Antibiotics: Emerging Strategies for Combating Bacterial Infection | Keystone Symposia
Join us at the Keystone Symposia on Beyond Antibiotics: Emerging Strategies for Combating Bacterial Infection, May 2026, in Breckenridge, with field leaders!
www.keystonesymposia.org
May 12, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Great meeting coming up next May
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Gold standard science
White House Health Report Included Fake Citations
www.nytimes.com
May 30, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Gold standard science
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
RFK Jr’s COVID vaccine rollback will kill people—including kids.
Read my latest:
news.immunologic.org/p/rfk-jrs-co...
Unlike RFK Jr., my citations are not only real, they are relevant and rigorous data.
Read my latest:
news.immunologic.org/p/rfk-jrs-co...
Unlike RFK Jr., my citations are not only real, they are relevant and rigorous data.
RFK Jr's COVID-19 vaccine rollback will kill people — including kids.
Revoking vaccine guidance is a public health failure with deadly, costly, and avoidable consequences.
news.immunologic.org
May 29, 2025 at 10:23 PM
RFK Jr’s COVID vaccine rollback will kill people—including kids.
Read my latest:
news.immunologic.org/p/rfk-jrs-co...
Unlike RFK Jr., my citations are not only real, they are relevant and rigorous data.
Read my latest:
news.immunologic.org/p/rfk-jrs-co...
Unlike RFK Jr., my citations are not only real, they are relevant and rigorous data.
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
You are not alone in this NIH grant game drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/05/21/y...
You are not alone in this NIH grant game
Many years ago I started blogging about the NIH system of extramural grant award because of my own frustrations with the system, as it appeared to be to me. Over time, I realized that there were a …
drugmonkey.wordpress.com
May 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM
You are not alone in this NIH grant game drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/05/21/y...
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
😢
No words. ☹️
No words. ☹️
Yesterday, the NIH R35 “Outstanding Investigator” grant to fund scientists in my lab studying antibiotic resistance was terminated for reasons not related to the content of the science, or any actions taken by me or members of my lab
May 14, 2025 at 2:19 AM
😢
No words. ☹️
No words. ☹️
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
🧪
Finally out after peer review, our work showing that "Mobile #Integrons carry Phage Defense Systems" is now published in Science 🎉
Short 🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Finally out after peer review, our work showing that "Mobile #Integrons carry Phage Defense Systems" is now published in Science 🎉
Short 🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Mobile integrons encode phage defense systems
Integrons are bacterial genetic elements that capture, stockpile, and modulate the expression of genes encoded in integron cassettes. Mobile integrons (MIs) are borne on plasmids, acting as a vehicle ...
www.science.org
May 8, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Whoa... This resignation should alarm scientists, leaders, and elected officials across the aisles. For over 70 years, NSF has promoted science, advanced an innovation economy, and supported the national defense. America's future depends on federal investment in NSF, NIH + beyond.
Exclusive: The director of the National Science Foundation announced his resignation today, 16 months before his 6-year term ends, in a letter to staff obtained by Science. scim.ag/42vc3fn
Exclusive: ‘I have done all I can’: NSF director announces he is resigning
Sethuraman Panchanathan, a Trump appointee who has led the agency since 2020, leaves amid mass firings and grant terminations
scim.ag
April 24, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Whoa... This resignation should alarm scientists, leaders, and elected officials across the aisles. For over 70 years, NSF has promoted science, advanced an innovation economy, and supported the national defense. America's future depends on federal investment in NSF, NIH + beyond.
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
I had a nice time recording a podcast session with @manuelkleiner.bsky.social today for next week's #MattersMicrobial. I learned so much about how the microbiome responds to dietary changes. Plus thoughts about mucus farming by microbiota... Such fun! Heard about VIM @nicoledubilier.bsky.social!
April 11, 2025 at 12:24 AM
I had a nice time recording a podcast session with @manuelkleiner.bsky.social today for next week's #MattersMicrobial. I learned so much about how the microbiome responds to dietary changes. Plus thoughts about mucus farming by microbiota... Such fun! Heard about VIM @nicoledubilier.bsky.social!
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Biology is so cool
- P. syringae produces syringafactin, which is deacylated by amoebae
- Deacylated syringafactin binds to CraR, triggering amoebicidal pyrofactin synthesis
- Cra allows P. syringae to infect Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence of amoebae
#MicroSky
- P. syringae produces syringafactin, which is deacylated by amoebae
- Deacylated syringafactin binds to CraR, triggering amoebicidal pyrofactin synthesis
- Cra allows P. syringae to infect Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence of amoebae
#MicroSky
A chemical radar allows bacteria to detect and kill predators
Pseudomonas syringae can detect and kill microbial predators via a chemical radar
(Cra), which also allows the bacterium to infect plants despite predation pressure.
www.cell.com
April 5, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Biology is so cool
- P. syringae produces syringafactin, which is deacylated by amoebae
- Deacylated syringafactin binds to CraR, triggering amoebicidal pyrofactin synthesis
- Cra allows P. syringae to infect Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence of amoebae
#MicroSky
- P. syringae produces syringafactin, which is deacylated by amoebae
- Deacylated syringafactin binds to CraR, triggering amoebicidal pyrofactin synthesis
- Cra allows P. syringae to infect Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence of amoebae
#MicroSky
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Preprint out! Bacteria w/ hyper-replicative filamentous phage lead to overnight emergence of cheater phages. Bacteria w/ both phages can outcompete wildtype, then rapidly lose phage via a phage Tragedy of the Commons
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Filamentous cheater phages drive bacterial and phage populations to lower fitness
Many bacteria carry phage genome(s) in their chromosome (i.e., prophage), and this intertwines the fitness of the bacterium and the phage. Most Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains carry filamentous phages ...
www.biorxiv.org
April 2, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Preprint out! Bacteria w/ hyper-replicative filamentous phage lead to overnight emergence of cheater phages. Bacteria w/ both phages can outcompete wildtype, then rapidly lose phage via a phage Tragedy of the Commons
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Please spread the word! We have an opening in the Atkinson lab for a post-doc with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of microbial immune systems. Can be a fully computational or experimental or hybrid project.
Read more and apply here:
lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#phage #bioinformatics
Read more and apply here:
lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#phage #bioinformatics
Postdoctoral research fellow with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of bacteriophage-host interactions
Description of the Workplace In the Atkinson lab we are interested in making discoveries about protein function and structure, with a focus on bacterial immune system components that protect against b
lu.varbi.com
March 19, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Please spread the word! We have an opening in the Atkinson lab for a post-doc with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of microbial immune systems. Can be a fully computational or experimental or hybrid project.
Read more and apply here:
lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#phage #bioinformatics
Read more and apply here:
lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
#phage #bioinformatics
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Legitmately thrilled to share our latest work, in which @fernpizza.bsky.social solved an experimental challenge in plasmid biology as old as the field: measuring how plasmids compete and evolve within individual cells!
February 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Legitmately thrilled to share our latest work, in which @fernpizza.bsky.social solved an experimental challenge in plasmid biology as old as the field: measuring how plasmids compete and evolve within individual cells!
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
Fascinating paper about the potential of phage for local drug delivery by Brian Hsu (Va Tech) and colleagues.
(also nice acknowledgment for SeqCoast Genomics @seqcoast.bsky.social!)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(also nice acknowledgment for SeqCoast Genomics @seqcoast.bsky.social!)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Sustained in situ protein production and release in the mammalian gut by an engineered bacteriophage - Nature Biotechnology
Biologics are delivered to the gut using phage that infects resident commensal bacteria.
www.nature.com
February 21, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Fascinating paper about the potential of phage for local drug delivery by Brian Hsu (Va Tech) and colleagues.
(also nice acknowledgment for SeqCoast Genomics @seqcoast.bsky.social!)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(also nice acknowledgment for SeqCoast Genomics @seqcoast.bsky.social!)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
We must have an unprecedented amount of grace, collaboration, and support for our colleagues and trainees right now.
We will get out of this mile one. It won’t make the run easier, but we will settle in and we will finish.
I wrote this because I needed to hear it. I hope it was helpful to you.
We will get out of this mile one. It won’t make the run easier, but we will settle in and we will finish.
I wrote this because I needed to hear it. I hope it was helpful to you.
January 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
We must have an unprecedented amount of grace, collaboration, and support for our colleagues and trainees right now.
We will get out of this mile one. It won’t make the run easier, but we will settle in and we will finish.
I wrote this because I needed to hear it. I hope it was helpful to you.
We will get out of this mile one. It won’t make the run easier, but we will settle in and we will finish.
I wrote this because I needed to hear it. I hope it was helpful to you.
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
To start the year on the good path. Our preprint on plasmid-chromosome cross-talk and how it may favour MDR bacteria, is now out. Work led by @sanmillan.bsky.social Laura Toribio-Celestino et al.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New paper out!!
New paper out!!
A plasmid-chromosome crosstalk in multidrug resistant enterobacteria - Nature Communications
The authors describe a new crosstalk between a globally disseminated carbapenem resistance plasmid and clinical enterobacteria clones. This crosstalk provides a fitness advantage to the plasmid-carryi...
www.nature.com
January 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
To start the year on the good path. Our preprint on plasmid-chromosome cross-talk and how it may favour MDR bacteria, is now out. Work led by @sanmillan.bsky.social Laura Toribio-Celestino et al.
Reposted by Duerkop Lab
November 19, 2024 at 4:30 PM